Garry Kitchen’s GameMaker joins several jobs that normally need separate programs. An author can draw a background, make animated characters, design sound effects, compose music and put those pieces into a game. Activision published the package for home computers including the C64 and Apple II.
The manual credits Garry Kitchen with its conception and design, Alex DeMeo with SoundMaker and MusicMaker, Hilary Mills with original graphics and Teddi Converse with the manual. The Apple edition separately names its conversion team and additional graphics and music contributors. The name on the box represents a collaborative package.
Several editors, one program
SceneMaker handles background pictures. SpriteMaker supplies the moving characters and animation frames. SoundMaker and MusicMaker prepare what the player hears. The main GameMaker editor selects and arranges commands which use those resources.
The introductory exercise builds an animation rather than beginning with a blank game and a long command list. In the C64 manual’s example, a dog appears against a scene; the author then changes its animation and movement. Seeing an immediate result gives the later controls a purpose.
Selecting commands is still programming
The editor reduces the need to memorise and type command spellings, but the game still needs logic. Its command reference includes variables, conditions, loops, input tests and sprite controls. A designer must decide when an event happens and what changes afterwards.
The C64 documentation also describes tracing: pausing and stepping through commands while inspecting a variable. The tool therefore offers a way to investigate the sequence of events, as well as assemble them.
This is a different product from Mark Overmars’s later Game Maker. It belongs beside Repton Infinity and other home-computer creation packages which let players alter more than a level map: they could make pictures, sounds and rules work together.
Sources
- Activision, Garry Kitchen’s GameMaker manual, Apple II edition: Original Apple II edition; credits, overview pp. 5–6, editor and component sections.
- Activision, Garry Kitchen’s GameMaker manual, C64 edition: Original C64 manual, Jeremy Sieracki/Project 64 transcription reformatted by Lemon64; indexed copy, overview, animation exercise and command reference.