Robot Messiah loading screen - spot the difference
Robot Messiah loading screen - spot the difference
Has anyone else noticed the difference between the Robot Messiah .scr displayed on SC, and the screen that's displayed when you load the tap or tzx?
Loading screen displayed on SC
Actual loading screen
The screen with the Alphabatim logo is the correct version - I've checked every tzx and tap I could find of the game, including the version given away with Crash in 1989, and they're all the same screen. The red border and logo stay on the screen when the game is loaded to form part of the menu - plus it matches the inlay.
So where did this other screen come from? I know the same screen is on WoS and it has probably been kicking around for years, but it must've been uploaded by someone - was it a pre-release version? And why was it flipped?
I also have a theory about who designed the screen. Mike Smith is credited with graphics for the game, but if you compare it to Gunrunner (signed "MS"), or any other games Smith was involved in, it's a completely different style.
The same could be said of most of Christian Urquhart's games, but there are some exceptions. To me, looking at the detail and the use of BRIGHT and non-BRIGHT attributes, this looks very much like the work of F David Thorpe. Christian Urquhart would've known him (or at the very least known of him) through his Ocean games like DTD and Hunchback, for which Thorpe designed the loading screens.
Loading screen displayed on SC
Actual loading screen
The screen with the Alphabatim logo is the correct version - I've checked every tzx and tap I could find of the game, including the version given away with Crash in 1989, and they're all the same screen. The red border and logo stay on the screen when the game is loaded to form part of the menu - plus it matches the inlay.
So where did this other screen come from? I know the same screen is on WoS and it has probably been kicking around for years, but it must've been uploaded by someone - was it a pre-release version? And why was it flipped?
I also have a theory about who designed the screen. Mike Smith is credited with graphics for the game, but if you compare it to Gunrunner (signed "MS"), or any other games Smith was involved in, it's a completely different style.
The same could be said of most of Christian Urquhart's games, but there are some exceptions. To me, looking at the detail and the use of BRIGHT and non-BRIGHT attributes, this looks very much like the work of F David Thorpe. Christian Urquhart would've known him (or at the very least known of him) through his Ocean games like DTD and Hunchback, for which Thorpe designed the loading screens.
Re: Robot Messiah loading screen - spot the difference
There's a disked version by Mike Blum (available here) which has this title screen -- I assume that's where it originated?
Re: Robot Messiah loading screen - spot the difference
Good spot fellas. The screen currently in the archive has code* hiding under the attributes at the bottom left...
...which is more typical of later cracks and snapshots (isn't it?)—like the SCL disk version you link to Stu. And this Mikhail Blum chap was active in the 90s and possibly well beyond, exactly when files would be floating around and being uploaded to old WoS?
So the screen with "Alphabetim" should replace the one that is currently there...aye?
*it's code to wait for a keypress and start game.
...which is more typical of later cracks and snapshots (isn't it?)—like the SCL disk version you link to Stu. And this Mikhail Blum chap was active in the 90s and possibly well beyond, exactly when files would be floating around and being uploaded to old WoS?
So the screen with "Alphabetim" should replace the one that is currently there...aye?
*it's code to wait for a keypress and start game.
Code: Select all
xor a
out (254),a
loop: call 654
inc e
jr z,loop
ccf
jp 45000
Re: Robot Messiah loading screen - spot the difference
Mike Smith isn't credited with any role in the DB - could it just be that he did the in-game graphics and we assume he did the loader? As for style - I wouldn't say it was that far away from the Gunrunner, so I could believe Mike did both. I do love the idea of discovering a new FD Thorpe screen though!Lee P wrote: ↑Thu May 09, 2024 4:56 pm I also have a theory about who designed the screen. Mike Smith is credited with graphics for the game, but if you compare it to Gunrunner (signed "MS"), or any other games Smith was involved in, it's a completely different style.
Re: Robot Messiah loading screen - spot the difference
Mike is credited with graphics in the game, not the DB:R-Tape wrote: ↑Sat May 11, 2024 8:01 pm Mike Smith isn't credited with any role in the DB - could it just be that he did the in-game graphics and we assume he did the loader? As for style - I wouldn't say it was that far away from the Gunrunner, so I could believe Mike did both. I do love the idea of discovering a new FD Thorpe screen though!
I need to look through other Thorpe screens to see what they look like without attributes. But not tonight.
Yep correct.
If it was from a crack I wonder why this Mikhail chap went to the bother of reversing it. For shits and giggles, I suppose.
- ParadigmShifter
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Re: Robot Messiah loading screen - spot the difference
Probably reversed it because they wanted Alphabatim in the bottom right corner (probs so the end of the m forms part of the border... colour change to yellow is a bit crap though) and they'd have to erase the debris on that side if they didn't flip it.
They also cleaned up the title text and the border which added a bit of colour clash at the top so it's not a straight mirroring.
EDIT: What did Socrates say though? "We are all dust in the wind, dudes and I love San Diemas"?
They also cleaned up the title text and the border which added a bit of colour clash at the top so it's not a straight mirroring.
EDIT: What did Socrates say though? "We are all dust in the wind, dudes and I love San Diemas"?
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Re: Robot Messiah loading screen - spot the difference
It's the opposite. The Alphabatim version is the original.ParadigmShifter wrote: ↑Sat May 11, 2024 11:39 pm Probably reversed it because they wanted Alphabatim in the bottom right corner (probs so the end of the m forms part of the border... colour change to yellow is a bit crap though) and they'd have to erase the debris on that side if they didn't flip it.
They also cleaned up the title text and the border which added a bit of colour clash at the top so it's not a straight mirroring.
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Re: Robot Messiah loading screen - spot the difference
Oh ok weird probably wanted to remove the publisher then I guess so no idea why he would reverse it then
Re: Robot Messiah loading screen - spot the difference
Sorted.
✓ PROCESSED
You seem to have special powers in spotting these things. As we've seen, mirroring is a powerful technique and fools most of us.If it was from a crack I wonder why this Mikhail chap went to the bother of reversing it.
In other news, keep an out for my new game TODOR HAISSEM.
Re: Robot Messiah loading screen - spot the difference
Is that based on Rodot Messiah, by Alphadatim? Hope you don't get sued by Chrispian Urquharp.