British games development legend Archer Maclean, has passed away on Christmas Eve this year. Creator of IK+, Dropzone and Jimmy White’s Whirlwind Snooker, Maclean was 60 at the time of his death.
British Game Developer Archer Maclean Has Passed Away at 60
As a self-taught person, Maclean was able to make a name for himself and grew up to be a pioneer of the budding gaming industry thanks to the incredible popularity of his output. His legacy ends with his last creations – Mercury and Wheelspin, which are available on the PSP and Wii.
Archer Maclean was born on January 28, 1962, and was interested in electronics from an early age. He began to learn by dismantling electronic devices, starting with the successful disassembly of a TV at age 10.
Maclean’s first game, Dropzone, became a great hit. It was heavily influenced by Stargate and Defender, both scrolling shooter games. He participated in a writing role for Dropzone, which was published in 1984 by U.S. Gold and released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Game Gear, and Game Boy Color to become a commercial success.
His love for arcades led him to renovate classic arcade machines, apart from playing and creating games. The widely successful International Karate and its sequel IK+ for Commodore 64 was also his creation. His other interests included writing, as he had a monthly column in Retro Gamer, a British magazine covering video games.
After a prolonged battle with cancer, Archer MacLean passed away on 17th December, 2022, a mere week before Christmas.
The memorial service will be held in January 2023 for friends and family of the esteemed game developer. The news regarding his death was published on FusionRGamer as well as in a tweet by The Code Show. His Wikipedia page has been updated accordingly following the news
.
Fans have taken to social media platforms to offer wishes and prayers for the veteran programmer. The addictive arcade games of Archer Maclean live on to honor his memory.