ROSS'S GAME DUNGEON: HELIOUS

[Razafeth]

Ok, so I found a branch of DOSbox that enables save states and gave this game a stab. With some time this should be doable, but what concerns me is I'm not getting the same results as Ross. I've beaten two levels, the one Ross beat (lightest blue) and the next one clockwise (lightest green). After I go back to the main screen (hitting escape or dying) I don't see the knuckle on my tentacle thing. I did the light green level first, didn't see the change and thought there must be a specific order to the levels. I started over and did the light blue level without doing anything else and still didn't see any change on the main screen. Any ideas? Should I be returning to the main screen through some other means? I'd hate to suffer through the rest of the levels (even with save states) if it won't actually beat the game.

 

Cleared flag on the light green level:

http://imgur.com/RJf7NVJ,0KCqs2q,d14fjUN#0

 

Cleared flag on the light blue level:

http://imgur.com/RJf7NVJ,0KCqs2q,d14fjUN#2

 

Main screen AFTER beating a level:

http://imgur.com/RJf7NVJ,0KCqs2q,d14fjUN#1

[bloodvez]

If you want to try and complete Helious 2 and you don't mind cheating, here's little something:

 

After poking around a little, I found the "HP" value for the ball with Cheat Engine. If you don't know how it works and what it is, look it up.

When you start the level, search for 2 byte value of 9999. Fly about, then look for values that have changed.

 

Here's a couple of screenshots:

http://imgur.com/a/FkHVT

 

Good luck.

[fuzbuzz00]

Helious II doesn't have an ending. It says so in the instructions in-game.

[TheTron852]

Helious II doesn't have an ending. It says so in the instructions in-game.

But how do we know for sure? For all we know, this could be something aliens made the author to say to keep the secret

[typhoonlordgrief]

Here...

2n_hkoXhC0I

 

Cheating was straight forward, 4-byte value. Starts between 60,000,000 and 70,000,000. Freeze around 17,000,000 for maneuverability. Hold down 'z' for brakes and just ride through. I'm not sure if it was a glitch, (I had several graphical ones), or if planned but the orange does not have a flag. Like I have reloaded it several times and each time is the same and I ended up flag-less. Also to further note my curiosity I ran the game through IDA and there isn't any functions or naming related to an ending as the instructions confer.

 

No ending, good waste of two-hours of my weekend though .

[krickit]

No ending, good waste of two-hours of my weekend though .

 

I'm glad someone finally got around to it, good job

[The Signless]

Guys, i am gonna try to beat Helious I and II. But i am kinda worried that the game exe may not work, and also very worried after i beat the game... will i be abducted by aliens in order to save their own race? Maybe in a 95% chance to me that i'll be taken to the mothership.

 

Now this time, i gotta play a lot of battle music while i play in Helious I and II with my Logitech controller (Is a joystick required to play this game?) as i venture into these 9 levels myself. So, guys...wish me luck.

[EggplantMan]

No ending, good waste of two-hours of my weekend though .

Damn, beat me to it. I was having a look at it myself when I saw your post. Guess it's time for Follow-up Episode #3!

[Paul McCartney]

maybe some people have actually beat the game, but they aren't speaking or have died....

Oh yeah, also there's no end...

[KentMcConnell]

There's a page on Helious on The Cutting Room Floor (a website that looks through game data for any unused stuff) and apparently they found some text in the .exe that confirms the game is NOT of extraterrestrial origins. Or at least it proves that Sean Puckett stole the copyright from them and modified the .exe to try and prove ownership in a court of law, in case the Aliens decided to get litigious.

https://tcrf.net/Helious

Had a look through the .exe myself and sure enough, its there.

I wonder if the PO box is still his.

[Duuqnd]

In case anyone's interested, I've reverse-engineered a reasonable amount of the game, and I've been in contact with Sean Puckett. I got some good answers. To quote the admiral: More later.