• Tag Archives commodore

  • The One (December 1994)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: The One – Issue Number 74 – December 1994

    The One was a U.K. published gaming magazine that mostly covered 16-bit computers. In 1994 it was basically just covering the Amiga. The December 1994 issue includes:

    • Boot Sector – On the cover disk are demos of Rise of the Robots and Mortal Kombat II.
    • News – World of Amiga show coming in December, new Amiga CD32 package available, Mindscape buys SSI, and more.
    • Letters – Letters from readers about Sensible Soccer tournaments, Beneath a Steel Sky issues, Charlie J Cool, and more.
    • Competition – Win various Lion King related items.

    • One On One – An interview with John Twiddy, responsible for such games as Putty Squad and Aladdin.
    • WiPS – Previews of games currently still in progress including The Lion King, Mighty Max, Mortal Kombat II, and Sensible Golf.
    • Reviews – Reviews of Cannon Fodder 2, Jungle Strike, Premier Manager 3, PGA Euro Tour, Zeewolf, Fields of Glory, Lords of the Realm, Morton Strikes Back, Embryo, UFO: Enemy Unknown, Crystal Dragon, and Super Stardust.
    • Updates – Updates of Manchester United, Arcade Pool, Them Park (Amiga 500 version), and Soccer Kid.
    • Replays – A look back at some older games including Combat Air Patrol, Formula One Grand Prix, Globdule, and Gunship 2000.

    • Kill Zone – Tips, tricks and strategies for Reunion, Wild Cup, Starlord, Robinson’s Requiem, and more.
    • Classic Tips – Tips for older games including Addam’s Family, Alien Breed, Arkanoid 2, Atomic Robo Kid, and many others.
    • PD Zone – A look at some of the latest public domain games including Roketz, Pengo, Outpost: Solo Assault, Arthur: Quest for Excalibur, and Classic Pucman.
    • Competition – Win a MicroProse jacket, UFO: Enemy Unknown, and more.
    • Recommended – A brief look at some of the highest rated games by The One. Some of these game include Aladdin, Alien Breed 2, Cannon Fodder, James Pond 3, Theme Park, Uridium 2, Microcosm, Simon the Sorcerer, Mortal Kombat, and many more.

    …and more!


    📂This entry was posted in Amiga Computer Arcana Retro Games 📎and tagged

  • Compute!’s Gazette (November 1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: ompute!’s Gazette – Issue Number 17 – November 1984

    Compute!’s Gazette was one of a few popular Commodore 64 magazines that were published in the U.S. Though it covered other 8-bit Commodore computers at times like the VIC-20, Commodore 128 and Plus/4, the bulk of its coverage through the years was for the Commodore 64. The November 1984 issue includes:

    Features

    • Bulletin Board Fever – An introduction to BBSing. BBS systems had been around for a while at this point but Commodore specific ones were rapidly gaining in popularity. This article guides you through your first call to a BBS.
    • A Buyer’s Guide to Modems – A comparison of more than 20 different modems ranging in price from $49 (Commodore VICmodem) to $289 (Hayes Smartmodem 300). All are only 300bps.
    • GAZETTE Telecommunications Software, Part 1: C/G Term – A type-in terminal program for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
    • Inside View: Freefall Associates – An interview with Jon Freeman and Anne Westfall, designers of Archon and Archon II: Adept.

    Reviews

    • EasyDisk – A utility designed to make managing disks (formatting, renaming files, etc.) easier.
    • MusiCalc – A difficult to use but powerful music program for the Commodore 64 and SID.
    • Adventure Creator – A cartridge-based program for the Commodore 64 that allows you to design your own adventure games.
    • Drol And Spare Change for the Commodore 64 – Two arcade style games from Broderbund for the Commodore 64. I’m not familiar with these two games specifically but Broderbund made some outstanding games (like Spelunker and Raid on Bungeling Bay).
    • Also Worth Noting – Briefer reviews of Raid on Bungeling Bay, PuzzlePanic, Gumball, 64-Accounting, Montezuma’s Revenge, and Satan’s Hollow.

    Games

    • Bagdad – This type-in game for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64 reminds me a bit of games like Joust.
    • Jump – This type-in game for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64 is sort of a cross between Space Invaders and Missile Command.
    • Supertank – In this type-in game for the Commodore 64 you must destroy other tanks before they destroy you.
    • Descent to Kaylon – In this type-in game for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20, you must land your ship for resupply while avoiding asteroids and other obstacles.

    Education/Home Applications

    • Computing For Families: A Look At New Books From “Reggie” D’Ignazio – A brief look at various new books including The Commodore 64 Home Companion, Computer FUNdamentals, The Beginner’s Computer Dictionary, The Computer Alphabet Book, The Commodore Puzzle Book: BASIC Brainteasers, At the Heart of the Mountain: A BASIC Adventure for the Commodore 64, and more.
    • Budgeteer – A type-in program for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64 that helps you balance your budget.

    Programming

    • BASIC Magic: The Four Most Important BASIC Commands – A look at four commands that can help you get started quickly with BASIC: PRINT, GOTO, FOR-NEXT, and INPUT.
    • Machine Language for Beginners: Getting Started – An introduction to machine language including a type-in assembler.
    • Power BASIC: Slowpoke – A short machine language program that allows you to control the speed of the PRINT command.
    • Hints & Tips – Tips for adding comments to machine language programs, LISTing BASIC programs to a file, and more.
    • Programming Sound and Graphics With The Super Expander 64 – The Super Expander 64 is a cartridge from Commodore for the C64 that adds a variety of powerful graphics and sound commands to BASIC.
    • Function Key – A type-in utility for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64 that lets you define the function keys.
    • Disk Auto Load – A type-in utility for the Commodore 64 that lets you modify your programs so that they will automatically run when loaded.

    Departments

    • The Editor’s Notes – A commentary on the new Amiga which had just been shown in prototype form at the June CES.
    • Gazette Feedback – Letters from readers on the purpose of DATA statements, reading joystick movements, turning off the disk drive when not in use, implementing cursor control, connecting a printer to the SX-64, and more.
    • Simple Answers To Common Questions – A discussion on troubleshooting modem connections.
    • Horizons: 64 – An in-depth look at the new Commodore Plus/4.
    • VICreations: VIC Mailbag – Letters from readers about adjusting the speed of the 1541 disk drive for the VIC-20, converting BASIC programs from the C64 to VIC-20, using VIC-20 sound with a BMC monitor, using a Commodore 1526 printer with the VIC-20, and more.

    …and more!


    📂This entry was posted in Commodore 64 Computer Arcana 📎and tagged

  • Waxworks (Amiga)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Waxworks is a horror themed role-playing game released in 1992 by Horror Soft for the Amiga, Macintosh and DOS based machines.

    The plot of the game involves undoing a curse on your family. Apparently, at some point in history, the player’s ancestor cut of Ixona’s hand for stealing a chicken. Ixona happened to be a witch and she placed a curse on your family. This curse basically makes it so that whenever twins are born in your family, one of them turns out evil and does very bad things. You (and your soon to be evil twin brother who is unconscious for some reason) inherit a magical wax museum from your uncle. You must use this magical wax museum to travel back in time to undo the evil things your ancestors have done and prevent the curse from ever being placed…before your brother wakes up evil.

    The game is divided into several sections, each with its own theme/time period. These themes include ancient Egypt, medieval Transylvania, Victorian England, the industrial revolution time period, and the time period of Ixona herself.

    Waxworks is played from a first person point of view and features a point-and-click interface. From this interface you can pick up items, avoid traps, solve puzzles, and engage in combat. During combat, you have the ability to target individual body parts such as an arm or head. Generally, the goal in each time period is to retrieve a special item from the evil twin of that era. Once you have collected all of these special items, you can then attempt to defeat Ixona herself to try to prevent the curse from ever being placed.

    There are some criticisms of the game including small game maps and an overemphasis on combat. However, the graphics, sound and music are pretty solid and do a good job of creating a horror filled atmosphere. The way the game is separated into different time periods also makes for pretty good variety. For fans of horror or RPGs of the era in general, it is worth playing. One unique aspect of the game though is the level of gore. It is highly graphic for a game of this time period with lots of gruesome death scenes. This may or may not be your cup of tea.

    Waxworks was re-released on GOG using DOSBox for compatibility with Windows and Mac OS. As I look now, it is currently available for only $1.49 here: https://www.gog.com/en/game/waxworks. I mean you can’t get a much better deal than that. Images above are from the Amiga version of the game but there’s not really any significant differences between the DOS and Amiga versions of the game. The DOS version even uses a similar 32-color palette to the Amiga version.


    📂This entry was posted in Amiga Computer Arcana Retro Games 📎and tagged