Frank N Stein
Release Date  1984
Original Publisher  PSS (UK)
Min. Hardware  ZX-Spectrum 48K
Language  English
Genre  Arcade Game: Platform
Max. Players  1
Authored with  ZX Compiler MMII.d
Original Price  £5.95
Graphical Views  Side-view 2D Graphics
Controls  Cursor, Interface 2 (right), Kempston Joystick
Themes  Horror/Halloween
Inspirations  Frankenstein (Book) from Mary Shelley (UK)
Other Platforms  Amstrad CPC
Average mag. score  75.00% (4 reviews)
Martijn's WoS score  81.1% (64 votes)

Re-releases
     #1 - CLJ Industries (France)(1984)
     #2 - Thorn EMI Computer Software (UK)(1984)
     #3 - Monser S.A. (Spain)

Authors/Contributors
     Colin Stewart (UK) - ?

Annual Awards
     3rd Best Platform Game - 1984 Crash Readers Awards.

Review Awards
     "PCG Hit"at Personal Computer Gamesissue #11 - 1984/Octpage 54

Known Errors
     Bugfix provided by the author Colin Stewart:
  • It's impossible to complete level 25 within the time limit. This can be fixed by adding an extra electric-shock item, giving the player more time.
    Fixed using POKE 26131,3: POKE 26132,16: POKE 26133,8

Bugfix provided by Battle Bunny:
  • The game randomly crashes after a few levels due to stack overflow as the machine stack eventually gets big enough to interfere with the screen data. The worst case is an implicit PUSH caused by the line "740C CD3775 CALL $7537". There are several places where the sub-routine starting at $7537 branches out with a "JP $7531", which does "CALL $81A4 : JP $7387", from where it's possible to get back down to $740C and do the "CALL $7537" again without having done a RET from the previous time. This case is fixed using the following patch:
            org  $75AB               ; 30123
            JP   PATCH1              ; 195 114 196
            org  $75D1               ; 30161
            JP   PATCH1              ; 195 114 196
            org  $765B               ; 30299
            JP   PATCH1              ; 195 114 196
            org  $7687               ; 30343
            JP   PATCH1              ; 195 114 196
                                     ; discard unused return address
            org  $C472               ; 50290
    PATCH1: POP  BC                  ; 193
            CALL $81A4               ; 205 164 129
            JP   $7387               ; 195 135 115
  • The remaining (less serious) cases of stack overflow can all be fixed by simply resetting the stack pointer at the end of each level, using the following patch:
            org  $9BBF               ; 39871
            JP   PATCH2              ; 195 121 196
                                     ; reset stack pointer at end of level
            org  $C479               ; 50297
    ERR_SP: equ  $5C3D               ; 23613
    PATCH2: LD HL, (ERR_SP)          ; 42  61  92
            DEC HL                   ; 43
            DEC HL                   ; 43
            LD SP, HL                ; 249
            JP $6F16                 ; 195 22 111

Modified "BUGFIX" file provided by Einar Saukas.

Series "Frank N Stein"
     1. Frank N Stein(1984)by PSS (UK)
     2. Frank N Stein Re-booted(2011)by Colin Stewart (UK)
     3. Dr. Acula(2024)by Colin Stewart (UK)

Compilations
     Full version in48K issue 09(1985)by Magazine 48K - covertape from issue #9 - 1985
     Full version in55(1985)by PSS (UK)
     Full version inStars Spectrum issue 01 - Juegos(1985)by Magazine Stars Spectrum - covertape from issue #1 - 1985- titled "Doktor"

Main File Downloads
     FilenameReleaseMachineSchemeLanguageComments
FrankNStein(pre-release).tap.zipOriginalZX-Spectrum 48K(???)English - (pre-release)
FrankNStein.tap.zipOriginalZX-Spectrum 48K(???)English
FrankNStein.tzx.zipOriginalZX-Spectrum 48K(None)English
FrankNStein(BUGFIX).tzx.zipOriginalZX-Spectrum 48K(None)English

Additional File Downloads
     FilenameSizeReleaseTypeLanguageComments
     FrankNStein.scr6,912OriginalLoading screen
     FrankNStein.gif3,997OriginalRunning screen
     FrankNStein_Front.jpg437,064OriginalInlay - Front
     FrankNStein_Front_2.jpg380,815OriginalInlay - Front
     FrankNStein.txt1,400OriginalInstructionsEnglish
     FrankNStein.png69,171OriginalGame map
     FrankNStein.jpg343,987OriginalAdvertisement
     franknstein.rzx0OriginalRZX playback file - Recorded by Albert Valls (with rollback)
     Frank N Stein (1984)(PSS).pok595OriginalPOK pokes file
     FrankNStein_ReverseEngineeredBASIC.txt22,743Original? - Reverse engineered BASIC
     FrankNStein(CLJIndustries).jpg413,076#1Inlay - Front
     FrankNStein(ThornEMIComputerSoftware).jpg449,384#2Inlay - Front

Magazine Reviews
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #37-1984/Novpage 90- Review
     Crashissue v.1 #9-1984/Octpage 124- Review: 80%
     Crashissue v.1 #21-1985/Octpage 52- Review - Crash - Crashback
     Games Computingissue 1985/Janpage 50- Review
     Home Computing Weeklyissue #79-1984/Sep/11 special "week#2"page 4- Review
     Personal Computer Gamesissue #11-1984/Octpage 54- Review: 8/10
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.3 #35-1984/Aug/30 special "week#5"page 52- Review
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.3 #36-1984/Sep/6 special "week#1"page 19- Review
     Sinclair Answersissue #2-1985/Janpage 28- Review
     Sinclair Programsissue #25-1984/Novpage 29- Review
     Sinclair Userissue #31-1984/Octpage 39- Review: 7/10
     TV Gamerissue 1985/Janpage 46- Review
     Your Spectrumissue #9-1984/Novpage 42- Review: 7/10
     ZX Computingissue #16-1984/Decpage 41- Review

Magazine References
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #39-1985/Janpage 157- Tips
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #51-1986/Janpage 61- Hack/Poke
     Computer Choiceissue 1984/Seppage 9- News/Note
     Crashissue v.1 #10-1984/Novpage 74- CompoEntry
     Crashissue v.1 #12-1985/Jan special "Christmas Special 1984/85"page 144- Tips
     Crashissue v.1 #12-1985/Jan special "Christmas Special 1984/85"page 146- Hack/Poke
     Crashissue v.1 #37-1987/Febpage 92- News/Note
     Crashissue v.1 #40-1987/Maypage 65- Hack/Poke
     Crashissue v.1 #41-1987/Junpage 51- Hack/Poke
     Home Computing Weeklyissue #105-1985/Mar/26 special "week#4"page 19- Feature - Critic's Choice
     Personal Computer Gamesissue #10-1984/Seppage 14- News/Note
     Personal Computer Gamesissue #13-1984/Decpage 125- Tips
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.3 #51-1984/Dec/20 special "week#3"page 48- Hack/Poke
     Your Computerissue v.6 #1-1986/Janpage 91- Hack/Poke
     Your Spectrumissue #9-1984/Novpage 42- Feature - Manic Mimicry
     Your Spectrumissue #9-1984/Novpage 47- Hack/Poke
     Your Spectrumissue #11-1985/Febpage 6- Hack/Poke
     Your Spectrumissue #15-1985/Junpage 6- Hack/Poke

Magazine Advertisements
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #35-1984/Seppage 139- Full-page ad
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #36-1984/Octpage 37- Advert
     Computer Choiceissue 1984/Seppage 27- Full-page ad
     Crashissue v.1 #8-1984/Seppage 17- Full-page ad
     Home Computing Weeklyissue #80-1984/Sep/18 special "week#3"page 9- Advert
     Personal Computer Gamesissue #10-1984/Seppage 80- Full-page ad
     Personal Computer Gamesissue #12-1984/Novpage 110- Advert
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.3 #33-1984/Aug/16 special "week#3"page 4- Full-page ad
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.3 #35-1984/Aug/30 special "week#5"page 8- Full-page ad
     Your Computerissue v.4 #10-1984/Octpage 15- Advert

Related Magazine References
     Sinclair Programsissue #35-1985/Seppage 11- News/Note (55)
     Your Spectrumissue #18-1985/Seppage 6- News/Note (55)

Related Magazine Advertisements
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.4 #34-1985/Aug/22 special "week#4"page 27- Advert (55)
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.4 #36-1985/Sep/5 special "week#1"page 35- Advert (55)

Links
     Centre for Computing History(Information - in English)
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     Speccy Screenshot Maps(Information - in English)
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     The TZX Vault(Software Preservation)
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     ZXInfo(ZXDB Front End)
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