Kevin Edwards ( Retro Videogame development )
@kevedwardsretro.bsky.social
Retired video game programmer. 40+ years developing videogames and software.
Creator of games for the BBC Micro, Electron, NES, SNES, PC, XBox, PS3/4, Mobile, Vita, 3DS.
I am currently rescuing and archiving old game development disks.
LEGO Dev/AFOL.
Creator of games for the BBC Micro, Electron, NES, SNES, PC, XBox, PS3/4, Mobile, Vita, 3DS.
I am currently rescuing and archiving old game development disks.
LEGO Dev/AFOL.
Remembering my great-grandfather, William George Edwards who lost his life on 27th March 1915. Chief Engineer on the SS "Aguila", attacked by a U-boat. His son, my grandfather, was just 9 at the time. #lestweforget
November 9, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Remembering my great-grandfather, William George Edwards who lost his life on 27th March 1915. Chief Engineer on the SS "Aguila", attacked by a U-boat. His son, my grandfather, was just 9 at the time. #lestweforget
3Dfx. Simply the best! I remember buying my first 3Dfx videocard - an Orchid Righteous 3D. Truly a game changer! Programmers could use the Glide 3D graphics API or battle with an early version of DirectX.
November 7, 2025 at 10:13 PM
3Dfx. Simply the best! I remember buying my first 3Dfx videocard - an Orchid Righteous 3D. Truly a game changer! Programmers could use the Glide 3D graphics API or battle with an early version of DirectX.
Preparing for the Retro Computing Festival ( Gaming Edition ) 2025 at The Centre for Computing History in Cambridge next weekend. Here's a Visual Code setup that allows me to build 'Galaforce 2' from its original 6502 source code and deploy the game to an emulator on a PC. Simple, quick workflow!
November 7, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Preparing for the Retro Computing Festival ( Gaming Edition ) 2025 at The Centre for Computing History in Cambridge next weekend. Here's a Visual Code setup that allows me to build 'Galaforce 2' from its original 6502 source code and deploy the game to an emulator on a PC. Simple, quick workflow!
Things were done on a low budget back then, but they had a lot more character. No huge corporate buildings and 'battery-farm' style cubicles. Outside this building it's a public park with beautiful grounds. Much nicer than being on a business park or city centre.
November 7, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Things were done on a low budget back then, but they had a lot more character. No huge corporate buildings and 'battery-farm' style cubicles. Outside this building it's a public park with beautiful grounds. Much nicer than being on a business park or city centre.
It was very typical of UK dev studios of the 1980s to 2000s! However, the building is surrounded by beautiful parkland. Later on we took over the ground floor and I had a desk in the ballroom!
November 7, 2025 at 12:18 PM
It was very typical of UK dev studios of the 1980s to 2000s! However, the building is surrounded by beautiful parkland. Later on we took over the ground floor and I had a desk in the ballroom!
I was the lead programmer of the XBOX version and was responsible for getting the game working on this platform. I had to write the art toolchain, conversion tools, core technology ( rendering system and low-level tech ) and everything else needed to get the game running.
November 7, 2025 at 11:28 AM
I was the lead programmer of the XBOX version and was responsible for getting the game working on this platform. I had to write the art toolchain, conversion tools, core technology ( rendering system and low-level tech ) and everything else needed to get the game running.
The development studio for 'X2: Wolverine’s Revenge' - Bruntwood Hall, Cheadle, Manchester (2002). This is where we developed the game - on the top floor, formerly the servant's quarters. I'm at the back popping up my head to see what's going on. That arched window is where we are located - top left
November 7, 2025 at 11:23 AM
The development studio for 'X2: Wolverine’s Revenge' - Bruntwood Hall, Cheadle, Manchester (2002). This is where we developed the game - on the top floor, formerly the servant's quarters. I'm at the back popping up my head to see what's going on. That arched window is where we are located - top left
Here's a Sinclair Microdrive cartridge with a UK pound coin for comparison. We trusted these mini-magnetic tape loops with our valuable data in the 1980s. Totally insane! To be fair, they were actually quite reliable. The tape loop is 5 metres long and stores a minimum of 85 to 100KBytes of data.
November 6, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Here's a Sinclair Microdrive cartridge with a UK pound coin for comparison. We trusted these mini-magnetic tape loops with our valuable data in the 1980s. Totally insane! To be fair, they were actually quite reliable. The tape loop is 5 metres long and stores a minimum of 85 to 100KBytes of data.
And this one..
November 6, 2025 at 4:10 PM
And this one..
I can't see any model renders, just these texture pages for May Deuce.
November 6, 2025 at 4:00 PM
I can't see any model renders, just these texture pages for May Deuce.
VCR tape copying virus! Hilarious. I should have implemented a similar thing in my BBC Micro game protection systems.
November 5, 2025 at 2:07 PM
VCR tape copying virus! Hilarious. I should have implemented a similar thing in my BBC Micro game protection systems.
Indeed, new stories always emerge at occasions like this. I was lucky enough to see a similar gathering last year when Steve Furber retired from Manchester University.
November 3, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Indeed, new stories always emerge at occasions like this. I was lucky enough to see a similar gathering last year when Steve Furber retired from Manchester University.
Disk labels and write protect stickers for 5.25" floppy disks.
November 2, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Disk labels and write protect stickers for 5.25" floppy disks.
Do you remember using these?
November 2, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Do you remember using these?
Quick, recover the data before the disk totally dies! Squeaky disks always get my heart racing.
November 2, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Quick, recover the data before the disk totally dies! Squeaky disks always get my heart racing.
Moldy disks - my pet hate! Especially when you have important disks to try and archive. This Aculab DASH-80 system disk is probably the only one in existence. I have managed to recover most of it after a lot of cleaning. A bit more work and I can hopefully fully recover.
November 2, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Moldy disks - my pet hate! Especially when you have important disks to try and archive. This Aculab DASH-80 system disk is probably the only one in existence. I have managed to recover most of it after a lot of cleaning. A bit more work and I can hopefully fully recover.
Happy Halloween! Who remembers playing 'Ghouls' on the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron?
October 31, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Happy Halloween! Who remembers playing 'Ghouls' on the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron?
I didn't notice that! What's the story behind the extra characters?
I do have both book releases. Here's photos of the two editions.
I do have both book releases. Here's photos of the two editions.
October 31, 2025 at 1:58 PM
I didn't notice that! What's the story behind the extra characters?
I do have both book releases. Here's photos of the two editions.
I do have both book releases. Here's photos of the two editions.
A signed print of the cover artwork for 'Acorn : A World in Pixels' by Ste Pickford @stepickford.bsky.social. Ste and I worked together on several games at Software Creations in the 1990s. I love this artwork. Can you identify all of the characters/games featured?
October 31, 2025 at 1:48 PM
A signed print of the cover artwork for 'Acorn : A World in Pixels' by Ste Pickford @stepickford.bsky.social. Ste and I worked together on several games at Software Creations in the 1990s. I love this artwork. Can you identify all of the characters/games featured?
45 years ago, the arcade game PAC-MAN was launched in North America ( October 1980 ). It was an instant hit and soon became one of the most iconic videgames of all time. 100s of copy-cat versions were created for home computers, virtually all were un-licensed. One of my all-time favourite games.
October 30, 2025 at 3:35 PM
45 years ago, the arcade game PAC-MAN was launched in North America ( October 1980 ). It was an instant hit and soon became one of the most iconic videgames of all time. 100s of copy-cat versions were created for home computers, virtually all were un-licensed. One of my all-time favourite games.
I almost missed this anniversary! LEGO DC Super-Villains was launched in North America on the 16th October, 2018 - other regions shortly after. A great game and an amazing development team! I chose The Joker variation of the 'developer brick' for this game.
October 29, 2025 at 4:01 PM
I almost missed this anniversary! LEGO DC Super-Villains was launched in North America on the 16th October, 2018 - other regions shortly after. A great game and an amazing development team! I chose The Joker variation of the 'developer brick' for this game.
Way back in 1998 I was working on my first PC title, 'Incoming'. I was tasked with CPU & GPU optimizations and 3D card compatibility. Back then PC 3D cards were in their infancy and had lots of issues, mostly associated with their drivers. Sometimes we had to work around know problems with hacks!
October 29, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Way back in 1998 I was working on my first PC title, 'Incoming'. I was tasked with CPU & GPU optimizations and 3D card compatibility. Back then PC 3D cards were in their infancy and had lots of issues, mostly associated with their drivers. Sometimes we had to work around know problems with hacks!
Here's the letter I received from Superior Software after sending them an early version of BBC Micro 'Crazee Rider'. I'd only been working on the game for a short time so we were still working out which direction we should take. The original brief was a follow up to 'Overdrive', but with corners.
October 29, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Here's the letter I received from Superior Software after sending them an early version of BBC Micro 'Crazee Rider'. I'd only been working on the game for a short time so we were still working out which direction we should take. The original brief was a follow up to 'Overdrive', but with corners.
The Acorn Springboard, an ARM co-processor upgrade for the IBM PC in the form of an ISA card. I don't think many of these were actually produced and are certainly rarer than the ARM Evaluation System Second Processors which attach to a BBC Micro. Does anyone have one of these or ever used one?
October 27, 2025 at 8:12 PM
The Acorn Springboard, an ARM co-processor upgrade for the IBM PC in the form of an ISA card. I don't think many of these were actually produced and are certainly rarer than the ARM Evaluation System Second Processors which attach to a BBC Micro. Does anyone have one of these or ever used one?
The news section of Electron User kindly gave me some free publicity for Galaforce when it was launched. I think this was in the October 1986 issue.
October 27, 2025 at 7:59 PM
The news section of Electron User kindly gave me some free publicity for Galaforce when it was launched. I think this was in the October 1986 issue.