INTRODUCTION

Space Ace was animated with the intention that not every scene would be played within one complete game. The original Space Ace arcade game (Cinematronics 1984) leaves out a few scenes with its CADET and CAPTAIN skill levels, but unfortunately the wrong ones. The SAE ROMs restore the animators' original plan by leaving out the correct scenes according to choices the player makes during the game, and this is believed to be the first and only Space Ace software that does so.

These ROMs also improve the overall flow and visual continuity of the game with cleaner video cuts and consistent input timing.

ENHANCEMENTS

• All animation recorded on the laserdisc is now used.
• Disc searches have much smoother video transitions.
• All quirks, bugs, and discontinuities characteristic of Space Ace have been eliminated. This was accomplished by deleting all of the original game data. SAE gameplay has been written entirely from scratch.
• The SAE skill levels add a new dimension! Each skill level presents a uniquely distinct way to play Space Ace.
• Gameplay decisions determine which scenes are played, and which scenes are left out of the game.
• Scenes are presented once per game, with the orientation randomly selected. A game of SAE will never require you to play both a scene and the reverse of that same scene during the same game, either in whole or in part.
• There is a new and structured scoring scheme, with detailed score chart.
• All score values for shooting enemies are added into the score display at the exact moment that the target explodes!
• Detailed on-screen coinage instructions eliminate novice confusion.
• Remapped DIP switch settings. The switches now closely match the same game option settings for Dragon's Lair.
• Much more! See full details in the readme.txt file in the download.

DIP SWITCH SETTINGS

View the SAE DIP switch settings chart.

SAE contains these new DIP switch selectable features:

• skill level selection (to benefit users without control panel skill level buttons)
  
• 1 coin per credit option
  
• a new game difficulty option
  

EPROMS

SAE is a 5 EPROM set that works with any working Cinematronics Space Ace game using any laserdisc player or video source.
Space Ace uses type 2764 or 27C64 EPROMs or compatible, rated 250ns or faster (2764-25).
EPROMs rated slower, such as 300ns and higher (2764-30), have been reported incompatible.*
National Semiconductor brand EPROMs have been reported incompatible.*
*(These are original hardware incompatibilities, not specific to this ROM.)

DOWNLOAD

VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!
The download contains readme.txt. This complete text file, or a printout of it, MUST accompany all distribution of SAE.
These ROMs are EXTREMELY DIFFERENT and this information is essential, with new DIP switch settings and a record of how the ROMs differ from the original.
Keep it together with the ROM files. Keep a printout with your game cabinet, including through any change of ownership. Please don't leave new owners clueless. Thank you!

USER FEEDBACK - comments from the D-L-P message board

• I just tried the new SAE roms. Awesome! It's like playing the game for the first time. It's also an amazingly creative and well crafted use of the animated footage. It is sooooo much better than the way the game was originally programmed. I will probably never go back to the original roms again. - "etumor" 22/Apr/2002
   
• All I can say is when I play the normal one, there was a ton that bugged me (scenes that should be skipped, should be added, etc) timing that was off, etc. You must be a mindreader as you nailed them all! :) Plus added a whole new realm of variety! :) It is like playing it all over again which rules! AWESOME JOB!!!!! :))))))))) - "BuzzkillQ" 23/Apr/2002
   
• Well Dave, they are FAR BEYOND MY EXPECTATIONS!!! This is Really Great Game!!! Much Better than the 1983 or 1991 Versions!!! YOU ARE THE MAN!!! You Enhanced Dragon's Lair with your DLE 1.1 EPROMs. But with the SAE EPROMs, Enhancment dosen't come close to what you did for this game. You didn't just Enhance it, you made it play the Best it has ever, and I do mean EVER did. - T.M.V. 25/Apr/2002
   
• SAE is priceless. I love it. This is the way this game was meant to be played and I'm never going back. Thanks so much. Dr. J - "Dr. J" 15/May/2002

RELATED SOFTWARE

• DRAGON'S LAIR ENHANCEMENT
• DRAGON'S LAIR II ENHANCEMENT