Scott Stilphen

Here's a picture:

Just the programmer's initials (scroll up to see my previous post)

quote: Originally posted by Thomas Jentzsch: Isn't it funny that we both reached the same goal at nearly the same time on two completely different ways. You played the game and I searched through the disassembly. That is truly incredible, if you think about it. Amazing what 24-hours will do

(Hey Rasty, ROMHACK is my new fav toy!) Steve mentioned that Quadrun contained an Easter egg with his name, but (like so many other programmers...) doesn't recall how to reveal it. I found the exact same message in the code that he used in TAZ - "WOITA WAVE". Using SHOWGFX, the graphics for this are at 05c5 - 0616 See my Taz entry for more info.

Ah, many questions. But this is a good thing I'll try to answer them. I don't know if you have to find the YAR first. My guess is you wouldn't have to. In E.T. you have to first find the YAR, then Indy, to get HSW's initials, but since HSW's and JD's aren't "related" in E.T., they probably aren't here either. As I stated, the only way to get into the VoP (that I know of) is either by parachute or jumping. If you parachute in with a bag of gold, you have to drop the chute when you land - you'd then be left with just the gold. Perhaps the trick involves letting the thief steal a certain object (or series of objects). There is a "priority" list that the thief uses when stealing objects. I can post this info if you want. I've only found the grenades to work in the temple entrance (either blasting the hole or clearing the cave-in), but you can set them off anywhere. And yes, it is possible to have both grenades in your inventory at the same time. Use the secret entrance in the marketplace to by-pass the entrance room method. [ 11-09-2001: Message edited by: Scott Stilphen ]

On the 5200 it's Berzerk and RealSports Baseball.

quote: Originally posted by Nukey Shay: ..maybe someone can use that to design the ET that "could have been". Have you seen Christian's E.T. hack? Simply making the pits smaller makes it *much* easier to play. quote Same here! I stared at it for a few minutes, thinking it just look too "clean" of a graphic to be some random thing. Then I remembered that most graphics are coded upside-down, and that's when it hit me The one in Raiders might have been too big to fit on the status bar. quote Yeah, the EG picture isn't the sharpest, but of the 4 known instances where it was published, the EG Nov 82 issue has the best/largest one. I even contacted the EG founders to see if they knew anything about it, or by some chance had the original, but no such luck. quote If it's in there, I'm guessing it's in "pieces", like the graphic for the lunatic (take a look at that one! It's nearly unrecognizeable. It's between 1915 - 1926) [ 11-09-2001: Message edited by: Scott Stilphen ]

What's cool about this hack is that he made the pits smaller- great idea, and much easier to get out of!

The 2nd grenade is only needed if you trigger the cave-in in the entrance room (which isn't something you want to do since it costs you points), so maybe there is a "good" use for it? Getting into a mesa is tricky. There isn't much room for error, but the top of your parachute has to partially cover the branch. When the screen appears, I drop for about a length and a half (the height of your character), hit the chute, and drift diagonally towards the opening. With a little practice, you'll get a feel for how exactly to approach the branch.

Here's the code info for the grenades and keys. Using SHOWGFX, the grenade graphics are found at 1b28 - 1b37. The normal key graphic is at 1b39 - 1b3d and the "mystery" key is at 1fa3 - 1fa6 Something else strange I noticed is that there are 4 seperate graphics for each of the 4 marketplace baskets, even though 3 of then are exactly the same. I thought 2600 programmers weren't supposed to waste bytes like this?

[Rasty] I was thinking that before. You may have something there. But then why does Raiders give you 6 points? [stan Jr.] "Could this be as simple as buying a parachute and taking a ride to the valley (ET's egg was super-easy to get, why not this)? But how does one get the second bag of gold? Could it be a system of dropping the right items in the valley?" I'm sure once it's found, it will be deceptively simple You can get up to 6 bags of gold- just keep going back into the treasure room. The only safe way of getting in the VoP is by parachute. If I had to guess, I'd say the trick involves something similar to the YAR trick- maybe dropping a specific item off a specific mesa, or perhaps it involves going inside a specific mesa (you would need 2 parachute to do this). The only thing I'm certain of is that out of a possible 23 points, the highest I've ever gotten is 20.5, so this tells me that there is at least one other action to perform which would make up the difference (which most likely is finding JD's initials. Btw, finding the YAR is worth 1.5).

Haha! Too funny....damn, I nearly swallowed my tongue when I saw Stan post that, so matter-of-factly, like "oh yeah, I've seen that a bunch of times." I've only been trying to find them for about 8 years now... quote: Originally posted by khryssun: Whoaw, big time in the VCS 2600 History ! I hope you'll include a little story about this magical message board event. I sent the link out to a bunch of people today (including HSW), and I wrote up a litte paragraph which traces the history of this particular egg. I plan to put it on my 2600 contest page soon. Stan, if you see this, please email me (I've been trying to reach you...). Thanks.

This is my other 'holy grail' of Easter eggs. When this is found, I can retire The Raiders entry on my site has all the info I know about it (check out the 2nd and 4th "hidden message" entries). Here's a picture of it: (forgive the lousy quality- all I have is a photo-copy of it). I enlarged the graphic to show what it looks like. In the original, the white area is actually light-blue. The "J" part is probably just a 'hole' (same color as the valley background). Btw, if anyone has a scan of the original, please send me a copy. It's possible the JD graphic may not be in the game. When I interviewed HSW back in 97, he mentioned that he thought E.T. was the first time that a graphics designer was credited with a signature (then again, he said the letters JMD appeared in E.T.). The EG screenshot is real, and last year HSW confirmed it when Classic Gamer mag contacted him about it (issue #3- pg. 34). HSW also mentions finding a totally differnt method for finding the YAR - inside a mesa! (Classic Gamer mag - #2, pg. 58). Whether or not this is true is unknown (he might have been thinking about the YAR flying up in E.T.) and I've only found one graphic image for the YAR (animating it would require at least 2). Couple other notes: Luc Pycke found a second key graphic in the code, which is different from the one that appears in the game, and I found that there are actually 2 different grenade images- why I have no idea. I'll post the code info for these...

To exit the VoP, go up through the center of the two top bogs. I'll start another topic with all the "leads" that I have for JD's initials in this one (of what little info I have...) [ 11-09-2001: Message edited by: Scott Stilphen ]

quote: Originally posted by ubersaurus: Suffice to say, I think this needs to be added to the ET easter eggs page on the site I'm already working on the update for my site The info should be up in a week or two.

quote You're right. As long as you don't give him any more candy after that, the initials will always appear when you are both on that screen. So simple, yet it took nearly 20 years to figure it out! quote: Originally posted by Thomas Jentzsch: I defnitely have a look at those this weekend. Thanks! Unfortunately, I have zero info with those two. I just found them today I doubt Bob Polaro remembers how to trigger them either, as he didn't even remember what games he hid his initials in (besides Defender and Desert Falcon)!

Here's the pic in JPG: Couple of last questions - what makes the initials disappear (is it timed)? Why is it when you first start the game, it takes a few seconds for the candies to appear? And why do you start with 3 points?

Awesome work guys! At long last the method is revealed!! It doesn't matter what screen you get the candy from, where you call Elliot (or anything else it seems) - doesn't even have to be the 1st candy you pick up, but you have to give him 1 on the 8-pit screen on game #1. Just as Thomas described. (now how will I divide the prize $ - LOL!) Hey Thomas, there are those Bob Polaro initials I just found that have to be "decoded" Not to mention my other Easter egg "holy grail" - JD's initials in Raiders of the Lost Ark

Here's a screen shot:

AWESOME! Please tell me you taped it! Maybe you have to uncover the Yar and Indy characters 1st? Maybe you have to uncover the initials with the 1st candy you get? It could be many things. I'll start trying right now

Almost forgot - I did get an email from someone else not long ago about the initials. Here's a copy: "Hey yesterday I played E.T. for the 2600 and Elliot ran over to me and gave me a weird symbol that was placed at the top bar. I thought it might had been the Easter Egg in uncovering HSW but I checked your site and you stated that the artist for the game - JD put his intials in also. And that's what it was - JD. Keith" He didn't remember how he did it, and apparently he never saw it again (I never heard back from him). One more piece of the puzzle.....

Perhaps the "code sleuths" can figure out how these 2 are triggered! BUGS BUNNY 1f7a | XXXX- | 1f7b | X---X | 1f7c | X---X | 1f7d | XXXX- | 1f7e | X---X | 1f7f | X---X | 1f80 | XXXX- | 1fbb | X----- | 1fbc | X----- | 1fbd | X----- | 1fbe | XXXX-- | 1fbf | X---X- | 1fc0 | X---X- | 1fc1 | XXXX-- | SPRINTMASTER 3a96 |XX--X-- | 3a97 |X-X-X-- | 3a98 |X-X-X-- | 3a99 |XX--XX- | 3a9a |X-X-X-X | 3a9b |X-X-X-X | 3a9c |XX--XX- [ 11-09-2001: Message edited by: Scott Stilphen ]

quote: Originally posted by StanJr: Looks like I know what I'm doing on my day off tomorrow. Anything specific I should be looking for? Here's all the other info I have: Besides Jeff Adkins (he was the 'someone' I mentioned before), the only other person (Kristine Roper) I knew of that had seen them (until now) contacted me a few months ago. She added revealing them may involve running from the scientist on the forest screen, and that the initials stayed on the screen for quite a while, and then disappeared when she did something else. Thomas' info confirms the infamous EG letter that the trick only works on game 1. [ 11-12-2001: Message edited by: Scott Stilphen ]

Thanks for the info, guys.

Just shows you what a graphics editor will do in the wrong hands I don't think I could have beat either game straight out (even in my 'prime').