Little bugs in the database 5

[PeterJ]

So, in the example I gave @Einar Saukas? Merge?

[Neil Parsons]

Are these two the same? Certainly the magazine references are the same, and even with my limited grasp of Spanish I know cinco is five.

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

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2 ... esi%C3%B3n

Both are almost the same program, but I believe the second one might be removed as I think it's a possible duplicate. Just because I gave all the info of this utility from the magazine when I submitted ID 38063 entry to Spectrum Computing months ago with the TAP image.

BTW, the second entry I didn't realise it was available here in the archive, unless I did a search previously. Maybe because I used "Cinco modos" text at the search box, instead using the numerical number.

[Neil Parsons]

@Einar Saukas, @druellan and @pavero,

Can I ask about the approach with type ins that appeared in magazines from multiple countries. Should they be merged?

A good example is:

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

And

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1 ... /La_Charca

I believe "La Charca" was a Spanish translation of "Bug Fever" program. Probably, it can be merged.

[PeterJ]

I believe "La Charca" was a Spanish translation of "Bug Fever" program. In this case, I would call it a MOD of the first.

Indeed, there are quite a few similar instances, so I'm wondering if I should log them for merging.

[Einar Saukas]

I believe "La Charca" was a Spanish translation of "Bug Fever" program. Probably, it can be merged.

Agreed. I just tested them and they are too similar.

I will merge them in the next ZXDB update.

[Neil Parsons]

Indeed, there are quite a few similar instances, so I'm wondering if I should log them for merging.

That's what I thought in a first moment, but it's fine to merge it as Einar says will do it

[PeterJ]

These two titles would appear to be very similar and could be considered for merging:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2 ... de_Sprites

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/9 ... ite_Editor

[druellan]

Tourist Trouble - https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/alt/109 ... st_Trouble
A quilled adventure written by Teef & Pengo. I can't find more information about it, but there are a couple of odd things:

- One of the authors is from UK (Pengo), but the other one (Teef) seems to be from Spain, that is kind of odd for a text-only, English language adventure.
- Release date is 1992, solutions were published in November 1992, so, ok, but there is a letter from July 1992 asking for tips, and calling the title "an old game" - https://archive.org/details/sinclair-us ... ew=theater

I know it is a long shot, but @8BitAG any idea about it? Based on the ID number, seems to be added to the database with a bunch of text adventures, probably someone's collection.

[8BitAG]

I think I have looked into that one in the past. As you say, it's referred to as being "an old game" in one of the adventure columns, in 1992. If that is the case, then I'd expect I'll see it in people's lists of "completed adventures" prior to that date; which it doesn't in the searchable listings; I will need to investigate the unindexed versions of Adventure Probe, I think. "ESP Software" isn't much help, as there are plenty of people who have used that moniker over the years. It seems unlikely a Spanish & UK person would be writing a game together; I wonder where the Spanish tag for "Teef" came from.

[8BitAG]

The Teef (Spain) reference goes back at least to old WoS...
https://web.archive.org/web/20180828230 ... loadpics=1

I wonder if someone saw ESP Software and just thought ESP=Spain? It wouldn't be completely unusual for an English language adventure to be produced in Spain, but the odd mix of Pengo (UK) and Teef (Spain) is more unusual; at least for "1992"; I'd probably say the real date is going to be at least four-six years prior to that, but I'll see if I can find any references.

[druellan]

I wonder if someone saw ESP Software and just thought ESP=Spain? It wouldn't be completely unusual for an English language adventure to be produced in Spain, but the odd mix of Pengo (UK) and Teef (Spain) is more unusual;

I'm also thinking that the reason the game has a walkthrough published on Nov 1992, is because the user letter on July put the title on the editor's radar. BTW, I also unquilled the title to see if there is at least a year inside, but no luck.

[8BitAG]

I'm also thinking that the reason the game has a walkthrough published on Nov 1992, is because the user letter on July put the title on the editor's radar. BTW, I also unquilled the title to see if there is at least a year inside, but no luck.

Yeah, I'd looked through the database a while back myself. There is a reference to a planned second game, but nothing else. I've got solution references from 1992 onwards (in addition to the ones listed on the page) but nothing else so far. I'll add it to my list of stuff to watch out for.

Mentions in the adventure columns are never 100% reliable. Not only do you have to factor in that the columns were usually written by freelancers, working a couple of months ahead of the usual magazine schedule (meaning that any mentions are usually at least two to three months behind) but a mention in the column is no guarantee a game existed on the Spectrum... Peter Gerrard (when writing for Sinclair User) was known to accidentally list a solution for a C64 game! His brother was more reliable in YS.

Several game authors have since confessed to writing in under a pseudonym to request help (or send in a solution) for their own game... to get it on the column writer's (and the readers) radar!

[druellan]

Hi!
Can someone check the tape image for ZX Chess II for the ZX81?

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=29451

I'm not able to make it work using InkSpector or Eightyone, but the version hosted in http://www.zx81stuff.org.uk/zx81/tape/ZXChessII works fine, so, the tape image might be damaged.

[Stefan]

Mighty Magus has a generic Ivan as contributor linked to random unrelated works.

An instructions text file on the page credits an 'Ian Horn'.
A few other sites, RetroIsle and SpeccyWiki, credit Ivan Horn.
Two budget titles in 1986, Mega Bucks and Labyrinthion, are linked to Ivan Horn.

However, on linkedIn and on his website Ivan Horn starts his career at Ocean in 1987, skipping the budget title years.

Conclusion: I think The Mighty Magus can be credited to Ivan Horn.

Thank you @Pobulous for using The Mighty Magus in the Guess the screen$ thread.

[StooB]

Personal Computer News

All the dates up to and including 4th January 1984 are one week out due to them using a "week ending" date on the cover for the first few issues.

eg. issue 1 has a date in zxdb of 18/3/83 but it was actually published on 11/3/83

The issue dated 4th January 1984 was actually published on 22nd December 1983 - the 7th January 1984 issue is the first one with the correct date.

[Alessandro]

Condensador

https://www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk/ent ... ondensador

looks identical (could be a hack) to Characters:

https://www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk/ent ... Characters

[Vampyre]

Ikari Warriors has an incorrect Original Price of £12.99. This was the disk version, the tape was £8.99 as can be seen by this advert in Crash from 1988 (not the earlier advert back in 1986).

[R-Tape]

As per this thread:

Michael Hunt is not the original publisher of Merlin, it should be The Guild, and The Adventure Workshop as re-releaser.

[marenja]

this game is a mod of RebelStar 2 (and the author confirms this in the opening scroller).

Rebel Star: Brion's Diamond is one more game related to Rebelstar collection. It is a mod of Rebelstar 1 (Moonbase Delta). Its graphics and map style are similar to Rebelstar II: Alien Encounter but code is similar to Rebelstar 1; just compare it starting from address 24700 or 607Ch.

[kolbeck]

Another possibility, perhaps simpler, would be to use the existing "Remarks" field.
"Remarks" can already point to hardware, for example the Kempston Mouse:
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1 ... ace_Driver

We have hardware entries for most (or all) hardware variations, so this might be a good solution.

While I do support a new structure for zx81, I’m not sure this is the best approach as it points to a specific piece. Although not many, zx81 ram was produced by several companies. I like the idea of adding some kind of variant field to complement the machine type.

[bluespikey]

Thanks to @Lee Bee 's superior grammar skills, I think he has conclusively proved that Chicago 30's is indeed Chicago 30's and not Chicago's30 as per the database.

viewtopic.php?p=115861&hilit=chicago#p115861

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/9 ... hicagos_30

The tape does say Chicago 30's on it. The front cover could go either way.

[Einar Saukas]

Thanks to @Lee Bee 's superior grammar skills, I think he has conclusively proved that Chicago 30's is indeed Chicago 30's and not Chicago's30 as per the database.

Evidence suggests it was originally released as "Chicago's 30" by Erbe in Spain. A few examples:




And later renamed to Chicago 30's when re-released by US Gold in UK.

This is exactly the information we have in ZXDB.

[Lee Bee]

Thanks for the kind words, Bluespikey

Evidence suggests it was originally released as "Chicago's 30" by Erbe in Spain. A few examples:

Fascinating trivia! I assume, then, that the rule for translated or re-released games is to always go with the original title (even if it sounds strange to English ears).

[Einar Saukas]

Correct!

The original release title appears at the top of the page.

The re-release title(s) appear further down the page, in the "Releases" section.

[StooB]

Popular Computing Weekly



The dates for the March 1987 issues are one day out.

Volume 6 No 9 is the last issue published on a Thursday, Volume 6 No 10 is published on Friday 6th:


The March dates should be Fridays 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th. The dates from Friday 3rd April 1987 are correct.