Little bugs in the database 5

[PeterJ]

Star Patterns from Sinclair Programs May 1983:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1 ... rum/Star_1

Is incorrectly listed with the genre of 'Arcade Game: Action', when its actually a graphic demonstration.

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.ph ... 92&page=13

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[PeterJ]

Spacman is listed as published in The Sinclair User Annual. It was also published in the the November / December 1982 issues of Sinclair Programs:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.ph ... 587&page=8

The same case applies with Spirograph

Listed as published in the Sinclair User Annual, but was also published in the the November / December 1982 issues of Sinclair Programs:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.ph ... 87&page=13

I don't know when the annual was published, but it was normal practice for the annual to contain articles and listings from previous issues of the magazines.

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[Bubu]

Hi!!

Don't know if this is the right place to say this but, in Anteater the "creators" and "author/contributor" are the same than the "Original publisher", that is: Bubu (me ).
Please correct it as people are asking me who is that "Antonio", hahahhahhAHA


Thanks in advance!

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[PeterJ]

Gnome Ranger from Level 9 was also available on the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST

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[StooB]

Supertrux

Release date is 1989. C&VG say January 1989, and the earliest review appears in Crash April 1989.

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[StooB]

Mega Apocalypse

According to Popular Computing Weekly, Simon Nicol is the author of the original C64 version and the graphics are by "Malcolm Smith" who must be Malcolm J Smith who is credited on lots of other Martech games.

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[Einar Saukas]

People from Sirius music:

in fact the US Gold release has a different title music (the notorious "Air on the fourth string" i.e. the second movement from J.S. Bach's Suite for orchestra n. 3 in D Major) and offers the choice to read the story and instructions for the game before starting. Topo Soft only changed the tune with another composed by Gominolas and removed the instructions.

[StooB]

People from Sirius music:

in fact the US Gold release has a different title music (the notorious "Air on the fourth string" i.e. the second movement from J.S. Bach's Suite for orchestra n. 3 in D Major) and offers the choice to read the story and instructions for the game before starting. Topo Soft only changed the tune with another composed by Gominolas and removed the instructions.

The release date should be 1988, not 1987. It also looks like the Toposoft version was the original, reviewed in Microhobby April 1988, while the Your Sinclair version is the re-release as it didn't publish the game until their June 1988 issue.

[Stu]

Another amendment for Super Trux: Jas C. Brooke's role was music (credited in-game)

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[Frankie]

Not a bug, but some extra information about the later version of Nightflite, with the loading "screen" I uploaded some time ago. Not sure all this text can be submitted using the tools, so I put it here

The information was given to me on Facebook by Richard Hallas, and goes like this:

I've just been looking at this, and it appears it's a later revision from the year after release. The original game is from 1982, but in the separate loader program that this later one includes, the date 1983 is used. Also, near the end of the loader there's a REM statement that reads: "NIGHTFLITE & 'COMPETITION PRO' JOYSTICK (DP/83)". So presumably this version of the game was an updated reissue with Competition Pro support added (whatever that may mean). Good thing to have retrieved, anyway!

Hope this is usefull information. Seems the newer version is compatible with the Kempston Joystick

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[StooB]

Robin Grenvile-Evans should be "Robin Grenville Evans" according to his own website.

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[8BitAG]

He's not consistent. https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-grenv ... bdomain=uk

...but yeah, it does seem his current preferred form for work done these days as that's how he's been credited for the art in Shaun McClure's recent books. (Although it was with a hyphen in the 1980s TV book!)

[sho]

Mega Apocalypse

According to Popular Computing Weekly, Simon Nicol is the author of the original C64 version and the graphics are by "Malcolm Smith" who must be Malcolm J Smith who is credited on lots of other Martech games.

https://www.mobygames.com/images/i/14/36/2573886.png

[PeterJ]

As per the instructions Devils Quest is only compatible with 128K models and not 48K as stated in ZXDB.

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3 ... vils_Quest

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[Bubu]

Hi!!

Don't know if this is the right place to say this but, in Anteater the "creators" and "author/contributor" are the same than the "Original publisher", that is: Bubu (me ).
Please correct it as people are asking me who is that "Antonio", hahahhahhAHA


Thanks in advance!

✓ Reviewed

Sorry, but, what does "Reviewed" mean? Is it going to change? I've seen today some FB vids where it was said that Anteater was programmed by "Antonio González", not me!!!

[PeterJ]

[mention]Bubu[/mention],

Reviewed means the code for the change has been created and it will appear in the next update.

Peter

[StooB]

He's not consistent. https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-grenv ... bdomain=uk

...but yeah, it does seem his current preferred form for work done these days as that's how he's been credited for the art in Shaun McClure's recent books. (Although it was with a hyphen in the 1980s TV book!)

On his website here (page 5), there's confirmation that he did the cartoons for the Bored of the Rings adverts, which he also credits to Ian Ellery:



The adverts for The Boggit are exactly the same style.

Plus, Ian Ellery's website address should be updated to: https://www.kindamagic.co.uk/home/

And, The Boggit is clearly inspired by the game of The Hobbit as much as it is by the book.

And I have strong suspicions that they may be responsible for these covers too, although I've yet to find proof.

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[StooB]

Also on the subject of The Boggit, "The Boggit" is also the original title of An Everyday Tale of a Seeker of Gold by John Wilson mentioned by Tony Bridge in his column here with the name change is confirmed in Your Sinclair.

There's no mention of Zenobi at this point, so "Original Publisher" should just be "John Wilson".

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[StooB]

Jet Bike Simulator (1988)

Jet Bike Simulator (1988)

The exact release date according to Your Sinclair is 7th December 1987.

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An later, and presumably more accurate release date of January 6th 1988 is given in Popular Computing Weekly 17th December 1987.

This is also the release date for 3D Starfighter and Super Stuntman.

[PeterJ]

[mention]StooB[/mention],

You may think I'm trying to be difficult, which I'm most definitely not, but with this sort of stuff how can we be sure which date is accurate. We know that magazines are sometimes not the most reliable. I appreciate the later date is probably right because the other titles released on the same date, but we simply don't know.

I suppose as long as we keep these threads we can justify or explain any changes.

I just have these nightmares of us all spending huge amounts of time researching and changing this stuff, only for someone to come along in five years time and change it all again. I know that is unlikely. I do appreciate its very difficult (often impossible) to get conclusive evidence from something that happened 40 years ago. I find it hard enough to remember what happened last week!

[StooB]

@StooB,

You may think I'm trying to be difficult, which I'm most definitely not, but with this sort of stuff how can we be sure which date is accurate. We know that magazines are sometimes not the most reliable.

I suppose as long as we keep these threads we can justify or explain any changes.

In this case the Your Sinclair report would have been written back in October/November, while the PCW column can be dated to 10th December exactly, which is after the YS-given release date of the 7th.

[PeterJ]

Was there any sort of 'trade' magazine for retailers and distributors [mention]StooB[/mention] that you know of?

[8BitAG]

There's no mention of Zenobi at this point, so "Original Publisher" should just be "John Wilson".

I did once ask John about this, and he was adamant that he published as Zenobi from the off; despite what might have been recorded in magazines at the time.

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[StooB]

Was there any sort of 'trade' magazine for retailers and distributors @StooB that you know of?

Not that I know of. Would make things a lot easier though!

[StooB]

The url for the interview on the John Wilson page should be updated to: http://gnomeslair.blogspot.com/2008/05/few-gnomish-questions-balrog-of-zenobi.html

There's no mention of Zenobi at this point, so "Original Publisher" should just be "John Wilson".

I did once ask John about this, and he was adamant that he published as Zenobi from the off; despite what might have been recorded in magazines at the time.

Yes, 84/85 he says in this interview.