Continued from Part 1

Walkthrough/solve:

These are usually text files (.rts, txt or .doc) that give a detaileddescription of how to play a game from the beginning to the end. If you readthrough these too early in the game, you will lose some of the fun of playingwith the game.

Puzzle solutions:

These are keys to puzzles that are necessary for you if you want to getahead in the game. They can be keys to doors, quiz questions, safecombinations, the use of certain objects that the player has to find outrelying on the information gathered during the game. These are not consideredcheats, either. But if you read them in advance, you will lose some fun of thegame.

Strategy guides/game guides:

We can make a distinction between official and non-official game guides.Official guides are printed, illustrated books that are published by gamedeveloping companies and you can buy them online or in bookshops. Non-officialgame guides or FAQ’s are detailed descriptions made by game fans aboutparticular games, which are usually free and available electronically in txt.or doc. format on the Internet. You can also find game guides in magazinesdealing with video games. These detailed descriptions do not only contain thegoals of the game, the game control commands, characters, the objects, the rulesystem, but you can also find extensive information about the strategiesconcerning end plays and the different situations in a particular game. Theyused to be made for more complex games such as simulators or strategic gamesbut nowadays they come with almost every video game.

Trainers:

These software are not developed by game developers, they are designed forthe manipulation of certain memory values. They usually consist of an ‘exe.file’ that can be downloaded from the Internet in zipped or compressed format.Trainers allow you to alter certain values and features that are originally notbuilt in the game. For instance, money trainers will give unlimited money, orwith the touch of a bottom you can switch on the invulnerability mode.Enthusiastic players and coding people make them for PC games.

In order to use these trainers you have to start the game and with thecombination of the ALT+TAB keys you have to switch back to your operatingsystem. Some games do not permit the switch with the combination of the ALT+TABkeys if there is not a parallel program running in the background so it isworth the trouble to open an operating screen before the start of the game.Another simple way of switching back is to use the WIN button on yourkeyboard.

Before you run the trainer it is important to check it for viruses to makesure that your trainer is free from viruses. In this way you can avoid manyunpleasant surprises. Run the program and select the desired option in thetrainer. In some cases, if you press certain keys or the combination of certainkeys during the game it will result in the desired modifications. You can getinformation about these modifications and their consequences when you start thetrainer as this kind of info is written on the screen right after you startrunning the program.

Return to your PC game while you are running the trainer, in other words, itis important to run the trainer in the background while your are playing withyour game.

Why does the trainer not work with your game?

The most common problem is that the trainer is not compatible with theparticular game you play as a result it does not function because it was madefor a game with a version number, which is different from the game you use.Most trainers are released with info (.nfo) and readme txt files. In thesefiles you will find all the necessary information about their proper use andthe version numbers of the games they are compatible with. In some cases youhave to start the trainer before running the game. It is recommended to try outboth methods.

Saved game files:

These files have all the different game positions of other players saved fora particular game. They are created when the player has successfully completeda level or has defeated a main enemy or when the hero of the game has beenupgraded with super qualities. If you would like to use these files all youhave to do is to copy them into the saved game directory of the game and toload them when you start the game. It is highly recommended to make a backupcopy of your game positions just in case the new ones would not work.

Editors:

The editors are small programs that enable the player to modify some filesof the video game. These can be saved game files or ‘ini’ files that containgame specific information or files concerning the different characters of thegame. Similarly to trainers these are also created by game enthusiasts orprogrammers. The most common type is the character editor that can alter thecharacters’ features, such as hitpoint, dexterity, or stamina in the differentRPG games. They can also alter the objects’ characteristics in the differentgames. They are very much likely to operate with only those games that haveexactly the same version number. The editors should be run in the installationdirectory that corresponds with the location of those files that we would liketo modify, in other cases these files have to be loaded into the editor.

Uhs:

This abbreviation stands for Universal Hint System. These files haveso-called ‘uhs’ extensions and in order to take a look at them you need a UHSviewer software. It provides you either with hints on how to accomplish certaintasks or with direct keys to certain tasks in a given game. You can freelydownload from their website.

Hex cheats:

They belong to the most difficult types of cheats and you are required topossess at least intermediate or advanced computer skills to implement them.This type of cheat usually contains a “hex address” and a certain value thatshould be replaced.

E.g. endless energy: with the help of the Hex Editor you are to replace:

08 3E F0 03 00 74 03 with 08 3E F0 03 00 90 90.

In order to implement this modification you need a Hex Editor. The mostwell-known ones are the following: WinHex, Hex Workshop, Hex Edit, Advanced HexEditor, Cygnus Hex Editor. In all cases it is highly recommended to make abackup copy of the file you intend to modify.

Gameshark/Action replay/ Other patch codes:

To apply these cheats you need to buy certain hardware accessories. Theseare hardware, special devices that you can connect to your game systems andenable you to modify certain features in your games that are originally notpermitted. They provide you with advantages such as eternal life, infiniteammunition, objects or money. They function similarly to trainers and they arebased on the manipulation of memory values. These cheats are available in shopsthat sell video games. The most common ones are Game Genie, Pro Action Replay,GameShark, and Codebreaker. The cheats that are used with the games arepurchased together with these devices or available in codebooks or via theInternet on certain web pages.

It seems clear now that there is a great deal of different cheats whoseapplications vary from games to games, ranging from typing in a keyword tocomplex programming. Only one question remains: Where can you find cheats orhelp for your favourite game on the Internet?

I can highly recommend the Abby-cheat.com for a start.