Kastro Tromou - Castle Of Fear

[firelord]

I'm posting here a game that does not exist in the database (at least I couldn't find it).
It's a Greek simple dungeon crawling game made in 1984 by a company named ΑΛΒΑΚ ΣΟΦΤ/ALVAK SOFT.
It's Greek name is "Κάστρο του τρόμου" or in my english translation "Castle Of Fear"
I can't remember how I got it and I didn't have any inlay.
I transfered the game to PC with PJPP or maybe Warajevo MANY years ago. I have only in Z80 format.
I think it is written in Basic.

The link to the file is here : https://1fichier.com/?9hcyuusyiy8thpvbv6u4




SQL Code from the form (I didn't want to publish it):
-- add new title 'Κάστρο του τρόμου - Castle Of Fear' [ID: 37004]
INSERT INTO entries (id, title, availabletype_id, library_title, language_id, machinetype_id, genretype_id, hide_from_stp, without_load_screen, without_inlay, is_xrated, max_players) VALUES (37004, 'Κάστρο του τρόμου - Castle Of Fear', '?', 'Κάστρο του τρόμου - Castle Of Fear', 'el', 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1);
INSERT INTO releases (entry_id, release_seq, release_year, release_month, release_day, release_price, currency_id) VALUES (37004, 0, 1984, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
INSERT INTO labels (id, name, country_id, owner_id, was_renamed, labeltype_id) VALUES ((select k from (select max(id)+1 as k from labels) as x), 'ΑΛΒΑΚ ΣΟΦΤ - ALVAK SOFT', 'GR', NULL, 0, 'P');
INSERT INTO publishers (entry_id, release_seq, label_id, publisher_seq) VALUES (37004, 0, (select id from labels where name='ΑΛΒΑΚ ΣΟΦΤ - ALVAK SOFT'), 1);
-- INSERT INTO search_by_titles (entry_id, entry_title) VALUES (37004, 'Κάστροτουτρόμου-CastleOfFear');
-- INSERT INTO sc_entries (id, full_title, entry_seo, is_mod, is_crap, orig_pubs) VALUES (37004, 'Κάστρο του τρόμου - Castle Of Fear', '/37004/Κάστρο_του_τρόμου-Castle_Of_Fear', 0, 0, '<a href="list?label_id=0">ΑΛΒΑΚ ΣΟΦΤ - ALVAK SOFT</a>');

✓ PROCESSED

Unofficial crack of Wizard's Castle. Some debate over whether official/unofficial, or crack or mod. Going for mod, adding to DB. DH 12/11/22.

[Ivanzx]

Thanks for the effort of the preservation! Little is known about the Spectrum in Greece, so please tell us more Was there any Spectrum software company producing commercial games? We know some Greek people sent some demos and games to the british magazines (Theo Develegas, who now lives in the USA!), but little else is known

[8BitAG]

Potentially based on the Wizard's Castle/Wizard's Den type-in by David Hamilton from Your Computer
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2 ... rds_Castle
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.ph ... 87&page=61

[firelord]

Potentially based on the Wizard's Castle/Wizard's Den type-in by David Hamilton from Your Computer
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2 ... rds_Castle
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.ph ... 87&page=61

I think it's exactly the same game!
Maybe it is a "unofficial" mod/translation.

About software houses in Greece I can't say much. I remember there were some that made educational software. I remember big boxes of physics math etc.
Also there were some others that officially translated programs to Greek (like Footballer of the year & powerplay -I think).
I don't know much about "Game Houses". I think there were mostly individuals that used a brand name intead of their own name.
I will look at my "stuff" at my parents home if I find anything I've forgotten about.

[firelord]

Also, I managed to get the source basic code of this game using Basin but it doesn't display the Greek UDG characters. It's just shows all text with english characters.
{edit}It seems that with Basin I didn't got all the source - Game crashes when I try to start it {/edit}


Any idea how to get the source + the UDG (for the Greek letters) it uses?

{edit2} Just Saw the original listing. It has also machine code. So i guess there is no point to get the BASIC listing! {/edit2}

[firelord]

I'm posting here a game that does not exist in the database (at least I couldn't find it).
It's a Greek simple dungeon crawling game made in 1984 by a company named ΑΛΒΑΚ ΣΟΦΤ/ALVAK SOFT.
It's Greek name is "Κάστρο του τρόμου" or in my english translation "Castle Of Fear"
I can't remember how I got it and I didn't have any inlay.
I transfered the game to PC with PJPP or maybe Warajevo MANY years ago. I have only in Z80 format.
I think it is written in Basic.

The link to the file is here : https://1fichier.com/?9hcyuusyiy8thpvbv6u4

Spoiler

SQL Code from the form (I didn't want to publish it):
-- add new title 'Κάστρο του τρόμου - Castle Of Fear' [ID: 37004]
INSERT INTO entries (id, title, availabletype_id, library_title, language_id, machinetype_id, genretype_id, hide_from_stp, without_load_screen, without_inlay, is_xrated, max_players) VALUES (37004, 'Κάστρο του τρόμου - Castle Of Fear', '?', 'Κάστρο του τρόμου - Castle Of Fear', 'el', 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1);
INSERT INTO releases (entry_id, release_seq, release_year, release_month, release_day, release_price, currency_id) VALUES (37004, 0, 1984, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
INSERT INTO labels (id, name, country_id, owner_id, was_renamed, labeltype_id) VALUES ((select k from (select max(id)+1 as k from labels) as x), 'ΑΛΒΑΚ ΣΟΦΤ - ALVAK SOFT', 'GR', NULL, 0, 'P');
INSERT INTO publishers (entry_id, release_seq, label_id, publisher_seq) VALUES (37004, 0, (select id from labels where name='ΑΛΒΑΚ ΣΟΦΤ - ALVAK SOFT'), 1);
-- INSERT INTO search_by_titles (entry_id, entry_title) VALUES (37004, 'Κάστροτουτρόμου-CastleOfFear');
-- INSERT INTO sc_entries (id, full_title, entry_seo, is_mod, is_crap, orig_pubs) VALUES (37004, 'Κάστρο του τρόμου - Castle Of Fear', '/37004/Κάστρο_του_τρόμου-Castle_Of_Fear', 0, 0, '<a href="list?label_id=0">ΑΛΒΑΚ ΣΟΦΤ - ALVAK SOFT</a>');

Will this be uploaded to the site database? (as a Clone/translation of : https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2 ... rds_Castle )

[R-Tape]

Will this be uploaded to the site database? (as a Clone/translation of : https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2 ... rds_Castle )

Sorry I missed this first time around. However, we don't add unofficial cracks like this to the DB.

[firelord]

Sorry I missed this first time around. However, we don't add unofficial cracks like this to the DB.

Ok . But,I believe this is the original Type-in which was translated. When I got it I thought it was an official release from a Greek software house (it got company logos etc).

[R-Tape]

Ok . But,I believe this is the original Type-in which was translated

My understanding is that *if* it was official we would not create a new ID, but add the file as a re-release to the original Wizard's Castle.

When I got it I thought it was an official release from a Greek software house (it got company logos etc).

We chose not to add a load of unofficial Italian cracks that could be described the same way. All that extra intro stuff doesn't look much like an official translation to me.

Not sure. My opinion is not to add this, but if a few more voices can argue that it's official (or Einar decides to add it) we can do so.

Ta for making the file available though.

[8BitAG]

Sorry I missed this first time around. However, we don't add unofficial cracks like this to the DB.

Wouldn't this qualify as something like a "mod"? If we're recording random stuff like Jet Set Willy mods in ZXDB, then it seems a little odd that we wouldn't document a full-language translation of a game, with the appropriate "mod" (or other) tag.

[R-Tape]

Wouldn't this qualify as something like a "mod"? If we're recording random stuff like Jet Set Willy mods in ZXDB, then it seems a little odd that we wouldn't document a full-language translation of a game, with the appropriate "mod" (or other) tag.

Aye I thought about mod. I can't find the thread, but there's been chats about what constitutes a crack or a mod. A mod has more substantial changes than a crack, and of course it's subjective and the line is blurry. Changing a few graphics would be a crack, but changing all the graphics and personality would probably be a mod. That goes for the JSW/MM clones too—there are MM games I didn't add because they weren't different enough. Changing gameplay usually means a mod. Adding an intro or loading screen but keeping the game the same (unless an official re-release) would be a crack. IIRC just translating (unofficial) = crack.

The game itself is the same isn't it?

[firelord]

I believe that the Greek version has colors in the room and decorations(in the walls) - you can see it in the 2 images that 8bitAG posted. I haven't played much the english version.

[Ralf]

Yep, it seems to have some colour added.

Good enough for a mod in my opinion.

[R-Tape]

Aye okay. Mod it is. Added to the DB queue :–)

[firelord]

Just posting the ZXDB game link here : https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=38836

If you want you could add as an alternative name (Also known as) this : "Το κάστρο του τρόμου" or in capitals "ΤΟ ΚΑΣΤΡΟ ΤΟΥ ΤΡΟΜΟΥ" .which is the name shown in the game screenshot.

I also found the name of they guy behind "Alvak Soft" , it is "Dimitris Pavlakis" (or "Δημήτρης Παυλάκης" in greek).

[R-Tape]

Cheers @firelord, I've sent the SQL to add Dimitris as author.

About the title, at present ZXDB only uses the latin/roman/english (or whatever it's called) alphabet, and alternative titles are transliterated*, like this Chemistry package.

*so is that "Kastro Tromou" as you put in the title?

[firelord]

Cheers @firelord, I've sent the SQL to add Dimitris as author.

*so is that "Kastro Tromou" as you put in the title?

Yes, this is also ok . (maybe "To Kastro Tou Tromou")