'Doctor Who and the Planet of Death' Atari 8-bit text adventure.

Someone is asking about this game on Atari Age, and so far no one over there seems to be able to find out anything about it but what the initial poster had; a screenshot, which looked very familiar to me, as well as the name, and I thought maybe it had been discussed on AA before, but the more I think about it, I think it was either on Atari Sector or here that it was brought up by someone. so maybe someone could enlighten the folk on AA or enlighten me again, so I can enlighten them. Stuff like a disk image or if it's from a UK disk magazine/magazine disk?

https://atariage.com/forums/topic/3...planet-of-death/?tab=comments#comment-4724316

 

I'll do a bit of digging when I get chance, Matt.
I do remember this coming up on Atari Sector before, you're right.

 

This isn't the actual game title you quote but it is an early UK mag type in listing from 1983:

Dr Who Adventure



I do have this mag kicking around somewhere.

I'll keep digging, Matt.

 

OK, I can see that screenshot you were talking about here and what I'll do is have a flick through my collection of Atari disks over the next few days as there doesn't seem to be much else about online.




Like you say, it does seem to ring a bell or two.

I'm wondering whether it was an early text adventure?

Anyone else recall this game?

 

Yes, that's me, guilty as charged.

When the disk boots, it opens with a load of REM statements saying the programme is Star Trek. But when you get into the the actual programme, it is Dr. Who.

Thought the avatar on AA might have given away who I am.

Regards

Andy

 

Andy, can you make an image of it?

 

The Avatar works, but honestly, I don't always pay attention to who is posting what. I saw the thread title, read what was said, left my post of familiarity and soon after asking here.

 

Hi Paul,

will have a go at making an image.

Andy

 

The only games I ever remember with Dr Who was for the Beeb ...
http://bbcmicro.co.uk/game.php?id=2077
http://bbcmicro.co.uk/game.php?id=473

I do like adventure games though

 

Hi Paul,

here is the disk image.

Regards

Andy

 

Aye,I've got this one, Rich:

 

Andy's game is a hack of the Hibyte Start Trek Adventure, its got about 10 rooms / locations (so very small), looks like it was made with some sort of creator kit..

Also the parser is very limited...A bodge..

 

Hi Paul,

thanks for the info. Do you have a list of the commands for this. I always have problems with text adventures, never sure of how to use the commands.

Regards

Andy

 

I remember having this utility package back in the day, Paul (some twat then nicked it together with some other software he was "looking after" for me):



Could that have teleported the Doctor on to our screens?

It was also pretty feeble, IIRC.

Spinnaker Software:



Great ad:



That's me, on the left...

 

I had Adventure Creator on cartridge back in the day, it was probably one of my first dozen or two programs I owned. I had some fun with the built in adventure, but like strategy war games I didn't have enough patience back then for construction sets either. I think I made about half a track on EA's Racing Destruction Set back then, and that's as far as I ever got with anything like that. But these days, like strategy ware games, construction sets intrigue me and I may get into them more. I'm especially curious about text adventure creators as I'd like to do my own text adventures with graphic art I do, as well as look into hacking some old graphic adventures and improving the graphics. But that will need to wait until I get better programming skills. So many project plans and so little time...

 

Sadly the parser is very limited, Q quits the game but even that is screwed because it seems to be taking you to another location and then the game ends..E S N W U D are directionals but you hit E and it says you can't go through a closed door. Things like Open are not recognised.

After that I could not move

Sadly most of the text is munged, certainly all the text for the locations are munged and its so boring to sit with DIsky and eor all the locations

But as I said there only seems to be 10 rooms / locations you can visit so its a really limited hack..