• Tag Archives Atari 800XL

  • Rescue on Fractalus (Commodore 64, Apple II, Atari 8-bit)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Rescue on Fractalus (Commodore 64, Atari, Apple)

    http://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/category/computer-arcana/

    Though it may not be as true today, in the 1980s you could almost always count on a Lucasfilm game (or Epyx game for that matter) to be of high quality. Rescue on Fractalus is no exception. It was initially developed for the Atari 8-bit line of computers (and the Atari 5200 which is essentially the same thing internally anyway) and later ported to other popular computers such as the Commodore 64, Apple II and even the Tandy Color Computer 3 (a rare high profile 3rd party title for that system). It was developed by Lucasfilm Games and distributed by Epyx, Activision or Atari depending on the version and location it was released.

     
    Commodore 64

    In Rescue on Fractalus, you pilot a spaceship through mountainous terrain looking for downed pilots to rescue. Once found, you must land close enough so that the downed pilot can make it to your ship before dying in the acidic atmosphere. To make matters more difficult, aliens take pot shots at you during you search. In addition, they will sometimes impersonate downed pilots in an attempt to get aboard your ship. One unique aspect of this game is that the terrain is generated using fractals (hence the name).


    Atari 8-bit

    This is definitely a challenging game but one that is well worth playing. Both the Atari 8-bit and Commodore 64 versions are good and are easy enough to find for emulation purposes if you can’t track down an original (or don’t have the equipment). This game would make for a great modern remake but alas there have been none. The most “modern” versions are a slightly expanded Atari XE/XEGS version with more levels and an unfinished Atari 7800 prototype that was discovered in 2004.

    A strategy guide and a little bit more info about the game can be found here: http://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2017/03/15/rescue-on-fractulus-atari-xe-strategy/





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  • K-Power (March 1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    k-power_issue_02_1984_mar-01

    Source: K-Power – Issue Number 2 – March 1984

    K-Power was a short-lived magazine by Scholastic oriented towards kids and teens but it had a lot of good content.

    The March 1984 issue includes:

    Features

    • Computer Camp-Out – Everything you always wanted to know about camps but were afraid to ask: Where’s a hacker camp in your area, how to be a counselor and get financial aid.
    • Famous Hackers In History – The first computer wasn’t the PC, it was the CC (Cave Computer).
    • Pinball Bounces Back – Some great computer software (with beeps, buzzers, and bounce) show that flippers are still flapping in living rooms everywhere.
    • Computer Rock & Scroll – A roundup of the latest music software for your computer. Plus, the Talking Heads talk music software.
    • Will Harvey & His Music Construction Set – Meet the creator of the most talked-about music software around.
    • Program Along With Joey Ramone – Joey visited K-Power offices and gave us the go-ahead to program his song “Slug” into the computer. Play it!

    Programming

    • Hacker Heaven – There’s a program here for your computer.
    • Programs – Boooo-o, snore, or ha-ha. What kind of audience response will Your Comedy Debut get?
    • Pixel That! – Pick up the tricks of the computer art trade for your C 64.
    • Puzzle Power – A puzzling ancient disk game that makes you think twice.

    Products

    • Screening Room – Software reviews, strategy, and the latest in new products.
    • Rating Game – Reviews and views on Murder by the Dozen, Major League Hockey, Repton, Murder on the Zinderneuf, and more.
    • Strategy – Aaaaargh! It’s The Bilestoad!
    • Rising Stars – Preview the Timex 2068 and meet Chip, the stuffed computer.

    Departments

    • Editor’s Note
    • Compuzine – K-Power’s computer-news mag.
    • Scrolling in Dough – It’s breezy and warm for 18-year-old weatherman Lee Smith.
    • Silicon Alley – Ready for the hottest scoops from the Valley?
    • Dr. Kursor’s Klinic – Which computers have music capabilities; how a light pen works.
    • K-Net – K-Power’s network talks about the coming computer age.
    • Contest – Send us a 10-line encoder/decoder program, and win a K-Power T-shirt!
    • Graphics Gallery – K-Power’s computer-generated centerfold poster. “Ed’s Synapse” by Mike Newman.

    📂This entry was posted in Computer Arcana 📎and tagged

  • ANALOG Computing (March 1989)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    analog-computing-70-1989-03-video-game-special-01

    Source: ANALOG Computing – Issue Number 70 – March 1989

    ANALOG was probably the most popular Atari 8-bit magazine in the U.S. and had the longest life among Atari 8-bit magazines. Of course, it only had one serious competitor. The March 1989 issue includes:

    Features

    • Cartridge Games for Your XEGS – An overview of the cartridge based games available for the Atari XEGS. Basing a game system on Atari XE computers wasn’t necessarily a bad idea but most games that Atari released were really just re-releases of old games.
    • Pebbles – A type-in puzzle game from ancient Egypt featuring stones and holes.
    • Master Memory Map, Part VIII – Part 8 of a massive series on the entire Atari 8-bit memory map.
    • Un-Sprites – A type-in program for creating software based sprites along with a couple of demo programs.
    • Atari Videodisc System – Using an Atari 8-bit computer as a laserdisc controller.
    • DUPing BASIC – A way to automatically enable and disable BASIC when entering and leaving DOS.
    • Disk Games for Your XEGS – Though the XEGS was a cartridge based game system, you could still connect a standard Atari floppy disk drive externally and play disk based games that work with Atari 8-bit computers.
    • Electra-Ball – A type-in futuristic sports games in which you manipulate deflectors to get the ball to go where you want.


    Table of Contents from the March 1989 issue of ANALOG Computing

    Reviews

    • Turboword – The first full-featured 80-column word processor for the Atari 8-bit. It required an 80-column expansion board and monitor which were non-standard for the Atari.
    • Quintopus – Basically a port expander for Atari 8-bit computers that allows for more peripherals to be attached.

    Columns

    • Database DELPHI – Help using the Delphi online service from an Atari user’s perspective.
    • The End User – A look back at the last four years of the column which included various interviews, new products, etc.
    • Game Design Workshop – A continuation of a tutorial on Player/Missile graphics as well as continued work on BASIC Invaders, a Space Invaders clone.


    Table of Contents from the March 1989 issue of ANALOG Computing (continued)

    Departments

    • Editorial – Some newspaper column gives a half-baked criticism of video games in general. Meanwhile, this issue of ANALOG is dedicated to gaming.
    • Reader Comment – One reader writes in about his perception of the lack of support for Atari 8-bit machines.
    • 8-Bit News – Covox announces text adventure game Escape From Planet X featuring speech synthesis; Super Database 1-2-3 database and report generator available for Atari 8-bit; Cheat!, a program that allows modifications of 120 games to add unlimited lives, released; SpartaDOS X released; and more.
    • M/L Editor – A type-in program designed to assist with entering machine language programs published in ANALOG.
    • Basic Editor II – A type-in program designed to assist with entering BASIC programs that are published in ANALOG.


    Back cover of the March 1989 issue of ANALOG Computing

    …and more!


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