Copyright (c) 1998,9,2000 Astraware Partners
All rights reserved.
 

Notes

Shoot. zap zap - Aaargh! Thrust - zap - thrust, oh-no! Hyperspace. Eeek - zap zap -phew! zap zap.
You know what its all about, but here's hoping you love the game as much as I do!

Please make sure you read the information below about installing the game.

If you enjoy Astroids, please take the time to enter a review at PalmGear HQ, PalmCentral or EuroCool.

Astroids is shareware, which means that you've downloaded it for free, but if you enjoy the game and want to keep playing then we ask you to register for it. It's now only $5, and you can find out how to register online at the Astroids registration page.

Register online now at PalmGear or at PalmCentral.

Registering removes the delay when running Astroids.
 

Installing the game

Astroids is available either as a standalone .prc file or as a compressed ZIP (for PC) or SIT (for Mac) file. The compressed files contain these release notes along with the .prc file.

The .prc file needs to be installed on your Palm or compatible handheld. Firstly, locate and start up the 'Palm Installer' program. On Windows this is in the 'Palm Desktop' menu in 'Programs' on the Start Menu. Using the Palm Installer program, select the .prc file. Put your handheld in its cradle (or use a HotSync cable) and press the HotSync button. During the HotSync, the Astroids game will be transferred to your handheld and will be available from the menu when you press the applications button. Tap the Astroids icon, and you're in the game!

Notice : Astroids Greyscale requires a little bit of 'elbow room' in memory for decompression - if your machine is very close to being full, you may experience problems when Astroids cannot decompress the graphics required!

To start a game of Astroids, tap the screen. Unless you use the Control Prefs to change them, here are the controls for playing:

Also - if you get killed by an astroid or alien, and want to come back straight away to wreak sweet cold revenge, then pressing the UP button will bring you back - even if there is an astroid in the way!
 

Known Problems with Hacks

 Astroids graphics and gameplay push the capabilities of your palm to its limits! To do this, we've had to make direct use of much of the hardware of your machine. While this causes no problem for most users, we've had reports from a few users running lots of hacks that the game reports memory problems - even when there is plenty to spare.
 Since many hacks also try to use the same hardware calls, sometimes they might be incompatible. If you get the memory error, and you know that you've got enough space, then try de-activating your hacks one by one until you can narrow down which are causing the problems.

 Speed Up -Hacks
There are quite a few hacks available ( Afterburner, Tornado, and I personally use Eco-Hack) which allow you to change the speed your main processor runs at. At the expense of some battery life (about 20% less) your palm can run faster by overclocking. This does not cause any problems with Astroids, and many users use these hacks to make the game run faster (or slower) than normally allowed by the standard Astroids speed settings. For those concerned with getting high up the internet high score table, using these hacks makes the game run at a relatively higher speed - so you will get a difficulty bonus added to your score!
 

Powerups

If you play the 'Enhanced Game' (use the 'Game Settings' menu item to change to it), there are special astroids for you to shoot - and when you do they release a powerup. These are one of:

• Extra shots
• Autofire
• Double shots
• Shots go further
• Extra Life
• Ship Equipped with a shield
• Ship Equipped with a hyperdrive
• Ship Equipped with a retro-flip
• Ship Equipped with a smart bomb - which delivers a hits to every asteroid!
• Ship Equipped with 'Death Blossom' - the ability to spin rapidly around - shooting in every direction.
• Astroid Freeze - stops all the astroids from moving for a few seconds.

If you decide that you would like to keep Astroids on your palm, then you should register within approximately one month. Registration is available online at the Astraware Astroids registration page. Registrations for Astroids cost $5, and your key will remain valid for future upgrades.

If you wish to send us a cheque (or a check), then email first so that we can advise on the most secure method.

The more times you play astroids before you register, the longer the pause at the start of each game will be.

Registered users can send us their high score (in the form of a code which tells us how fast you palm runs too!) which we will include on our high score table! Go on, show the world what a master you are!
 

Version History

 

Version 1.5 : 3rd January 1999 : Filesize 65991 Bytes.

• Whole screen is now used for the game. (makes quite a difference!)
• User can choose astroids and ship to look flat or 3d (by request from people who have blurry palms, or just blurry vision!)
• Moved all the display settings into their own window.
• Collision detection improved (no more unkillable astroids!)
• Changed the 'back-now!' key to the 'up' button by request.
• Fixed the progression of numbers of astroids to 1,2,2,3,3,4,4....
• Fixed the 'twinkling' astroid so that the wrapped-bits also twinkle!
• Code optimisation for improved speed, and to reduce code size.
• Better error checking - with more full reports in case of graphic problems
• Numerous small graphic enhancements (Did I hear the words 'Easter Egg' ?)

Version 1.41 : 12th December 1999 : Filesize 59288 Bytes.

• Added Greyscale Pallete preferences - now you can adjust the settings to look the best for your Palm
• Changed the Ship graphics - now has the triangular effect we were aiming for first time.
• Added more animation stages to the Aliens.

• Converted game to be able to run on greyscale, and created new greyscale graphics for almost all items!
• Added memory awareness - if there isn't enough space in your palm to decompress all the graphics, it'll bow out gracefully!

• Fixed bug in code which was resetting sound level to medium when a power-up was collected.

• Rewritten powerup code - now gives you random between the powerups which you still need.

• Corrected the position of detection for the 'change sound level' buttons.
• Corrected a subtle bug when displaying the name of a registered user.

• Large shots are now displayed properly.
• Subtle change to reduce the number of times you get the same powerup twice in a row.

• Fixed a bug - I'd accidentally stopped the powerup bubbles from appearing in enhanced mode - they're back now.

• Fixed screen display problem - no more vanished astroids - although those at the very edge can still be tricky to shoot.
• Added a new game mode - 'Ultimate Blast Mode' : Autofire, double shots, shield, death blossom and infinite lives! Straight fast blasting without the wait!
• Fully customisable ship - choose the thrust, spin and drag features you like!
• Slightly reorganised the menu.
• Fixed a subtle bug involving Astroid Freeze near the end of a level.

• Changed astroid movement - they won't move vertically or horizontally. This will prevent the occasional phenomenon where an astroid moves along the very edge of the screen invulnerably.

• Altered the button detection code - for OS3 and below, uses hardware better to improve reactions.
• Updated the screen drawing routine with custom code : much faster!
• Updated the astroid drawing routine with forward code from the Zap! project.
• Updated the frame-rate regularity to cope with the better routines. Response is approx. 160% of previous,

• Altered the screen drawing routines to optimise for higher speed.
• Changed the Zap advert for neatness.

• Updated version to 1.2 ready for release.

• Updated the html file to document the 'Back Now' feature. (Tim)

• Corrected the screen - just says 'tap screen' now. This is because detecting buttons was causing strange problems.
• Changed the shareware advert to advertise zap. This has taken 560 bytes off the filesize! (It has less dots, so compresses better)
• Smart bomb now kills the alien too!
• Saved 280 bytes by condensing the important data from three settings forms into two: Controls, and Settings.
• Removed the ship choice settings - almost everyone seemed to use the Viper setting anyway.
• Removed the game 'help' - it wasn't very informative, and just a waste of space.

• Fixed bug whereby shooting powerups gave you extra points (as if having shot an alien - whoops!) (Thanks to Pete)
• Cut out redundant code, and optimised more areas for size - trying to cut down below 40K again.
• Slowed down the powerups a bit to make them easier to pick up
• Added little icons to the top row to show what (if any) offensive and defensive powerups you have.
• I have attempted to make the 'double' shooting always shoot double whenever possible. (less 'single' shots)
• Reduced the length of time the first intro screen stays on, but not the length of the others.

• Put back the 'Press Up' to play - and enabled the Up button to start the game when on intro screens. (Pete)
• Added Offensive powerups - Smart bomb, death blossom, asteroid freeze . Can be collected and activated using the 'Up' key.
• Made a sound for the shield [ta Dax] and when you pick up a powerup.
• The high score table now remembers the last person who entered a score, and that is the name there by default. (Pete)

• Removed the 'Press Up' to play, which was still on the intro screen. (Tim)
• Disabled ability to change game settings whilst a game is in progress.
• Resetting high scores gives a box to confirm, then shows the high score table.
• When paused, there is a button at the top of the screen - 'abandon' - to end the current game.
• Nicer looking high score table - with twinkles! [Dax]
• A section on the intro screens which tells you what each of the powerups actually do. [Tim]
• Changed shareware nag - up to 40 games without nag, but there is a reminder to begin with.
• Fixed minor problems with powerup asteroid displaying.
• Fixed problem with powerup astroids self-multiplying. (deng 'em!)
• Made extra-life and double-shots a little rarer. Slightly increased chance of autofire or extra shot.
• Made the increase in number of astroids more gradual after 3 - now goes 1,2,3,3,4,4,5,5 etc. It makes for bigger scores, at least!
• You now keep the defensive powerups when you die (so you get chance to play with shield and flip for more than 2 seconds!)

• Powerups added : Autofire, Double Shots, Extra Life, Extra Shots, Shot Distance.
• Special Defensive powerups added - Shield (which sometimes bounces) which runs down if overused, and a 'Flip' Activated by 'down' button.
• Removed the 'up' button to pause - only tap screen will now pause. (up button reserved for 'offensive' powerup later)
• During Pausegame, app buttons will launch apps as normal.
• Removed ability to change to classic/enhanced mode during game play.
• Prevented accidentally losing the high score if the user presses a key just before the high score form is displayed.

• Fixed bug on high score screen which only displayed the last four digits of your high score.

• Now stores high scores, and keeps a table of the best 5.
• Pauses when the power is switched off.
• Ability to submit your high score to the internet high score table!
• Game records the REAL speed at which it was played - relative to the 'medium' speed setting on my Palm III, so that all scores can be compared fairly on the table.
• Scores from aliens crashing into astroids now will not add to your score after the game is over.
• Removed registered 'easter egg' - the extra functions will be reintroduced as powerups in the next planned major version.

• Fixed a problem with people upgrading from a previous version - now clears old preferences when you upgrade, so that changes between versions won't cause problems on your palm.

• Zap!2000 for PalmPilot - A smooth greyscale shoot-em-up in the best traditional style! Let out some stress on the invading aliens!
• Zap! for PalmPilot - Simpler Non-greyscale version of Zap!2000
• Bzzz! for PalmPilot - A frantic screen tapping game of catching flies to feed a frog!
• Fire! for PalmPilot - a fast paced remake of the old 80s handheld classic, Fire! (Shareware)
• Timetable for PalmPilot - An organiser for teachers and students. (Shareware)

• Bzzz! A cute game of catching flies - suitable for kids and adults!
• Fire! The PC version of the 80s Handheld classic, Fire!

 A few of the testers have really given very major assistance with the development of the game - giving bug reports (with detailed information of how to get the bug to happen!) serious suggestions for improvements, and feedback on the overall game feel.

 Main thanks goes to:

Stephen Stanway - who helped considerably with the maths required to do proper bounces when the shield is on. Without his help it could have been many more months before the game was updated.

Tim - who has sent me more than 30 pages of feedback, bugs, suggestions and cheerful comments!

Christopher, Pete, and Kevin - Who have each contributed such considerable important feedback and have been awarded a registration for the effort!

Hiroshi, who gave great feedback during the conversion to Grey!

Also thanks and a mention go to the following - who have sent either cheerful feedback or bug reports or other useful tidbits!
Corky, Rick, Frederick, Larry, Aaron, Paul, Eric, William, Roger, Gianvincenzo, David, Rich and Mike.
 

Legal

Astraware takes no responsibility for any adverse effect that this software could cause to your machine: backup important data before using Astroids.

This page was last updated on 3rd January 2000, by H.Tomlinson