Short : HD Installer for Arena
Author: DJ Mike (djmike@crystalmike.com)
Version: 1.0
Type: game/patch
Requires: WHDLoad 19, RawDIC 5, 512k chip mem

This patch applies to "Arena" © 1992 Defcom.

Supports the original release.

REQUIREMENTS

- Original disk or compatible disk image
  (Cracks have not been tested and are not supported)
- Slave requires WHDLoad 19+
- RawDIC 5 for the imager
- Game requires 512k chip memory
  (+ approx 932k other memory for preload option)

FEATURES

- Game loads fully from HD
- Uses real files, which can be compressed with Propack/CrunchMania/FImp/XPK
- Quit game at any time (default key F10), including on 68000 machines
- Highscores and savegames stored to disk
- Missing blitter wait fixed
- CPU-dependent (empty DBF) loops fixed
- Missing color bit settings fixed
- Byte write to audXvol register fixed (missing notes in music)
- Faulty vblank waits fixed
- Trainer/other options added - set CUSTOM1 with any of the following:
  + 1 for infinite lives
  + 2 for infinite balls
  + 4 for infinite energy
  + 8 to enable cheat keys:
    * HELP to skip level
- Enable English translation of German text (set CUSTOM2=1)
- Set CUSTOM3=0-99 to select starting level
- Color/New/Rom Icon included
- Translated manual included
- Source code included

HISTORY

Version 1.0 (2025-09-16)
- Initial release

WORDS FROM THE AUTHOR

An interesting, if peculiar, puzzle game. It took me some moments to work
out that you are supposed to push the gems on the level into a line to open
the exit - it doesn't matter where they are, as long as they are in a line.

Very unusually the original game disk uses track 160, i.e. beyond the end
of the standard, safe area of the disk! Kind of unnecessary because tracks
0+1 could have been combined with minimal effort, but there you go.

Code was mostly fine but there were some CPU-dependent timings in need of
fixing, and a lot of missing color bit settings.

Since the version I worked from was partly in German, I've included some
translations to English that can be switched to if desired (though you won't
struggle without).

Enjoy! :-)

--- DJ Mike (16th September 2025)

         Bug report form, full WHDLoad package and other installs:
                          http://www.whdload.de

THIS PACKAGE COMES WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO USE, RESULTS AND
PERFORMANCE OF THE PACKAGE IS ASSUMED BY YOU AND IF THE PACKAGE SHOULD PROVE
TO BE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING,
REPAIR OR OTHER REMEDIATION.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, CAN THE AUTHOR BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE
CAUSED IN ANY USUAL, SPECIAL, OR ACCIDENTAL WAY, ALSO IF THE OWNER OR A
THIRD PARTY HAS BEEN POINTED AT SUCH POSSIBILITIES OF DAMAGE.