Donut Dilemma

Originally created in 1986 and sold in  Australia in 1987  by Tandy Electronics (InterTan Pty Ltd). It sold as a cassette for all model Color Computers with a minimum of 16K RAM.

It supported PAL artifacting to generate 2 extra colors (red and blue) from a 4 color PMODE 3 video mode. This artifacting only works on a PAL based CoCo connected to a PAL TV but you can see it using the XROAR emulator.

The version shown here is an enhanced version for the CoCo3 that I did in 2019. Both the original 1986 and this enhanced version is available here to download. The original instructions are also provided along with an update for the CoCo3 version. 

Game synopsis

Angry Angelo has raided Antonio's Donut Factory sending the entire complex amuck! Donuts have come alive and are jumping around in wild frenzies. Machines have gone out of control throwing cooking fat, dough and icing sugar everywhere. You must help poor Antonio climb ladders, jump platforms and ride elevators to reach the top floor and shut down the factory's power generator which will restore law and order."
 

Here is a list of improvements I have done for the CoCo3 version...

JOYSTICK CONTROL - Removed the awkward keyboard control of the original and replaced it with joystick control. Back in 1986, I didn't know how to read the Color Computer joystick port from Assembly Language. Also, back then my keyboard control skills were far better but over time, my dexterity has been somewhat reduced. (read...I'm getting old!)

BLACK BORDER - Removed the white border which was available on all CoCo games using a graphics screen (or the green border if using the other colorset). This border color could not be turned off or changed on a standard Color Computer 1 and 2 using the Motorola 6847 Video Generator. The Color Computer 3 could, but only when running a GIME chip graphics mode. So I thought that if I could modify Donut Dilemma to open a GIME mode that has the same resolution and number of colors (4) as the VDG mode, the code would not know the difference and function normally. Once in a GIME mode, I could change the border to black (or any of the 64 colors available).  It worked perfectly and wished so many early games of the time would have done the same.

GAME TIMING - In activating the higher clock speed of the Color Computer 3, this put the game out of balance in certain areas. This made some parts too hard and frustrating to play and so I adjusted these areas to be timed more closely to the original timings while retaining the extra speed in areas where it was needed.

RGB AND CMP - Supports the RGB and CMP palettes correctly.

MORE FUN - Adjusted the game to be more fun to play to a wider game playing audience of varying skill level. I've removed the practice mode of the original (it gave unlimited lives) because that's all that people chose but increased the number of lives the game starts at to 9 as well as tune the game to be easier to play.