H2O (DOS)

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H2O
BoxMissing.png
Platform: DOS
Year: 1996
Developer: Extremely Kriminal Organisation

H2O is a puzzle game with 40 levels. In each level, water falls from the top through a landscape, and a huge minimum of it must flow into a drainpipe or a hole in the bottom. To accomplish this, you control a man riding a vehicle and throwing a limited amount of blocs, bombs and bricks. In later levels, new elements give you extra blocs, force you to automatically throw blocs or instantly exit the level.

The difficulty increases quickly, but you have an unlimited number of lives and can restart at any level using codes. There are no high scores for the entire game, but one high score per level.

Screenshots

H2O - DOS - Title.png

The animated title screen reflects the gameplay.

H2O - DOS - Main Menu.png

The main menu.

H2O - DOS - Start.png

Every level has the same statistics and either a hint or some pointless words.

H2O - DOS - Level 1.png

That is what it is for!

H2O - DOS - Level 3.png

Oh dear, a few drops flow off the wrong end!

H2O - DOS - Lost.png

Can't win 'em all.

Music

The music is largely upbeat and often rock'n'roll-flavored, once carribean, at other times tense and techno-flavored. Most actions are mute; only 3 sound effects altogether for main menu, blocs, bombs and enemy shots have been heard.

The titles are based on the filenames. Each level song is repeated every 7 levels. For example, Level 1 is also played in levels 8, 15, 22, 29 and 36, Level 2 also in levels 9, 16, 23, 30 and 37, and so on.

Recording

All songs were recorded from a Pentium 60 MHz with a Sound Blaster 16 CT1740. Getting a decent recording from the game requires multiple attempts, since many notes stumble at random, as if the music driver is called too irregularly. However, the mixer seems to run at a high-enough priority, since the instrument samples do not click.

The game fades every level song in. The game cannot be paused, so the music is only heard until the player runs out of time. Fortunately, the longest levels allow one complete loop for each song. Level 3 was recorded from the ending where it plays infinitely.

# Title Composer Length Listen Download
01 Muscho Reynald Deliens 2:23
Download
02 Wait Reynald Deliens 1:46
Download
03 Loose Reynald Deliens 0:04
Download
04 Win Reynald Deliens 0:07
Download
05 Level 1 Reynald Deliens 2:25
Download
06 Level 2 Reynald Deliens 2:10
Download
07 Level 3 Reynald Deliens 3:43
Download
08 Level 4 Reynald Deliens 2:39
Download
09 Level 5 Reynald Deliens 3:08
Download
10 Level 6 Reynald Deliens 2:53
Download
11 Level 7 Reynald Deliens 2:53
Download

Credits

(Sources: 1, 2, 3)

Game Rip

Format

Conversion

Download

UNK.png

AMF.png RAW.png

Download

(Info)


The used formats DMF and DAW appear to be custom versions of the AMF and RAW formats with the song and sample names deleted, the samples delta-encoded and the first letter of the format names changed to what happens to be the first letter of "delta". This is further supported by the fact that the samples are added up in RAM.

The filenames and files were extracted from H2O.EXE, the above differences undone and the sample rates determined using manual hex work and quick tools.

Audio Devices

Music

Icon - Aria.png Icon - Pro AudioSpectrum 16.png Icon - Sound Blaster.png Icon - Sound Blaster Pro.png Icon - Sound Blaster 16.png Icon - Soundscape.png Icon - UltraSound.png Icon - UltraSound Max.png Icon - Windows Sound System.png

Sound

Icon - Aria.png Icon - Pro AudioSpectrum 16.png Icon - Sound Blaster.png Icon - Sound Blaster Pro.png Icon - Sound Blaster 16.png Icon - Soundscape.png Icon - UltraSound.png Icon - UltraSound Max.png Icon - Windows Sound System.png

(Source)

Releases

The full game was released on May 31 or earlier in 1996. One known shareware EXE is dated 1996-07-08, lacks the song Level 1, and has Level 7 renamed to Level 1. It was available from Ticsoft's website and catalog CD.

  World.svg   World
BoxMissing.png
Title: H2O
Platform: DOS
Released: 1996-0?-??
Publisher: Webfoot Technologies, Inc.
  Germany.svg   Germany
BoxMissing.png
Title: H2O
Platform: DOS
Released: 1996-??-??
Publisher: Ticsoft

Links