16 replies to this topic

[www.atarimania.com]

Hi,

Can someone provide accurate information on the different releases of Fred and Misja? Please let us know of other variations if you have them...

It seems there are at least four or five versions of Fred:
- one with an intro picture by Marek Siewior dated 1990 with copyright (LK Avalon)
- one with a just a small loading picture dated 1991 with copyright (LK Avalon)
- one with the same loading picture dated 1991 without copyright (Querope Agency, probably disk only)
- Zeppelin Games release
- KE-Soft release with different copyright (can someone confirm this?).

Known versions of Misja now:
- one with an intro picture by Marek Siewior dated 1990 with copyright (LK Avalon) without music
- one with a just a small loading picture dated 1991 with copyright (LK Avalon) called Mission Shark with music
- Zeppelin Games release
- specific Querope Agency release?
- specific version by KE-Soft?

So, which ones were actually released? Which are the ones on the original Fred / Misja combo by LK Avalon? Are the tape and disk versions exactly the same? Were the first versions in beta stage? Could somebody confirm the games were never sold separately in Poland?

Could someone also notify where Querope Agency was located? The Netherlands? Did they just import and translate stuff for the Dutch market? Were there other Polish games with a copyright from the company?

Thanks!

--
Atari Frog
http://www.atarimania.com

Edited by www.atarimania.com, Sun Apr 2, 2006 8:36 AM.

[miker]

AFAIK the "silent" version of these games were released only in Poland. A year ago later (about) there was second version (with music and a bit easier levels in Fred) which was released by Zeppelin Games.

The version with shorter intro pics were probably drawn later when Marek Siewior left LK AVALON.

(but i can't swear i'm right about it)

Additionally, i have no infos about versions released KE-SOFT and Querope Agency.

You can ask the guy (Kaz) at http://www.atari.online.pl

Edited by miker, Sun Apr 2, 2006 11:00 PM.

[carmel_andrews]

I think Misja and Mission shark are basically the same game, i'm not Polish but i'm guessing that Misja is Polish for MISSION

[Sikor]

Ke-soft, Querope Agency and Zeppelin Games versions are still L.K. Avalon made versions with only property for selling by this firms.
No music versions was first released version, only in Poland - how Miker sad.
Misja was renamed to Mission Shark for englih distribution (Zeppelin Games). In Fred (new version) and Mission Shark was added some goodies, like music in CMC. Fred in this vercion have easier levels than oryginally version.
In Poland are polish texts, other - eanglish

[www.atarimania.com]

Thanks a lot!

The final thing I would need to know is whether the first versions of Misja and Fred (1990) were sold separately... It seems likely as I have AC00190/AD00190 as serials for Misja and AC00290/AD00290 for Fred but we want to be accurate on this.

Also, is there a catalog number for the Fred / Misja combo?

--
Atari Frog
http://www.atarimania.com

[Kr0tki]

AFAIK Misja and Fred were never sold separately. At least from May 1991 onwards (before the music versions were released), LK Avalon advertised them as being sold only in a single package, with BOTH serials AC/AD 00190, AC/AD 00290.

As the Polish magazine "Tajemnice Atari" says, the Polish version of "musical" combo Misson Shark/Fred was available from October 1991. Interestingly, the gazette says that, apart from being licensed to Zeppelin and KE-Soft, the combo "will be sold in USA by the company Mapda - USA Branche". The article doesn't mention Querope Agency.

AFAIR, the cassette and disk versions of "silent" Misja/Fred were different. Disk versions had these full-screen images while loading, and cassette versions displayed a "blocks remaining" counter instead.

Cassette versions of "music" versions had these small logos while loading; don't know about disk versions.

There were at least two different cassette inlays for the "music" edition of the combo.

[www.atarimania.com]

Thank you Kr0tki!

--
Atari Frog
http://www.atarimania.com

[Mathy]

Howdy folks

I bought Fred and Mission Shark from "A New Generation" Software (founded by John Maris, who also started "Pokey magazine".

"Fred" is a floppy who's (standard floppy sleeve) cover is glued into a cover made of thick green paper. On the front is a drawing of a "wild man". The cover also mentions "Mirislaw Liminowicz & Janusz Pelc". A sticker on the disk tells me it's copyright 1991.

"Mission Shark" comes in a simular cover, but it's color is orange. The drawing shows some soldiers stepping though deep water and a helicopter in the back. The same two names are mentioned. Copyright 1991.

On the back of the cover is a list of products the "A New Generation" shop sold at that time. If you open the cover, a text expaining all kinds of stuff about the game is on the left side. The paper sleeve of the disk is glued to the right side. The cover, when opened, has the size of a sheet of paper size DIN A4 (slightly higher and less wide then the American "Letter" size).

Greetings

Mathy

[www.atarimania.com]

Thanks Mathy. It seems Querope Agency was the official importer of these games in the Netherlands and ANG Software the publisher. Does your version of Mission Shark mention Querope Agency as in Fred? Are the games copy-protected?

I'm glad so many people responded and gave all those details, this will really help us make our database as accurate as possible. If anybody has precise information on the very first releases of Misja and Fred (whether or not they were sold separately before 1991), please let us know

--
Atari Frog
http://www.atarimania.com

[Sikor]

Hmm, maybe this help you:
http://atariki.krap.pl/index.php/Fred
http://atariki.krap....php/L.K._Avalon
http://mapy.atari8.info/fred-old.php - maps for old version of Fred
http://mapy.atari8.info/fred.php - maps for new version (with music, after changes)
http://mapy.atari8.info/misja.php - maps for misja/mission shark
http://atari.online....=F&tg=Fred#Fred - 7 versions of Fred on Atari.online.pl
http://atari.online....=F&tg=Fred#Fred - few version of misja
http://atari.online....k#Mission_Shark - here are few version of mission shark (eanglish version of Misja);

[Kr0tki]

Mathy, on Thu Apr 6, 2006 12:01 AM, said:

I bought Fred and Mission Shark from "A New Generation" Software (founded by John Maris, who also started "Pokey magazine".

"Fred" is a floppy who's (standard floppy sleeve) cover is glued into a cover made of thick green paper. On the front is a drawing of a "wild man". The cover also mentions "Mirislaw Liminowicz & Janusz Pelc". A sticker on the disk tells me it's copyright 1991.

"Mission Shark" comes in a simular cover, but it's color is orange. The drawing shows some soldiers stepping though deep water and a helicopter in the back. The same two names are mentioned. Copyright 1991.

Mathy, are your covers similar to the ones shown on this page?

www.atarimania.com, on Thu Apr 6, 2006 1:22 AM, said:

If anybody has precise information on the very first releases of Misja and Fred (whether or not they were sold separately before 1991), please let us know

--
Atari Frog
http://www.atarimania.com

Let me translate part of the scroll from the 1990 version of Fred:
"If you manage to finish your adventure with Fred successfully or destroy the base in "Misja", you can win a new set of games after meeting the requirements displayed after completing "Fred" and "Misja". Five lucky winners will be chosen on April 29, 1990."

Since this text appears in the first version of Fred ever, I would assume that the games have been sold in one bundle from the very beginning.

As we are on the subject of bundles - you probably would like to know that Lasermania and Robbo Konstruktor were also sold in one package ONLY. (The Laser Demo by Avalon mentions that the package "will be available from October 1990".)

[Mathy]

Howdy Atari frog

www.atarimania.com, on Thu Apr 6, 2006 12:22 AM, said:

Does your version of Mission Shark mention Querope Agency as in Fred?

I just booted both games. © Querope 1991 (or something simular) is shown on both games.

Quote

Are the games copy-protected?

Probably. John Maris liked to copy protect his stuff.

greetings

Mathy

[Mathy]

Hallo Kr0tki

[quote name='Kr0tki' date='Fri Apr 7, 2006 1:20 AM' post='1047441']Mathy, are your covers similar to the ones shown on [url="http://people.freenet.de/mrbacardi/Zeppelin4.html"]this page[/url]?

No, they are not. If you send me your email address (my full name is Mathy van Nisselroy. My email address is firstname at fullname without spaces dot nl), I can send you a scan of both covers. It's a jpeg picture, that's 1.4 MB in size.

Greetings

Mathy

[Kr0tki]

Thanks, but I think you should scan them for Atari Frog instead, he will make better use of them

[www.atarimania.com]

Folks,

You've been very helpful.

Mathy, thanks a lot for the scans, we'll upload them when we have some time this week! That goes for the rest of what has been sent by you guys (Mr. Bacardi, Jan...) so stay tuned

--
Atari Frog
http://www.atarimania.com

[Fred_M]

Hi all,

I think I have never post a message on this board..... but I read it often.

I was part of ANG Software in the Netherlands and John is still a good friend of mine. I will ask him about Qeurope agency, because I have never heard of it!

About the Dutch versions, the covers Mathy provided (hi Mathy, long time no see) are made especially for ANG Software by a Dutch artist. You will not find these covers anywhere else. ANG software sold many LK Avalon games. These are the only two LK Avalon games with a specially made ANG cover.

Fred and Mission Shark were sold seperately or as a two-pack by ANG in The Netherlands. The two pack had one cover with both drawings on the outside and the instructions on the inside.

The ANG version is probably the same as the Polish disk version (with English texts). I do not own the Polish disk versions, only the Polish cassette version, the Zeppelin version and the ANG version, so i cannot check.

Edited by Fred_M, Tue Apr 18, 2006 7:21 AM.

[Fred_M]

Some new info.

Querope Agency was a small Dutch company which had the distribution and reproduction rights of the LK Avalon software. Sadly this company existed only for a couple of months. Because of this deal between Qeurope and LK Avalon Fred and Mission Shark were translated into English and the copyright statement of Qeurope was added.

ANG Software had only distribution and reproduction rights of Mirage Software. The software of LK Avalon sold by ANG are original Polish disks (English version) which John bought himself (in larger quantities) when he visited Poland. As I said earlier, the covers were custom made by ANG.

So, I think the English disk versions of LK Avalon, ANG and KE Soft are the same, but there are disk versions with only 1 title and disk versions with both titles (front and backside).

Edited by Fred_M, Tue Apr 18, 2006 7:20 AM.