GravAttack

09 October 2001, 23:35

This game, while it was shareware and a bit on the "primitive" side, was the greatest reason I had looked forward to sprite collisions being fixed in WinUAE. Now that 8.17 includes that fix, I've rehooked several friends back on the "Amiga" and playing this game.

I'm wondering if there's anyone out there who registered (or played a LOT), and knows the various level secrets and universal secrets in the game.

More info on the game:
It was shareware, created by Scott Pedersen, a student at University of California at Santa Cruz, in '87 or '88. It used an "asteroids" style ship, that flew through various landscapes (many of the very colorful and wacky), working against gravity in most levels (like lunar lander), to pick up 6 keys per level.

On level 2 onward, bunkers appear that shoot at the player. The player can shoot back, and use up fuel to activate shields. The screen scrolls in 4 directions (more horizontally than vertically), and the goal is to pick up the 6 keys while using as little fuel as possible and not running into the terrain or getting shot.

There are, I believe, 17 levels to the game. Personally, I get stuck on 7 nearly every time.

It's an addictive game, for such a simple concept.

On each level, there is a "secret bonus" for that level, that gains you extra fuel, ships, or points for completing it. On the first bonus, if you die (1 time only, I think), you get KAMIKAZE, for instance, which gets you 2 more ships (1 extra over the replacement for the one you lose). Folks who registered would get a list of the bonuses.

I would register, and tried to back when I attended UCSC (coincidently), but Scott had died tragically after creating this very fun game, and it wasn't possible to follow through.

Anybody out there have any more info?

CodyJarrett · 10 October 2001, 08:13

I think I remember playing this game, but I didn't register...

RetroMan · 10 October 2001, 08:18

Uhhhh, that game sounds like THRUST on the CPC, kinda simmilar, anyone got that game ?? I love to try it

Twistin'Ghost · 10 October 2001, 08:42

As I recall, that game was later converted to the commercial game Dr. Plummett's House Of Flux. I'm (still) at work and can't delve into my big book of notes, but I'll try to remember to look that one up, as I am pretty sure that's how the story went. It's been AGES since I looked at GravAttack!

11 October 2001, 02:53

GravAttack can be downloaded here:

http://www.aminet.org/pub/aminet/gam...gravattack.lha

I placed it on a 1.3 disk, IIRC, there _might_ be problems with the 3.0 ROM.

I'm hopeful that once folks download and try it, they'll recognize it (though the chance of that same person having had sent in the shareware fee is pretty low, I suppose).

11 October 2001, 03:32

Wow. Whoa, wow.

I managed to find Dr. Plummet's, and Im VERY surprised.

First, that this managed to happen, when Scott never was able to finish his version, second that microillusions was the publisher (thanks to Faery Tale, they'd been a pet favorite of mine). It looks like this might have been the last thing Microillusions published, from the Back To the Roots listing on them.

They even added some things I wanted to see in GravAttack: Visible thrust, an improved looking ship, better looking shots from the player, and the countdown to the level start.

They also changed some things I don't like: the "boing" when hitting the screen edge, changing the keys to androids, that gaudy money background on level 1.

The MOST interesting thing, though, is the fact that it will CRASH WinUAE after the first level is completed. Not crash the virtual Amiga, but it does something that literally crashes WinUAE within Windows. COOL! :-) (It did that with 8.16r4 too, I just checked, though that was even worse because of the lack of collision detection)

Twistin'Ghost · 11 October 2001, 04:05

I wish I could remember the details, but I kind of got the idea that Scott died after Microillusions secured the rights to the game or something like that. It's something I will have to re-research, but I think that is right.

T_hairy_bootson · 16 December 2004, 16:56

*Bump*

Anyone got either the registered GravAttack or that Dr. Plummett's House Of Flux? I would be very interested in having a thrust around on either game.

edit: found Dr Plummet's House of Flux, but would still be interested in a registered version of GravAttack, very interested.

ant512 · 16 December 2004, 17:52

House of Flux is available here:

http://www.gamesamiga-island.de/DRPLUMIT.zip

09 October 2001, 23:35	#1
dulcaoin Posts: n/a	GravAttack This game, while it was shareware and a bit on the "primitive" side, was the greatest reason I had looked forward to sprite collisions being fixed in WinUAE. Now that 8.17 includes that fix, I've rehooked several friends back on the "Amiga" and playing this game. I'm wondering if there's anyone out there who registered (or played a LOT), and knows the various level secrets and universal secrets in the game. More info on the game: It was shareware, created by Scott Pedersen, a student at University of California at Santa Cruz, in '87 or '88. It used an "asteroids" style ship, that flew through various landscapes (many of the very colorful and wacky), working against gravity in most levels (like lunar lander), to pick up 6 keys per level. On level 2 onward, bunkers appear that shoot at the player. The player can shoot back, and use up fuel to activate shields. The screen scrolls in 4 directions (more horizontally than vertically), and the goal is to pick up the 6 keys while using as little fuel as possible and not running into the terrain or getting shot. There are, I believe, 17 levels to the game. Personally, I get stuck on 7 nearly every time. It's an addictive game, for such a simple concept. On each level, there is a "secret bonus" for that level, that gains you extra fuel, ships, or points for completing it. On the first bonus, if you die (1 time only, I think), you get KAMIKAZE, for instance, which gets you 2 more ships (1 extra over the replacement for the one you lose). Folks who registered would get a list of the bonuses. I would register, and tried to back when I attended UCSC (coincidently), but Scott had died tragically after creating this very fun game, and it wasn't possible to follow through. Anybody out there have any more info?

16 December 2004, 16:56	#8
T_hairy_bootson Workbitch 1.3 Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Melbourne, Australia Age: 47 Posts: 2,084	Bump Anyone got either the registered GravAttack or that Dr. Plummett's House Of Flux? I would be very interested in having a thrust around on either game. edit: found Dr Plummet's House of Flux, but would still be interested in a registered version of GravAttack, very interested. Last edited by T_hairy_bootson; 16 December 2004 at 17:49.

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10 October 2001, 08:13	#2
CodyJarrett Global Moderator Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: UK Age: 46 Posts: 6,162	I think I remember playing this game, but I didn't register...

10 October 2001, 08:18	#3
RetroMan Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Germany Age: 51 Posts: 3,704	Uhhhh, that game sounds like THRUST on the CPC, kinda simmilar, anyone got that game ?? I love to try it

10 October 2001, 08:42	#4
Twistin'Ghost Give up the ghost Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: U$A Age: 33 Posts: 4,662	As I recall, that game was later converted to the commercial game Dr. Plummett's House Of Flux. I'm (still) at work and can't delve into my big book of notes, but I'll try to remember to look that one up, as I am pretty sure that's how the story went. It's been AGES since I looked at GravAttack!

11 October 2001, 02:53	#5
dulcaoin Posts: n/a	GravAttack can be downloaded here: http://www.aminet.org/pub/aminet/gam...gravattack.lha I placed it on a 1.3 disk, IIRC, there _might_ be problems with the 3.0 ROM. I'm hopeful that once folks download and try it, they'll recognize it (though the chance of that same person having had sent in the shareware fee is pretty low, I suppose).

11 October 2001, 03:32	#6
dulcaoin Posts: n/a	Wow. Whoa, wow. I managed to find Dr. Plummet's, and Im VERY surprised. First, that this managed to happen, when Scott never was able to finish his version, second that microillusions was the publisher (thanks to Faery Tale, they'd been a pet favorite of mine). It looks like this might have been the last thing Microillusions published, from the Back To the Roots listing on them. They even added some things I wanted to see in GravAttack: Visible thrust, an improved looking ship, better looking shots from the player, and the countdown to the level start. They also changed some things I don't like: the "boing" when hitting the screen edge, changing the keys to androids, that gaudy money background on level 1. The MOST interesting thing, though, is the fact that it will CRASH WinUAE after the first level is completed. Not crash the virtual Amiga, but it does something that literally crashes WinUAE within Windows. COOL! :-) (It did that with 8.16r4 too, I just checked, though that was even worse because of the lack of collision detection)

11 October 2001, 04:05	#7
Twistin'Ghost Give up the ghost Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: U$A Age: 33 Posts: 4,662	I wish I could remember the details, but I kind of got the idea that Scott died after Microillusions secured the rights to the game or something like that. It's something I will have to re-research, but I think that is right.

16 December 2004, 17:52	#9
ant512 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: California Posts: 965	House of Flux is available here: http://www.gamesamiga-island.de/DRPLUMIT.zip

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