Some MIA games / variations

Whether it's Mire Mare or a BASIC tape you found in the attic, it needs to be preserved digitally. Post here and experts can help to do so.

Moderator: pavero

Post Reply
User avatar
blueowl0708
Drutt
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2018 9:55 am

Some MIA games / variations

Post by blueowl0708 »

EDIT: Downloads are now available at the following Dropbox link:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zq58rwqlu123 ... WELXa?dl=0

Some images I've been hoarding / waiting to appear on WOS. Info is what I've gathered. Zips contain TZX, TAP and scans of the cover & tape unless mentioned. Not sure what the submission requirements are here so have the large files and do as you will with them :)

Bombscare by Dollarsoft
This is the original release of Short's Fuse, originally released in small numbers before it was picked up by BT. There are a number of differences between this and the firebird release.
First preserved this about 5 years ago :( I didn't get a scan of the tape. Original inlay had water damage so I've included a 'restored' version.
DB link: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=4478

Paddy by Dollarsoft
Recently found in the music section of a charity shop by Si Owen (member of Sinclair for Sale and other Spectrum FB groups). MASSIVE thanks to him for sending me the tape to get it preserved. I believe he's wanting to sell it now this is done so pop into the FB group if you're interested ;)
In game requires issue 2 type keyboard (Joystick will get you one go before needing to press S to go again!)
DB link: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=10029

Space Stumble by Thargon Computations
Found by Andrew Munro, again MASSIVE thanks to him for sending it my way to preserve :)
Requires issue 2 type keyboard.
DB Link: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=19265

Curse of the Seven Faces by Imperial Software
'Pre production' - Curse of the Seven Faces by Imperial Software - this is a UMIA variant. This game was ultimately released by Artic as part of the Assemblage compilation.

Compared to the Arctic version, it has a different loading screen and the font is heavier. The credits on the Arctic version also suggest that they updated the text (likely corrections/typos but who knows?). Only reference I can find to it is a review in 'Your Spectrum' which mentions the various typos on the inlay (including the title of the game :D) so is likely to be this version.
DB link: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=6133

Lets Compute! Club by Database Publications
Another UMIA - I think this was included with a magazine or mailout of some kind. Have never found any information on it.
5 games: 'Invaders', 'FG', 'Rat Race', 'Subs' & 'Warriors'.
No inlay.
DB link: N/A
Update: Is from Let's Compute! magazine, they had a club!: https://archive.org/details/Lets_Comput ... te%21+club

Inheritance By Simon W Hessel Software
Earlier variation (I think) version of Inheritance by Simon Hessel. Yellow label, different tape.
DB Link: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=9848

Murder + Father of Darkness by Central Solutions
MIA compilation of two games that are not indivudually MIA :)
DB link: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=12270
Last edited by blueowl0708 on Fri Nov 02, 2018 4:33 pm, edited 5 times in total.
User avatar
blueowl0708
Drutt
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2018 9:55 am

Re: Some MIA games / variations

Post by blueowl0708 »

[mention]R-Tape[/mention] here you go!
Ralf
Rick Dangerous
Posts: 2279
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 11:59 am
Location: Poland

Re: Some MIA games / variations

Post by Ralf »

Thanks !

I had a quick look on these programs.

They are early games, mostly from 1982 - 1984 period, so don't expect any miracles. But there is no shame either. They are typical bedroom products of their era. If I had made something like on of them myself in the 80's I would have been probably proud a lot ;)

Best of them is Bombscare but it's actually first version of already well known game. Paddy is interesting too. It's some kind of poor man's Manic Miner, written probably in some complited Basic. With some perseverance you can actually play it, I completed a level myself ;)
User avatar
blueowl0708
Drutt
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2018 9:55 am

Re: Some MIA games / variations

Post by blueowl0708 »

Ralf wrote: Fri Nov 02, 2018 8:06 pm Best of them is Bombscare but it's actually first version of already well known game. Paddy is interesting too. It's some kind of poor man's Manic Miner, written probably in some complited Basic. With some perseverance you can actually play it, I completed a level myself ;)
Perserverance is exactly the right word, I just about managed to get to level 2 but some swearing was involved!

RE: Paddy origins, this is straight from the horses mouth:
Rich Stevenson wrote: Just for some background on Paddy. That was a home-brew I coded around 83/84. This was developed around the time I was leaning machine code, having programmed a number of adventures in basic (with the odd snippet of machine code). I purchased a copy of Wye Valley Software's compiler and went about developing Paddy. One completion, my father produced about a 100 copies and took them to a number of local shops, where they were displayed on shelves and were sold on a sell or return basis. Of those 100 copies, I would estimate 40-50 were sold. The copy here would of been on of those copies.
michellekg
Drutt
Posts: 35
Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2017 9:54 pm
Location: St. Petersburg
Contact:

Re: Some MIA games / variations

Post by michellekg »

Site is down ( Cannot download all these games.
User avatar
blueowl0708
Drutt
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2018 9:55 am

Re: Some MIA games / variations

Post by blueowl0708 »

michellekg wrote: Mon Nov 05, 2018 4:01 pm Site is down ( Cannot download all these games.
Sorry, have been away for the weekend and got home to find my free webspace has gone over bandwidth allocation :(

Will sort out a drop box link in a bit.
User avatar
blueowl0708
Drutt
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2018 9:55 am

Re: Some MIA games / variations

Post by blueowl0708 »

blueowl0708 wrote: Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:56 pm
michellekg wrote: Mon Nov 05, 2018 4:01 pm Site is down ( Cannot download all these games.
Sorry, have been away for the weekend and got home to find my free webspace has gone over bandwidth allocation :(

Will sort out a drop box link in a bit.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zq58rwqlu123 ... WELXa?dl=0

All zips in there. I'm unable to edit the original post so can't remove the old links.
User avatar
PeterJ
Site Admin
Posts: 6852
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2017 7:19 pm
Location: Surrey, UK

Re: Some MIA games / variations

Post by PeterJ »

Would you like me to edit the post for you?

Peter
User avatar
blueowl0708
Drutt
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2018 9:55 am

Re: Some MIA games / variations

Post by blueowl0708 »

PeterJ wrote: Tue Nov 06, 2018 3:58 pm Would you like me to edit the post for you?

Peter
If you don't mind, sure :)
User avatar
R-Tape
Site Admin
Posts: 6353
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2017 11:46 am

Re: Some MIA games / variations

Post by R-Tape »

Can anyone find any clues to author names and year of release for the 5 x Let's Compute! Club games?
User avatar
blueowl0708
Drutt
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2018 9:55 am

Re: Some MIA games / variations

Post by blueowl0708 »

R-Tape wrote: Wed Nov 07, 2018 2:03 pm Can anyone find any clues to author names and year of release for the 5 x Let's Compute! Club games?
Had a trawl through the magazines on archive.org. The first issue was BBC Archimedes and Electon only, but they expanded to various other micros including the Spectrum from issue 2 onwards (the Lets Compute! Club order form references spectrum tape and disk options from issue 2)

There are 12 which were released between August 1990 and July 1991, so I'd say 1990 is 'likely' to be the year.

Not the foggiest on the author(s) and there is no mention of any of the games in the magazine :(

This guy (Christopher Payne) might know: http://www.triumphoverchallenges.com/wo ... europress/ I'll drop him an email to see if there's any more infos.
User avatar
blueowl0708
Drutt
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2018 9:55 am

Re: Some MIA games / variations

Post by blueowl0708 »

*Bump*

[mention]R-Tape[/mention] these have been in the DB for a while but no sign of the inlay scans yet? How long does that take?
User avatar
R-Tape
Site Admin
Posts: 6353
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2017 11:46 am

Re: Some MIA games / variations

Post by R-Tape »

blueowl0708 wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 5:22 pm *Bump*

@R-Tape these have been in the DB for a while but no sign of the inlay scans yet? How long does that take?
I did everything except the hires inlays. They're tricky as they need to go to archive.org.

I don't know the process sorry, and I don't have time to keep track of hires inlays.

Any ideas guys? Do we need a volunteer to deal with this kind of thing?
User avatar
pavero
Dynamite Dan
Posts: 1569
Joined: Sat Dec 09, 2017 11:49 pm
Location: The Czech Republic
Contact:

Re: Some MIA games / variations

Post by pavero »

All inlays processed! They will be added in the next ZXDB update. ;-)
User avatar
blueowl0708
Drutt
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2018 9:55 am

Re: Some MIA games / variations

Post by blueowl0708 »

[mention]R-Tape[/mention] it would make sense to have some sort of process for this as it feels like the scans would have gone missing if I'd not checked up on this (which tbf you did mention in PM at the time) and then bothered [mention]pavero[/mention] on Facebook (Thanks again!).
User avatar
R-Tape
Site Admin
Posts: 6353
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2017 11:46 am

Re: Some MIA games / variations

Post by R-Tape »

blueowl0708 wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 11:04 pm @R-Tape it would make sense to have some sort of process for this as it feels like the scans would have gone missing if I'd not checked up on this (which tbf you did mention in PM at the time) and then bothered @pavero on Facebook (Thanks again!).
Yep you're totally right. Apologies, and thanks Pav (though you can equally well pester Pav here rather than FB! :P ). We're looking at getting help with older mia and hires inlays, but for the moment I now know the process, so will be able to fill in.
User avatar
8BitAG
Dynamite Dan
Posts: 1487
Joined: Sun Dec 17, 2017 9:25 pm
Contact:

Re: Some MIA games / variations

Post by 8BitAG »

blueowl0708 wrote: Fri Nov 02, 2018 3:00 pm Curse of the Seven Faces by Imperial Software
'Pre production' - Curse of the Seven Faces by Imperial Software - this is a UMIA variant. This game was ultimately released by Artic as part of the Assemblage compilation.

Compared to the Arctic version, it has a different loading screen and the font is heavier. The credits on the Arctic version also suggest that they updated the text (likely corrections/typos but who knows?). Only reference I can find to it is a review in 'Your Spectrum' which mentions the various typos on the inlay (including the title of the game :D) so is likely to be this version.
DB link: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=6133
Rather randomly I've been researching the Curse of the Seven Faces today; having been attracted by a mention that it featured a "ramsave" system.

The game was originally briefly published by Classic Computing (which I presume was the author Alan McDonald self-publishing) but was soon snapped up for publication by Artic Computing.

However, it seems like the standalone Artic Computing version may never have been released; the title was licensed to Imperial Software.

The Assemblage compilation appearance comes later than the Imperial Software one.

You can see references and sources here, and a timeline of the game's publication...
http://8bitag.com/info/seven.html
8-bit Text Adventure Gamer - games - research.
Post Reply