Aspetra

Aspetra
Developer: Zonarware Publisher: Zonarware Platform: DOS Released internationally: 1996 This game has unused areas. This game has unused playable characters. This game has unused enemies. This game has unused graphics. This game has unused items. This game has unused text.

Aspetra was a "Final Fantasy style RPG" for the DOS PC. It was released in 1996 under the company name Zonarware. A shareware demo version was widely distributed.

Unused Maps

Many unused maps appear in the game's files.

	CASTLE3.MAP appears in the game as the first of two "twin" castles. It had two additional unused portions, disconnected because the countryside CSIDE6 connects directly to this map instead of CASTLE1.
	CASTLE2.MAP is unused. It connects upward to CASTLE3 and downward to CASTLE1. It also contains the unused rare item Twin Key #3.
	CASTLE1.MAP is unused. It connects upward to CASTLE2 and downward to CSIDE6, but there is no corresponding connection from CSIDE6, which instead connects to CASTLE3. It also contains the unused rare item Twin Key #1.

CASTLE4.MAP (left) is an unused portion of the second "twin" castle. It has a downward connection to CSIDE6, and a rightward connection to CASTLE5.MAP (right), though neither map has a corresponding connection in return. Like CASTLE3, CASTLE5 is directly connected to CSIDE6, bypassing CASTLE4. CASTLE4 contains the unused rare item Twin Key #2.

CASTLE9.MAP (left) is an unfinished version of CASTLE8.MAP (right).

CAVE1T.MAP (left) is an unused variation of CAVE1.MAP (right) employing a different color scheme.

CISDE16.MAP (left) is an unfinished version of CSIDE16.MAP (right) with a spelling error in its filename.

CSIDE21.MAP (left) is an unfinished version of DRAGONIL.MAP (right) with fewer small islands.

DFOREST.MAP (left) is an unfinished version of DFOREST1.MAP (right) with rougher tree edges.

MINE.MAP (left) is an unfinished version of MINE1.MAP (right) which appears to have had many simplifying revisions.

MOUNT6.MAP is an unused mountain area.

STONES1.MAP (left) is an unfinished version of FOREST5.MAP (right) featuring a different tileset. The unused version of this tileset (STONES.SPR), and a sketch version of the eventual "stonehenge" tileset (NDIAG.SPR) also appear in the files (see below).

TEST.MAP (left) is an unused variation of TOWN1.MAP (right) with one of the houses on fire. TOWN1 is shown here with a set of alternate changes applying flames and damage to the entire town.

TOWN.MAP (left) is an unfinished version of TOWN6.MAP (right) missing a sign for the inn, as well as connections for most of the doors (not shown).

Unused Tilesets

REDTOWN.SPR compared with MAIN.SPR (right) contains an unused red variation of the town tileset.

STONES.SPR tileset from the unused STONES1.MAP (see above).

Unused Character

Contained in an unused NPC sprite file GIRL.REV and duplicated in an unused tile file SENTRY.SPR is a red headed female character never seen in the game.

GIRL.REV contains an unused character sprite set.

Unused Enemies

There are several unused .MON files containing enemy images and stat definitions. Those not referenced by the monster list (MONSTER.LST) have no name and will be referred to by filename only.

Most of the unused monsters appear to be unfinished versions of other monsters, usually with all of their stat fields set to zero.

5.MON is a duplicate of Boggy with slightly different stats. 700 HP, 47 XP, 40 GP.

BloodSpider is an unused stronger variation of Spider (right). 950 HP, 76 XP, 55 GP.

FROSTHEA.MON is an unfinished version of IceHead (right) with slightly different image and stats. 550 HP, 22 XP, 22 GP.

Knight is a never used enemy with late-game strength. 1500 HP, 100 XP, 100 GP.

PTEMP.MON is an unfinished version of Snakey (right) with slightly different image and zero stats.

SEASNAKE.MON has zero stats.

SOLDIER.MON is an unfinished version of DragonWarrior (right) with a missing tail and zero stats.

TREE.MON is an unfinished version of NiceTree (right) with a non-matching mask (center) and zero stats.

TSEN.MON is a duplicate of MadSentry with zero stats.

Reth-Aden Boss Unused Sketch

One boss in the game named Reth-Aden has associated art in the files which is never seen. The boss itself has a blank image in RETH-ADE.BSS, and instead a special sprite is overlaid during the battle, loaded from RETH1.REV. This sprite file contains additional tiles, revealing a black and white sketch version of the same character, probably indicating that the author worked from scanned drawings. Additionally, there are unused files RETH1.BSS and RETH1.SPR which contain other versions of the same sketch. The special sprite overlay from RETH1.REV is a different size (80x140) than other boss images in the game (100x100).

RETH1.REV Special boss sprite	RETH1.SPR Unused sketch tiles	RETH1.BSS Unused sketch boss image

Unused Fullscreen Images

The game contains several .BLD files, each of which contains an uncompressed 320x200 fullscreen image after a 7 byte header. Two of these are seen in-game as the developer splash screen, and title screen, but several others are included in the game's files.

ASPETRA.BLD Yellow variation of title	NEWOP.BLD Nearly finished title without textured text	OLDOP.BLD Alternate title as sequel to author's previous game
MENU.BLD Screenshot of field	MESSAGE.BLD Screenshot of battle TallCrawl have extra HP	TEMP.BLD Screenshot of a game editor
FULLSCR.BLD Automatic screenshot	FULLSCR2.BLD Automatic screenshot	FULLSCR3.BLD Screenshot of menu

The developer splash screen is contained in ZONAR.BLD (and the identical ZONARR.BLD). The title screen is contained in FOPSCR.BLD. The two files FULLSCR.BLD and FULLSCR2.BLD may be automatically overwritten by screenshots taken during play of the game (trigger unknown); the versions of these two files shown here have a file stamp contemporary with the game's release, and the chosen character name "Indiram" indicates the player knew the protagonist's true name (normally revealed late in the game).

Miscellaneous Unused Graphics

FORT5.MAP excerpt showing pile of colorful fruit and vegetable tiles from FORT.SPR, never seen in the game because they are always offscreen. Upon entering this room a cutscene shows the villagers recovering their stolen items, but the camera is not low enough to see the food items. The enemies in this dungeon consist of animated versions of these stolen items (swords, shields, gold bars, fruits and vegetables), which might have been easier to understand if the food had been visible.

NDIAG.SPR contains a sketch of the "stonehenge" seen in FOREST5.MAP (see above).

TEMP.REV contains this single gold slime sprite tile.

Unused Spell Descriptions

Contained in MAGIC.LST are mildly encrypted names and descriptions of the magic spell abilities in the game, as well as their stats. After earning a spell, you can read its description in the game menus, but included in this table are several other abilities that only enemies can use. These enemy abilities also have descriptions.

Spell	Description
Bite	Bites enemy.
Claw	Slashes at enemy.
FireStorm	Flaming Hale.
MindTrip	God only knows.
Poison	Poisons.

Unused Items

SHIELD.LST contains an entry for a Doom Shield which is not placed anywhere in the game. Based on its placement in the list, it may have been intended for the catacombs area, to pair with the Soul Blade.

External Links

• RGB Classic Games: Aspetra - Game description and shareware version download.
• GIST - File format notes and python dumping script.