Forums > Game Forums > Caverns of Gink > Caverns of Bob!
Tracy Poff (2094) on 4/11/2014 2:50 AM · Permalink · Report
I've come across a game, Caverns of Bob!:
Compare it to this game:
Long lost twins? Gink refers to a Prof. George Jumpalot, and Bob! refers to a Professor Bob Jumpalot. The games seem to be identical except for the Gink/Bob! switch. Suspiciously, Bob! once says âA professor cannot multiply? Sorry George.â, and the differing strings all have exactly the same length in each version. My suspicion: somebody with a hex editor decided to hack his name into the Caverns of Gink.
If anyone has any more information about these, I'd like to hear it, though I doubt anything will turn up, for a game like this. Just thought I'd mention it.
Pseudo_Intellectual (66362) on 4/11/2014 2:59 AM · Permalink · Report
This is why this beat is so interesting!
Tracy Poff (2094) on 4/11/2014 4:06 AM · Permalink · Report
A more recent variation (with very limited distribution):
Caverns of Moby - title
Caverns of Moby - instructions
Why, they'll let anyone make games, these days.
(And I have the sudden urge to fill the internet with anachronistic screenshots of Moby-themed game hacks...)
Tracy Poff (2094) on 4/11/2014 2:26 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
Oh, Gink is almost certainly the original. Besides other indications, the EXE has a modification date in 1987, while Bob!'s EXE has a modification date in 1997.
Probably, this guy is the author of Gink, since he "attended Badger High School in LAKE GENEVA, WI and graduated class of 1987" and the game tells you to send comments to an address in Genoa City, WI.
Incidentally: Bob! probably counts as a pirate release or mod, or whatever, so we don't document it here, yes? Ironically, Bob! is listed on the DOSBox compatibility list and Gink is nowhere to be found. Would an AKA be appropriate so that people can find the original game here when looking for the hack? Or maybe a trivia entry, which would at least let google find it.
Edit: actually, given that modification date, what's the proof for this being released in 1985? Not to say that the file couldn't have been modified after release. Ah, if only we had sources listed for things, I wouldn't need to ask these kinds of questions.
vedder (70822) on 4/11/2014 3:14 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Tracy Poff wrote--] Incidentally: Bob! probably counts as a pirate release or mod, or whatever, so we don't document it here, yes?[/Q --end Tracy Poff wrote--]
I don't think we have strict rules regarding that for computer games, only for consoles.
Indra was here (20755) on 4/11/2014 3:17 PM · Permalink · Report
You really wouldn't want me to start adding screenshots for pirate servers of Endonesian MMORPGs. :p
vileyn0id_8088 (21040) on 4/11/2014 4:15 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Tracy Poff wrote--]Edit: actually, given that modification date, what's the proof for this being released in 1985? Not to say that the file couldn't have been modified after release. Ah, if only we had sources listed for things, I wouldn't need to ask these kinds of questions.[/Q --end Tracy Poff wrote--]
For one, I happen to have a version of Gink with a file date of 30/11/1985. (That version is also a .COM file, which is peculiar, since the game was evidently created with the IBM BASIC compiler... then again it could've been an exe2bin job.)
Games of this type were released over and over in so many shareware packs that it's always a good idea to hunt for alternate sources. Especially with single-file games, which could've been transferred over FTP or BBS without being contained in a .zip or similar (thus not preserving the original dates).
If only some authors had the minimal courtesy of displaying the copyright year on the title... that's not too much to ask, is it?
Indra was here (20755) on 4/11/2014 7:46 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start vileyn0id/8088 wrote--]If only some authors had the minimal courtesy of displaying the copyright year on the title... that's not too much to ask, is it? [/Q --end vileyn0id/8088 wrote--]If only some authors had the minimal courtesy creating their credits in a txt file too. -_-
Tracy Poff (2094) on 4/11/2014 7:55 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Indra was here wrote--] If only some authors had the minimal courtesy creating their credits in a txt file too. -_- [/Q --end Indra was here wrote--]
I'm sure they'd be happy to!
$ cat credits.txt
See http://www.example.com/credits.gif for a complete list of the 2844 Kickstarter backers.
$ kill me
bash: kill: me: arguments must be process or job IDs
Pseudo_Intellectual (66362) on 4/12/2014 3:10 AM · Permalink · Report
You could, uh, ask Tony if he is the guy. If so, he might be able to give you a year!
Tracy Poff (2094) on 4/12/2014 3:59 AM · Permalink · Report
I doubt that MyLife thing would actually let me send a message--probably a paywall that will then say "Tony isn't yet registered here! Why not invite him?"--but I have, in fact, been attempting to gather the courage to send out a few stacks of emails of that sort. I haven't quite figured out the most diplomatic way to say "Hey, someone with a name mostly like yours wrote a horrible game about thirty years ago. Is that you? Can you tell me more about it?". Though leaving out 'horrible' might be a good place to start...
Pseudo_Intellectual (66362) on 4/12/2014 4:29 AM · Permalink · Report
Ehh, just say something like "I'm an amateur computer historian and am trying to track down the author of an ancient video game." After that the inquiry writes itself.
Tony Ginko (1) on 7/15/2014 8:59 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
I wrote this game, Bob hacked the code and edited the strings.
Horrible, maybe. Not to shabby for a 13 year old. Please note, there was such a thing as CGA monitors, which gives you 4 (count em, FOUR) colors to use, including Black (zero).
The game works by examining the pixel right below the middle of the character's feet, to determine if it's red, orange, or black. If it's red, turn it orange. If it's orange do nothing. If it's black, you fall until you hit something.
There are 4 "levels" and not much thought went into the design. After the 4th level there are a series of questions you have to answer correctly to progress to the end screen. I wrote this for myself, since there were not a lot of games to choose from back in the 80's.
When I saw the Caverns of Bob title screen, I laughed my a$$ off... I guess if you can't make a game yourself, all you can do is take someone else's and call it yours.
Hope this answers some of your questions. My next game will be far less horrible, I assure you!
TG
Tracy Poff (2094) on 7/16/2014 1:38 AM · Permalink · Report
When I email developers, I get no reply, but when I don't, they find their own way here. Clearly I need to change my strategy!
Let me start by thanking you for coming here and introducing yourself. It's a rare treat to meet the author of one of these old games, so many years later.
Horrible, maybe. Not to shabby for a 13 year old. Please note, there was such a thing as CGA monitors, which gives you 4 (count em, FOUR) colors to use, including Black (zero).
Oh, I well understand the limitations you were working under. And I apologize if I offended you--my 'horrible' comment wasn't really directed toward this game, specifically. I was just making a joke about contacting people about something they may (or may not) have done decades ago, when they were kids, and likely enough haven't thought about since.
Hope this answers some of your questions.
Indeed, it's interesting to hear about the game from its creator. If you'll indulge my curiosity a bit further, I do have a few more questions:
- Did you originally upload this to a BBS for others to try? Do you know how popular it was, at the time?
- Did anyone ever contact you about beating the game?
- Have you done anything else game-related?
My next game will be far less horrible, I assure you!
I'll look forward to it, then! Do let us know about it, when the time comes, so we can document that game as well. Good luck!
Tony Ginko (1) on 7/16/2014 12:51 PM · Permalink · Report
Thanks Tracy,
No offense taken ... Horrible is a good word to describe 4-bit graphics when you compare it to today's Skyrim.
Did you originally upload this to a BBS for others to try?
Yep, this was long before the days of the WWW, I uploaded it to a single BBS in Chicago, and it spread from there.
Do you know how popular it was, at the time?
There was really no way to measure that. Eventually I figure out how far it traveled....
Did anyone ever contact you about beating the game?
Ohhh yes.... I remember getting letters from all over the world. My dad couldn't believe when I got a letter from Saudi Arabia. Looking back, I can see how some people may have not actually beaten the game, but cracked it (as bob did) and pulled my address from the code. I continued getting letters until I left for college, I imagine the people at the post office (53128) are still getting letters from 3rd world countries.
There was a game I played called Janitor Joe, and I remember getting a phone call from the author Kevin. He told me he liked it, his game was much better. I've spent more time playing games than building them.
Have you done anything else game-related?
Mostly map building for UT99, I started a few projects that never panned out, a hover craft type game (like Lunar lander in 3d) and I made a typing tutor (really for myself). Once I got into music I put the programming thing on a side burner. I did make a sequel to this game, more along the lines of Atari's Adventure, but it was never released.
I loved the Infocom text-based games, there was a monochrome RPG called Oubliette which was good fun back in the day. It's been amazing to watch the progress of technology go from my game to what we have now on the XBOX 1 and PS4. A lot can change in 3 decades.
vileyn0id_8088 (21040) on 7/16/2014 1:09 PM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Tony Ginko wrote--]I did make a sequel to this game, more along the lines of Atari's Adventure, but it was never released.[/Q --end Tony Ginko wrote--] Consider yourself petitioned to release it, then... better late than never. :-) It's funny that you mention Janitor Joe, because of the author's other game Castle Adventure, which was also along the lines of the Atari game, and also gained somewhat of an unlikely cult following. I finally beat it only a year or two ago (!).
[Q --start Tony Ginko wrote--]My next game will be far less horrible, I assure you![/Q --end Tony Ginko wrote--] When you write it, just please be nice to us poor game historians here, and display the release year as prominently as possible. And always DEF SEG before you POKE!
...I kid, I kid. Welcome to MG - always neat to see original developers weighing in here, especially those who wrote the games you played as a wee one.
Tony Ginko (1) on 7/16/2014 1:45 PM · Permalink · Report
DEF SEG ... Now I feel BLOADed.
I remember playing that Castle game, yeah it was Adventure meets Zork. It has been ages since I was eaten by a Grue
Well, that sequel (circa 1987) is likely never to be recovered. I sent copies out to a few random people (on a 5.25 floppy mind you) but the source files are long gone.
Perhaps it's for the best... ;)
Indra was here (20755) on 7/16/2014 3:19 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Tony Ginko wrote--]I wrote this game, Bob hacked the code and edited the strings.
[/Q --end Tony Ginko wrote--]Trivia contributions, dude. You can treat it as your own developer notes section as far as I'm concerned.
Bob isn't credited in the game it seems.
Tracy Poff (2094) on 7/16/2014 5:02 PM · Permalink · Report
Trivia contributions, dude. You can treat it as your own developer notes section as far as I'm concerned.
Bob isn't credited in the game it seems.
You need to read upthread a bit. Someone, a decade after this game was released, made a hacked version featuring the name 'Bob' prominently. We'll need to add the hacked version and explain the situation, I guess. It's on my list.
vileyn0id_8088 (21040) on 7/16/2014 5:49 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Tracy Poff wrote--]We'll need to add the hacked version[/Q --end Tracy Poff wrote--]
I don't think we should add anything more than a trivia item, and perhaps an alternate title:
- "Caverns of Bob!" -- common unauthorized hack
...as is already done for similar cases, just to funnel searches to the right place. Otherwise it's quite a slippery slope we're getting ourselves onto.
Indra was here (20755) on 7/16/2014 9:00 PM · Permalink · Report
My bad. Had this strange misinterpretation that Bob was part of the team. Nevermind. Bob should absolutely not be mentioned.