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Termination Glitch
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This page describes a mechanic specific to the 1992 Microsoft port of Chip's Challenge (and anything that emulates it). It may not exist in any other Chip's Challenge game. |
The Termination Glitch is an error in MSCC which most frequently occurs when the final level, other than 144 or 149, is completed. Chip's Challenge was designed to always trigger the ending sequence on levels 144 and 149, and when it tries to access another level (as neither level has yet been reached), none is found and the session terminates, with this window:
Other occurrences
Because this occurs whenever Chip's Challenge attempts to access a level that does not exist, it can also occur when a warp station goes wrong. The warp station uses Data resetting to cause the game to read the current level as level 0; although this does not exist, it is not being accessed at the present time. If Chip dies or restarts, or attempts to go to the previous level, the Termination Glitch will also occur as level 0 and level -1 do not exist.
Also, when Ignore Passwords is on, level numbers must be entered into the Go To menu. To use the password only will make Chip's Challenge search for a level that it cannot find and crash. This does not happen when Ignore Passwords is off because Chip's Challenge is programmed to search for the level with this password and unlock it.
Ways to avoid it
The dummy level was the first attempt at combating the Termination Glitch. To stop the player from completing the last level in the game, an extra and unsolvable level is added.
The warp station, if executed properly, will redirect Chip into level 1. To avoid the other two possibilities discussed, it should be made ridiculously easy such as a simple walk to the exit; no points are scored because the level number is read as zero.
One rather obvious way to avoid the glitch is to simply make 144 or 149 levels, but the program ChipEnd will allow the player to change the ending level to any one desired.
Finally, Tile World and Chip's Challenge 2 avoid the Termination Glitch entirely.