Hexus Mastermind - #1 - Ferral

[Galant]

HEXUS MASTERMIND #1 - Ferral

Commencement Time: Friday 13th June 10am.

Chosen subject areas:

Primary : 8 Bit Games (Commodore, Amstrad & Spectrum)
Secondary : 8 & 16 Bit Computers (Not Consoles, things like C64, Amiga, Atari ST etc)

Ferral, you now have 24 hours to answer all questions below. All questions are to be answered from your own head only without reference to any outside sources. These Mastermind challenges are running on the honour system so please don't cheat!

Anyone wishing to sign-up to be a contestant in future editions, please sign-up in the thread in the Sticky section.


QUESTIONS

Q 01. What is the name of this iconic Amstrad CPC464 game?


Q 02. Complete the theme tune: "war never been so much fun, war never been so much fun, war never been so much fun, war never been so much fun...."

Q 03. Name the game to question 02, the original platform and year of release.

Q 04. The largest game of the franchise, which award winning CPC platform adventure featured (amongst others) Pogie the Fluffle, a whale, and a man-eating plant?

Q 05. Which 1981 Namco arcade classic space shoot-em-up, later ported to 8-bit CPC personal computers by Mastertronic, introduced free scrolling maps and featured the following waveform chip music generated soundtrack by Nobuyuki Ohnogi: http://www.filedropper.com/audioclip_1

Q 06. One of the first two player arcade games, which highly successful 1980s 8-bit port had the following synopsis: "General Alexandar Bonn C.I.F. US Forces in Central America - has been seized by a band of revolutionaries and held captive in his own headquarters. Before his final capture he relayed a mayday which you and your buddy picked up. Your plane crash-lands in the dense jungle some distance from the headquarters. After deciding whether to go it alone or attempt the rescue together you set off. You are deep in querilla territory. On all sides gather trained marksmen and combateers determined to stop you. It soon becomes apparent that you lack the supplies to win but win through you must. Ambush enemy tanks and use them yourself. Collect fuel and grenades left by the enemy as they retract. Show no mercy...."

Q 07. What was the name of Dizzy's wizard friend?

Q 08. Featuring Patrick Moore, the TV gaming show "Gamesmaster" ran from 1992 to 1998 and was hosted by which two presenters while on channel 4?

Q 09. The Psygnosis Game "Lemmings" featured blockers, climbers, builders, bombers, diggers and which other 3 skills?

Q 10. A short, stubby, fat, cheesy cliche Italian plumber with a 70's porno tash and he still became the greatest video character ever?! Brilliant. Name the character's original love interest.

Q 11. Pilot a helicopter, or take the jeep? Which side-scroller shoot-em-up reached number 3 in the UK Spectrum sales charts behind Robocop and Dragon Ninja?

Q 12. Which programming brothers left Codemasters to set up Interactive Studios, later Blitz Games Studios?

Q 13. Please name the disciplines that the player was able to compete in on the 1987 C64 version of ‘California Games.’

Q 14. What two classic games saw the player cover great distances in expansive game play as captain of his own ship?

Q 15. Coming in number 2 behind Robocop in the Spectrum sales charts, what single-player shooter, by Taito, spawned three sequels with the player controlling a special forces operative?

Q 16. Moving forward from their predecessor, block-based graphics, what is the name of the type of graphics which the 8-bit era brought into being?

Q 17. In the history of computer and video games, beginning July 15, 1983, the 8-Bit era is also known as what generation?

Q 18. Released in 1985, the Atari ST was one of the first home computers of the era. What does 'ST' stand for?

Q 19. Leaving Atari, and going on to found Amiga and much later work on microprocessor-based cardiac pacemaker what is the real name of the integrated circuit designer known as the "Father of the Amiga?"

Q 20. Jack Tramiel, founder of Commodore, died in 2012 aged 83. What iconic catchphrase did he coin following the release of the C64?

[Galant]

A few minutes early but the questions are up!

[Galant]

Ferral - you're on the clock!



Oh and just in case it isn't obvious - No-one else answer PLEASE!

[Ferral]

1. Roland in the Caves

2.

Go up to your brother
Kill him with your gun

War

War, Has Never been so much fun x4

Leave him lying in his uniform
Dying in the sun

3. Canon Fodder, Commodore Amiga 1993 I think from Virgin Interactive

4. Dizzy series (Pogie is a weird looking Purple Teddy Bear type thing! )

5. Don't know (I have looked up the answer to this one as it intrigued me)

6. Ikari Warriors (Also in sequel Victory Road)

7. Theodore (I think)

8. Dominic Diamond - Can't remember a second presenter

9. Floaters, Basher & Can't remember 3rd

10. In Donkey Kong she was known by 3 names : Lady, Pauline & Louise depending on territory

11. Silkworm (Same in the unofficial home computer sequel SWIV)

12. Oliver Twins

13. Surfing, Hacky Sack, Skating, Half Pipe, BMX & Frisbee (Played it against my son last weekend on C64!! )

14. Pirates & Don't know

15. Operation Wolf - Never heard of a 3rd sequel just Op Thunderbolt and Op Wolf 3

16. Sprites

17. I believe it was the 3rd Generation

18. Sixteen Thirty Two

19. Don't know

20. I adore my C64


EDIT : Question 16, its not Pixels its Sprites, was just using my C64 and tinkering with my Action Replay Mk4 editing the hit boxes on a game as it was to big for true collision and I was using the Sprite editor!!

[Galant]

1. Roland in the Caves

Answer 01 - Correct.

2.

Go up to your brother
Kill him with your gun

War

War, Has Never been so much fun x4

Leave him lying in his uniform
Dying in the sun

Answer 02 - Correct.

3. Canon Fodder, Commodore Amiga 1993 I think from Virgin Interactive

Answer 03 - Correct.

4. Dizzy series (Pogie is a weird looking Purple Teddy Bear type thing! )

Answer 04 - Right series but as ik9000 pointed out, the question asks for the largest game of the series. Incorrect.

5. Don't know (I have looked up the answer to this one as it intrigued me)

Answer 05 - Bosconian (released on CPC as Bosconian 1987) Incorrect.

6. Ikari Warriors (Also in sequel Victory Road)

Answer 06 - Correct.

7. Theodore (I think)

Answer 07 - Correct.

8. Dominic Diamond - Can't remember a second presenter

Answer 08 - Half-correct of course. So incorrect overall. The second presenter was Dexter Fletcher.

9. Floaters, Basher & Can't remember 3rd

Answer 09 - You missed Miner. Incorrect.

10. In Donkey Kong she was known by 3 names : Lady, Pauline & Louise depending on territory

Answer 10 - Correct - We were looking for Pauline.

11. Silkworm (Same in the unofficial home computer sequel SWIV)

Answer 11 - Correct.

12. Oliver Twins

Answer 12 - Correct. Philip and Andrew Oliver

13. Surfing, Hacky Sack, Skating, Half Pipe, BMX & Frisbee (Played it against my son last weekend on C64!! )

Answer 13 - Correct.

14. Pirates & Don't know

Answer 14 - The second game was Elite. Incorrect.

15. Operation Wolf - Never heard of a 3rd sequel just Op Thunderbolt and Op Wolf 3

Answer 15 - Correct. FYI - The 3rd sequel was Operation Tiger (1998).

16. Sprites

Answer 16 - Correct.

17. I believe it was the 3rd Generation

Answer 17 - Correct.

18. Sixteen Thirty Two

Answer 18 - Correct.

19. Don't know

Answer 19 - Jay Miner (1932-1994). Incorrect.

20. I adore my C64

Answer 20 - "...computers for the masses, not the classes." Full quote, "We need to build computers for the masses, not the classes." Incorrect.


13/20. Nice going Ferral!

[ik9000]

er, Q4 is incorrect. Sorry to be an arse but the question asks for the game title of the largest game in the franchise.

awesome effort btw - impressive knowledge!

[Galant]

Ah, true enough. Good catch.
Sorry Ferral missed, that one.
Edited.

[Ferral]

Ah, didn't read 4 right, biggest game in the series was the last one Crystal Kingdom Dizzy, it was that big it was actually a multi load on the C64.

Question 14 was worded a bit funny, you can add games like Mercenary, Voyager, Starglider etc into that same category. Elite was first on the Acorn / BBC machines and the sequel was 16bit only, thing is here is that the way it was worded when ship was used first thing that came to mind was Pirates (classic term used for ship), Elite is more Space Trading in an open universe.

[ik9000]

Ah, didn't read 4 right, biggest game in the series was the last one Crystal Kingdom Dizzy, it was that big it was actually a multi load on the C64.

Question 14 was worded a bit funny, you can add games like Mercenary, Voyager, Starglider etc into that same category. Elite was first on the Acorn / BBC machines and the sequel was 16bit only, thing is here is that the way it was worded when ship was used first thing that came to mind was Pirates (classic term used for ship), Elite is more Space Trading in an open universe.

Crystal kingdom was largest file size, due to the graphics bump, but most largest game (most expansive) was Spellbound. CK didn't have the man eating plant, or whale IIRC.

I didn't set Q14, but got Elite straightaway. I couldn't think of a 2nd though. Impressed you got Ikari Warriors from that description.

[Ferral]

The plane crash landing gave it away straight away, if that wasn't mentioned could have also been Guerilla War as it is very similar.

The Dizzy question could have been one of a few games, thinking on it I have never finished Spellbound Dizzy, could never get very far on it, my favourite in the series has always been Fantasy World. Pleased they started giving you more lives in the later games, 1 life on Treasure Island made things extremely tough, 1 mistake and back to the very start of the game.

[ik9000]

but that is where the old keypress cheat came in very handy!

spellbound was a pig. only finished it thanks to an infinite lives poke, and a little assistance from amstrad action! prince of the yolk folk was my favourite. but that was only because it was so. small I could finish it in a single morning.

[ik9000]

thinking about it I never finished treasure island, even with the infinite lives cheat. I could never find the last coin! I clicked on every last thing I could find... losing the aqualung underwater was a good speciality of mine while coin hunting!

[Galant]

Question 14 was worded a bit funny, you can add games like Mercenary, Voyager, Starglider etc into that same category. Elite was first on the Acorn / BBC machines and the sequel was 16bit only, thing is here is that the way it was worded when ship was used first thing that came to mind was Pirates (classic term used for ship), Elite is more Space Trading in an open universe.

Fair enough, I suppose the question could have had more than one answer, although I think Elite holds it's place as the premier game of it's genre/class. I realise 'ship' can be read both ways but that was sort of the point.

[Galant]

I want to extend thanks to ik9000, j1979 and opel80uk for their submission of questions.