Mike Follin
Encyclopedia
The Revd. Michael Stuart Follin was, until the late 1990s, a computer game programmer
. Amongst the companies at which he worked was Software Creations
, where he worked on games for the ZX Spectrum
, including highly rated arcade conversions of Bubble Bobble
and Ghouls 'n Ghosts
, as well as the innovative The Sentinel, one of the first games on the Spectrum to feature true 3D graphics. The music for these games was often written by his brother Tim Follin
.
In CRASH
issue 59, Follin cited Knight Lore
, Codename MAT
and Pentagram
as games he considered as classics, with Jonathan Smith
as the programmer he admired the most. Follin's Spectrum conversion of The Sentinel was considered by fellow programmers as one of the top five classic games on that platform.
After sixteen years in the computer games industry, latterly on the Playstation version of Quake II
, amongst other titles, Follin left the industry to train as a priest in the Church of England
. He was subsequently ordained at Liverpool Cathedral, and as of 2010 is the vicar at St Peter's, a small Anglican church in Maghull
, Merseyside. On a personal level he married his wife, Lynn Follin, in 1994.
Game programmer
A game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...
. Amongst the companies at which he worked was Software Creations
Software Creations (UK)
Software Creations was a video game developer based in Manchester, England, first established in 1987. They are primarily known for their video games based on movie and comic licenses like Marvel Comics, Cutthroat Island, Disney's Beauty and the Beast and original titles Solstice and the sequel...
, where he worked on games for the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, including highly rated arcade conversions of Bubble Bobble
Bubble Bobble
is an arcade game by Taito, first released in 1986 and later ported to numerous home computers and game consoles. The game, starring the twin Bubble Dragons and , is an action-platform game in which players travel through one hundred different stages, blowing and bursting bubbles, avoiding...
and Ghouls 'n Ghosts
Ghouls 'n Ghosts
is a platform game/run and gun developed by Capcom and released as an arcade game in 1988, and subsequently ported to a number of other platforms. It is the sequel to Ghosts'n Goblins and the second game in the Ghosts'n Goblins series.-Gameplay:...
, as well as the innovative The Sentinel, one of the first games on the Spectrum to feature true 3D graphics. The music for these games was often written by his brother Tim Follin
Tim Follin
Timothy John Follin is a former video game music composer who has written tracks for a variety of titles and home gaming systems, including the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, NES, Super Nintendo, Game Boy, Dreamcast and PlayStation.Follin's early 8- and 16-bit...
.
In CRASH
CRASH (magazine)
Crash was a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress.-Development:...
issue 59, Follin cited Knight Lore
Knight Lore
Knight Lore is a computer game developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1984. The game is the third in the Sabreman series, following on from his adventures in Sabre Wulf and Underwurlde. Unlike the earlier games in the series it used Ultimate's filmation engine to achieve a 3D look...
, Codename MAT
Codename MAT
Codename MAT II, also written by Brewster, was published later in 1984 by Domark for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC. It featured a new ship, the Centurion II, which had two different weapons and a more complex damage system – on-board droids could be assigned repair tasks by the player...
and Pentagram
Pentagram (video game)
Pentagram is a ZX Spectrum and MSX video game released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1986. It is the fourth in the Sabreman series, following on from his adventures in Sabre Wulf, Underwurlde and Knight Lore. Similarly to Knight Lore it uses the isometric Filmation engine. The game was written by...
as games he considered as classics, with Jonathan Smith
Jonathan Smith (games programmer)
Jonathan "Joffa" M. Smith was a British games programmer, best known for his titles for the ZX Spectrum. His games were notable for containing a large number of sprites and parallax scrolling, features which were largely unknown on the Spectrum at the time.His most notable games include Cobra,...
as the programmer he admired the most. Follin's Spectrum conversion of The Sentinel was considered by fellow programmers as one of the top five classic games on that platform.
After sixteen years in the computer games industry, latterly on the Playstation version of Quake II
Quake II
Quake II, released on December 9, 1997, is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Id Software and distributed by Activision. It is not a sequel to Quake; it merely uses the name of the former game due to Id's difficulties in coming up with alternative names.The soundtrack for Quake II...
, amongst other titles, Follin left the industry to train as a priest in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. He was subsequently ordained at Liverpool Cathedral, and as of 2010 is the vicar at St Peter's, a small Anglican church in Maghull
Maghull
Maghull is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. The town is located eight miles north of the City of Liverpool and south of Ormskirk in West Lancashire. The area of Moss Side also contains HM Prison Kennet and Ashworth Hospital. Maghull had a...
, Merseyside. On a personal level he married his wife, Lynn Follin, in 1994.