Easter Eggs in Spectrum Games

[Morkin]

Ha! And it’s a BASIC game. Yeah, that’s not the most elaborate Easter egg out there . . .

Yeah, originally ported over from the Commodore Pet(?) I think too. Or the Beeb. It's OK for a 1982 release I guess, £11.95 though, sheesh...

We need a new thread, "lamest Easter eggs in Spectrum games"...

[DouglasReynholm]

I just found this text hidden in the M/C loader of Dynamite Dan II:

AW JE PENSE QUE JE T'AIME, J'ESPERE DE TOI, MOI AUSSI

Well, after 6 years of French as a boy...

"I think I love you, I hope you love me too?"

100% chance I have mangled it.. It has been a while!

[Einar Saukas]

Hidden game in Navy Seals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... e=emb_logo

What exactly you have to do to make it work?

[Alessandro]

Meanwhile, the old address is no more valid, but luckily it has been preserved here:

https://worldofspectrum.net/features/equinox/eggs/

I hope [mention]equinox[/mention] is reading this thread so that he can update the page with the new findings

By the way, another egg not mentioned here nor in Paul's web page was revealed by Jim Bagley here:

https://worldofspectrum.org/forums/disc ... ent_215825

Since I had problems at unlocking it, I downloaded from somewhere a snapshot file displaying it. Here it is, just press a key:

http://disegnareconlaluce.altervista.org/CabalEgg.zip

[jpnz]

Hidden game in Navy Seals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... e=emb_logo

What exactly you have to do to make it work?

Play the second mission (The Streets of Beirut) - and press 1+2 to render the map, then press I (presumably for Invaders)

The key scan routine starts at location 0xbec3 and will jump to 0xc45f if I is pressed

[Einar Saukas]

Play the second mission (The Streets of Beirut) - and press 1+2 to render the map, then press I (presumably for Invaders)

The key scan routine starts at location 0xbec3 and will jump to 0xc45f if I is pressed

Thank you!

[Einar Saukas]

By the way, another egg not mentioned here nor in Paul's web page was revealed by Jim Bagley here:

https://worldofspectrum.org/forums/disc ... ent_215825

He didn't recall exactly how to unlock it. Is there any additional information?

[equinox]

Meanwhile, the old address is no more valid, but luckily it has been preserved here:
https://worldofspectrum.net/features/equinox/eggs/
I hope @equinox is reading this thread so that he can update the page with the new findings

I don't have a way to edit or update that page. However, I stopped maintaining it. (I've got a few more that were never added to the page, too, if anyone wants them!)
Somebody else might like to take it over "officially"...?

[jpnz]

By the way, another egg not mentioned here nor in Paul's web page was revealed by Jim Bagley here:

https://worldofspectrum.org/forums/disc ... ent_215825

He didn't recall exactly how to unlock it. Is there any additional information?

More detail here

Edit - this the key scan routine in the 48K version of Cabal:

Code: Select all

;
	org $e2d1
;
	ret			 ; e2d1 c9 $0ats
	nop			 ; e2d2 00 $04ts
	in a, ($fe)		 ; e2d3 db fe $0bts
	cpl			 ; e2d5 2f $04ts
	and $1f			 ; e2d6 e6 1f $07ts
	cp $10			 ; e2d8 fe 10 $07ts
	ret nz			 ; e2da c0 $05/$0bts
;
	ld a, $bf		 ; e2db 3e bf $07ts
	in a, ($fe)		 ; e2dd db fe $0bts
	cpl			 ; e2df 2f $04ts
	and $1f			 ; e2e0 e6 1f $07ts
	cp $08			 ; e2e2 fe 08 $07ts
	ret nz			 ; e2e4 c0 $05/$0bts
;
	xor a			 ; e2e5 af $04ts
	ld ($88a1), a		 ; e2e6 32 a1 88 $0dts
	call $9b9d		 ; e2e9 cd 9d 9b $11ts

The first instruction is a RET, so the key scan is initially skipped

If the RET is replaced with a NOP, holding down the keys V+J will trigger the easter egg

It is possible the routine was originally scanning a different port requiring a different key press rather than V

Second edit - perhaps the key scan was across port 0x7f - this would result in a check for B - combined with J would be the author's initials

[Einar Saukas]

Edit - this the key scan routine in the 48K version of Cabal:

Thank you!

[Alessandro]

Meanwhile, the old address is no more valid, but luckily it has been preserved here:
https://worldofspectrum.net/features/equinox/eggs/
I hope @equinox is reading this thread so that he can update the page with the new findings

I don't have a way to edit or update that page. However, I stopped maintaining it. (I've got a few more that were never added to the page, too, if anyone wants them!)
Somebody else might like to take it over "officially"...?

PM sent

[jpnz]

Have re-enabled the Cabal Easter Egg in this TZX - hold J+B once the game has loaded

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/zc04iNuI2UI

[jpnz]

There's an Easter Egg in Super Hang-On - I've not found a manual way to activate it so a hack will suffice

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/xGdAa0tg58Q
This is the beginner level and you can poke location 0x9fba with any colour your like - 0xc1 through to 0xc7 - the flashing is predetermined
The text location will change for the other levels

[Ast A. Moore]

There's an Easter Egg in Super Hang-On

Ha! How’d you come across it? Were you looking for something else in the code?

[Alone Coder]

Not sure if it does fit, but here is an easter egg in ZX-Format #2 magazine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnaR918cG-U
And in ZX-Format #4 magazine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPK8Wetb0n8
One of the easter eggs in ZX-Guide #4 magazine (there are more in this and other issues):
https://youtu.be/sqVWRJa8mHY?t=3117

[jpnz]

There's an Easter Egg in Super Hang-On

Ha! How’d you come across it? Were you looking for something else in the code?

Just being curious really - I saw the text and didn't remember seeing it on screen

[Einar Saukas]

Not sure if it does fit, but here is an easter egg in ZX-Format #2 magazine

It fits. However I don't speak Russian so it's hard for me to write an accurate description of these easter eggs. Could you please post here a short description for each one?

[Alone Coder]

ZX-Format #2: click bottom-left corner from service menu. Russian messages in it:
- I-O Device Select Speed: "immeasurable", "measurable", "slowed down", "inhibited".
- Memory test: "During the memory test the system will be destroyed, and the full reboot will be needed. Continue? Yes, No" (you can't click "Yes" because the option runs away from the cursor)
- Цитата дня=Citation of the day: "It's impossible to intercept the Reset on Scorpions that support Reset with left cursor key, it this key is pressed. Andrew Larchenko (from the unconscious). We respond: MOA, you are not right."
- Сервис=Service: "put the kettle on", "sweep the floor", "water the flowers", "wash your feet", "run for a beer". Each of the options shows: "Details for perverts. All services are carried out after one hundred percent prepayment. If you are ready to part with your hard-earned gold, contact XL Design Inc for a full price list. Unmeasured prices."

ZX-Format #4: shoot the duck, and you see some hellos.

ZX-Guide #4: run Chip Tracker from the menu, select quit, there will be a demo of a top-down deathmatch game with the text: "you can't run far". You can also press A+N+Y in the intro, and there will be a text-based adventure in Russian.