Beatle Quest
Release Date  1985
Original Publisher  Number 9 Software (UK)
Min. Hardware  ZX-Spectrum 48K
Language  English
Genre  Adventure Game: Text/Illustrated
Max. Players  1
Authored with  The Quill Adventure System
Original Price  £9.95
Features  Multi-machine Medium, Split-screen pics/text
Tie-in Licences  The Beatles (People)
Other Platforms  Commodore 64
Average mag. score  47.50% (4 reviews)
Martijn's WoS score  67.5% (4 votes)

Authors/Contributors
     Garry Marsh (UK) - ?

Known Errors
     Bugfix provided by Einar Saukas and Bandit:
  • The game cannot be completed because of a bug which prevents the gun being discovered in the circus. The problem is that it was originally written for a "Quill A" database but converted to a "Quill C" database (presumably so that it could include Illustrator graphics). The gun discovery sequence is controlled by flag 28, which is reset every turn since it became a reserved flag in "Quill C". This problem can be solved reusing flag 21 (that controls finding the jar) for the gun also, since the jar is a requirement for accessing the gun location. Both cases are originally implemented as follows:
    7a18: GET JAR:
    7482: AT 112 ;at location 112?
    7484: EQ 21 1 ;flag 21=1?
    7488: MESSAGE 99 ;"Sorry, but you've had your quota of miracles."
    748a: DONE

    7a1c: GET JAR:
    748c: AT 112 ;at location 112?
    748e: ZERO 21 ;flag 21=0?
    7491: CREATE 12 ;create jar
    7493: GET 12 ;get jar
    7495: PLUS 21 1 ;set flag 21=1
    7498: PLUS 30 3 ;increase score
    749b: MESSAGE 98 ;"Miraculously, your wish is granted."
    749d: DONE

    7830: EXAM DROP:
    6f8a: AT 127 ;at location 127?
    6f8c: EQ 28 31 ;flag 28=31?
    6f90: MESSAGE 31 ;"You find nothing of interest."

    7834: EXAM DROP:
    6f93: AT 127 ;at location 127?
    6f95: EQ 28 30 ;flag 28=30?
    6f99: PLUS 28 1 ;set flag 28=31
    6f9c: CREATE 30 ;create gun
    6f9e: PLUS 30 3 ;increase score
    6fa1: DESC ;describe

    7838: EXAM DROP:
    6fa3: AT 127 ;at location 127?
    6fa5: ZERO 28 ;flag 28=0?
    6fa8: PLUS 28 30 ;set flag 28=30
    6fab: PLUS 30 3 ;increase score
    6fae: MESSAGE 195 ;"Very smelly and full of lumps."
    The following patch fixes this problem:
    7a18: GET JAR:
    7482: AT 112
    7484: GT 21 0 ;POKE 29828,14:POKE 29830,0
    7488: MESSAGE 99
    748a: DONE

    7a1c: GET JAR:
    748c: AT 112
    748e: ZERO 21
    7491: CREATE 12
    7493: GET 12
    7495: PLUS 21 1
    7498: PLUS 30 3
    749b: MESSAGE 98
    749d: DONE

    7830: EXAM DROP:
    6f8a: AT 127
    6f8c: EQ 21 254 ;POKE 28557,21:POKE 28558,254
    6f90: MESSAGE 31

    7834: EXAM DROP:
    6f93: AT 127
    6f95: EQ 21 255 ;POKE 28566,21:POKE 28567,255
    6f99: MINUS 21 1 ;POKE 28569,34:POKE 28570,21
    6f9c: CREATE 30
    6f9e: PLUS 30 3
    6fa1: DESC

    7838: EXAM DROP:
    6fa3: AT 127
    6fa5: LT 21 2 ;POKE 28581,15:POKE 28582,21:POKE 28583,2
    6fa9: SET 21 ;POKE 28584,255:POKE 28585,31:POKE 28586,21
    6fab: PLUS 30 3
    6fae: MESSAGE 195

Modified "BUGFIX" file provided by Einar Saukas.

Compilations
     Full version inZX-Spectrum Vega(2015/Apr/24)by Retro Computers Ltd (UK)

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

Additional File Downloads
     FilenameSizeReleaseTypeLanguageComments
     BeatleQuest.scr6,912OriginalLoading screen
     BeatleQuest.gif5,326OriginalRunning screen
     BeatleQuest_Front.jpg467,957OriginalInlay - Front
     BeatleQuest_Back.jpg499,767OriginalInlay - Back
     BeatleQuest.txt5,476OriginalInstructionsEnglish
     beatlequest.rzx0OriginalRZX playback file - Recorded by Malcolm (with rollback)

Magazine Reviews
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #47-1985/Seppage 100- Review: 0/10
     Crashissue v.1 #27-1986/Aprpage 73- Review: 7/10
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.5 #8-1986/Feb/20 special "week#3"page 35- Review
     Sinclair Userissue #48-1986/Marpage 73- Review: 3/5
     Your Sinclairissue #3-1986/Marpage 77- Review: 6/10

Magazine References
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.4 #8-1985/Feb/21 special "week#3"page 5- News/Note
     Sinclair Userissue #110-1991/Aprpage 25- Solution - solution part 1
     Sinclair Userissue #111-1991/Maypage 29- Solution - solution part 2
     Sinclair Userissue #112-1991/Junpage 29- Solution - solution part 3
     Sinclair Userissue #113-1991/Julpage 29- Solution - solution part 4
     Sinclair Userissue #114-1991/Augpage 29- Solution - solution last part
     Your Sinclairissue #2-1986/Febpage 4- News/Note

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