• Tag Archives commodore

  • Zzap! 64 (November 1987)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Here in the U.S., we never had a gaming magazine dedicated to the Commodore 64. I would have loved such a thing, especially as this one, published in the U.K. was published well into the 1990s and I was still using my Commodore 64 as my primary computer up through most of 1993. The November 1987 issue of Zzap! 64 includes:

    Redoubtable Regulars

    • Editorial – Info on a new editor at the magazine.
    • The Rrap – Letters from readers about arcade conversions, the cost of Zzap! in Ireland, competition questions, Microprose, and more.
    • Enter The Harlequin – A solution to Kayleth, an adventure game from US Gold. Plus, news about an upcoming adventures games, including Jack the Ripper.
    • Compunet – A look at the latest demos available via Compunet.
    • What’s New – SSI to work with TSR and US Gold to develop Dungeons & Dragons computer games (these would become the gold box series), a promotion for Bangkok Knights, and more.
    • Manoeuvres – Reviews of strategy games Armageddon Man and High Frontier.
    • Postmark – Games played via the postal service.
    • Cheap and Cheerful – Reviews of budget games Joe Blade, Anarchy, On Cue, Tunnel Vision, Special Agent, Pyramid of Time, Defcom, and Land of Neverwhere.
    • The Chart Show – A list of the top 30 games for the month. At the top of the list is World Games. Some others on this list I have played include Gauntlet (number 5), Paperboy (number 14), California Games (number 16), Kikstart II (number 17), Arkanoid (number 22), and Green Beret (number 24).

    November Novelties

    • International Karate + – A review of this fighting game from System 3. I never played it but it reminds me a bit of Yie ar King-Fu.
    • Solomon’s Key – A review of this arcade conversion by US Gold.
    • Morpheus – A review of this scrolling shooter from Hewson.
    • Starfox – Not to be confused with the famous series that got its start on the Super NES, this game is a space combat sim.
    • Quedex – A review of this game which is sort of like Marble Madness without the isometric viewpoint.
    • Enlightenment – Druid II – I don’t think I ever played this sequel but the original Druid was a fun Gauntlet-like game.

    Features

    • Hit Me With Your Best Shot – A history of Shoot ‘Em Up games. Some game mentioned here include Pastfinder from Activision (I loved this one), Spy Hunter (another great game), Paradroid, Hypercircuit, Dropzone, and many others.
    • Accolade’s Comics – An adventure game in comic book format.
    • The Tips Supplement – Tips for Impossible Mission, Quartet, Joustie, Master of Magic, The Evil Dead, Hercules, Gods and Heroes, Nodes of Yesod, 1942, and lots more.
    • RPG’s Scrutinised – A look at new RPGs including Moebius (Microprose/Origin), Alternate Reality: The Dungeon (Datasoft), and Legacy of the Ancients (Electronic Arts).
    • Combat Zone – A real-life capture the flag paintball game.
    • Minson Meets Microprose – A sneak peek at the latest from Microprose including Project Stealth Fighter and Airborne Ranger.

    …and more!


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  • Compute!’s Gazette (March 1987)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Compute!’s Gazette was a spin-off of Compute! magazine that exclusively covered Commodore 8-bit computers (mostly the Commodore 64). It was probably one of the two most popular Commodore 64 magazines with RUN being the other one. The March 1987 issue includes:

    Features

    • The Commodore Graphics Connection – The Commodore 64 had perhaps the most advanced graphics of any 8-bit home computer. In fact, the VIC-II graphics chip (along with the SID sound chip) were originally conceived as the basis for a new video game machine.
    • A Buyer’s Guide to Commodore Graphics Progams – A brief overview of some of the many graphics applications available for the Commodore 64. Some of the titles mentioned here include Blazing Paddles (drawing and painting program), Cadpak-64 and Cadpak-128 (computer-aided design package), Certificate Maker (design and printing program), Chartpak-64 and Chartpak-128 (for creating pie, bar and line charts), ColorMe: The Computer Coloring Kit (introductory drawing package for kids), Desk Pack I (includes Graphics Grabber which converts clip-art from Print Shop, Print Master, and Newsroom to GEOS), Doodle (high res drawing program), Flexidraw Light Pen Graphics, Version 5 (advanced graphics and light-pen package), and many more.
    • The Fundamentals of Commodore Graphics – An introduction to the Commodore 64’s array of graphics modes and features.

    Reviews

    • The Commodore 1670 Modem – While the Commodore 64 could use most standard external modems with an adapter, Commodore’s 1670 Modem (1200bps) was an inexpensive modem that could connect directly to the user port.
    • Alter Ego and Mind Mirror – Alter Ego is ‘what if’ fantasy role playing game from Activision while Mind Mirror was designed in part with Timothy Leary (published by Electronic Arts) and is a little harder to classify.
    • Trinity – The latest in interactive fiction from Infocom. In this text adventure you must, in part, survive a nuclear holocaust.

    Games

    • Tile Trader – A type-in puzzle game in which you must slide the tiles around to get them in the correct order.
    • Ringside Boxing – A type-in two player arcade style boxing game.

    Education/Home Applications

    • Color Craft – A type-in art program for the Commodore 64.
    • Computing for Families: Beyond the Desktop – Soap Bubbles, Forests, and Hot-Air Balloons – Metaphors, other than the Desktop, to make computers easier to use.

    Programming

    • RAM Expansion for the Commodore 128 – A guide to using the new 1700 (128K) and 1750 (512K) ram expansions on the Commodore 128.
    • Using RAM Expansion With CP/M – A guide to using RAM expansion when using the Commodore 128’s CP/M mode.
    • Text Sequencer – A type-in machine language program that can be used from within your own BASIC programs to print sequential files to the screen 15 times faster than with BASIC alone.
    • Sprite Manager – A type-in sprite designer, editor, and animator for the Commodore 64.
    • RAM Plus – A type-in machine language routine that can free up an additional 4K of RAM for BASIC programs.
    • CP/M PIP on the Commodore 128 – A detailed look at using CP/M’s PIP command on the Commodore 128. This command can be used for file copying among other things.
    • Custom Keys – A couple of type-in utility programs that let you redefine the Commodore 64’s keyboard.
    • ROM Enhancer – A short machine language program that offers improvements to BASIC 2.0.
    • Power BASIC: 128 Partitioner – A type-in program that allows you to load up to four independent programs in to BASIC at once on the Commodore 128.
    • BASIC for Beginners: More on IF-THEN – Part two of a guide on using IF statements.
    • Machine Language for Beginners: ML Mailbag – Questions answered from readers about learning machine language, using flags, and more.
    • Hints & Tips: Useful WAITS – A guide to effectively using Commodore BASIC’s WAIT statement.

    Departments

    • The Editor’s Note – Reprinted from the February issue of Compute!.
    • Gazette Feedback – Letters from readers about printing biorhythms, disk problems, using exponents in BASIC, and more.
    • Simple Answers to Common Questions – Questions answered about using an Apple disk drive with a Commodore 64, fixing disk drive alignment issues, and more.
    • Horizons: What Is Memory? – A look at how memory works on the Commodore 64.
    • News & Products – Accountant, Inc. for the Commodore 128, 128K ROMDISK with Hyperboot for the Commodore 64 and 128, Killed Until Dead from Accolade, and more.

    …and more!


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