Working version of Alien Demon?

[necronom]

I've been playing through all the Vic-20 games I can on my Vic with an SD2IEC (I only have up to 16k, so can't play the carts on the real thing). I've been through the un-expanded, 3k, and I'm now on the 8k games. I got to Alien Demon, and since I'm such a big fan of the Alien films (it's where my username comes from) I have been enjoying playing and mapping it. It seems that there is a problem with it.

I've been looking through the code and when you collect the two pieces of the flamethrower it's supposed to let you attack the Alien when it attacks (up to three times) by pressing F7, but the variables for having the full flamethrower, and the three shots aren't being set in the two versions I've tried. One is a D64, and the other is a two part PRG.

While messing with it I've changed the controls to I J L M instead of I J L <space>, and even got it working with the joystick, and I could mess with the checks when the Alien appears, but I though they may be a proper working version out there.

Around about lines 170-192 it looks to be checking for object 1 and 2 (flamethrower parts), then should set ft to -1, which doesn't happen, then fc (flame count) should go to 3, but it doesn't.
When the Alien attacks, at line 7020 it checks for ft as -1, fc>0, and F7 being pressed. By displaying ft and fc on line 170 (instead of the alien distance) I see that these stay at 0 all the time.

I'm wanting to put a full playthrough on YouTube, but without hacking the code I can't, and I'd like a proper version if possible. Also, once I change the code I can't then save it back, as it won't work when re-loaded. I've had to use a save state in Vice to test things.

[Vic20-Ian]

Is it machine code needing to be saved with ,1,1 ?

Might be why it won't reload.

[necronom]

I tried SAVE"ALIEN.PRG",8,1 but it didn't work on reload (unless I messed it up somehow). It does strange things. First there isn't a basic listing, but after you run it and break it there is, but it gives a syntax error on the first line (basic listing protection?), but listing 10- lists okay.
I don't know anything about machine code programming, so I can only change the basic and grab a VICE snapshot, but that won't work on the Vic as far as I know.
I've heard people saying they cleared it, so maybe if I bought the tape it would work, but that doesn't help me with having a PRG file on my SD card.

[Vic20-Ian]

Where did you get your prg from?

It could be a bad copy.

I am not familiar with the game but will take a look.

[necronom]

The versions I've tried are from a download (set up for the SD2IEC) I got after getting my SD2IEC (a D64 and two PRGs for this game are in it), and I tried the one I have in Gamebase (D64).
To try it ,if you go south, then left at the crossroads, then north at the next, you will find a flamethrower piece in those rectangular rooms (it's random), then go back to the crossroads and go to the far east, then the second part is in that long North/South corridor (usually South). After that head for the Alien (see distance on your screen) and press F7 as soon as it says ALIEN and it flashes. You should survive and the Alien should be a few squares away, but because of the variables being 0, it doesn't think you have the flamethrower or any shots, so you die.
The robots are only on the crossroads and you should try to get them near you and leave the rooms with them at the edge of the door, so when you re-enter you can go to the other side of the door and avoid them, as they stay where you last saw them.

[Vic20-Ian]

Dug out the tape. I will give it a go.

[necronom]

Great If you manage to get a PRG or D64 from it then I can test the game if you want, so see if the flamethrower bug is there, as you may not want to play it much. I'm a big Alien(s) fan (it's where my username came from), so I like it as it's like playing Alien. I'm wanting to put a playthrough on YouTube, though I'll need to modify the code each time I load it to add joystick support (I can't play games with keys).

[Vic20-Ian]

Emailed you a copy of the TAP that works in Vice and extracted prg files. It would need work to move it to D64 as it is 4 files on tape.

I will review your notes above and look for the flame thrower.

[Vic20-Ian]

You have to take the flamethrower to the Computer room to assemble it first.

That is why you cannot shoot the Alien.

[necronom]

Thanks, Ian. That's tonight sorted! Useful to have the instructions. I mapped it myself on graph paper a few months back, but I see you got a map with it.

And that Alien looks nothing like Giger's alien. Oh no. No copyright problems here. Not at all.
Actually it looks like the alien needs a dentist.

[Noizer]

Emailed you a copy of the TAP that works in Vice and extracted prg files. It would need work to move it to D64 as it is 4 files on tape.
I will review your notes above and look for the flame thrower.

Did it work tap to d64? Do you need further support? PM send
BTW, I like the font used in Alien Demon. Could you ripp it off?
BR

[necronom]

It seems that the flamethrower was always working, it's just that I didn't have the instructions and didn't know you needed to go to the starting screen to assemble it. The only thing that isn't great is that when I used my original D64 version that I can break into, I added joystick support but when I finished it in VICE I got an out of memory error on the end sequence, so maybe breaking into it causes a problem (or it might be VICE), also I tried re-saving the changes, but that didn't work in VICE. I think the graphics were corrupt, though I can't remember exactly what happened.

But really, it's all working, and I played through it last night and did a full playthrough video, with extra bits to show the deaths, and using the flamethrower (lots of imagination required on that bit).

Ian managed to get the files off so those worked, too. I tried the tap file in VICE.

[Vic20-Ian]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxOWHSmpq8k

I enjoyed the video playthrough.

This is an interesting game with some tension built like in the Alien film.

I think it followed the plot reasonably well like Mysterious Island did.