SkiFree
Encyclopedia
SkiFree is a computer game created by Chris Pirih, who was working as a programmer at Microsoft
at the time.
The object of the game is simple: to ski
down an endless slope and avoid the obstacles.
on his home computer for his own education and entertainment. The game eventually attracted the attention of a program manager for Microsoft Entertainment Pack
when he noticed Pirih playing it at work, leading to the inclusion of the game in the next Entertainment Pack release with Pirih's consent.
The game was featured in the Best of Windows Entertainment Pack
and was available as a ported
version for the original Macintosh. SkiFree was also one of seven games included in The Best of Entertainment Pack released for Game Boy Color
in 2001.
In 1993, Pirih started work on a second version of the game, but it was abandoned for other projects as the original source code was lost.
On April 4, 2005, Pirih announced the rediscovery of the game's source code and the creation of a 32-bit version of SkiFree. The updated version is available on his official SkiFree website.
. Pirih noted that users of Windows XP
can configure the operating system to run 16-bit Windows programs, resolving the problem for some.
The problem has since been addressed as Pirih rediscovered the game's source code in April 2005, and created a more compatible 32-bit version of the game.
On all courses, obstacles, such as trees and rocks appear, as do non-player characters such as other skiers and fast-moving snowboarders. Collision with any obstruction causes the player to stop and may lose valuable time or points.
Once the player has completed his or her run, the game does not abruptly end. Rather, the player continues skiing until he or she encounters an "abominable snow monster
" who chases and attempts to eat the skier. From that point on, the player can ski until the monster catches and eats them.
The monster appears at exactly the 1985m mark and pursues the player downhill at high speed. Further down the hill (20–30 m) another monster also gives chase, but uphill. An angled route while playing in "fast" mode avoids both of them, but afterwards the distance starts counting down from −2000 m. The world loops around on itself, and everything outside the boundary of the piste
triggers the monster. However, if the player returns within the invisible border, the monster stops. It is possible to escape the Snow Monster by travelling another 2000 m from the point which the monster gives chase, creating a loop and starting over from the beginning. One way to evade the monster is to go directly left or right in fast mode. He is right behind you, but cannot catch you unless you hit an obstacle. Pressing "F" will toggle fast mode on/off.
Other snow monsters appear when the player travels 125m upwards from the beginning or 500m to the left or right. It is possible (but difficult) to be chased all the way through the course from -125 to 1985m, thus generating a chase by two or three monsters past the end of the course.
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
at the time.
The object of the game is simple: to ski
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
down an endless slope and avoid the obstacles.
History
Pirih had created SkiFree in CC (programming language)
C is a general-purpose computer programming language developed between 1969 and 1973 by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories for use with the Unix operating system....
on his home computer for his own education and entertainment. The game eventually attracted the attention of a program manager for Microsoft Entertainment Pack
Microsoft Entertainment Pack
The original Microsoft Windows Entertainment Pack is a collection of simply-designed 16-bit computer games for Windows. These games were somewhat unusual for the time, in that they would not run under MS-DOS. Many of the games were later released in the Best of Windows Entertainment Pack...
when he noticed Pirih playing it at work, leading to the inclusion of the game in the next Entertainment Pack release with Pirih's consent.
The game was featured in the Best of Windows Entertainment Pack
Best of Windows Entertainment Pack
The Best of Windows Entertainment Pack was a collection of thirteen 16-bit simple games sold separately from Windows. It was published in the Microsoft Home series of software. They were selected as the best games from the previously released Microsoft Entertainment Pack series...
and was available as a ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
version for the original Macintosh. SkiFree was also one of seven games included in The Best of Entertainment Pack released for Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
in 2001.
In 1993, Pirih started work on a second version of the game, but it was abandoned for other projects as the original source code was lost.
On April 4, 2005, Pirih announced the rediscovery of the game's source code and the creation of a 32-bit version of SkiFree. The updated version is available on his official SkiFree website.
32-bit version
Because the initial SkiFree release was a 16-bit Windows program, compatibility issues arose when running the game in newer versions of WindowsMicrosoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. Pirih noted that users of Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
can configure the operating system to run 16-bit Windows programs, resolving the problem for some.
The problem has since been addressed as Pirih rediscovered the game's source code in April 2005, and created a more compatible 32-bit version of the game.
Gameplay
At the beginning of the game, the user has four choices:- Enter the Free-style course (with the objective of collecting "style points" by doing flips, going over moguls, etc.).
- Enter the Slalom course (with the objective of completing an opened slalom course in the shortest time possible).
- Enter the Tree Slalom course (similar to the Slalom course, but longer, with narrower-spaced flags, and with trees interspersed).
- Enter none of the courses, and just "ski free".
On all courses, obstacles, such as trees and rocks appear, as do non-player characters such as other skiers and fast-moving snowboarders. Collision with any obstruction causes the player to stop and may lose valuable time or points.
Abominable Snow Monster
Yeti
The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like cryptid said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology...
" who chases and attempts to eat the skier. From that point on, the player can ski until the monster catches and eats them.
The monster appears at exactly the 1985m mark and pursues the player downhill at high speed. Further down the hill (20–30 m) another monster also gives chase, but uphill. An angled route while playing in "fast" mode avoids both of them, but afterwards the distance starts counting down from −2000 m. The world loops around on itself, and everything outside the boundary of the piste
Piste
A piste is a marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports. The term is European, from the French for trail or track, synonymous with trail, slope, or groomed run in North America....
triggers the monster. However, if the player returns within the invisible border, the monster stops. It is possible to escape the Snow Monster by travelling another 2000 m from the point which the monster gives chase, creating a loop and starting over from the beginning. One way to evade the monster is to go directly left or right in fast mode. He is right behind you, but cannot catch you unless you hit an obstacle. Pressing "F" will toggle fast mode on/off.
Other snow monsters appear when the player travels 125m upwards from the beginning or 500m to the left or right. It is possible (but difficult) to be chased all the way through the course from -125 to 1985m, thus generating a chase by two or three monsters past the end of the course.
External links
- "The Most Officialest SkiFree Home Page!" - Author Chris Pirih's website
- SkiFree for the TI-92 Plus graphing calculator