• Category Archives Commodore 64

  • The best selling computer model of all time

  • Computer Arcana » Commodore 64

  • 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!


    Apple ][ Atari 8-bit Commodore 64 Computer Arcana 📎and tagged

  • Zzap! 64 (April 1992)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Zzap! 64 – Issue Number 83 – April 1992

    I have no doubt this would have been my favorite magazine for a time if it had been available in the U.S. Most of my early game playing experience (after the Atari 2600 of course) was on a Commodore 64. The April 1992 issue includes:

    Features

    • Budokan – Review of this fighting game from Electronic Arts. Reminds me a bit of Yie ar Kung Fu.
    • The Shoe People – An educational game featuring shoes from First Class/Gremlin that, as far as I know, never made it to the U.S.
    • Alien World – A pretty solid sci-fi themed shooter from Hi-Tec.
    • Indy Heat – A top down racing game that is a follow up to and of the same style as Super Off-Road (except featuring indy cars).
    • Reviews – In addition to the above games, there are also reviews for 3D Pool, Castle Adventure, Demon Blue, Desert Island, Famous Five, Flippit, Game Over II, Ghouls ‘N’ Ghosts, Jimmy’s Soccer, Messenger, Mansion Quest, Midnight Resistance, Mission X, Moontorc, Q10 Tankbuster, and Zoomerang.

    Regularz

    • Zzap! Zone – Tips for April Fools Day.
    • Tapeworm – This month’s cover tap includes the games Uridium and Yabba Dabba Doo!, plus a demo of Space Gun, and pattern making software called Kaleidoscope.
    • Light Up Your Life! – A competition to win a 5.25″ disk drive.
    • Stuff – Thalamus to release soccer game; a look at the upcoming movie Hook, and more.
    • Previews – Previews of Brides of Dracula, Space Crusade, Striker in the Crypts of Chaos, and World Cricket.
    • PD File Returns! – A look at a public domain game for the Commodore 64 called Galax-I-Birds II (shoot-em-up).
    • Whiplash Whispers – Letters from readers about a cartridge version of Battle Command, adventure game coverage, game ratings, and more.
    • Walter’s No Wally! – An interview with Walter Pooley, maker of adventure games such as Castle Adventure.
    • Whiplash Scores – Reader high scores for games such as Boulderdash IV, Creatures, NARC, Midnight Resistance, Super Off-Road, Hudson Hawk, Navy S.E.A.L.S., Paradroid, Smash T.V., Robocop II, Super Space Invaders, and lots of others.
    • It’s Corky! – Tips and cheats for Rainbow Islands, The Jetsons, Logical, Paradroid, Batalyx, and others
    • Flashback – A look at older games now available at bargain prices including 3D Pool, Ghouls ‘N’ Ghosts, Midnight Resistance, and Game Over II.
    • Megamix – A look at recent game compilations including 2 Hot 2 Handle (Shadow Warriors, Golden Axe, Total Recall, Super Off-Road) and Multimixx 4 (Gauntlet, The Deeper Dungeons, Guantlet II).
    • Get Some Brides On Your Back! – A competition featuring Dracula and a leather jacket.

    …and more!


    Commodore 64 Computer Arcana Retro Games 📎and tagged

  • Compute!’s Gazette (June 1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Compute!’s Gazette – Issue Number 12 – June 1984

    Gazette was Compute!’s most successful spin-off magazine. It covered Commodore’s 8-bit computers, primarily the Commodore 64 but also, at times, the VIC-20, C-16/Plus 4, and Commodore 128. The June 1984 issue includes:

    Features

    • The Future Of Commodore Games – A look at some of the more mature and complex games coming to the Commodore 64. Some specific titles looked at here include Seven Cities of Gold, B.C.’s Quest For Tires, King’s Quest, Sorcerer, Blade of Blackpool, Infidel, Space Ace, and others.
    • Inside View: The Designers Behind M.U.L.E. – An interview with Dan Bunten, Bill Bunten, Jim Rushing, and Alan Watson, designers of M.U.L.E.

    Games

    • 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe – A type-in 3D Tic-Tac-Toe game for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
    • Castle Dungeon – A type-in graphics adventure game featuring hidden bombs to find, blind monsters to avoid, and evil wizard, and more. For the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
    • Revenge of Cyon – A type-in game for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20 in which you must destroy ships from the Cyon Empire. It’s sort of a cross between Space Invaders and Missile Command.
    • The Frantic Fisherman – A type-in fishing game for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20 in which you must also avoid shards and thunderstorms.

    Reviews

    • Arcade-Style Games For The VIC-20 – A review of two games for the VIC-20, Skramble! and Gridder. The former seems to be the better game.
    • Easy Script: Word Processor For The 64 – Review of this word processor for the Commodore 64 from Commodore. This was a pretty good word processor for its time.
    • Worms? For The 64 – A one to four player worm training game for the Commodore 64.
    • IFR (Flight Simulator) For The VIC-20 – Given the limitations of the hardware, this was a pretty good flight simulator for the VIC-20.

    Education/Home Applications

    Computing For Families: New Standards In Home Learning, Part 2 – The second in a series of articles on using computers for education at home. It includes discussion of the best computers and software to use, guidelines for parents, and more.

    Therapy – A more advanced version of Eliza to type-in for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20.

    Spelling Critter – A type-in educational spelling game for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.

    Shape Match – A type-in shape matching game for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20.

    Word Scramble – A type-in game for the Commodore 64 in which you must unscramble words.

    Programming

    • The Beginner’s Corner: Planning A Game Program – How to design and implement a game using Tic-Tac-Toe as an example.
    • Inside Random Numbers – A look at how random numbers are generated on the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
    • Power BASIC: One-Touch Keywords – A type-in utility that provides shortcuts for the 52 most common BASIC keywords on the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
    • Machine Language For Beginners: Indirect Addressing – A tutorial on indirect indexing with machine language.
    • File Copier – A type-in utility for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20 that will copy files from one disk to another using a single disk drive.
    • Hints & Tips: Appending Sequential Disk Files – A How-To for appending data to sequential files. I once wrote a journaling program on the Commodore 64 that did something like this.
    • Scroll 64 – A type-in machine language routine that lets you control scrolling from within a BASIC program.
    • Tape Data files For VIC and 64 – Examples for setting up, writing to, and reading from tape files from BASIC on the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
    • VIC 5K Emulator – A technique for emulating having only 5K of RAM on the VIC-20 and memory expansion is installed for programs that are incompatible.
    • Tape Protection For VIC An 64 – Techniques for protecting files on tape from being copied on the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
    • All About PRINT For VIC And 64 – A guide to using BASIC PRINT statements on the Commodore 64 and VIC-20.

    Departments

    • Editor’s Notes – A look at the growth of Gazette over its first 12 issues (with a circulation of more than 300,000). Plus, a letter on software piracy.
    • Gazette Feedback – Letters from readers about reading joystick input, using PEEK and SYS commands, double sided floppies, and more.
    • Simple Answers To Common Questions – Questions answered about machine language vs. assembly and disk drive commands.
    • Home Telecommunications – A look at using the various services on networks such as Delphi, CompuServe, and others.
    • Horizons 64 – A look at Blue Max, a new game from Synapse; a look at an Apple emulator for the Commodore 64 called the AP Modular Pak; and a comparison of the PCjr and Commodore 64.
    • VICreations – A look at new games and educational programs on the VIC-20 including Kindercomp (Human Engineered Software), Type Attack (Sirius Software), Write Now! (Cardco), Skyblazer (Broderbund), Donkey Kong (Atarisoft), Laser Zone (Human Engineered Software), and Capture the Flag (Sirius Software).
    • News And Products – A look at new products including keyboard overlays for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64, a cassette backup program from Creative Electronics, Seek-Bible for the VIC-20, PET, and Commodore 64, Doodle! graphics program for the Commodore 64, a parallel interface board for the VIC-20, Roadsearch computerized maps, and more.

    …and more!


    Commodore 64 Computer Arcana 📎and tagged