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  • Commodore User (September 1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Commodore User – Issue Number 12 – September 1984

    Commodore User was a magazine dedicated to Commodore computer users that was published in the U.K. In 1984 that mostly meant the Commodore 64 and VIC-20 which was already fading away. The September 1984 issue includes:

    • Control your home with a Vic or 64 – Long, long before Alexa came along, you could use computers, even 8-bit computers like the VIC-20 and Commodore 64, to control things in your home. This is the first in a series of articles on doing this. The most common standard for such things back in the day was X10.
    • The Forth dimension – part one: a do-it-yourself language – Part one in a series on the Forth programming language. Forth seemed to be immensely popular for about 5 minutes (ok, maybe a couple of years).
    • Word processing round-up: Home Office reviewed – A review of Home Office, a package that came on cassette for the Commodore 64 (originally developed for the VIC-20) that included a word processor and database program.
    • Screen scene for Vic – Reviews of games including Max, Brain Pain, Micro-Antics, Astro Fighters, Starship Escape, Martian Raider, Time Destroyers, Shark Attack, and Moons of Jupiter.
    • Fred on sound: what’s a synthesizer – An introduction to sound synthesis on the Commodore 64. The first article in a series.

    • A superior database: Superbase reviewed – A review of Superbase for the Commodore 64. I actually had this database program but never used it that much.
    • Screen Scene for 64 – Reviews of games for the Commodore 64 including Banana Drama, Cavelon, Cuthbert Goes Walkabout, Fire Ant, Jammin, Moon Buggy, Renaissance, and Slurpy.
    • Wedges and 64 Function keys – A program listing that goes with an article in a previous issue.
    • A barn for Bubble Bus – An interview with the people behind the games software company, Bubble Bus.
    • Bigger Baisc – looking at arrays – A beginners guide to using arrays in BASIC.
    • Tommy’s Tips – Questions answered about troubleshooting system freezes, problems with a 24k VIC expansion, transferring data from the VIC-20 to Commodore 64, and more.

    …and more!


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  • Zaxxon (Commodore 64)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    https://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/714307029832007680

    Zaxxon was originally released as an arcade game by Sega in early 1982. It was ultimately ported to a variety of home systems, including a version for the Commodore 64 by Synapse in 1984. Zaxxon was a unique sci-fi themed game in which you piloted a spaceship against various enemies using an isometric perspective.

    In Zaxxon, you are in control of a space fighter flying through an enemy fortress. Your goal is to survive increasingly difficult runs through enemy space stations while destroying gun turrets, fuel tanks, and various enemies. The game scrolls diagonally from the bottom-left to the top-right, which provides and isometric perspective which was unique at the time. It give a pseudo 3D appearance.

    While the isometric view point was impressive at the time, it was also somewhat difficult to get used to. There is a small shadow beneath your fighter that helps indicate height, but it could still be difficult to line up your height correctly to avoid crashing into walls and to hit targets. Another challenging aspect is fuel management. You are required to collect fuel along the way or you will run out in which case you obviously will lose your fighter.

    Reviews are somewhat mixed on the Commodore 64 version. However, I think it did a good job with graphics and sound and in presenting the isometric viewpoint. There isn’t quite as much animation and the colors are somewhat more muted than the arcade version. It isn’t perfect, but for an 8-bit version of an arcade game it is pretty good.

    The Commodore 64 has the SID chip for sound so there’s never really any doubt about its ability to create great sound, it just depends on the effort the developers put into it. In this case, sound effects are a little sparse but they are good and you won’t miss much from the arcade version.

    There is definitely a learning curve with Zaxxon and the Commodore 64 version is no exception. If anything, it’s a little bit harder than the arcade version just because it is a little more difficult to discern your height as compared to other objects and enemies. However, it does become a bit easier once you are used to the controls.

    Like most early arcade games, this one is all about score. As you progress through each level, obstacles and enemies become more numerous and of course the game gets harder. The farther you make it, the more enemies you destroy, and the higher your score will be.

    These days, it’s easy to emulate the arcade version of the game so it’s hard to recommend any other version. Having said that, if you are a Commodore 64 fan, this is a decent enough port. Though not one of my all time favorites or anything, I did enjoy playing it from time to time on my C64. It is somewhat interesting to note that it was available as a cartridge, on cassette and on disk for the Commodore 64. I’m not aware of any differences and would recommend that if you are looking for an original copy, that you chose the cartridge version. It’s likely to be a little more durable than a 40 year old floppy disk or cassette though probably also more expensive.


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  • Compute! (January 1982)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Compute! – Issue Number 20 – January 1982

    Compute!, at least in its earlier days, exclusively covered computers based on the 6502 CPU. In early 1982 these included the Commodore PET, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, VIC-20, and others. The January 1982 issue includes:

    Columns

    • The Editor’s Notes – Atari goes after creators of Atari game clones.
    • Ask The Readers – Questions asked and answerd about chaining programs in BASIC on Commodore computers, the future of the 6502, software protection, accessing all 48K of RAM on the Atari, and more.
    • Computers And Society – An article on the Turing test and measuring artificial intelligence.
    • The Beginner’s: Loops – A look at FOR loops, nesting loops and more in BASIC.
    • New Products – A new dental computer newsletter, new Atari software from Artworx, Cimarron releases CMAR file handling system for Commodore computers, and more.

    Applications

    • INVEST – A BASIC type-in program for helping you to calculate various things with regards to realestate investing.
    • Developing A Business Algorithm – Creating a program to perform various business calculations including things like interest, lease calculations, taxes, and more.
    • Anti-Hesitation Programming: A Tutorial on Arrays – Getting around slowness when using arrays in Microsoft BASIC.
    • How Random Are Sequences Of Random Numbers? – A look at the randomness of numbers generating using RND in BASIC.
    • Telecommunications: Getting Outside The Computer – A look at the computer parts and peripherals that let you communicate with the outside world. These include things such as the UART and MODEM.

    Education

    • Friends Of The Turtle – A new society with the goal of promoting turtle graphics with languages such as Atari PILOT, TI LOGO, and Apple LOGO.
    • Learning With Computers – A look at how computers might change schools in the future.

    The Apple Gazette

    • Apple Addresses – Hexadecimal and decimal addressing on the Apple II.
    • More Apple Hi-Res Shape Writer – A type-in program for creating hi-res shapes on the Apple II.
    • Lower Case With Unmodified Apple – A program that allow you to use lower case letters without hardware modification on the Apple II.
    • COMPUTE! Overview: Individual Tax Plan – A look at a program that helps you prepare your taxes on the Apple II.

    The Atari Gazette

    • Cryptogram – A type-in game for Atari 8-bit computers in which you mus decipher the code.
    • SuperFont – A type-in program for the Atari that allows you to create your own fonts.
    • Word Search – A type-in program for the Atari that allows you to create word search games.
    • Review: Screen Printer Interface (Version 2.0) – A review of this device for Atari computers that lets you capture and print the contents of your screen.
    • INSIGHT: Atari – Part three of a series on the Atari operating system. This part covers Atari I/O device handlers.

    The OSI Gazette

    • Part I: A Small Operating System: OS65D The Disk Routines – Part one of a two part series on using a disk drive with the OSI.

    The PET Gazette

    • A Yuletide Tale – A Christmas Carol starring the PET.
    • Renumbering An Appended Routine Only – A guide to appending one program to another on the PET.
    • BRANCH NEVER And QUIF Assembling On SuperPET – Assembly language programming on the SuperPET (which uses a 6809 CPU).
    • PET Repairs For The Amateur – A guide to various PET problems that are mostly the result of loose connections.
    • Realtime Clock On Your PET Screen – A type-in real-time clock routine for the PET.
    • Tape Load Test And Head Alignment – How to prepare and use a test tape for the cassette recorder of the PET to help align the heads.
    • MICROMON: An Enhanced Machine Language Monitor – A type-in machine language monitor for the PET.
    • Self-Modifying Programs in BASIC – Creating self modifying programs on the PET.

    VIC-20 Update

    • TINYMON1: A Simple Monitor For The VIC – A type-in machine language monitor for the VIC-20.
    • VIC Color Tips – A tutorial for using color in your programs for the VIC-20.
    • VIC Memory Map Above Page Zero – A list of memory locations and their functions on the VIC-20.
    • ZAP! – A type-in arcade game for up to six players for the VIC-20. Try to consume various shapes while avoiding the asterix.

    …and more!


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