Games that were tough to crack... - Page 4

Ray Norrish · 26 May 2006, 01:45

I remember doing a couple of "cracks" but they were easy. Just involved either nop'ing a jsr or fiddling a return value. I don't claim to be any expert, but it seemed quite a few protections were able to be defeated this way (obviously not AAA titles though)

z00mba · 26 May 2006, 09:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Norrish

I remember doing a couple of "cracks" but they were easy. Just involved either nop'ing a jsr or fiddling a return value. I don't claim to be any expert, but it seemed quite a few protections were able to be defeated this way (obviously not AAA titles though)

Yeah, even nowadays there quiet a few (commercial) applications and games on the PC than can be cracked this way. Sounds like there's no universal knowledge base on how to make an efficient copy protection system shared by software authors haha.

kamelito · 26 May 2006, 21:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

Why was Albedo hard to crack?

Loriciels are not noted for their ability when it comes to competant Copy protection

Well, Loriciels did not protect that game it has been done by Myriad, by Jean-Michel Georges. I don't remember exactly who cracked the game but I remember that the intro with an elephant running, in the scroll text you can read nice protection Myriad...Maybe you know the ability of this cracker and so can judge the protection, or try to crack it yourself... If I recall correctly it has been cracked a month after release which is not that bad. JMG should have done the protection of Operation Wolf but Ocean did not want to let him have access to the source code so he refused. Myriad was maybe the first game maker to produce a soundtracker like music system, Loriciels try to rip it but did not understood all the code...so it was a partial theft. kamelito

Doc Mindie · 27 May 2006, 14:53

Dungeon Master.

I seem to recall "back in the days" the people making DM made use of tracks 80 and/or 81 of the disk, whic things like XCopy and the like couldn't cope with.

I seem to remember I had to use the original disk for everything, though.... and now it's rotten and unusable

BippyM · 27 May 2006, 15:19

XCopy could cope with 81 track disks.. the disk you was using as a blank must have only had 80 tracks..

IFW · 27 May 2006, 16:46

Disks can handle upto 82 tracks normally, 84 max.
Using anything above 80 tracks however is not the norm, but for some strange reason people think that games were protected that way... not true at all.

As for DM: it uses weak bits, that's why you can't copy it. Once it's been copied the bits don't change their value when they are read several times so the game knows it's a copy.

AGN · 19 April 2007, 11:00

Command_And_Conquer_3_Tiberium_Wars_Kane_Edition_DVD9-FLT

Thanks for release Galahad ;)
It was tough to crack?

DamienD · 19 April 2007, 13:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by AGN

Command_And_Conquer_3_Tiberium_Wars_Kane_Edition_DVD9-FLT

Thanks for release Galahad

It was tough to crack?

I highly doubt this was done by Galahad...

Yes it's by FLT but I'm sure Galahad only did Amiga stuff

Retroplay · 20 April 2007, 21:31

What about Cavitas ?
I've heard that's a bitch to crack, and AFAIK there's no cracked versions that works 100%.

AGN · 21 April 2007, 15:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retroplay

What about Cavitas ?
I've heard that's a bitch to crack, and AFAIK there's no cracked versions that works 100%.

http://whdload.de/games/Cavitas.html
Click on 'Psygore' and fill bugreport.

Retroplay · 24 April 2007, 20:15

I know the WHD version works fine but I don't think there's any working adf's around.

AGN · 25 April 2007, 00:04

Use IPF instead.

Real hardware? You could ask Psygore to include source of slave. Then ask Bippy to make 100% adf version.

dlfrsilver · 04 May 2007, 06:21

take a look at what i found on my original deathtrap copy on the bootblock :

"Game Written By Lord Blitter OF theWhizkids development group.Note To the PIRATES, this is not the finalversion, my friends so if you want to avoidthe work of cracking this game again, bepatient, the final release is in two weeksAnd Also if you crack this (or the final version)don't put your name, coz i'll find you andmake sure you will not crack ANYTHING after!"

He says this is not the final version, but is it really ? Protection seems quite nice, (x2) long AmigaDos tracks on side 1 track 4 and 5, plus 85 % of the tracks are raw MFM and the rest as standard DOS tracks. This one must be tricky to do as it's an anco game hehehe.

Calgor · 04 May 2007, 08:14

Wasn't dragons breath supposed to have been hard to crack? I heard legends of some ppl being able to copy the game, but never any proof, and i never saw a working cracked or copied version (until the recent ipf/whdload versions). I could never backup my originals (and still can't! tho i haven't tried recently).

Read the whdload docs for info. Would be interested to hear if anyone somehow did manage to get a copy working, or knows of a program which works copying it.

Codetapper · 04 May 2007, 09:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

take a look at what i found on my original deathtrap copy on the bootblock :

"Game Written By Lord Blitter OF theWhizkids development group.Note To the PIRATES, this is not the finalversion, my friends so if you want to avoidthe work of cracking this game again, bepatient, the final release is in two weeksAnd Also if you crack this (or the final version)don't put your name, coz i'll find you andmake sure you will not crack ANYTHING after!"

He says this is not the final version, but is it really ?

Yep, that silly message was just put there to delay the crackers. Although I can't imagine any crackers were so dense as to stall cracking a game based on a message in the bootblock!

dlfrsilver · 04 May 2007, 10:04

this game is not easy to crack.....and rawread doesn't work on it.

My ADF stays stuck on loading track 4 side 1.....

WayneK · 04 May 2007, 12:02

He (Lord Blitter) also made the nice thrust clone "Zarathrusta", which took NOMAD 3 attempts to release the only 100% working version to the Amiga scene... as one of the early amiga crackers (in BS1) Lord Blitter probably knew a few tricks to keep other crackers busy

dlfrsilver · 04 May 2007, 12:16

yes, i guess DT must have some clevers tricks inside like maybe checksums,
encryption and other stuff.....

The disk format is very exotic to say the least....

RichAplin · 29 October 2008, 00:34

I'd be interested in a 'how to crack Double Dragon 2' guide.

(edit)
Ah found http://www.whdload.de/games/DoubleDragon2.html by Galahad.
that's some good nostalgia there.

Galahad/FLT · 29 October 2008, 00:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichAplin

I'd be interested in a 'how to crack Double Dragon 2' guide.

I'll bet you would Richard, ill bet you would!

I would doubt you would remember half the stuff you put in there would you?

I have trouble remembering what I had for tea 3 days ago!

Twas a time consuming one was DD2, and that was only to ensure I didn't bloody miss anything

29 October 2008, 00:34	#79
RichAplin Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: san francisco/usa Posts: 176	I'd be interested in a 'how to crack Double Dragon 2' guide. (edit) Ah found http://www.whdload.de/games/DoubleDragon2.html by Galahad. that's some good nostalgia there. Last edited by RichAplin; 29 October 2008 at 00:44.

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26 May 2006, 01:45	#61
Ray Norrish Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Location: Cheshire, UK Age: 56 Posts: 322	I remember doing a couple of "cracks" but they were easy. Just involved either nop'ing a jsr or fiddling a return value. I don't claim to be any expert, but it seemed quite a few protections were able to be defeated this way (obviously not AAA titles though)

27 May 2006, 14:53	#64
Doc Mindie In deep Trouble Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Manchester, Made in Norway Age: 51 Posts: 841	Dungeon Master. I seem to recall "back in the days" the people making DM made use of tracks 80 and/or 81 of the disk, whic things like XCopy and the like couldn't cope with. I seem to remember I had to use the original disk for everything, though.... and now it's rotten and unusable

27 May 2006, 15:19	#65
BippyM Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Derby, UK Age: 48 Posts: 9,355	XCopy could cope with 81 track disks.. the disk you was using as a blank must have only had 80 tracks..

27 May 2006, 16:46	#66
IFW Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: ... Age: 52 Posts: 1,838	Disks can handle upto 82 tracks normally, 84 max. Using anything above 80 tracks however is not the norm, but for some strange reason people think that games were protected that way... not true at all. As for DM: it uses weak bits, that's why you can't copy it. Once it's been copied the bits don't change their value when they are read several times so the game knows it's a copy.

19 April 2007, 11:00	#67
AGN Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Poland Posts: 142	Command_And_Conquer_3_Tiberium_Wars_Kane_Edition_DVD9-FLT Thanks for release Galahad ;) It was tough to crack?

20 April 2007, 21:31	#69
Retroplay Lemon Curry ? Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Denmark Age: 49 Posts: 4,080	What about Cavitas ? I've heard that's a bitch to crack, and AFAIK there's no cracked versions that works 100%.

24 April 2007, 20:15	#71
Retroplay Lemon Curry ? Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Denmark Age: 49 Posts: 4,080	I know the WHD version works fine but I don't think there's any working adf's around.

25 April 2007, 00:04	#72
AGN Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Poland Posts: 142	Use IPF instead. Real hardware? You could ask Psygore to include source of slave. Then ask Bippy to make 100% adf version.

04 May 2007, 06:21	#73
dlfrsilver CaptainM68K-SPS France Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Melun nearby Paris/France Age: 46 Posts: 10,413	take a look at what i found on my original deathtrap copy on the bootblock : "Game Written By Lord Blitter OF theWhizkids development group.Note To the PIRATES, this is not the finalversion, my friends so if you want to avoidthe work of cracking this game again, bepatient, the final release is in two weeksAnd Also if you crack this (or the final version)don't put your name, coz i'll find you andmake sure you will not crack ANYTHING after!" He says this is not the final version, but is it really ? Protection seems quite nice, (x2) long AmigaDos tracks on side 1 track 4 and 5, plus 85 % of the tracks are raw MFM and the rest as standard DOS tracks. This one must be tricky to do as it's an anco game hehehe.

04 May 2007, 08:14	#74
Calgor (Amigas && Amigos)++ Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Anrea Posts: 999	Wasn't dragons breath supposed to have been hard to crack? I heard legends of some ppl being able to copy the game, but never any proof, and i never saw a working cracked or copied version (until the recent ipf/whdload versions). I could never backup my originals (and still can't! tho i haven't tried recently). Read the whdload docs for info. Would be interested to hear if anyone somehow did manage to get a copy working, or knows of a program which works copying it.

04 May 2007, 10:04	#76
dlfrsilver CaptainM68K-SPS France Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Melun nearby Paris/France Age: 46 Posts: 10,413	this game is not easy to crack.....and rawread doesn't work on it. My ADF stays stuck on loading track 4 side 1.....

04 May 2007, 12:02	#77
WayneK Registered User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Somewhere secret Age: 50 Posts: 365	He (Lord Blitter) also made the nice thrust clone "Zarathrusta", which took NOMAD 3 attempts to release the only 100% working version to the Amiga scene... as one of the early amiga crackers (in BS1) Lord Blitter probably knew a few tricks to keep other crackers busy

04 May 2007, 12:16	#78
dlfrsilver CaptainM68K-SPS France Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Melun nearby Paris/France Age: 46 Posts: 10,413	yes, i guess DT must have some clevers tricks inside like maybe checksums, encryption and other stuff..... The disk format is very exotic to say the least....

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