Ferrari was already something of a legend in C64 circles at this point, having produced The Human Race and Hollywood or Bust. However, his two sports games created a new legion of fans, thanks in no small part to the introduction of Maximus Mouse, a cute mascot character.
Given that Ferrari was working in an era where many C64 games were sold at "budget" prices, it should come as no great shock to learn that he wasn't drowning in cash. "John Ferrari was my dad, and can I just say how hard he worked on all of his games, and in them days for very little money," says Victoria Shepherd (nee Ferrari), his daughter. "He loved what he did and was brilliant at it."
John Ferrari's office, where he made Summer and Winter Camp — Image: Vicky ShepherdVicky also helped her father fine-tune his games. "I'm obviously more familiar with the game than most people, as I got to sample it before anyone else back when I was just 10. My Dad did all the work at home, from his bedroom in which he had set up office. And while it was great to have a stay at home Dad, he was in that bedroom most hours of the day, but with a great deal to show for it long after his sad departure."
Ferrari sadly passed away in 1996, but Thalamus – which remains in business to this very day – has always worked closely with his family to ensure that royalties pass to the right people (it's worth noting that both Summer Camp and Winter Camp are included on the recent Evercade Thalamus Collection). "I've been in regular contact with John Ferrari's family for the last 10-odd years, and I'd been keen to do something new with Maximus Mouse, the star of Summer Camp and Winter Camp," says Thalamus Digital's Andy Roberts.
Industry veteran Roberts – who has worked at companies like Acclaim, Sony Computer Entertainment, Kwalee and Other Ocean, and even had a stint at Future Publishing as a journalist – reveals that he has a very deep connection with Ferrari's work. "I grew up playing his games. As a poor kid, Mastertronic's budget games were a lifeline for me, so when I got the chance to work with him on Winter Camp – I did the loading screen and Thalamus logo – it was a dream come true."
The pair also collaborated on a Winter Camp strategy guide for Commodore Format magazine. " I had many a long conversation with John over the phone, and he was such an incredibly clever, kind, and generous man," recalls Roberts. "He kindly offered to write the whole thing – I still have his handwritten notes to this day."
In a particularly heartwarming turn of events, Ferrari's Maximus Mouse is about to make a return. Pug Fugly Games – a developer that has worked with Thalamus on more than one occasion – released a free game on itch.io called Marty Mouse's Missing Millions earlier this year, and it caught Roberts' attention.
"While discussing Pug Fugly's next project with programmer Chris Roper, the thought occurred to me that the Marty Mouse game could be expanded to include party modes for multiple players. It was at this point that the idea of using Maximus Mouse first cropped up."
Given that both games feature mice, it wasn't a massive conceptual leap for Roberts to make – and he soon pitched the idea to Roper. "A couple of weeks later, I formally proposed the idea of rebranding the Marty Mouse party game as a Maximus Mouse game; not only would this allow us to bring back a much-loved C64 character, but it would also allow us to potentially involve John Ferrari's family by letting his grandkids test the game – in the same way that John's kids used to test his games back in the day."
Roper was on board with the idea, as was Vicky. "With the plan in motion, Chris and I began collaborating on ideas for the various party games and modes within the game," continues Roberts. "Since May 2024, Chris has been busy working on the game, fleshing out the playing modes and party games, nailing down the graphic style, and generally doing most of the hard work while I shout at him from the peanut gallery. We also hit on the idea of using various characters from the Maximus Mouse games as cameos in the new game – the large, swooping eagles are an example of this."
The game will be available on Steam, and, as Roberts says, the wider Ferrari family will be deeply involved with playtesting it before it launches next year – a wonderful setup which ensures that John Ferrari's legacy continues for a good while yet.
Maximus Mouse's Manic Mayhem is coming to PC in 2025.
How John Ferrari's Kids (And Grandkids) Are Helping Resurrect C64 Superstar Maximus Mouse
"He loved what he did and was brilliant at it"
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