Ackerlight

Members

 * FRA :
 * Broadcaster (swap spread, mid88)
 * C. Dryk (gfx, 12/88)
 * Crocky (org supply spread, mid88)
 * Dark Angel (code, 03/88)
 * Fred (Frederic Hahn, founder French part, gfx music, 06-12/88)
 * H.Syl (code crack train, mid88)
 * JP (code 'The Last Sun', 03/89)
 * Kebra (org gfx spread, 10-12/88)
 * MC2 (code, 08-12/88)
 * M.P 67 (code, 06-12/88)
 * Ninja-2 (supply, 06-12/88)
 * Oldrik (gfx, 12/88)
 * Overloader (aka Over Loader, code, 88)
 * Pat (code music, 12/88)
 * Sharlaan (code, 88)
 * Wild Copper (Sub-demo group, code, mid88)


 * ITA
 * T-Mark (1988)
 * Turk Team (new 12/88)


 * SWI
 * Anome 68000 (founder, org, early 88)
 * Black Arrow (early 88)
 * Lightstorm (early 88)
 * Rasputin (design, mid88)
 * Softline (early 88)


 * C.E.O (org spread, mid88)
 * Dagon (spread, mid88)
 * Gojira (design, mid88)
 * Mouse (music, 10/88)
 * R.V (code, mid88)
 * Sato (spread, mid88)
 * Solar (spread, mid88)
 * Stranger (spread, mid88)
 * Teacher (spread, mid88)
 * Urgo (supply, mid88)
 * Willy (spread, mid88)
 * Wolfie (gfx, 10/88)
 * Wolfie (gfx, 10/88)

1988:
Ackerlight was a French/Swiss constellation born at the beginning of 1988, and one of the first good cracking groups. They also released a cool diskmag (in French only), called "Ackernews".

The group wasn't founded in France, contrary to a common misconception. It was founded in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland by Anome 68000, along with Black Arrow, Lightstorm and Softline who later were in touch with the musician Fred in the East of France. Fred initiated the French part of the group, recruiting a network of members also based in Eastern France, some of them ex-members of La Marque Jaune (a tribute name to the Blake & Mortimer famous comic series), including Fred and Oldrick. The other side, Paris-based, of La Marque Jaune, mainly consisting of Mr. Video, Corsair, etc. later created Diabolics then Dragons. New Ackerlight French members were so productive that the group's slogan became soon 'The French Light', and the legend was born.

Contrary to another common misconception about the French crack scene, most of the games weren't originally supplied from Paris at least at the beginning. Only at some point Ninja/Ninja 2 (supplier) was the only Ackerlight member based in the French capital.

1989:
The group stopped its illegal activities at the beginning of January 1989, when three members Fred, H.Syl and Crocky were busted by the French police after Lankhor gamehouse filed a complaint in court against the crack of "Mortville Manor" French Amiga version. H.Syl was in the final process of cracking "Dragon's Lair" toughest protection when the police came for him. As a consequence, C.B.C. (Crack Band Crew), the second best French crack group at the time, also stopped their activities at the beginning of 1989, fearing to get busted too.

The last posthumous release by Ackerlight in March 1989 was 'The Last Sun' demo, a self-tribute by JP, Oldrick and Fred declaring the death of the group. After that, some of the French remaining members including C-Dryk, Pat, Broadcaster (officially), Crocky and Fred (first unofficially), joined The Brainstomers. Others, like Sharlaan, joined OMD.

When they died in 1989, Anome 68000 formed a new Swiss group called Zenith. Some of the original members, however, formed a software company under the name Ackerlight Software, and released a.o. the game Wings of Glory!

Misc. info:
Spreader Jean-Yves Chenu (aka J.Y) left the scene late in the year.

Coder Sharlaan left for OMD 12/88 or 01/89, but still worked on the coop demo "Music Examples #2" with his old group.

Space Bubbles Slideshow 1 (1988, ECS Slideshow)

 * Review : Contains scanned fantasy artwork from Boris Vallejo.

Bards Tale Solver (1988, ECS Demo)

 * Credits :
 * code: H.Syl
 * gfx: ???/Wild Copper
 * music: n/a

Soundmachine Part I (1988, .06, ECS Musicfile)

 * Credits :
 * code: M.P 67
 * gfx: Fred
 * music: "st15/out run", "new horizon\nh", "bouncing ball\bb" and "long walk\lw" by Fred

Compact Disk 7 (1988, 20.07, ECS Packmenu)

 * Credits :
 * code: Sharlaan
 * gfx: Rasputin
 * music: Fred

Soundmachine Part II (1988, .08, ECS Musicdemo)

 * Credits :
 * code: M.P 67
 * gfx: Mr. Mistery
 * music: "st15/bouncing ball2", "dear rob", "ghosts'n goblins\gg" and "war and peace" by Fred

Compact Disk 9 (1988, .08, ECS Packmenu)

 * Credits :
 * code: M.P 67, MC2
 * gfx: n/a
 * music: Fred

'Bob Morane In the Ocean' crackintro (1988, ECS Intro)

 * Credits :
 * code: n/a
 * gfx: n/a
 * music: Fred

Compact Eleven (1988, .10, ECS Intro)

 * Credits :
 * code: Sharlaan
 * gfx: Wolfie, Kebra
 * music: Mouse

'Purple Saturn Day' crackintro (1988, .12, ECS Crackintro)

 * Credits :
 * code: Sharlaan
 * gfx: Kebra, C. Dryk
 * music: Pat

Firezone Merry Christmas (1988, .12, ECS Intro)

 * Credits :
 * code: M.P 67, MC
 * gfx: Oldrik
 * music: Fred

'Action Service' crackintro (1988, ECS Intro)

 * Credits :
 * code: Over Loader
 * gfx: C. Dryk, DarkAngel
 * music: Pat

Music Examples #2 (1989, .01, ECS Trackloaded Musicdisk)

 * Credits :
 * code: Sharlaan/OMD
 * gfx: Andreas Starr, Fred
 * music: "The Last Star", "Sunny Days", "Spacial Dream\Space Dream", "Space Harrier" and "Neon Lights" by Fred
 * Info : Cooperation with OMD.

'The Last Sun' (03/1989, ECS Demo)

 * Credits :
 * code: JP
 * gfx: Oldrick
 * music: Fred
 * Info :
 * This demo was released posthumously be ex-Ackerlight members. Oldrick was already a member of OMD and Fred was independent at the time.