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The King by Chris Latham
Publisher: Tom Mix Software
Released: 1983

This version of The King from Tom Mix Software features save/load your high scores. Includes the instructions copied from the original cassette inlay card.

EDIT: Updated 2nd Jan, 2011. Made the following changes:

(1) Fixed the "background noise" (clicking) bug.
(2) Improved keyboard response.
(3) Restored "P" and "R" key functionality.
(4) Saved a few cycles in main game loop.

EDIT: Updated 6th January, 2011. Made the following changes:

(1) Further improved keyboard response
(2) Improved joystick response
(3) Saved a few more cycles in main game loop
(4) General clean up of game code

Here's my own improved version of Microdeal's publication of "The King" by Chris Latham. Adds Save/Load high score feature, and fixes the "background noise" (clicking) bug mentioned here. Now you have all features from the Microdeal release (Screen colours, Game speed) plus Save/Restore high score feature in one great game.

* Restored Save/Load high score feature (Similar to the Tom Mix release)

* Added a routine which detects the US (NTSC) Tano Dragon 64

* Added automatic enable of artifact colour support for US (NTSC) Tano Dragon 64

* Fixed annoying clicking sound during game play

* Fixed sluggish joystick response when entering your name for the high score table

* Saved some cycles in main game loop for smoother game play

* Improved keyboard response

* Improved joystick response

* Corrected spelling mistake "INSTRUCIONS", and centered text

* A few other minor bug fixes (general clean up of game code)


ENJOY!

Regards,
Steve

EDIT: Updated (v2.0) 7th January, 2011

More of a general "Why did they do that?" rather than a specific comment on this game but this line awakened something that bugged me in the '80s and has lain dormant ever since.

zephyr wrote:* Fixed sluggish joystick response when entering your name for the high score table

Dedicated arcade games used this method because there way no other practical way but most home computers have keyboards and it is far easier to enter your name via the keyboard than via the joystick, so why do numerous arcade games for computers force you to enter your name via a joystick?

I assume it was done in this particular game to make it more closely resemble the original arcade version. I never actually played the arcade original, so I don't know for sure. Perhaps someone could verify this?

I cannot think of any original arcade machine that had a keyboard, so if the game designers wanted people to enter names on a high score table they had to use whatever input mechanism was available (joysticks, buttons, trackballs, etc.). These mechanisms were usually less than ideal and if you ever struggled with them you would soon stop trying to input your name and instead enter whatever was easiest, which is why "AAA" figured so often on arcade machine's high score tables.

I am all for the computer programmers trying to get their games as close to the original arcade game as possible, but I feel that copying the arcade machines' method of high score table name entry is a step too far when the computer offers a far better input mechanism, i.e., the keyboard.

Anyway, this particular bugbear of mine is in danger of derailing this thread, if anyone wishes to continue it may I suggest that we start a new thread in the "Dragon General" forum.


P.S. Steve, my thanks for your continuing efforts to tidy-up numerous programs.

I was going to offer a spirited defence about making the game playable with only a joystick so you could hide the computer away, but that kinda crumbles when you need the keyboard to start the game.

But yes, thanks for this clean-up, it does make it a lot more pleasant!

Of the bugs you fixed, do you know if one may have caused you to be unable to remove one of the rivets on that screen (possibly 2nd time around)? I played recently and hit that bug and was sure I'd seen it in childhood. Soon after, I played again and wasn't affected by it.

No, I wasn't aware of that particular bug. That one may have been fixed (along with the "300000 points jump" bug) by the original author when the name was changed.

Regards,
Steve

Here's a disk compatible version of The King II (v2.0). This release is compatible with all Dragon disk systems.