Within the book is an in-depth and detailed 16 page story about the unreleased Dick Special by Rainbird for the Commodore Amiga (and briefly Atari ST). However, the story extends beyond the Rainbird title, and covers further developments for Activision and Miracle Games over a 5 year time span. A complex timeline of events which has been untangled and carefully put together. The book includes a number of specially re-pixelled screenshots based on those shown in the magazines of the time.
A slightly rarer screenshot and a different outdoor scene from ACE magazine, issue 2. (c) Future Publishing.
We speak to original developer and designer Sandy White, designer Angela Sutherland, Atari ST developer James Hutchby and later artist Alastair Hearsum regarding the Rainbird edition, with input from Richard Hewison who worked at TelecomSoft at the time. For the later editions, we speak to developers Patricia Curtis and Graeme Ashton, as well as designer Gordon Leggatt.
Overall, we found that there were a staggering 4 separate developments attempted over the years to feature the Dick Special protagonist (including an Another World style title called Dick Special: Phucton Island … I kid you not), with none of them making it out. During our research, we pulled together a number of screenshots and scans from various magazines, making our own hi-res scans of screenshots from physically brought copies of various magazines. Many of which didn’t make it to print in the book and which you can now find here in the gallery below.
However, the big surprise was when artist Alastair Hearsum dug out a video of the final iteration from him and Sandy White, showing the final engine and graphical style before the title was cancelled by Rainbird for dragging on too long. This is the first time publicly that the game has been seen running from this iteration.
We hope you enjoy the findings, and it is hoped that some day in the future we’ll be able to bring you something of the Miracle Games developments, with Graeme Ashton hopeful that he will manage to find the two developments they had underway. Sandy has hinted over the years that he may try and dig out the game again, hopefully for others to see and check out for themselves.
Thanks to Ross Sillifant for the extra scans.
Video
Gallery
Digital version of Dick, courtesy of Richard Hewison and Sandy White.
The infamous trapdoor scene printed in the press at the time. Scanned from Zzap 64, issue 32. (c) Newsfield Publications.
A slightly rarer screenshot and a different outdoor scene from ACE magazine, issue 2. (c) Future Publishing.
Loading screen from Sandy’s final iteration of the game. This now includes background artwork by Alastair Hearsum. Video courtesy of Alastair Hearsum.
Part of the last iteration of Sandy’s game. This now includes background artwork by Alastair Hearsum. Video courtesy of Alastair Hearsum.
More of the level. This now includes background artwork by Alastair Hearsum. Video courtesy of Alastair Hearsum.
A different scene in Sandy’s final build. This now includes background artwork by Alastair Hearsum. Video courtesy of Alastair Hearsum.
Sandy White at a 1988 computer show, standing by the Rainbird stand showing off Dick Special. Courtesy of Sandy White.
Sandy White at a 1988 computer show, standing by the Rainbird stand showing off Dick Special. Courtesy of Sandy White.
Concept sketches showing the conception of the main protagonist. Courtesy of Sandy White.
Concept sketches showing the conception of the main protagonist. The blue sketches show the first appearance of the character, circa 1984-85. Courtesy of Sandy White.
Printed mock up unused scene that was designed by Angela Sutherland for the game.
Printed mock up unused scene that was designed by Angela Sutherland for the game.
Rainbird advert, showing Dick Special advertised for Commodore Amiga and Atari ST.
Commodore User snippet on the game.
Zzap coming soon snippet on the game.
CVG snippet on the game.
CU Amiga feature on unreleased games, mentioning Dick Special.
CU Amiga feature on unreleased games, mentioning Dick Special.
Commodore User snippet on the game.
Character animation sequence of Dick, complete with a new hairstyle. Scanned from Amiga Power magazine, November 1992.
Early mock up screen reportedly from the Miracle Games iteration of Dick Special, though actually very likely from the cancelled Activision development. Scanned from Amiga Power magazine, October 1992.
Early mock up screen reportedly from the Miracle Games iteration of Dick Special, though actually very likely from the cancelled Activision development. Scanned from Amiga Power magazine, October 1992.
Screenshot of early concept demo by Graeme, with complete object interactions. Scanned from Amiga Power magazine, November 1992.
Assets screenshot from Miracle Game’s iteration from Joystick magazine.
Assets screenshot from Miracle Game’s iteration from Joystick magazine.
Assets screenshot from Miracle Game’s iteration from Joystick magazine.
Assets screenshot from Miracle Game’s iteration from Joystick magazine.
Assets screenshot from Miracle Game’s iteration from Joystick magazine.
Amiga Power’s feature on lost games, including an early shot of Dick Special from the Miracle Games/Activision iteration.
Amiga Power snippet talking about the Rainbird game, but showing Patricia’s version at Miracle Games.
Miracle games feature snippet on Dick Special, with Graeme Ashton’s development of the game on show.
Joystick magazine feature on the game, showing many of the game’s assets.
Miracle Games feature from Joystick magazine.
Miracle Games feature from Joystick magazine.
Miracle Games feature from Joystick magazine, showing yet another unreleased game called Bouncy Bat..
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One Response to Dick Special series
Definitely very interesting stuff You started to post here. It is great that we can see this game in action even if it is unreleased. Amiga got lot of games that were changed during development or were unreleased and not many people known about them.
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Definitely very interesting stuff You started to post here. It is great that we can see this game in action even if it is unreleased. Amiga got lot of games that were changed during development or were unreleased and not many people known about them.