We're on the hunt for some missing Easter eggs! Typically, these would be ones that a player can trigger to appear during a game. Below is a list of unsolved mysteries waiting to be solved by someone - perhaps YOU! Answers can be derived by most any means necessary (straight-out playing, translating the actual code, contacting the programmers, etc.). Those marked with a (VT) require video-taped proof of someone playing the game (on an actual Atari system – no emulators!), whereas the others simply require either step-by-step instructions on how to reveal it, or a screenshot as proof. How much each solution is worth depends on what color the title is in:
Answers for RED titles are worth $100 each
Answers for BLUE titles are worth $75 each
Answers for YELLOW titles are worth $50 each
Answers for GREEN titles are worth $25 each
Clicking on the title will bring up DP's Easter egg entry for it. There’s also a $50 bounty for any as-of-yet undiscovered hidden names/initials/messages (i.e. those not already in our Easter egg database) that can be revealed while playing a game - be sure to check DP’s Easter egg section for a current list of known Easter eggs (Note: new or "homebrew" games not applicable). If you have an answer to submit, or any questions about the contest, please email us.
*** Latest news***
8/11/2011 Frantisek Houra found hidden messages in
both Atari 8-bit
AIR STRIKE II and
CAPTAIN STICKY'S GOLD!
6/19/2011 Don Hodges deduced how the Solar Sailor's
appearance works in arcade
TRON!
2/7/2011 Don Hodges analyzed Atari VCS/2600
GUARDIAN and found there's
no code for awarding bonus planets (at 50,000 points).
Good luck and happy hunting!
DELUXE SPACE INVADERS /
SPACE INVADERS
● Leave at least one of the bottom invaders (either the first or second) in each
column. This means shooting around them to destroy the others above them. Nearly
impossible, but it can be done. What happens is, if you destroy all but at least
one of the bottom two row invaders in each column, the invaders stop marching.
They become sitting ducks. You can then blast mystery saucers to your heart's
content. Both SI and Deluxe SI have this trick. (VT
or MAME inp file required)
FOOD FIGHT
● "hi Jon" is coded as graphics in
the program (see entry). It's currently unknown whether or not they can be
triggered to appear onscreen.
ORBIT
● The initials “LR”
(for Lyle Rains), “OR” (for Owen Rubin), “Ly” (for
?), “Mh” (for Morgan Hoff), and “PM” (for Paul Mancuso?)
can be found in the program, coded as graphics (see entry). According to Rubin,
it’s quite possible these can be triggered to appear on the screen!
SKYDIVER
● The initials “OR” (for
programmer Owen Rubin) can be found in the program, as graphics (see
entry). It's currently unknown whether or not they can be triggered to appear
onscreen.
●
According to programmer Ed
Rotberg, the prototype version has a somewhat risqué ending sequence that can be
triggered to appear, but this was completely removed from the release version.
BOB POLARO's missing egg(s)
● Do any more of Bob’s games have Easter eggs left
in them? The remaining titles are
Holey
Moley,
Rampage,
RealSports Volleyball
,
Road Runner, and
Stunt Cycle (inc. the Dukes of Hazzard variant).
DAN OLIVER left-handed joystick option
● Dan Oliver mentioned in an interview with
the 2600 Connection newsletter that one of his games (Laser Gates,
Rescue Terra 1,
Space Cavern, or possibly
Telepathy) contained an undocumented (?) feature that reconfigured the joystick for a left-handed
player.
CALIFORNIA GAMES
● Is there a way to
trigger M. Peter Engelbrite’s initials to appear?
CROSSBOW
● Does this contain a hidden
name/initials?
CRYSTAL
CASTLES
● It's very possible that the initials for
programmer Peter C. Niday are hidden somewhere.
● Need a videotape of someone scoring 199 points against the computer (and revealing the programmers initials). Tips: play a 15-minute game with all options on. (VT)
FATHOM
● Rob Fulop claims that the
“escape” ship (shown at the end of Atlantis and Cosmic Ark) is
hidden somewhere in the game somewhere, but he doesn’t recall how to uncover it.
HAUNTED HOUSE
● Is there a
way to trigger the hidden staff object? (see the entry in the 2600 section for
more info)
● Programmer Steve DeFrisco’s initials are hidden in the game, but he doesn’t recall how to trigger them. We found a possible location of the initials in the code, at byte offsets $3da1-$3da5.
● Steve Woita revealed/confirmed that there is a way to change “CRAZED WAVE” to “WOITA WAVE” (picture #1) but he doesn’t recall how to do it.
● Programmer Steve DeFrisco mentions his initials might be hidden in the game, but he doesn’t recall how to trigger them.
STAR RAIDERS
WARLORDS
● 2 bugs are rumored to be in the game:
(1) In any 3-player games, it will occasionally not give the ball back to
continue after a point is scored. (2)
You can literally "catch" the ball by jamming it between your shield
and the edge of the screen.
ATARIWRITER
·
According to some Analog magazines, one of the Easter eggs hidden in the
program is a game. To date, 2 color demos and a method to revealing two names
have been found in some early prototype versions. The released cartridges with
the Easter eggs were rumored to have been recalled, but we've heard
approximately 80k carts were made before Atari found out about it and had them
removed.
THE
LAST STARFIGHTER
● Programmers Gary Stark and Bruce Poehlman admit to putting a few hidden
extras in the game, but they don’t recall how to trigger them. One that’s been
seen is the Starship Enterprise will sometimes make a brief appearance (by the
sun) when recharging. The graphics for it may be at bytes $3a46-3a48.
Each hidden extra is being paid separately.
SPACE INVADERS
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IKARI WARRIORS
● According
to the May/June 1989 issue of the Atarian magazine, there’s a secret code that lets you select different stages
to start at, but the article doesn’t mention what it is.
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olecovision
GALAXIAN
● The manual mentions
to look for special surprises during a game. What are they?
WING
WAR
● The programmer’s initials appear in
the sky, but it’s unknown what triggers them.
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MOUNTAIN KING
ROBOTS
OF DAWN
● The solution in DP's FAQ section is the most accurate one online, but it's
still not complete. We're looking for a step-by-step solution that solves the
game.
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Commodore VIC-20
MOUNTAIN KING
(c) Digital Press
