TWZ: What all games did you work on? I remember you did the programming and some of the graphics in Secret Scout, but I don't remember of any others.

RD: Let's see, I designed and programmed a game called Free Fall which later was turned into Fish Fall for Wisdom Tree. They put a religious spin on it and changed the graphics, but I never saw their final version. I also did some artwork for Frantic Fruit, King Neptune's Adventure, and some others which I forget now. Hey, it's been over 10 years! But I did do some graphics for Hellraiser, which was never released. I still have the graphics if you're interested in putting them on your site. I don't think Color Dreams owns them. The title screen came out kinda cool, but some of the monsters are just okay. It's mostly nostalgic for me, and good for a laugh! Oh yeah, I did music for one of the religious games...either Bible Adventures, Moses, or Joshua. I've put it all behind me!

TWZ: What was your favorite Color Dreams game?

RD: I really liked Crystal Mines which was a game designed and programmed by Ken Beckett. That one is still fun to play to this day. I've seen emulated versions of it on the net. I also liked Bible Adventures because it was a concept that had never been explored in video games before...scenarious from the Bible turned into challenging and educational video games. It was quite revolutionary in that aspect. I remember when the owner presented us with the idea of making religious games. He was so excited with his idea. And he convinced us it'd be BIG. Well I guess he made loads of money from it. Now I wish I had thought of it!

TWZ: What year did you start working at Color Dreams?

RD: I only worked there for about 6 months in 1990. It was right after they changed from Bunch games into Color Dreams. After I was fired (cuz I wouldn't copy the Japanese style of video game graphics), I was a freelance artist and tester for them for a couple of years. That's when I made Secret Scout and Free Fall on my own time.

TWZ: Did you work on videogames before/after Color Dreams?

RD: Color Dreams was my first job in the video game world. Little did I know I'd be trapped in the game industry for several more years. After Wisdom Tree, I worked for Mindcraft Software as a game designer/tester. I co-designed Strike Squad with a couple other guys, both of whom worked at Color Dreams also. Working on Strike Squad was probably the most fun I've ever had in the video games business. After Mindcraft folded in 1993, I moved to San Francisco and got a job at Sega as a game tester. I worked there for about 3 years. That was a lot of fun, but frustrating because it was difficult to move out of the test department and into game designing which is what I most wanted to do. The only real option for me was to move into the producers' circle, and I wasn't interested in producing. So after Sega laid off me (and 99% of the other testers), I got a job as a tester at Sony Computer Entertainment (this would be 1997 now). I hated working there for many reasons I won't go into now. But I worked with some good people there and we had our share of fun. I started looking for another job and got let go because I stopped coming into work, basically. Oh well. After that I ended up doubling my income at an interactive television start-up company in Alameda, CA. I thought about getting back into games, but knew I'd have to start somewhere as a tester again and work my way up, so I talked myself out of it. So now I work in video and film production here in Fresno, CA. I do lighting and grip work for tv commercials, music videos, industrial films, and I worked on a feature film over the summer. Anyway, this is the path I was MEANT to take, not video games. Although I sure do love playing them!

TWZ: Did you work on any games that went unreleased? Speaking of that, do you know anything about the rumored Hell Raiser cart that went unreleased?

RD: I began designing 3D Noah's Ark which we were gonna release for the SNES. I don't think it ever came out. And I worked on Hellraiser which you know never was released. They had the rights to make the game for several years and just sat on it. I don't know why. We were gonna use the Wolfenstein 3D engine for the game. I remember that the progammer on Hellraiser got the graphics in and the monsters working. It was all very bare bones stuff, but it was getting there and looked like it'd be fun. And then it was abandoned again for other titles. I don't think those guys at Color Dreams make games anymore. They make web cams under a different name. I'm sure you've talked to them already (I'm not mentioning any names for respect of their privacy).

Well, that was kinda fun! It sorta made me feel like a celebrity! Now I shall go back to my normal, boring life. Actually I don't miss working in the video game industry. It seems like it should be cool, but I guess I just don't fit in. Oh well. I'll just keep on playing them for fun...not for money.

Well the fun didn't stop there. I had composed an article about Color Dreams and I sent Roger a copy which he liked, and he sent me even more info. Onto round 2.

RD: Ahhh, it's like strolling down memory lane! Thanks for jogging my memory on "Maggots"! I completely forgot that I programmed that game and did the graphics. It's probably best that it was never released. "Maggots" was Dan Lawton's idea. The humor of the game fit my own personality so I offered to make it. I think I moved on to Mindcraft before I finished it. I was also developing a game called "Gil" that never really got past the graphics stage. It was cool cuz it used larger than normal sprites, so the character and enemies were big, but you couldn't have that many on screen. I had this guy jumping around on some platforms dodging things. Vance really liked the concept and saw the potential. I can't remember why I abandoned it but it looked cool anyway. I'd be honored if you added "Gil" to the unreleased list.