Zoom NTSC 1988 Discovery Software

[john1979]

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

I could be persuaded

I just didn't want to waste my time on it if it wasn't actually needed.

I think it's worth it. The C64 version was crap, but the Amiga version is quite nice to play.

[Galahad/FLT]

Is the game infinite levels?

[DrBong]

Originally Posted by Arnie

If it's for emulation, why can't they just use the IPF?
Is Zoom_1910 not NTSC?

Or is it something I've missed (most likely)?

Yep IPF can be used under emulation, but a cracked ADF can be used by all with a minimum of fuss, which is what I thought my previous post intimated (but hey it was 3am when I posted and I was doing HOL stuff too!).

Anyway, I was hoping it would draw Galahad back into this thread.....and it did!

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by DrBong

Yep IPF can be used under emulation, but a cracked ADF can be used by all with a minimum of fuss, which is what I thought my previous post intimated (but hey it was 3am when I posted and I was doing HOL stuff too!).

Anyway, I was hoping it would draw Galahad back into this thread.....and it did!

I've been played!

[lesta_smsc]

Lol... the trap was discreetly set!

[john1979]

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

Is the game infinite levels?

Apparently, the game has six stages, with six levels in each stage.

[Arnie]

I noticed you can actually start at level 10, where it goes from there is anybody's guess unless someone completes level 10

[Belgarath]

Doesn't the advance 16 levels cheat work?

[DrBong]

Originally Posted by DrBong

Yep IPF can be used under emulation, but a cracked ADF can be used by all with a minimum of fuss, which is what I thought my previous post intimated (but hey it was 3am when I posted and I was doing HOL stuff too!).

Anyway, I was hoping it would draw Galahad back into this thread.....and it did!

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

I've been played!

Good man.....but don't you hate it when you get done in by a jedi mind trick!?!

Besides, you couldn't stop cracking Ami stuff - if only just for the sheer challenge - even if you tried! I've got the same morbid addiction with working on HOL stuff apparently, heh!!

[DisposableHero]

If a 1988 game was virtually uncrackable, it makes you wonder why Frank Neuhaus didn't make huge money licensing his work out to other companies. Although I guess anything protected using it would automatically be A1200-incompatible (I'm guessing most Core Design games used identical schemes, hence almost all failing on anything above a 68000?)

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by DisposableHero

If a 1988 game was virtually uncrackable, it makes you wonder why Frank Neuhaus didn't make huge money licensing his work out to other companies. Although I guess anything protected using it would automatically be A1200-incompatible (I'm guessing most Core Design games used identical schemes, hence almost all failing on anything above a 68000?)

The game wasnt virtually uncrackable.

And most Core Design games were Copylock protected.

[BarryB]

Just to bump this old thread, I have the PAL version of Zoom! if anyone wants it, CT RAW in the Zone! Plays fine in WinUAE so it's passed the protection check on 59.1 for starting the game

[Galahad/FLT]

How many levels does this game have? I'm getting proper bored here, just never seems to end! :/

[BarryB]

On the back of the sleeve it says '50 chaotic levels of play' so I guess there's 50.

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by BarryB

On the back of the sleeve it says '50 chaotic levels of play' so I guess there's 50.

I've played way beyond that, the levels just appear to repeat

[BarryB]

No idea then, can't you dig into the code a bit more and see how the levels load?

[Galahad/FLT]

Zoom 100% cracked in the zone.

Tested on a real A500 at the South West Amiga Meet

[BarryB]

OOOH! Nice one, i'll ZOOM! on over to the Zone and grab it

Edit: Thanks for the mention in the cracktro (nice cracktro btw), i'm a 'supplier' now

Edit 2: Wonder if this is still relevant today: http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=87518

[WayneK]

Nice job Galahad, I cracked this one a few months ago and it had some really good protection (could have been better implemented, but still interesting to look at).

I managed to screw up something to do with interrupts that I could never fix, and lacked the motivation to make an intro for it so those 2 things combined forced it into the ever-growing "unfinished" pile on my HD :P

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by WayneK

Nice job Galahad, I cracked this one a few months ago and it had some really good protection (could have been better implemented, but still interesting to look at).

I managed to screw up something to do with interrupts that I could never fix, and lacked the motivation to make an intro for it so those 2 things combined forced it into the ever-growing "unfinished" pile on my HD :P

I liked it, considering the age of the game, it had some neat ideas.

Obviously the self modifying decryption wasn't great, but enough loops to put off the casual hacker, and the sneaky writing of variables to address $13c nearly caught me out when the checksums activated, having to preserve from $0 - $500 twice for when the two different decrypters were running, and the protection track read which built up a table was a nice touch as well.

Memory was the massive problem, really struggled to fit the main game loader in, eventually found a tiny bit right at the end of 512k chip, couldn't touch anything in low memory as the game and intro was checking it to make sure certain variables were set correctly.

Game is so-so, but the protection was a nice change