Manfred Trenz

mt-fanpage.de — Developer Retrospective

The mt-fanpage.de developer biography and interview provides the most detailed first-hand account of Manfred Trenz’s time at Rainbow Arts — covering the development of Katakis, the Turrican series, and his departure after Turrican II’s completion. The interview documents his approach to C64 programming, his relationship with Chris Hülsbeck, and his views on the Turrican legacy.

Trenz has described the development of Turrican as an effort to produce something that felt genuinely epic on hardware that most people considered exhausted — pushing the C64’s sprite and scrolling capabilities to their absolute limit, and then finding ways to go further. His collaboration with Hülsbeck is described as essential: the game’s music was integral to its design from the beginning.

Read the full interview and biography at mt-fanpage.de →

Thomas Hertzler

Arcade Attack — Rainbow Arts Co-Founder Interview

Thomas Hertzler, co-founder and producer at Rainbow Arts, gave a retrospective interview to Arcade Attack covering the studio’s founding in 1984, its growth through the Rushware acquisition, the Turrican years, and the eventual talent exodus and corporate consolidation that ended the studio’s independent identity.

Hertzler’s account provides context for the business side of Rainbow Arts — the relationships with distributors, the decision-making around international releases, and the challenges of managing a creative team producing some of the most technically ambitious software in Europe. His perspective on the Giana Sisters controversy is particularly valuable as a first-hand account.

Read the full interview at arcadeattack.co.uk →

Chris Hülsbeck

huelsbeck.com — Official Site & Various Retrospectives

Chris Hülsbeck has given numerous interviews over the years covering his time at Rainbow Arts and the development of his most celebrated SID and Amiga OCS scores. His official website at huelsbeck.com contains biographical material, discography, and links to various retrospective features.

On the Turrican scores, Hülsbeck has described the challenge of working within the SID chip’s three-voice limitation while attempting to convey the epic scope that the game’s design demanded. His approach — melodic writing that uses each voice as a distinct instrument rather than treating the chip as a chiptune machine — is frequently cited as what makes the compositions stand apart from most contemporary work.

The Symphonic Shades concert (2008, Cologne) recorded a full orchestral performance of Hülsbeck’s game compositions including the Turrican suite, performed by the WDR Funkorchester. This recording remains the definitive modern presentation of the Rainbow Arts musical legacy.

Read full biography and discography at huelsbeck.com →