Major Stryker Cheat Challenge

[Frenkel]

It has been 16 years ago when Major Stryker was first released and on March 14 2009 it will be 3 years ago when it got released as freeware.

Now here's a challenge for you: can you make the game display the same message as in the attached screenshot, without hex editing?

[Frenkel]

Can someone describe to me what happens when you type [C] [H] [E] [A] [T] at the Main Title Screen as described on the 3D Realms Major Stryker Cheat page and then again on the title screen, holding down [H] + [S] + [F3] and what happens when you hold down [H] + [S] + [F2].

[Hendricks266]

Whoa! I'd kill to have an invincible mode! I'll try out what you're asking.

(You can tell I'm a Major Stryker fan by my avatar.)

[Frenkel]

I've published the invincibility cheat and level warping cheats for Major Stryker on my website to celebrate it's third birthday as a freeware released game.

[Hendricks266]

This is great. How did you discover these new cheats?

[Frenkel]

I use TexView to see if I can find some interesting string in the executable, like in this case "invincible". And then I use IDA Pro Free to see when the game accesses this string.

[Hendricks266]

I played around a while, and it's really nice to go straight to wherever you want with the warp feature.

Do you think it could be possible for me to make a boss rush mod? If each episode is 12 levels, and there are 12 total boss fights, then it might work, theoretically. If only szevvy's Wombat could reinsert level files back into the VOLUME#B.MS* files...

[Phayzon]

Nice find, Frenkel. I'm terrible at this game, Invincibility should help a lot

[DOSGuy]

That's awesome! Still one of my favorite childhood games. How cool is it that something like this is discovered so long after the game was released?

Great job, Frenkel!

[Frenkel]

Originally Posted by Hendricks266

Do you think it could be possible for me to make a boss rush mod? If each episode is 12 levels, and there are 12 total boss fights, then it might work, theoretically. If only szevvy's Wombat could reinsert level files back into the VOLUME#B.MS* files...

In Wolfenstein 3D, when you put the boss from episode 2 in level 1 and you kill him, the game ends. Something similar might happen in Major Stryker when you put a boss in another level than it was originally designed for. The only way to find out, is to try it.

Originally Posted by DOSGuy

How cool is it that something like this is discovered so long after the game was released?

So far I've discovered cheats that are nowhere to be found on the Internet, except for on my site, for the following games:
Avoid the Noid, Bubble Bobble, Catacomb 1 & 2, Duke Nukem 1 (cheat for playing the demo level), Metal Gear, Monuments of Mars (warp to the previous level), Oil's Well, Operation Wolf, Oscar, Paragon, Puzznic, Qix, Rambo III, Redcat 1 & 2, Renegade, ScubaVenture, Shadow Knights, Slordax, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game and Trolls.

I still need to publish what happens in Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure when you have activated the cheat mode and you press F10 + E + N + D (take one guess ). I also haven't put an invincibility and warp cheat for Monty Python's Flying Circus and a copy protection bypassing cheat for The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants on my site.

Every time I find something new for these old games, I'm still surprised myself. Because I always thought Apogee was the only PC games developer in the late 1980's and early 1990's to hide cheat modes within their games. At least, they were the first to advertise they hid cheats in their games.

[hightreason]

he he, it gives you a sense of self-satisfaction when you find this stuff doesnt it
I mess around with betas a lot, so i always take a hex editor to them and find level select codes etc.
Very cool stuff.

[Joe Siegler]

Originally Posted by Frenkel

Can someone describe to me what happens when you type [C] [H] [E] [A] [T] at the Main Title Screen as described on the 3D Realms Major Stryker Cheat page and then again on the title screen, holding down [H] + [S] + [F3] and what happens when you hold down [H] + [S] + [F2].

Some of these we held behind for our own tech guys.

I also recall these things don't work in Stryker shareware.

[Frenkel]

Originally Posted by hightreason

he he, it gives you a sense of self-satisfaction when you find this stuff doesnt it

It sure does. It's even better when people tell me they actually use the cheats .

Originally Posted by Joe Siegler

Some of these we held behind for our own tech guys.

I also recall these things don't work in Stryker shareware.

Now that Major Stryker is freeware, this isn't a problem.


The reason why I ask what [H] + [S] + [F2] does, is because it doesn't do anything when I use it. [H] + [S] + [F1] warps to level 1, [H] + [S] + [F3] warps to level 3, [H] + [S] + [F4] warps to level 4 etc., but I can't warp to level 2. Maybe my F2 key is broken or my keyboard doesn't register the combination [H] + [S] + [F2], or it's programmed this way that nobody can warp to level 2.

[Joe Siegler]

Originally Posted by Frenkel

Now that Major Stryker is freeware, this isn't a problem.

True, but I still wanted to point it out.

The reason why I ask what [H] + [S] + [F2] does, is because it doesn't do anything when I use it. [H] + [S] + [F1] warps to level 1, [H] + [S] + [F3] warps to level 3, [H] + [S] + [F4] warps to level 4 etc., but I can't warp to level 2. Maybe my F2 key is broken or my keyboard doesn't register the combination [H] + [S] + [F2], or it's programmed this way that nobody can warp to level 2.

Stryker's cheats are far more finicky. The one that requires five keypresses at once can be difficult for some keyboards if I remember right. Back at the time, we were telling people a lot "It does work, you just have to keep trying".

Some game/keyboard combos just couldn't physically do it. We never found out why.

[hightreason]

I think it comes down to the keyboard. keyboard controller and the OS. I have a machine that is configured identically to another with exactly the same keyboard (These are both Akhter P150 computers, they don't have P150 CPUs strangely) - One of them wont accept the C T SPACE cheat in keen whereas the oteher will, one of the motherboards is a different revision.
Also i find a lot of NT based systems fail with these kind of cheats as well, whilst im mentioning NT, that horrible buzzing from the PC speaker that occurs in NT/2K/XP if it's making noise for more than like a second drives me nuts, why does it have to do that.#
I aslo have a keyoard where these kind of cheats just make the computer beep or sometimes restart, also, pressing the arrows in the correct sequence makes a random lock light come on on that keyboard.

[Hendricks266]

Originally Posted by Frenkel

So far I've discovered cheats that are nowhere to be found on the Internet, except for on my site, for the following games:
Avoid the Noid, Bubble Bobble, Catacomb 1 & 2, Duke Nukem 1 (cheat for playing the demo level), Metal Gear, Monuments of Mars (warp to the previous level), Oil's Well, Operation Wolf, Oscar, Paragon, Puzznic, Qix, Rambo III, Redcat 1 & 2, Renegade, ScubaVenture, Shadow Knights, Slordax, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game and Trolls.

I still need to publish what happens in Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure when you have activated the cheat mode and you press F10 + E + N + D (take one guess ). I also haven't put an invincibility and warp cheat for Monty Python's Flying Circus and a copy protection bypassing cheat for The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants on my site.

Every time I find something new for these old games, I'm still surprised myself. Because I always thought Apogee was the only PC games developer in the late 1980's and early 1990's to hide cheat modes within their games. At least, they were the first to advertise they hid cheats in their games.

Duke Nukem II?

from HELP.MNI in the NUKEM2.CMP file:

God_Mode_On

//SETCURRENTPAGE
//SHIFTWIN -3
//CENTERWINDOW 5 5 24
//SKLINE
//CWTEXT Tec mode ON.
//DELAY 30
//WAIT
//END

God_Mode_Off

//SETCURRENTPAGE
//SHIFTWIN -3
//CENTERWINDOW 5 5 24
//SKLINE
//CWTEXT Tec mode OFF.
//DELAY 30
//WAIT
//END





Weapon_Select

//FADEOUT
//LOADRAW MESSAGE.mni
//XYTEXT 1 2 óCHOOSE YOUR WEAPON
//XYTEXT 4 7 òDEFAULT
//XYTEXT 4 10 òBLUE LASERS
//XYTEXT 4 13 òROCKETS
//XYTEXT 4 16 òFLAME THROWER
//MENU 10

//PAGESSTART
//XYTEXT 4 7 ñDEFAULT
//XYTEXT 4 10 òBLUE LASERS
//XYTEXT 4 13 òROCKETS
//XYTEXT 4 16 òFLAME THROWER
//WAIT

//APAGE
//XYTEXT 4 7 òDEFAULT
//XYTEXT 4 10 ñBLUE LASERS
//XYTEXT 4 13 òROCKETS
//XYTEXT 4 16 òFLAME THROWER

//WAIT

//APAGE
//XYTEXT 4 7 òDEFAULT
//XYTEXT 4 10 òBLUE LASERS
//XYTEXT 4 13 ñROCKETS
//XYTEXT 4 16 òFLAME THROWER
//WAIT

//APAGE
//XYTEXT 4 7 òDEFAULT
//XYTEXT 4 10 òBLUE LASERS
//XYTEXT 4 13 òROCKETS
//XYTEXT 4 16 ñFLAME THROWER
//WAIT
//PAGESEND
//END

Warp

//FADEOUT
//LOADRAW MESSAGE.mni
//XYTEXT 8 2 ÷WARP MODE
//XYTEXT 8 7 òVOLUME 1
//XYTEXT 8 9 òVOLUME 2
//XYTEXT 8 11 òVOLUME 3
//XYTEXT 8 13 òVOLUME 4
//XYTEXT 8 15 òL1òL2òL3òL4òL5òL6òL7òBOSS
//TOGGS 8 4 7 1 9 2 11 3 13 4
//MENU 11

//PAGESSTART
//XYTEXT 8 7 óVOLUME 1
//XYTEXT 8 9 òVOLUME 2
//XYTEXT 8 11 òVOLUME 3
//XYTEXT 8 13 òVOLUME 4
//XYTEXT 8 15 òL1òL2òL3òL4òL5òL6òL7òBOSS
//WAIT

//APAGE
//XYTEXT 8 7 òVOLUME 1
//XYTEXT 8 9 óVOLUME 2
//XYTEXT 8 11 òVOLUME 3
//XYTEXT 8 13 òVOLUME 4
//WAIT

//APAGE
//XYTEXT 8 7 òVOLUME 1
//XYTEXT 8 9 òVOLUME 2
//XYTEXT 8 11 óVOLUME 3
//XYTEXT 8 13 òVOLUME 4
//XYTEXT 8 15 òL1òL2òL3òL4òL5òL6òL7òBOSS
//WAIT

//APAGE
//XYTEXT 8 7 òVOLUME 1
//XYTEXT 8 9 òVOLUME 2
//XYTEXT 8 11 òVOLUME 3
//XYTEXT 8 13 óVOLUME 4
//XYTEXT 8 15 òL1òL2òL3òL4òL5òL6òL7òBOSS
//WAIT

//APAGE
//XYTEXT 8 7 òVOLUME 1
//XYTEXT 8 9 òVOLUME 2
//XYTEXT 8 11 òVOLUME 3
//XYTEXT 8 13 òVOLUME 4
//XYTEXT 8 15 óL1òL2òL3òL4òL5òL6òL7òBOSS
//WAIT

//APAGE
//XYTEXT 8 7 òVOLUME 1
//XYTEXT 8 9 òVOLUME 2
//XYTEXT 8 11 òVOLUME 3
//XYTEXT 8 13 òVOLUME 4
//XYTEXT 8 15 òL1óL2òL3òL4òL5òL6òL7òBOSS
//WAIT



//APAGE
//XYTEXT 8 7 òVOLUME 1
//XYTEXT 8 9 òVOLUME 2
//XYTEXT 8 11 òVOLUME 3
//XYTEXT 8 13 òVOLUME 4
//XYTEXT 8 15 òL1òL2óL3òL4òL5òL6òL7òBOSS
//WAIT



//APAGE
//XYTEXT 8 7 òVOLUME 1
//XYTEXT 8 9 òVOLUME 2
//XYTEXT 8 11 òVOLUME 3
//XYTEXT 8 13 òVOLUME 4
//XYTEXT 8 15 òL1òL2òL3óL4òL5òL6òL7òBOSS
//WAIT



//APAGE
//XYTEXT 8 7 òVOLUME 1
//XYTEXT 8 9 òVOLUME 2
//XYTEXT 8 11 òVOLUME 3
//XYTEXT 8 13 òVOLUME 4
//XYTEXT 8 15 òL1òL2òL3òL4óL5òL6òL7òBOSS
//WAIT



//APAGE
//XYTEXT 8 7 òVOLUME 1
//XYTEXT 8 9 òVOLUME 2
//XYTEXT 8 11 òVOLUME 3
//XYTEXT 8 13 òVOLUME 4
//XYTEXT 8 15 òL1òL2òL3òL4òL5óL6òL7òBOSS
//WAIT



//APAGE
//XYTEXT 8 7 òVOLUME 1
//XYTEXT 8 9 òVOLUME 2
//XYTEXT 8 11 òVOLUME 3
//XYTEXT 8 13 òVOLUME 4
//XYTEXT 8 15 òL1òL2òL3òL4òL5òL6óL7òBOSS
//WAIT



//APAGE
//XYTEXT 8 7 òVOLUME 1
//XYTEXT 8 9 òVOLUME 2
//XYTEXT 8 11 òVOLUME 3
//XYTEXT 8 13 òVOLUME 4
//XYTEXT 8 15 òL1òL2òL3òL4òL5òL6òL7óBOSS
//WAIT
//PAGESEND
//END

God mode, weapon select, and warp.

Originally Posted by Joe Siegler

Stryker's cheats are far more finicky. The one that requires five keypresses at once can be difficult for some keyboards if I remember right. Back at the time, we were telling people a lot "It does work, you just have to keep trying".

Some game/keyboard combos just couldn't physically do it. We never found out why.

I think you only had to press 3 keys at the most... you can just type CHEAT, not hold them down.

[Litude]

Originally Posted by Frenkel

The reason why I ask what [H] + [S] + [F2] does, is because it doesn't do anything when I use it. [H] + [S] + [F1] warps to level 1, [H] + [S] + [F3] warps to level 3, [H] + [S] + [F4] warps to level 4 etc., but I can't warp to level 2. Maybe my F2 key is broken or my keyboard doesn't register the combination [H] + [S] + [F2], or it's programmed this way that nobody can warp to level 2.

H + S + F2 does allow me to warp to the second level, so I guess it's your keyboard.

[Frenkel]

I've looked at Duke Nukem II and I think it's impossible to use those cheats without hex editing the game. I'll leave that to Malvineous , who already enabled level warping in Monster Bash.

The following quote is from Hocus Pocus. I think it's also required to hex edit the game to display it.

Which level do you want to play?
1) Level #1
2) Level #2
3) Level #3
4) Level #4
5) Level #5
6) Level #6
7) Level #7
8) Level #8
9) Boss Level!

[Phayzon]

I think it'd be pretty cool to use those Duke2 cheats. I'd much rather an actually weapon select than the N+U+K cheat that just gives you the weapon thats normally in the level.

[Joe Siegler]

I don't remember the timing exactly, but I think Duke Nukem II was the first (or close to it) in our series of games produced when we were against the concept of cheat codes. Back then, we had the "customer versions" of registered games, and the "tech support" versions with full cheat codes.

[Litude]

Originally Posted by Joe Siegler

I don't remember the timing exactly, but I think Duke Nukem II was the first (or close to it) in our series of games produced when we were against the concept of cheat codes. Back then, we had the "customer versions" of registered games, and the "tech support" versions with full cheat codes.

Aha, that could explain why the freeware release of Bio Menace has the debug cheats. Perhaps you released the tech support version?

[Phayzon]

Originally Posted by Joe Siegler

I don't remember the timing exactly, but I think Duke Nukem II was the first (or close to it) in our series of games produced when we were against the concept of cheat codes. Back then, we had the "customer versions" of registered games, and the "tech support" versions with full cheat codes.

Does 3DR still have this "tech support" version somewhere? If so, is it possible to release it? Its not like you'd be giving the game away, since the data files wont be there (From what I understand its just a different EXE?).

[Hendricks266]

Originally Posted by Litude

Aha, that could explain why the freeware release of Bio Menace has the debug cheats. Perhaps you released the tech support version?

That's a very plausible theory.