The Supaplex FAQ

This page will discuss the following:

1. Introduction
2. Anything you ever wanted to know about Supaplex, and even more.
3. How to contact me.

The latest version of this FAQ should be available from the Supaplex web pages. The location is http://www.elmerproductions.com/sp. If it's not there, search the web for "Supaplex".

This FAQ is copyright 1997-2010 by Maarten Egmond. You are allowed to distribute this FAQ freely, as long as no part of it text is modified in any way. The author of this FAQ can not be held responsible for any damage, caused by this FAQ or not. Everything you do with this FAQ, and the information in it, is at your own risk. If you want to copy/distribute this FAQ for other than personal use, please make sure you have the lastest version and ask the author for permission first.

1. Supaplex does not work on my computer
   I have trouble installing or playing the game.
2. I want to make a clone or similar game to Supaplex. Can you give me permission?
   I want to make a clone or similar game to Supaplex. Can you give me the source code?
3. Do you have the source code of the game?
   
4. When I restart the game, I have to play all levels I previously solved again!
5. Who made Supaplex?
6. Where can I find more information about Supaplex?
7. What keys can I use in the game?
8. How do I drop a red disk?
9. How do I use commandline options with Windows 95 or newer?
10. How can I cheat?
11. How can I record a demo from a level I played?
    I want to show my friends how I'm solving the levels.
12. How do I attach a signature to my demo?
13. How can I play the demo I just recorded?
    How can I view a solution I downloaded from the Supaplex page?
14. How can I add my own Supaplex level(s) to the collection(s)?
15. How can I send in solutions for the Hall of Fame?
16. Why is the SpeedFix so slow?
17. How do I change the speed of the game?
18. Why is the screen flickering constantly?
    Why do the graphics in the game look weird, is the scrolling wrong, does Murphy walk off the screen? How can I solve that?
19. Why is the bottom part of the screen missing (i.e. falls off the screen)?
20. When I run the game, Supaplex (sometimes) just hangs.
21. How can I play a single level file I just downloaded from the new levels pages?
22. How can I play the level collections I just downloaded from the new levels pages?
23. Why should I use the SpeedFix?
24. How do I sumbit my record time for all 111 original levels properly?
25. Why can't I sometimes drop red disks, even though I have one or more?
26. What do the three numbers mean, that you see when the game starts?
27. Why does ENTER abort my game?
28. I have problems using sound in Supaplex.
    When I choose a soundcard in the control panel in Supaplex, the game hangs.
29. I want to know more about the history of Supaplex.

1. Supaplex does not work on my computer
   I have trouble installing or playing the game.
   Supaplex is a really old game, that was never designed to run on modern computers. This means that it's quite likely it will not work on your computer and never will. There is nothing I can do about this. Still, there are some things you can try that may help. However, I have limited experience with these solutions so I cannot provide further information about this if it does not work for you. Questions about how to get Supaplex working will generally not be answered!
   1. DOSBox
      DOSBox is a program that lets you run old software (such as Supaplex) on a modern computer (even on non-Windows operating systems). Information about DOSBox and how to download and install it can be found on the DOSBox website. For those not computer-savvy enough to do this by yourself, John was kind enough to provide a simple installer for both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows versions. Make sure you get the right one for your operating system!
      
      • 32-bit installer
      • 64-bit installer
      Please understand that I did not create these installers and cannot provide assistence for them. If they don't work for you, go to the DOSBox website directly and try it from there.
   2. Megaplex
      Megaplex is a port of Supaplex to run in Windows XP. It's easier to setup than DOSBox, but although all levels and solutions are 100% compatible, it looks and feels a little different from the real Supaplex (some would argue it's easier to use as well). Unfortunately its homepage is no longer active, but if you can still find it online it may be the easiest method to play. (If you have a recent copy, let me know and I can host it on the website.)
   Please be aware that I am not a Windows or DosBox expert, and that I can (unfortunately) not provide any additional assistence if you can't get it to run in Windows XP.
   

2. I want to make a clone or similar game to Supaplex. Can you give me permission?
   I want to make a clone or similar game to Supaplex. Can you give me the source code?
   I do not own any of the intellectual property rights of the game. Very simply, this means that I can not give away any such rights to others. In short, it is usually illegal to use anything from the game in anything else even if it's free. For the long option, please consult a lawyer or copyright expert. As far as I know Digital Integration still hold the original rights. Their website is http://www.digint.co.uk (it no longer points to them) but I don't know if they can still be contacted there (and I don't have any alternate address).
   Also, be aware that as far as I know, the source code to Supaplex got lost a long time ago. Whether due to insufficient care, faulty backups or other causes I don't know, but it simply does not exist anymore. This means that, besides the fact that I can't supply it because of the potential legal issues with that, I can also not give it because I simply don't have it.

3. Do you have the source code of the game?
   As far as I know, the source code to the game has been lost 'in history'. Probably it was on someone's computer at some time, and did not get transferred to a new computer when it was replaced. If there were any backups, I am not aware of them and they have probably also been lost or deteriorated.
   The changes made to the game in the SpeedFix version, have all been made with a lot of effort to the disassembled code of the game. Needless to say this is quite complicated at times as there are no meaningful variable or function names to work with. (Note that also in relation to the question above, I cannot give away any disassembled SpeedFix-related code that may still linger somewhere on my computer or in a backup).

4. When I restart the game, I have to play all levels I previously solved again!
   This is usually due to a problem writing the progress to disk. There are several possible sources. If you don't understand what it says below, consult your operating system's manual, or ask your system administrator for help. Without knowing all details on your system setup, I will not be able to provide more details than are already mentioned here!
   1. You play the game from a read-only medium, for example a CD-ROM. In this case, you have to copy the game to a location which is writeable and where you have permissions to write to. Usually a folder off the root of your harddisk will do. Something like c:\sp for example.
   2. You don't have write permissions to the folder or file where Supaplex stores its progress. If this is the case, make sure you can write to the (hidden) file 'player.lst' in the same folder where the Supaplex executable is. The file should not be read-only, and other methods to set permissions should also allow you access.
   3. One of the Supaplex datafiles is corrupted. If this is the case, you should simply re-install Supaplex (download it again from the website and make sure you follow the Installation instructions carefully). To ensure the same problem does not occur again, try installing it to a different location than you originally did.

5. Who made Supaplex?
   If you take a look at the opening screen in the game, you will see the proper credits. Note that in the SpeedFix, you will see two extra lines appear on the bottom of the screen, stating that Herman Perk and Maarten Egmond made the SpeedFix (which uses the original SUPAPLEX.EXE as basis). The original authors are (in the same order as the credits screen):
   • Program: Philip Jespersen
   • Graphics: Michael Stopp
   • PC Code: Robin Heydon
   • PC GFX: Matt Smith
   • Music/FX: David Whittaker
   Also, more information about the history of the game can be found on the history page.

6. Where can I find more information about Supaplex?
   Firstly, you should read this FAQ carefully, as it contains the most frequently asked questions. If you have done that, and can't find what you are looking for, you can try these sources:
   • Go to the main Supaplex webpage at http://www.elmerproductions.com/sp. It contains links to various sources of information.
   • Do a websearch for "Supaplex", it should turn up some useful references if you use a few different search engines.
   If these methods don't turn up the information you are looking for, you can try asking me about it, but if it's not on my Supaplex webpages, I may not know much about it.

7. What keys can I use in the game?
   Here is a list of keys you can use while playing.
   • Arrow keys
     Use these to move Murphy (the little orange fellow) around.
   • Space
     If you press (and hold) space, and then press an arrow key, Murphy will eat away an object in that direction (if it's edible). If you just hold space long enough, Murphy will drop a red disk (if he has any.)
   • Right shift
     Pressing right shift will reveal how many red disks you still have with you. Look in the bottom right corner of the screen. The number that appears there is the number of red disks you have.
   • Enter
     Will show/hide the information panel at the bottom of the screen. (Why does ENTER abort my game?)
   • Escape
     Quit level (destroy Murphy) and return to the menu screen.
   • j
     Recalibrate joystick.
   • p or NumLock
     Pause. Note that these are two different pause functions, so if you press "p"to set pause on, you can't turn it off by pressing NumLock, and vice versa. (Talk about confusing...)
   • More keys
     In the SpeedFix (hopefully the program you are running) there are additional keys available besides the keys from the original Supaplex. Please refer to the SpeedFix documentation (SPFIX62.DOC) for more information about those keys.

8. How do I drop a red disk?
   Simply hold the spacebar for a few seconds. This will cause Murphy to drop a red disk (assuming he has any). Note that quickly after the disk is dropped, it will explode, so make sure you run away on time. Also, before the disk is really dropped, Murphy will show that he's about to drop it. If you release the spacebar at that point, no disk will be dropped. So if that happens, keep the spacebar pressed a little longer.

9. How do I use commandline options with Windows 95 or newer?
   If you need to use commandline options to run the SpeedFix (or any other program) with special options, there are a few ways to do it:
   1. In Windows 95 (or a more recent Windows version) it is possible to use the program SpLaunch to run the SpeedFix with commandline options.
   2. Assuming you have created a shortcut to Supaplex (or any program you want to use commandline options in), you can change the properties: Right-click on the shortcut, and select properties from the popup menu. Click on the "Program" tab, and then click on the "cmd line" input bar. Then, right after the executable name you can type a space (do not forget this space! If you do, it won't work!!!) and after the space, you can type the commandline parameters. Every option should be separated by a space from other options. When you're done, click the OK button and that's it. Note that this way, the program will run with these commandline options every time you run, until you change them again.
   3. The alternative (if you have no shortcut, or do not wish to change it) is to click on the "start" button in the taskbar. Then choose "run" from the menu, and type in the full path to the SpeedFix (e.g. C:\GAMES\SUPAPLEX\SPFIX61.EXE), or any other program you want to use commandline options in. After this, type a space, and then the options you want to use. Again, each option should be separated from other options by a space. When you have typed all options you want to use, press ENTER. This will run the program with your specified options, but the next time you run the program, you will need to enter the options again or the program won't use them anymore.
   4. For more information, please refer to the manual or help that came with your operating system.

10. How can I cheat?
    There are several ways to cheat, though you should only use them as a last resort, since the game is really about solving the puzzles (yourself), and if you cheat you don't solve the puzzles (yourself), so you are not really playing the game!
    • You can download SPLST200.ZIP (if you are a DOS user) or spe1.exe (if you are a windows user) from the software page to alter the player's statistics (levels skipped/solved/playing time/etc.)
    • You can use the SpeedFix command line option "#". By using this option, all levels will be set to skipped, and the player to "(FORCED)" so you can play all levels. It's similar to the "debug mode" cheating method (see below), only with the "#" option, you don't have to manually skip all the levels before the one you want to play to be able to play it.
    • You can use the SpeedFix debug mode (command line option "D"). In debug mode, you are allowed to skip as many levels as you want, so the 3-skips-maximum no longer applies. This way of cheating is similar to the "#" option (see above), only in debug mode you will still be able to keep track of your progress once you leave the game and restart it.
    • You can take a look at the solutions for one or more levels on the Honoured Solutions pages.
    • You can get a hex-editor and alter the file PLAYER.LST yourself. (You should know a bit about hex-editing before you try this!)

11. How can I record a demo from a level I played?
    I want to show my friends how I'm solving the levels.
    Note that the filename "spfix54.exe" should be replaced by the appropriate executable if you use a different version, e.g. spfix55.exe, spfix61.exe, etc.)

    To record a demo, all you need is the SpeedFix (v5.4 or better is recommended). Start the SpeedFix with debugging enabled (Use the "D" command line option.)

    Start playing the level you want to record a demo of, and press Ctrl-Fx (Fx is a function key, from F1-F10) to start recording. Note that the file named DEMOn.BIN (n is the number of the function key minus one) will be overwritten, so back up your old demo's first! On the bottom of the screen, a message will be shown stating that you are now recording a demo, and the level will be restarted. Also note that during the first few seconds of the first level you play after running SPFIX54.EXE, you can't start recording a demo yet. This is because the speed autodetect is still working.

    When you are done, you can press Ctrl-F12 to stop recording, or just end the level (through the exit, or by getting destroyed.) Your file DEMOn.BIN is now ready, and you can copy it to anyone who wants to see it.

    Note that if you use an alternative dataset (SpeedFix "!xx" command line option), the file will be named DEMOn.Bxx. Also, the demo's you have recorded can not be played by the original SUPAPLEX.EXE executable!

    Something you can also do (but is not required) is to add a signature file to the demo, so other people can see who recorded it. Read about how do I add a signature to my demo?

12. How do I add a signature to my demo?
    First, let me explain what exactly a signature file is (with respect to Supaplex demos.)

    A signature is any (text)file smaller than 512 bytes, usually containing your name, and contact (email) address (but you can put any other text in if you want.) If you attach one to your demo, other people will be able to see who recorded it, and (if you include a way to contact you) they can ask you about it, congratulate you, or whatever else they want to say to you.

    To append a signature to the demo, get the SPSIG program, and use it like this: "SPSIG.EXE A DEMOn.BIN SIGNATUR.TXT". (If you are a Windows user, and don't know how to use command line options, please read more about How do I use command line options with Windows 95?.) This will add the file SIGNATUR.TXT to the demo named DEMOn.BIN.

    Note that you should only add ONE signature to the file. If you want to change it, make sure you remove any old signature that is attached first, and then add the new one.

13. How can I play the demo I just recorded?
    How can I view a solution I downloaded from the Supaplex page?
    It's usually easiest to use SpLaunch to play solutions (if it works for you). If you have installed Supaplex you should unzip the solutions to the same folder. Then simply download SpLaunch and unzip it also to the same folder as Supaplex. Then run SpLaunch and browse to the SpeedFix executable (something like spfix54.exe or spfix63.exe). After that, simply fill in which demo you want to see, and click on the RUN button. It's very easy to use. If you run into problems, put Supaplex, SpLaunch and the solution that you want to see in a folder c:\sp. The shorter folder name may help

    Another easy way might be to use 'MegaPlex', a windows version of the game which can also play solutions. Please refer to the MegaPlex website for more infromation about this option.

    Below is the 'oldfashioned' way of doing it (with commandline parameters). Unless you are a DOS user, you probably don't want to see it, and use SpLaunch or MegaPlex instead.

    Note that the filename "spfix54.exe" should be replaced by the appropriate executable if you use a different version, e.g. spfix55.exe, spfix61.exe, etc.)

    You need the SpeedFix (v5.0 or better) to be able to play it. Let's assume the demo/solution you want to see is named MYDEMO.SP, which you have just downloaded.

    Start the SpeedFix with the colon command line parameter (i.e. "SPFIX54.EXE :MYDEMO.SP" - See SpeedFix documentation for more information about the commandline options)

    The SpeedFix will now load and play your demo. When normally the intro screens, and menu would appear, the SpeedFix will now immediately start playing the demo.

    If the demo does NOT start playing, here are some things that "normally" go wrong:

    • You didn't write the commandline options right. This is the most common mistake. Please make sure that you have typed this, in the same order:
      • The full path to the SpeedFix and the executable name (e.g. "c:\games\supaplex\spfix54.exe")
      • A space character (" ")
      • A colon character (":")
      • The demo filename, with full path if needed (e.g. "c:\download\mydemo.sp") Don't omit the extension of the filename (usually ".SP")!!!
      If you have followed these rules exactly, the SpeedFix should be able to find and load your demo, and something else must be wrong.
    • The SpeedFix can't find the demo. Make sure the demo is in the Supaplex directory, or that you have included the FULL path, including drive letter and all directories. Also make sure you did not omit the extension of the demo file (usually ".SP")!
    • Your demo is invalid. Maybe the demo is not SpeedFix compatible. This should probably never happen. A valid SpeedFix demo will be AT LEAST 1537 bytes long. If your file is smaller it will not be played.

    Once playing, you can terminate the demo at any time, like in a normal demo (press ESCAPE). If you want to view the demo again, press F11 in the menu screen, and it will be played again. If you want to play the level yourself, press F12 in the main menu screen.

14. How can I add my own Supaplex level(s) to the collection(s)?
    It is no longer possible to submit new levels for inclusion on the website. This is unfortunate, as people still regularly create new levels. However, because it takes a lot of time to keep the new levels updated, and I am working on other, more important, things I can not keep updating the level collections anymore.

    Levels that are already present will remain here of course, so you can still enjoy the work of all those people.

15. How can I send in solutions for the Hall of Fame?
    It is no longer possible to submit entries for the Hall of Fame.

16. Why is the SpeedFix so slow?
    The SpeedFix was originally written to recreate the speed that was used for the original Supaplex. The game uses a special method to ensure constant speed on all computers, but when the game was written, computers were a lot slower than today, and the method that was used wasn't entirely correct.

    Effectively, it means that the original game is running at twice it's intended speed these days. The SpeedFix uses an updated method to make sure the game is equally fast on all machines, and uses the intended speed.

    For those of you who dislike the slow (but intended) speed, you can still play at your preferred speed with the SpeedFix. Please read the SpeedFix documentation, or "How do I change the speed of the game?" for more information on the keys and/or command line options to use.

    Technical note: The speed of the game is not the same under all circumstances, since video card manufacturers are not always using the VGA standard of 70Hz for display updating anymore. It means that, depending on the videocard, the original game may run slower or faster than was intended. However, typically these differences are quite small, and if they become too large the SpeedFix will adapt itself to the new speed.

17. How do I change the speed of the game?
    You have to use the SpeedFix to be able to change the speed of the game. If you use it, there are two ways to influence the speed:
    1. If you always want to play at a certain speed (for example the fast speed SUPAPLEX.EXE runs at), you can use a command line option: "SPFIX54.EXE *n" where the "n" is a number from 0 to 9. Use 0 to recreate the fast speed of SUPAPLEX.EXE. Other numbers will use other speeds. Make sure there is a space between "SPFIX54.EXE" and "*n", and no space between the "*" and the "n". More information on this, and other commandline options can be found in the documentation: SPFIX54.DOC.
    2. You can use the gray keys (located on the numberpad, usually at the right end of your keyboard) to change the speed while playing. Use the gray plus and minus to speed up, or slow down the game. The gray asterisk will restore the game to it's intended (slow) speed.

18. Why is the screen flickering constantly?
    Why do the graphics in the game look weird, is the scrolling wrong, does Murphy walk off the screen? How can I solve that?
    

    There are several hard to find problems with Supaplex. Many of these result in strange behaviour of the graphics on screen. Murphy may be able to walk off the visible part of the screen, the scrolling may seem weird, or not working at all, sprites may appear where they shouldn't. There can be a number of reasons for this. Here are some things to try. If you're lucky, they will solve the problem.

    • Try to run the SpeedFix (v6.2 or better) once with, and once without the H commandline option (How do I use commandline options with Windows 95?) This might work for some people.
    • If you are playing the game in Windows 95, you should try using plain DOS. To do this, reboot your computer, and press F8 when the message "Starting Windows 95" appears on your screen. (For windows 98, press CTRL while booting - I love compatible operating systems!) Choose the menu option "DOS-Prompt only", and start Supaplex. The flickering should be gone.
    • If you are using any other multitasking environment (such as DesqView) I strongly recommend you try to play in plain DOS. See your operating systems manuals for more information on how to start plain DOS.
    • Try running the game in EGA mode. To do this, you have to use the SpeedFix and run it like this: "SPFIX54.EXE EGA". The game will not look as good as in (normal) VGA mode, but maybe it helps to eliminate the flickering. If you don't see the entire screen while playing, try pressing ENTER while playing. (If you destroy Murphy by pressing ENTER, see Why does pressing ENTER in the game kill Murphy?)
    • If all these things don't work, you may be suffering from an incompatible videocard or operating system. Please make sure you have read the first FAQ: Supaplex does not work on my computer. If that doesn't help, then you are probably out of options to run Supaplex.

19. Why is the bottom part of the screen missing (i.e. falls off the screen)?
    You are probably using a laptop/portable computer. Since the game uses a special graphics mode, you need to have a 100% VGA compatible VGA card (and monitor!) Some laptop/portable computers are not very good at this, and leave out the bottom of the screen. The recommended solution is to try to use an external VGA monitor (which is not the/an LCD screen).

    If that does not work, or you are unable to use an external monitor, you can try playing the game in EGA mode. To do this, you have to have the SpeedFix. Start the SpeedFix like this: "SPFIX54.EXE EGA". The game will not look so pretty anymore, but you should see the entire screen.

    Also, take a look at this question for more information on strange screen behaviour in Supaplex.

20. When I run the game, Supaplex (sometimes) just hangs.
    First, you should find out whether or not the game really hangs. In many cases, the game has returned to DOS, but without clearing the screen properly.
    If you use plain DOS: See if the DOS command "mode co80" works (first press ENTER a few times, to make sure you have a clear command prompt, then enter "mode co80" and press ENTER again).
    If you use Windows, you can check if the game returns to Windows normally (then Supaplex doesn't really hang), or that you have to use the "close" option or Windows gives an error message (then the game probably does hang.)

    Now there are several possible situations. Note that it would be advisable to check out all possibilities/solution below, since the above method of detecting whether the game actually hangs is not 100% foolproof.

    1. Windows causes the game to 'freeze'.
       In this case, some system options in Windows prevent Windows from running the game (some versions of Windows don't even let the game run under any circumstances). Sometimes switchting the window to full-screen helps, or changing the properties for the DOS-box the game runs in. If you can't get it working, your best bet might be to download and try 'MegaPlex', which is a fully Supaplex-compatible clone that runs 'natively' under Windows. For more information see the MegaPlex website.
    2. The game does hang.
       I am aware that it is possible for Supaplex to crash after the game exits. This happens very rarely, and you will see the DOS prompt on screen properly (At least if you use plain DOS.) I don't know how it is possible. The best thing you can do then is to reboot, and hope it doesn't happen again.
    3. The game does NOT hang.
       If you are using the SpeedFix, the most likely cause of the problem is that you did not unzip the file NEWDEMOS.ZIP that came with the SpeedFix properly. Make sure all demo files (DEMO?.BIN) are the new ones (they must all be larger than 1536 bytes). If not, unzip the file NEWDEMOS.ZIP, and try again (see also How to install Supaplex.)

21. How can I play a single level file I just downloaded from the new levels pages?
    This works the same as playing Supaplex demo's, only in stead of the demo that would be played automatically, the level will be started automatically. Read How to play a Supaplex demo to see how to play a demo. Also note that F11 will not work now in the main menu, since there is no demo to play. F12 will still work.

22. How can I play the level collections I just downloaded from the new levels pages?
    You should use the SpeedFix to play alternative levelsets. First, you should make sure that at least the files LEVELS.Dxx and LEVEL.Lxx (the two "x"'s are any number between 00 and 99) are located in the same directory (folder) as Supaplex is. If they're somewhere else, you can't use them!

    If the two files are in the same directory, you can use the command line option "!xx" to play the levels. The SpeedFix will automatically create a new player file for this levelset. You will be able to keep track of which levels you have finished, but the first time (for every new levelset) you will probably have to create a new player.

    You should know that the new levels are not arranged in order of difficulty (in fact, there are some VERY hard levels between the first few in the first collection), so you might want to cheat while playing these levels (see How can I cheat?)

23. Why should I use the SpeedFix?
    There are several reasons to use the SpeedFix. The main reason is that is is basically an updated version of the original game (SUPAPLEX.EXE) with some minor bug-fixes and new features. It's more flexible than the original version, and some of it's features are essential to popular things like viewing other people's solutions, or playing new levels easily.

    The most popular new features are demo recording, demo playing, easy playing of new levels, configurable game speed and a lot of (small) bugfixes.

24. How do I sumbit my record time for all 111 original levels properly?
    To properly submit your record time, you must match these criteria:
    1. You must be honest, since I can't verify these times.
    2. This list is only intended for the ORIGINAL LEVELS (not the new levels in the collections.)
    3. You must have played ALL 111 levels by yourself, without using the solutions from the solutions page or cheating in other ways.
    4. All 111 levels must be played in "one go", e.g. adding the best times for each individual level is not correct. Simply said this means that only entries from the HALLFAME.LST can be entered (the Hall of Fame in Supaplex can be found at the right top corner of the main menu screen).
    To join this list do the following:
    • Note your time(s) in hours:minutes:seconds (hh:mm:ss format). To get this time, start Supaplex, and look at the right top of the main menu screen to see your entry in the Hall of Fame. Your time should be registered there.
    • Note which attempt it was (many people have completed all 111 levels several years ago, and have done it recently a second time. This is important to know, since the more you play, the easier it gets (even though the last time may have been many years ago)).
    • Send me an email message clearly stating "Please add me to the Hall of fame for total times for the original 111 levels. My time is hh:mm:ss. This was the Nth time I played all 111 levels."
    • If you do not recall your time in so much detail (i.e. you don't have the relevant HALLFAME.LST entry anymore), please tell me clearly what you think are the minimum and maximum times reasonably possible (e.g. I played it in about 90 hours. Could be as low as 85 hours, as high as 100 hours).
    • If all goes well, I will then add you to this list.

25. Why can't I sometimes drop red disks, even though I have one or more?
    There seems to be a bug in Supaplex (the original version and the SpeedFix versions before v6.1) that makes Murphy unable to drop red disks, even though he has one or more with him. This bug was fixed in SpeedFix v6.1, so if you don't have it yet, you should download it from the software page.

26. What do the three numbers mean, that you see when the game starts?
    In some versions of the game (especially the originals) there is a copy protection, which meant you were given a three digit number, and you had to find the correct "reply-number" as answer. If you guessed wrong, you would not be allowed in the game. (The correct reply for each possible number were printed in the manual.)

    In the SpeedFix, and most distributed "original" versions, this check has been removed in one way or other:

    • The check may be completely gone.
    • You may be able to enter any three digit number and play.
    • You may see the question, but don't have to reply anything.
    So if you see these numbers at startup, don't worry about them. Note that it is recommended to use the SpeedFix, which does not display the number!

27. Why does ENTER abort my game?
    In the original game (and some of the older SpeedFix versions) the game would be aborted when ENTER was pressed during play. This would only occur when there was NO mouse driver loaded. So the usual solution would be to load a mouse driver before playing. If you use one of the latest SpeedFix versions, this bug should have been fixed, and you should be able to use ENTER even when NO mouse driver is loaded.

28. I have problems using sound in Supaplex.
    When I choose a soundcard in the control panel in Supaplex, the game hangs.
    The sound routines in Supaplex are very old and very complex. It seems they only work with true SoundBlaster (Creative Labs) soundcards, and even then, you specifically need an ISA card (as opposed to the modern PCI cards). If you don't have one of those (and even if you do), the game might very well hang itself when you try to choose any sound option in the control panel of the game.

    The easiest way is to give up on sound, but if you really want to persist, there are some things to try here. The best option would be to try running Supaplex with DOSBox as explained in the first FAQ. Plenty of additional information about DOSBox and sound is available at the DOSBox Wiki.

    Herman Perk has been very busy checking out the sound routines. So far, some interesting things have been found out. On selection of a specific sound card (and samples/music) the following files are loaded:

    • Internal speaker: beep.snd
    • Samples: beep.snd plus sample.snd
    • Adlib: adlib.snd
    • Blaster: adlib.snd plus blaster.snd
    • Roland: roland.snd
    • Combined: roland.snd plus blaster.snd.
    In some of these files, short loops are used to determine the settings of the soundcard. On 'fast' processors (anything above a Pentium 150MHz probably) this will not work properly, and may cause the game to hang, even though you have the proper soundcard.

    Also, you need to have your soundcard located at some specific resources otherwise the game won't detect it properly. These are: DMA 1, IRQ 2, 3, 5 or 7, and I/O 220, 330 or 388. (You can check this in the control panel in windows.)

    If you are brave enough, you can try the sndfix1.zip. It might fix your problems with sound, but nothing can be guaranteed. This is the only known possible fix for this problem currently. To get it to work, just unzip the file to your Supaplex directory.

29. I want to know more about the history of Supaplex.
    To learn more about the history of Supaplex, check out this page.

If you have a question that is not answered in this FAQ you can ask me. Please read the information in this FAQ carefully before contacting me, since most problems I am asked about are already explained here. If your question is not answered here, you can contact me.