Impossible games...
- 5MinuteRetro
- Manic Miner
- Posts: 770
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 12:21 pm
- Location: UK
- Contact:
Impossible games...
So I stumbled upon this video tonight, of some chap managing to complete Dynamite Dan (DD) without cheating (well, other than using an initial save state, so he knew the layout of the otherwise-randomised items). I'm not sure who he is... he might even be a member here. Anyway, it's an incredible effort.
It also got me thinking: What other well-known Spectrum games are technically possible to complete without cheating but, practically, are actually impossible? As this player makes clear in his description of his triumph, he practised hard but completing without cheating was still only practically possible by using a save state that allowed him to at least learn and master a route for fixed layout. Without save states, one would have to practice and master any one of 64 different layouts and, well, I truly believe that with DD that would be impossible. (I say 'well-known' because I'm sure there are a bazillion lesser-known titles that are impossibly hard... but I'm thinking of big-name hits like DD.)
I also note that at the end there's a jumbled message and a phone number to call to receive a prize. Anyone any idea what that prize was? Or, indeed, can unjumble the message? I assume it's an anagram but I can't figure it out...
It also got me thinking: What other well-known Spectrum games are technically possible to complete without cheating but, practically, are actually impossible? As this player makes clear in his description of his triumph, he practised hard but completing without cheating was still only practically possible by using a save state that allowed him to at least learn and master a route for fixed layout. Without save states, one would have to practice and master any one of 64 different layouts and, well, I truly believe that with DD that would be impossible. (I say 'well-known' because I'm sure there are a bazillion lesser-known titles that are impossibly hard... but I'm thinking of big-name hits like DD.)
I also note that at the end there's a jumbled message and a phone number to call to receive a prize. Anyone any idea what that prize was? Or, indeed, can unjumble the message? I assume it's an anagram but I can't figure it out...
Retro stuff, real quick
YouTube: http://bit.ly/5MinuteRetro
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5MinuteRetro
YouTube: http://bit.ly/5MinuteRetro
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5MinuteRetro
- ParadigmShifter
- Manic Miner
- Posts: 765
- Joined: Sat Sep 09, 2023 4:55 am
Re: Impossible games...
Doesn't look like an anagram to me.
Looks more like a Caesar cipher where you shift letters of the alphabet but trying some obvious ones (I is doubled so is likely E, O, T, S, may try some more later) didn't look like they would work. The alphabet could be reversed in one of the tables though, or it could advance the code wheel every letter, etc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar_cipher
Otherwise it could be a straight letter substitution (any letter maps to any other) but you need to do quite a bit of work to work that out by hand (most commonly appearing letter in the plaintext most likely E or T, etc., guess and then try and work out another letter, repeat until deciphered). The message being very short would make that a lot harder though.
Looks more like a Caesar cipher where you shift letters of the alphabet but trying some obvious ones (I is doubled so is likely E, O, T, S, may try some more later) didn't look like they would work. The alphabet could be reversed in one of the tables though, or it could advance the code wheel every letter, etc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar_cipher
Otherwise it could be a straight letter substitution (any letter maps to any other) but you need to do quite a bit of work to work that out by hand (most commonly appearing letter in the plaintext most likely E or T, etc., guess and then try and work out another letter, repeat until deciphered). The message being very short would make that a lot harder though.
- jpnz
- Manic Miner
- Posts: 330
- Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2017 4:07 pm
- Location: Hamilt[r]on - City Of The Future - NZ
Re: Impossible games...
Details in the disassembly5MinuteRetro wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2024 10:36 pm ...I also note that at the end there's a jumbled message and a phone number to call to receive a prize. Anyone any idea what that prize was? Or, indeed, can unjumble the message? I assume it's an anagram but I can't figure it out...
- ParadigmShifter
- Manic Miner
- Posts: 765
- Joined: Sat Sep 09, 2023 4:55 am
Re: Impossible games...
Ah ok so a reverse Caesar cipher where one of the alphabets is reversed I see, that was the next thing I was going to try.
Robert Maxwell (owner of Mirrorsoft) was a bit of a bad lad though, so I presume they didn't really rule OK
Apparently one of the prostitutes on his yacht took him too literally when he said he wanted to be tossed off.
Robert Maxwell (owner of Mirrorsoft) was a bit of a bad lad though, so I presume they didn't really rule OK
Apparently one of the prostitutes on his yacht took him too literally when he said he wanted to be tossed off.
-
- Manic Miner
- Posts: 734
- Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2018 1:07 pm
- Location: UK
- Contact:
Re: Impossible games...
IMHO most Speccy games were far too hard to complete, at least for me. The only ones I've ever completed are the really easy ones like Harrier Attack. Whever I played a game, I never set out with the intention of completing any as I always assumed it would be far too difficult and stressful. I can imagine if I ever got towards the last level of (e.g.) Manic Miner, I'd be so overcome with nerves I'd probably do something stupid and die anyway.
Saboteur in 3D: https://stephensmith.itch.io/saboteur-3d
Re: Impossible games...
At least they wouldn't slip off your boat...ParadigmShifter wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2024 11:07 pmApparently one of the prostitutes on his yacht took him too literally when he said he wanted to be tossed off.
Re: Impossible games...
Actually most of them. It would be easier to make a short list of games that are actually possible to complete for an average personWhat other well-known Spectrum games are technically possible to complete without cheating but, practically, are actually impossible?
- Andre Leao
- Bugaboo
- Posts: 3172
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 9:28 am
- Location: Portugal
- Contact:
Re: Impossible games...
You must try Abu Simbel Profanation. Or not...SteveSmith wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 9:31 am IMHO most Speccy games were far too hard to complete, at least for me. The only ones I've ever completed are the really easy ones like Harrier Attack. Whever I played a game, I never set out with the intention of completing any as I always assumed it would be far too difficult and stressful. I can imagine if I ever got towards the last level of (e.g.) Manic Miner, I'd be so overcome with nerves I'd probably do something stupid and die anyway.
- bluespikey
- Manic Miner
- Posts: 964
- Joined: Tue Jun 30, 2020 3:54 pm
Re: Impossible games...
Of those games that have a definite ending, rather than looping back to the start, it would be simpler to write a list that are perfectly possible to finish (Bruce Lee, Pyjamarama, Saboteur), and assume everything else is nigh impossible.
Re: Impossible games...
I'm wondering what the deal is with the colours in that Dynamite Dan video. Specifically bright blue and red are ever so slightly off from what they normally look, reminding me a little bit of MSX colours here. Is there a Speccy emulator known for having these colours as default?
-
- Manic Miner
- Posts: 734
- Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2018 1:07 pm
- Location: UK
- Contact:
Re: Impossible games...
God no! I've watched the video. There seems to be a particular section where you have to get past an enemy, and it seems it's only possible because of a glitch, and you have to time it correctly down to the millisecond.
Saboteur in 3D: https://stephensmith.itch.io/saboteur-3d
Re: Impossible games...
I thought it was a hard game but I thought it was similar to jet set willy where you just need to learn patterns.
It didn't matter when I jumped I just collided with loads of enemies all the time and gave up
It didn't matter when I jumped I just collided with loads of enemies all the time and gave up
Re: Impossible games...
Uh, for me, around the 90% of them.5MinuteRetro wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2024 10:36 pm What other well-known Spectrum games are technically possible to complete without cheating but, practically, are actually impossible?
- Andre Leao
- Bugaboo
- Posts: 3172
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 9:28 am
- Location: Portugal
- Contact:
Re: Impossible games...
Also Elecciones Generales. But I guess it reflects the truth about elections in Spain in the 80's...
-
- Manic Miner
- Posts: 544
- Joined: Thu Feb 03, 2022 11:05 pm
Re: Impossible games...
Frankie Goes to Hollywood. I know it’s completable but there’s always something I’ve missed to get stuck at 99% a complete person.
-
- Manic Miner
- Posts: 734
- Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2018 1:07 pm
- Location: UK
- Contact:
Re: Impossible games...
I've got a vague memory of reading that this is a bug in the game.worcestersource wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 7:48 pm Frankie Goes to Hollywood. I know it’s completable but there’s always something I’ve missed to get stuck at 99% a complete person.
Maybe someone else can shed more specific light.
Saboteur in 3D: https://stephensmith.itch.io/saboteur-3d
Re: Impossible games...
Almost anything released by Dinamic. Especially Army and Navy Moves.
We must perform a quirkafleeg
- Andre Leao
- Bugaboo
- Posts: 3172
- Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 9:28 am
- Location: Portugal
- Contact:
Re: Impossible games...
Army Moves is not that hard
-
- Manic Miner
- Posts: 544
- Joined: Thu Feb 03, 2022 11:05 pm
Re: Impossible games...
I found Transformers unnecessarily hard. Fun flying around and so on but a bit pointless trying to complete the objective.
- Juan F. Ramirez
- Bugaboo
- Posts: 5148
- Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2017 6:55 am
- Location: Málaga, Spain
Re: Impossible games...
hey, spanish games don't count, nobody can beat The Spanish Inquisition!
p.s.: i did Freddy Hadest 1 and Game Over 1 without cheats. but it was accidental.
- Van_Dammesque
- Manic Miner
- Posts: 437
- Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2020 12:09 pm
Re: Impossible games...
What about Technician Ted 48k version, back in the day no save states etc..
Re: Impossible games...
One of the few games that I've been ever able to complete is Comando Tracer. Spanish games weren't harder than the average.
I think the bad reputation comes from Abu Simbel Profanation. Or Chicago's 30s. Can anyone last more than a second in Chicago's 30s? I mean, I can't complete Jet Set Willy too, but at least I could roam the house for a while, it is fun.
I also think of games like Movie, where you had to do many things, most of them quite hard to figure, and just a little distraction could cost you the entire game. I used to play Movie a lot, just strolling in the dark alleys, talking to strangers and shooting people. Ah... those were the days...
It could be a nice add to the DB to discover how many users completed a game. Like solutionarchive's "Completed by". Just for a funny statistic.