• Tag Archives Amstrad

  • ACE (October 1988)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: ACE – Issue Number 12 – October 1988

    ACE, short for Advanced Computer Entertainment, is a computer gaming magazine that was published in the U.K. though it also had some non-gaming content. In its later days it covered only 16-bit systems but earlier on it covered a wider variety of computers. The October 1988 issue was the one year anniversary issue and includes:

    Specials

    • Games Milestones – A look at some of the games that changed gaming. Some of the titles covered include Renegade, Knight Orc, Out Run, Oids, Xenon, Captain Blood, Defender of the Crown, Dungeon Master, Carrier Command, Interceptor, Leatherneck, Universal Military Simulator, Beyond Zork, Shadowgate, Tetris, Rampage, and more.
    • Pixel Profits – Part two of a series. This month the focus is on graphics and visual games design.
    • Power to the Player – Are 16-bit computers already obsolete? A look at the 32-bit Acorn Archimedes.
    • It’s Showtime – A look at the latest PC Show including a map plus a look back at the highlights of past shows going back to 1978.
    • 100 Top Games – A look at the 100 top games of the year. They weren’t brave enough to actually rank them so they are just listed in alphabetical order.

    Interface

    • News – Commodore’s sales numbers skyrocket based on the success of the Amiga; Federation of Free Traders coming soon from Gremlin for the Atari ST, Amiga and PC (DOS); Predator and Megablaster joysticks coming from Konix; Suncom announces Analog Plus joystick; Total Eclipse announced for the Atari ST and Amiga; other upcoming titles include Battle Chess (Amiga, DOS), Extensor (Amiga, Atari ST), Jordan vs. Bird: One On One (Commodore 64, DOS), Daley Thompson’s Olympic Challenge (Amstrad, C64, Spectrum, Amiga, Atari ST), and The Mars Saga (Commodore 64); and much more.
    • Previews – A briea look at upcoming games, including B.A.T. (Ubi Soft), Neuromancer (Electronic Arts), Veteran (Software Horizons), Soldier of Fortune (Firebird), Luxor (Software Horizons), Final Command (Ubi Soft), The Black Orchid (Mundane Software), Fusion (Electronic Arts), and Powerdrome (Electronic Arts).
    • Letters – Letters from readers with topics including the Commodore/Spectrum war, Multiface on the Atari ST, game addiction, Atari ST price changes, Amiga price drop, a Sega PC, and more.

    Sight…

    • Weather Report – Techniques for taking a landscape photo and altering it to reflect different weather conditions.
    • Graphics Accounts – PAL versions of Electronic Arts productivity software to be unprotected; PAL version of Deluxe Video 1.2 now available; latest version of Express Paint adds HAM mode and more; DigiView 3 from NewTec now available; and more.

    And Sound

    • The Food of Love – A report on the British Music Fair and the hardware and software shown there.
    • In Concert – Terry Riley guests with Electric Symphony orchestra. Plus, bands that use the Atari ST.

    Gameplay

    • Screen Test – Reviews of Starglider 2 (Amiga, Atari ST), Fernandez Must Die (Commodore 64), Overlander (Atari ST), Eliminator (Atari ST), Empire (Amiga, Atari ST), Summer Olympiad (Atari ST, Commodore 64), Netherworld (Commodore 64), The Empire Strikes Back (Atari ST), Star Goose (Atari ST), Star Ray (Amiga), The Games: Winter Edition (Commodore 64), Barbarian II (Commodore 64), Super Hang-On (Atari ST), Zynaps (Atari ST), and more.
    • Arcade Revolution – East Midlands Leisure develops the INTEC Video System. It’s basically an arcade machine that uses a standard Atari 1040ST internally. One interesting note is that they say they chose the Atari ST because it was believed that it was more reliable than the Amiga in harsh conditions.
    • Tricks ‘n’ Tactics – A code snippet to give you infinite lives in Oids, a playing guide for Football, a complete list of codes for Better Dead Than Alien, tons of tips for Pandora, some tips for Virus, how to get invincibility in Leatherneck, a map for Dark Side, and more.
    • Adventures – A review and detailed look at Ultima 5 for the PC, the latest in this classic RPG series, including game play tips plus reviews of Mortville Manor (Amiga, Atari ST) and Jekyll and Hyde (Spectrum, Atari ST, Commodore 64, CPC).
    • Play by Mail – A look at the latest play by mail games including Troll’s Bottom and Dark Blades.

    …and more!


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  • Amstrad Computer User (December 1988)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Amstrad Computer User – December 1988

    Amstrad had a major share of the computer market in the U.K. in the 1980s with the Amstrad CPC 464 and its successors which competed with the Commodore 64, Spectrum and other 8-bit computers. The Amstrad CPC is a Z80 based PC with 64K of RAM. It sold over 2 million units in Europe so was popular enough to have magazines dedicated to it. The December 1988 issue of Amstrad Computer User includes:

    Regulars

    • News – Amstrad profits increase in 1988; Game based on The Munsters coming soon; Amstrad sets up customer support BBS running Opus Bulletin Board System; new releases in time for Christmas include The Jungle Book, Peter Pan, Freedom, Terrific, Emanuelle, By Fair Means or Foul, Dark Fusion, Ninja Warriors, Shinobi, Big Screen Hero, Sabian Island, Ancient Battles, A New Beginning, Return of the Jedi, Hyperforce, Time Scanner, Rambo III, Operation Wolf, and Dragon Ninja among others.
    • Letters – Letters from readers this month include topics such as BCPL, Budgetsoft, the ERASE command, loading screens, memory expansion, printing a screen to the Star LC-10 printer, and more.
    • Hairy Hackers – Various game hacks for Bombjack, Impact, Kung-Fu Master, Batman, Zoids, Mission Genocide, Motos, Cybernoid, and Metaplex.
    • Applications Advice – Questions answered about Cash Trader, printing pound signs with a daisy wheel printer, printing company logos, Personal Banking System, converting data files, and more.

    Project

    • A drop of the hard stuff – Instructions for a do-it-yourself ROMboard that allows up to six ROM chips to be added to your Amstrad.

    Cover Story

    • Postcards to Egypt – An interview with Incentive personnel about their latest software with an emphasis on Total Eclipse.

    Programming

    • Knavery – A type-in program that gives you a computerized version of a popular Victorian card game.
    • Auntie John’s Machine Code – Some techniques (with source code) for printing the contents of registers to the screen.
    • Basic Tutor – All about the PRINT USING command and formatting print statements.

    Reviews

    • Psycho Pigs UXB – Wipe out the other pigs by throwing bombs at them.
    • Road Blasters – Port of one of my favorite arcade games.
    • Thing – An odd adventure game reminiscent of Spellbound.
    • Joe Blade II – A sort of action/beat-em-up/adventure game.
    • Overlander – Kind of like Road Blasters but not as good.
    • Bubble Ghost – A unique arcade style game in which you must maneuver a bubble with a ghost.
    • Skateboard Kidz – A rather difficult skateboarding game.
    • Action Force – A fairly derivative action shooter.
    • Vixen – An action game featuring a heroine that occasionally turns into a fox.
    • Target Renegade – A fairly typical beat-em-up game.
    • The Vindicator – An action adventure game set in a world taken over by aliens.
    • Marauder – An addictive action game.
    • Metaplex – Make your way through an asteroid blasting everything in site.
    • Kikstart II – This doesn’t get a very good review here but I always had a blast with Kikstart and Kikstart II on the Commodore 64. A fun motorcycle stunt/racing game.
    • Mickey Mouse – A decent action game featuring Mickey Mouse.
    • Stunt Bike Simulator – A motorcycle stunt game in which various tasks must be accomplished.
    • Rogue – A D&D style dungeon crawl.
    • Dear Sir or Madam – Review of Mail Merge Tutorial, a tutorial for using the CP/M+ or Amsdos based Promerge Plus.
    • Measure by Measure – A detailed comparison of two desktop publishing packages, Fleet Street Editor and Stop Press.

    …and more!


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  • Amstrad Action (December 1985)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Amstrad Action – Issue Number 3 – December 1985

    The Amstrad CPC was a popular 8-bit computer in the U.K. and other parts of Europe. Amstrad Action was a magazine dedicated to that platform that emphasized gaming (though it had some other content). The December 1985 issue includes:

    Hot Reviews

    • Marsport – An interesting looking split screen adventure game with a sci-fi setting.
    • Big League Soccer – Football (Soccer) management programs seeemd to all the rage in the U.K. I don’t think they were that popular in North America though.
    • 3D Grand Prix – Looks to be something between Pole Position and Grand Prix Circuit.
    • Soul of a Robot – 256 rooms to puzzle your way out of in this action/puzzle game.
    • Dynamite Dan – A highly rated action game that reminds be a bit of Spelunker. I never played this one but I loved Spelunker on the Commodore 64.
    • Spy v. Spy – An excellent game based on the comic strip of the same name.
    • Cauldron – A combination of genres that include Defender like sequences and platform game like sequences.
    • Herbert’s Dummy Run – Part of a series of action games. This one features challenging game play and various mini-games.
    • Battle of Britain – A combination of action and strategy in this World War II themed game.
    • Bounty Bob Strikes Back – The sequel to Miner 2049er (which was never released on the Amstrad).
    • Tassword 6128 and Protext – Two word processors reviewed.

    December Specials

    • Elite – A preview of the classic space flight game that was available on numerous systems.
    • Christmas add-ons – Some suggestions for additions to your Amstrad computer setup for Christmas. Joysticks, RAM expansions, light pens, disk drives and more are featured.
    • Machine Code cracked – An introduction to machine code on the Amstrad.
    • Sorcery + – A multi-page spread featuring the entire map for the game Sorcery +.
    • Gargoyle – An interview with members of Gargoyle, the company behind the games Marsport and Dun Darach.
    • Dragontorc – A complete map for this game.

    Juicy Offers

    • Subscribe – Get your choice of two U.S. Gold games when you subscribe to Amstrad Action.
    • Willow Pattern – Answer three questions for your chance to win this game.
    • Mail Order – Order any of the game reviewed in this issue at a discount.
    • Maps, pokes, tips – Get rewarded for submitting your own tips and cheat.
    • Mindshadow – Answer three questions for your chance to win this Activision game.
    • Modem Offer – A 1200 baud modem and software for only 130 pounds.
    • Beach-Head 2 – Match the drawing to the island they are from for your chance to win a copy of Beach-Head 2.

    Action Regulars

    • Ed-Lines – An introduction to this issue, a call for cartoonists and previous competition winners.
    • ReAction – Letters from readers on topics such as praise for the magazine, finding the magazine, the Amstrad Computer Show, the demise of the Amstrad CPC664 and more.
    • Serious Software – A look at non-gaming software, this month featuring three word processors including Tasword 6128, Protext, and Brunword.
    • Plug-Ins – A mouse for the Amstrad and an art program to use it with.
    • Action Test – Reviews of the latest games including Argo Navis, 3D Boxing, Caesar’s Travels, Don’t Panic, Formula One Simulator, Hi Rise, Satellite Warrior, Willow Pattern, World Cup Soccer and World Series Baseball.
    • Adventures – A look at adventure games including The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Tomb of Kuslak, and Souls of Darkon.
    • Cheat Mode – Tips and cheats for various game including Raid (Raid Over Moscow must not have been politically correct in the U.K. because that’s what this game appears to be), Roland in Time, Hunchback, Dun Darach, and more.
    • Type-ins – A new feature this month, type-in programs in this month’s issue include several short programs to generate graphical patterns.
    • Hot Stuff – Forms to vote for your favorite gaming and non-gaming software.

    …and more!


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