Spellbound (ZX Spectrum, Mastertronic Added Dimension)

Spellbound
Developer: David Jones Publisher: Mastertronic Added Dimension Platform: ZX Spectrum Released in EU: 1985 This game has uncompiled source code. This game has debugging material. This game has anti-piracy features.

This page largely focuses on the 48k version of the game.

To do: Several unused routines. Also, what's in the 128k version?

Cheat Mode

A cheat mode is programmed into the game, but it's disabled when the game boots up. You can re-enable it by entering the following pokes:

POKE 27236,194
POKE 27237,92
POKE 27238,138 

If done correctly, a sound will play when pressing the down key/button during gameplay. It allows the player to go back to basic by pressing X and allows the player to jump to any level by entering any two digit number 00 to 49. Note that the player has to enter a 0 first to go to any room between 0 and 9. If a player enters a number higher than 49, the game merely resumes.

(Source: Philip M. Anderson)

Source Code

A piece of source code for the stat regeneration was included in the game. It can be seen in the .tap dump at 8F07:

             M
       LD HL,DETAILSCUPD1+8
       LD IX,DETAILSC+8
       DEC B
ICUPD1:BIT 7,(IX+6)
       JR Z,ICUPDAS1 ;AWAKE
       ;ASLEEP
       INC HL
       INC HL
       INC HL
       INC HL
       I

(Source: Philip M. Anderson)

"Hello, Hacker"

If the player attempts to break into the game, they will be greeted with the above message and a starfield routine rather than the game. Pressing a key here restarts the Spectrum. One easy way to see this is to use a merge command with the ZX Spectrum's built-in BASIC.

The 128k version expanded this screen, by adding much more on the text and played some of the game's music:

HELLO HACKER.

FANCY MEETING YOU HERE !

SPELLBOUND 128K COPYRIGHT 1986
BY DAVID JONES IF YOU HAVE A PROGRAM THAT YOU
WOULD LIKE TO PUBLISH WHY NOT
SEND IT TO US?

MASTERTRONIC
8-10 PAUL STREET
LONDON EC2A 4JH OTHER MAGIC KNIGHT PRODUCTS :-
THE GAMES FINDERS KEEPERS AND
KNIGHT TYME

ALSO AVAILABLE IS THE T-SHIRT
AND COMING SOON THE ADVENTURE
GAME BOOK PRESS ANY KEY TO SEE WHAT MY
SPECTRUM DOES WHEN I KICK IT!

(Source: Equinox (World of Spectrum))