Power Bandit

[Michael Brown]

Hi,
Does anyone have an original copy of a game called Power Bandit by J&J Software from 1986.

There are copies I have seen which have a email address included in line 8 and that version also includes loads of errors throughout.

Some obvious errors are in the PowerB file at lines 830 and 930, 1000 and 1110, but there may be far more including some SOUND statements

Rather than try and guess what errors need correcting, I was wondering if anyone had an working original copy of this game which should have something else at line 8 rather than a www address.

regards,
Mick.

[billcarr2005]

Instead of the mystery, here are lines 0 - 12

Code: Select all

    0 REM *****************************
    2 REM *        POWER BANDIT       *
    3 REM *                           *
    4 REM *      by J&J Software      *
    5 REM *                           *
    6 REM *     11 September 1986     *
    7 REM *                           *
    8 REM *   www.j-jsoftware.co.uk   *
    9 REM *                           *
   10 REM *  Justin Wood & Joe Lewis  *
   11 REM *                           *
   12 REM *****************************

My guess would be that either Justin Wood or Joe Lewis uploaded their program after discovering it on an old disk.

j-jsoftware.co.uk is further mentioned on line 37.

On the disk image I found (attached) PowerB is the only file on it

[Michael Brown]

Hi Bill,
Thanks, but that version is the same version as all the others I have seen and has all the same errors.
The game is incompletable without amendments to the lines listed above.

What I am asking for here, is if someone has a copy on one of their old games discs/tapes that can be checked against this version.
A simple check of lines 8 and 37 should confirm a older original version as I doubt back in 1986 that lines 8 and 37 contained a internet name.
Just hope if someone finds one, that it doesn't have these same errors.

Failing that, maybe someone on here can sort it.
The lines I have found are the easy ones to fix, but there could be more, plus I would like to have whatever was originally at lines 8 and 37 putting back.

Mick.

[Arcadian]

Do you have this version too Mick (attached)? It seems to run ok and has corrected (or alternate) lines. There are four files on the disc, as opposed to just one on the version BillCarr uploaded.

I was able to download it via archive.org's mirror of the old j-jsoftware.co.uk site - see https://web.archive.org/web/20050308101 ... /Page2.htm

It mentions four games in total developed by J&J Software:

Brick Bill (screenshot not archived)

This was the first game under the J&J title. This was a clone of the legendary 'Manic Miner', written in basic, it consisted of a small title screen and only two level screens before it was scrapped because of memory problems.

When memory starts to display itself on the screen it’s not good, and drawing a black block over it would only make things worse.

Power Bandit (screenshot not archived, but .ssd download was saved)

Based on a traditional ‘One Armed Bandit’ what you had was an amount of money to gamble with, a line drawn bandit with an animating pull handle.

Using a set of three characters, these would spin and give you a random result. Also you could nudge each spinner. If you were very lucky you could win the Jackpot. But of course it has to blow up if you run out of money!

A touch dramatic, but something had to happen.

Bomb Bill (screenshot archived)

This was a classic.

After thinking and learning new techniques they decided to re-visit the idea of Brick Bill.

Because brick bill was a functioning game (although not a very big one) it had a stronger game play than what they had been doing over the last year. The Idea was one of our most original yet.

You had to control Bill around the level collecting money and most importantly, Dynamite. In the bottom left of the screen there was a bomb shape that had level lines through it.

When you collected some Dynamite one of the levels in the bomb would fill up. (Wow!)

Once you had collected enough to fill the bomb you would set it off at the exit door to proceed to the next level. The level had about 5 screens before the old memory problem reared its head again.

A great game but alas, scrapped.

BombBill.jpg (25.22 KiB) Viewed 1657 times

Time Zone (sample cover archived)

"Time Zone - BBC Micro 1986"

These are the page links from the [now defunct] site that archive.org has archived:

Index page
https://web.archive.org/web/20060613192 ... are.co.uk/

Title page
https://web.archive.org/web/20060615004 ... lePage.htm

Page 1 ("Back in the eighties")
https://web.archive.org/web/20050307235 ... /Page1.htm

Page 2 (where the Power Bandit download came from)
https://web.archive.org/web/20050308101 ... /Page2.htm

Page 3 (features references to some Atari ST games and a sprite editor)
https://web.archive.org/web/20050311235 ... /Page3.htm

Page 4 (ST and Amiga games)
https://web.archive.org/web/20050311235 ... Page_4.htm

Page 5 (Full Projects List)
https://web.archive.org/web/20050313031 ... /Page5.htm

In total, eight projects are mentioned for the BBC Micro, as follows: Brick Bill (1983), Obelisk (1984), Chaos & Mayhem (1984), Thunder Dome (1984), Bomb Bill (1985), Power Bandit (1986), Time Zone (1986), Data Pace (1987/88)

[Michael Brown]

Hi Arcadian,
Fantastic!
This is much better.
Thanks
Mick.