Little bugs in the database 2

[Einar Saukas]

Sinclair User "Soft Centre" Pull Out

This is a supplement that came with Sinclair User #24 1984/3, but the links aren't going to the correct pages at archive.org.

For example, Space Station Zebra currently shows two Sinclair User reviews:

Sinclair User #24 - 1984/3 page 13 - which links to page 13 of the main magazine, which is wrong
and
Sinclair User #24 - 1984/3 page 913 - which tries to link to page 913 of the main magazine at
SinclairUser/Issue024/SinclairUser/Issue024/Pages/SinclairUser02400913.jpg which doesn't exist

The correct page in the supplement is at

SinclairUser/Issue024/Supplement/SinclairUser024Supplement13.jpg

This also affects issue 27 and issue 30.

It also affects other magazines, such as ACE (see https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=2688) and C&VG (see https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.php?cat=96&id=237).

Most magazine references in ZXDB were imported from Martijn's WoS, that didn't have proper fields to distinguish between multiple (weekly) magazine issues released in the same month, or distinguish between regular pages and supplements. I have been fixing these magazine references recently, but we have over 172,000 magazine references so it's going to take a while

[druellan]

Terrorpods
release year should be 1988 rather than 1989 - there are two magazine reviews from August 88 and one from January 1989

Confirmed. There are Spanish magazines reviews from 1988.

Xenon
release year should be 1989 rather than 1988 - six magazine reviews ranging from February to April 1989. There is a C&VG review from March 1988 but this is for the Amiga/ST versions.

There is a copyright 1988 on the inlay and also inside the game, but confirmed there are no reviews from that year for the ZX Spectrum version.

✓ Reviewed

[Juan F. Ramirez]

There is a copyright 1988 on the inlay and also inside the game, but confirmed there are no reviews from that year of the ZX Spectrum version.

This made me think: what does the copyright year mean?

Is it possible to have a (c) year and a different release year?

[StooB]

This made me think: what does the copyright year mean?

Is it possible to have a (c) year and a different release year?

Copyright begins at the time of creation.

It's only because software was produced so quickly that the copyright year and release year tend to be the same, compared to books where there it could take years for something to be published.

[druellan]

Is it possible to have a (c) year and a different release year?

Copyright begins at the time of creation.

Pretty sure when WOS started, copyright year and publication year (release year) was the same. I'm starting to think if worth to have a copyright holder and copyright year somewhere, there are plenty of titles published by a subsidiary, while the copyright is owned by the parent company.

[StooB]

Pretty sure when WOS started, copyright year and publication year (release year) was the same. I'm starting to think if worth to have a copyright holder and copyright year somewhere, there are plenty of titles published by a subsidiary, while the copyright is owned by the parent company.

When the release year and copyright year are different it usually just means that the development was started late in one year but not finished until the next which isn't really very interesting!

Where there is a non-trivial difference - for example The Bobby Yazz Show which was released on a cover tape three years later than its copyright date, or titles that re-used older code like Pac-Man or World Cup Carnival - those reasons are already explained in the comments.

[StooB]

One for [mention]Einar Saukas[/mention] here:

Is it correct that titles that were first released on compilations or on cover tapes have an entry in the releases table?

examples:
Blob The Cop which was only released on the Sinclair User #83 cover tape
- it is listed as an "Original Release" published by Sinclair User, 1989
- and also appears on the compilation "Sinclair User issue 83: Megatape 12" published by Sinclair User, 1989

Great Gurianos first released on the Trio compilation from Hit-Pak, and later as a budget release from Encore
- listed as an "Original Release" published by Hit-Pak, 1987
- and also appears on the compilation "Trio" published by Hit-Pak, 1987

Aren't "releases" supposed to be for titles that had a standalone release? It doesn't seem consistent when titles that were re-released on a cover tape or compilation don't have a "release".

✓ Reviewed

[StooB]

Flashpoint

This was advertised by Ocean in 1987 but not actually released until 1989 on a Your Sinclair cover tape.

So:
Original Release Year should be 1989
Original Publisher should be "Your Sinclair (UK)"
Original Price of £7.95 should be removed.
The release by Ocean in 1987 at £7.95 should also be removed.

and a comment like "Originally advertised by Ocean for release in 1987." should be added.

✓ reviewed

[druellan]

When the release year and copyright year are different it usually just means that the development was started late in one year but not finished until the next which isn't really very interesting!

I was thinking more towards the copyright information itself, not only the year, but just an idea.

[djnzx48]

From here: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=1662

Stereoscopic Television and Electronic Holograms refer to the same thing and should be merged.

✓ reviewed

[Juan F. Ramirez]

One for @Einar Saukas here:

Is it correct that titles that were first released on compilations or on cover tapes have an entry in the releases table?

I prefer the current criteria, IMO.

In this case, as it was first released in a compilation, it should be considered as first release, the year in the game entry is the year of the first release.

Otherwise it can be confusing.

Just the entry should be very clear at indicating this 'anormality'

[StooB]

In this case, as it was first released in a compilation, it should be considered as first release, the year in the game entry is the year of the first release.

Otherwise it can be confusing.

Just the entry should be very clear at indicating this 'anormality'

It's already confusing - it looks like the games were released individually and also appeared on a compilation/covertape. Especially on Great Gurianos where the "original" release has been given a price of £2.99.

[StooB]

Battle Ships

Original release year should be 1987 rather than 1988 as it's on the Best of Elite Volume 2, released in 1987.
Original publisher should be Hit-Pak (UK), not Encore.
Original publication should be "As part of a compilation".
Original price of £7.95 should be removed.

Comment of
"Originally advertised to be released in 1987 on the Elite full-price label, but issued the next year on the Encore budget label instead, after receiving unfavorable reviews."
should be changed to :
"Originally advertised to be released in 1987 on the Elite full-price label, but released on the Best of Elite Volume 2 compilation instead, after receiving unfavourable reviews."

✓ Reviewed

[StooB]

The Best of Elite Volume 2

The SPOT comment of "[Bomb Jack 2 + Ghosts 'n' Goblins + Paperboy + Space Harrier]" should be removed as Space Harrier was replaced by Battle Ships on the final release.

A comment of "Original advertisments featured Space Harrier instead of Battle Ships" might be added.
(https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/mag.php ... 524&page=2)

✓ reviewed

[StooB]

The Elite Collection

Release year is 1987, not 1988 - all magazine references are from January 1988 (which would have been published in 1987), and they all suggest buying it for Christmas.

✓ reviewed

[druellan]

Flashpoint
This was advertised by Ocean in 1987 but not actually released until 1989 on a Your Sinclair cover tape.

Also, multiplayer is "simultaneous", not "turn based".

✓ reviewed

[StooB]

Combat Zone + Spectrum Chess II

title should be "3D Combat Zone + Spectrum Chess II"

✓ Reviewed

[PeterJ]

I'm wondering if MuCho should be listed as machine type 'ZX-Spectrum 48K' as it actually runs on a PC. It does produce Spectrum games though.

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=30011

[StooB]

"JPW (Spain)" is credited on the following games:

Beach Buggy Simulator released by Silverbird
Ninja Scooter Simulator released by Silverbird
Kosmic Kanga by Dominic Wood and released by Micromania
Solomon's Key by Probe Software (who employed Dominic Wood as a contractor who wrote and designed Mantronix for them as "Syrox")

while "Julian Wood (UK)" is credited on these games:

Project Future by Dominic Wood and released by Micromania
Turbo Boat Simulator released by Silverbird

Dominic Wood was CEO of Syrox Developments until 2000, and Julian Wood is currently CEO.

Conclusion: JPW (Spain) is Julian Wood (UK)!

✓ Reviewed

[Juan F. Ramirez]

Well spotted.

The definitive evidence might be that the letter W is very rare (now I don't remember any) in spanish surnames.

[StooB]

Titles credited to Walltone Software:

Back-Up Tape Copier, published by Walltone Software
Frog Hopper, published by Walltone Software and re-released by Dixons
Wally Kong, published by Walltone Software, re-released by Calisto and then Dixons
Cybo Run, published by Calisto and re-released by Dixons
Gobstopper, published by Calisto

The Calisto inlays for Wally Kong, Cybo Run and Gobstopper all say "Copyright Walltone Software", but Back-Up Tape Copier is advertised by a company called Walltone Ltd, who sometime between this advert on 27/3/1984 and this one on 3/4/1984 became Evesham Micro Centre.

As for the other two titles supposedly first published by "Walltone Software":

• the tzx's of Frog Hopper credited to Dixons and Walltone are the same other than minor timing differences
• the tzx's of Wally Kong credited to Dixons and Walltone are also the same. The Calisto release of Wally Kong has the program name of "KONG" in flashing text, whereas the Dixons/Walltone releases both have a program name of "WALLY KONG"
• there are no covers or instructions available
• there are no references to Walltone Software in any magazines, even in the reviews of the "re-releases" from Calisto

So, with zero evidence that "Walltone Software" ever published anything:

- the original publisher of Back-Up Tape Copier should be changed to Walltone Ltd, who should be "from" or "owned by" Evesham Micro Centre
- the original publisher of Frog Hopper should be Dixons, and the original release from Walltone Software should be removed
- the original publisher of Wally Kong should be Calisto, and the original release from Walltone Software should be removed
- the author of Frog Hopper, Andrew Taylor should be in the team "Walltone Software" (as he is for Gobstopper and Cybo Run)
- the author of Wally Kong, Michael Barnard should be in the team "Walltone Software"

Useless Trivia:

The covers for the Dixons releases of Wally Kong and Frog Hopper were taken from Tynesoft games for the Amstrad and Commodore 16.

✓ Reviewed

[StooB]

Street Hawk - Subscribers Edition

(see: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1682&p=24026#p24026)


The title should be changed to "Street Hawk - Catalogue Edition"

Made-up comment of "When it received bad reviews, a new game was programmed afterward: see Street Hawk." should be changed to "A new game was programmed afterward: see Street Hawk." - because there are no reviews for this version.

Street Hawk (1986 Version)

Made-up comment "and the catalogues were starting to kick a fuss about it." should be deleted. As should "It scored badly, so ", because there were no "scores" for that version.

"see Street Hawk - Subscribers Edition." should be changed to "see Street Hawk - Catalogue Edition."

This inlay - StreetHawk_2.jpg - should be moved to the catalogue edition.

✓ Reviewed

[StooB]

Convoy

F. David Thorpe (UK) is credited for the loading screen for this, but according to the inlay, he wrote the program too.

✓ reviewed

[StooB]

Boulder Dash III

is not published by Prism but by a Swedish company called "American Action AB" - source: instructions

Boulder Dash II: Rockford's Riot

was first published on the 1985 Rockford's Riot + Boulder Dash compilation released by Monolith - reviews in Crash, Sinclair User and Your Computer.

The Prism version is a re-release from 1987 - reviewed by Sinclair User and Your Sinclair.

The 1985 Monolith release page should have the 1987 Your Sinclair review removed - it's already on the Prism 1987 release page.
The 1987 Prism release page should have the 1985 Crash review removed - it's already on the Monolith 1985 release page.

✓ reviewed

[8BitAG]

Book of the Dead, by The Essential Myth
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=6033

The prices for the original self-published version by The Essential Myth, and the later glossy professional CRL seem to be the wrong way around.

From the relevant reviews, it should be £3.95 for the Essential Myth version and £8.95 for the CRL re-release.

(Sources: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/mag.php ... 08&page=64
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/mag.php ... 66&page=33
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/mag.php ... 37&page=86 )

✓ reviewed