Atari 8-bit - Synapse Software - 1983

Shamus - Case II

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Genre: Arcade - Platformer (Multi-Screen)
Year: 1983
Language: Machine Language
Publisher: Synapse Software
Controls: Joystick / Keyboard
Developer: —
Players: 1
Country
Programmer(s): Mataga, William
License: Commercial
Graphic Artist(s): —
Medium
Sound: —
Rarity: 77
Cover Artist(s): —
Serial: —
Dump: Download

OTHER VERSIONS WITH THE SAME TITLE (1)

Ariolasoft (Germany)Germany · 1983

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Missing original disk image!

1 / 2

Tape 1

INSTRUCTIONS (1)

PDF

CATALOGS (1)

1 / 2

Tape 1

VOTES / STATISTICS

Rating7.6/10

Hits: 41,696
Downloads: 3,752
Votes: 35

⬇ DOWNLOAD PDF

COMMENTS (6)

rave.N8 Apr 2016
Program "type 1" was made for cassette, program "type 2" was made for floppy diskette. The two programs were compiled seperately and handle copy protection differently, they could be the same game elsewise. There is a sixth code worm in the cassette version but not the disk version, the trigger is to have a disk drive powered On and then the game won't load, or if you load first and then turn a disk drive On then the game won't start. This worm is TWO instances of the sequence $"D0 01 02" needing to become $"D0 01 EA" to disable it. Cassette images can't be changed without adjusting FMS checksums, I'm mainly saying this for when the OEM cassette gets transfered to .xex like just now I did. Code worms should embarrass (when caught) the programmers and companies making them. Examine their legacy. Play cassette Shamus II on your emulator, then innocently bump a single mouse click into the disk drive power (drive numbers 1-4 are all checked) and then see fail. Not even a physical drive now, a virtual thing. This worm is silly in today's world. BUG in game, both program types. This seems to happen only in room number 5 and only when climbing up into room 5 from room 4 below, and not every time. Start a new game, move right thru room 1 into room 2, then climb thru room 4 and climb again into room 5. A barricade in the battlefield can have one or two characters composing it get zeroed out. If not, press Start and repeat, usually can be seen in 5 or fewer repetitions. You see a pair (16 bits) of zeros being barfed randomly into memory where it doesn't belong, a tad unsettling.
rave.N7 Apr 2016
Upon checking for multiple triggers of the same worm, there are 5 which checksum different regions of the programs. Crashing on Map/Pause is 1 of 5. 2 and 3 will crash when you press Start on the title page. 4 of 5 will crash when you shoot the big seagull enough times to turn him into a fireball. 5 of 5 will crash when you get killed in any manner. Essentially there are 5x instances of sequence $"F0 01 02" needing to be changed to $"F0 01 EA" in order to disable all 5 worms. The cracked disk download here now goes further and wipes out the checksum operations by overwriting them with 5 strings of 24x $EA's. Fandal's download cracks the first worm but leaves the other 4 active which doesn't cause trouble because the checksums match. Luckily the Cheaters I described don't affect those checksums, but, to make the entire game editable one must remove all 5 worms.
rave.N7 Apr 2016
There is a code worm, but first, there are 2 different program versions. Tell them apart this way: one contains the sequence $"20 58 45", while alternate type 2 contains $"20 F6 45" instead. Our download here now has type 1 cassette image plus a type 1 disk, disk maybe a cracked version of the cassette. Type 2 can be found in the Homesoft* Collection disk # "Spiele 9" and also on the web site a8.fandal.cz. *Homesoft game is corrupt!, actually it's the worm. The worm makes the game crash when you press Spacebar to Pause, but Shamus Case II actually draws a map of your progress when paused, THE MAP is important, so inoperable Pause matters. The byte sequences listed in above paragraph were chosen to point out the worm also, in the bytes preceding $20. Typically, if the one byte in front of $20 is $02 then the program is either OEM or improperly cracked. When the one byte in front of $20 is $EA, this disables the worm which I think checked to see if the "loader" was tampered with. CHEAT MODE unlimited lives - find the sequence $"AD 48 52 C9 FF" and then change the 2 bytes C9 FF to become $"AD 48 52 F0 0A". CHEAT MODE enemies can't shoot - find the 3x instances of $"A9 03 8D 1D D0" and change each 03 to 02. 3x. CHEAT MODE no collisions - find the sequence $"AD 04 D0 D0 1F" and then change 2 bytes to become $"AD 04 D0 EA EA". Green snakes still kill tho. This may not be my last comment here, but I'll be writing less from now on. Smell you nerds l8r.
Richard Hutnik16 Mar 2015
A video on the game and a link to the Internet Archive website to play the game can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkfONw3srgc&index=1&list=PLSzS_W_Z66v0KEUQlPdK1cFYK1nf2WFaT
Muffy St. Bernard8 Sept 2007
LOTS of fun! Once you've adjusted to the game-play and controls you can overcome the obstacles (even the "sliding ladders" that at first seem impossible). I've just finished the "Novice" level and mapped it out...once the "shadow is dead" on Novice, you're sent back to the beginning at Intermediate...I don't know if there are map differences at the higher level. Advice: read the instructions, save often, shoot diagonally, and try to keep at least one platform available in the corner (preferably under an barrier).
Jonny EOL11 Nov 2006
A nice mix of jump'n'run, shoot-em-up and map-it-out. Whilst not amongst the greatest of 8-bit games, it's a decent challenge and offers a fair bit of variety into the bargain.