Little bugs in the database 3

[StooB]

The Best of 3D (1987)

Like Revolution (1986), this is published by US Gold, not Vortex. The back of the inlay states: "Manufactured and distributed under licence from Vortex Software by US Gold. It also has a US Gold barcode beginning 5013442.

✓ Reviewed

[8BitAG]

ZX Adventure
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=5907

Was published by Syrtis Software originally, in 1983. (As shown in the linked advertisement on that page)

The Micro Gold version is a re-release. Given this news article on Micro Gold was published in December 1983...
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/mag.php ... 21&page=17
...it seems likely the Micro Gold version is no earlier than 1984; the first reference I can find is from Software Index #3 in the second half of 1984.

See...
http://8bitag.com/info/syrtis-adventure.html
...for a history of the game.

Originated on Nascom.

✓ Reviewed

[8BitAG]

Craps
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=1113

Was *not* written by Jack P. Gibbons

But was written by Andrew Parish ie. https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... bel_id=935

and along with the related games

Blackjack
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=15580

and

Roulette
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=4246

Were part of the compilation

Casino 1
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=11558

Which again, should be credited to Andrew Parish rather than Jack P. Gibbons

✓ Reviewed

[8BitAG]

Despite the mention on the loading screen. The publisher and author of the following files/entries...

NewsDesk 1
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=15473

and

NewsDesk 2
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=15474

Should be

Alec Carsewell
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... bel_id=580

and

VentureSoft
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... l_id=15072

Not Jason Nicholls or the Elven Adventurers.

✓ Reviewed

[8BitAG]

Starcrash
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=10245

is a two-part text adventure, with one part on each side of the tape

(see review... https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/mag.php ... 65&page=41 )

but only a single side of the tape/part is preserved in the archives.

Can this please be added as a note/flagged up on the entry, so people know the second part needs to be preserved? Thanks.

✓ Reviewed

[StooB]

Tujad (1986)

Original publisher should be Orpheus Ltd, who advertised it in 1985.

Home Computing Weekly said it was finished and "out now" for £8.95 in the week beginning 17th September 1985, and Popular Computing Weekly listed it as a new release in the week beginning 12th September 1985.

Crash reported in June 1986 that Orpheus wouldn't be releasing it themselves.

✓ Reviewed

[dfzx]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this, but in the Bandersnatch entry the text says:

Probably the best article on the story behind the game can be found in issue 12 of Crash...

but there's no link to that article in the magazine references. The article is here and does indeed discuss the game at some length.

✓ Reviewed

[Einar Saukas]

Despite the mention on the loading screen. The publisher and author of the following files/entries...

NewsDesk 1
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=15473

and

NewsDesk 2
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=15474

Should be

Alec Carsewell
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... bel_id=580

and

VentureSoft
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... l_id=15072

Not Jason Nicholls or the Elven Adventurers.

How do you know? And what's the story behind the wrong load screen? Is it something worth adding to comments?

[8BitAG]

How do you know? And what's the story behind the wrong load screen? Is it something worth adding to comments?

I interviewed Jason (The Elven Adventurers) recently.
http://8bitag.com/info/elven.html

He says he had nothing to do with those or anything to do with Venturesoft. I did show him them. You get a flavour of his response in the interview. Those weren't his only comments.

Alec Carswell is clearly credited as the editor in those tapezines in the newsletters themselves. He's just used Jason's earlier Newsdesk framework; that Jason included on the B-side of some of his games.

It would be worth adding in the comments something like "Despite the loading screen, Jason Nicholls of the Elven Adventurers says he had no involvement in this publication."

[Einar Saukas]

How do you know? And what's the story behind the wrong load screen? Is it something worth adding to comments?

I interviewed Jason (The Elven Adventurers) recently.
http://8bitag.com/info/elven.html

He says he had nothing to do with those or anything to do with Venturesoft. I did show him them. You get a flavour of his response in the interview. Those weren't his only comments.

Alec Carswell is clearly credited as the editor in those tapezines in the newsletters themselves. He's just used Jason's earlier Newsdesk framework; that Jason included on the B-side of some of his games.

It would be worth adding in the comments something like "Despite the loading screen, Jason Nicholls of the Elven Adventurers says he had no involvement in this publication."

Thanks for the clarifications! I will take the time to write more detailed comments in each case, I think this story deserves it...

[Einar Saukas]

Craps
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=1113

Was *not* written by Jack P. Gibbons

But was written by Andrew Parish ie. https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... bel_id=935

and along with the related games

Blackjack
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=15580

and

Roulette
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=4246

Were part of the compilation

Casino 1
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=11558

Which again, should be credited to Andrew Parish rather than Jack P. Gibbons

And what's the story behind this?

✓ Reviewed

[8BitAG]

And what's the story behind this?

Just an incorrect attribution. Jack was the distributor (for his company) behind that game not the author. I'm in contact with Jack and that's a correction he wanted made. He's been trying to get it altered elsewhere for years.

Jack has obtained Andrew's permission for the game to be distributed. He's gradually sending me over files which I've been adding to the Preservation forum.

✓ Reviewed

[Rorthron]

After Shock
Additional role information per inlay:

AUTHOR: David Banner
GRAPHICS: Terry Greer

Forest at the World's End
Additional role information per inlay:

AUTHOR DAVID M BANNER
GRAPHICS BY JEAN BANNER
PRODUCED BY RICHARD PAUL JONES

Halaga
Additional credit per inlay (do you record producers in ZXDB?):

WRITTEN BY M.I. BARNARD
PRODUCED BY RICHARD PAUL JONES

Heroes of Karn
Additional credits and role information per inlay:

Author: Ian Gray
Translations: David M Banner
Graphics: Terry Greer
Produced by: Richard Paul Jones

✓ Reviewed

[Evil Genius]

Thunderbirds

One of the listed contributors is 'Mike Menace', this is his only credit. The game is split into levels, one of which is entitled 'Mine Menace' as seen on the loading screen. Is it possible that someone has mistaken the title for the artists name?

✓ Reviewed

[Einar Saukas]

Thunderbirds

One of the listed contributors is 'Mike Menace', this is his only credit. The game is split into levels, one of which is entitled 'Mine Menace' as seen on the loading screen. Is it possible that someone has mistaken the title for the artists name?

Good catch!!!

✓ Reviewed

[Rorthron]

Thunderbirds

One of the listed contributors is 'Mike Menace', this is his only credit. The game is split into levels, one of which is entitled 'Mine Menace' as seen on the loading screen. Is it possible that someone has mistaken the title for the artists name?

A cover art credit for Steinar Lund also seems to have been deleted.

✓ Reviewed

[8BitAG]

The following games are not preserved fully in the archive. They are missing the second part of the game, which would've been on the other side of the tape.

Leotrope
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=24894

Starcrash
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=10245

Can a note be added to their ZXDB entry mentioning the missing part twos, so someone knows they still need preserving? Thanks.

✓ Reviewed

[StooB]

Gauntlet II (1988) (again)

(link to previous post)

new evidence:
release reported in Popular Computing Weekly 10-16th December 1987.

✓ Reviewed

[StooB]

Ms Pac-Man
Galaxian

(previous posts)

New evidence: Popular Computing Weekly reports all three as new releases in their 29th November - 5th December 1984 edition. So the current release year of 1984 is correct, they just took four months to send out review copies.

✓ Reviewed

[StooB]

Leader Board (1986) (again)

(previous post)

More evidence of a 1987 release date:

When reviewing Konami's Golf in the 18th-31st December 1986 issue of PCW the reviewer says there "aren't many good Leaderboard style games on the Spectrum" and that Konami's Golf is "not a patch on Commodore Leaderboard".

Leaderboard goes straight in at No. 1 on the Gallup chart in the May 1987 issue of Your Sinclair. The same chart shows Gauntlet has been there for 9 weeks and that was released just before Christmas 1986.

✓ Reviewed

[StooB]

Sinbad (1983) by Atlantis Software

In this Atlantis competition in Crash November 1984, it says Atlantis Software didn't exist until January 1984 and that Sinbad is one of four games released since "last month". So the release year for this is 1984, and also presumably for the Z Cobra re-release too.

✓ Reviewed

[Juan F. Ramirez]

The Tomb of Syrinx, by Black Night Software. Re-release by The Power House.

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=5319

The available inlay is the re-release edition but in the DB It says 'cassette inlay #1' what it's not correct.

✓ Reviewed

[StooB]

The Tomb of Syrinx, by Black Night Software. Re-release by The Power House.

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=5319

The available inlay is the re-release edition but in the DB It says 'cassette inlay #1' what it's not correct.

That is correct: Inlay #1 is for re-release #1. The missing inlay for the original release would show as just "Cassette inlay"

✓ Reviewed

[Juan F. Ramirez]

The Tomb of Syrinx, by Black Night Software. Re-release by The Power House.

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=5319

The available inlay is the re-release edition but in the DB It says 'cassette inlay #1' what it's not correct.

That is correct: Inlay #1 is for re-release #1. The missing inlay for the original release would show as just "Cassette inlay"

Ok then.

As it's the only available inlay, it seems confusing.

✓ Reviewed

[Einar Saukas]

A cover art credit for Steinar Lund also seems to have been deleted.

What do you mean?

✓ Reviewed