Ninjaforce
Encyclopedia
Ninjaforce is a group of German computer enthusiasts, active during the early 1990s on the Apple IIGS
computer. Some members originated from other computer systems, like the Commodore Amiga and the Apple Macintosh). They specialized in creating development tools, multimedia shows (better known as demos
) and later games (though nonw were released).
Ninjaforce was established in 1990 with the release of the Picture Ripper II. Founding members were Jesse Blue (Alexander, code) and Musashi (Markus, art support). While Musashi lost interest in the scene in 1992, Jesse Blue is still in the group. Musashi had stopped activities on computers, as he spent more and more time with his girlfriend and didn't have the time to help Jesse anymore. In 1991 Jesse met Clue (visual arts) on a local Apple User Group Europe meeting. In late 1993, Dreamer (audible arts) joined.
The name "Ninjaforce" came up while Jesse Blue was pixeling a ninja on his computer screen. He was fascinated by a picture of the Arcade Game "Shadow Warriors", that he had seen in a Computer Magazine. This picture made it into the Picture Ripper II.
After releasing the Picture Ripper II (part one was lost) Jesse went to work on his own assembler.
With this new power, Jesse created the "Revenge of the Bobs" demo. The Gfx of that demo were partly done by Musashi, who pixeled some of the Bobs. The main tune was taken from a Demo by Spreapoint on Amiga.
Around 1992/1993 Clue came in, and the team created something the Apple IIGS
scene
had never experienced before, as the scene
was already quite dead at that point: a "megademo", spanning two disks, with new effects to show off the GS. It was released in early 1995. Two years later it won first prize at the Wild Competition on the Mekka & Symposium
Demoparty.
Ninjaforce also created several utilities, namely the multi-system at boot-time switcher TaifunBoot, the GS/OS
MOD player NDA Deskplay, the animation utility anime, the Apple II disk image Asimov, the TCP/IP-enabled IRC client Samurai, and others.
After the release of the Megademo, Ninjaforce began work on a game for the Apple IIGS
: an adaption of Bomberman
with several original features. The game, supposed to be called KABOOM!, was almost finished, but never made it out of the Ninjas' harddisks.
Ninjaforce also helped with the Apple IIGS
version of Wolfenstein 3D
. Clue worked on the graphics, while Dreamer created sound effects.
Apple IIGS
The Apple , the fifth and most powerful model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The "GS" in the name stands for Graphics and Sound, referring to its enhanced graphics and sound capabilities, both of which greatly surpassed previous models of the line...
computer. Some members originated from other computer systems, like the Commodore Amiga and the Apple Macintosh). They specialized in creating development tools, multimedia shows (better known as demos
Demoscene
The demoscene is a computer art subculture that specializes in producing demos, which are non-interactive audio-visual presentations that run in real-time on a computer...
) and later games (though nonw were released).
Ninjaforce was established in 1990 with the release of the Picture Ripper II. Founding members were Jesse Blue (Alexander, code) and Musashi (Markus, art support). While Musashi lost interest in the scene in 1992, Jesse Blue is still in the group. Musashi had stopped activities on computers, as he spent more and more time with his girlfriend and didn't have the time to help Jesse anymore. In 1991 Jesse met Clue (visual arts) on a local Apple User Group Europe meeting. In late 1993, Dreamer (audible arts) joined.
The name "Ninjaforce" came up while Jesse Blue was pixeling a ninja on his computer screen. He was fascinated by a picture of the Arcade Game "Shadow Warriors", that he had seen in a Computer Magazine. This picture made it into the Picture Ripper II.
After releasing the Picture Ripper II (part one was lost) Jesse went to work on his own assembler.
With this new power, Jesse created the "Revenge of the Bobs" demo. The Gfx of that demo were partly done by Musashi, who pixeled some of the Bobs. The main tune was taken from a Demo by Spreapoint on Amiga.
Around 1992/1993 Clue came in, and the team created something the Apple IIGS
Apple IIGS
The Apple , the fifth and most powerful model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The "GS" in the name stands for Graphics and Sound, referring to its enhanced graphics and sound capabilities, both of which greatly surpassed previous models of the line...
scene
Apple IIgs demos
The Apple IIgs demoscene goes back to the days of the original Apple II series in the 1980s, when software crackers would put "signature screens" at the beginnings of games of which they had broken the copy protection....
had never experienced before, as the scene
Apple IIgs demos
The Apple IIgs demoscene goes back to the days of the original Apple II series in the 1980s, when software crackers would put "signature screens" at the beginnings of games of which they had broken the copy protection....
was already quite dead at that point: a "megademo", spanning two disks, with new effects to show off the GS. It was released in early 1995. Two years later it won first prize at the Wild Competition on the Mekka & Symposium
Mekka & Symposium
Mekka & Symposium was a demoparty held annually in Fallingbostel, Germany over the Easter days from 1997 to 2002....
Demoparty.
Ninjaforce also created several utilities, namely the multi-system at boot-time switcher TaifunBoot, the GS/OS
GS/OS
GS/OS is an operating environment developed by Apple Computer for its Apple IIGS personal computer that uses the ProDOS filing system. It provides facilities for accessing the file system, controlling input/output devices, loading and running program files, and a system allowing programs to handle...
MOD player NDA Deskplay, the animation utility anime, the Apple II disk image Asimov, the TCP/IP-enabled IRC client Samurai, and others.
After the release of the Megademo, Ninjaforce began work on a game for the Apple IIGS
Apple IIGS
The Apple , the fifth and most powerful model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The "GS" in the name stands for Graphics and Sound, referring to its enhanced graphics and sound capabilities, both of which greatly surpassed previous models of the line...
: an adaption of Bomberman
Bomberman
Bomberman is a strategic, maze-based computer and video game franchise originally developed by Hudson Soft. The original game was published in 1983 and new games in the series are still being published to this day. Today, the commercially successful Bomberman is featured in over 70 different games...
with several original features. The game, supposed to be called KABOOM!, was almost finished, but never made it out of the Ninjas' harddisks.
Ninjaforce also helped with the Apple IIGS
Apple IIGS
The Apple , the fifth and most powerful model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The "GS" in the name stands for Graphics and Sound, referring to its enhanced graphics and sound capabilities, both of which greatly surpassed previous models of the line...
version of Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3D is a video game that is generally regarded by critics and gaming journalists as having both popularized the first-person shooter genre on the PC and created the basic archetype upon which all subsequent games of the same genre would be built. It was created by id Software and...
. Clue worked on the graphics, while Dreamer created sound effects.
Notable releases
- NF Assembler - a ProDOSProDOSProDOS was the name of two similar operating systems for the Apple II series of personal computers. The original ProDOS, renamed ProDOS 8 in version 1.2, was the last official operating system usable by all Apple II series computers, and was distributed from 1983 to 1993...
8 based assembler programming environment. Complete with debugger and GS/OSGS/OSGS/OS is an operating environment developed by Apple Computer for its Apple IIGS personal computer that uses the ProDOS filing system. It provides facilities for accessing the file system, controlling input/output devices, loading and running program files, and a system allowing programs to handle...
support. - Revenge Of The Bobs - the first demo from 1992.
- NFC Megademo - biggest demo ever for the Apple IIGSApple IIGSThe Apple , the fifth and most powerful model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The "GS" in the name stands for Graphics and Sound, referring to its enhanced graphics and sound capabilities, both of which greatly surpassed previous models of the line...
. Still a benchmark for every emulator developer, as it uses some quite obscure features of the GS hardware. (Accelerator card required, needs a patch for use on ROM 3 machines.)
Awards
- Mekka & SymposiumMekka & SymposiumMekka & Symposium was a demoparty held annually in Fallingbostel, Germany over the Easter days from 1997 to 2002....
(1997), 1st place Wild Competition, Megademo http://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=11793