An exclusive interview with dynamic
game developer Carl Forhan
MyAtari: How
did you decide on the name Songbird?
 Carl:
Songbird is an old nickname I had in college, because
I've always loved music. Then, when I dedicated my life
to serve my Lord Jesus Christ at the age of 20, the
name became doubly appropriate as I now use my passion
for music to serve Him. I always told myself, "If
I ever start a business, I'm calling it Songbird."
So there you go. :)
MyAtari: When did you first become
interested in computing? When did you get your first
Atari and what was it?
Carl: My dad used to work as a Xerox salesman,
and he got one of the very first Xerox PCs back in the
early '80s. I learned how to run and program simple
text-based games in CBasic on that monochrome machine
- and I've been hooked ever since. :)
My dad also must've bought our first
Atari 2600 around that timeframe, and I can still remember
playing Laser Blast and Pitfall over and over. What
a great system, with impressive graphics. Some games,
like Defender II, still amaze me today with their speed,
animation, and audio.
MyAtari: What prompted you to start
writing your own software? What programming languages
have you used and what do you use now?
Carl: After the Xerox PC, we eventually got a TI-99/4A
home computer which of course hooked up to a TV screen.
But now it was REALLY cool - we could manipulate sprites,
create our own character sets, and so on. The games
my brother and I wrote were still cheesey, but they
were getting more involved over time.
I lost interest in game programming
for a few years in college, but the good news is I picked
up FORTRAN (which I've never used) and C (which I've
used professionally for 8 years), and eventually C++
as well. I've also dabbled in 68K assembler in college
and on the Atari Jaguar.
MyAtari: Did you find it easy? What
type of software did you write?
Carl: Mostly games. I never really got the urge
to do DTPs, or organizers, or calendars, or whatever.
If I was going to spend time at the computer, I wanted
it to be fun. :)
MyAtari: When and why did you start
developing games for the Jaguar and Lynx?
Carl: After college and working for a few years,
I discovered the internet. Not only was I amazed to
find out Atari was still making game systems after all
these years, but I also learned that a few dedicated
individuals were working on doing their own "hobbyist"
software for those systems.
I started with the Lynx, because I've
always loved classic-style 2D games, and the constrained
environment on the Lynx seemed like a good opportunity
to get started without being overwhelmed with all the
features.
Later, I expanded my interests to
include the Jaguar, and as I began to track down companies
who had worked on unreleased Jaguar games, I realized
there was a potential to not only license completed
games, but also a game (Protector) which was 80% complete
and included all the source.
Bottom line, supporting both systems
is first and foremost a labor of love. Yes, occasionally
I receive some compensation for my efforts, but it's
small relative to the hundreds of hours I pour into
these systems each year. And it's very rewarding when
a fellow fan is ecstatic over the new games available.
MyAtari: How did you find system documentation?
Carl: Bastian Schick was kind enough to put a HTML
version of the Atari spec on his web pages, plus he
sent me a hard copy before that version was put online.
MyAtari: How do you take care of cartridge
manufacture? This is by nature far more costly than
optical or magnetic media duplication.
Carl: That's correct. It was a MASSIVE up-front
expense to get the carts built. We needed a new PCB,
a supplier for thousands of chips, a way to program
all the chips, a way to surface mount all those chips,
and so on...
MyAtari: What development equipment
are you now using?
Carl: I use an Amiga and PC for the Lynx, and a
flash cart and Alpine board on the Jaguar.
MyAtari: What Jaguar and Lynx games
have you already written and where are they available?
Any special requirements?
Carl: All games published to date by Songbird will
work on any system. Here's the complete list (games
with a '*' denote games I wrote or co-wrote):
Lynx
- SFX *
- Ponx *
- Lexis
- Remnant: PW3D *
- Championship Rally * (I only
did the audio code)
- Crystal Mines II: Buried Treasure
Jaguar
- Hyper Force
- Protector * (I did about 20%
of the code/enhancements)
- Skyhammer
- Soccer Kid
MyAtari: What projects are you working
on at the moment and when will they be available?
Carl: Currently, Cybervirus for the Lynx is my
next project; it was started by Beyond Games but never
completed. I hope to work on some Jaguar projects this
year as well, but nothing to announce yet.
MyAtari: Is there anything Atari users
can actively do to encourage continued development at
Songbird?
Carl: Buy the new games. :) Seriously, while supportive
emails and suggestions on future projects are nice in
some ways, the best thing any Atari fan can do to encourage
more games is to buy what's out there. I've done my
best to hit different areas - sports, action, arcade
- so that something will appeal to everyone.
MyAtari: If our readers wanted to develop
their own Jaguar and Lynx software, can you recommend
any hardware and software and where to get it?
Carl: The cheapest way to start Lynx development
is either with the Handy emulator or a BLL download
cart. Championship Rally has the BLL feature enabled
on the Tournament menu screen, and is available through
Songbird.
For the Jag, a flash cartridge or
a BJL Jaguar is about the cheapest way to go. Hopefully
in the near future, there will be an easier/cheaper
method for every Jag fan who wishes to get into development.
Your best bet on flash carts or other
unusual items is to keep an eye on eBay, or ask around
on message boards like rec.games.video.atari or http://atarihq.com/interactive.
MyAtari: Finally, what are your thoughts
on the present and future of the Atari scene and Jaguar
and Lynx platforms?
Carl: I think we could continue to see a trickle
of new games released for these systems, if fans continue
to support (purchase) new releases. In particular, the
quality of Lynx games coming out recently has improved
dramatically, and is on par with some 'professional'
releases. I expect over time the same would be true
of some new Jaguar releases.
It's my sincere hope that new Lynx/Jaguar
games continue to be published for several more years.
The Atari community can help make this happen!
Thanks for the interview, it's always
great to talk about all things Atari! |
![[ MyAtari Advert ]](images/banner.gif)
