Crack'ed 6-28-87

This is the earliest Crack'ed prototype known to exist.  Although this prototype is fairly early, lacking a title screen, the display kernel is more stable and less prone to bouncing.  While the first level is mostly the same, the second level is still being worked on and the Rooster Ranch level is completely non-playable.  However this prototype has some interesting features that were dropped in later versions such as multi-colored enemies and having the enemies be stunned instead of disappearing.

No physical copy of this version has been found, but the rom was compiled from code found on an Atari ST development system.  Because this version was still under development it doesn't follow standard Atari 2600 4K bankswitching and will only work on Atari ST development flash card plugged into an Atari 7800 (which was the standard 2600/7800 development system at the time) or a version of the Stella emulator that supports the 24K developer mode.

Please note that the date presented here is not the actual date the prototype was made but rather the date in which the files were copied to the development kit hard drive.  It's possible that the two dates are the same or very close, but there is no way of knowing for sure.

Differences

There is no title screen

There are no level introduction screens

There are no difficulty levels

The game starts automatically

There is no score

The debug level skip is missing

The graphics for the enemies can be seen on the edges of the screen when the level starts

The controls are a bit stiffer

The tree color on the Ye Old Yoke Tree level are different and much lighter

There are occasional glitches at the bottom of the tree graphics on the Ye Old Yoke Tree level

An egg drops out of the targeting sight when the level starts

The Game Over tune plays constantly during the levels

The only enemies are hawks and snakes

The enemies are multi-colored with black bottoms

When you shoot an enemy it gets stunned and faces forwards

When the snakes are stunned their graphics turn into hawks as they face forward

Each time you shoot an enemy it drops an egg

You cannot catch eggs

Enemies do not steal eggs from nests so there is no way to lose

There are graphical glitches at the bottom of the Subway Mania screen that follow your targeting sight around

The snakes at the bottom of the Subway Mania screen don't move but bounce in place

There are no gradients on the Subway Mania background except at the very bottom and these are different from the final

There is a blue line at the top of the Subway Mania screen

The area closer to the bottom on the Subway Mania screen is taller making the bottom level with the water shorter

The nest on the bottom of the screen is much further right

The pipes and pillars on the Subway Mania level don't touch the floor properly

The pipes and pillars are colored differently on the Subway Mania screen

The Rooster Ranch screen is an empty placeholder that cannot be played or completed

The game will proceed past the Rooster Ranch screen after about 15 seconds

The windows on the Rooster Ranch are laid out differently

The background on the Rooster Ranch screen is yellow instead of red

The game plays random sounds during the Rooster Ranch level

 

No title screen, straight to the action!	Looking a little glitchy there
This is all you get for the Rooster Ranch	Notice the stunned enemies facing forward?

 

Return to Crack'ed