This article has a talk page!This page details development materials of Pesterminator: The Western Exterminator.
A floppy disk containing the source code to Pesterminator: The Western Exterminator, dated May 30, 1990, was released on November 30, 2019 on archive.org.
Documents#
BUG.DOC#
A bug report.
GENARAL
A COMAND THAT YOU CAN SET A # OF ENEMIES TO LAUNCH FROM ONE COL.
ENEMY GRAVITY TO LOW AND ENEMYS SHOULD NOT TRACK WHILE IN AIR
SOMEONE SHOULD RESPOND TO GRAVITY UNTIL HERO GETS TO CLOSE, THEN FLY AWAY
******************************************************************************
HOUSE
----
MICE = THE MICE SHOULD RUN FAST AND STAY AWAY FROM HERO BUT IF HERO DOES
NOT HIT IN 3 SECONDS THEY SLOW DOWN.
SPIDER= SHOULD RUN AROUND ON WALL BUT WHEN HIT FALL OFF AND CHASE OR RUN
POSIBLE CHANGE TO FSPIDER FIRST.
FANT = FANTS FOLLOW FANTS FROM OUTSIDE IN FANTS WILL TRACK HERO CROSSES PATH
ROACH = POUND BED TO GET THESE GUYS RUN AROUND A FEW SECONDS AND GO
BACK UNDER BED. HAVE TO HOP FAST TO GET THEM.
CRICKETS AND GRASSHOPPERS SIT AROUND AWILE THEN SUDDENLY JUMPS
BEEHIVE. IF YOU HIT IT IT FALLS THEN STARTS LAUNCHING BEES
MOTHS HANG AROUND LIGHT ON SECOND LEVEL OF HOUSE1
HOTEL
----
AFBEE = THE AFBEE COULD CHARGE THE HERO WITH NO MOMENTOM UNTIL IN GETS A FEW
CHAR. AWAY, THEN TRYS TO RUN UP
MISQUITO SHOULD GO IN PATERN
FBRAT =
SCORP = RUNS UP, ATACKS (WITH SCORPION STINGER ANIMATION?), AND RUNS AWAY.
BBUG =
MICE = THE MICE SHOULD RUN FAST AND STAY AWAY FROM HERO BUT IF HERO DOES
NOT HIT IN 3 SECONDS THEY SLOW DOWN.
WARE1
GBUG = IF HIT ONCE ROLLS UP AND BECOMES INVULNERUBLE. POSIBLE IF HIT SECOND
TIME STARTS ACTING LIKE A BULLET AND SHOOTS AROUND SCREEN. (DANGERIOUS
IN THIS STATE.)
WASPY = FAIRLY FAST, LIKE TO STAY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN WHEN
YOU ARE AT THE TOP, AND VICE VERSA. HARD TO CORNER?
WORMS = WORMS PAY LITTLE OR NO ATENTION TO HERO UNLES HE IS FIREING,
THEN THEY CAN "HEAR" YOUR HAMMER. MAYBE MAKE WAREHOUSE BOXES THAT
WORMS POP FROM IF YOU POUND ON THEM.
WARE2
----
GLOWING SEWER ZONE DAMAGES YOU.
CENTIQ3 = STOP THE UP AND DOWN DANCE ANIMATION. HAVE THEM BOUNCE UP AND DOWN
ONLY OCASIONALLY, AND ONLY IN PREPERATION FOR ATTACK.
HAVE CENTIQ3 JUMP FROM POST TO POST LIKE THE HERO DOES. HE CAN MOVE
BACKWARDS OR FORWARDS. IF HE TAKES 3 HITS IN 2 SECONDS, YOU MIGHT MAKE
HIM RETREAT.
IT WOULD BE COOL TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE MULTIPLE ANIMATIONS FOR
THIS GUY, OUR GREATEST AND LARGEST-MOUTHED ENEMY, THE MOST FIERCE
BOBBING CENTIQ.
IT WOULD BE MORE THAN COOL IF THE CENTIQ3'S COULD HAVE AN ATTACK
STRATIGY INVOLVING ONE CENTIQ HIGH ON THE POSTS, THAT WOULD BECOME
MORE AGGRESSIVE, WOULD PRESS HIS ATTACK HARDEST IF HIS PARTNER WAS
WAITING BELOW FOR HIM TO KNOCK YOU OFF THE THE WALL. HIS HIT WOULD
KNOCK YOU BACKWARDS EACH TIME HE STRUCK. IF YOU DON'T ADVANCE, DOWN
YOU GO. INTO THE CLASHING MANDIBLES BELOW.
THINK OF THIS ATTACK SEQUENCE;
YOU BATTLE YOUR WAY TO THE MIGHTY CENTIQ. HAMMER IN HAND YOU EDGE
FORWARD, YOUR EYES LOCKED ON THE FEARSOME BEATLE, TAKING IN EVERY
MOTION, EVERY SUBTLE SIGN, YOUR GRAY BODY TENSED IN ANTICIPATION.
THEN, FAR BELOW FROM THE WAREHOUSE FLOOR, YOU HEAR THE DREAD CHITTER
OF CENIQ MANDIBLES. ANOTHER! THE'RE CLOSING IN, AND YOU KNOW THERE
IS NO RETREAT FOR YOU NOW! BEFORE YOU, THE CHITIONOUS BEAST BEGANS
HIS DEADLY DANCE...
SCORP = ADD ATTACK ANIMATION.
SWAMP
----
SWARM = THE SWARM WOULD BE COMPOSED OF "GNATC","GNATII",AND "GNAT". ALL
LUANCHING EACH OTHER AND TRACKING EACH OTHER. SINCE YOU CANNOT
LEAVE A LEVEL UNTIL ALL ENEMIES ARE KILLED (AT TIME OF WRITING
SOME CAN'T BE LEFT EVEN THEN) YOU WOULD HAVE TO KILL ALL THE
GNATS BEFORE THEY RELAUNCHED AND PUT YOU BACK WHERE YOU STARTED.
"OLD FARTS" = LARGE BUGS THAT ARE VERY HARD TO KILL JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE
VERY VERY TOUGH.
"BLOOD SUCKERS" = HAVE AND AREA AROUND COL. 145 WITH JUST A FEW MID-SIZED
BUGS IN THE CORNERS, MINDING THEIR OWN BUISNES. IF THE HERO PASSES
OVER A TRIGGER COLUMN, ALL THE BUGS ON THE SCREEN RUSH FOR HIM. EVERY
TIME THEY HIT HIM, THEY INCREASE HIS GRAVITY AND DECREASE HIS POWER
TO MOVE. HE CAN GET RID OF THEM BY "SHAKING THEM OFF" WITH RAPID
CHANGES IN DIRECTION. BUT WAIT TOO LONG AND HE BECOMES TOO WEAK, AND
BEGANS THE INEVITABLE SINK TO THE WAITING JAWS BELOW.
"FLORIDA LEACHES" ALLIGATORS THAT CAN LUNGE UP FROM THE WATER, GRABBING AND
KILLING YOU IF YOU GO TOO LOW.
WATER
----
THE WATER WORLD SHOULD HAVE SOMTHING LIKE THIS; YOU ARENT THE GUY
WITH THE SPEARGUN ANYMORE, NOW YOU HAVE YOUR USUAL HAMMER, BUT
THIS TIME THE HAMMER IS USED TO TAG BALLONS ON THE THINGS HE HITS
FOR EXAMPLE; IF HE TAGGS A FISH, A FISH WITH A BALLON ATTACHED AS A
FLOAT WILL RISE TO THE SURFACE. IF HE HAMMERS A WASTE CONTAINER, UP
IT GOES.
ON THE SURFACE, A BOAT FOLLOWS THE HERO AROUND PICKING UP THE THINGS
THAT WERE TAGED. THIS TS USED TO GET CONTAMINATED FISH AND WASTE
CONTAINERS DETOXIFIED. THE SURFACE BOAT COULD LAUNCH A HEALTHY
FISH FOR EVERY MUTATED ONE THE HERO SENDS UP.
SHARK = THE SHARK SWIMS AROUND THE BOTTOM AT HIGH SPEED IT ISN'T AGRESSIVE
UNLESS YOU ENTER IT'S ZONE, I.E. THE BOTTOM 6 OR 8 ROWS. (APPROXIMATELY)
POS. DONT MAKE THEM CHASE YOU UNTIL YOU GET HURT
TOXIC WASTE CONTAINERS = THEY GLOW. IF YOU DON'T TAG THEM AND GET THEM TO
THE SURFACE FOR DISPOSAL, THEY BEGAN LEAKING.
TOXIC LEAK STREAMERS = POISON. COSTS THE HERO HEALTH POINTS. CONTAMINATES
HARMLESS FISH MAKING THEM DANGERIOUS MUTATIONS.
FISH = THEY SHOULD CHANGE INTO MUTFSH2 IF THEY STAY AROUND LEAKING TOXIC
WASTE CONTAINERS.
SWORDFISH
MUTFSH1 = THESE ARE SMALL CONTAMINATED SFISH.
MUTFSH2 = THESE FISH LIKE TOXIC WASTE. MUTFISH ARE AGRESIVE AND DANGERIOUS.
THEY SHOULD BE TAGGED AND FLOATED TO THE SURFACE FOR DECONTAMINATION.
THEY WERE AT ONE TIME SFISH.
SFISH = S FISH AREN'T THAT BRIGHT, MORE OF A DISTRACTION THAN ANYTHING
IMPORTAINT UNLESS YOU ALLOW LEAKING TOXIC WASTE TO TRANSMUTE THEM INTO
MUTFSH1S.
SQUID = THE SQUID IS RELATIVELY HARMLESS EXCEPT FOR HIS HABIT OF LATCHING ON
TO TOXIC WASTE CONTAINERS AND PULLING THEM TO DEEP WATER, WHERE THE
HERO THEN HAS TO BRAVE THE DANGERIOUS AND INVULNERIBLE SHARKS TO FLOAT
THEM. ALL THE MORE REASON TO WORK QUICKLY TO FLOAT THE CONTAINERS.
JFISH = THE JELLYFISH SHOULD JUST BE A HAZARD, THE SAME AS THEY ARE NOW
MOON SURFACE
---- -------
MAKE IT FASTER
MONSTII = RUNS AROUND HERO, HOPEFULLY WITHOUT TOUCHING HERO
MONST3 = THESE GUYS COULD WALK THRU A(N) __________ DESTRUCTIVE HAPPINING
WITHOUT IT BOTHERING THEM.
MONSTI = PAUSES FOR A WHILE, LEAPS BACK, THEN RUNS TOWARD HERO
(SPRINGER = HIGH BOUNCING ENEMY THAT TRIES TO LAND ON HERO AND SMASH HIM
INTO HIS HAT. COULD LOOK SOMTHING LIKE A WARPED MISHAPEN MARIO BRO.)
NEW GUYS;
FLYING GUYS ON MOON = LUANCH A FEW THINGS THAT FLY A RESPECTABLE PATERN
IN BASE;
LOWER GRAV. ON HERO
MAKE LIFT FASTER
PINK THINGS- STOP TACKING A LITLE WHILE AND RESPONDS TO GRAV. THEN STARTSNEWBUGS.DOC#
Another bug report. The "new" suggests this was later in development.
HOUSE
THE MICE SHOULD RUN IN DARTING MOTIONS AWAY FROM HERO BUT OCATIONALY TOWARD.
SMALL SPIDERS WHEN HIT 1 SHOULD RUN TO TOP OF SCREEN AND NOT COME DOWN UNTIL
YOU LEAVE A ? ZONE
THE RATS SHOULD LUNGE FORWARD WHEN YOU ARE NOT FACING THEM
BUT SCATTER WHEN YOU ARE
HOUSE2
GROUND SPIDER IN HOUSE#2, POS. IF FEEL LIKE PAINTING BACKGRND.
MAKE THEM LOWER ON WEBS UNTIL HERO GETS AROUND IT THEN IT LEAVES
GRASSHOPPERS, CRICKETS, ? SIT AROUND FOR A WHILE, THEN JUMP. JUMPS AWAY IF
HERO GETS TO CLOSE
IN THE #2 HOUSE THE PALLETS ARE WRONG, IN THE KITCHEN(?) THAT BLUE IS
AWFULL IF YOU DRAW A BLANK TRY PALLET 26,27,17,18,0A,OR MAYBE 21. I HAVE NOT.
HOTEL
HUGE BACKWARDS HUMMINGBIRDS IN HOTEL LOBBY DARTS TOWARD YOU FAST
THEN MOVES SLOWLY AROUND
WAREHOUSE1
A COMAND THAT YOU CAN SET A # OF ENEMIES TO LAUNCH FROM ONE COL.
PILLBUGS "GBUGS" HIT ONCE WITH HAMMER, ROLL UP INTO BALL AND GO INVULNERUBLE.
POS. IF HIT SECONDS. TIME WILL GO EXPLODING AND STARTS ROLLING AROUND LIKE
BULLET FOR FEW SECONDS.
WAREHOUSE2
SPREADER ON PROPEL HERO
GLOWING SEWER ZONE DAMAGES YOU
SWAMP
SMALL BUGS TRACK EACH OTHER IN SELF LAUNCHING SWARM OF BUGS THAT TRACK YOU
MED. BUGS POS. HAVE A FEW ON SCREEN UNTIL YOU GET TO A POINT ON SCREEN
THEN MANY BUGS CHARGE AT YOU, SLOWING YOU DOWN AND INCREASING YOUR GRAV.
LARGE BUGS SLOW BUT HARDY FLYERS THAT CAN TAKE A POUNDING
POS. ALIGATORS.
SWARM LAUNCH IN LOWER PART OF SCREEN
SET SINK LEVEL IN SWAMP
WATER:
SHARKS SHOULD NOT SWIM IN LAZY CIRCLES, SHOULD BE FAST THINGS THAT HANG AROUND
BOTTOM WHIPING ACROSS SCREEN AND ACTIVELY TRACKING YOU WHEN YOU GO TOO LOW
MAKE THE FISH WEIRD GLOWING BIGTOOTHED THINGS
SWIMING AROUND WITH A MODED HAMMER THAT TAGS THINGS WITH BALLONS THAT PULL THE
THINGS, I.E. WAST,WARPED FISH,...TO THE SURFACE. THEN A BOAT GETS THEM.
MOON
MUSHROOM ON MOON SHOULD PAUSE 2-3 SEC. THEN DART SOME RANDOM DIRECTION
FAST 1 SEC.
RED THINGS ON MOON SHOULD WANDER IN AND OUT NOT REALY DOING ANYTHING
AND RUN AWAY WHEN HIT WITH HAMMER
PINK THINGS IN MOON BASE SHOULD DROP LIKE STONE, BOUNCE A LITTLE
WHILE THEN LUNGE AT YOU MADLY FOR FEW SEC. JUMP AWAY AND REPEAT
GENARAL
A COMAND THAT YOU CAN SET A # OF ENEMIES TO LAUNCH FROM ONE COL.
ENEMY GRAVITY TO LOW AND ENEMYS SHOULD NOT TRACK WHILE IN AIRPEST.DOC#
A description of each level. It is not known who "Ken" refers to.
WORLD DESCRIPTION FOR KEN'S PEST GAME
All worlds are 24 high.
WORLD 1 is a house with small bugs. It is 252 columns wide.
WORLD 2 is a warehouse with big bugs and other pests. It is 252 columns
wide.
WORLD 3 is a house with termites and other flying bugs. It re-uses world
1 with a different palette
WORLD 4 is a more difficult warehouse with rats. It reuses world 2 with
a different palette.
WORLD 5 is a medfly eradication program over a city. It is 192 wide.
WORLD 6 is crop dusting on a farm. It is 192 wide.
WORLD 7 is under water (sharks). It is 64 wide with continuous scrolling.
WORLD 8 is a moon base infested with aliens. It is 192 wide.
FILE CONTENTS
PEST0 BOOT SCREEN (32 WIDE), STATUS SCREEN (32 WIDE),
WORLD 1 AND 3
PEST1 WORLD 2 AND 4
PEST2 WORLD 5 AND 6
PEST3 WORLD 7 AND 8