Interphase...


Drewus

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Joined
Mar 9, 2003
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153
Using the latest version of Castaway (10.2) and also TOS 1.02US i cant seem to get Interphase to load properly. It boots up to the start up screen, where the cube is rotating and makes it's way closer to the camera, but it only makes it about half way before the game freezes and 3 small bomb icons appear on the left of the screen.
I've also tried TOS 1.00 and 1.04 with the same problem, however when using 1.04 there are 2 bomb icons instead of 3.

I also got the Interphase rom from Joe's FTP.

Oh, the game is also reported as working using TOS 1.02.
 
I tried Interphase from either Automation and SuperGau. I was able to play quite well.. flew through a few floors, shot down a bunch of baddies, charged up by flying through a few thingies. No idea what the heck else to do in that game, but it seemed perfect :) I think it was automation... definatelly TOS 1.02 (thats the only one I have installed)

jeff
 
Thanx for that jeff, this other version works great. Although the framerate is a little chuggish :(

Oh by the way, the idea of the game is to perform the actions that the "thief" (chick who sends you messages) tells you to perform. Your actually playing inside a 3d security/network system.
So if she says that there is an electronic door blocking her way, you open up the map, select the door she is stuck at, hit the NAV button to lock it on and then go back into the game. Arrows will appear telling you where to go to find the object (which symbolises the doors electronic software) so you can destroy it and disable the door.
The same goes for security cameras, power stations and other things. It's quite a well done game actually and requires alot of strategy and timing in order to get the thief through the map and to the lift without being spotted or caught by the guard (who is represented by a moving red triangle, the thief is a green triangle). Even when your in the map the game is running in real time, so you have to quickly target, fly to, and disable those security cameras before the thief makes her way to them. Or you can think ahead and disable them before opening the door to let her through.

Timing is crucial when it comes to getting the thief past the security guard without being caught, you have to watch his speed and patrol route and time the opening of the doors for the thief so she can get past. In other levels the guard is actually chasing the thief so you have to really haul ass and get those doors open for her.
And at the same time your also being attacked in the 3d polygonal cyber world by viruses and bugs, which means you have to keep on your toes so you dont die.

One of those games that seems confusing and bland, but once understood and mastered can be played for ages without becoming bored.
I actually used to play the Amiga version, and it was one of my favorite polygon games along with the incredibly addictive and highly underrated game Simulcra (also available on the ST, although it also suffers from poor framerates on Castaway)
 
I was really hooked on Simulcra on the ST, in fact. I have tried it in Castaway and it seems to run okay, but I don't recall how well it ran on a real ST. In theory I would imagine a little chug for heavy math games, but Interphase seamed full speed to me, and Simulcra maybe a little sluggish.

I've not had too much tiem to play, but I intend on working over Simulcra a little, once I recall what it was about :) Savestates will be useful.

jeff
 
Interphase runs rather slow with Frameskip set to anything under 3.
4 and over and you end up with noticeable frame skipping and poor control.

But it is still playable when frameskip is on 3, just takes a little getting used to the slow reactions of the gp32 thumbstick rather than the mouse in the original. Also doing the "back and forth" thrust trick in the powerup arches requires some good aiming, but it all adds to the challenge :)

I'd kill for a smoothly running version of Simulcra though. When i was a kid it took me hours to make it to the final hard levels of the game, and i never managed to finish it. I'd love to be able to do it all now.
 
I fired up Simulcra.. seems to run perfectly at about 80% speed or so. Joystick control, fire to fire. I'm sure there were two tricks though.. 1) jump, and 2) missile? I remember you could run at a edge and hit somethign to jump over the space area to land on a platform a bit over there... and I'm sure you coudl fire homing missiles, too. Don't know hwo to perform these though :)

jeff
 
To fire a missile you hold down the fire button, you can either wait for the lockon icon to appear on an airborne object and it will follow it or you can just fire a missile straight ahead if the lockon icon doesn't appear.

To fly you go forwards as fast as you can and then quickly pull back on the stick, i cant remember how to control flying speed properly but i think it has to do with holding down the fire button and pushing either forward or back on the stick.

You could also close your wings, which would stop them from being shot off, but i cant remember which key did it.
 
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