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"New" Old Game - Microfair Madness

Started by Strident, 23:08, 29 January 19

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Strident



For my own amusement, and because I'm sad a copy of the original version no longer exists, I've re-coded the Amstrad CP/M version of one of my very first text adventures, Microfair Madness.


Microfair Madness started life as a text adventure for the ZX Spectrum, released by Delbert the Hamster Software in 1991. In 1992, the Adventure Workshop produced a conversion of the game for the Amstrad CPC and PCW range of computers, running under CP/M.


Like many of the Spectrum to Amstrad conversions produced at the time, The Guild/Adventure Workshop version of the game is sadly not archived. This new 2019 edition has been built using inPAWs, starting with the Spectrum 48K version of the adventure. Some text (originally cut due to memory limitations) has been restored, the parser has been tweaked in places, various bug fixes and QoL issues have been sorted, and some extra clues have been added. Basically, any time I had to stop and look up the solution, I added an extra response or hint in the code. :)


Being based on the 48K version of the game, the CP/M version doesn't include the extended text, puzzles, locations and extra mini-games from the Spectrum 128K version. However, the second (side of the) disk includes some bonus content... the expanded (full length adventure) version of The Quest for the Holy Snail mini-game, the 128K exclusive The Great Caravan Caper and the small, promotional half-sequel Personal Computer Whirled!


Like many adventures produced back then, it's not really suitable for the modern audience... but it's nice to remake something that was lost. I'm still hoping that one day the original 1992 version will turn up, but it's incredibly unlikely after all this time.


See: http://8bitag.com/games/microfair.html for download
8-Bit Adventure Gamer / 8bitAG.com - 8bitAG.com/info - 8bitAG.com/games

Nich

Quote from: Strident on 23:08, 29 January 19
Being based on the 48K version of the game, the CP/M version doesn't include the extended text, puzzles, locations and extra mini-games from the Spectrum 128K version. However, the second (side of the) disk includes some bonus content... the expanded (full length adventure) version of The Quest for the Holy Snail mini-game, the 128K exclusive The Great Caravan Caper and the small, promotional half-sequel Personal Computer Whirled!

I downloaded the new version and the second DSK file contains parts 1 and 2 of Microfair Madness, which are already on the first DSK file. I didn't find any bonus content. :(

Strident

Thanks Nich... I'll take a look at that.
8-Bit Adventure Gamer / 8bitAG.com - 8bitAG.com/info - 8bitAG.com/games

Strident

No idea what happened there... Should be sorted now, thanks. :)
8-Bit Adventure Gamer / 8bitAG.com - 8bitAG.com/info - 8bitAG.com/games

invent

Hi Strident,


Awesome work :) If you could ever re-code the game "The Covenant", that was ported fro ZX Spectrum (fix a few tiles), conversion from 1:1 pixels to mode 0 screwed up the ability to complete, no idea how frustrating it was playing a game I loved and couldn't complete.
Enjoying/Creating Retro Games

Strident

Quote from: invent on 10:40, 04 February 19
Awesome work :) If you could ever re-code the game "The Covenant", that was ported fro ZX Spectrum (fix a few tiles), conversion from 1:1 pixels to mode 0 screwed up the ability to complete, no idea how frustrating it was playing a game I loved and couldn't complete.
Ah, sadly that's proper programming. I don't do proper programming. I only write adventures using tools that far superior minds have created. Spectrum PAWs to Amstrad conversions are very simple, thanks to tools like inPAWs used in conjunction with Visual Studio Code and a handy syntax highlighter by Chris Ainsley.
8-Bit Adventure Gamer / 8bitAG.com - 8bitAG.com/info - 8bitAG.com/games

invent

Thanks Strident always nice to get that extra insight into the process :)
Enjoying/Creating Retro Games

Strident

I've mentioned it before in other threads, but I've put together a collections of resources for authors looking to port their PAWed ZX Spectrum text adventures to the CP/M version of Gilsoft's Professional Adventure Writing System, which runs on the disc-based CPCs and PCW.


You can find the guides here...
http://8bitag.com/info/zx-cpm.html
8-Bit Adventure Gamer / 8bitAG.com - 8bitAG.com/info - 8bitAG.com/games

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