Gremlin In The Works

by Mark James Hardisty

As the UK's computer gaming industry was set to boom, a small shop named Just Micro opened on Sheffield's Carver Street, established by Ian Stewart and Kevin Norburn, both retail veterans with ambitions in game publishing. The shop drew local talent like Pete Harrap, Shaun Hollingworth, and Tony Crowther, leading to the formation of Gremlin Graphics in 1984. This 560-page tome, 'A Gremlin In The Works' by Mark Hardisty, traces the company's journey from early hits like Monty Mole and Jack the Nipper to groundbreaking Lotus-branded racing games, culminating in its acquisition by Infogrames in 1999. Endorsed by founder Ian Stewart, the book features interviews and anecdotes from key members and UK gaming scene veterans, filled with game imagery, memorabilia, and archive materials, offering a comprehensive and captivating exploration of one of Britain's most beloved developers and the gaming scene's meteoric rise in the '80s and '90s.

Genres: Gaming

572 pages, Hardcover

Published June 8, 2016

Reviews

[A37927 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was incredibly lucky to experience the birth and rise of Gremlin Graphics. From Spain, in a pre-Internet era, we knew very little about it except for the small snippets that reached us in video game magazines, first Spanish and then imported British ones. But now, thanks to this fantastic book, I've been able to fill in all the gaps in my knowledge of its history, as well as get to know the people behind all those great works much better and have a wonderful time as a reader. Absolutely recommended, essential.