Category: Star Thief

Bio and Gameography of Jim Nitchals (Bug Attack, Microwave, Teleport...)

12/28/2011

Name: Jim Nitchals
Birth: 01/15/62
Death: 06/05/98
Games Created or Co-Created: Asteroid Field, Bug Attack, Star Thief, Microwave, Teleport, Raiders of the Lost Ring, Archon (port), Music Construction Set, Archon 2: Adept (port), Marble Madness (port), Zany Golf, Sim Ant

Other Works: Cavalier Computer, Stella Gets a New Brain (Atari SuperCharger games), F.R.E.E. (Forum for Responsible & Ethical Email)
Cause of Death: Severe brain hemorrhage

Early Apple programmer, then later ardent spam fighter, Jim Nitchals was 36 when he passed away from a severe brain hemorrhage in 1998.

Jim learned quickly that he wanted to dedicate his life to computers and technology, even starting his business Cavalier Computer before graduating high school. As a game programmer, Jim was a welcome addition to the Apple and Macintosh fans. Most of his early games were fairly accurate reproductions of video games found in the arcades, something Apple users didn't have the luxury of playing on their machines.

Thanks to Jim however, they got to play Asteroid Field on the Apple II, an excellent clone of Asteroids. After that, he programmed a Centipede-like game in 1981 called Bug Attack, two years before Atari ported their arcade hit over.

"The author of the game is to be complemented on his packing such a successful combination of imaginative flair and technical expertise into the confines of the Apple II."
-Dave Jones' of Computer Gaming World magazine commenting on Bug Attack

Star Thief was Jim's answer to the video arcade game Rip Off (I still remember that arcade game eating my quarter and living up to its name by not giving me a credit). And Raiders of the Lost Ring took after the arcade game Star Castle.

Of course, Jim wrote original games too, such as Microwave and Teleport, but he tended to favor writing arcade games and ports of other games. He was also quite the musician too, considering his many contributions to sound and music in quite a few games.

It didn't take long for Jim to make a name for himself in the gaming world. But he isn't so much remembered for the games he created. His later work in the anti-spam movement brought him close to celebrity status, at least online. Jim became a staunch opponent of spammers, creating the Forum for Responsible and Ethical Email organization (now http://www.spamfree.org/). His approach however wasn't to shut spammers down, it was to work with them, in hopes to reach some agreement. And even though he gained ground in the movement, getting cooperation from some of the most popular spammers, he still had a long way to go.

Jim's life will be remembered for his games, his fight for the responsible use of email, his brilliance, sensitivity, and most of all, his unwavering faith in himself. He left behind a legacy of creativity and leadership which can never be replaced.

What you may not know

Jim's personal website is still available for viewing here: https://www.igorlabs.com/jim/jim.html
Teleport made use of the phoneme based Votrax speech synthesizer

Portfolio

Title: Asteroid Field
Company: Cavalier Computer
Year: 1980
Platform: Apple II

Title: Bug Attack
Company: Cavalier Computer
Year: 1981
Platform: Apple II

Title: Star Thief
Company: Cavalier Computer
Year: 1981
Platform: Apple II

Title: Microwave
Company: Cavalier Computer
Year: 1982
Platform: Apple II

Title: Teleport (Screen shots and video needed for this game. If you can help, please contact me!)
Company: Cavalier Computer
Year: 1982
Platform: Apple II

Title: Raiders of the Lost Ring (many resources call this game Ring Raiders)
Company: Cavalier Computer
Year: 1983
Platform: Apple II