Preservation Tools - Submissions Feedback/Q/A

[druellan]

Sorry, @StooB, I was looking a little more into this (*), and reading this article on Sinclair User December 1984 https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.ph ... 33&page=90 Matthew mentions that Manic Miner was finished August 1983. So, I'm thinking that Bug-Byte probably got an early version of the game to promote on the fair. Still probably counts as a "release", but it is kind of a gray area.

Also! I know we don't have more precise figures on the rest of the releases, but I think we can sort them better. Right now, we have:

Original ReleaseBug-Byte Software Ltd (UK)
Re-release #1EDOS (UK)
Re-release #2Mastertronic Added Dimension (UK)
Re-release #3Software Projects Ltd (UK)

I think at least Software Projects must be #1 re-release and EDOS the last one after Mastertronic. What do you think?
Thanks!

(*) I was puzzled about Styx arguably released at the same time as Manic Miner, since I remember Matthew received the money for Styx before starting on Manic Miner, but turns out it was a contract for 3 games, so he probably received some money upfront.

[StooB]

Sorry, @StooB, I was looking a little more into this (*), and reading this article on Sinclair User December 1984 https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.ph ... 33&page=90 Matthew mentions that Manic Miner was finished August 1983. So, I'm thinking that Buy-Byte probably got an early version of the game to promote on the fair. Still probably counts as a "release", but it is kind of a gray area.

In that article he says there were 16 rooms and he managed to add another 4 by August. But at the computer fair:

"At the 1983 Earls Court Computer Fair, Bug-Byte's sales representative John Philips commented: 'It's in 16 levels and I think It's going to be the best Spectrum game, It's almost insanely complex.'"

So there was an earlier 16 room version, which raises the possibility that the very earliest copies might be this one instead. Perhaps this why there are two different tzx files.

The earliest review showing a screenshot was by Mike Gerrard in PCN August 11th:
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.ph ... 81&page=48
The earliest chart appearance was in the two weeks up to 18th August.
https://archive.org/details/PersonalCom ... 1/mode/2up

An August release is possible, but only just.

The Software Projects version has an exact date of 28/11/83 already, the Mastertronic one is early 1989 and the EDOS one last.

[druellan]

Thanks! Very interesting. I didn't catch the 16 caverns mention on the conputer fair. I'm going to try and marge all the info into a "publication" note.

[druellan]

Regarding the release, all Bug-Byte versions I can find have 20 caverns, plus, the Software Project version has some changes on the graphics, so, there is no confusion. I bet Bug-Byte released the complete game in August or just before.

[StooB]

Regarding the release, all Bug-Byte versions I can find have 20 caverns, plus, the Software Project version has some changes on the graphics, so, there is no confusion. I bet Bug-Byte released the complete game in August or just before.

The only other reference I can find is this interview with Matthew Smith from December 1983, only a few months after the events:

He took a two-month holiday after Manic Miner's completion in which, he says, '] just went to bed at nights.' But there has been little rest for him since his return to Liverpool. In September a follow-up to Manic Miner was "discussed over meals in various restaurants. And so, over the tablecloth, Jet Set Willy was born.

This contradicts his later Sinclair User interview, moving the completion date earlier, possibly as far back as June.

A version with 16 screens doesn't seem to have been mentioned ever again, not even in Retro Gamer's 2008 in-depth "Making of Manic Miner" article where he goes through all 20 screens one by one. He can't remember why he called the 16th screen "The Sixteenth Cavern" and thinks he must have been running out of names, but if it was originally the last of 16 screens then the name makes much more sense.

[druellan]

The Software Projects version has an exact date of 28/11/83 already, the Mastertronic one is early 1989 and the EDOS one last.

Sorry if I keep pulling things off the air, but, currently the Mastetronic release is dated 1983, so, is this figure wrong?

This contradicts his later Sinclair User interview, moving the completion date earlier, possibly as far back as June.
A version with 16 screens doesn't seem to have been mentioned ever again, not even in Retro Gamer's 2008 in-depth "Making of Manic Miner" article where he goes through all 20 screens one by one. He can't remember why he called the 16th screen "The Sixteenth Cavern" and thinks he must have been running out of names, but if it was originally the last of 16 screens then the name makes much more sense.

Yep, and since we have two different sources mentioning the existence of that 16 levels version, I'm going to bet that even if Bug-Byte knew Matthew was working on 4 additional levels, they pushed the early version to promote the game on the Computer Fair (that might be a hard deadline for them).

So. I'm getting ready a lot of notes, everyone: feel free to fix the grammar.

Publication note: 'An early version of the game featuring 16 caverns was officially announced at the Earls Court Computer Fair in June 1983 by Bug-Byte Software, but later, Matthew Smith completed the game with another 4 caverns, and that's the version that finally got released.'

Remarks: 'The version published by Software Projects has some changes on the graphics for the enemies in "The Warehouse" and "Amoebatron''s Revenge" caverns.'

Publication: 'The Ventamatic release is based on the Software Projects version, and it is fully translated into Spanish, with some cavern names drastically changed.'

Preservation: 'Wanted! The early 16 levels version, announced by Bug-Byte Software in the Earls Court Computer Fair in June 1983. Can you help locate it?'

[StooB]

Sorry if I keep pulling things off the air, but, currently the Mastetronic release is dated 1983, so, is this figure wrong?

Yes, Mastertronic don't release anything until April 1984. The re-release was reported in ACE February 1989 and reviewed in Crash May 1989.

[druellan]

Hi @kolbeck I was checking this report, and seems to be empty, not sure if you can remember what fix you're trying to push here. Thanks!

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/zxdb/ad ... ge_sql.txt

[kolbeck]

Hi @kolbeck I was checking this report, and seems to be empty, not sure if you can remember what fix you're trying to push here. Thanks!

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/zxdb/ad ... ge_sql.txt

Yeah, looks strange - on my list for this entry I've noted this:

1) Create new entry in ZXDB
2) Upload TZX
3) Upload SCR
4) Add relation to ZX Spectrum entry

Maybe it could be that I've already did Step 4 when doing step 1 - and then again later? Looking at the entry, it doesn't seem to miss any of the inforation I was going to provide

[druellan]

Yeah, looks strange - on my list for this entry I've noted this:

1) Create new entry in ZXDB
2) Upload TZX
3) Upload SCR
4) Add relation to ZX Spectrum entry

Maybe it could be that I've already did Step 4 when doing step 1 - and then again later? Looking at the entry, it doesn't seem to miss any of the inforation I was going to provide

Thanks! I think that probably the fix was already done one other steps, and that's why the tool did produce any patch. I'll mark it as fixed.

[sho]

Oh, I understand now. It is possible too.

Only you must remove the platform firstly and add it again with the hyperlink.

Oh a complete cockup:D
Can you please fix in db? (and make them official).

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=38790

[Einar Saukas]

I will fix both links in the next ZXDB update. Thanks for reporting it!

[sho]

I will fix both links in the next ZXDB update. Thanks for reporting it!

Can you also add the CPC link along the way, please?

https://archive.org/details/Book_of_Gam ... ew=theater

✓ Reviewed

[druellan]

Hi @J. Pirés about your comment here:

Code: Select all

-- #003527 by J. Pirés
-- add new publishers/authors/roles for 'Combat School (Ocean Software Ltd (UK))(1987)' [ID: 1028]
INSERT INTO roles (entry_id, label_id, roletype_id) VALUES (1028, 9845, 'C');
INSERT INTO roles (entry_id, label_id, roletype_id) VALUES (1028, 953, 'C');
INSERT INTO roles (entry_id, label_id, roletype_id) VALUES (1028, 6395, 'G');
INSERT INTO roles (entry_id, label_id, roletype_id) VALUES (1028, 3602, 'X');
INSERT INTO roles (entry_id, label_id, roletype_id) VALUES (1028, 6911, 'M');
INSERT INTO roles (entry_id, label_id, roletype_id) VALUES (1028, 6911, 'X');
-- Comment: While the manual credits David Whittaker as the creator of the music and FX, the game's main menu assigns this role to Jas.C.Brooke. Which of the two sources should we rely on for accurate information about the authorship of both the music and FX?

I was checking the 48k version of the game, and on that version Whittaker is mentioned as the music author, so, I think we can credit Whittaker as the author of the music/FX for the 48k version, and Brooke as the author for the 128k. Makes sense, because Brook was a freelancer specialized in 128k sound and music.

[druellan]

Hi @Juan F. Ramirez about your entry here:
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/zxdb/ad ... ge_sql.txt

Can you clarify a bit what map are you referring to? Seems that some information got lost on the post, or perhaps it is already fixed.
Thanks!

[druellan]

Hi @StooB About your fixes on the SQIJ! I was thinking that on top of removing the inaccurate comment, we can give more context based on the interview on Eurogamer. I was thinking on adding two extra comments:

"Jason Creighton recalls CRL reporting having sold about 250 copies."
and
"Jason Creighton was willing to create a full machine code conversion, but due to lack of experience and the fact that the CRL wasn't providing information about the original game in time and form, he ended up using the programming extender Laser BASIC, a full map of the game and his memory of playing the original in the CRL offices to develop the conversion."

Also, adding the game as authored using Laser Basic.

[StooB]

Hi @StooB About your fixes on the SQIJ! I was thinking that on top of removing the inaccurate comment, we can give more context based on the interview on Eurogamer. I was thinking on adding two extra comments:

"Jason Creighton recalls CRL reporting having sold about 250 copies."
and
"Jason Creighton was willing to create a full machine code conversion, but due to lack of experience and the fact that the CRL wasn't providing information about the original game in time and form, he ended up using the programming extender Laser BASIC, a full map of the game and his memory of playing the original in the CRL offices to develop the conversion."

Also, adding the game as authored using Laser Basic.

Agreed!

[druellan]

Hi @jpablo

I'm working on your report about Zero Kelvin: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/zxdb/ad ... ub_sql.txt
I see you listed Cesar Astudillo in the role of "code", but I wonder if he was intended to do the music. Is this role correct?

Thanks!

[druellan]

Hi @disciplePalGuy I'm checking your report: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/zxdb/ad ... es_sql.txt

And about this one:
File: DISCiPLEInterface+MGTPlusD_PAL-ICs.zip * Comment: Dead link

I could not find a substitute in Archive.org. Is there anything we can do about it, or just remove the link?
Thanks!

[disciplePalGuy]

Remove the link please.... https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/zxdb/si ... ode_2.zip contains the same files and is working.

[jpablo]

Hi @druellan

I see you listed Cesar Astudillo in the role of "code", but I wonder if he was intended to do the music. Is this role correct?

Yep, this is no mistake - It is absolutely intended. It may sound strange but it's been reported like that by Astudillo himself in some interview. I think it was his first serious approach to videogames before becoming a musician for Erbe/Topo.