CPCWiki forum

General Category => Games => Topic started by: spinal on 10:07, 30 March 15

Title: Max Headroom?
Post by: spinal on 10:07, 30 March 15
Hi everyone,
I recently played Max Headroom on a CPC emulator, not a bad game once you get over the controls. However, I'm having an issue with the end sequence. After playing the game all of the way through, finding Max and getting out of there, the end sequence was corrupted (and not in the way I expected). So I tried a couple of different emulators, a couple of different downloads of the tape, same issue. I even tried the disc version, this time though, the end sequence didn't even load.


Does anyone know if there is a 'good' version floating around someplace?


Cheers.




[edit] Can't grab this one (http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?action=dldir;sa=details;lid=117) yet, don't know how many posts I need, but one doesn't seem to be enough.
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: Bryce on 10:20, 30 March 15
Hi,
         welcome to the forum. You shouldn't need any particular amount of posts to download that, but as it's only 27K I've attached it here too for you.

<--- Oh, look, I've just found Max :)

Bryce.
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: spinal on 10:25, 30 March 15
Cool, Thanks Bryce. I'll give that a shot.


Do you think perhaps that there is only one copy of both the tape and disk for download in the wild, or that maybe there was something wrong the the game itself?
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: Bryce on 10:26, 30 March 15
No idea, it could also be an emulator problem. I assume you don't have the possibility to try it on a real CPC?

Bryce.
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: spinal on 10:35, 30 March 15
Unfortunately not. I have tried in a bunch of different emulators though.


[edit] that tape file didn't help either :-(
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: Bryce on 11:09, 30 March 15
Time to get yourself some real hardware :)

Bryce.
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: spinal on 11:16, 30 March 15
Yeah, it's probably an emulator issue, I even tried the download from the authors site (http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/softography/index.php?game=6). Didn't work either.
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: trabitboy on 12:26, 30 March 15

I wonder how what is described by the author on this page would work on winape:

QuoteI thought the talking Max Headroom section at the end (with audio played off the cassette type, synced to on screen animation) was a fantastic idea.


Are there any other games known to do that ?
It alienates disk users , so it's probably uncommon?



Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: Bryce on 13:01, 30 March 15
No idea, but you must have fantastic eyesight to have spotted that! :D

Bryce.
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: trabitboy on 13:22, 30 March 15
sorry copied some html styles :p
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: spinal on 21:05, 30 March 15

The disk version does attempt to load something, it just doesn't though.
Doesn't explain the C64/zx versions working emulated but not the cpc version.
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: Puresox on 21:13, 30 March 15
How about doing a walkthrough  on You Tube! Love to see how it's played.
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: spinal on 09:09, 31 March 15
I think theres a zx version on there already, the gameplay is identical. The gfx are better on the speccy version anyway.
I had to make a map when I played it, kept forgetting which rooms I'd been in.


Max Headroom Walkthrough, ZX Spectrum - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga7abSD7XxQ)
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: Puresox on 12:29, 31 March 15
cheers
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: Nich on 19:47, 07 April 15
I've had a look at this game, and it appears that the CDT of side B on CPC-POWER may be a bad dump. :(

The routine for loading Side B is located at &2720 in the main program, and it is supposed to load a single block of length &FED6 bytes to address &0129. However, the CDT on side B contains four separate blocks and none of them are the right length.

I don't own the original game so I don't know whether or not there are meant to be four separate blocks and the main program just hasn't been tested properly to ensure the ending sequence works. Unfortunately it seems that the CPC version of this game is not easy to get hold of; it rarely appears on eBay. :(

Does anyone out there have an original cassette?
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: Nich on 21:53, 07 April 15
Quote from: Nich on 19:47, 07 April 15
I've had a look at this game, and it appears that the CDT of side B on CPC-POWER may be a bad dump. :(
An update to my previous post - I've checked all the blocks again and only the first block has a pilot tone, so this is definitely a bad dump and side B will need to be redumped.
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: Bryce on 21:59, 07 April 15
I think I might still have an original tape. I'll check.

Bryce.
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: TFM on 16:07, 08 April 15
Quote from: Nich on 19:47, 07 April 15
The routine for loading Side B is located at &2720 in the main program, and it is supposed to load a single block of length &FED6 bytes to address &0129.


So it overwrites itself? Or is it a trap to distract crackers? (Same idea for your next post: Bad Dump or Copy Protection?).


A 2nd tape would be nice to have to compare actually.

Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: Bryce on 19:35, 08 April 15
I've looked everywhere, but no sign of the game. I'm sure I have it though :(

Bryce.

Gesendet von meinem Motorola DynaTEC 8000X mit Tapatalk 2.

Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: Nich on 20:06, 08 April 15
Quote from: TFM on 16:07, 08 April 15
So it overwrites itself? Or is it a trap to distract crackers? (Same idea for your next post: Bad Dump or Copy Protection?).
I don't think it's a copy protection measure. The cassette loader is copied to &0000 and runs from there, so the loader isn't overwritten.
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: Nich on 20:08, 08 April 15
Quote from: Bryce on 19:35, 08 April 15
I've looked everywhere, but no sign of the game. I'm sure I have it though :(
I guessed from your avatar that you might still have a copy! ;) It would be great if you succeed in finding it, but if not then I'll just have to keep searching eBay for that elusive copy.
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: Bryce on 21:13, 08 April 15
Quote from: Nich on 20:08, 08 April 15
I guessed from your avatar that you might still have a copy! ;) It would be great if you succeed in finding it, but if not then I'll just have to keep searching eBay for that elusive copy.

I was a major fan of the series and everything else associated with it. I bought the tape back then, but the game never really impressed me. I'm still sure I have it though.

Bryce.
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: TFM on 21:38, 08 April 15
The game... oh well....
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: spinal on 09:06, 09 April 15
Here's a quick walkthrough is anyone wants to give the game a try. I quite liked it, although the controls are a little odd, but I guess that was the way back then.


Spoiler: ShowHide


from the start, select 'E' on the 8 segment display. the segments fade out over about 4 seconds, so make sure to keep them on. once you get to the floor (200 i think), call the elevator, it will arrive at the oposite end of the level (top right) once inside goto floor 'P' you will then be asked for some security codes.
The following will work if its the first game, not sure if they randomise if you die or not.


Paul Ranson - 94
Jim Baguleys - 05
John Pickford - C6
Peter Harrison - 5A


Once there, call the elevator, again opposite side, goto floor 'L' you will be asked for the President code, which is 8B.
Now, max is in the top left room, run because theirs bounty hunters around. once you have him call the elevator and run for it.
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: Nich on 21:36, 08 June 15
Thanks to Steve Jarrett, who very kindly supplied a WAV file of side B, I have provided a new crack of Max Headroom for downloading! :)

The end sequence is rather cool, although the speech is barely recognisable. I watched the ending of the Spectrum version on YouTube in order to understand what Max was saying (the Spectrum version has subtitles)! :laugh:
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: spinal on 10:47, 16 August 15
I'm not too good with the cpc, when I try to load the game (still on emulation) I get "Memory full". Is this a problem with the file/emulator/my knowledge?


Cheers.
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: CraigsBar on 11:07, 16 August 15
Quote from: spinal on 10:47, 16 August 15
I'm not too good with the cpc, when I try to load the game (still on emulation) I get "Memory full". Is this a problem with the file/emulator/my knowledge?


Cheers.
That depends, his are you loading it?
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: spinal on 11:38, 16 August 15
load"max [enter]


cat shows max.* 25k
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: Nich on 14:05, 16 August 15
Quote from: spinal on 11:38, 16 August 15
load"max [enter]

You need to type RUN"MAX" and then press ENTER or RETURN.
Title: Re: Max Headroom?
Post by: spinal on 15:29, 16 August 15
Cool, it worked great!
I'll admit to being mildly disappointed that the xz artwork as a bit better, it was great to finally see that ending :-)


Many thanks Nich.
Powered by SMFPacks Menu Editor Mod