Someone claiming to be the developer of a Spectrum recreation referred to as Tokyo 41, is accusing SMAC Games and Mode 7 of ripping it off for his or her isometric homicide’em’up Tokyo 42.
Mark Followill has been contacting Paul Taylor, co-founder of Mode 7, the writer behind Tokyo 42, since May, suggesting that their recreation is lifting from his 1987 Spectrum recreation Tokyo 41 – a recreation which nobody seems to have written about on the web earlier than:
hmm similar to my video games no?
— Mark Followill (@mfractor_mark) May 26, 2017
Followill began sharing off-screen photos of Tokyo 41 that look remarkably just like Tokyo 42. Though, clearly, with decrease constancy paintings:
don’t attempt to put your followers on me – it’s clear that this recreation is strongly just like my recreation Tokyo 41 which you might be clearly conscious of pic.twitter.com/NB7utPqMsS
— Mark Followill (@mfractor_mark) May 26, 2017
Earlier right now, Followill printed a blog post during which he says:
In 1987, I launched a ZX Spectrum and PC title by the identify of Tokyo 41, impressed by my love of Japanese tradition.
Imagine my shock when, 30 years later, my nephew alerted me to the discharge of a recreation which not solely matched the model of my unique recreation, however was virtually equivalent in each respect!
Despite many efforts to contact the publishers and builders I’ve obtained no significant reply. The press has been silent on this matter, as 1980’s British recreation growth has been forgotten amongst the corporatisation of laptop video games, a development which drove me out of this vibrant artistic space on the time.
Followill additionally shares a video of what he claims is footage a ROM of Tokyo 41 operating on an emulator:
The isometric view and the design aesthetic seems to be similar to SMAC Games’ shooter:
I reached out to Mode7’s Paul Taylor, with questions on Followill’s claims and he mentioned he had no remark presently.
However, there’s lots about this that appears extraordinarily unusual. For a begin, I can not discover any articles referencing Tokyo 41. Most Spectrum releases, even those the place no copy of the video games stays, will probably be documented someplace on-line by followers. Nor is there any reference to a recreation developer referred to as Mark Followill. There is an Omen Barn listed on MobyGames however the web page has no video games linked to it. Nor does Followill’s associate, Michael Hernandez, seem in any video games articles.
I requested Followill if he would ship me the ROM of Tokyo 41 so I may confirm it was an actual recreation, to which he mentioned “I’m not capable of launch a ROM at the moment as I don’t need the sport to get out into the general public even additional.”
Then there’s the footage of the Tokyo 41 ROM in motion. The music and sound results are clearly greater than a Spectrum may create – Followill writes within the weblog put up that he has “restored a few of the unique sound results and music to fashionable requirements.” There can also be the truth that the sport refers to mouse buttons within the video, although the Spectrum did not have a mouse. Followill says on Twitter that it’s because it had joystick help and the construct on present is definitely “based mostly on the unique IBM-compatible model and in addition I made some updates”. I imply, that is believable. Right?
Until Followill releases a ROM of Tokyo 41, you’d be greatest to take all of this with a pinch of salt. And, who is aware of, perhaps it is all an odd ploy to disclose a Spectrum demake model of the sport. One can dream.
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