Vault Entry
[📷 suggested: screenshot of Paradroid with overlayed design notes]
Overview
Andrew Braybrook created seminal C64 titles like Paradroid (1985) and Uridium. Working at Hewson Consultants, he balanced rapid iteration with a methodical, diary-driven approach that hobbyists devoured in Zzap!64’s “Diary of a Game” column.
Fast facts
- Background: Trained as an electronics technician before moving into full-time game development.
- Studio: Hewson Consultants—a publisher famed for backing talented solo devs.
- Signature: fast scrolling, fluid controls, and post-release developer commentary.
Lesson connections
- Block 2’s collision logic mirrors Paradroid’s droid-merging mechanic.
- Block 5’s scrolling lessons reference his techniques for keeping 50 Hz action smooth.
- Assembly Act III uses Braybrook’s diaries to illustrate structured game-loop planning.
Influence
Braybrook treated documentation as part of the craft. His published diaries offered beginners a blueprint for scheduling, debugging, and polishing—a perfect companion to our LessonLayout “From the Vault” callouts.