terranova@vms.macc.wisc.edu (John Terranova) (10/17/88)
Greetings.
I see in the recent issue of MacTutor that there is a Mac version of the
arcade game Arkanoid. Has anyone seen it? Is it any good? I am hooked
on the arcade game, will this one effectively satisfy my need to play it?
Any info you have on this game would be greatly appreciated.
Also, where can I get it from and for how much?
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John C. Terranova | I said it. | I'm not a Computer
CS, BS to be | So, flame me. | Science undergraduate,
terranova@vms.macc.wisc.edu | No one else. | but I play one at school.
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It's awful hard to try to make love long-distance.
--Billy Joel, "Just a Fantasy"
Robert Heibel: 08/30/41 - 09/21/88; R.I.P., you deserve it.wb1j+@andrew.cmu.edu (William M. Bumgarner) (10/17/88)
I have the game... very, very good. It is exactly like the arcade game, too the point of annoyance. They left the background patterns in, which is hard on the eyes (no color-- all black/white). The user interface is very un-maclike. But... the animation is extremely smooth, mouse control is excellent (though a trackball blows the mouse away), sound is digitized, and the game is fairly challenging. The WORST part about the game (bad enough that the programmers should have a gun held to their heads until they fix it), is the stupid copy protections. 1) Arkanoid is distributed with MFS system version 1.1g. 2) It has key disk protection 3) It asks if it wants to install on your hard drive or run from floppy. 4) It disables the programmer's switch completely. because of the system, you can't boot the distribution disk... you have to boot from a hard drive or floppy, and then double-click the application on the distribution disk. Once done, Arkanoid will ask if you want to install on your HardDrive.... if you click yes, it will copy only the Arkanoid Data file, NOT the data loading application (STUPID-- how many beginner's are going to figure out what the hell is going on with this one??). It also installs an invisible file in your root level. If you then copy the loading application into the same folder with the data file, you can play the game without the key disk. BUT, Arkanoid does not work with system 6.0 (at least, not on a plus-- it may work on a II w/6.0). I have tried with 6.0.2 (fixed the alternate video page problem)... This wouldn't be a problem if you could make your own copy of the game on a bootable floppy and just play from that-- BUT YOU CAN'T! Beyond that, the game basically crashes the machine when you decide you want to quit. I have never had, nor heard of anyone (several people I know have it), Arkanoid properly _ExitToShell. It is also buggy... on a Mac II, using any of the playing options will usually lock up the machine. There is a way 'around' the copy protection... Bit copy the master disk; keep track length and synchronize-- The copy won't work as a master. SO... Write protect your master disk and run Arkanoid from that... when it asks to install (you may have to write-enable, then use shift-cmd-1 to eject the disk and write-protect before installing), click that you want to. The disk will be ejected, saying it needs to be write-enabled... put in the write- enabled copy. That should install ok. I use this method so that I can delete Arkanoid when I need the extra space on my drive-- or so that when my drive crashes (which I manage to do every now and then), I won't be screwed because I can't install it again. It's up to you-- the game itself is excellent. But you have to pay the price of dealing with a lot of garbage that there is no excuse for. If the company/programmers had done it right, I would reccommend this game to everyone. But as is, I recommend it only to those who can deal with the various acts of stupidty described above... b.bum wb1j+@andrew.cmu.edu
MacUserLabs@cup.portal.com (Stephan C Somogyi) (10/19/88)
I must disagree with most of the gripes made about Arkanoid. The final release version is not copy protected. I copied it straight to my hard disk & have it installed on Oc Cue. It works like a charm. This game is one of the most legal games available on the Mac. It is extremely MultiFinder friendly, even to the extent of letting me play the game in the forground while I have a demon-dialer Microphone script or an Excel load running in the background. If you are experiencing any problems, I suggest that you get in touch with Discovery Software. Stephan <---------------------------------------------------------------> Stephan Somogyi MacUser Labs 950 Tower Lane, 18th Floor Foster City, CA 94404 ...!sun!cup.portal.com!MacUserLabs or MacUserLabs@cup.portal.com BIX: mulabs MacNET: MULABS FAX: (415) 378-5675
wb1j+@andrew.cmu.edu (William M. Bumgarner) (10/20/88)
The copy I have was purchased on the floor of MacWorld expo (boston)... was that not the final release? b.bum wb1j+@andrew.cmu.edu
cb2o+@andrew.cmu.edu (Charles Edward Batey, Jr.) (01/22/89)
I've gotten to the last screen (or at least I assume it's the last screen); it's the one with the knight's helmet in the center of the screen and it spits chunks of rock at you. I've played for about 10 minutes on that screen with the ball just bouncing off of him. What am I supposed to do to finish the level? Ted Batey
eric@hp-ses.SDE.HP.COM (Eric Schyberg) (01/26/89)
Well, Wouldn't you really like to know !? Yes you would, so the answer is that you are to hit the head 16 times * yes 16 * and that will get you on to the next screen. Have fun, (yes I have made it) Eric 954,000 points Schyberg