Little bugs in the database 6

[Einar Saukas]

Gulp 2 running screen #3 is corrupted.

It should be 6912 bytes but it's only 3371 bytes.

[PeterJ]

The machine type for the 1K disassembler (two versions) should be ZX81 1K, rather than ZX81 16K:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... sassembler

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... sassembler

Also genre should be 'Programming: Assembler/Mcode', rather than utility: undetermined


Adding Machine should be marked as ZX81 1K, and not 16K:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... ng_Machine

The genre should be domestic.

Alley Driver should also be marked as 1K

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... ley_Driver

Same with Ants:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/41543/ZX81/Ants

Same with Apple Catcher:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... le_Catcher

Same with Helicopter:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... Helicopter

Same with Airstrike:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... Air_Strike

Same with Teletext:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... 1/Teletext

Genre should be visual / screen

Same with '1K Chess?'

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... 1/1K_Chess

Genre: Action is also wrong

Same with Arithmetic Point Duty:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... Point_Duty

Also, genre should be simulation

Same with Train Robber:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... ain_Robber

Same with Steam Power:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... team_Power

Also, genre should be simulation

Same with Run a Railroad:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... a_Railroad

Also, genre should be simulation

Same with Tay Bridge Disaster:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4 ... e_Disaster

[kolbeck]

My searches there got nowhere.
My original question came from the Fuse emulator development, where uSpeech support is progressing.

I have just loaded all 3 versions of Colour Clash from SC on my ZX Spectrum with uSpeech interface, none of them will start the game with interface attached - but game starts WITHOUT the interface. Not sure if any further investigation is needed? (e.g. should the uSpeech be disabled before loading, or is there any other "settings" that needs to be changed?)

/Thomas

[lfaria]

I have just loaded all 3 versions of Colour Clash from SC on my ZX Spectrum with uSpeech interface, none of them will start the game with interface attached - but game starts WITHOUT the interface. Not sure if any further investigation is needed? (e.g. should the uSpeech be disabled before loading, or is there any other "settings" that needs to be changed?)

Thanks for the feedback!
Sadly, I never tested it with a real uSpeech (my unit have been sleeping with my speccies in the attic for too long...)
So, if the game crashes with the interface attached... it can't classified as "having uSpeech support", can it?
I would say it's "very unsupported" instead.
Maybe add a note for this incompatibility, so that this information is not lost, and then remove the "support" flag altogether?

[Einar Saukas]

I have just loaded all 3 versions of Colour Clash from SC on my ZX Spectrum with uSpeech interface, none of them will start the game with interface attached - but game starts WITHOUT the interface. Not sure if any further investigation is needed? (e.g. should the uSpeech be disabled before loading, or is there any other "settings" that needs to be changed?)

Thanks for the confirmation!

About this post, we know so far that this bug report was correct about Colour Clash but wrong about Booty. What about the other titles? Could anyone please confirm or deny?

The full list of titles that support (or require) Currah MicroSpeech can be seen here:

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

[kolbeck]

Thanks for the confirmation!

About this post, we know so far that this bug report was correct about Colour Clash but wrong about Booty. What about the other titles? Could anyone please confirm or deny?

The full list of titles that support (or require) Currah MicroSpeech can be seen here:

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

Now I have the Currah MicroSpeech interface out - I will go through the list next couple of days

/Thomas

[Einar Saukas]

Thanks!!!

[PeterJ]

The entry for 'Games to Play on Your ZX Spectrum' shows an advertisement in the 12/08/82 issue of Popular Computing Weekly on page 27.

Page 27 of said magazine is the back page with, an advert from Sinclair Research. I have been through the PDF of the magazine and can't find an advertisement for this title.

✓ Reviewed

[PeterJ]

On the page for Super Charge Your Spectrum by David Webb there are a couple of issues:

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

Under included titles it says Book: Trace 48. It's not a book it's a program.

If you follow the link to Trace 48, the author is down as a different David Webb to the author of the book. Should these authors be merged?

[equinox]

In 1988 Code Masters released a game called "The Hit Squad":
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/alt/935 ... _Hit_Squad

The archive entry includes a printed advert for games published by The Hit Squad (a company) — nothing to do with the Codies game. So this image should be de-linked from that entry:
https://ia800604.us.archive.org/view_ar ... uadThe.jpg

@equinox this is a DB matter, not a website one, moved to the little bugs queue. R-Tape.

[kolbeck]

Thanks for the confirmation!

About this post, we know so far that this bug report was correct about Colour Clash but wrong about Booty. What about the other titles? Could anyone please confirm or deny?

I can confirm the list as described in the post tested on real hardware EXCEPT for

14. Maze of Terror, 1986, Kevin Hillyer (UK)
This game doesn't contain "Currah Microspeech Support". Also there is no info about "Currah" in the game. So the "Features: Currah Microspeech Support" should be removed.
!!Also the "Release Year: 1986" could be changed to 1983. If you look at Basic, so you can see there copyright 1983 Kevin Hillyer and "Revised edition '86" in the Basic lines 0 and 1.

If you look at BASIC you will find line 126 saying Good Luck and line 8005 saying Well Done

Regarding Booty, I can't get it to work on real hardware with currah interface attached.

[PeterJ]

The book 'Spectrum Adventures: A Guide to Playing and Writing Adventures' needs an 'Included Titles' section to cover 'The Eye of the Star Warrior' which was a type-in included in the book, as well as being available on cassette.

[PeterJ]

Spectrosim has a release date of 1983, but the loading screen shows 1984. The earliest advertisements and reviews are August 1984.

[PeterJ]

Alien Atak is marked as being published by VNU Business Publications NV (Netherlands) as well as Personal Computer News.

VNU published Personal Computer News, and the release date shown is the Personal Computer News issue date that the type-in appeared in.

✓ Reviewed

[Stefan]

Spectrosim has a release date of 1983, but the loading screen shows 1984. The earliest advertisements and reviews are August 1984.

But the code shows 1983

[PeterJ]

Best Software Guide - Spectrum Games needs the author adding. I can't seem to do it via preservation tools?

It's Tony Takoushi.

https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det ... rum-Games/

[PeterJ]

Frogger 50 has a genre of Adventure Games: Graphic!

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3 ... Frogger_50

[Einar Saukas]

Something's wrong here:

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

Either machine type is wrong (thus a ZX81 version never existed), or we need 2 separate entries.

✓ Reviewed

[Andre Leao]

Something's wrong here:

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

Either machine type is wrong (thus a ZX81 version never existed), or we need 2 separate entries.

Machine is wrong, it´s for the 48K (only)

✓ Reviewed

[PeterJ]

Please can the page numbers be added to the included titles within Best of PCW - Software for the Spectrum

There are only 10 of the 27 titles listed in the 'Included Titles' section. I will add the rest in due course. They are all in the TZX file against the entry for the tape.



Also, the book was available on it's own, the Remarks that 'Came with a tape Best of PCW - Software for the Spectrum.' need changing. Maybe something like 'There was an option of buying the book only, as well as the book and tape as one package'.

The price of the book only is correct at £5.95:



Also, with the tape entry:

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

There are the following notes:

Original Price:£5.95
Original Price according to SPOT/SPEX:11.95
*** Data provided by SPOT/SPEX is unconfirmed. Please help us validate this information!
Remarks:SPOT: prices for book+tape / tape only

The tape was actually £6.00. I can't confirm the price of the book + tape package.



Finally, all 10 of the linked entries have the following:



They need to first original publisher removed. It should however be noted that all the titles in this book originally appeared in the magazine Personal Computer World, although the book does not specify the issue and page. They should all eventually be recorded like this one:

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


Finally, the game Cheese appears as an included entry against the tape, but not for the books entry.

[PeterJ]

Character Set needs the author adding. According to the magazine entry it should be Philip Barnard.

Early Bird needs the author adding. According to the magazine it should be Richard Evans.

Firefox needs and alternative title added of Foxbat (See the magazine article)

[StooB]

Target

The only publisher should be Summit - there's no evidence of a full price release from Martech. Martech's only games from 1989 are Hellfire Attack and Shoot-Out before they closed. Don Priestley wrote that a "3D bouncing ball game" was sold to Alternative Software (owner of Summit) along with Up For Grabs "for peanuts".

[SkoolKid]

IMHO, the following titles categorised as games are not actually games:

• Crossnumber 1
• Crossnumber 2 (maybe 'Utility: Maths/Science'?)
• Madam I'm Adam
• Stevie Dotman (maybe 'Utility: Game Editor'?)
• Elite Help File (don't know what genre this could be)
• Sum Trouble (not sure what this is either)

Looks like @PeterJ has already taken care of Crossnumber 1 and Madam I'm Adam.

[PeterJ]

I'm wondering if these two titles should be merged?

https://www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk/list?group_id=209

Assembler and Machine Code Debugger later became Spectrum Machine Code System. All of the advertisements for both names are against the earlier entry.

[Einar Saukas]

I'm wondering if these two titles should be merged?

https://www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk/list?group_id=209

Assembler and Machine Code Debugger later became Spectrum Machine Code System. All of the advertisements for both names are against the earlier entry.

These are very different programs. I don't think they should be merged.