Frak!

:"Frak" or "Frak" is also a made-up expletive used in the TV series "Battlestar Galactica" and other popular media."Infobox VG
title=Frak!

BBC Micro version of Frak!]
developer=Aardvark (BBC / Electron)
The B Team (C64)
publisher=Aardvark (BBC / Electron)
Statesoft (C64)
designer=Orlando
released=1984 (BBC / Electron)
1985 (C64)
genre=Platform game
modes=Single player
platforms=Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Commodore 64
media=Cassette
input=Keyboard, Joystick

"Frak!" is a 1980s computer game originally programmed by Orlando (aka Nick Pelling) for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron and published by his own 'Aardvark' software label in 1984. The game was ported to the Commodore 64 the following year by 'The B Team' (Jason Perkins, Anthony Clarke and Mark Rodgers). The BBC and Electron versions were included on the Superior Software compilation "Play It Again Sam 4" in 1987 and re-issued in budget form by 'Alternative Software' in 1989.

"Frak!" is a platform game in which the player controls a caveman named Trogg. In each level, Trogg's object is to find three keys located on the level. The platforms and ladders constituting the level are laid out in a very tricky form. When Trogg steps off a platform, he does not fall straight down, but instead slides diagonally downwards. Added to the fact that long falls will kill Trogg, this calls for very skillful jumping among the platforms. Trogg exclaims "Frak!" (presumably an expletive) each time he dies. When the user managed to complete the three levels, they were returned to the first level with the screen display upside down.

When the original BBC Micro version was converted for the Acorn Electron, the screen mode was changed from four colours to two because of the Electron's inferior video speed. The extra RAM freed up by the smaller frame buffer made it possible to include extra levels (bringing the total to nine against the BBC's three) and a screen designer which was not in the BBC original. The C64 version has six levels. Each level is much larger than the visible screen, and has a distinct graphical style and catchy background music (different for each level).

Enemies in "Frak!" come in three forms: statues of various monsters, balloons and daggers. The statues obviously stay still, whereas the balloons fly straight upwards and the daggers fly diagonally downwards. Contact with any enemy will kill Trogg. To combat the enemies, Trogg is armed with a yo-yo that he can launch straight horizontally. The yo-yo will kill any enemy it comes into contact with. Each level also has a time-limit, which can be topped up by the occasionally found light bulbs. However, if the time runs out, the level does not end - instead, the game continues in the dark.

"Frak!" encodes high scores as nonsensical secret messages, such as "Hairy gonks kiss green Buddhas slowly". These could presumably be sent to the game's publisher as proof of reaching a high score.

In the 1990s, an attempt was made to port "Frak!" to the Amiga, with updated graphics (including "frak!tals" in the background), but the port was never finished.

There was a notorious hacked modification known variously as "Frak69", "Frak Up" or "Frak Upgrade". Trogg's sprite now featured a crudely drawn penis, which did not replace the yo-yo weapon as stated in various anecdotes surrounding this version. The game was retitled, "Fuck!" and the same expletive now appeared in speech bubbles during gameplay. The title page was altered, changing the name of the characters in the game. Trogg becomes The Rapist and the monsters were replaced by "Wife", "Baby" and "Whore". The title page also bore the following

Alteration ideas by A.Person...Perversion beyond belief by *Orlando*(C) Verysick Software 1985.

As part of the copy protection, illegal copies would cause a Captain Pugwash theme tune to play endlessly rather than loading the game proper (Pugwash being a pirate).

References

* [http://www.acornelectron.co.uk/eu/revs/aardvark/r-frak.html Frak! review by Electron User]
* [http://www.gb64.com/oldsite/gotw_frak!.htm Frak! review by ZZap!64]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgiA10MfOu4 Video of normal Frak! on the BBC Micro]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx7eIUKPobE Video of rude Frak! on the BBC Micro]