Night Hunter (help needed finding cheat or if ending exists)

[Xyphoe]

Hi guys,

I've been doing a longplay video of Night Hunter (http://cpc-power.com/index.php?page=detail&num=1516)



It was meant to be due for Halloween but the game is very difficult and took me much longer than expected.

Anyway the game has 5 areas, which loops around to give 10 areas but much more difficult. I thought after completing level 10 that would be it but arggh it's now on level 11 and back to the first area. There's a video on YouTube of Level 30 for the PC!

I thought there would be only 10 levels, the map Kukulan has on the CPC Power site suggests this as does the cheat mode -

Pause and enter this to activate - "PLEASE ALI I WANT TO CHEAT"
You can then type "LEVEL x" (x = 0 a 9)

So that suggests there's maybe only 9 or 10 levels, because you can't enter 10, 11, 30 to jump to (only one digit).


Could anyone take a quick look at the code to see if there's any reference to a level 30 and some kind of end-game completion screen, sequence, or text at all? Or if there's poke I could use to start on level 30? So I can complete this longplay, otherwise I won't bother and leave it at 10 levels completed and miss the possibility there is an ending - we all like to see endings! 

Thanks in advance!

[steve]

(In maggie thatcher voice), "as we all know, endings are just beginnings"

[MacDeath]

according to the CPCpower's map, there are only 10 levels...

Perhaps the same level plays again with some "added difficulty" and so there may be no real ending but "eternal loop" in the most difficult setting ?



sorry it is big but lovable...

This game is also a sweet Atari ST port.
I knew this game from a friend who had it on his Atarti ST, I also remember it was quite long to load on this machine...

A noter que l'agencement des niveaux diffère de la version Atari ST. Il n'y a plus d'extérieurs, de ponts, de lacs, l'entrée du château, l'autel, la grange, de nombreux écrans pourtant très beaux ont ainsi disparus.

Many Atari ST stuff were removed or done a bit differently...

I guess they had to as the ST version can rely on 512K minimum RAM... while the CPC was more severely limited into 128K max...
As Atari ST VRAM is "only" twice the Amstrads one, the Amstrad version would need only 256RAM on an Atari ST, hence easily almost twice more Video Data content (Srpites or tiles, and so on...) may be used on ST (well, not exactly but quite...)



I can't wait for your video though.


Don't know if you understand French but the CPCpower's page specify the game has no ending hence eternal loop with "2x5" levels.

Comprend seulement 5 niveaux (les niveaux 6 a 10 sont identique aux niveaux 1 a 5). Le jeu n'a pas de fin.

"features only 5 levels (6to10 are the same as 1to5). The game has no ending"...

Such is a life as a Vampire : eternity of damnation or Death from Vampire hunters, inquisition, sunburns or a simple wooden pique.

[Xyphoe]

Hi MacDeath,

Yea that's what I read (as I said above) on the CPC Power website - map shows 10 levels and they wrote on the page that it has no ending.

However I'm suspicious of that because (1) I'm on level 11 now, (2) other versions have 30 levels despite yes the same areas looping over and (3) I've just noticed the back of the box for the Amstrad version says "30 levels" ....

[tastefulmrship]

However I'm suspicious of that because (1) I'm on level 11 now, (2) other versions have 30 levels despite yes the same areas looping over and (3) I've just noticed the back of the box for the Amstrad version says "30 levels" ....

Well, you can always play through all 30 levels, or just try this;

(Insert the 2 disc version of NIGHT HUNTER; cracked by X-OR, not CHANY's single disk version)
Then type LOAD"NIGHTHUN"
Edit line 150 to read 150 POKE &3EA7,30
To load the game type RUN
Then select 2 for INFINITE LIVES
Then type any number for the level, as we've already selected level 30!
Play as normal!

However, selecting 31 for memory address 3EA7 loads level 1 and the game shows the level number as 1E! But, if an end-sequence exists, then it might activate on completion of level 1D. I haven't checked the code, yet, to see if this is the case.


EDIT: Does the level-select cheat work? (The game is too irritating for me to play long enough to complete a level) I ask because it looks like the cheat puts the new level number into &413C/D (via &3EA7), but the game increments &413E at the end of the level (code at &A695) which is then put into &413C/D (code at &46DE). When you complete the level, does it go to the next or back to level 2? (Also, the &A695 code does something funky to &413E, can someone please explain what it's doing? Ta muchly!)

[MacDeath]

I've just noticed the back of the box for the Amstrad version says "30 levels" ....

But have you noticed the picture was also probably one of the Atari ST version



Also it is to notice that at CPCpowers the game is said to use the Extra RAM from the 6128.
Do you know if 2 verison existed ? or what are the differences between 128K or 64k ?

[Xyphoe]

Well, you can always play through all 30 levels, or just try this;

(Insert the 2 disc version of NIGHT HUNTER; cracked by X-OR, not CHANY's single disk version)
Then type LOAD"NIGHTHUN"
Edit line 150 to read 150 POKE &3EA7,30
To load the game type RUN
Then select 2 for INFINITE LIVES
Then type any number for the level, as we've already selected level 30!
Play as normal!

However, selecting 31 for memory address 3EA7 loads level 1 and the game shows the level number as 1E! But, if an end-sequence exists, then it might activate on completion of level 1D. I haven't checked the code, yet, to see if this is the case.


EDIT: Does the level-select cheat work? (The game is too irritating for me to play long enough to complete a level) I ask because it looks like the cheat puts the new level number into &413C/D (via &3EA7), but the game increments &413E at the end of the level (code at &A695) which is then put into &413C/D (code at &46DE). When you complete the level, does it go to the next or back to level 2? (Also, the &A695 code does something funky to &413E, can someone please explain what it's doing? Ta muchly!)

Thanks mate!!

Hmm! It didn't quite work .... the level showed as "1D" and not "30" - its definitely not correct because the enemies are lazy and easy, like on level 1 (unless that's part of X OR's poke...) - but I completed the level anyway and it loaded up the next one as level "25"!!! And not "1E" as I was expecting!!! How weird?

[Xyphoe]

OK I tried something else.

I noted before the X OR choose level request that it had poked in 1D rather than 30. And this changes after selecting a random level I think.

Anyway ... after choosing a level using WinApe debugger I poked 3EA7 with the value of 30 and lo the level starts at level 30! .... ->



But, the game is far too easy for what should be level 30 ... enemies are lazy and don't attack much, etc. So something hasn't gone quite right still.

Anyway I completed this level quickly, but then the game just loaded up as level 31 this time ->

[tastefulmrship]

OK I tried something else.

I noted before the X OR choose level request that it had poked in 1D rather than 30. And this changes after selecting a random level I think.

Anyway ... after choosing a level using WinApe debugger I poked 3EA7 with the value of 30 and lo the level starts at level 30! .... ->
But, the game is far too easy for what should be level 30 ... enemies are lazy and don't attack much, etc. So something hasn't gone quite right still.

Anyway I completed this level quickly, but then the game just loaded up as level 31 this time ->

&1D = 29 in decimal.
&30 = 48 in decimal.

Ok... try this; I'm sure &413E deals with the level number once a level is complete.
- RUN the game in WinAPE as normal (with INF LIVES and select level 10)
- When the menu appears press 'F7' to bring up the disassembly
- Click on 'Go to Address'
- Select 413E
- Press F3 to bring up the assembler
- From top-menu; File, New
- Type (on separate lines) 'ORG &413E' 'DEFB &1D'
- Press CTRL+F9 or, from the top menu; Assemble, Assemble

You can refresh the disassembly list to check the 'level' number has changed (by another Go to Address). Play the game normally and see what happens when you complete the level.

[Xyphoe]

&1D = 29 in decimal.
&30 = 48 in decimal.

Ok... try this; I'm sure &413E deals with the level number once a level is complete.
- RUN the game in WinAPE as normal (with INF LIVES and select level 10)
- When the menu appears press 'F7' to bring up the disassembly
- Click on 'Go to Address'
- Select 413E
- Press F3 to bring up the assembler
- From top-menu; File, New
- Type (on separate lines) 'ORG &413E' 'DEFB &1D'
- Press CTRL+F9 or, from the top menu; Assemble, Assemble

You can refresh the disassembly list to check the 'level' number has changed (by another Go to Address). Play the game normally and see what happens when you complete the level.

Thanks mate but I don't think that's worked unless the level counter is corrupted - it shows "0:" as the level I'm on! However it is also the wrong area (area 5) for this level (which should be area 4) but enemies are rock hard which is correct.... (&413E shows -> 1D)

[Xyphoe]

OK I gave up  I can't be arsed spending any more time on this frustrating game!


[AMSTRAD CPC] Night Hunter - Longplay & Review

Longplay to level 10 is now live. But if anyone has any other thoughts on the mysterious level 30 and possible ending (perhaps maybe finding text in the code or special graphics ready to load?) then I'll put up a bonus video.

Thank you to tastefulmyship for his help! I gave you a shoutout 

[MacDeath]

seriously why would you longplay up to 30 levels

I mean it is not even sure it is implemented and just the result of the hack...
And, well... 30 levels would be a 3 hours video...


Keep yourself for R-Type128 and BB4CPC... !


BTW, the guy who did this job (Rachid...) did quite a good job I think, and you can see how professionnal UBI Soft was already at the time, as you can chosse betwen AZERTY and QWERTY.... quite a few games enabled such choice I guess.