Games featuring... relevant bugs
There was a recent improvement to the WoS database in order to classify Games featuring In-game mini-game(s). I think it's even more important to classify games "featuring" relevant bugs, especially Games that are impossible to complete due to bugs.
If I choose a classic game from WoS to play, I would like to know in advance if it's even possible to finish this game. Also if there's a fixed version available, of course I prefer to start playing from there, since it may be too late attempting to fix later the snapshot of an almost finished game.
For instance, the Jet Set Willy page mentions "This title has known errors" and provides a "PCGBugfix" version (besides the original). However this doesn't seem to be a standard classification since none of the other games mentioned in this thread contain this kind of information, not even Fairlight 2.
IMHO this classification should include all games with known bugs, even if it's possible to complete the game despite the bug (such as Moon Patrol), or bugs that are not directly related to gameplay (such as this). In all these cases, a Bugfix version (alongside the original) would be welcome.
Of course "Bugfix" versions should not include improvements not intended by the original authors (such as Jet Set Willy Turbo) regardless of their merit.
What do you think?
If I choose a classic game from WoS to play, I would like to know in advance if it's even possible to finish this game. Also if there's a fixed version available, of course I prefer to start playing from there, since it may be too late attempting to fix later the snapshot of an almost finished game.
For instance, the Jet Set Willy page mentions "This title has known errors" and provides a "PCGBugfix" version (besides the original). However this doesn't seem to be a standard classification since none of the other games mentioned in this thread contain this kind of information, not even Fairlight 2.
IMHO this classification should include all games with known bugs, even if it's possible to complete the game despite the bug (such as Moon Patrol), or bugs that are not directly related to gameplay (such as this). In all these cases, a Bugfix version (alongside the original) would be welcome.
Of course "Bugfix" versions should not include improvements not intended by the original authors (such as Jet Set Willy Turbo) regardless of their merit.
What do you think?
Post edited by Einar Saukas on
Creator of ZXDB, BIFROST/NIRVANA, ZX7/RCS, etc. I don't frequent this forum anymore, please look for me elsewhere.
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I will try to help, but mapping and verifying all this information seem an impossible task for a single person.
Additionally, if we later take the task of trying to fix each one of these games, it will be necessary to test each proposed fix to be sure it didn't have side-effects or affected the game any other way, which certainly takes a community effort.
I know for certain that the WoS community would help out with this one.
A View to a Kill - YS Smash's bugfix provided here
Action Force II - problem mentioned here
APB (All Points Bulletin) - problem mentioned here, workaround provided here but no definitive bugfix is available
Bigfoot - problem mentioned here
Billy Bong - Mr. Anonymous' bugfix provided here
Bride of Frankenstein - problem mentioned here
Catch 23 - provides incorrect password (thus it's impossible to guess correct solution) as mentioned here
Cliff Hanger - Mr. Anonymous' bugfix provided here
Corsarios - problem mentioned here
Crusoe - problem mentioned here
Edd the Duck - problem mentioned here, Mr. Anonymous' bugfix provided here and here
Fairlight II - there's a key bug although it's not clear if the game can be completed as mentioned here and here
Frank N Stein - problem mentioned here
Frightmare - problem mentioned here and here, pushHL's bugfix provided here and Metalbrain's bugfix provided here, candidate TAP file available here and here
Habilit - Bandit's bugfix provided here
Hammer-Head - problem mentioned here, workaround provided here but no definitive bugfix is available
Heartland - Mr. Anonymous' bugfix provided here
Impossible Mission - problem mentioned here, Gerard Sweeney's bugfix provided here
Kentilla - YS' bugfix provided here
Kwik Snax - Mr. Anonymous' bugfix provided here
Last Ninja Remix - cannot be completed because an entire level is missing
Last Sunset for Lattica - problem mentioned here, first we will need a game map to find out if the map layout has just a few obvious (fixable) mistakes or if the game design is irredeemably flawed.
Metropolis - problem mentioned here
Mailstrom - problem mentioned here
Moon Patrol - problem mentioned here
Mugsy - problem mentioned here
N.E.I.L. Android - Bandit's bugfix provided here and here
Nemesis the Warlock - problem mentioned here
Netherworld - Gerard Sweeney's bugfix provided here
New York Warriors - problem mentioned here
Ninja - Mr. Anonymous' bugfix provided here
Pakacuda - Lee Tonks' bugfix provided here
Psycho Soldier - problem mentioned here
Rambo - problem mentioned here, Mr. Anonymous' bugfix provided here, candidate TAP file available here
Rastan - problem mentioned here, workaround provided here and here to be used during the game but no definitive bugfix is available
Rescue - problem mentioned here
Revolution - Mr. Anonymous' bugfix provided here
Savage - provides incorrect password (thus it's impossible to guess correct solution) as mentioned here
Slap Fight - problem mentioned here
Soviet - problem mentioned here, workaround provided here, here and here but no definitive bugfix is available
Star Wars Droids - Gerard Sweeney's bugfix provided here
Stonkers - problem mentioned here
Sweevo's Whirled - problem mentioned here, Mr. Anonymous' bugfix provided here
Swords & Sorcery - workaround provided here but no definitive bugfix is available
Thanos - Mr. Anonymous' bugfix provided here
The Happiest Days of Your Life - problem mentioned here
The New Zealand Story - problem mentioned here
The Wild Bunch - problem mentioned here
Tir Na Nog - problem mentioned here
Track & Field - Mr. Anonymous' bugfix provided here
Treasure Island Dizzy (Crash Special Edition) - problem mentioned here
UGH! - Pgyuri's bugfix provided here
Ultimate Combat Mission - problem mentioned here
U.N. Squadron - problem mentioned here
Werewolves of London - problem mentioned here, Mr. Anonymous' bugfix provided here, candidate TZX available here
Wonder Boy (128K) - problem mentioned here
Xavior - Mr. Anonymous' bugfix provided here
Xecutor - Mr. Anonymous' bugfix provided here
... and several JSW games with bugfixes provided here
Note: The list above is mostly based on Games that are impossible to complete due to bugs, Crashable Spectrum games, and suggestions posted in the current thread, although only the critical cases were selected.
Excessus
Frankenstein
Heresville
Johnnie Verso
SQIJ! - although the "known errors" description provides a workaround
Ant Attack
Cozumel
Jet Set Willy
Starion
The Curse of Shaleth
It's not my intent to identify every single gameplay glitch out there. There are probably too many of them (I doubt most Spectrum programs are 100% perfect) and The Tipshop already provides a great repository for this level of detail.
Instead, the objective here is just to collect (and hopefully fix) the most serious game problems, that significantly damage the user experience.
The most obvious candidates for this list are games that are impossible to complete due to bugs, but IMHO there are a few other cases that should also be included here, such as:
However a list of critical errors should not include minor bugs that don't prevent the player from fully enjoying the game, for instance:
Of course it's OK if someone decides to also provide "Bugfix" versions for games with minor bugs. However I'm only concerned about the most relevant bugs since they almost certainly lead to player frustration, so these are the only bugs I'm focusing here.
Besides, some players actually enjoy hunting for obscure minor bugs, so it may not be such a good idea to fix these ones after all...
I'm currently in the process of reviewing the 200+ posts from this thread in order to complete the list above. However, if you have knowledge of another critical bug not included in that thread, or if you would like to discuss the criteria I described here, please post your opinion here!
Bride of Frankenstein
Frequently crashes when going through doors. (I'd expect that the thinly disguised re-issue as Frankenstein Jnr has the same bug, but it's DD so I can't check it.)
Crusoe
Crashes frequently; doing practically anything will crash it sooner or later.
Jack the Ripper (extension to existing entry)
The original version of this game was bugged, and was impossible to complete, but unfortunately you can't tell until you reach part three. If you've got the bugged version, then going east from the crossroads, or alternatively entering the picturesque garden, will crash the game.
Nemesis the Warlock
Leaving a level at the wrong place will cause it to crash. It's best to play with reference to a map to see where the safe exit points are located.
Psycho Soldier
The 48k version crashes after loading Level 2. The 128k version has incorrect level data at some point, so all the platforms become invisible and it's impossible to get any further. (I thought that there had been some discussion of this on the forum quite some time ago, which might clarify things, but I can't find it. IIRC there was a suggestion that some copies did not have the bugs.)
Swords & Sorcery and the Mastertronic re-issue of Kentilla have fatal bugs. There are patches available at The Tipshop.
Editor/Assembler (OCP)
The last two bytes of the BIT b,(IX+d) and BIT b,(IY+d) commands get swapped by the assembler, producing invalid code. The original OCP "Editor/Assembler" had the bug; it was fixed in the "Full Screen Editor/Assembler Plus 80" version. If the file name is "Edit/Assem" then it will be bugged; if it is "+80Edt/Asm" then it should be OK.
Check the [thread=24832]Crashable Spectrum games?[/thread] thread as well.
I will check these cases as soon as I finish mapping the problems reported in the other thread.
I don't think the "key bug" from the first link doesn't stop you completing the game, because you don't necessarily hit the problem when playing the game.
However, a recent archive of said page (and site) is here.
The relevant impossible to complete games:
Jet Set Willy: Spectrum Computing
The Continuing Adventures (the Special Edition is okay)
The Deadly Mission
Willy's Holiday
Willy's New Hat
Dr. Jet Set Willy
Although not mentioned on the site, the original version of Willy vs. the Vampire Lord is also impossible to complete. The SE version is okay.
There are several more, but that will do for now. :smile:
Frightmare, problem and bugfixes posted here:
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/showthread.php?t=23303
You are right. However I decided to include this game in the list anyway for the following reasons:
Notice the criteria I'm using in this thread is to list games with bugs that are annoying or frustrating enough to deserve a fix, even if they don't prevent completing the game.
The link to Andrew Broad's website was already included in the list as "several JSW games with bugfixes provided here". But I will follow your suggestion and include each one in the list separately.
This information was not mentioned anywhere, so I just added it to the list above. Thank you!
Thank you! I have just added Frightmare to the list.
I know, that topic was the starting point for this thread. :)
In particular, all bugfixes provided by Mr. Anonymous were already mentioned in the list above.
Sure. There are tonnes of bugs in FL 2 so it would be quite a job to get it all working.
I have made a couple of attempts to disassemble the game engine in order to try and prove things one way or another (the "permanently locked" link above is to my website), but I always get stuck - it needs a better hacker than me to sort it all out.
Edit: regarding your last point, last time I looked at it I felt that the whole allocation of keys to doors really needed a thorough overhaul. There are sneakily placed keys which you'd have to go out of your way to collect.
With a lot of luck (or a lot of snapshots :) ) you are able to complete them, but still they are buggy as hell.
And there are also multiload games which miss some parts on dumped tapes (New York Warriors is a good example). Do they count too?
I could give some examples if necessary.
There are quite a few brilliant hackers here at WoS, hopefully one of them will step up for this challenge!
It makes sense, but the purpose of this thread is to obtain the minimal changes required to fix broken games, not to make additional changes to improve them somehow.
Improved versions for poorly designed games (or released too early) would be nice too, but it's a different matter entirely.
Absolutely!
The criteria I'm using is as follows. If it's easy to avoid a game crash (such as Souls of Darkon or Shadowfire), or the game will only crash intentionally (such as Avalon or a few adventure games), then there's no need for a bugfix version. However, if the game crashes too often or randomly, in ways that are hard to avoid and frustrating, then it certainly needs a bugfix.
Quite a few games from thread Crashable Spectrum games fit this latter category (random crashes): APB, Bride of Frankenstein, Crusoe, Last Sunset for Lattica, Mailstrom, Stonkers, The Wild Bunch, Wonder Boy, and Wriggler (YS version). All of them were already included in my list above.
Thank you! I have now added New York Warriors to the list. Can you provide a more detailed description of this problem?
Yes, please!
If you climb in a determined mast of the boat, your character dissappears, even though the game keep playing, you can not see your pirate anymore...
Thank you! I have just included your bug description in the list.
There's no mention of the bug at The Tipshop, and although there are several references to finding Calum's Hammer they all seem to have been copied one from another and say it's nine paces, which doesn't match the clue in the game.
Thanks! I just added Tir Na Nog to the list.
Besides the spelling problem, do you know if the clue is correct (10 paces) or not (9 paces)?
Full Screen Editor/Assembler
Jet Set Willy: Willy vs. the Vampire Lord
Souls of Darkon
The Hobbit
Wriggler (YS version)
It's 25 years since I played the game and I can't remember the exact number of paces. It would be necessary to play through the game almost to the end to check that bit. Gargoyle's own hint sheet gives the "CROSSROADTENN" translation, so I presume that's correct.
There's a supposed play-through at the RZX Archive but I can't get it to work properly. It plays automatically for a couple of minutes until Cuchulainn bumps into a Sidhe but then it drops back into manual input mode.
Thanks, I think this evidence is good enough!