Neko Don Don! Simulator for Windows
Version 1.1 (1 October 2000)
Author: Robert Kacsich (Robert.Kacsich@datasystems.at)


*** WHAT IT IS ***

This program reproduces the behaviour of Takatoku's handheld LCD game. It is not an emulator, because it does no hardware emulation.


*** SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS, INSTALLATION ***

You will need a PC running Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT or Windows 2000.

Simply unzip all files into one directory and run the EXE file. You will need the Microsoft Visual Basic 6 runtime DLL (Msvbvm60.dll) to run this program. If you have any VB6 program installed on your PC, then this file will probably already reside in your Windows\System (or System32) directory. Otherwise, you can download the file from various sites on the Internet.

If you get the message that your Oleaut32.dll file (located in the Windows\System directory) is out of date, then you will have to replace this file. A newer version should be available from various repositories on the Internet.


*** BRIEF INSTRUCTIONS ***

For detailed information on how to play, see the original instructions that are printed on the back of the game box. You can access these instructions from the Help menu. Here is some information for a quick start:

1) Turn the game on by pressing the "1" Key. The LCD display should come to life.

2) Select Game 1 or Game 2 by pressing "Left" or "Right".

3) Start the game by pressing the "A" key.

4) You can move the cat left or right using the cursor keys. To move from one floor to the other, press the "S" key. Your goal is to prevent the mice from reaching the cheese on either edge of the game display. Try to intercept each mouse by pressing the "A" key when you are close to one.


*** KEYBOARD LAYOUT ***

Cursor left...Move cat left/Game 1
Cursor right..Move cat right/Game 2
A...Attack/Start
S...Up/Down
0...Off
1...On


*** KNOWN ISSUES ***

Unlike many other LCD games, this one does not have a "test mode" that shows all LCD images on the screen. Therefore I had to produce many scans of the game running in demo mode to get pictures of all the images. As a result of this, some of the images are not perfectly dark, because they were not visible for a long enough time during the scanning process. Especially the two images that show the mouse near the cheese are affected by this. After retouching them, these two look a little better, but still not perfect.

Speed progression during gameplay may not be 100% accurate, although I think that it is quite close to the original.

In demo mode, the blinking of a mouse caught by the cat is not accurate.


*** RELEASE HISTORY ***

* Version 1.1
- Fixed a bug in the highscore-saving routine.
- More accurate demo mode: now there is a short pause before the cat's paw appears after each cat movement, as in the real game.
- Disabled the auto-repeat function of the keys which was not a feature of the original game. If you want to move the cat, you now have to press the left or right key for each step, as in the real game. Keeping the key pressed won't work anymore.
- Retouched the two images that show the mouse grabbing the cheese. They are still not perfect, but now they are closer to the original.
- Retouched the score display images for the 100x digit.

* Version 1.0
- Initial release


*** ABOUT THE GAME ***

This game was released by the Japanese company "Takatoku" in 1982. To give you an impression of it's dimensions (since it may look bigger in this simulation): the game is 11 x 6.5 centimetres in size. Quite unusual for an LCD game of that time is the absence of a clock and the possibility to switch the game off.
Another game that Takatoku published in the same year was named "Robot Maker".


*** OTHER SOFTWARE FROM THE SAME AUTHOR ***

This is my second handheld game simulator. My first one simulates "Coleco Head to Head Soccer". Go to http://www.standesamt.datasystems.at/Robert/H2HSoccer/ if you are interested.


*** RECOMMENDED INTERNET LINKS ***

http://www.cwinapp.com/simulators/
Various handheld game simulators. The maintainer is Pheeraphat Sawangphian, the author of the - to my knowledge - first ever LCD game simulator (Nintendo's "Octopus").

http://madrigal.retrogames.com
Many excellent simulators, all written by "_MADrigal_"

http://www.superselect.de/ep/
Photos and general info on many classic handheld games


*** FINAL WORDS/DISCLAIMER ***

Thanks to Tanja Rehner for providing the original game.

Use this program at your own risk. The author is in no way responsible for any damage done to any users or their machinery.

The author is in no way affiliated with Takatoku.

This program is in no way associated with the work for my employer (who provides my e-mail address).

This program is freeware and for non-commercial use only. You may distribute it unless the zip package is not altered in any way.

Feel free to send any comments about this program to my above e-mail address.

Let me encourage all of you to try writing your own simulator of your favourite handheld game - it is much simpler than it seems.