Starquake "Invade A Load" . Care to comment on this one?

hamster

Everyone remembers the long waiting times for tape loading C64 cassettes. But does anyone remember this?

Invade - A - Load.... just when you thought it was safe to go away and make tea? No you play space invaders while the real game loads? Ha! I never came across this. Sniff! I had to do with several Ocean Music based loaders. Still were good mind. No-one seems to have mapped C64 starquake (not counting the speccy). So I just might.... 512 screens as far as I know. Did anyone complete this (bar cheating) ?

Mr E

Yeah, I loved it, Hamster! Played the C64 version to death (and yes, I finished it without cheating!). Very clever game - the randomised elements meant that no two games were the same. Damn you - now I have to play Chuckie Egg 2 AND Starquake!

Stop reminiscing, godammit !!!!!!!!!

Invade-a-load was good fun - it was mainly with Mastertronic releases, wasn't it? Simplistic game, with great Rob Hubbard music if I remember correctly.

- Dave.

hamster

Wow! You actually completed that monster? :eek: :eek: :eek: I never realised there was 512 screens in it when I had it. It was huuuuge. I never mapped it back then (but I might just do that now) even though you probably need to if you want to live more than a few minutes. How did you do it? The verbose option please! At least Wizard's Lair (basically the same) didn't worry about platforms... and was only 248 rooms in size. And how did you survive long enough to complete it ?! Honestly, very interested in hearing about this... even then I dismissed it as one of those "impossible" games up there with Cauldron.

They are doing a re-make of this classic game btw you know!
There is an alpha version here: www.starquake.info

Mr E

I was addicted to it, Hamster. Key to completing it? Knowing your way around! You really have to know the game map backwards. You had to know where all the teleports were, you had to know all the teleport codes, you had to know where the nearest flying pad was at all times. And you had to be an expert at making platforms!

There is one level (can't remember the code) where there are no hover thingies allowed, and you had to be an absolute EXPERT with the platforms to finish it.

Oh and (obviously) pick up all joysticks you see! And watch out for the bolt baddies - instant death if they hit you.

Hmmmm.... what else? I remember restarting the game over and over until the credit card appeared on the screen below the start screen (very useful for getting though security doors).

Obviously, the sooner you find the 9 core pieces, the better! There are some places where there is nearly always a core piece (or some useful pickup). Visit the core ASAP so you know what pieces you need. There are some red herring pieces that will throw you off (you'll waste loads of time bringing them back to the core only to find that they're useless!). However..... they're not entirely useless. Find a Cheops Pyramid (looks like a pyramid with 2 handles on it) and you can swap a dud core piece for a genuine one (sometimes!).

Thats about it, really. Damn I have to play this game again!

- Dave.

hamster

Thanks for tips Dave! Will take into account. Didn't know that there were dud components in it too. Remember seeing the components (stats page) after I died (yet again).

Did you ever play Wizard's lair? Very similar. Came out in 1985. Not sure if was before or after Starquake. Think it was after. But I enjoyed that was quick enough to complete. Amazing as I didn't map it either and that most rooms have door when sap your keys again and again. Component idea again except it was with "Lion Pieces"