Following on from the articles in the previous EUG, there follows a more 'user-friendly' guide to disabling the protection on some of Superior Software's disk-based games for the BBC.
Retro BBC advise you to make a backup copy of all the files on the disk apart from the one with the protected attributes (usually, the one with two &400s and a &D9 following the filename if you *EX the disk) before you *LOAD it. In all the examples that follow, it is assumed that this has been done. The instructions up to, and including, CALL &400 should be entered with the original disk in the drive. Then before *SAVEing the deprotected file, either swap the disk or change the drive.
The Retro BBC guide, despite an implication, does not work with every single Superior release. Of those tested, both Repton 2 and Repton Thru Time stubbornly refused to give up the crucial start and execute address information required. And Blagger and Percy Penguin on Superior's Play It Again Sam 7 compilation are unprotected.
Barbarian 2
>*LOAD DATA2 (RETURN)
>?&447=&60 (RETURN)
>CALL &400 (RETURN)
>*SAVE DATA2 1100+1700 2680 (RETURN)
Bonecruncher (PIAS7 Version)
>*LOAD BONE2 400 (RETURN)
>?&499=&60 (RETURN)
>CALL &400 (RETURN)
>*SAVE BONE2 1E00+5C00 2722 (RETURN)
Cyborg Warriors (PIAS15 Version)
>*LOAD CYBORG4 400 (RETURN)
>?&447=&60 (RETURN)
>CALL &400 (RETURN)
>*SAVE CYBORG4 1200+3C00 1200 (RETURN)
Exile
>*LOAD EXILEL 400 (RETURN)
>?&499=&60 (RETURN)
>CALL &400 (RETURN)
>*SAVE EXILEL 3000+4500 7405 (RETURN)
Armed with a copy of the December 1990 copy of The Micro User, you can add a full, integrated and comprehensive cheat menu to your new Exile disk and breathe new life into the classic!
Firetrack (PIAS7 Version)
BBC: >*LOAD !FTLOAD 400 (RETURN)
>?&499=&60 (RETURN)
>CALL &400 (RETURN)
>*SAVE !FTLOAD 1F00+C00 1F32 (RETURN)
M128: >*LOAD !MASLOD 400 (RETURN)
>?&499=&60 (RETURN)
>CALL &400 (RETURN)
>*SAVE !MASLOD 1F00+C00 1F32 (RETURN)
Ghouls (PIAS7 Version)
>*LOAD G2 400 (RETURN)
>?&499=&60 (RETURN)
>CALL &400 (RETURN)
>*SAVE G2 1800+4000 5700 (RETURN)
Hyperball (PIAS13 Version)
>*LOAD HYPER2 400 (RETURN)
>?&447=&60 (RETURN)
>CALL &400 (RETURN)
>*SAVE HYPER2 5600+100 5600 (RETURN)
Pandemonium (PIAS13 Version)
>*LOAD R.MONIUM 400 (RETURN)
>?&447=&60 (RETURN)
>CALL &400 (RETURN)
>*SAVE R.MONIUM 1800+500 1800 (RETURN)
Skirmish (PIAS12 Version)
>*LOAD JOUST (RETURN)
>?&447=&60 (RETURN)
>CALL &400 (RETURN)
>*SAVE JOUST 1900+200 1900 (RETURN)
Snapper (PIAS7 Version)
>*LOAD S-113 (RETURN)
>?&499=&60 (RETURN)
>CALL &400 (RETURN)
>*SAVE S-113 1E00+2800 1E4D (RETURN)
The Last Ninja (PIAS12 Version)
>*LOAD NINJA3 (RETURN)
>?&447=&60 (RETURN)
>CALL &400 (RETURN)
>*SAVE NINJA3 1100+1C00 2309 (RETURN)
The Last Ninja 2 (PIAS15 Version)
>*LOAD NINJA3 (RETURN)
>?&447=&60 (RETURN)
>CALL &400 (RETURN)
>*SAVE NINJA3 1178+1F00 246F (RETURN)
As you'll realise, there are still a number of titles missing from this catalogue. If you've found a way to deprotect other games, please write and tell us!
Dave E, EUG #50