• Tag Archives Commodore 64

  • Compute!’s Gazette (September 1985)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Compute!’s Gazette was a spinoff of Compute! that exclusively covered Commodore 8-bit computers which primarily meant the Commodore 64. This was one of the two Commodore 64 magazines I frequently saw on store shelves back in the day, the other being RUN. The September 1985 issue of Gazette includes:

    Features

    • The New Commodore Amiga: A Hands-On Report – While Gazette was a Commodore 64 magazine, I don’t know if it had been decided whether they would cover the Amiga when it was first introduced. In any case, its release was covered ad here is a detailed look at Commodore’s new Amiga or the Amiga 1000 as it would come to be known.
    • Amiga Software: Something for Everyone – A look at some of the early software available for the Amiga including Video Construction Set (Electronic Arts), Return to Atlantis (Electronic Arts), ProPaint (Island Graphics), and more.
    • The Summer Consumer Electronics Show: Beyond the Shakeout – Commodore receives 100,000 advance orders for the Commodore 128, announces the 1572 dual drive (which never made it to market as far as I know), the 1670 1200bps modem, MPS-1000 printer, a new mouse, and more. Various Commodore 128 software packages, X10 home controllers and more were also announced.
    • CES Perspective: The End of the Tap Dance – Some new products announced at CES include Alpine Encounter, The Fourth Protocol, Winter Games, Summer Games II, The Eidolon, Koronis Rift, Spy vs. Spy: The Island Caper, Carriers at War, The Goonies, Zorro, Alternate Reality, Charlie Brown’s 1-2-3, Snoopy Writer, Garfield Double Dares, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, Peter Rabbit Reading, Jungle Book Reading, The Comic Cookbook, The Works!, MIDI Magic, Enhancer 2000 disk drive, Easy Speech 64, and much more.

    Reviews

    • F-15 Strike Eagle – One of the best combat flight simulators of the time.
    • On-Court Tennis – A decent tennis sim from Gamestar.
    • Cave of the Word Wizard – An educational game that plays a bit like Pitfall and also teaches spelling.
    • B.C. II: Grog’s Revenge – Make your way around various mountains on your stone wheel while collecting clams for tolls and avoiding opponents and obstacles.
    • Legionnaire – A real-time tactical wargame set in the time of Caesar.
    • Adventure Writer, Dialog and The ELF System – Software that allows you to create software without knowing how to code.
    • Chipwits – An educational game from Epyx that teaches the basics of programming by allowing you to teach robots.
    • Also Worth Noting – A brief look at other software including White Lightning, Racing Destruction Set, Six-Gun Shootout, Wishbringer, Competition Karate, Summer Games II, and Tales of Me.

    Games

    • Maze-Mania – A type-in game for the Commodore 64 in which you must make it through a maze within a time limit while avoiding fast moving “cubots”.
    • Tracker – A type-in strategy game in which you must lay track for Purple Herbie to follow to get home. The goal is to lay track in such a manner as to collect certain objects and avoid obstacles.
    • Friendly Alien – A type-in game for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20 designed for kids that is inspired by E.T.

    Education/Home Applications

    • Computing for Families: In Search of the Computer Sandbox, Part 1 – Using a computer as a general problem solving tool.
    • Weather Prophet – A type-in program for the Commodore 64 and Plus/4 that helps you predict the weather.

    Programming

    • BASIC Magic: Drawing Lines and Borders – A guide to drawing lines in BASIC.
    • Hints & Tips: Recycling Selected DATA Statements – A guide to using DATA statements efficiently in your programs.
    • Power BASIC: QuickScan – A type-in program for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20 that will highlight the current line in a program listing making looking through long listings easier.
    • Machine Language for Beginners: From Machine Language to BASIC – Transforming your ML program into BASIC data statements.
    • Printer Wedge – A type-in program that allows you to create, save, and print out your own custom characters on a Commodore 1525, MPS-801, or MPS-803 printer.
    • Zounds!, Part 3 – The final installment of a series of sound demos.
    • TinyTerm for the 1650 Automodem – A simple type-in terminal program for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20 that works with the Commodore 1650 modem.
    • VIC Emulator – A type-in program that will allow you to run VIC-20 BASIC programs on the Commodore 64.

    Departments

    • The Editor’s Notes – Musings on a new generation of computers and technology including the Amiga, Atari ST, CD-ROM tech, and more.
    • Gazette Feedback – Letters from readers about ASCII, Commodore 128 compatibility, BASIC manuals, and more.
    • Horizons: Programming the 128 – Demonstrating Commodore 128 programming with a BASIC 7.0 game called Litter Patrol.
    • Simple Answers to Common Questions – Questions answered about speeding up BASIC programs with a compiler and how OR and AND statements work in BASIC.

    …and more!


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  • RUN: The Commodore 64/128 User’s Guide (April 1990)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    RUN was perhaps my favorite computer magazine. It was dedicated to Commodore 8-bit computers which primarily meant the Commodore 64 and 128. Things were definitely winding down commercially for the Commodore 64 in 1990 but a few major games were still coming out and RUN would be published for a couple more years. The April 1990 issue includes:

    Features

    • Bach to the Future – A look at software and hardware for creating music with your Commodore. Products here include The Music Studio, The SID Symphony Stereo Cartridge, Music Construction Set, Enhanced Sidplayer, and more.
    • 128 BASIC Enhancers – A type-in program to add four new commands to BASIC on the Commodore 128.
    • Doing The Alphabet Shuffle – A type-in sliding letter game in which you must get the letters in order as quickly as possible.
    • Alien Strike – A type in game that is similar to games like Space Invaders and Galaga.
    • Basic Dater – A type-in utility for the Commodore 64 and Commodore 128 that automatically tags your BASIC programs with the date and time they are saved.
    • Connex – A type-in Tetris-like game for the Commodore 128.

    Departments

    • RUNning Ruminations – A report from the Consumer Electronics Show. Fifty new games were planned for the Commodore 64 in 1990. At the time, it was still the second largest computer game market behind DOS.
    • Magic – Short type-in programs for creating a bouncing title, generating multicolored lights along the boarder of the screen, creating colorful text, and more.
    • News and New Products – Upcomig games (and other stuff) include Ghostbusters II, Beyond Dark Castle, Grave Yardage, Face Off, Power Drift, Batman: The Movie, The Untouchables, Pro Tennis Tour, Iron Lord – The Crusader of Justice, Pipe Drea, My Grand Piano, Bowling Alley, School Bus Driver, I Can Remember, Firehouse Rescue, Perfect Fit, Castlevania, Double Dribble, Blades of Steel, Super C, The Muscle Cars, Heat Wave Offshore Superboat Racing, and more.
    • Mail RUN – Letters from readers about Personal Ancestor File for the C-128, software for the Commodore 128 mouse, the Sears SR-2000 printer, and more.
    • Software Gallery – Reviews of Aussie Games (Australian themed sports), Empire (a strategy game), Space Rogue (start your career in space as a merchant marine – I always wanted this one), Life Force (the classic side-scrolling shooter), Time To Die (a mystery adventure game), Thud Ridge (an apparently terrible combat flight game), Superman (a comic book adventure), Dark Side, Zero Gravity, License To Kill (based on the James Bond Movie), and Heroes of the Lance (this action game is not nearly as good as the Gold Box RPG series).
    • Gold Mine – Game tips for Arkanoid, Batman, BattleTech, Caveman Ugh-Lympics, Curse of the Azure Bonds, Double Dragon, Double Dragon II, Grand Prix Circuit, Hillsfar, Impossible Mission II, Test Drive II, Sim City, Times of Lore, Wasteland, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, and more.
    • 128 Mode – A guide to the Commodore 128’s Directory command.
    • geoWatch – A look at hardware useful for enhancing your GEOS experience including various printers, GEORAM 512, the Right Time cartridge, JiffyDOS, CMD’s RAMLink, and more.
    • Commodore Clinic – Questions answered a Commodore 128 glitch, 1571 disk drive problems, 1571 disk drive alignment, sharing a printer, and more.

    …and more!


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  • Commodore User (February 1990)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Commodore User is a magazine that was published in the U.K. and covered various Commodore computers over the years it was published. Near the end of its life it was covering the Amiga and Commodore 64. Issue number 77 from February 1990 includes:

    Specials

    • Sound Framework – A guide to creating demos on the Amiga including a look at tools such as Deluxe Video III, Master Sound, and more..
    • Readers’ Poll – A form for readers to nominate the best software in various categories.
    • Tips Special – Tips and tricks for a variety of games including Hard Drivin’, Dr. Doom’s Revenge, Ghostbusters II, Xenophobe, Power Drift, Galaxy Force, Kick Off, Sim City, It Came From The Desert, Bomber, Space Ace, Space Ace, and more.

    Regulars

    • Buzz – Game companies seek rights to make game based on Black Rain movie; new Asterix game forthcoming; Space Harrier sequel; new AD&D gold box game, Champions of Krynn; new game based on Dawn of the Dead; Bloodwych add-on; Hunt for Red October; and much more.
    • Demos – A look at some of the latest demos including some featuring Alf and Roger Rabbit.
    • Adventure – Hints and tips for adventure games including Bard’s Tale, Bard’s Tale III, Shadowgate, Journey, The Valley, and more.
    • Letters – Letters from readers about game value, Kick Off, software quality, the Atari ST, and more.
    • Arcades – A look at some of the latest arcade games including WGP from Taito, Line of Fire from Sega, Badlands from Atari, and Shadow Dancer.
    • Tommy’s Tips – Questions answered about adding a hard drive to the Amiga 500, CP/M on the Commodore 64, disabling the RUN/STOP and RESTORE keys on the Commodore 64, and more.

    Reviews

    • Aquanaut – A game for the Amiga in which you play the role of a scuba diving secret agent.
    • Fire – A scrolling shooter for the Amiga in which you control a helicopter battling terrorists.
    • Black Tiger – Save civilization in this action game for the Amiga.
    • Bomber – A combat flight sim for the Commodore 64. This kind of game wasn’t really the C64’s strong point.
    • European Space Shuttle – A space shuttle sim for the Amiga.
    • Wings of Fury – A side-scrolling shooter for the Amiga.
    • Space Ace – A conversion of this arcade classic for the Amiga.
    • Starflight – The classic sci-fi strategy game by Electronic Arts for the Amiga.
    • Ringside Manager – A boxing game for the Amiga.
    • Drakkhen – An RPG for the Amiga that was later ported to other systems including as one of the early releases for the Super NES.
    • Super Cars – A racing game with game play similar to Super Sprint.

    …and more!


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