Retro Gaming urge... Theatre of Death

[marcfrick2112]

Hey all, first sorry for being away for so long, a great deal of bad stuff has happened to me recently...

Anyway, trying to get my mind off of things, I was looking thru my old UK Amiga magazines....it started up a big retro urge, and been playing TONS of Theatre of Death, by Psygnosis, a rather obscure 'Cannon Fodder'-ish kinda game. OK, funny thing is, the game is really only average... and apparantly got dismal reviews by most Amiga mags....

But, it meant a lot to me, after ALL the work it took me to get the game in the first place.... Being a UK release, it's of course PAL, and I find out to my horror 1MB chip RAM, and my 'still nearly new' A500 had a measly 512K...ToD is also Super-glitchy in NTSC.

So, I decide to take a soldering iron to my precious 500. Well, the job was messy, but it worked. So, ready to ring up Amiga dealers to get a copy.... Nope, NO one in the states has the game....{sighs} No worries, I'll order it from Premier Mail order in the UK.... even THEY didn't have the game.

   So, armed with a large pot of coffee to stay up past 4AM... I called Psygnosis directly, and got the game that way! I really lucked out too, at this time Sony had just taken them over....

Finally, I was playing this game I needed to have so badly... The owner of a large PD place I ordered from was a bit-time gamer... and sent me some disks of PAL booters, degraders, etc., and the instructions on enabling 1MB CHIP on a A500.

Yea, the game is primitive by todays' standards.. But, I just had a lot of fun. The opening music is quite brilliant, IMHO... too bad the in-game music isn't better tho... LOL
  BUT, the real reason for all the fuss.... I am a HUGE Sci-Fi nerd.... and the last set of levels were set on the moon, with Eagle spacecraft dotted about from Space: 1999! Sadly, they aren't flyable, tho they can be blown up.

  I wonder if this was Pygnosis' last Amiga game, or at least close...

And I love the last line in the credits:

And to all those who live under the sign of the owl.

Well, thanks for hearing my 'geek moment' LOL!

[fishy_fiz]

Thanks for sharing. It's always fun to hear about other peoples Amiga based adventures

[marcfrick2112]

Thanks fishy_fiz! Yea... I kinda grew up along with the Amiga... for a time anyway....
What I MOST miss is being able to go down to the B. Dalton's Sofware etc. store downtown, and sweat over which game I could afford! I know I bought Turrican there, and that disk still works... oddly, tho... only works on ONE miggy in the house! LOL! *thanks the Gods for WHDLoad!*

Rather conveniently, my dad worked at a museum 3 blocks away from this store! So, I often tried to con him for some $$ to get a new Amiga game, when he invited me for lunch. Such fun times!

Oh, and that store was where I bought my first Amiga too... A500, first bundle.

[Seiya]

I am a HUGE Sci-Fi nerd.... and the last set of levels were set on the moon, with Eagle spacecraft dotted about from Space: 1999! Sadly, they aren't flyable, tho they can be blown up.

Look:

http://www.amigapage.it/index.php?pl=intro&modo_intro=19&file=pc/s/space_1999_defender_of_the_moonbase_alpha.flv

[marcfrick2112]

Seiya, thanks for that, pretty cool! Now I need to make an Eagle mouse pointer....

[mezaar]

I wonder if this was Pygnosis' last Amiga game, or at least close...

hi
Hired Guns was produced in 1993 and the fall of psygnosis on Amiga was 1995.
a lot of good games ware produced in 93-94, hired guns included of course

[marcfrick2112]

Thanks for that, would ya believe I forgot about Hired Guns??? (I know, an Amiga gamer that forgets such a classic must go to the back of the class!)

Hmm, looking at the link in your signature, I guess you are a big Psynosis fan too? :roflmao:

Nice site, BTW!
VERY nice site! I still have my manual from Theatre of Death (for the pre-WHDLoad years!) .... but sadly, lost the box...

I think you be getting another visitor soon!
Merci Bien!

Marc

[marcfrick2112]

Mezaar, what WAS the last Psygnosis game for Amiga? Curious... Gotta say tho, they published some AMAZING games... (Beast 1-3 plus about 10 others, LOL)

[runequester]

total thread resurrection, but I always wanted to figure out Theatre of Death, but it kept somehow eluding me.Maybe I just need to dig up a scan of the manual or something

[marcfrick2112]

total thread resurrection, but I always wanted to figure out Theatre of Death, but it kept somehow eluding me.Maybe I just need to dig up a scan of the manual or something

runequester, It really takes just practise, IMHO. I have the manual somewhere here, but after WHDLoad'ing ToD, I have no idea of where it isright now....
A few quick tips: The mouse control of ToD is Very Tricky... for movement of troops, only like the out 1/2" of the play area works for scrolling, so an accurate mouse is kinda a must. Control groups of soldiers by left-clicking on the officer (in green) Protect your officers, they have SUPER powers! LOL! I did finish a rather hard level with ONLY 1 officer in a helicopter!
  When 2 weapons are available: left mouse button activates 1, right, the other
Hope this helps a bit...