• Tag Archives Commodore 128

  • Compute!’s Gazette (April 1988)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Compute!’s Gazette was a spin-off of Compute! and, along with RUN, was one of the most popular Commodore 64/128 magazines in the U.S. The April 1988 issue includes:

    Features

    • Report from the 1988 Winter Consumer Electronics Show – While game consoles were making a huge comeback, there was still plenty of new games for the Commodore 64 from companies like Activision, Epyx, Mindscape, Accolade, Broderbund, Cinemaware, Data East and others. Some games on display included Star Rank Boxing II, The Train, Power At Sea, Card Sharks, Rampage, Arcade Construction Kit, The Three Stooges, Rocket Ranger, The President Is Missing, NAVCOM 6: The Gulf Defense, Ikari Warriors, Victory Road, Speed Buggy, Karnov, The Hunt For Red October, Red Storm Rising, Spirit of War, Global Commander, Strike Fleet, The Games: Winter Edition, L.A. Crackdown, Sporting News Baseball, Impossible Mission II, 4×4 Offroad Racing, Death Sword, Dive Bomber, Zorkquest, Land of Legends, The Faery Tale Adventure, Fire Power, Sons of Liberty, Panzer Strike, Questron II, and lots more.
    • Close Up: The Commodore 128D – The Commodore 128D replaced the Commodore and included a detachable keyboard, built-in 1571 floppy drive, and increased video RAM.
    • Super CP/M Software for the 128, Part 2: Programmer’s Toolbox – The second and final part of a series providing a round-up of CP/M tools for the Commodore 128, including programming languages.

    Reviews

    • Paperboy and Gauntlet – Both of these arcade conversions were excellent on the Commodore 64.
    • Echelon – Other than than the dumb “LipStik” headset that came with this game that provided the ability to fire your weapon with your voice, this was an excellent space sim/mystery game.
    • Halls of Montezuma – A strategy game featuring historic battles in which the Marines were involved.
    • The Sentry – A unique sci-fi strategy game from Firebird.

    Games

    • 3-D Speedway – A type-in racing game for the Commodore 64.
    • Spy Defense – A type-in action game for the Commodore 64 in which you must rescue spies from aliens.

    Programming

      • BASIC for Beginners: Number Drills – Random numbers and string comparison.
    • Machine Language Programming: File Handling – Includes a sample machine language program for reading and writing files.
    • Power BASIC: Power POKE – A short program that alters the syntax of the POKE command to be more efficient and easier to read.
    • Key Clicker – A type-in program that can add different keyclick sounds to your Commodore 64 or 128.
    • Mirrors – A type-in program that produces a kaleidoscopic display in hi-res mode on the Commodore 64.
    • Speed File for the 64 – A type-in full-featured database program for the Commodore 64.
    • Phantom LIST – A short machine language program that lists BASIC programs from disk to screen without modifying memory.
    • DGraph: Hi-Res Commands for BASIC – A type-in BASIC extension that adds commands for generating graphs.
    • Smart VAL – A short type-in machine language program that extends the VAL command by adding the ability to evaluate complex mathematical expressions.
    • Ramdisk 128 – A type-in program for adding a ramdisk to your Commodore 128.
    • Four for the 64 – Short programs for adding enhanced machine language capabilities to BASIC programs on the C64.

    Departments

    • The Editor’s Notes – Introducing the “Letters to the Editor” column and a GEOS programming contest.
    • Letters to the Editor – Letters from readers about Commodore 128 specific software, structured vs. unstructured programming, VIC-20s for education, and more.
    • Gazette Feedback – Feedback from readers about organizing a users group, baud vs. bps, freezing BASIC programs, and more.
    • The GEOS Column: GeoPublish – A Close Look – A look at geoPublish, a desktop publishing program for GEOS. This column was even created using geoPublish.
    • Horizons: Faster and Faster – Ways to improve the speed of your BASIC programs.
    • Computing for Families: What Type of Person Likes Computers? – A look at the different reasons people like computers.

    …and more!


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  • Compute!’s Gazette (June 1990)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Compute!’s Gazette was Compute!’s Commodore 64 spin-off magazine. It was one of the most popular Commodore 64 magazines but the June 1990 issue would be the last. However, it would continue on as a disk only publication for another 5 years. This issue includes:

    Features

    • Into the Crystal Ball: Software Leaders’ Outlook on the 64 – Despite its age, some publishers still report consistent sales including Virgin Mastertronic, SportsTime Computer Software, SSI, and others. However, by 1991 the game market for the C64 has pretty much collapsed with the last two major releases (in the U.S. anyway) occurring that year (Ultima VI and The Simpsons).
    • Commodore Computer Shows: How to Get the Most out of Them – A guide to attending computer shows along with a list of upcoming Commodore related shows including Commodore/Amiga Users Fair, World of Commodore/Amiga (Chicago), and World of Commodore/Amiga (Toronto).
    • A Guide to Commodore User Groups, Part 2 – The second part of Gazette’s annual list of user groups.

    Reviews

    • Search for the Titanic – This game from Capstone Software simulates the search for the Titanic.
    • FaceOff! – The classic hockey game from Gamestar.
    • Batman: The Movie – This Data East game is one of the few good games that are based on a movie.
    • Spanada 128 – A Spanish to English translator exclusively for the Commodore 128.

    Games

    • Mudfrog Math – A type-in educational math game for the Commodore 128.
    • Spheroids – A type-in game for the C64 in which you must collect spheres and hurl them at your opponent across uneven terrain.

    Programming

    • BASIC for Beginners: More on Timers – The second part of a series are creating accurate timers on the Commodore 64 in BASIC.
    • The Programmer’s Page: Printer Spooling – A way to spool ASCII files from disk to the printer without tying up the computer.
    • Machine Language Programming: Split Screen – A tutorial on creating a split screen and controlling each screen separately.
    • Starburst Graphics – A type-in machine language program for creating high resolution Commodore 64 graphics.
    • 1581 Path – A short program that allows you to access partitions on the 1581 drive similar to MS-DOS subdirectories.
    • Playfields – A type in program for the Commodore 64 that allows you to create animation similar to Amiga’s dual-playfield video mode.
    • Electronic Billboard – A type-in program for creating vertically scrolling messages on the Commodore 64.

    Departments

    • Commodore Clips – Lucasfilm offers special deal on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade VHS and game combo, Virgin Mastertronic releases Mega Pack collection of ten games, QuantumLink offers downloadable graphics, new C64 game from Japan called Curse of Babylon, and more.
    • The Editor’s Notes – Comments on the 1989 Gazette Readership Survey and recent changes to the magazine.
    • Letters to the Editor – Letters from readers about a Commodore 64 TV appearance, Commodore 64 BBSes, Speedscript, genealogy software, and more.
    • D’Iversions: Highways of the Future – Predictions of the future of computing including the combination of computer, TV, stereo, compact discs, and telephone.
    • Horizons: Design-a-64 Contest Winners – The results of a competition involving custom Commodore 64 mods. One can be seen on the cover.

    …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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