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  • Compute!’s Gazette (February 1987)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Compute!’s Gazette was one of the most popular Commodore 64 magazines and 1987 was quite possibly the Commodore 64’s peak year. The February 1987 issue of Gazette includes:

    Features

    • Deciding on the Right Printer – Features to consider when deciding on the right printer for you.
    • A 1987 Buyer’s Guide to Printers – Features are compared for tons of printers including the Aprotek Daisy 1120, Blue Chip 120/NLQ, Brother HR-20, C. Itoh Prowriter C-215XP, Canon A-50, Citizen 120D, Commodore MIPS 1200, and dozens of others.
    • Printing Commodore Graphics – A guide to printing Commodore graphics with various printing modes, interfaces, and non-Commodore printers. Includes some programming examples.

    Reviews

    • Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? – One of the most iconic educational games ever made.
    • Macbeth – An adventure game based on the Shakespeare play.
    • PaperClip II – A popular word processor with a 38,000 word spell checker that can be expanded.
    • Ace of Aces – The classic World War II flight sim from Accolade. This was one of the games I bought for my Commodore 64
    • Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth – While most licensed games aren’t very good, this one was produced by Activision and is better than average.

    Games

    • Collision Course – A type-in racing game in which you must clear a course of dots before the computer controlled car runs into you.
    • Pick-A-Letter – A type-in word game somewhat similar to Hangman but with some enhancements. For the Commodore 64/128, Plus/4 and C-16.

    Education/Home Applications

    • Division Worksheet – This type-in program creates math worksheets with division problems.
    • Computing for Families: Light! Computers! Action! – Training teachers to use personal computers to enhance videos for educational use.

    Programming

    • Hints & Tips: Replacing Arrays – Some tips for using arrays and alternatives in BASIC.
    • Power BASIC: Sanitation Engineer – A type-in machine language program that speeds up garbage collection.
    • MetaBASIC: The Programmer’s Assistant – A type-in enhancement for BASIC that was previously published by Gazette. A Plus version is included that has 11 new commands as well as a Commodore 128 version.
    • Mastering 128 Sound and Music, Part 5 – The final part of this long running series provides advice on different methods of transcribing music written for three or more voices.
    • 128 Wedge – A type-in utility to make it easier to use a 1541 or 1571 disk drive with the Commodore 128.
    • Data Formatting on the 64 – Some short programs for formatting data by performing such actions as rounding and right justification of numbers.
    • BASIC for Beginners: IF-THEN – A tutorial and some examples using IF-THEN.
    • Machine Language for Beginners: ML Mailbag – Answering a few machine language related questions from readers.

    Departments

    • The Editor’s Notes – Commodore introduces the PC10-1 PC clone to the U.S. market.
    • Gazette Feedback – Letters from readers about screen formatting, finding free disk blocks, 1571 bugs, upgrading CP/M, and more.
    • Horizons: Art or Science? – Pondering whether programming is an art or a science.

    …and more!


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  • 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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