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Just found a 7th difference between "Mouse Trap" and this MQ, my compare utility grouped it in with one or more of the other six.
At top of the High Score screen "Mouse Trap" has its name in large multicolor graphics, whereas MQ shows blank empty space. This title is even Animated in Mouse Trap, so whoever wrote the patch which changed Mouse Trap into Mouse Quest was very quick and dirty about it, rather than reprogram this animation, they used White Out on it.
Playing "Mouse Trap" in PAL mode, is how to play As Originally Intended. Maybe NTSC playback is responsible for bugs mentioned in "Mouse Trap" comments? |
| This is a patched hack work 1989 of the 1987 game named "Mouse Trap". All versions are 64K RAM XL/XE ONLY and "Mouse Trap" can crash in NTSC display mode see comments relating to Mouse Trap.
What follows is my forensic analysis. I'd hate to be wrong about anything, but you all got the evidence before you. "Mouse Quest" (MQ) is patched, not recompiled, there are only 6 small differences in disk images.
1. Load speed, MQ loads with faster SIO than MT
2. Load msg changed from "LOADING MOUSETRAP..." to "LOADING MOUSEQUEST.." note the 3 dots chg to 2 to maintain string length
3. Brian Jobling's name overwritten with the name "Dirk Haserman" same # of characters what a coincidence. This is seen at bottom of high score list following completion of Demo walkthru
4. This patch stops NTSC mode from crashing/pausing
5. Title screen name change in graphic data
6. Title screen red garbage at bottom in Mouse Trap
All versions have name "Tynesoft" filling their high score list by default. This vaguely sounds like the publisher of the (original) Amiga version of this game, and/or is this what T stands for in "TDC" ?
Purpose of hack patchwork is plainly to stop crashes in NTSC mode, however other game element (s) such as music continue to play at different speeds PAL v NTSC so it's feared this update is incomplete. I wonder if "Dirk Haserman" earned any right to change the one name seen in game credits, and it could be the red garbage at the bottom of "Mouse Trap" was put there deliberately by DH he edited the name graphic, he was in a position to also edit Mouse Trap to sabotage it in favor of MQ and his name. Mouse Trap, the version on cassette tape, has no red garbage so red garbage is a corruption, does not belong. |
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Re-release of Mouse Trap.
Missing original disk image! |
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