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Opera House and QA for the Atari 400/800
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 12:00 am
by Juan
Has anyone around here attempted to solve any of these two games for the Atari 400/800?:
http://www.atarimania.com/detail_soft-M ... 13392.html
I haven't played QA much (became stuck pretty early in that game) but I must be close to the end of Opera House. I am attempting to kill the Phantom, but to no avail. I can't seem to figure out how to trap him. It must have something to do with the cotton soaked in chloroform that you can drop down the vent while he is playing the organ in his lair. Looking inside the game code I have only seen one object which I have not found yet: a bunch of keys.
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 11:56 am
by razors
Juan,
I have very little experience of Atari emulation and text adventures on them. However, if you can recommend an emulator and tell me how to download the game then I am happy to have a go.
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 3:41 pm
by dave
I use Atari800Win, which you can get from
http://atariarea.krap.pl/PLus/files/Ata ... %204.0.exe.
If you follow the "D" link in the URL in Juan's post you can get the game. Inside the zip file there's an .atr file, which you can just double click on to load it and run the disc image.
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:24 pm
by Juan
Yes, definitely Atari800Win. Seems to be the best Atari 8 bit emulator out there.
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:59 pm
by razors
I don't know if I'm just being an arse but I can't get Atari800win to work. I have downloaded the program and the XF25 program. I have copied the ROMs from XF25 into the Atari800win Rom file and have selected each for the operating systems. However it still comes up with an "ROM load error" message. Any hints as to what I am doing wrong?
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:26 pm
by Juan
razors wrote:I don't know if I'm just being an arse but I can't get Atari800win to work. I have downloaded the program and the XF25 program. I have copied the ROMs from XF25 into the Atari800win Rom file and have selected each for the operating systems. However it still comes up with an "ROM load error" message. Any hints as to what I am doing wrong?
Make sure that the ROM paths are correct. While running the emulator go to "Atari", then "ROM images" and check they are correct.
Here is what I have in mine, just in case it helps:
OS-A: C:\Emulators\Atari 800\Atari800Win\Rom\Atariosa.rom
OS-B: C:\Emulators\Atari 800\Atari800Win\Rom\ATARIOSB.ROM
XL/XE: C:\Emulators\Atari 800\Atari800Win\Rom\ATARIXL.ROM
5200: C:\Emulators\Atari 800\Atari800Win\Rom\atari5200.rom
BASIC: C:\Emulators\Atari 800\Atari800Win\Rom\ATARIBAS.ROM
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 3:32 pm
by razors
OK finally got the emulator working. Thanks for the help Juan, your PM was spot on and sorted the missing ROMs. I haven't explored either of these to the full yet but I have made a few discoveries. I have found the bunch of keys; they are in the tiny office under the invoice. Haven't used them yet. I will post again when I get stuck. Terri, Dave, Alastair fancy getting stuck in?
Got stuck on QA unable to cross the river, where did you get stuck on it Juan?
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 5:40 pm
by Juan
razors wrote:I have found the bunch of keys; they are in the tiny office under the invoice.
LOL! I can't believe I missed that. All you had to do was pick up the invoice. I just read it without picking it up.
Got stuck on QA unable to cross the river, where did you get stuck on it Juan?
I got stuck a bit further. To cross the river SWING ROPE. The problem, however, is that you lose it after you cross. It falls in the river and floats downstream. I have not found a way of crossing without losing the rope. And looking for it by using the canoe does not seem to work.
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 5:47 pm
by razors
OK I have mapped and explored Opera House. I have a number of questions:
1. How do you pour the chloroform on the cottonwool without knocking yourself out? If you need the gasmask for this then see number 2.
2. I cannot get out of the trapdoor. If I climb I get to the trees but if I go down I just get to the bottom again. Does this require some combination of lever and valve?
3. You can handcuff the rings together to prevent the organ appearing. What does this do?
4. What is the tiepin for?
I will mess around a bit more and maybe solve one or two of these.
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 7:01 pm
by terri
After all the problems you had in sorting out the ROMS, I think this is too complicated for me, though the game sounds intriguing. One platform at a time.
I am following your original lead in playing unsolved Amstrad games.
I'll post as and when I get stuck.
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 10:40 pm
by razors
I have tried QA for a bit, to give my brain a rest from Opera. Have made considerable progress thanks to your suggestion about the rope. Here are my discoveries:
Dig on beach to find machete
Cut vine with machete to get it. Haven't found a use for it yet.
Cut hanging vines with machete to discover inlet
Go rocks, then go waterfall to find little cave. Haven't managed to kill the lizard yet. Tried firing the flare pistol at it. The whole screen went white but it didn't have any effect.
In the village get the jar, remove shoes, rub lotion then go coalpit to get the orb. Don't know what it does yet.
Any new progress Juan on either game?
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 12:43 am
by Juan
razors wrote:OK I have mapped and explored Opera House. I have a number of questions:
1. How do you pour the chloroform on the cottonwool without knocking yourself out? If you need the gasmask for this then see number 2.
Yes, you need to wear the mask.
2. I cannot get out of the trapdoor. If I climb I get to the trees but if I go down I just get to the bottom again. Does this require some combination of lever and valve?
You probably did not MOVE TREE while you were in the theater. If you move the tree, then examine the lever and then pull it you can access the trapdoor from within the theater. To get out I just type GO TRAPDOOR. Same thing when you get to it from within the Phantom's lair.
3. You can handcuff the rings together to prevent the organ appearing. What does this do?
That's a question I have been wondering myself. I suspect it's to somehow trap the Phantom. I am still working on this part.
4. What is the tiepin for?
It's to get out of the dressing rooms if you happen to examine the mirrors and get trapped in them by the Phantom.
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 12:46 am
by Juan
razors wrote:I have tried QA for a bit, to give my brain a rest from Opera. Have made considerable progress thanks to your suggestion about the rope. Here are my discoveries:
Dig on beach to find machete
Cut vine with machete to get it. Haven't found a use for it yet.
Cut hanging vines with machete to discover inlet
Go rocks, then go waterfall to find little cave. Haven't managed to kill the lizard yet. Tried firing the flare pistol at it. The whole screen went white but it didn't have any effect.
In the village get the jar, remove shoes, rub lotion then go coalpit to get the orb. Don't know what it does yet.
Any new progress Juan on either game?
No, I haven't played QA any further yet, but your discoveries are great. I was stuck because of the machete. I had no idea it was there.
Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:29 am
by Juan
razors wrote:I have tried QA for a bit, to give my brain a rest from Opera. Have made considerable progress thanks to your suggestion about the rope. Here are my discoveries:
Dig on beach to find machete
Cut vine with machete to get it. Haven't found a use for it yet.
Cut hanging vines with machete to discover inlet
Go rocks, then go waterfall to find little cave. Haven't managed to kill the lizard yet. Tried firing the flare pistol at it. The whole screen went white but it didn't have any effect.
In the village get the jar, remove shoes, rub lotion then go coalpit to get the orb. Don't know what it does yet.
Any new progress Juan on either game?
OK, I have made a lot of progress in this game now. To deal with the lizard just do this:
circle lizard
I must be close to the end of this game now. I have rescued Kate and I am heading back to the campsite, but how do I get back there, which is where I suspect the game ends? The rope is gone so I can't seem to get back on the tree, and I can't figure out how to pass that hunting pit trap.
Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 12:10 pm
by razors
You have made better progress than I. I had managed to sort the lizard, use the disc, get past the snake but now I can't get across the stream or get past the guardian on the steps. Can you give me some hints to catch up?
Early on in the game you can tie the rope to the tree before you climb it. I assume this is so that you can get down into the hunting pit. However, I haven't managed to reveal the pit without falling in it.