Hellcats Over the Pacific
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| Author: |
Parsoft Interactive Eric Parker |
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Graphic Simulations |
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Hellcats_1_0_3.dsk_.sit (417.00 KB)
MD5: 5957c32db7ac7fa70c0e912703682e41 For System 6.x - Mac OS 9
Hellcats_Rescue.sit (2.94 KB)
MD5: d4ea3e10f1b7a630865837bb59905ad7 For System 6.x - Mac OS 9
upd_1_0_3_-1_0_4.dsk_.sit (75.34 KB)
MD5: 433b02c3accd8aaf2de1257905ed2086 For System 6.x - Mac OS 9
Hellcats Over the Pacific is a flight simulator focussing on the Pacific Theatre of World War 2. The player assumes the role of a Grumman F6F Hellcat pilot in both land and carrier-based missions using guns and bombs.
Hellcats used a special algorithm that Eric Parker initially programmed on a Sun SPARCstation to speed up the display of graphics on the screen. Hellcats offered amazing 256 colors at a time when 16 colors were the norm and (for the time) insanely smooth and fluid animations.
The game was a huge hit on the small Macintosh gaming market, selling more than 50,000 copies. It ranked for years in the "most popular games" sections of magazines like Inside Mac Games and won Macworld magazine's yearly award for the "Best Simulation Game".
A year after Hellcats, Parsoft released the add-on Missions at Leyte Gulf.
The basic Hellcats engine was later adapted to produce a series of games, including A-10 Attack!, A-10 Cuba, the F/A-18 Hornet series and early versions of WarBirds."
1st download: Hellcats Over the Pacific 1.0.3 as disk image (mount with Disk Copy)
2nd download: Hellcats Rescue, a utility to revive deceased pilots
3th download: Update from version 1.03 to version 1.0.4
The unlock code is: AAACNB
The following external download contains a zip containing all contents for your emulating needs:
CompatibilityArchitecture: 68k
Minimum requirements: 2MB RAM, System 6.0 or later, 68020 or later processor.
Comments
so i know it has been discussed a million times here before, but does anyone who's better than me in ResEdit and/or some system file hacking know how to fix the black screen on mac os 9.1 and above?
this game runs like a dream on 8.6 and 9.0(.4), then the trees and ground objects start to freak out and jump around the place on 9.1 and then on 9.2(.2) everything is black.
problem is that my main G4 (yikes) died a horrible death last year and now i'm on a mac mini G4 with 9.2.2. yes i know i can emulate it (although not on mac os 9) and i also have a iici somewhere without a monitor but..
i'm sure this can be done, probably something with the colour quickdraw implementation, but i'm not sure where to start. tried opening 9.0.4's and 9.2.2's system file in ResEdit but aside from dialog boxes menus and icons i'm not much of a wiz.
This game, a 68k Mac and a MouseStick II joystick is - to me - the very essence of early 90s Mac Gaming. It's incredible how much fun this game is still today!
On a side note: I added the Hellcats Rescue.sit as the 3rd download. This little utility lets you revive your untimely passed pilots.
****VERY EXCITED****
Got myself a performa 5200 from ebay which seems to work well - a friend downloaded the files and burned to CD but I cant seem to get it to work - I have the floppy marked Hellcats & Leyte Patch but now cant find the blasted original disc !! - I have a USB floppy and a disc - would ot work if I download the file burn to floppy on the PC and then use that - any ideas - the performa as a modembut no CAT 5
The smaller one should also work,
but the 59meg archive must be a complete CD.
i just got a performa to play this - do I need the 59meg archive?
I can remember the good old days, sitting behind the warm monitor of the performa 450 and playing this to death. With that joystick made by gravis that resembled something I only later knew the meaning of.
Anyway a couple of years ago I started to have dreams about that game. By then I had moved to the OSX age and was not able to play the game. I ventured into the emulator world to try and play the game. I remember it being difficult to get it to work... once I finally got all the problems dealt with I found out emulators DONT SUPPORT JOYSICKS. A flightsim without a joystick is like a car without an ashtray.....
I am wondering if there is a way to get this exact game working on OSX...? If we are lucky, maybe a multiplayer option? I bet if there is enough demand we can make it happen?
I don’t know anything about coding and or copyright so maybe I am talking nonsense… Anyway we could also ask the owners of the software if they would let the code be used for the fun OR we could ask graphsim to help or code an osx version… according to the wiki they are the owners?
I would love to hear your input and see what we could get going!?!
http://www.graphsim.com/company.html
http://pmcdn.priceminister.com/photo/Gravis-Mac-MouseStick-II-Joystick-5...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellcats_over_the_Pacific
There were several different release versions of this game, and there is hack info on file for copy protection for at least one of them, so that is why I'm not 100% certain.
Hello, as far as I remember there was NO copy protection scheme for Hellcats, you could just copy the install files from the original disk anywhere you liked, to another floppy or hard disk and then you could just click on the "Hellcats" program to launch the game. There weren't any copy-protection questions asked at program launch either.
I've uploaded a new archive taken from original media and including full documentation in PDF from both Hellcats and its add-on pack, Leyte Gulf.
BTW: I'm not sure about copy protection with this game because I haven't played it in depth. I don't know if it was entirely taken care of on the original owner's disk, or whether a question will be asked at some point in the game. I only tested it briefly and did not see any immediate question. However, ALL of the game's docs are included, so if anything is needed, it should be there, and I have also provided hack information that has been on file for many years.
You need to unstuff it first and then mount the disk image with disk copy.
I can't get hell cats up and running. I am using SheepSaver 2.3 with Mac OS 9.0.4. I copied hellcats over and get this message when I try and launch: http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j22/themikebell/Hellcats.jpg
Can anyone help me get this running!? I haven't played Hellcats in YEARS! I'm dying for it!
Works perfectly on PowerMac G4 - 450Mgh Dual Processor with Mac OS 9.2.2
- The Mac OS ROM Update, from memory, contains a new world ROM, one for a PPC. So this immediately excludes the use of Basilisk II. It can only be used with SheepShaver.
- Performance of SheepShaver, emulating something like a G3, on a G4 is going to be painfully slow. And mostly pointless. It will also require a minimum OS, I can't remember which, perhaps OS8.1, maybe OS 8.5, maybe even OS8.6.
- So you'll need to source other Mac ROM files, for m68k Macs. I'm sure that there was an extended thread here with a few links to some. a Mac 68k ROM wil allow you to use Basilisk II.
- Be realistic with the OS you wish to use, ie. a Quadra 700/900 ROM needs something like Mac OS 7.5 to OS 8.1, a Mac IIci ROM can use System 6.0.4 to Mac OS 7.5. a Mac Plus ROM can use System 6 to Mac OS 7.1 or 7.5.
- Be realistic with the RAM and video settings you may use, ie. my IIci had 65MB RAM (while PC owners were struggling with 1MB and an iMac I bought 10 years later came with only 32MB, grrr) but other Macs had less RAM slots so only supported 4MB or 16MB. Same with video, some supported 12in monitors, others 13in, others 16in, so 1024x768 was rare (only the premium-price Quadras), 800x600 was possible on a good 68040 Mac, otherwise it was just 640x480 on all the 68030 Macs including all the Mac II's and $12,000 IIfx, or less on a Mac Plus. Same with colour depth, 256 colours might be all that can be achieved, but some - the 68040 based Macs - managed Thousands of colours (32,768).
The older versions of Basilisk II mght be better suited to OSX 10.3, I dislike the recent versions, but see how you get on with the version you have. If you have issues, remember the post the version info. And info on your Mac.
Don't worry too much about copying files to your home directory and pre-fixing them with a period. Just create the preferences from scratch, then you know it's tailored for your version of Basilisk.
Let us know what games you're trying to play (if it's not HOTP) and we should be able to point you in the right OS direction.
Edit: Replaced 'xxx 7' with 'Mac OS 7' - IIGS User
Hi Gang!!
well almost a year later and we are backa again looking at getting this going. My partner n crime (shaggy) and I have got thus far
- My G4 is now running OSX 10.3
- We have a build of sheepshaver for 10.3
- We have also downloaded Basiisk
- We have an ISO of OS 8.1 and the 'discs' on the G4 for 7.5.3
- We also have the ROM image from the Mac OS ROM update
so having done pretty much everything the set up manuals and the read me files tell us to, we are......... we are.......
no closer than we were before!!
any ideas chaps??
We are having a problem with Sheepshaver as it requires us to copy the preferences file to the home directory and rename it with a '.' prefix, the OS does not let us.
With Basilisk the issue is that we have set everything up in the GUI and it quits without running.
as always help greatly appreciated - hope you are having a happy Christmas!! - we are.... well sort of.
Definately doesn't work on my iMac G4 using OS 9.2.2. It displays the instruments just fine and I can start flying but instead of the actual graphics the screen stays dark. (edit: set colors to 256 before launching the game)
Still, budget airlines helped my usual airline to reduce their prices to something not so extorionate. My domestic business fare (all that was available Monday morning / Friday night) used to be more than a transatlantic economy (with 2 weeks in a hotel) offered by the same airline.
mmmmm,
budget airlines, did that once.... just once that was enough...there is reason why they are cheap
Ooh, 100 flights a year. I did that for just over 10 years until 2005. Don't know how I would have managed without my PBG3 and PBG4 (and Myth 2 and Diablo 2). At least there weren't budget airlines when I started so I take my hat off to you if you have to put up with them too.
e-bay hound... sadly not but I do travel a lot (60-100 flights a year) and I often come across weird and unusual stuff. I'll keep my eyes peeled.... and yes .... pennies
Cheers
That's true and right.
Lets get your 10.3 installed and working, then Basilisk set up, then Hellcats installed and running.
"10.3 on order" - please tell me you got it for pennies off eBay or similar.
"can I do anything in return?" - if you're an eBay-hound (sorry, couldn't resist), just keep your eyes peeled on eBay each week or so for old Mac software that may be of interest to the site. I've picked up many titles for a few UK pounds each. I've also missed a few that I really wanted. Ironically, some games cost me more than the Macs they can run on !!
I'll probably go for 10.3 as I will only use the machine for retro games.
Cheers
10.3 on order - should get it in a few days... speak then and thanks for all your help, can I do anything in return?
Well, is it going to be your main computer ?
From earlier posts it sounds like you bought it to use as a retro machine.
You have a single processor 933MHz, so OSX 10.3 is just about right.
OSX 10.4 will start to tax the CPU, but it does have very good Java support.
OSX 10.2 will also work, but with a G4 most users found 10.3 better and faster.
Whatever you can get cheap / free.
... but doesn't run on a PowerPC G4.
Probably the latest, Snow Leopard 10.6. Sheepshaver runs pretty well with high cycles
Cheers.
Hey guys
looks like I will need to buy OSX - what version is best?
OK, so I need to get OSX....
I'll see what I can do
Scooby
Without a version of OSX, which unfortunately isn't available from here, you may have to use vMac to emulate Mac OS 7 and play it in Black and White on an emulated Mac Plus.
Edit: Replaced 'xxx 7' with 'Mac OS 7' - IIGS User
Hi there,
no I don't have OSX discs, where can I get them from? Can I download? If so would it work if I download it on the G4, get the burner working with toast and burn the discs on the G4 then install... or can I run OSX and 9.1 at the same time?? Then we will deal with basilisk!
cheers again
Yep, I've tried tinkering with every setting.
Reducing the level of detail (in the game),
Allocating more memory,
Using 3/4 and 1/2 screen.
Like you say, I get the black screen.
I just don't get it, when SheepShaver can run it fine in OS9.0.
So it will have to be an OSX / Basilisk solution. Is OSX installed ? Do you have any install discs ? Your G4 will run it easily.
Yep, you need to switch to 256 colors, otherwise it won't even start.
(I've uploaded a Screenshot of Hellcats running under SheepShaver with Mac OS 9)
hi there,
it wont actually run unless its in 256 colours..... even in 256 you are still in the dark....
I am confident that I need to change the OS but not sure what to or what the machine will support..... again ideas welcome
scooby,
Thanks for the heads up.
You could grab a hold of Toast, 4 or 5 - 5 is better and you should be able to burn DVDs. Get it from this site, use search at the top.
What if you reduce the colours to 256 ?
wotcha,
there is just OS 9.1 installed. There is a disc drive, but I cannot find any software to burn from (otherwise I would have downloaded the iso of the new OS and done that- I just assumed it did not have CD / DVD R capability). Let me know how you get on because if everything runs true to form you will see everything and the game will run but you will be in total darkness with no way of seeing where you are actually going.
Scooby
scooby,
a 933MHz G4 ?? It'll be a QuickSilver. Plenty of RAM too.
Do you have any flavour of OSX installed ? Mac OSX 10.2 would be good, 10.3 would be better.
Your QuickSilver G4 came with a DVD-R Superdrive, to burn CDs and DVDs. Is there any internal optical drive ? My QuickSilver is only a 733MHz with CD burner so I'm already jealous.
At least I could try it on my QS with OS9.2.2 (I might have to increase memory / reduce colours / reduce resolution to get it to work but I'll keep notes. Euryale has already confirmed that it runs perfectly under OS9.0 so I'm hopeful.
Ok guys - thanks for your help.
Ram- 1 GB
OS- Z1-9.2.2
Machine ID 402
Processor: 933 Mhz
Power Pc G4
Does that cover everything?
I used to play hellcats on my performa 5200 running 7.5
Cheers
I'm testing this game under Sheepshaver running Mac OS 9.0,
and it works great, no glitches whatsoever.
that deserves another 5 stars!
Now that you mention that, I'm gonna test it in Sheepshaver with OS 9
.. I didn't think of that before,
but it works flawlessly on Mac OS 7.5.5, 7.6, 8.1 (I've tested it on these)
Edit: Replaced 'xxx 7' with 'Mac OS 7' - IIGS User
Thx Euryale,
maybe one day, between us, we'll fill out the "compatability" details for this game.
Even more important, since it works in OS8.1, it may also work in OS8.6, and then maybe in OS9
Yes, This game runs on OS 8.1, that's where I run it from,
I have it in both Basilisk emulator, and a PowerPC 6500
What I wasn't sure, and I pointed it out, was if OS 8.1 would run on a G4,
it seems that it doesn't.
OK, the graphite tower "one" could be one of three models, the AGP, the Gigabit Ethernet, or the Digital Audio. The exact model isn't important, but the speed of the processors and how many it has are important. Can you answer those ?
And how much RAM ? Anything above bare minimum will only help.
And what OS or OSs does it run now ? A version of OSX around 10.2 or 10.3 is good, but 10.4 or later will be fine.
Based on that we can recommend and advise on setting up Basillisk II to run either System 6, Mac OS 7.1, 7.5 or 8.1. We'll even be able to provide you with a suitable ROM (maybe - I have one from my old Quadra 700) - as there's no point trying to run OS8.1 on a Mac Plus ROM.
If your G4 is fast enough, we could send you a ROM, give you instructions for creating a reasonable sized hard disk image for Basillisk to run from (it's really VERY easy). And then you could use that OS8.1 disc to boot and install OS8.1.
Can't remember if Hellcats plays in OS8.1, but at least we'll find out.
If your G4 is a slow one (like my Digital Audio is only a 466MHz), emulating Mac OS 7.1 may be as far as you should go. Again we'll set you up with a suitable ROM and boot disks.
Edit: Replaced 'xxx 7' with 'Mac OS 7' - IIGS User
Hi there
sorry, I missed your question. The G4 I have is a graphite power mac G4. My project is actually to just run hellcats (sad I know). I have nothing on the G4 of any concequence. My only goal is to play this game again and introduce my son to it.... any reliable advice received with thanks!!
Back to my question yesterday,
Which G4 do you have ??
The very first G4s (AGP - I have one) need a minimum of OS8.6 to boot.
The Gigabit Ethernet G4's required OS9.0.4 as a minimum.
The Digital Audio G4s (I have one too) require OS9.1 as a minimum. These seem to be the most common G4's available second hand today.
QuickSilver G4s followed (yes I have one), requires OS9.2.2.
MDD G4's followed (yes, one too) require OS9.2.2 too.
iMac G4's (used to have one) require OS9.2.2 too.
sadly not,
when I burn the iso image and then try and run the disc on the mac it just spits it out again. Will try and burn the image from a mac.
It Should, the thread says "Bootable retail Mac OS 8.1 CD-ROM iso image."
okey dokey
downloaded it to my G4 but then realised its a disc image and I have no burner attached to the G4 so tryng downloading the image to my PC and burning it there..... hopefully that will work.
Here's the Mac OS 8.1 download:
http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/macintosh-system-81-mac-os-81
Which G4 do you have ?
Do you run OS8.6 or OS9 or OSX on it just now ?
It may be better to run OS8.1 under Basilisk II on the G4. I'm sure someone here could help you out with a suitable ROM.
If it's just to run Hellcats, then Mac OS 6 or 7 may be better, again within Basilisk II.
Edit: Replaced 'xxx 7' with 'Mac OS 7' - IIGS User
Hi there,
sadly things are never simple. I cannot get my hands on an 8.1 OS disc. I can download for free but need to install 7.5 and then run the 8.1 update. I am being told that the G4 wont support OS 7.5..... mmm back to the drawing board.
Your English is Excellent!, probablu much better that I could speak your native language.
Cool, that was what I thought you meant, I just need to be able to take a back up from my G4.
thanks again