Dudek: “The idea for “Tony” came from my son Tomek”
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Rafał Dudek, graphic designer of the game «Tony: Montezuma's Gold» for Atari 8-bit, shares the inspiring story behind its creation. From his passion for Atari to his son's influence on the project, Dudek reveals how he merged his talents and personal memories to bring a unique game to life. Discover the challenges he faced, his motivations and the creative process in this exclusive interview for Atariteca.
Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
Thank you very much for inviting me to Atariteca. Greetings to all readers and fans of Atari 8-bits. My name is Rafał Dudek, I am 50 years old; I have a wonderful wife and three amazing children. I am from Poland, but for the last 16 years I have been working as a graphic designer in Dublin, the capital of Ireland.
How did your relationship with Atari 8-bit computers begin?
The Atari 65XE was my first computer, which our father bought us. It was the 1980s and the price of a computer was enormous. My Atari came with a tape recorder, as a disc reader was too expensive.
Do you still have an Atari 8-bit computer?
I don't own an Atari, but my brother - Krzysztof, known in the Atari community as "XXL" - has several, so I'm in constant contact with the original hardware.
How did you get involved in the development of “Tony: Montezuma's Gold”?
The idea for the game «Tony» came from my son Tomek. He asked me if I could make a game like his uncle «XXL». I said yes, and he told me that he wanted the main character of the game to be Tony Halik. Let me remind you that Halik was a Polish traveler and reporter, a kind of equivalent to Indiana Jones. My son's idea was so good that I decided to start working on the graphics for the game «Tony».
Can you explain the inspiration behind the visual style of “Tony” and how Tony Halik’s life influenced the game’s design?
I'm a graphic designer working in Photoshop and Illustrator, so the natural pixel aspect for me is 1:1. And on the Atari, only mode 8 has that aspect ratio. Also, I assumed the game would be comic book style, so monochrome... hence the name Monochrome Productions. The mode 8 graphics and resolution of the Atari fit my vision perfectly.
"Halik was a Polish traveller and reporter, a kind of Indiana Jones equivalent."
What were the technical and artistic challenges you faced in translating Tony Halik's adventurous spirit into the game's environments and levels?
I studied architecture, so designing the map of the rooms was not a big problem. Each room makes logical sense; and looking at the whole map, we see a nice layout. “Tony” has 5 levels, each with unique graphics, which is obvious because the swamp and the pyramid have different graphic blocks. It is similar with the music; each level has a different melody.
What role did collaboration play in your work, especially coordinating with the programmer and music composer to achieve a cohesive gaming experience?
“Tony” has a wonderful programmer and a very talented musician. Our goal was to create a beautiful and interesting game. Everyone did their own work, and no one interfered with each other’s tasks – which is the perfect recipe for smooth cooperation and a nice product. Of course, there were arguments about what and how we would do things because not everything can be programmed exactly the way the graphic designer wants. But those were just minor issues, and I have very fond memories of that time. Besides, we still work together – I think “Tony” brings people together.
"The support from the Atari community has been incredible; many of their ideas are in the game."
The monochrome graphics in “Tony: Montezuma's Gold” are quite distinctive. What made you decide to use this style?
As I mentioned, it was intentional: a game in the style of an old comic book. The action of the game takes place in 1936... I think more color would take away some of the magic of the game. I see that now that I am creating the full color version of "Tony" for the Atari Jaguar.
How has feedback from the Atari community influenced the development and refinement of the game?
The support from the Atari community has been incredible. Many of their ideas are in the game, and I'm very grateful to everyone for that.
What does it mean to you that “Tony” has won the AMD Pixel Awards Europe 2024 in the Retro Roots category?
It's amazing! I'm surprised because ours is a niche game, made by fans.
Thank you for taking the time to give us this interview. Is there anything else you would like to share with Atariteca users?
Greetings to everyone, and I wish you memorable moments while playing “Tony”.
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