A TRIBUTE TO CORE DESIGN

CREATED BY FORMER GREMLIN GRAPHICS’ DERBY STAFF, CORE DESIGN FOUND SUCCESS WITH RICK DANGEROUS AND CHUCK ROCK BEFORE CAPTURING THE ZEITGEIST WITH LARA CROFT. RETRO GAMER CELEBRATES THE WORLD-BEATING STUDIO WITH COFOUNDER JEREMY HEATH-SMITH

- RORY MILNE

Over the course of almost three decades, Core Design was defined by three factors above all others: the passion of  those that worked in its mansion-like offices, its relationship with Sega and the originality of its output. The latter was in no small part down to the firm continuing the anything goes ethos of Gremlin Graphics’ Derby staff – a number of whom had founded Core in 1988.

Core’s launch title, Rick Dangerous, embraced this approach, and was duly lauded for its quirky, inventive platforming. Core’s second title was a conversion of the obscure Sega coinop Dynamite Düx, which in addition to reviewing well marked the beginning of an important relationship for the Derby-based developer.

Early Nineties highlights from Core included the humorous StoneAge platformer Chuck Rock. The first of a successful trilogy, Chuck Rock was also one of Core’s earliest Mega Drive releases, following on from the firm becoming one of only five companies in Europe to gain a publisher licence from Sega.

Core’s arcade racer Jaguar XJ220 and its polygon helicopter sim Thunderhawk followed as the Nineties rolled on, both gracing Sega’s MegaCD after first appearing on the Amiga. Its chart-topping 1994 shoot-’em-up Soulstar was a Mega-CD exclusive.