Frightmare
Release Date  1988
Original Publisher  Cascade Games Ltd (UK)
Min. Hardware  ZX-Spectrum 48K/128K
Language  English
Genre  Arcade Game: Action
Max. Players  1
Original Price  £9.95
Disk Price  £14.95
Features  AY Sound
Themes  Horror/Halloween
Other Platforms  Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64
Average mag. score  51.38% (4 reviews)
Martijn's WoS score  68.9% (18 votes)

Standalone re-releases
     #1 - EDOS (UK)
     #2 - Summit Software [1] (UK)(1988)
     #3 - Zafiro Software Division (Spain)(1988)
     * Release price: 1200.00 Ptas

Authors/Contributors
     Rod Ashley (UK) - ?
     Sean Conran (UK) - ?

Known Errors
     Bugfix provided by pushHL:
  • The player is supposed to wake up at 7:54 after visiting 79 rooms, but it never happens due to a bug in the dream state routine. At 39% the second word should update to 'vision' but stays the same. It's very lucky that the game doesn't crash at this point which is down to the program reading $ff, one is then added to it to get $00 and this value points to the second word. $00 obviously points to first option of second word which is 'dream' and is why it stays the same. Here's the bug:
    b102: ld a, (iy+$05) ;first word
    b105: inc a ;move to next word in list
    b106: cp $0f ;gone past last word (nefarious)?
    b108: call nc, $b110 ;yes
    b10b: ld (iy+$05), a ;no, so preserve word and continue
    b10e: jr $b0de
    b110: ld a, (ix+$06) ;second word <----Here is bug should be ld a, (iy+$06)
    b113: inc a ;move to next word in list
    b114: cp $07 ;gone past last word (frightmare)?
    b116: jr z, $b11d ;yes
    b118: ld (iy+$06), a ;no, so preserve second word,
    b11b: xor a ;set first word to beginning of list and continue
    b11c: ret
    ;player reaches ultimate dream state (nefarious frightmare)
    ;in normal game this code never runs due to bug
    b11d: ld a, $13 ;length =19 (nefariousfrightmare)
    b11f: ld (iy+$07), a
    b122: ld a, $06 ;set second word to frightmare
    b124: ld (iy+$06), a
    b127: ld a, $0e ;set first word to nefarious
    b129: ld (iy+$05), a
    b12c: ld a, $01 ;disallow any further changes to dream state
    b12e: ld ($b0cb), a
    ;message update
    b131: ld de, $5801
    b134: ld hl, $5800
    b137: ld (hl), $00
    b139: ld bc, $003f
    b13c: ldir
    b13e: call $a6f5
    b141: pop ix
    b143: ret
    There's also a problem with stack so we need to find two bytes to get the extra POP in. The following patch fixes the problem:
    org $b110
    defb $fd ;fix original bug, iy not ix

    org $b0f9
    defb $32 ;update normal jump (jp $b132)

    org $b11d
    dec a ;a=7 at this point so 1 byte saved here
    ld (iy+6),a
    ld a,$13
    ld (iy+7),a
    ld a,$0e
    ld (iy+5),a
    ld a,1
    ld ($b0cb),a
    pop ix ;now lose 2 bytes to clear stack with extra pop
    ld de,$5801
    ld hl,$5800
    ld (hl),l ;2nd byte saved here

Modified "BUGFIX" file provided by pushHL (48K version) and Metalbrain (128K version compatible with +2A).

Music References
     Includes the following music: Camille Saint-Saëns, Danse Macabre op. 40.

Compilations
     Full version in10 Computer Hits 5(1988)by Beau-Jolly Ltd (UK)
     Full version in30 Red Hot Hits(1989)by Beau-Jolly Ltd (UK)
     Full version in4 Most Fight & Fright(1991)by Alternative Software Ltd (UK)
     Full version inZX-Spectrum Vega(2015/Apr/24)by Retro Computers Ltd (UK)
     Unauthorized version inLoad 'n' Run issue 52(1988/Sep)by Magazine Load 'n' Run - covertape from issue #52 - 1988/Sep- titled "Paura!"

Main File Downloads
     FilenameReleaseMachineSchemeLanguageComments
Frightmare48.tap.zipOriginalZX-Spectrum 48K(???)English
Frightmare128.tap.zipOriginalZX-Spectrum 128K(???)English
 Frightmare.dsk.zipOriginalZX-Spectrum 128 +3(None)English
Frightmare48(BUGFIX).tap.zipOriginalZX-Spectrum 48K(???)English
Frightmare128(BUGFIX).tzx.zipOriginalZX-Spectrum 128K(None)English
Frightmare(SummitSoftware1).tzx.zip#2ZX-Spectrum 48K/128K(None)English
Frightmare(BUGFIX)(SummitSoftware1).tzx.zip#2ZX-Spectrum 48K/128K(None)English
Frightmare(ZafiroSoftwareDivision).tzx.zip#3ZX-Spectrum 48K/128K(None)English
 Frightmare(ZafiroSoftwareDivision).dsk.zip#3ZX-Spectrum 128 +3(None)English

Additional File Downloads
     FilenameSizeReleaseTypeLanguageComments
     Frightmare.scr6,912OriginalLoading screen
     Frightmare.gif4,536OriginalRunning screen
     Frightmare.jpg217,261OriginalInlay - Front - Double jewel case
     Frightmare_Media.jpg97,078OriginalMedia scan
     Frightmare.ay.zip2,237OriginalRipped in-game/theme music in AY format
     Frightmare(EN).txt7,783OriginalInstructionsEnglish
     Frightmare(MULTI-LANG).pdf232,731OriginalInstructionsMulti-language: English, French, German
     Frightmare.png174,153OriginalGame map
     Frightmare_2.jpg551,732OriginalGame map
     Frightmare_3.png249,393OriginalGame map
     Frightmare_Poster.jpg864,995OriginalPoster
     Frightmare.jpg124,055OriginalAdvertisement
     Frightmare_2.jpg252,131OriginalAdvertisement
     frightmare.rzx0OriginalRZX playback file - Recorded by Rouslan Gordeyev (with rollback)
     Frightmare (1988)(Cascade Games).pok231OriginalPOK pokes file
     Frightmare(SummitSoftware).jpg498,383#2Inlay - Front - Single jewel case
     Frightmare(SummitSoftware)_Back.jpg511,922#2Inlay - Back - Single jewel case
     Frightmare(ZafiroSoftwareDivision).jpg297,835#3Inlay - Front
     Frightmare(ZafiroSoftwareDivision).pdf25,801#3InstructionsSpanish
     Frightmare(ZafiroSoftwareDivision).txt6,040#3InstructionsSpanish

Magazine Reviews
     ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment)issue #8-1988/Maypage 67- Review: 285/1000
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #78-1988/Aprpage 42- Review - not a Spectrum article
     Crashissue v.1 #51-1988/Aprpage 25- Review: 57%
     MicroHobbyissue #176-1988/Seppage 28- Review - Nuevo
     Sinclair Userissue #73-1988/Aprpage 66- Review: 6/10
     The Games Machineissue #5-1988/Aprpage 51- Review - not a Spectrum article
     Your Sinclairissue #29-1988/Maypage 52- Review: 6/10

Magazine References
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #77-1988/Marpage 15- Preview
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #79-1988/Maypage 114- Map
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #80-1988/Junpage 107- CompoEntry
     MicroHobbyissue #175-1988/Augpage 59- Preview - Premiere
     Sinclair Userissue #72-1988/Marpage 86- Preview
     The Games Machineissue #4-1988/Marpage 18- Preview
     Your Sinclairissue #28-1988/Aprpage 10- Preview

Magazine Advertisements
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #77-1988/Marpage 68- Advert
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #77-1988/Marpage 71- Advert
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #77-1988/Marpage 73- Advert
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #77-1988/Marpage 75- Advert
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #78-1988/Aprpage 84- Two-page ad
     Crashissue v.1 #50-1988/Marpage 37- Advert
     Crashissue v.1 #50-1988/Marpage 38- Advert
     Crashissue v.1 #50-1988/Marpage 39- Advert
     Crashissue v.1 #50-1988/Marpage 40- Advert
     Crashissue v.1 #51-1988/Aprpage 88- Two-page ad
     Sinclair Userissue #72-1988/Marpage 37- Advert
     Sinclair Userissue #72-1988/Marpage 39- Advert
     Sinclair Userissue #72-1988/Marpage 41- Advert
     Sinclair Userissue #72-1988/Marpage 43- Advert
     Sinclair Userissue #73-1988/Aprpage 2- Two-page ad

Related Magazine Reviews
     ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment)issue #16-1989/Janpage 118- Review (10 Computer Hits 5)
     Crashissue v.1 #60-1989/Janpage 92- Review - Crash - Compilation (10 Computer Hits 5)

Related Magazine References
     ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment)issue #16-1989/Janpage 116- Feature - We Wish You A ... Cheapy Christmas (10 Computer Hits 5)
     Crashissue v.1 #60-1989/Janpage 92- Feature - Collectable Consumables (10 Computer Hits 5)

Related Magazine Advertisements
     Crashissue v.1 #59-1988/Decpage 106- Full-page ad (10 Computer Hits 5)
     Crashissue v.1 #60-1989/Janpage 62- Full-page ad (10 Computer Hits 5)

Links
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