Programs
Programs people have created that relate to Chip's Challenge.
Tile World
- Tile World, created by Brian Raiter
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Wiki page | Source code | Latest version: 1.3.2 (2015-09-09)
Tile World is an open-source Chip's Challenge clone that accurately simulates both the Microsoft and Atari Lynx versions. It supports multiple levelsets and lets you record and replay your solutions. The latest version comes with all three CCLP sets, but you can also play the original set, if you have it.
Got a Mac? Thomas Harte maintains Tile World for OS X.
Running Debian or Ubuntu? Search for tworld in the package repository. (Ubuntu users will need to enable the "universe" repository)
Running Arch? Try the tile-world package from AUR.
Level Editors
These programs allow you to create custom levels.
- ChipEdit created by John Elion
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Wiki page | Latest version: 3.56 (2004-03-01)
This was the first ever Chip's Challenge level editor.
ChipEdit uses a primitive strategy for playtesting, from before we knew of better methods: it replaces CHIPS.DAT and entpack.ini with your levelset, launches the game, and puts them back when the game exits. This works, but it is very easy to lose your scores if you are not careful, or if ChipEdit crashes.
ccexplore has created a modified version which lets you create levels for pgchip.
- Chip's Workshop, created by Christopher Elsby
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Wiki page | Latest version: 2.0.6 (2011-12-15)
Chip's Workshop was the first open source level editor. (And now that CCEdit has gone open source, it is no longer the only one.) Version 1.0 was written in Visual Basic. Version 2.0 was rewritten in C++ and wxWidgets.
- CCEdit, created by Michael Hansen
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Wiki page | Source code | Latest version: 3.0 beta 3 (2020-12-21)
Cross-platform editor. Open source since version 2.0, written in C++. Previous versions were closed source and written in delphi.
Can edit CC1 and CC2 levels, and playtest in Tile World, MSCC, and CC2.
- Chip's Challenge Level Designer, created by Yongyi Chen a.k.a. Icy001
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Wiki page | Source code | Latest version: 2.0 (2009-07-07)
Requires the .NET framework. The source code is on Github, although it does not have a license file so I'm not sure if it is open source.
- c4, a perl script written by Brian Raiter
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A different sort of level editor—c4 is actually a command-line utility that converts levelsets between various formats (Brian wrote it while developing Tile World). It supports a special text-based format which is suitable for creating levels with (especially ones with strange and "illegal" button connections, or duplicate monster list entries).
The only way to edit the levels of the original Lynx version is with c4. You create the levels in a normal editor and use c4 to inject them into the ROM.
c4 can also write a "Universal Dump" file which is suitable for diffing.
Level Managers
These programs help you manage and play custom levelsets in MSCC. (Tile World supports custom levelsets out of the box.)
- Chip's Controls, created by Mike L.
- Also includes DacGen, a score editor, and a CCX file editor. Windows only.
- CCPlay, created by Michael Hansen
- Part of CCTools. Cross-platform.
Patches
There are a few patches that people have produced for the Windows port of Chip's Challenge.
- MyChips, created by Dale Bryan
- Creates a modified version of chips.exe which uses different .ini and .dat files. Comes with source code in C.
- T-Chip, created by Ruben Spaans
Grants 999 seconds on all untimed levels in the original levelset. (Will not work with any other levelset.)
- chipend, created by Brian Raiter
This perl script changes the end level numbers stored in the exe, to avoid the "Corrupt or inaccessible CHIPS.DAT" message. It can also suppress the decade messages.
- CCHack, created by Michael Hansen
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This program allows you to customize nearly everything about chips.exe, including the program title, the decade messages, the ending level, the death messages, etc. But most importantly it lets you change the graphics.
Part of CCTools.
- ccpatch, created by ccexplore
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Fixes a bug in MSCC which causes the game to crash when Chip enters a square containing two transparent tiles (monsters, keys and boots) or a transparent tile on a block.
pieguy explains:
the rule for determining if chip can enter a tile is to check the bottom layer only if the top tile is transparent (which is done recursively). however, if the bottom layer is also transparent, then it will recursively check the bottom layer again (it doesn't try to look "below" the bottom layer, it just rechecks the same layer) until eventually the stack overflows and the game crashes.
CC Wiki also has a page about this bug: Transparency Glitch
- fullsec, created by ccexplore
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Fixes a bug in MSCC where the timer fails to fully reset when starting a level. Also adds the ability to switch the game between even- and odd-step mode.
There's a 32-bit build by Ruben Spaans.
fullsecfix is an updated version I created that fixes a problem with the original patch (see link for details).
- pgchip, created by David "pieguy" Stolp
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Adds ice blocks to MSCC. Ice blocks are a tile from CC2. You can push several ice blocks at once; they turn fire into water and water into ice; they also remove dirt and can be pushed by tanks and teeth.
I've written a similar patch for Tile World, which you can find in my tworld/iceblock branch on github.
Other tools
- cclpinfo, created by me, Andrew E. and Madhav Shanbhag
- (see description above)
- ChipCap, created by Anders Kaseorg
- A tool for capturing AVIs of Chip's Challenge.
- Mapmaker, created by Ruben Spaans
- Creates an image of a selected level from a levelset. Comes with source code in Pascal.
- Makemap, created by Johannes Postel
- Uses Mapmaker to create multiple level maps with one command.
- DacGen, created by Mike L.
- Creates .dac files for Tile World. Part of Chip's Controls.
- ccdiff, created by Madhav Shanbhag
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Shows the differences between two versions of a levelset.
Tilesets
Several very talented people have created their own custom tilesets for Chip's Challenge. Tile World makes it very easy for you to use an alternate tileset — it just requires changing a line in the rc file (see the documentation). To change the tileset in MSCC, you will need to use CCHack.
These days, I tend to use either the CC2 tileset, or Lexy's tileset.
MSCC Artwork by Ed Halley
The artwork for the Microsoft version was created by Ed Halley. If you extract the tileset with CCHack, you can use these graphics in Tile World.
Animated CC. The Architect's brother created an animated version of this tileset for Tile World.
Lynx Artwork by Paul Vernon
The artwork for the original Lynx version was created by Paul Vernon.
On the Yahoo! group you can find the Lynx Tileset for Tile World, assembled by ultimasonic1. Now you can experience what it was like to play Chip's Challenge when it was first released in 1989!
DOS Artwork, creator unknown
The artwork for the DOS port is credited to Image Software. The real creator is unknown, but is probably Steve Bedser, who is credited for similar graphics in other ports.
Christopher Trumbour created a tileset called Retro Remix CC based on this tileset.
Tile World Artwork, created by Anders Kaseorg
Anders Kaseorg created this tileset for the 1.0 release of Tile World using POV-Ray, a ray-tracing program, which gives it a 3-D look. Anders has released this tileset to the Public Domain.
Michael Hansen later used the tileset in a graphical patch for MSCC, dubbed "New Age CC", to demonstrate CCHack.
Deanimated. Simon L has created a version of this tileset without animations for any of the static tiles (the monsters are still animated), if you're the sort that finds that distracting.
Natural CC, created by Madhav Shanbhag
Natural CC takes place in a sprawling field, where Chip runs around collecting (potato) chips, and avoiding quick-sand and lava.
Madhav created a program, patchbmp, so he could distribute this tileset without including the original tileset (and also to keep the file size down). It doesn't seem to have caught on (I haven't seen any other tilesets using patchbmp) but then again, most other tilesets are complete makeovers, rather than a partial change like Natural CC.
- Download Natural CC for Tile World
- Download the Natural CC patch for MSCC and patchbmp (or the source code)
Natural CC can be pretty fun—it really changes the feel of the game. Try playing On The Rocks with Natural CC to see for yourself.
Enhanced Interface, created by Kayu
Kayu's Enhanced Interface gives the Chip's Challenge graphics a plastic-coated upgrade, with shinier tiles and a softer, calmer feel overall.
Tile World Beta, created by Brian Raiter
While developing Tile World, Brian needed a tileset to test it with, so he quickly drew this one up. It was later replaced by Anders's 3-D tileset, but the beta tileset can still be found on the Tile World website, if you know where to look. [download] [mirror]
The beta tileset is too large to use in MSCC as-is, so I resized it and converted it to MSCC's "masked" format. I call my version Silly World.
Drawn Tiles, created by Nicholas Morales a.k.a The Brood
Nicholas Morales hand-drew this awesome tileset on graph paper with colored pencils.
![[download]](https://bitbusters.club/yahoo/Drawntiles_v4.bmp){kind=link}
Chip World Artwork by Daniel Kvarfordt
Chip World is a Chip's Challenge clone written for the Dingoo portable gaming system. It has a pretty awesome looking (though small) tileset.
Archived Google Code page for Chip World.
I've assembled the tiles into the format that Tile World expects: [download].
NES Artwork by Steve Bedser
Chip's Challenge had an unreleased NES port. The artwork is similar to the Amiga and Atari ST ports, but is simplified to fit into the NES's extremely limited color palette.
One unique aspect of the NES port is that the viewport is much larger than the original game — 15x13 instead of 9x9 (plus half a tile on the edges).
Some of the levels are in a different order. For example, Strange Maze is level 9 instead of 57.
I created an MSCC-compatible NES tileset.
There is a ROM hack that allows you to play all the levels and fixes a crash at the end of the game.
Chip's Challenge 2 artwork by Mike Hales
The long-awaited sequel includes new artwork by Mike Hales. It manages to blend the MSCC and Lynx graphics, while also introducing many new elements that are unique to CC2. Like in MSCC, all the tools are now boots; the floor tile is almost exactly the same, and the force floors have been lifted verbatim. Chip keeps his red shirt & green pants outfit from the Lynx, and monsters are closer to their Lynx counterparts than MSCC (ants instead of bees, fire boxes instead of fireballs).
Some element appear to be inspired by Anders' Tile World art — thin walls are purple, and the trap tile is a distinctive jagged maw — but actually the reverse is true. Images of CC2 were already circulating online in 2001 when TW's art was created, even though the game wouldn't end of getting released for another decade and a half.
Chip's Challenge 2 Graphics for Tile World. Aidan Richards (125scratch) assembled it into TW's animated format and uploaded it to the Yahoo group.
Lexy's Labyrinth artwork, created by Evelyn Woods
Play as the puzzle-loving fox Lexy and her girlfriend Cerise. Collect hearts, eat candy, and find the exit. Eevee made this tileset for her CC2 clone, Lexy's Labyrinth.
Colorblind friendly.
Felix Challenge by FelixNemis
Felix's redraw of the MSCC tileset. Also compatible with CC2. "Some of the tiles are heavily based off the CC2 or MS versions of the graphics, with my own twist, others are redrawn completely."
The CC2 version is colorblind friendly.
Stadia Tileset by StadiaJack
Originally created for Will's World (a CC clone for iPhones) and later ported to Tile World. Also includes sound effects.
The POV-Ray source code for the tile set is available on Github.
CGA Tileset by A Sickly Silver Moon
A tileset inspired by the iconic CGA palette. The player bears a striking resemblance to the protaganist from You Have to Win the Game.
More
- Boulder Dash Tileset by BD54. Based on Boulder Dash for the Atari.
- Jetpack Tileset by starfishgurl1984. Based on the DOS game Jetpack.
Other lists
- Bit Busters Club has a tileset section.
- Tyler Sontag kept a list of tilesets on his site.