Editing Plok! (section)

== Development ==
=== 1988: Rare hires Zippo Games ===
[[File:Tim and Chris Stamper outside the FortuneFish offices.jpg|thumb|left|[[Rare (company)|Rare]] founders [[Tim and Chris Stamper]] in 2015. They required [[Ste and John Pickford]] to play ''[[Mario (franchise)|Mario]]'' and ''[[The Legend of Zelda|Zelda]]'' games on the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], which shifted the Pickfords' perspective on game development.]]  
In the summer of 1988, [[Ste and John Pickford]], employees at Zippo Games—owned by John and their friend Steve Hughes—were struggling to complete games for 16-bit [[Atari ST]] and [[Amiga]] computers, with many projects being canceled.<ref name="Vinylalbumnotes">{{cite AV media|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=March 2020|title=Plok!|others=[[Tim Follin]] and Geoff Follin|publisher=Respawned Records|type=notes|id=RR-003}}</ref> They learned that [[Rare (company)|Rare]] was seeking developers for [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES) titles. At the time, the console had yet to gain popularity in the United Kingdom. Despite viewing the 8-bit system as "horribly overpriced and terribly underpowered," the Pickfords accepted the offer due to financial necessity and their admiration for the work of Rare founders [[Tim and Chris Stamper]] during their time at [[Ultimate Play the Game]].<ref name="Vinylalbumnotes"/> Zippo Games became the only company Rare consulted for NES development.<ref name="Vinylalbumnotes"/>

Although initially skeptical of the NES, the Pickfords' experience working on ''Ironsword''—along with the Stamper brothers’ requirement that they play [[Mario]] and [[The Legend of Zelda|Zelda]] games on the console—gave them a newfound appreciation for the system. This shifted their development priorities from focusing on technical sophistication to emphasizing the player's experience.<ref name="Vinylalbumnotes"/> This design philosophy ultimately shaped their approach to ''Plok!''.{{Sfn|''GamesTM''|2014|p=9}}

=== 1988–1989: ''Fleapit'' ===
[[File:Frank sidebottom.jpg|thumb|right|[[Chris Sievey]] as Frank Sidebottom in 2006. He was slated to voice the playable character of ''Fleapit'' before its cancellation.]]  
While Ste was designing the shop screen for ''Ironsword,'' John conceived a character with a hangman's hood. Ste sketched the concept in the margin of the layout.<ref name="Vinylalbumnotes"/>{{sfn|Szczepaniak|2020|p=54}}<ref name="Firstsketch"/> The idea of detachable limbs also emerged in this sketch, depicted with an arrow pointing to a pile of the character's parts below it.<ref name="Firstsketch">{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=5 May 2005|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=440|title=Plok sketch #1|website=Zee-3|accessdate=21 February 2021}}</ref> John then envisioned a game where players captured jumping fleas, deciding to make the hangman character the protagonist.<ref name="Vinylalbumnotes"/> The name "Plok" was spontaneously coined when John placed letters from a cassette tape cover on his computer mouse.<ref name="Vinylalbumnotes"/><ref name="Plokzee3">{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/plok.php|title=Plok Archive|website=Zee-3|date=14 October 2004|accessdate=10 January 2021|archive-date=6 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206131409/http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/plok.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> His full name, "Plok the Exploding Man," highlighted his separable limbs.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=14 October 2004|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=452|title=Plok Body Parts|website=Zee-3|accessdate=21 February 2021}}</ref> With John's encouragement, Ste moved to clean sheets of paper to develop further sketches, where he refined Plok's colors, poses, size (32x40), and expressive features, such as his wide-open mouth.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=5 May 2005|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=441|title=Plok sketch #2|website=Zee-3|accessdate=21 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=5 May 2005|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=442|title=Plok sketch #3|website=Zee-3|accessdate=21 February 2021}}</ref>

After these ideas were formed, Chris Stamper visited Zippo Games to introduce the Razz Board, a [[Arcade video game|coin-op]] hardware system he had designed.<ref name="Vinylalbumnotes"/> The Pickfords were impressed by the hardware's advanced graphics capabilities and saw an opportunity to create a "real arcade game," akin to those they had admired in their youth. While they had previously worked on an Amiga-based coin-op system for ''World Darts,'' they had never developed a "true" arcade title.<ref name="Vinylalbumnotes"/> They struck a deal with Rare to use the Razz Board for their dream project, with ownership of the game property and a significant share of board sales revenue. However, the agreement also required the brothers to self-fund the project.{{Sfn|''GamesTM''|2014|p=8}} The game was titled ''Fleapit''.<ref name="Vinylalbumnotes"/>

Ste vaguely recalled ''Fleapit'' in a 2014 interview, comparing its gameplay to ''[[Excitebots: Trick Racing]]'' (2009), where the player had to catch one of several flying footballs to score a touchdown in the middle of a level. He described the game as only slightly more "primitive" than ''Plok!'', with stages that scrolled horizontally and vertically, featuring more "set pieces or one-off levels." The backgrounds included food items like sausages and doughnuts, along with a space level.<ref name="Miltonsroom">{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=27 November 2018|url=http://www.zee-3.com/plok/blog/view.php?post=946|title=Milton's room|work=Zee-3|accessdate=23 February 2021}}</ref>

As development continued, Rare was primarily profiting from selling NES titles, which led them to focus less on Razz Board games like ''Fleapit.'' In 1989, Rare became the first company outside of Japan to obtain a [[Game Boy]], instructing Zippo Games to develop a game for the handheld console. This shift in focus meant that ''Fleapit'''s development had to be halted.<ref name="Vinylalbumnotes"/> The relationship between Rare and Zippo Games deteriorated after Zippo failed to complete a Game Boy title as directed, and in 1990, Rare bought out Zippo Games, renaming it Rare Manchester,<ref name="Vinylalbumnotes"/> which was subsequently shut down.{{Sfn|Bevan|2013|p=78}} As a result of Zippo Games' closure and dwindling funds, ''Fleapit'' was canceled half-completed in 1990.<ref name="Vinylalbumnotes"/>{{Sfn|''GamesTM''|2014|p=8}} Ste admitted in 2014 that their desire to produce a coin-op led to poor business decisions, including rejecting more financially lucrative console projects.{{Sfn|''GamesTM''|2014|p=8}}

Late in ''Fleapit'''s development, the Pickfords secured comedian [[Chris Sievey]] to voice Plok.<ref>{{Cite tweet |last=Pickford|first=Ste|author-link=Ste and John Pickford |user=stepickford |number=1059364905374138368 |title=When we were doing Plok, before the SNES game it was going to be a coin-op. We got Chris Sievey (Frank Sidebottom) to agree to do the voice of Plok for us. Such a shame it never happened.|accessdate=17 February 2021}}</ref> They contacted him in 1990 through the number listed on one of his songs, "969 1909." The Pickfords met Sievey in his Frank Sidebottom costume at [[The Ritz (Manchester)|The Ritz]] venue, offering to work for free. However, shortly after, ''Fleapit'' was canceled, and Sievey never voiced the character.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=22 June 2010|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/blog/view.php?post=499|title=Goodbye Frank Sidebottom|website=Zee-3|accessdate=24 February 2021}}</ref>

=== 1990–1993: From Zippo to Software Creations ===
[[File:SNES-Mod1-Console-Set.jpg|thumb|left|''Plok!'' developer [[Software Creations]] was the first non-Japanese company to have a development kit for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]].]]  
After leaving Zippo, John contacted Richard Hay, the head of [[Software Creations]], the first company outside of Japan to possess a [[Game development kit|development kit]] for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (SNES).{{sfn|Bevan|2013|p=78}} Hay hired the Pickfords immediately to use the kit to design and program ''[[Equinox (1993 video game)|Equinox]]'' (1993), a sequel to the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] title ''[[Solstice (1990 video game)|Solstice]]'' (1990).{{sfn|Bevan|2013|p=78}} The Pickfords were eventually promoted to higher positions, with Ste becoming an art director and John a producer.{{sfn|''GamesTM''|2014|p=8}}

Meanwhile, the Pickfords continued working on ''Fleapit'', developing new characters and locations, and creating additional pitch illustrations.<ref name="Vinylalbumnotes"/> Near the completion of ''Equinox'', the Pickfords presented ''Fleapit'' to Hay,{{sfn|Bevan|2013|p=78}} pitching it under a new name: ''Plok!''{{sfn|''GamesTM''|2014|p=8}} Although the brothers and Hay considered several consoles, including the NES, Super NES, and Game Boy, only a Super NES version of the game came to fruition.{{sfn|''GamesTM''|2014|p=8}} Development once again required self-funding, but this time it was provided by Software Creations rather than just the Pickfords.{{sfn|Bevan|2013|p=78}}

The ''Plok!'' team included the two brothers as producers, art directors, and designers; John Buckley as programmer; Lyndon Brooke as graphic artist; Tim and Geoff Follin as music and sound developers;{{sfn|''GamesTM''|2014|p=6}} Kevin Edwards and Stephen Ruddy as compressors; Dan Whitworth, who created additional graphics;{{sfn|Tradewest|1993|p=28}} and 18-year-old Chun Wah Kong, who joined in spring 1993 as a tester.{{sfn|Szczepaniak|2020|p=55}} Software Creations hired animators recently laid off from a Manchester studio for some of their games, including Whitworth. He animated the title screen (where Plok plays a harmonica to the theme song) while Ste was on a two-week holiday, and Whitworth's work was enthusiastically received by the staff.<ref name="Vinylalbumnotes"/>

''Plok!'' was the Pickford brothers' first experience as project managers, as well as the first time they collaborated with other developers to turn their ideas into a finished product.{{Sfn|''GamesTM''|2014|pp=9–10}} Buckley later admitted that ''Plok!'' was his most "proud" work.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.c64.com/interviews/buckley.html|title=John Buckley|website=C64.com|accessdate=21 February 2021}}</ref> Kong also admitted that his experience as the game's tester prepared him for his role as lead designer on [[Team Soho]]'s [[PlayStation 2]] title ''[[The Getaway (video game)|The Getaway]]'' (2002): "QA is great grounding for designers. It makes you think critically about how players approach your level; how to reward curiosity if the player wanders off the beaten track; how different approaches could break the game."{{sfn|Szczepaniak|2020|p=57}}

Although the Pickfords allowed Buckley and Brooke to contribute many ideas,{{sfn|Szczepaniak|2020|p=55}} development was not without conflict. The biggest argument occurred late in development over the game's difficulty. While Buckley and Brooks felt the difficulty was appropriate, the Pickfords found it too overbearing.{{Sfn|''GamesTM''|2014|p=10}} To settle the dispute, the first eight stages, originally meant for Cotton Island, were moved to the later Grandpappy Plok dream stages, and eight new, easier Cotton Island stages were created.{{Sfn|''GamesTM''|2014|p=10}}{{sfn|Szczepaniak|2020|p=57}} According to Buckley, the dream levels were conceived to vary the pacing, particularly with the Amulet.{{sfn|Szczepaniak|2020|p=57}} Kong also reported that one of the publishers wanted the difficulty of the first level decreased, so the staff reduced the bouncing sprouts' hit points from two to one. However, in the tutorial segment of the final game, the sprouts take two hits as Plok fires an extra arm.{{sfn|Szczepaniak|2020|p=57}} While Software Creations did include collectible continues (called "Plokontinues") for ''Plok!'', it did not include a save battery due to the cost, and passwords were scrapped out of fear that gaming magazines would spread them.{{sfn|Szczepaniak|2020|p=57}}

Kong recalled that most of the game was completed near the end of ''Equinox''{{'}}s testing.{{sfn|Szczepaniak|2020|p=55}}

=== Graphics and art ===
[[File:Screen tone example.svg|thumb|During ''Fleapit''{{'}}s development, Ste created his black-and-white concept art with [[Letratone]] to make it look professional.]]  
Many of ''Plok!''{{'}}s visuals were formulated during its ''Fleapit'' stage, when it was being programmed for the Razz Board. The hardware had an unusual system that executed higher-depth graphics and performed better with fewer data. Unlike other hardware that used [[bitmap]] grids to encode colors and transparency through [[binary numbers]], the Razz Board hardware stored pixels as bytes, with the first six bits determining color, the seventh bit setting its vertical position relative to its predecessor, and the eighth determining its horizontal position.<ref name = "Vinylalbumnotes"/> For instance, using a bitmap system to create a 32-pixel line requires a grid of 1,024 pixels (32x32) with 992 of them being transparent, whereas making the same line took only 32 bytes in Razz Board.<ref name = "Vinylalbumnotes"/> This meant sprites weren't restricted to perfectly square sizes, which Ste took advantage of when creating the text font, although he set an arbitrary limit of 22x29.<ref name = "Fleapitfont">{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=10 August 2009|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=285|title=Font – Fleapit|website=Zee-3|accessdate=20 February 2021}}</ref> For the SNES game, Brooke designed two new fonts for 16x16 and 8x8 bitmap grids: one based on Ste's font for ''Fleapit'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=24 August 2009|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=299|title=Plok font #1|website=Zee-3|accessdate=20 February 2021}}</ref> which in turn was based on his lettering in concept drawings,<ref name = "Fleapitfont"/> and another for the silent movie-esque screens in the Legacy Island levels.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=25 August 2009|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=300|title=Plok font #2|website=Zee-3|accessdate=20 February 2021}}</ref> Software Creations' leader and ''Plok!'' executive producer{{Sfn|Tradewest|1993|p=28}} Mike Webb reported compressing 50% of the game's 16-megabit graphics data (equivalent to ''[[Street Fighter II]]'') down to eight megabits.{{Sfn|Brookes|1992|p=18}}

''Fleapit'' was the Pickfords' first game in which Ste created concept art, aiming to appear more professional and adapt to an increased focus on presentation for buyers in the industry. According to Ste, this shift changed the process of green-lighting a game, moving beyond simply starting programming: "Everyone in the industry was self-taught, and there were no standards or expectations of how a new game should progress. I remember it being a struggle to justify spending work time drawing pretty pictures which wouldn't actually contribute to the game."<ref name = "Fleapitwork">{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=14 October 2004|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/plok-fleapit.php|title=Fleapit work|website=Zee-3|accessdate=20 February 2021}}</ref> Ste added shades to the concept art using [[Letratone]] as an easy method to achieve a businesslike aesthetic.<ref name = "Fleapitwork"/> He drew the illustrations in black and white, focusing more on shape than on color, as photocopying technology at the time only allowed monochrome prints.{{Sfn|''GamesTM''|2014|pp=8–9}} The color scheme was initially designed for an 8-bit arcade title; to achieve a "natural" look, colors were concentrated into extreme areas of the [[RGB color model|RGB color wheel]].{{Sfn|''GamesTM''|2014|p=8}} When the project evolved into a 16-bit SNES game, the color scheme—though generally the same—became more detailed with a wider palette,{{Sfn|''GamesTM''|2014|p=9}} and Ste used [[magic marker]]s to color the concept art. This art was used not only for the game but also for other titles and potential franchise products, as well as illustrations for the instruction manual.<ref name = "Plokwork">{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=17 October 2004|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/plok-concept.php|title=Plok work|website=Zee-3|accessdate=21 February 2021}}</ref>

John's first plan for maximizing the use of the Razz Board was through Plok's animation; since he had separable limbs, all six parts were animated as independently-moving static sprites.<ref name = "Vinylalbumnotes"/> The separated limbs made Plok easier to animate and reduced the graphical data required, as static parts could be coded to move and rotate instead of creating multiple frames.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=14 October 2004|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=449|title=Lemme At 'Em!|website=Zee-3|accessdate=21 February 2021}}</ref> Ste also designed Plok's boots and gloves to be oversized, maximizing the potential of the detachable-limb design.<ref name = "Vinylalbumnotes"/> The fleas, though animated traditionally with frames, had only two legs to simplify animating extreme poses<ref name = "Fleapitknockerover">{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=14 October 2004|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=451|title=Flea Hurt|website=Zee-3|accessdate=21 February 2021}}</ref> and prevent the sprite from becoming too busy.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=14 October 2004|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=448|title=Those Pesky Fleas|website=Zee-3|accessdate=21 February 2021}}</ref> Ste reported using "5 or 6" frames for all of the fleas' movements.<ref name = "Fleapitknockerover"/> For the SNES console, Brooke only slightly altered the design of Plok and the fleas,<ref name = "Vinylalbumnotes"/> but Plok's animation method was transformed. The SNES, using the traditional bitmap method to execute pixels, required Brooke to animate Plok frame-by-frame.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=10 June 2009|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=224|title=Plok SNES sprites #1|website=Zee-3|accessdate=20 February 2021}}</ref>

=== Concepts and design ===
''Fleapit'' characters not included in ''Plok!'' include Armstrong, a "mini-version" of Rockyfella;<ref>{{cite web|last=Pickford |first=Ste|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=343|title=Plok art – Armstrong|website=Zee-3|date=7 October 2009|accessdate=20 February 2021}}</ref> and Suki, a [[manga]]-style character who ran an item shop.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pickford |first=Ste|date=5 May 2005|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=446|title=Suki sketch|website=Zee-3|accessdate=20 February 2021}}</ref> The Bobbins Brothers and Womack were carried over from ''Fleapit''<ref name = "Vinylalbumnotes"/> (although Womack underwent a major redesign by Brooke, which Ste appreciated<ref>{{cite web|last=Pickford |first=Ste|date=17 October 2004|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=469|title=Womack surprises Plok|website=Zee-3|accessdate=20 February 2021}}</ref>) while the Penkinos were originally conceived for ''Plok!''.<ref name = "Vinylalbumnotes"/>

The "floating" limb movements were coded in John's first prototype of ''Fleapit'', with the idea of removing limbs incorporated later as the Pickfords experimented.<ref name = "Vinylalbumnotes"/> The concept of costume and vehicle power-ups also originated in ''Fleapit'',<ref name = "Fleapitwork"/> although the set of power-ups changed, with only the helicopter carrying over;{{sfn|Szczepaniak|2020|p=58}} ''Fleapit''-exclusive power-ups included "Robo Plok," a robot form that improved maneuverability and was inspired by [[Ro-Jaws]] from the ''[[2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD]]'' comics;<ref>{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=14 October 2004|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=456|title=Robo Plok|website=Zee-3|accessdate=20 February 2021}}</ref> "Ninja Plok," which armed him with an endless supply of throwing stars;<ref>{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=14 October 2004|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=455|title=Ninja Plok|website=Zee-3|accessdate=20 February 2021}}</ref> and "Super Plok," a superhero form with flying abilities.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pickford|first=Ste|date=14 October 2004|url=http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/archive/view.php?post=454|title=Super Plok|website=Zee-3|accessdate=21 February 2021}}</ref> Plok also had the "smart bomb," an ability in which he enraged himself to the point of exploding and wiping out all enemies on screen (as well as his own limbs).<ref name = "Vinylalbumnotes"/>

By the time development of the SNES game began, the code for ''Fleapit'' had been lost. As a result, Buckley started programming based on what he saw in [[VHS]] footage of the game, including Plok attacking fleas with his limbs and skidding down slanted platforms.{{sfn|Szczepaniak|2020|p=55}} Brooke conceived the idea of triggering parts of the scenery with limbs, reasoning that the scenery "looked a bit rough" when constantly looping. However, executing this idea proved difficult, as it affected the [[collision detection]] and caused Plok's movements to be jerky.{{sfn|Szczepaniak|2020|p=56}} He came up with the limb-holding coat hangers two weeks later.{{sfn|Szczepaniak|2020|p=56}} The vehicles were left for the final stages, as incorporating them into earlier levels would have required too much work to "balance" them with the other aspects of those stages.{{sfn|Szczepaniak|2020|p=58}}

=== Audio ===
{{Listen
 | type        = music
 | filename    = Plokbeach.ogg
 | title       = "A Line in the Sand"
 | description = A 30-second sample of "A Line in the Sand" (also referred to as "Beach"), involving a change in both [[time signature]] (from [[Septuple meter|{{music|time|7|8}}]] to [[common time|{{music|time|4|4}}]]) and [[tempo (music)|tempo]]
 | filename2   = Ploksamples.ogg
 | title2      = Samples
 | description2= Some of ''Plok!''{{'}}s instruments: single-sample guitar chords (0:00–0:05; title theme), simple-waveform "lead" instruments like harmonicas (0:05–0:11; title theme) and guitars (0:11–0:21; "A Line in the Sand"), and a breathing noise (0:21–0:29; boss theme)
}}

{{multiple image
 | align   = left
 | image1  = Stevie Wonder 1973.JPG
 | width1  = 155
 | height1 = 131
 | image2  = Brian-May with red special.jpg
 | alt2    = 
 | width2  = 131
 | height2 = 131
 | footer  = "A Line in the Sand" was inspired by the works of [[Stevie Wonder]] (''left'' in 1973) and [[Brian May]] (''right'' in 1979).
}}

When it came to NES and SNES titles, Software Creations was notable for pushing the limits of a hardware's sound, including with ''Plok!''.{{Sfn|''NMS''|1995|p=93}} Work on ''Plok!''{{'}}s soundtrack, composed by [[Tim Follin|Tim]] and Geoff Follin, began halfway through development.<ref name = "Vinylalbumnotes"/> It was categorized by ''Nintendo World Report'' as typical of other kid-friendly platform games, though "a bit manic, deceptively bombastic, and diverse in tone".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/28827/super-follin-brothers |title=Super Follin Brothers |first=Nate|last=Andrews |date=10 January 2012 |work=Nintendo World Report |access-date=3 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403193424/http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/28827/super-follin-brothers |archive-date=3 April 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Ste reported that Geoff did around 75% of the work and was far more open to discussion with the team, while Tim was more "elusive".{{sfn|''GamesTM''|2014|p=11}}

''Plok!'' continues the Follin brothers' incorporation of old [[rock music]] influences. For instance, "A Line in the Sand" was inspired by the works of [[Stevie Wonder]], with its guitar solo influenced by [[Queen (band)|Queen]] guitarist [[Brian May]].{{Sfn|Brueggemann|Brueggemann|2018|loc=53:50–54:32}} Tim Follin composed the title song using a two-[[chord progression]] from "[[Tequila (The Champs song)|Tequila]]" by [[rock and roll]] group [[The Champs]], as two guitar chord samples could fit within the memory limitations.{{sfn|Szczepaniak|2020|pp=58–59}} "Lead" instruments, such as an electric guitar and harmonicas, were made from simple [[waveform]]s, with the guitar's waveform being identical to a [[Square wave (waveform)|square]].{{sfn|Szczepaniak|2020|p=59}} A breathing sample in the boss theme was also used in ''Equinox'' and ''[[Spider-Man and the X-Men in Arcade's Revenge]]'' (1992).{{Sfn|Weinbach|Switch|2018|loc=1:29:59–1:32:40}}

The soundtrack has been released on physical formats twice. On July 27, 2019, it was issued on cassette by CANVAS Ltd.<ref>{{cite AV media|title=Plok|others=Tim and Geoff Follin|year=2019|id=CNV003|publisher=CANVAS Ltd}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet |author=CANVAS Ltd. |user=canvasxcreative |number=1154062618975526914 |date=24 July 2019 |title=It's been 25 years since the release of the SNES classic "Plok", and yet the soundtrack remains as relevant today as it was then, if not more so. We're proud to bring you the 1st ever official release of that very soundtrack on July 27th. |accessdate=24 February 2021}}</ref> It was also released as a limited-edition 500-copy [[Double album|double vinyl]] on [[Record Store Day]] (April 18) 2020 by Respawned Records;<ref>{{Cite tweet |author=Respawned Records|user=RespawnedRec|date=6 March 2020|number=1235923060752101387|title=Announcing RR-003 the Official SNES soundtrack to PLOK! This will be a preorder item available on Record Store Day (April 18) on our website. <nowiki>http://Respawnedrecords.com</nowiki> Officially licensed with Zee-3 Limited we are happy to bring Plok to vinyl! #vinyl #gaming #music #blessed #snes|accessdate=24 February 2021}}</ref><ref name = "Respawned">{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200714083934/https://respawnedrecords.com/products/plok-official-soundtrack|url=https://respawnedrecords.com/products/plok-official-soundtrack|archivedate=14 July 2020|title=PLOK Official Soundtrack|publisher=Respawned Records|accessdate=25 February 2021}}</ref> Respawned's release featured official song titles, liner notes, and artwork by the Pickfords, with both 180-gram vinyl records colored red and yellow.<ref name = "Respawned"/> Rare composer [[David Wise (composer)|David Wise]] has expressed admiration for ''Plok!'',<ref>{{Cite tweet |last=Wise|first=David|date=12 May 2020|user=David_Wise|title=Plok was amazing!!! Great game and fabulous soundtrack|number=1260246581913288707|accessdate=20 February 2021}}</ref> claiming his work on ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' was inspired by the Follin brothers' soundtrack.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bergeaud|first=David|date=December 2010|url=https://www.squareenixmusic.com/features/interviews/davidwise.shtml|title=Interview with David Wise (December 2010)|website=Square Enix Music Online|accessdate=20 February 2021}}</ref>