• Tag Archives Macintosh

  • The VersaBusiness Series (Commodore 64)

    Posted on by Azrael 1 Comment

    commodore_microcomputer_issue_40_1986_mar_apr-025


    Source: Commodore MicroComputer – Issue 40 – March April 1986

    The Commodore 64 had a reputation for being a games machine and thus was often not taken very seriously but for at least the first several years of its life there were a number of productivity titles and even professional business software available.

    This particular ad is from the March/April 1986 issue of Commodore MicroComputer and is for the VersaBusiness Series. This includes VersaReceivables, VersaPayables, VeraPayroll, VersaInventory, and VersaLedger II. I can’t claim to know anything about this software or what the difference was between the different versions for different machines but it was available for a lot of them including Apple II, DOS, CP/M, Macintosh, TRS-80, and of course the Commodore 64. It wasn’t cheap, $550 if you wanted it all, but they were running a special 50% discount for the Commodore version in this ad so you could have had them all for the low, low prices of $225.


    📂This entry was posted in Apple ][ Commodore 64 Computer Arcana DOS Macintosh TRS-80 📎and tagged

  • Alone In The Dark

    Posted on by Azrael 1 Comment

    Publisher: Infogrames, Interplay (NA DOS, NA 3DO), Krisalis Software (Acorn 32-bit), Arrow Micro-Techs Corp. (FM Towns, PC-98), Pony Canyon (JP 3DO), MacPlay (Mac), Atari (iOS)
    Developer: Infogrames, Krisalis Software (Acorn 32-bit, 3DO), Arrow Micro-Techs Corp. (FM Towns, PC-98), Kung Fu Factory (iOS)
    Platform: MS-DOS, Mac, Acorn 32-bit, FM Towns, PC-98, 3DO, iOS
    Year: 1992 (DOS), 1993 (FM Towns, PC-98), 1994 (Mac, 3DO), 1995 (Acorn 32-bit), 2014 (iOS)

    http://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/160017813483/kazucrash-alone-in-the-dark-publisher

    Alone in the Dark was released in 1993 for DOS based PCs and was the very first 3D Survival Horror game. It was ported to the 3D0 later in 1993, to the Macintosh in 1994 and, much later in 2014, to iOS. Alone in the Dark was a very influential game and was at least in part responsible for later games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill being developed.

    Other than the iOS release, there really haven’t been any remakes but it did spawn a number of sequels. The latest is the sixth installment which is titled “Alone in the Dark: Illumination” and was released for Windows based computers in 2015. However, while the original game was almost universally well regarded, the latest is complete garbage if you go by the reviews.

    The game (or at least the series) has also spawned two movies. The first is titled “Alone in the Dark” and is loosely based on th 4th game in the series. It was released in 2005 and apparently it is widely considered to be one of the worst movies ever made. So of course there was a sequel, Alone in the Dark II, which was only a slight improvement.

    Not all of the sequels were bad. For example, the original DOS versions of 2 and 3 were pretty good and the fourth installment (The New Nightmare) which was a reboot of the series received positive reviews (exponentially better than the movie) but none ever quite managed to meet the high standards set by the first.





    📂This entry was posted in Retro Games 📎and tagged

  • Spaceward Ho!

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Spaceward Ho! (Macintosh, Windows, 1995)

    http://darth-azrael.tumblr.com/post/158599606061/retrocgads-usa-1995-spaceward-ho

    Spaceward Ho! is a 4X turn based sci-fi strategy game published by Delta Tao Software. The first version was released in 1990 but several versions were released subsequently. This particular ad is for version 4 which was available on the Macintosh and Windows, released in 1994 and distributed by New World Computing. One or more versions were also available for the Amiga, Palm OS, iOS and Android.

    The main claim to fame that this particular game has over other similar games is simplicity. Games are relatively fast paced and can often be completed in ten minutes to an hour. Depending on the version, it supports multi-player locally, via LAN or via the. However, it also makes a good single player vs. the computer game.

    This was one of the original games in the genre and has been very influential. Some may prefer more complicated games but many have enjoyed the elegant simplicity of this one. The latest computer version is 5.05 and was released July 8, 2003 on the Macintosh (Classic and OS X before 10.7). For Windows the latest version is 4 and for the Amiga it is version 2. Mobile versions for iOS and Android were released in 2012 and 2013 respectively.





    📂This entry was posted in Computer Arcana Macintosh 📎and tagged