Impossible games...

[5MinuteRetro]

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...

[ParadigmShifter]

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.

[jpnz]

...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...

Details in the disassembly

[ParadigmShifter]

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.

[SteveSmith]

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.

[Joefish]

Apparently one of the prostitutes on his yacht took him too literally when he said he wanted to be tossed off.

At least they wouldn't slip off your boat...

[Ralf]

What other well-known Spectrum games are technically possible to complete without cheating but, practically, are actually impossible?

Actually most of them. It would be easier to make a short list of games that are actually possible to complete for an average person

[Andre Leao]

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.

You must try Abu Simbel Profanation. Or not...

[bluespikey]

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.

[XTM]

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?

[SteveSmith]

You must try Abu Simbel Profanation. Or not...

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.

[Wall_Axe]

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

[Morkin]

Two words:

Mutan Zone

[+3code]

What other well-known Spectrum games are technically possible to complete without cheating but, practically, are actually impossible?

Uh, for me, around the 90% of them.

[Andre Leao]

Also Elecciones Generales. But I guess it reflects the truth about elections in Spain in the 80's...

[worcestersource]

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.

[SteveSmith]

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.

I've got a vague memory of reading that this is a bug in the game.

Maybe someone else can shed more specific light.

[zx1]

Almost anything released by Dinamic. Especially Army and Navy Moves.

[Andre Leao]

Army Moves is not that hard

[worcestersource]

I found Transformers unnecessarily hard. Fun flying around and so on but a bit pointless trying to complete the objective.

[Juan F. Ramirez]

Army Moves is not that hard

[zx1]

Army Moves is not that hard

I couldn't get past level 1.

[ketmar]

Two words:

Mutan Zone

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]

What about Technician Ted 48k version, back in the day no save states etc..

[Oloturia]

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.

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.