WIZBALL

MARTIN GALWAY MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF IN THE EIGHTIES AS ONE OF THE FINEST COMPOSERS OF COMMODORE 64 SID MUSIC. HERE, HE AND JON HARE RECOLLECT THE HIGHLY CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WIZBALL'S BLISTERING SCORE WAS COMPOSED

- WORDS BY DAVID CROOKES

Wizball is a memorable game, of that there is no doubt. Challenging, beautifully presented, smooth scrolling and innovative, Sensible Software's iconic shoot-'em-up has long been considered one of the finest titles to grace the Commodore 64.

You get the sense that you're in for a special time as soon as the game loads and much of that is down to the eerie, ethereal music that accompanies the game's title screen. Composed by Martin Galway, it's widely considered to be a real high point in what has long proven to be a glistening career for the accomplished musician. But it's only the start. From the high-score screen to the bonus section, there are more sterling tunes to enjoy, creating a scintillating, synthesised soundtrack that certainly made the machine sing.

Martin, who worked for Ocean Software, composed Wizball's audio following his work on Parallax. "After Parallax was such a critical success, I resolved to increase my approach of working with the Sensible Software guys for inspiration," he says. Rather than work remotely and communicate by phone, he felt his creative juices would flow more freely if he was physically part of the development team. "I got permission to jump on the train with two C64s and one or maybe two monitors and go to Jon Hare's house in Ilford," he says, Jon being the cofounder of Sensible Software along with Chris Yates.

"It was hell to get the equipment on and off the train by myself but they met me at Euston Station and helped me get the gear transported," Martin recalls. "I stayed there for at least two weeks, working on the beginning part of the title screen tune and all the other sub-tunes. The compositional process was incredibly fun."