#09 Reset...
Barnsley Badger - Tiger Claw - Paradroid Redux - Hessian
Andrew & Rob Hewson - Hyper Sentinel - Vinny’s Cheat & Beat
Reset... #09 The magazine for the casual Commodore 64 user.
Editorial/Credits Unkle K Page 3
Hyper Sentinel Preview Unkle K Page 4
Four5Six Pixel Interview Unkle K Page 5
They Were Our Gods - Andrew & Rob Hewson PaulEMoz Page 8
Reset Mix-i-Disk Reset Page 13
News Reset Page 14
Games Scene News Reset Page 16
Coming Soon! Reset Page 18
High Scoring Heroes Reset Page 19
RGCD 16kb Cartridge Game Competition Roundup Rob Page 20
Reset Reloaded - July ‘86 Martin Grundy Page 26
Blast From The Past - Hewson! Ausretrogamer Page 28
Book Review - Hints & Tips for Videogame Pioneers PaulEMoz Page 34
Game Review - Barnsley Badger Ant, Cam Page 36
Game Review - Tiger Claw Rob, Alex Page 38
Game Review & Interview - Paradroid Redux Rob Page 40
Games That Weren’t Frank Gasking Page 44
Reset Rewind - 3D Lunattack Rob Page 48
Game Review - Hessian Merman, Paul Page 52
Rack-It Retrospective PaulEMoz Page 56
Hardware - Freedom Expansion Board Stingray Page 59
Reset Mini-Bytes Reset Page 60
Cheat & Beat Vinny Page 66
Format Wars - Anarchy Last Chance Page 70
Deep Thoughts Merman Page 77
The Commodore Jedi Master Leonard Roach Page 78
Reset Q&A Reset Page 81
Final Thoughts Unkle K Page 82
Blow The Cartridge - Insects in Space Gazunta Page 83
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 3 The Hewson Issue!
It’s with pleasure that we dedicate this their own innovative ideas, while utilising issue to one of the finest software houses the Hewson experience to take the company from the classic 8 bit era, Hewson into the next generation. We hope Hewson Consultants. Founded in 1980 by micro- succeed and wish them all the best with their computer enthusiast Andrew Hewson, the new endeavours! company first published the book Hints and As we head into this 9th issue of Reset, it’s Tips for the ZX80, followed by a few more hard to believe that we have reached the half books and a handful of mail order only games. way mark of 2016. It’s been a cracker of a As the company grew, Hewson Consultants year so far for the C64 and the second half released their first C64 game, Heathrow Air is only going to build on that. RGCD, Traffic Control, in 1984. Psytronik and Protovision have all been productive, with a slew of releases already That was the beginning of a long history with out and many more in the pipeline before the the breadbin that would see them release a year’s end. The RGCD 16kb Cartridge Game consistent stream of A grade games, including Development Competition didn’t disappoint and Gribble's Day Out, Paradroid, Uridium and once again encouraged plenty of new Nebulus, to name but four. It was no development with some new names emerging onto exaggeration that if you saw the Hewson name the C64 gaming scene. on the inlay or box, it was a sure thing. We are also holding our own competition at Andrew Hewson was a master of taking Reset. The 4kb ‘Craptastic’ Game Coding enthusiastic bedroom coders and turning them Competition has already seen a healthy number into superstars, releasing hit after hit and of registered competitors as well as a establishing many names in the industry. Now, handful of submitted entries that won’t Hewson is back, with Andrew’s son Rob disappoint. So read on! I hope you enjoy the heading the publishing and development issue! division. He is leading the charge to work with a new generation of indie teams and solo Sincerely, developers and encouraging them to develop Unkle K Credits:
Reset Magazine Staff: Kevin Tilley (Unkle K) - Editor, Staff Writer, Design Paul Morrison (PaulEMoz) - Staff Writer Anthony Stiller (Ant) - Staff Writer, Art Cameron Davis (Gazunta) - Staff Writer, Art Alex Boz (Ausretrogamer) - Staff Writer Rob Caporetto (Hellfire 64) - Staff Writer The Mighty Brain (TMB) - Staff Writer Shane Wood (Zap) - Webmaster
Contributors: Merman, Frank Gasking (Enigma), Jari Karjalainen (Last Chance), Lenard Roach, Martin Grundy, Vinny Mainolfi, Stingray, Raj Singh (Sh0ck Design).
Special thanks to the Reset Mix-i-disk contributors: Dr J, Shine, Richard Bayliss (TND), Lazycow, Endurion and everybody else involved in the various productions.
Cover Art by Anthony Stiller.
Some screenshots, graphics and clipart © various sources on the internet. If you require an image to be removed please contact [email protected] Visit Reset at http://reset.cbm8bit.com/ Visit the Reset Magazine Staff at the CSDB Follow us on Twitter: @ResetC64
All text remains the © of the author. Reset is a non-profit, free publication. We print Reset with best results in A5 with a 180gsm glossy cover. Produced 2016 © Reset… This issue is dedicated to Olivia Grace Tilley, the world’s youngest retro-gamer!
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 4 Hyper Sentinel Preview By Unkle K
The brand new incarnation of modern tricks such as the super Seeing that name again on Hewson Consultants are going smooth colourful graphics, new games is something straight back to their roots, booming soundtrack and game special for us old folk. with their first release to be mechanics that just weren’t Hopefully our slower the retro themed side-scrolling technically possible back in reflexes have still got what it shooter, Hyper Sentinel. the day, means it is highly takes! Developed by Manchester based likely that Hewson just may indie outfit Four5Six Pixel, have a winner on their hands. “With Hewson's Hyper Sentinel is billed as 'an Initially being developed for intense retro shoot 'em up goal to become iOS & Apple TV, ports to other delivering classic arcade platforms are certainly in the 'THE retro games action'. Getting excited yet? mix if stretch goals can be met label', Hyper Consisting of 12 levels, Hewson in the forthcoming Kickstarter promise gameplay features such campaign, which should be live Sentinel could as epic boss battles, amazing soon after we go to press. be the perfect power ups and a combo chaining With Hewson's goal to become system. Just to whet your retro springboard for 'THE retro games label', Hyper appetites a little bit further, Sentinel could be the perfect the return of the game is lovingly springboard for the return of handcrafted with 'spectacular the classic the classic publisher. What's pixel art graphics' and a exciting for us is that Hewson publisher.” 'heart- pumping SID - s t y l e are bringing back their chiptune soundtrack'. And, publishing model that helped breathe.. now legendary bedroom coders After watching the gameplay and start-up teams such as videos and seeing the Andrew Braybrook and DICE get screenshots, it's obvious that their starts in the industry. Hyper Sentinel never strays too We could be seeing the far from it's roots, with 8 bit emergence of a new wave of shooter classics Uridium, programming celebrities and the Zynaps and Slayer being obvious innovative, original games that influences. This is no bad Hewson were known for in the thing, as classic gameplay days of the 8 bits. Hyper Sentinel is gorgeous to never gets old and the games The Hyper Sentinel Kickstarter look at, with it’s fluid motion author and Four5Six Pixel's will be live in the first week and colourful pixel graphics. It sole developer, Jonathan Port, of July and can be accessed at needs to be seen in motion to obviously has an eye for http://www.hypersentinel.com fully appreciate how classic gameplay and mechanics. wonderful it looks. Seamlessly incorporating
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 5
career. It wasn't until now (some 30 or so years later) however, that I've had the time and the platforms have been available for me to take that step back to my childhood memories and make a game myself. I have so many cherished memories of games on the C64 and ZX Spectrum that they have served as a natural inspiration for my first game, Hyper Sentinel.
Four5Six Pixel is just me (for the moment at least). I like to take on as much of We had a chance to chat to Hyper Sentinel the game making process as I can, so the coder and Four5Six Pixel founder, Jonathan numbers represent coding, combined with Port. pixel graphics. I've done the sound fx too for Hyper Sentinel, but music needs specialist attention, so I needed an Reset: Hi Jonathan! Please tell us a bit expert to put the SID style soundtracks about yourself and Four5Six.Pixel together. JP: Hi! I'm Jonathan Port. I'm a husband and father of 2 and live near Manchester in the UK. I've been a professional business programmer by trade for over 20 years.
I got into video games (or computer games as they used to be known!) in the early 1980s right at the start of the game explosion in the UK; I was around about 11 years old at the time we got our first family computer, a 16K ZX Spectrum. I'm fairly sure we got the computer for educational purposes, but as everyone knows, you don't come home from school to do more homework! But games had me, as with all my friends. I can remember though, even at this early age, that I was Reset: Who do you think will enjoy drawn not just to playing the games but to playing Hyper Sentinel? the idea of conjuring up, myself, amazing worlds to play in. I imagined it must be JP: Hyper Sentinel is a space themed akin to being a magician, and to be fair, arcade game first and foremost. It's not a looking back at what the likes of Steve shoot 'em up in the traditional sense, or Turner and Andrew Braybrook produced at a bullet hell style arcade game. Certainly that time on the machines available, they the later levels will require repeated basically were. It was these early games play to learn the layout and highest that got me hooked on making things by scoring strategy. So, anyone who likes programming, and it directly led to my
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 6
intense, in the moment games will Reset: Tell us how the collaboration with hopefully enjoy it. Oh, and we worked Hewson Consultants came about? really hard to get the game controls very JP: Ah, the collaboration with Hewson smooth and fluid. I wanted it to feel a Consultants. It's kind of a bit of a blur bit like I imagined piloting the in my mind and I can't quite remember the Millennium Falcon, so you can pull flips, exact order of events that led up to it. smooth arcing turns, and evasive dodge Luck played a rather big part on my side! manoeuvres. It's really fun to just zip It was the end of November last year, and around a level with full boost on and I'd been working on Hyper Sentinel for lasers blasting! about 5 months. I was simply making a game for the fun of it. I have a colleague I work with who regularly gets involved with Reset: What do you think is the appeal of local indie groups and he offered to put retro inspired games to a modern audience some screens of my game on his Facebook on modern platforms? account for people to look at. Somehow, JP: I think it's really important that Rob (Hewson) came across them and sent a you used the term inspired here. I wanted comment back that if I sent a video he to make a game that tugs on the heart of would tweet it out from the Hewson twitter what it felt like as an 11 year old account. So naturally (and very casually playing video games back in the 1980s. on my part - it was only one of the very There was a certain wonder and intensity best 8-bit publishers after all) I did. to games of that time and I think that is Somehow, it came about that Rob was set up missing to an extent on some of the modern in Manchester and so was I. It ended up platforms. I would personally never want with me bringing a very early game build to simply remake what has gone before, I down to an indie pub meet for Rob to have think those games have deserved the right a play with. The controls were still very to stand proud on their original much being worked on at that time, so it platforms. What I think we can do is look wasn't ideal, but Rob saw enough in the at what made us excited to play these game to declare that he liked it. A short great games; is there anything we have while later I somehow got to having Rob, forgotten or lost in modern games? Andrew, and John in my house to discuss getting together to make this happen. We have some great, amazing, almost Imagine that, Andrew Hewson in my house cinematic gaming experiences these days, talking about my game! I almost forgot to but sometimes I wonder if we have lost offer coffee. some of the immediacy of just picking up a game and getting stuck in; letting a player's imagination fill in the gaps. Reset would like to thank Jonathan Port That's not to say we should just look for his participation in this interview. back. Modern mobile platforms offer some amazing opportunities for gaming. You can download a game in seconds and have it up and playing even quicker - now that beats a tape recorder! But more than that, in the case of Hyper Sentinel, you can play it on the TV, save and continue playing on your phone where you left off. You've got global leaderboards to compete with immediately. I remember we used to have to send our scores in to a magazine and wait a month to see if we got in the top 10! Modern hardware is fast and powerful and amazing to work with for creating games - we should definitely embrace it, but at the same time remember what makes a great game in the first place.
Issue #09, May 2016 Page 7
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 8 They Were Our Gods By Paul Morrison
the company be publishing games again (check out http:// www.hewsonconsultants.com for all the info there!), but Andrew Hewson has dug out his typewriter (not really) and author’s cap once more and written a book about the rise For those of us who grew up in and fall of Hewson the era of the rise of the 8- Consultants. W i t h a bits, the names of the reverential nod to his early Andrew Hewson, founder of industry’s protagonists still works, it’s called Hints & Tips one of our favourite 8 bit bring smiles to our faces and for Videogame Pioneers, and developers, only now fully warm feelings to our gooey it’s available now. I collared appreciating the legacy his insides with every Andrew and his son Rob to talk company left behind in the m e n t i o n . Programmers, about the book. musicians, artists, reviewers era of the 8 bit micros. and software houses all made a huge impact on us, so much so PM: I’d had an idea for a book that we’ll remember their names a b o u t B r i t i s h g a m e s “I was surprised until the end of time. personalities for a lot of years, then seeing the and humbled by When it comes to the software Kickstarter for From Bedrooms houses, those seemingly-giant how much to Billions convinced me it was entities who actually put the the right time to start it. Was enthusiasm the games into our hands, again, that the catalyst for this book there are a number of names community had or was there something else whose very mention will elicit behind the idea to write it? for what we did a warm feeling and a smile. One of the most revered Rob: I think it was actually all those years of those was not the biggest, the Sensible Software book from ago. I found but in terms of quality Read Only Memory that gave us releases, it was arguably the the idea. We got in touch and that quite best. Hewson Consultants had a met with them in our local pub. remarkable.“ track record second-to-none, They were very friendly and releasing smash hit after smash professional and we had a good hit and, perhaps even more discussion over a nice pub impressively, they were all lunch. They were interested in original titles… there was no doing a book with us but in the reliance on hype or licencing end I think their schedule was at all. filled up with other projects, so we decided to go ahead All good things from that era ourselves. The filming for From had to come to an end though, Bedrooms to Billions happened and eventually Hewson after we were under way with Consultants disappeared from our plans I believe, but it our retail outlets. However, certainly reinforced our belief proving that all old in what we were doing. videogamers have at least three A familiar frog? lives, the Hewson Consultants name is back. Not only will
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 9
PM: Andrew, you were renowned as an Andrew: As I explain in the book, I don’t author already, albeit of more technical fully understand how and why we stood out books than this one. How difficult was it as a mark of quality. Of course we sought to pick up where you left off all those to produce quality products, but who years ago? wouldn’t? I think coming from a technical background helped me to appreciate and Andrew: Much more difficult than I thought respect the programmers we worked with, it was going to be. Partly because it is and you get the impression from some of difficult to recall events from thirty the contributors that this did convince years ago, at least with accuracy, and I talented people to sign with us instead of got caught out by Rob checking facts others on occasion. Once we had great against online records more than once. I programmers creating great games for us, also found it difficult to plunge back having been very selective, we attracted into some of the more difficult memories more top talent and created a virtuous because I had moved on with my life and cycle. didn’t enjoy revisiting past mistakes. It took a lot of perseverance, and of course I had a health scare in the middle of it, PM: Rob, what was it like having all but we brought it all together in the end these amazing programmers wandering and I am delighted that people seem to be around, dropping off their fantastic new enjoying the book. games? Were you old enough to appreciate (PM: Note - Reset magazine passed on our it, or can you remember when you began to well-wishes, and happily Andrew is doing appreciate it? very well now) Rob: I’m not sure the programmers were around all that much. I know they came to visit dad at work but I don’t think I PM: Andrew, was there anything you got would have met them very often. I remember out of writing this book that came as a my sister and I used to go into the Hewson surprise to you? What was the most office at Milton Park to climb amongst the interesting part of writing it, for you? cassettes in the warehouse and pick out Andrew: Yes, a few things. Firstly, I was the games we wanted to take home. I surprised and humbled by how much remember learning how to spell my surname enthusiasm the community had for what we from the Uridium loading screen and I have did all those years ago. I found that particularly fond memories of visiting quite remarkable. Secondly, I found it various shows and exhibitions where we something of a relief to discover during helped to hand out posters and those funny our research that our failures were not cardboard spiral hats. entirely of my own making, because I had not fully appreciated the impact of market forces outside of my control. Finally, I PM: Andrew, to your recollection, did you found it very pleasing to see that the ever turn down the chance to publish a contributions from many of the programmers game that went on to do well somewhere we worked with were complimentary about else? If so, can you remember what it was what we did and reinforced my own or what they were? Or was your hit radar impressions of what had gone on at the pretty well tuned-in? time. Andrew: At its peak we were probably receiving 5-10 games per day and, to be completely honest, most of them were not PM: Andrew, for us kids, Hewson very good. Occasionally a real gem would Consultants was, as Julian Rignall says in appear and we would spring into action, the book, synonymous with quality. Did you signing their creators. That’s how some of feel any responsibility towards the kids the early greats like Mike Male and Steve spending their money when releasing games? Turner came to work with us. So we Or was it more a case of wanting the games certainly turned down a lot of games, far you released to meet your own personal more than we signed up, and I’ve no doubt standards? that some of them went on to be published
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 10 by other companies. I don’t recall any have a huge soft spot for Gribbly’s Day specific examples and I don’t remember any Out because it was so fantastically where I thought we’d missed an original and off the wall. opportunity, so I think we did have a pretty good hit radar. Or perhaps more accurately, we turned down a bigger Rob: It’s really difficult to choose, proportion of the games we received than because there are so many great memories some others did, after all we were a small from my childhood for all sorts of company so we only had time for the very different reasons. If I had to pick one to best titles. show to friends and colleagues who have never played a Hewson game before then I’d
probably go with Nebulus. Or maybe PM: Conversely, were there any games that Uridium. No definitely Nebulus. you regretted publishing or wish you hadn’t? If so what, and why? PM: Which Hewson game do you think would Andrew: You have to accept that a certain benefit most from a 21st Century update? proportion of the games you produce will What would you like to see from that not do as well as you had hoped, but I update? think regret would be a strong word. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you are Andrew: I’m not keen on revisiting the not so lucky and the rest of the time past because those games were of their things work out pretty much as you had time and we should be looking to the planned. That is how life is. future. That is what we always did in those days.
Rob: I think we can take inspiration from PM: This is for a Commodore 64 magazine the past, as Jonathan Port has done, and but Hewson Consultants published games on use that inspiration to create something numerous platforms. Which of the 8-bit new. Hyper Sentinel recaptures some of computers was your personal favourite and that 8-bit magic but when you play it you why? Be honest, we won’t hold it against realise it has its own distinct you if it isn’t the C64! personality. If it had just been a clone Andrew: My heart says the ZX Spectrum but or a remake we would not have been my head says the Commodore 64. I cut my interested, to be honest, but taking the teeth programming on the ZX80 and the ZX81 style and soul of classic games and doing and our first breakthrough games were on something new with it – now that is pretty the Spectrum. However, the Commodore 64 cool. was a superior machine from a technical perspective and had great market share, so we did extremely well on the C64 with PM: Andrew, Hewson Consultants’ games are titles like Uridium, Paradroid and still played, loved and talked about by Nebulus. many gamers today. How does it feel to know that your company gave so much long- Rob: For me it is the Commodore 64 because lasting enjoyment to its consumers? that is what we had at home when I was growing up. Andrew: Surprising and delightful. We would never have dreamed at the time that
people would still be playing and talking PM: This is for both of you... which is about our games in 2016. As I say in the your favourite Hewson-released game and book, I think it is testament to just how why? exciting those early days were.
Andrew: A few spring to mind. Avalon was the first really original game we PM: Andrew, what would you say was Hewson published and probably the only Hewson Consultants' greatest achievement? game I’ve personally completed from start Succeeding and standing alongside the to finish. I became quite addicted to giant companies of the time, or uncovering Dilithium Lift in the early days and I
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 11 talent and setting them on their career which simply catalogued the history of paths? Or maybe something else? what we did. I wanted to write a book which would appeal to anybody interested Andrew: Certainly there are many stories in how a completely new industry can of the programmers we worked with going on emerge and what it is like to be a part of to great things, both within the games a pioneering technology-driven medium. I industry and elsewhere, but I think our hope people will find that story greatest achievement is the fact that fascinating whether they are familiar with people still cherish what we did today. the games or not. For some people, we were producing the defining entertainment of their childhood, Rob: In terms of where you can get it, something I have only recently come to head to www.hewsonconsultants.com/shop and fully appreciate after working on the you get a 10% discount on the paperback book. compared to Amazon or you can get the Special Edition Hardback which is
exclusively available from the website. Or PM: It was recently announced that Hewson the Kindle version if you prefer digital! Consultants was to return to games publishing? What prompted this decision? That’s your behind the scenes look into Rob: I’ve held two ambitions since a very the definitive Hewson Consultants book, young age. One was to become a games Hints & Tips for Videogame Pioneers, and designer, which I’ve been very fortunate some nice insight into how it came about live out over the last decade or so, and and the rebirth of Hewson Consultants. If the other has been to start my own company you think I didn’t ask that much about one day. The response we received from the Hewson Consultants and its games, there’s book and the enthusiasm of the retro a reason for that… you can read all that community was enough to convince us that stuff in the book. Get yourself over to there was an opportunity. That community the Hewson Consultants website and pick up has been so wonderful, so we wanted to your copy now! keep working with them to deliver things that they are passionate about, and hopefully to spread that passion out to an even broader audience.
PM: What can you tell us about Hewson Consultants’ return to games publishing? What can readers expect from this? Where can we find out more or keep updated with developments?
Rob: Hyper Sentinel has provided focus for us. Our ambition is to become THE retro games label – by which we mean taking the spirit of classic games and providing brand new, innovative experiences within that cherished style.
PM: Obviously this book appeals to a Every single one of these games is a classic! certain niche, namely those who played the games in the 80s. Can you tell readers why anyone not familiar with the Hewson Visit Paul Morrison’s website, Consultants catalogue should read this too? They Were Our Gods! - A Celebration of British Computer Gaming in the 80’s Andrew: I was adamant from the beginning that I did not want to produce a book http://theywereourgods.com/
Issue #08, January 2016 Page 12
Visit Paul Morrison’s website,
They Were Our Gods! - A Celebration of British Computer Gaming in the 80’s
http://theywereourgods.com/
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 13 Reset Mix-i-Disk
The Mix-i-disk is Reset’s very own cover Spaceman Splorf: Planet of Doom V1.1 disk, which is available as a free 2016 Pond Software download or as an optional physical disk We are proud to present you this charming for subscribers of the Reset Special one button game from our good friends at Edition. Pond Software. Guide Splorf, Space Corp http://cloud.cbm8bit.com/resetc64/reset09_mixidisk.d64 Sanitation Engineer 5th Class, through the asteroid field, on his way to saving Space Reset #09 Intro Corp’s interests from space pirates and 2016 Reset fierce competitors! Full instructions can Our great friends Dr. J and Shine have be found at: http://pondsoft.uk/ once again teamed up to deliver us the splorf.html aural and visual feast that is the Reset #09 intro. We love you, fellas!
Tiger Claw Hover Raider 2014 Lazycow 2016 The New Dimension Here we have the original 16kb release of Richard Bayliss is back, taking a 27 year Tiger Claw, as entered into the 2014 RGCD old (!!) Alf Yngve SEUCK classic and compo and earning a very respectable 2nd giving it the full REDUX treatment. place. The Reset #09 Special Edition comes Featuring animated backgrounds, new with a free printed map to use, courtesy soundtrack, enhanced front end, of Vinny Mainolfi. Might be a good idea to directional firing and new score panel get it out now! If you like the game, the graphics, Hover Raider is one extreme enhanced edition (with plenty of in game shooter! Included are easy and difficult extras) is available now from the RGCD editions of the game. itch.io page: https://rgcddev.itch.io/
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 14 News
Mastertronic Kickstarted 2+ w i l l r e t a i n t h e functionality of it’s predecessor while upgrading various features, such as the inclusion of an integrated speaker, external power supply connector and a bigger and faster FPGA. A gremlin kept news of the A Gremlin in the Works book Gideon estimates that the new release out of this issue of board will be shipping towards Reset. You should check it out! the end of August. More information can be found at http://www.bitmapbooks.co.uk/ The Mastertronic Archives by the 1541Ultimate website. collections/all/products/a-gremlin-in- player1books (operated by the-works Reset friend and contributor, http://www.1541ultimate.net/ Anthony Olver) has recently Check This Out! been funded, with the campaign now moving across to Supremacy/Overlord Megafounder for further pre- C64 remix by orders. The book comes as a 265 page Standard Edition or a LukHash. 512 page Collector’s Edition, https://www.youtube.com/ chronicling the history and watch?v=3JQkW6BgUYU releases of Mastertronic, who specialised in budget game —— releases during the C64’s commercial era. Rob Plays ‘Dino Eggs’ on the C64. The Mastertronic Archives is available to pre-order at the https://www.youtube.com/ Megafounder page, with perks watch?v=ijRzFuMQL5k and stretch goals still attainable. https://www.megafounder.com/the- Ludicrous Speed C64 Modem! mastertronic-archives Leif Bloomquist has finished production of the second batch of his Commodore Wi-Fi modems and they are now ready for purchase.
The modem is a flexible and “straightforward wireless solution for your Commodore, with optional expandability for standalone use or as a platform for interfacing with the outside world.” The Ultimate Ultimate! The original Dino Eggs is one The modem comes complete with of our editor’s favourite Gideon has announced the a built in OLED screen. It games. He swears by it (and successor to the hugely retails for US$150, plus US$20 at it too). successful 1541 Ultimate 2 for the USB programmer and cartridge. The 1541 Ultimate US$10 shipping (flat rate
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 15 world-wide). It can be purchased directly from Leif’s webpage. https://jammingsignal.com/commodore-wi-fi- modem/
We are limiting this competition to 4k. Yes, any entry submitted can be no more than 4k when compressed.
We want craptastic game entries. By crap, Achoo, Bless You! we mean a bit wacky, far out, bonkers, Dino Eggs: Rebirth, David H Schroeder’s silly! The competition is a less serious remake and expansion of his classic Apple game coding compo where we encourage off II/C64 game Dino Eggs, has been recently the wall, wacky ideas and a bit of fun! released on Steam after a Greenlight Entries can be excellent, great but silly, campaign. The game features all of the awful yet funny. It’s up to you! classic original levels and 40 new levels, IMPORTANT: Please register your as well as a host of new features participation at [email protected] including co-op multiplayer, global leader Submit your entries to RESET by 1st boards, Steam cloud saves, Steam October, 2016. achievements and many new gameplay features. Thank-you to the following for sponsoring prizes: A puzzle/platform game at heart, according to David, Rebirth has “been a very special Retro Computer Scene - labour of love - reviving my 33-year-old http://cbm8bit.com/ game DINO EGGS. Based on the email I've Protovision - gotten over the years, most folks played http://www.protovision-online.com/ the original DINO EGGS on the C64. A high percentage also seem to come from Europe.” Bitmap Books - http://www.bitmapbooks.co.uk/ Dino Eggs: Rebirth is available now direct from David’s webpage and from Steam. And of course, there will be Reset physical issue prizes for the top three http://www.dinoeggsrebirth.com/ voted entries as well! A full brief of the competition and rules can be downloaded And now, some CRAPtastic News! from compo’s CSDB page: http://csdb.dk/event/?id=2483 We’re excited to announce the very first Reset C64 4kb Game Coding Competition. This year’s competition theme is… CRAPtastic!
It's been several years since the last Crap Game Competition and it's long For the latest, up to date, C64 related overdue that we had another. So, RESET are news, please visit our friends at here to re-stoke that crappy fire and Commodore is Awesome. announce a new Crap Game Competition! HURRAH! http://commodore.ninja/cia/
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 16 Games Scene News
Games Scene News released in July - on tape, awaited arcade game Pan- budget disk and Premium+ Dimensional Conga Combat on disk. itch.io and Game Jolt, preceding a Greenlight Two existing Psytronik campaign on Steam. It really releases will be available is a fantastic game, so give Psytronik has been having a in July in the new Premium+ it a go if you are into PC fantastic year so far, with disk packaging - Rocket indie gaming. Honey Bee, Eye of the Gods Smash EX and Darkness will and Hessian all being both be available as On the C64, the RGCD 16kb released in the last few Premium+ disk releases and Cartridge Game Development months. Hessian has also will feature the inlay Compo has been wrapped up been released as a special artwork adapted for new for another year with Ultimate Edition, which Premium+ disk cases along results yet to be announced. means the game comes boxed with the instructions A complete round up of the with all sorts of goodies. printed inside in full competition can be found in Reviews of those games, and colour. this issue. more information can be Psytronik are pleased to found in this edition of announce that all future Reset. tape releases will be presented in improved super- gloss thicker card tape inlays with the instructions printed inside in full colour. So far they have been used for Honey Bee, Eye of the Gods, a limited re- release of The Wild Bunch and Barnsley Badger. New tape inlays for existing releases are also planned to make the tape releases look better than ever. Due to the extra costs involved in getting the inlays The Kickstarter cartridge Psytronik also has another professionally printed, it version of Tiger Claw was FOUR releases lined for July will mean a slight increase sent out those who ordered 2016. The first of which in price of £1.00 for the the game via the C64 in will be the long awaited tape releases with the new Pixels Kickstarter campaign. Maze of the Mummy. The game inlays - but it's definitely If you missed the was delayed due to problems worth the extra quid as the Kickstarter, you have missed converting it onto tape. In new inlays look amazing! your chance to own the game the end, the developers http://www.psytronik.net/ on cartridge, however, RGCD decided to drop the has released the game as a troublesome tape version and digital download on their go with a disk -only itch.io site, as well as release. Maze of the Mummy making it available in a will be released by special bundle with some Psytronik as a budget disk Tiger Claw posters, and Premium+ disk. featuring that stunning James of RGCD has kept busy artwork! The fantastic platformer by releasing the long Barnsley Badger will also be Future releases for RGCD
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 17
include the cartridge utilising the cartridge through the week by edition of Caren and the format along with disk. completing tasks on each Tangled Tentacles, which was Exciting news indeed! screen. sold as a perk via the C64 http://www.protovision- Commpendium Vol. 2 online.com Kickstarter, as well as the long awaited cartridge edition of Jam It, and Moonspire. http://www.rgcd.co.uk/
Achim Volkers is returning Things have appeared to be a to the C64 for coding little bit quiet for duties, while the Protovision, but behind the wonderfully active Saul scenes they couldn’t be any Cross is providing the busier. Having secured the soundtrack. My Life will be rights to distribute what is — published by Psytronik. No probably the most release date has been given, Australian based coder, John anticipated game of the although the game is said to Darnell, is developing a new ye a r, Sam’s Journey , be progressing very well. C64 game called Sleepwalker. Protovision has also been Well known for his previous http://www.psytronik.net/ busy producing re-prints for C64 hits, including, Kane, newsite/index.php/c64/75-mylife some of their past releases, Kane 2, Star Paws and including Metal Dust, — Dragon’s Lair, Sleepwalker Advanced Space Battle, Bomb is a game that John actually Mania, It’s Magic 2, Team started but never finished Patrol and some others. over 30 years ago! After losing the original source code and assets, the game has been completely reprogrammed from scratch and, according to John, is progressing very well. Yoomp64 is an ambitious M o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o n conversion of the original Sleepwalker can be found at Atari 8 bit game, which was Games That Weren’t. John is first released in 2007. The Sam’s Journey remains in also maintaining a objective is to guide a active development over at development blog for the bouncing ball to safety Knights of Bytes. The game game. through a series of textured will be presented in a http://www.newsleepwalker.com/ tunnels, with plenty of professionally printed different in-game items and cardboard box (oldschool — traps to negotiate. The gane style), packaged with is also known for its My Life is the latest various bonus goodies. The thumping soundtrack. project from C64 champion game will be available on Trevor Storey. Billed as the According to the coder, the cartridge and disk. JTR/ spiritual successor to the game is near completion and Protovision also informs us Konami arcade game Mikie, its release is imminent. A that they plan to switch the game features 20 screens YouTube video of the game in over future new releases to of arcade mayhem, with the action has been posted. professionally printed objective being to help poor cardboard boxes, as well as old has been Eugene make it https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=IfhjFsICBTg
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 18 Coming Soon!
Game Developer Publisher/Comment
Akalabeth: World of Doom (Ultima 0) Atlantis ?
Armalyte II Cyberdyne Systems ?
Bear Graham Axten Pond Software
Bomb Jack DX Retrofan/Endurion ?
Caren and the Tangled Tentacles Extended * PriorArt RGCD
Catnipped Smila/Endurion Psytronik
CBM Asteroids Commocore Commocore
Crimson Twilight Arkanix Labs TBA
Faster Than Light Faque ?
Gunfright Rod & Emu ?
Humpy Roy Fielding Pond Software
Hyperion Smila/Endurion Psytronik
Immensity Dév Protovision
Jam It (Cartridge Edition) * Throwback Games RGCD
Knight ‘n Grail 3 Mikael Tilander ?
LuftrauserZ Paul Koller ?
Magot Warlock Entertainment ?
Maze of the Mummy * Magic Cap Psytronik
Moonspire * Victory RGCD
My Life Smila, Achim Psytronik
Outrage Cosmos Designs/? Protovision
Pac-It Protovision Protovision
Pharaoh’s Return Lazycow ?
Platman (Physical Release) Wanax Psytronik
Pushover Magic Cap ?
Rocky Memphis Wanax Freeware
Sam’s Journey Knights of Bytes Knights of Bytes
Splorf Strikes Back ? Pond Software
SEUDS 4 Alf Yngve Psytronik
Sleepwalker John Darnell ?
Ultimate Newcomer CID Protovision
Wonderland Endurion Psytronik
Yoomp 64 * zbychZR ?
* Release imminent
Every effort has been made to make this list as accurate as possible. Please support the developers and publishers by sending them messages of support and buying their games when released.
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 19 High Scoring Heroes! http://cbm8bit.com/highscores/
Cyberdyne Warrior Iridis Alpha Sunburst 1989 Hewson 1986 Hewson 1988 Rack-It
#1 - uridimine (11735) #1 - uridimine (100930) #1 - uridimine (15875)
#2 - NA #2 - mitchfrenzal (94250) #2 - NA
#3 - NA #3 - NA #3 - NA
Nebulus 1987 Hewson
#1 - kernzy (109890)
#2 - gameznut (59640)
#3 - endurion (28880)
Zamzara Exolon 1988 Rack-It 1987 Hewson #1 - gameznut (1362965) #1 - macc (124050) #2 - uridimine (945615) #2 - NA #3 - el_pasi (306290) #3 - NA
Uridium 1986 Hewson #1 - uridimine (108685)
#2 - mitchfrenzal (73795)
#3 - el_pasi (57115)
Insects in Space Cybernoid 2 1988 Hewson 1989 Hewson #1 - uridimine (45270) #1 - dink (25260) #2 - NA #2 - el_pasi (14250) #3 - NA #3 - NA
Anarchy 1987 Rack-It Post your high scores at http://cbm8bit.com/highscores/ #1 - uridimine (196344) for possible inclusion in the next issue of Reset to #2 - hellfire64 (90393) be a High Scoring Hero. #3 - NA And remember, no cheating!
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 20 RGCD 16kb Compo By Rob Caporetto
The 2015 RGCD compo deadline came and went at midnight, March 31st 2016 and a total of 11 entries were submitted. The quantity may be down from previous years, but the quality of entries is nothing but outstanding and the games difficult to separate. Some familiar names returned to try again and a whole bunch of new individuals and teams competed for the first time. Rob Caporetto loads up his 1541 Ultimate and gives us the low-down on how the compo shaped up.
Game: Alienator new levels, along with new Author: Georg Rottensteiner music and graphics. Take (Endurion) control of two paddles and Musician: Hugo Hoekstra blap the ball to bash the bricks and move onto the next Comment: It might look like stage. Like other brick Space Invaders, but Georg’s “I absolutely breakers, enemies will wander take on the formula offers so around the playfield, and love what this much more, as you blast the power- u ps can a lso b e Vogons across 99 Waves of collected. A different enough competition retro-mayhem. Along the way, twist on the formula makes you’ll encounter boss waves, brings to the this a fun one to check out! and pickup power-ups expanding C64 community your craft’s abilities. Simple hi-res sprites keep the pure in terms of nature of its inspiration, and some rocking SID tunes add up new games.” to one frantic entry!
***
Game: Bug Hunt Author: Eric Hilaire (Majikeyric) *** Musicians: NEO, Yogibear
Comment: A rather simple game This is the fifth 16kb compo Game: Blap N Bash Revisited here, as you control your that RGCD has hosted. We love Developer: The New Dimension little green creature and eat them for it! Author/Musician: Richard the blue and brown bugs flying Bayliss about the screen, whilst avoiding the yellow ones. The Comment: A tweaked edition of challenge comes from having to TND’s 2015 release offering 16 deftly dodge the patterns of
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 21
bugs to collect as many as you can in a of the stages to locate each of the blue single combo. Charming game and lots of pods, and return them to his home. Along fun as well. the way, you need to dispatch the enemies which get in the way by spitting (yes, spitting) on them, but to be able to do this, Pickle needs to find a pool of water. A different take, but one that’s charming in its own right.
***
Game: Icicle Race Author: John Christian Lønningdal Musician: Saul Cross ***
Comment: A port of the follow-up to Solomon’s Key (Fire and Ice), in this one Game: Platman you’re tasked with putting out fires Author: Andrea Schincaglia (Wanax) across the large number of levels. In the Musician: Saul Cross more complex levels you’ll also need to build (or destroy) ice blocks to get to Comment: A port of an Amiga PD title, various areas. Platman has you bouncing through a number of levels, collecting keys, dodging ghosts and unlocking doors to make progress. There’s lots of fruit pieces to collect for points, and plenty of tricky obstacles in your way.
***
Game: Pickle’s Pod Patrol Author: Steve Ody (CSixx) Musician: Saul Cross *** Comment: Another puzzle-platformer, in this one you must guide Pickle across each
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Game: Qwak Game: Slime Deluxe Author: Daniel Hotop (Oziphantom) Author: Mike Johnson (Mr. NOP) Musician: Saul Cross Musicians: NM156, Richard Bayliss
Comment: Another Amiga conversion, but Comment: Coming from the humble PET), this time of Team 17’s fondly remembered Slime Deluxe is a zapper in which you need puzzle platformer. Guide Qwak through each to clear the slime out of each stage. It level collecting all of the keys to unlock might sound simple enough, but if left too the door to the exit, whilst dodging the long, they’ll grow and attack! One neat other enemies and collecting the other feature is the ability to spin about and goodies for points, or the flowers for shoot from the four cardinal directions. A extra lives. frantic zapper in that old-school way.
*** ***
Game: Ring on a String Game: Terra.Heaven.Eternity.Arctic. Author/Musician: P-a Bäckström (ruk) (T.H.E.A.) Author: Simon Quernhorst (Goat) Comment: Inspired by a mobile phone game, Musician: Richard Bayliss in this you are given the simple task of keeping the oscillating ring moving along Comment: Originally written for his young the string as long as possible. You daughter, T.H.E.A. is a game about accomplish this by giving a nudge with the recovering a pony’s accessories. This is Space Bar, timing it so the edges don’t done by exploring the four themed mazes, touch. A straight-forward test of and getting to end without touching the reaction, but you’ll be engrossed trying walls (which sends you back to the start). to keep that ring going as long as It may not be as complex as the other possible. games here, but it’s a good introductory one for young kids.
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Game: Vortex Crystals As for the top 3? Slime Deluxe with its Developer: The New Dimension fast old-school action, and unique twist Author/Musician: Richard Bayliss on the Centipede/Matrix formula sits in number 3. For number 2, it’s Platman, with Comment: TND’s second entry for the compo it’s large levels, lots of challenge, and is a single-screen action-platformer. Go crafty hi-res graphics. through each level, collect the crystals, then blast out one of the roaming enemies Overall, my top pick for the compo has got to get the key to unlock the exit. A tough to go to Icicle Race. Whilst I’ve not challenge, with respawning enemies, played the source game all that much, this limited time, and most importantly - one really suckered me in with the limited ammo. challenge, solid level design and overall presentation.
Rob’s Top 3 1. Icicle Race 2. Platman 3. Slime Deluxe
***
Our Thoughts
Rob
I’m sure I’ve said it before (in last year’s roundup), but I’ll say it again - I absolutely love what this competition brings to the C64 community in terms of new games. The hardware limitations, combined with the 16k size restriction has Ant given us plenty of classics over the last few years. Whilst there’s fewer entries What an amazing selection of homebrew submitted compared to 2014, the overall games for this year’s RGCD 16KB cartridge quality of the entries has not diminished comp! As always, huge kudos to everyone - there’s quite a good number of great who takes the time to craft an entry. I ideas and adaptations for us all to play. wish I had space to cover all eleven games. Out of them all, the ones which came closest to being in my top 3 would have to Let’s look at my chosen stand-outs, in no be Alienator, with it’s challenging, particular order. unique take on the Space Invaders formula, Icicle Race is a really cool (haha!) block along with some cracking SID tunes to -sliding puzzle game like a side-on Pengo round up an almost-not-submitted entry. I meets Sokoban. And what a lovely main also have to shout out Qwak, for being a sprite and great level-select screen. great conversion of the classic Amiga/BBC Micro game, with it’s unique take on Ball N Bash is a neat take on Breakout puzzle platforming action. It’s converted cross-bred with Minter’s Hellgate. There very nicely, and does it more than are some great power-ups here. Oh, and justice.
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fantastic Bayliss tunes! Good fun let down When it comes to spit and polish, arcade by some questionable bat and ball physics. platformer Platman by Wanax and puzzler Icicle Race by JCL come up trumps. Both of Alienator, a procedural Space Invaders them are beautifully presented, featuring clone with power-ups and bosses, may be well-crafted graphics and catchy jingles the best version of Space Invaders I’ve by the wonderful Saul Cross. They are both ever played. I couldn’t put it down. I clear candidates for future enhanced wish it was clearer what the power-ups did physical releases at RGCD/Psytronik, but though (some seem cool, like swapping out are they my actual favourites? alien types). Thumping good tune! There are probably another five or six Pickle’s Pod Patrol may win Most Adorable games that are very hard to separate, Game. I adored those sprites. Uplifting which is a true testament to the overall music. Unfortunately the platforming is a quality of the entries and competition. little too frustrating in this one. Endurion’s take on Space Invaders, Oooh! I loved Bug Hunt! A very cute and Alienator, was almost entered as an clever take on games like Oil’s Well and afterthought but the stunning soundtrack Aardvark. Gorgeous, jovial fun. Yes! More and nostalgic gameplay make it a please and mind the wasps. favourite. TND’s Vortex Crystals impresses with its Alf Yngve graphics and fun Platman! A Pac-Man platformer! Why not? platforming gameplay, but is slightly let This is really good as you gobble food to down by some gameplay issues. Yet, I’ve get keys. Lovely art style here and some found myself coming back to it perhaps fast-paced music. more than any of the other games. Other fun entries include the Bubble Bobble
inspired QWAK, the cutesy insect 'em up Ant’s Top 3 Bug Hunt and the increasingly manic 1. Alienator shooter Slime Deluxe. 2. Bug Hunt And then there’s… darn it, what’s a 3. Icicle Race reviewer to do? It’s been another great contest and I offer a big pat on the back and a huge amount of respect to the competitors and organisers.
Unkle K’s Top 3 1. Platman 2. Icicle Race 3. Slime Deluxe
Unkle K
This is the third RGCD compo that I’ve commented on in Reset, and it’s by far the most difficult! For me, coming up with a clear top 3 is very hard as most of the games are very even in production values and offer similar pick up and play experiences.
Issue #08, January 2016 Page 25
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 26 Reset Reloaded - July ‘86 By Martin Grundy
Despite the arrival of summer more PC-like than previous there was precious little machines. Inside things would sunshine coming from Commodore be pretty much the same - apart HQ in July 1986. The company from a few minor revisions - published losses of £25 million and game-wise it would be 100% for the second quarter of the compatible with existing C64 year and a further seventy titles. This was excellent redundancies were made at its news as the summer of 1986 was troubled Corby plant. a brilliant time for C64 gamers. Hopes that the Amiga would reverse its fortunes seem slim The big hit of the summer as Commodore confirmed that it season was the wonderful Leader would carry an eye watering Board from Access, makers of £1700 UK price tag, placing it the Beach Head games and Raid way beyond the reach of the man Over Moscow. Leader Board Zzap!64 #15 was one of Ollie in the street. Commodore were achieved the virtually Frey’s most provocative determined to sell the Amiga to impossible. It made 18 holes covers. I bet you never businesses but it was a tough of golf tons of fun. Its showed your mum! market to break into with IBM incredible attention to detail, dominating and AMSTRAD entering superb animation and the arena with a machine priced outstanding gameplay made it a at a much more appealing £500. massive success and it was “Considering the By July 1986, according to the rightly awarded a Zzap!64 Gold Guardian newspaper, only 50,000 Medal with a whopping overall unprecedented Amigas had been sold worldwide score of 97%. Other gaming worldwide success - despite Commodore’s lavish gems published in July included $40 million launch and enormous John Twiddy’s superbly of the C64 it development costs. With such atmospheric Tau Ceti, Imagine’s seemed gigantic costs, Amiga sales excellent arcade conversion of were going to have to smash Green Beret and the fun space- unbelievable that world records just for set Boulderdash III. US Gold Commodore was in Commodore to break even. brought out the splendid Infiltrator and Durrell Fortunately, the good old C64 such dire released Saboteur which, was still selling like hot although it was exactly the straits.” cakes and Commodore announced same as the Speccy version, was that its new improved model - still a very good game. July the 64C - would soon be also saw the release of some available. In the US it was fantastic budget titles. being bundled with something Pinball game Slamball, shoot called GEOS – a revolutionary 'em up Sentinel and sports sim disk based operating system – Go For the Gold (aka HES Games) which, according to Commodore, all earned Zzap!64! Sizzlers as would make the C64 more like did Shaun Southern’s brilliant the Amiga or an Apple Mac. The two player classic Kikstart 2 64C was also going to be which put many full price influenced by the aesthetics of titles to shame. Leader Board Golf earned US the Amiga, as well as the C128. Gold a Zzap!64 Gold Medal The old fudge coloured breadbin Yet July 86 wasn’t all about award. The next game in the was to be replaced by a slim great games; there were plenty series added trees, yet line cream case and keyboard of stinkers too. Sam Fox Strip scored less. Hmm! which would look slicker and Poker, World Cup Carnival and
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 27
Ninja Master were possibly three of the Commodore User and a similar 34% in Zzap! worst games ever released for our beloved 64! breadbin. Sam Fox Strip Poker scored just The July ’86 UK charts were dominated by 16% in Zzap!64! and it was so bad that, pop superstar Madonna with ‘Papa Don’t rather than put their real names in the Preach’ and nerdy English tunesmiths The credits, the coders hid their shame behind Housemartins with ‘Happy Hour’. ‘My pseudonyms. Musician Rob Hubbard went by Favourite Waste of Time’ was also a big the inconspicuous name of John York. summer hit for Scottish newcomer Owen World Cup Carnival Paul. However, unlike Madonna and The was a hideous re- Housemartins, Paul unfortunately never had release of Arctic another successful record and disappeared Software’s ancient into obscurity by the end of the year. W o r l d C u p . On the 23rd July 1986, an estimated Published in a worldwide TV audience of 500 million hurry to cash in people saw Prince Andrew and Sarah on the Mexico 86 Ferguson get married at Westminster Abbey. World Cup football tournament, the Amongst the solemnity of the occasion, presentation was brilliant – you got a there was a brief moment of mirth during Mexico 86 wallchart, stickers and even a the vows when Sarah Ferguson got the name sow on badge - but the game itself was of her husband-to-be wrong! Not a great shockingly bad. According to Chris start to Andrew and Fergie’s wedded life… Wilkins’s recent US Gold book, the Birmingham based software giant got their Also in July 1986, Frank Bruno faced Tim hands on the World Cup license so late Witherspoon at Wembley Stadium in a bid to that it was impossible to get a decent win the boxing World Heavyweight game made in time for the tournament. Championship title. Things were going Their solution was to buy World Cup from pretty well for the British boxer until Arctic and release it under a different the ninth round when an awkwardly landed name with lots of goodies in a pathetic punch caused Bruno to break a wrist and he attempt to make up for the terrible game was unable to continue. Poor Frank may and its scandalous £10.95 price tag. not have managed to get his gloves on the heavy weight crown in ‘86 but at least he The third title in this trio of terror, got his own computer game thanks to Firebird’s Ninja Master, wasn’t a license Airwolf coder Neil A Bate and ‘kings of and wasn’t full price but it was most the licence games’ Elite software. I’m certainly awful. In fact, it was so bad sure that more than made up for it. that it scored 0/10 in Commodore User. Reviewer Ken McMahon said, “Quite simply, So on reflection July 1986 was something it is the biggest load of rubbish it's of a contradiction. It saw the release of ever been my misfortune to load up. I feel some of the C64’s greatest games and some guilty about feeding it to my poor old of its most forgettable. Commodore 64.” Ken wasn’t happy. He finished his International continued to lose millions review with, “Some of the games in the of dollars (nothing new there) even though Firebird Silver range are quite good. This it held in its hands the biggest selling isn't one of them. Don't buy it.” Ouch! computer of all time - the C64 - and the future of gaming in the shape of the Amiga The big summer movies of July 1986 were (which it was trying to sell as a business James Cameron’s Aliens, Kurt Russell film machine). D’oh! Big Trouble in Little China and the kids’ sci-fi flick The Flight of the Navigator. July 1986 was the midpoint in what was Two of these – Aliens and Big Trouble in arguably the C64’s greatest year. The Little China – would be made into computer computer was selling in its millions, the games with Aliens being treated to two games scene was better than ever and the games – one by Activision and another from Amiga was just a speck on the horizon. In Electric Dreams. Both Aliens games were the words of one hit wonder Owen Paul - pretty good but Big Trouble was another for millions across the world - the C64 tie-in turkey earning just 3/10 from continued to be our favourite waste of time.
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 28 Blast From the Past By Alex Boz
There were a number of big name publishers back in the day that had multiple chart toppers with an equal share of stinkers on the Commodore 64. The exception to this rule was Hewson Consultants (or simply Hewson as we affectionately called them). With absolute classics like Uridium, Paradroid, Ranarama, Cybernoid (this list could get quite exhaustive, such was their pedigree), Hewson was always going to leave a delectable and an ever lasting legacy on the C64. Their games had an undeniable quality to them which is probably why they are still spoken of so fondly even to this day, which is testament to the top notch software they pumped out for the 8-bit Commodore behemoth.
With a ton of games to choose from, our favourite Hewson title was the 1987 hit, Nebulus! We were suckers for brain teasing platform games, and Nebulus provided a mind bending experience in spades. The central character, Pogo was so damn cute and yet so very deadly – once we took control of him, we were addicted. Moving Pogo and jumping over obstacles to try and get to the top of each tower, felt as natural as breathing. I remember the first time I saw the tower spin as Pogo walked left and then right, I was all wide-eyed with mouth open as if I was swallowing flies! This innovation was refreshing and executed inch perfect, which only Hewson could pull off. Before we go all gaga, we realise that our Reset friends are eagerly awaiting to share their love for Hewson games. Enjoy the ride!
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Cameron Davis: play it, and takes me back to being 10 years old again. From what I recall, I Few people would put Hewson’s Eliminator received the game as a gift (can’t recall in their “best game ever” lists, indeed I if it was for a birthday or Christmas) - doubt it would appear in many “best Hewson which was part of a bundle of CF Powerpack game ever” lists. tapes that my mum bought second hand and bundled together as a single present. On paper, Eliminator is an action-packed After disappointment that one of the games thrill fest set to blow you away. It uses (Bulldog) didn't feature a bulldog the RoadBlasters formula of driving a character like on the cover, Zamzara futuristic vehicle that collects items and mesmerised me with its amazing Charles uses weapons to eradicate anything in your Deenan tunes and wonderful graphics - path. These core gameplay concepts, with including a green alien with a lot of the addition of hovering vehicles and character. The array of weapons were futuristic environments, would re-appear great, and there was plenty to blast years later in games like WipEout to much through to make progress. It is brutal, acclaim. In reality though, Eliminator’s but it is a very rewarding game that I go action is quite sedate. back to many times to see if I can edge a The road effect moves so slowly that bit further without cheating. Although the you’ll think you’re stuck in low gear. game could have been very different (see Hills and dramatic drops stretching into this issues' GTW article), I like what it the distance mix things up and look great, became and many others would probably but the pace is pedestrian. Your movement, agree with me. even after hitting jump pads that send you soaring into the air, feels like you’re swimming in honey.
So why do I like it so much? Maybe it’s because it’s a rather serene affair. Eliminator’s the videogame equivalent of a leisurely Sunday drive, and it’s a great way to unwind. Or maybe my reflexes aren’t as good as they once were and this is the one game that doesn’t punish me for that!
Martin Grundy:
Fave Hewson game? That’s a toughie. Hewson were one of the very best developers for the C64. Paradroid, Nebulus, and Cybernoid 2 are all excellent games but my number one Hewson release has to be Uridium. It may not be as clever and absorbing as Paradroid or as original and cute as Nebulus, but Uridium was breath-
taking when it came out. Back in 1986, the Frank Gasking: gulf between arcade games and home computer games was massive but with My favourite Hewson game of all time has Uridium, Andrew Braybrook somehow managed to be the brilliant (but brutally hard) to squeeze an arcade quality game into a shooter, Zamzara. Although I do love 64K 8-bit micro. The graphics were amazing Uridium and Paradroid, Zamzara provokes – both the bas-relief backgrounds and the very fond childhood memories every time I spinning Manta fighter - and I remember it
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scoring a record high 99% for graphics in Minter let Hewson publish, Iridis Alpha, Zzap!64. My friend Gavin told me that has to be one of the fastest, most mind graphics would never get any better and it blistering shooters on the planet. A brain was hard to disagree. Uridium wasn't all of diamond and a joystick of steel needed about just the graphics. The speed of the for that one! game was also unbelievable making it instantly addictive and incredibly exciting. It had a nice title tune and some great SFX and, like all Hewson releases, it was very well presented. So my vote goes to Uridium - a game that was brilliantly playable, technically amazing and brought the arcade experience to the C64. Wonderful stuff.
Rob Caporetto:
Hewson’s C64 catalogue contains a lot of classic titles, and whilst that means my favourite might sound like a hard choice, it turns out it’s not - because Paradroid stands out for me by quite a long mile.
It may not carry a tune by the Maniacs of Noise, nor does it go all out with full- Mat Allen: screen scrolling, or throwing lots of sprites on screen, but what it does offer There are a lot of great Hewson titles, so is tension. this question was always going to be hard to answer. The obvious candidates will be From the limited visibility with droids Paradroid (specifically the Heavy Metal only appearing when in physical line of edition) and Uridium - two superb works sight, meaning exploring a deck is a tense from Mr Braybrook that have withstood the game of cat and mouse, especially when test of time. The former was always a you’re exploring the bridge, storage holds great stealth-come-shooter. You needed and other areas filled with the more brains as well as quick reactions, with hostile droid. the latter just oozing quality and smooth scrolling, despite being a bit of a memory Then there’s the depth. Each of the test for the latter ships. No wonder they differing droid classes (24, including were paired together for a dedicated your Influence Device) has differing compilation. strengths and weaknesses. Whilst it may not look it, there’s subtle differences, Past those two, the games on the from armaments, to resistances, and 4th Dimension compilation were more than mastering those is paramount to survival. great overall, from Apex’s Cyberdyne Whether you’ve done the impossible and Warrior, leaping around the platforms and transferred to the 999 with just the shooting creatures, to Sensible’s Influence Device, or retreated by the skin brilliant Stargate clone Insects In Space of your teeth Paradroid remains just as - with psychedelic introduction sequence challenging, and as tense as ever, making reminiscent of Parallax. Even Head The it a top class release in my books. Ball and Mission Impossibubble were surprisingly good. And the one game Jeff
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Ant Stiller:
Southern Belle is one of my favourite Hewson Games. It’s not the favourite (Uridium!) but Southern Belle is special to me because it simply exists. Developer Mike Male said, “Oi! Bob! (addressing his steam train lovin’ pal Bob Hillyer). This 8-bit era of home computers needs a train game. A steam train game. A simulator! With things like ‘injectors’ and ‘fusible plugs’. And, Bob, I’m gonna use vectors.”
So Mike and Bob created the first home computer 3D steam train simulator. Merman: While the instructions are daunting (just I have obtained quite the haul of Hewson how does one safely stop an 82 tonne King games over the years. Several are Arthur class steam locomotive?) there are originals, but others were on compilations a host of difficulty options giving you or cover tapes. It’s very tough to pick a more manual control over the engine and favourite because there were so many good increasing the hazards of the run from games – Hewson was a real mark of quality London to Brighton. for many years. But it has to be NEBULUS, really. At the time it was an astounding A leisurely trip soon becomes a frantic graphical effect and it still remains journey of terror. You juggle between impressive for an 8-bit computer. John duties - turning gauges, releasing valves, Phillips really heaped on the cute, from stoking the boiler and monitoring your Pogo the construction worker to the engine’s vital functions. Eke out the most beautiful underwater fishing sequence efficient performance while desperately (with multiple layers of parallax trying not to suffer blowback or other scrolling) that happens between the towers horrible things that sound painful and to be destroyed. Don’t be fooled by the full of embers and boiling water. cuteness – this is a very tough game. To an onlooker it may seem plodding and Years later I can still remember some of sparse but Southern Belle is an under- the patterns and tricks (including appreciated work of beauty. disappearing platforms, bricks to be shot from another platform and timing an entry All aboard! into the door to evade the regular enemies swooping across the tower at you). Eight towers adds up to a demanding challenge, even with the cheat mode activated. A game I still like to play now, nearly thirty years later.
Kevin Tilley:
Choosing a favourite Hewson title isn’t easy. Clearly one of the most consistent
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 32 of the classic software houses, Hewson Well there you have it. Seldom does a really cared about their product and publishing company strike such a rich gained a reputation for high quality chord with its target audience – us, games, gaining a level of trust amongst 8 the gamers. Hewson has always been bit gamers that not many other publishers held in high regard, and for good were able to achieve. If you saw a Hewson reason - their wares guaranteed value game on the shelf at your local software shop, even if you’d never heard of it, it for money and a great gaming was almost always a safe bet. experience. Even with our nostalgia- tinted glasses off, Hewson titles My favourite of Hewson’s many, many remain an awesome experience till this classics is John Phillip’s tower toppling day. Just like a fine wine, Hewson Nebulus. Not content with featuring stunning graphics, the gameplay was as games have aged very well indeed. frustrating yet compulsive as it gets. It was one of those games that you’d turn off in disgust, only to load it back in a few minutes to try again. Technically stunning, the spinning tower effect and high quality sprites made Nebulus a beautiful game to look at. Progressing your way up the tower was a difficult yet rewarding experience. Many, many times I’d be struck by a tower inhabitant (that little guy that flies across the screen after the bloopety bloop warning sound effect, in particular), only to immediately fall on top of another obstacle on a lower platform, falling to my impending doom. The time limits gave the game an added dimension and another reason to curse at the C64 screen. Not many games actually manage to get the balance between enjoyment and frustration perfectly right, but Nebulus succeeded brilliantly.
Nebulus was ported across to many platforms (including consoles) and was even released on the Wii Virtual Console, which is testament to its timeless gameplay and clever concept. I love it!
Alex Boz is the owner and editor of the wonderful Ausretrogamer E-Zine. You owe it to yourself to check it out!
http://www.ausretrogamer.com/
Issue #08, January 2016 Page 33
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 34 Book Review
Title: Hints & Tips for Videogame Pioneers Author: Andrew Hewson Release Date: May 2016 Publisher: Hewson Consultants Price: £24.99/29.99 Hardcover Special Edition, £14.99 Softcover (UK/Europe only). £6.39 Kindle Book (worldwide)
I always take great interest in right, there are no screenshots books about computer gaming in to be found, at all. That’s the 1980s. That's partly fine though, because it’s not because I'm writing one of my that kind of book. If you want own, but mostly because I was screenshots, there are other there and I want to know avenues for that. This is an everything about the era I in-depth account of the trials love. The books generally and tribulations of starting follow a certain formula, and running a software house. featuring the author’s In the course of its 252 pages, narrative, a ton of screenshots “It's an Andrew explains how he got into and some choice snippets from the software business in the those behind the games. It entertaining first place, celebrates Hewson usually works pretty well. read, and that Consultants’ successes, talks Hints & Tips for Videogame in detail about their biggest different Pioneers deviates from that titles, laments the company’s perspective makes formula because its author has (few) missteps and talks about a different perspective from their rebirth as 21st Century it an attractive most others. Andrew Hewson Entertainment and ultimate alternative to didn’t program ANY of the games demise. we loved, but he was absolutely It's an entertaining read, and other, similar responsible for us getting to that different perspective play them. books.” makes it an attractive Andrew was actually a alternative to other, similar programmer himself, and author books. With contributions from of a number of popular and many of Hewson’s noted renowned books and columns for programming stars, such as the Spectrum. He uses this Steve Turner, Jeroen Tel, knowledge to provide Raffaele Cecco, Nick Jones, the informative commentary on how DICE team and many more, the programmers got around book provides a really machines’ limitations in a way interesting insight into the which helps us to understand workings of one of Britain’s the problems they faced. It premier 80s software houses. makes for a more technical With books dedicated to Ocean book, at times, than many of Software and US Gold already those you’ll have read lately, available and a huge Gremlin The book even has its own but that’s a good thing. It’s Graphics retrospective just soundtrack album, good to have some meaty text to launching, Hints & Tips for featuring remakes from delve into. Videogame Pioneers is a timely many classic Hewson release which any self- Speaking of which, unlike games. Producers include respecting 8-bit computer games Jeroen Tel and Matt Gray! pretty much everything else on fan should read. the market, the book is totally comprised of meaty text. That’s PaulEMoz
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 36
Commercial Release! Game Review
Game: Barnsley Badger Publisher: Psytronik Release Date: July 2016 Available: Psytronik (tape/disk) It’s a bit like: Monty on the Run Score: 9/10
Editor’s note - In April 2016, Reset 64 staffers Anthony Stiller and Cameron Davis were assigned the perilous task of reviewing the new platform game from the team behind Guns ‘n Originally released as a perk Ghosts, the curiously-titled Barnsley Badger. Even though for a Kickstarter campaign, they knew such a venture was risky, they were professional Barnsley Badger will soon be game reviewers and immediately set to work, locking available in the usual Psytronik themselves in Reset 64’s Brisbane office to get the job editions. done. They were never seen again.
“While using Nobody really knows what Things start normally as they Monty Mole as a happened to the duo. Some say detail the game’s plot. they were kidnapped by rival “Barnsley is a badger who has base formula, the publications in an effort to decided to dig up his backyard game has modern eliminate the competition. to find hidden treasure and pay Rumours abound that they off his gambling debts”. Seems day sensibilities suffered a simultaneous head sensible enough, and gives no with frequent injury and wound up playing indication about what would Spectrum games. There was even happen next. A modern checkpoints, an alleged sighting of them in reinterpretation of the Monty Las Vegas, living out their Mole formula seemed innocent collision dreams of being Reset 64’s enough, but who knows what detection and answer to Hunter S. Thompson, terrible secrets lie within the driving a car full of old Zzap! game’s 120 rooms? Also, why did clever room 64 cover tapes at full speed we decide to build the Reset 64 design” while high on chocolate milk, offices on top of an ancient and trying to find the heart of catacomb? the retrogaming dream...
At any rate, a thorough search of the Reset 64 offices revealed a mysterious excavation of brick and floor stones that led deep into the darkness below. A handful of notes, left like breadcrumbs in the depths (usually next to Trevor Storey has produced a actual breadcrumbs - our nice gameplay video on intrepid pair were renowned for YouTube. their fondness of doughnuts) Moving onto the graphics, we https://www.youtube.com/ were recovered. We’ve done our found several notes scattered watch?v=ZbWwBmQQc-o best to piece these notes along a subterranean passageway together to give you a review. detailing Ant’s admiration for
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about climbing: “The one thing I want to say right off the bat is that the ladder climbing in this is SO MUCH BETTER THAN IN DAFFY DUCK”.
As logistically impossible as it sounds for two men to spray paint all that text onto leaky sewer pipes, one thing is clear: that room must have stunk like crazy. We’re not saying that the noxious fumes went to their head and they walked into traffic, but we’re also not saying this didn’t happen.
Finally, the music was given due the game’s well-animated sprites. “I love attention, with a quick comment written in the animation on all the creatures”, he burnt matchsticks located in the all- opined, while adding “it’s a shame that consuming darkness hundreds of metres they’re all monochrome”. Cameron offered under ground: “Our very own Andrew that there could be technical reasons for (Merman) Fisher crafted a suitably light this, as “maybe the trade off for using and jaunty tune for Barnsley," scribbled monochrome sprites was that the game could Ant. "It would be unfair to compare offer more rooms to explore”. Ant turned Andrew's music against, say, the best Rob his attention to the character design. Hubbard piece” - a fair comment from Ant “What is that thing!? Is that a dog in a to be sure, but our forensics team points hat? I love how Smila’s just looked around out that if you rearrange the letters of in his room and gone “This would make a “Rob Hubbard” you get “Hard Bub Orb” - a great sprite!”, he wrote feverishly. clear reference to Bubble Bobble. The plot thickens. We later found, hidden underneath some bales of hay that must have served as After that the trail, and no doubt their beds, hastily scribbled notes about lifeless corpses, went cold deep within Barnsley's collision detection. "I love the abyssal depths. If the price the C64 the way you're not killed off if you so community must pay for such high quality much as brush up against enemies", wrote games as Barnsley Badger is that we Cameron. Ant scribbled that he too loved occasionally lose some under-paid and the collision detection, but "how did he devilishly handsome game reviewers, we’re do the hit boxes? I want to know!" all for it. Long may games of this calibre be released! Could Ant have been driven mad by the combination of Barnsley's smooth control system and forgiving collision detection Ant - 9/10 routines? Cam - 9/10 Further adding to the mystery are what our CSI team discovered written on sewer pipes in UV spray-paint: remarks about the impressive gameplay on offer. “While using Monty Mole as a base formula, the game has modern day sensibilities with frequent checkpoints, multiple paths and clever room design”, wrote one of them. Nearby, another remark: “Barnsley’s obviously very well play tested. They’ve definitely deliberately chosen where to put some of these platforms. Every time I die I know it’s my fault.” Written in microscopic font, one of them wrote a passing comment
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 38 Commercial Release! Game Review
Game: Tiger Claw Developer: Lazycow Release Date: April 2016 Available: RGCD itch.io (digital download) It’s a bit like: Bruce Lee Score: 7.5/10
Some say that to become a martial-arts master, one must be dedicated and learn to paint the fence, sand the floor and most importantly, to wax on and wax off. But for those who This stunning Tiger Claw artwork lack that patience? They can join Rob and Alex in taking a was produced by the very clever look at the enhanced edition of Tiger Claw! John Davies, and you can hang it on your wall if you purchase the poster pack! Game Overview
Lazycow's Tiger Claw was expanded. The first of those released in the 2014 RGCD Game being selectable difficulty “Tiger Claw by Development Competition, levels - Easy mode offers a scoring 2nd place with its smaller map with less any other name crisp graphics and frantic aggressive enemies. While would be Bruce ninja-battling-action being standard mode acts as a tweaked highly regarded by the judges. version of the original game. Finally, Hard takes place on a Lee! Don't get You play Tiger Claw, tasked larger map, with more with tracking down a series of me wrong, that aggressive enemies. stolen scrolls before they can is not such a be wielded for evil by Fire The inertia of the original has Fist, Thunder Chain and Angry been tweaked, though by playing bad thing if Tongue. You'll also need to in Hard mode, it'll be restored locate the four masks of to its original glory. you were a fan endurance, each containing a Two gameplay modes are also portion of one scroll's powers of the Bruce available: Survival and Versus. - handily prepared before they Survival pits a solo player were swiped. Lee game on against endless waves of The game's set in a flick enemies. Whilst Versus mode the C64.” screen environment, in which allows up to 4 players the you'll move room to room as you chance to fight it out between hunt for the scrolls. Moving themselves. through rooms is typically Originally published as a unhindered, though some require Backer Reward for the Commodore you to clear out enemies to 64: A Story in Pixels progress. With a single life at Kickstarter, RGCD have now made your disposal, managing your a download available from their health is paramount - but you itch.io page. You can order the can refill it by eating pieces game by itself, or with an A3 of chicken located around the poster featuring the cover art place. If you beat this big cat in a and a map. staring contest, you get to warp There's a number of areas in straight to the final boss fight! which the core gameplay is
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edition of Tiger Claw is an absolute winner. The improvements to the control scheme alone are well worth the price of entry, and the addition of the training mode along with the versus mode make for excellent additions to the core game. As a download-only release, it’s more than worth the price in my book, so go buy it ASAP!
Rob 9/10
Like many others, I was excited when seeing Tiger Claw in the 2014 compo, but this excitement was short lived, as upon firing it up for the first time I was absolutely defeated by the game’s floaty control scheme.
On hearing about the enhanced version, Alex 6/10 with improved controls being one of the main features worked on, I pledged for the Tiger Claw by any other name would be cartridge release and was pretty darn Bruce Lee! Don't get me wrong, that is not excited when it finally arrived in the such a bad thing if you were a fan of the post ready to fire up on my trusty C64. Bruce Lee game on the C64 - I wasn't one Was it worth the wait? It certainly was! of them.
To start with, the Fast forward 30 odd years, and Bruce Lee Training mode offers a has become Tiger Claw - a souped up single great challenge for screen platformer/beat 'em up that tests shorter play times - your joystick control mettle in kicking don’t have the time to and punching ten shades out of some go into a proper baddies while attempting to salvage some session of the game? No long forgotten (and hidden) scrolls. worries, instead, just The game mechanics feel good, without any dive into Training lag – I loved the inertia when running and mode, and see how long jumping, but, what lets this game down are you can survive for! the small sprites, it makes anticipation I can’t say I got to try out the Versus of when to attack the oncoming enemy quite mode when playing it for this review, but difficult. Perhaps I need to play the game I can only imagine that with 3 other on a bigger monitor instead of the trusty friends, it’ll be a chaotic and fun 1702! experience for one’s next C64 gaming With that said though, it is highly party. recommended to undertake some training to As for the main game itself? Whilst I’m hone in your skills of Tiger Claw. Once certainly not a master of it, the updated you get the “feel” of the control movement physics are a great improvement, mechanic, you will definitely get more as I actually feel like I’m in control of enjoyment out of the game. Tiger Claw on his quest - and as a result? I may be the only person on the planet I’ve been able to get quite engrossed with that isn't taken by this game, not that it it - and really enjoying this one as a is bad, I just didn’t feel that it was result. that good, so play it and be the judge for As far as I’m concerned, this enhanced yourself.
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 40 Game Review
Game: Paradroid Redux Developer: Graftgold (original game), TNT (redux enhancements) Release Date: TBA 2016 (latest update) Available: http://cultof999.blogspot.com It’s a bit like: Paradroid turned up to 11! Score: 10/10
Paradroid is a fondly remembered game by the C64 community. Like many games of its era however, there are those elements which can always be improved. Enter TNT with Paradroid Redux, a set of improvements to Paradroid. Does it succeed in improving the classic, or is it a burnout? Reset transfers in to have a look.
Game Overview Paradroid was developed by through ramming them. However, Andrew Braybrook of Graftgold you can use the Influence and published by Hewson Device to temporarily take over Consultants all the way back in a droid - this is done in a 1985, with Zzap! 64 giving it sub-game where you need to 97% in their review. activate at least 7 (out of 12) “Whilst many of circuits before time runs out. You remotely control the the issues which Influence Device, a droid with Score 6, and you’ll get a are fixed in the capability to take over deadlock giving you another other droids. The Influence chance. Score less? The Redux had never Device is deployed onto a transfer is rejected, and series of freighters, where you’re back to the Influence bothered me, the you’ll be required to clear out Device, or game over if you fact is - they’re the mutinous droid crew on don’t have a host. each, before you’ll be more than TNT’s Paradroid Redux builds transported to the next one to upon the original game with the welcome.” clear it out. following set of enhancements Your view into this mission is and fixes: presented through a terminal Choice of the Original or display, showing ship layouts Heavy Metal graphics set. around the Influence Device, with visible droids identified Enhanced Deck console, by their 3-digit model number, showing number of droids with their health represented remaining. by their animation speed. Damaging Droids before The droids on board range from transfer reduces the lowly disposal units, to number of pulses. security and battle droids, Paradroid is considered a with the terrifying (and Improved compatibility classic amongst the retro heavily armed) 999 Command for NTSC C64’s. gaming brethren, even earning Cyborg running the ship from a Zzap!64 Gold Medal award. Improved Droid AI. the bridge. Now it’s even better, thanks to Lots of bug fixes! (Sound TNT! Dispatching them is usually done by blasting them with the playback, Collisions Influence Device’s laser, or amongst others).
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It’s all there - and that for me is the most important news.
If you’re a die hard fan of Paradroid, then checking out Paradroid Redux is in fact a no-brainer. It greatly tightens up the original game on so many levels, easily injecting a fresh dose of playability into one of the C64’s finest releases.
Rob 10/10
I won’t deny it: Paradroid is easily my overall favourite game on the C64. The mix of fast-paced action, with the tactical play of prioritising which droids you want to take over, or which order you wish to tackle decks results in a dynamic game experience on every occasion.
Whilst many of the issues which are fixed in Redux had never bothered me, the fact is - they’re more than welcome. TNT’s Inside the Influence Device fixes and tweaks have greatly enhanced the experience in terms of better situational The development of Paradroid Redux may not awareness from the enhanced console carry the hype which were attached to display. other enhancement or remake projects, but it’s a monumental effort regardless. We The ramped up alert system helps the have a chat with TNT, the coder tension, especially when you’re exploring responsible for enhancing and fixing this the holds and other decks filled with the C64 classic! more dangerous droids.
Whilst those are all the visible elements, there is so much more which is happening Reset: How would you describe Paradroid under the covers - fixes to the AI, Redux for those who aren’t familiar with splitting up multi-section decks into it? separate sections, ensuring you don’t TNT: Good old Paradroid without the bugs waste time idling about thinking there’s and slowdowns. Some new features thrown only a single droid left, along with many into make the game a bit more challenging other bug fixes. just in case the faster speed wasn't But in a way, all of this is gold plating enough ;) - as for me, the most important thing is When the ship alert status is risen (by keeping Paradroid’s core gameplay intact, shooting many droids fast enough) armed and that has certainly been taken care of enemy droids shoot more often, and radar- here. The droids are still just as equipped droids start to hunt down the challenging to fight through. The transfer player. sub-game still results in emotions ranging from joy as you manage to pull off a tricky transfer, to gritted teeth waiting Reset: What was your inspiration for for the time to run out and confirm how deciding to rework Paradroid into you’ve done. Paradroid Redux?
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TNT: Paradroid is one of my all time sound chip) register writes were reordered favourite games and I was irritated by the to avoid hardware bugs silencing some bugs in it. In the beginning I just wanted sounds at random. to get rid of the slowdowns which I pinpointed to field of vision calculations. To do that properly I needed Reset: What were the biggest bugs or to disassemble most of the game to find issues you found when working on Paradroid memory for updated routines and to make Redux? sure I wouldn't break anything else in the TNT: Well, the visibility check slowdown process. The project kind of expanded from was the first one to be fixed. When I got there, ending up with a complete more familiar with the code I could fix disassembly and a major rewrite :) the bugs I found back in the 80's.
Player could go through walls by properly positioning his droid and pushing against a corner.
Collisions were not always registered, which resulted in complete rewrite of those routines, replacing the flawed hardware checks with pixel-perfect software solution.
Colliding or transferring with an exploding droid handled the droid as a non-existing 402 droid with completely bogus properties.
Droids sometimes lost their way and got stuck to walls or doors.
Reset: What tools (assembler/graphics/etc) The biggest challenge came from making the did you make use of when working on software collision check and droid Paradroid Redux? visibility checks fast enough. As usual TNT: I used IDA for disassembly and hand- those were solved by using more memory to written scripts to convert the disassembly reduce the number of calculations needed. to dasm-compatible source files. Level The most time-critical code section is the data was decompressed with the original top split where the playing area display routines and saved directly from the starts. It's not perfect, but you need to memory with VICE emulator. It was later really pay attention to the split to see compressed with a custom LZ77-family the remaining bugs in it. If you have time packer, together with quite a few other for that, you are clearly playing the game memory areas which weren't needed all the wrong... time. That saved several kilobytes of memory which I could use to speed up other During the code rewrite I also parts. synchronized the screen refresh and sprite movement, so droids don't float against Graphics were extracted directly from the ship graphics like they do in the memory as well. There was not much to do original. There are awful lot of other with them except fixing some minor bugs little changes to avoid flicker wherever and reordering some characters to make possible - I spent hours running emulator some code optimizations possible. Later I at half the speed or lower while testing did the same with the Metal Edition screen changes between game, transfer graphics. All that was done with good old game, console screens and so on. That's UltraFont editor. the kind of luxury you don't have time for Sound effects were not changed at all, but if you have a deadline to meet. the sound driver is completely rewritten to be both smaller and faster. SID (C64's
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Reset: What would you say the split is Reset: What do you believe Andrew between the original Paradroid code, and Braybrook would say if were to play your newly written Redux code? Paradroid Redux?
TNT: Pretty much everything has been TNT: ”That's the way I wanted it to be but rewritten, some parts more than once. In didn't have the time"? Honestly - no idea. fact I would be surprised if there is I hope he would like it. unchanged code sections with more than couple of dozen instructions. There is always a cycle to save to make it faster, Reset: What do you have in mind for the there is always a byte to make it smaller. future of Paradroid Redux? Do you plan any Not always at the same time though. further releases or enhancements?
Graphics and sound have been altered as TNT: I have yet to test if the play area little as possible to keep the original can be extended vertically without feel. sacrificing the speed. If necessary, that version could be limited to PAL C64 only -
on C128 it should be possible regardless Reset: Were there any challenges in of the video standard. supporting both fast and slow modes, along I still haven't dropped the idea of with the original and the Metal Edition bringing in the Raiders from Paradroid 90, graphics? What happens to be your but that requires that enemy droids learn preferred way of enjoying Paradroid Redux? to shoot at other targets as well. And TNT: Only the latest version supports slow once droids are willing to shoot at mode - before that the aim was to keep the multiple targets, why not let them shoot 25 Hz (30 Hz with NTSC) update at all two player droids in a deathmatch mode ;) times. It did that in the 2010, in the version many people believed was the last one. The latest version (which I hope to Reset: Would you consider looking at any finish before this interview is other C64 titles in the same way? Or published!) adds the 17/20 Hz mode for consider working on your own game? people who think the game became too fast TNT: There are couple of old games I've - I myself call that "the wimpy mode" ;) disassembled and sped up a bit, but they Another change in the new version is are a long way from getting released to a support for C64DTV - earlier versions larger audience. Those games "happen" to always started the game in two-button mode be my favourites - I doubt many people because of lacking SID emulation in would spend the time required to improve C64DTV. Combining the original hires games they don't like themselves. graphics and multicolour graphics from There are some game ideas that I may work Metal Edition wasn't too bad. As I on in the future, but given the originally disassembled the Competition available_time/things_needing_attention Edition, I needed to expand colour tables ratio it will take some time before I for extra multicolour entries and add some start any new projects. code to use them although the colour changes are invisible with original graphics. After that I just added a small Reset would like to thank TNT for his copy routine to replace 2 KB of graphics participation in this article. and those colour tables in case the user selected Metal Edition mode.
The best combination to play Paradroid Redux is NTSC computer and two-button joystick. That gives you the fastest speed and helps you avoid unwanted transfers in busy battle situations. Some people may disagree about the speed advantage of NTSC though :D
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 44 Games That Weren’t By Frank Gasking
Hewson were producers of some of my favourite games of all time – Uridium, Paradroid and Nebulus were particular favourites that I lost so much time to. But for me, the one which topped it all off was Zamzara – with its array of weapons, gorgeous graphics and a large map to navigate. So it was great to learn that Zamzara was going to be very different, as you will find out in a moment - in one of a few Hewson titles that never were... Custodian never saw the light of day on the C64. Maybe it would have been better! Alliance State of Play Developed in 1988 The preview is all that seems Matt Mitchell (code), Thomas “After developing to exist. Unless Matt or Egeskov Petersen (graphics) Thomas turns up with a the likes of complete game some day, this Pyjamarama for might be all you'll get to see. Mikro-gen, http://www.gamesthatwerent.com/ developer Chris gtw64/alliance/ Hinsley turned
his efforts to Custodian the 16-bit Developed in 1989 Hugh Binns (graphics – only platforms with a known credit) blast-em-up Our first Hewson title may never have officially actually called Custodian. been intended to be published by them – so not a great start to the article! However, with the Hewson publisher credits listed in the game, there is a very good chance that this Warhawk-style game was pitched to them at the very least. It's likely that Hewson rejected the game as a full pricer, but it could have easily been released on their After developing the likes of Rack-It budget label. So it Pyjamarama for Mikro-gen, begs the question of whether developer Chris Hinsley turned the developers actually his efforts to the 16-bit finished the game? At this platforms with a blast-em-up point in time, we're not sure called Custodian (that did and hope to find out some day reasonably well in the press). from the developers Zamzara is a much loved C64 When reviewed in ACE magazine, themselves. title, but actually started out it was reported that 8-bit as a very different game. versions were in development. Probably easier too.
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This was certainly the case, when Hugh Binns confirmed doing all the maps and graphics, which were loosely based on the Amiga edition – and very metallic in look and feel! The developer's name could not be remembered, with only “Grant” (Harrison?) being a vague recollection of any developer name. Nothing of the game has ever managed to sneak out as of yet, and sadly Hugh no longer has any of his work.
Fantasia Diamond State of Play Rumoured for development in 1984 No known developers Hewson saw how badly the 16-bit editions did, and decided against the 8-bit “Delve deep into the age of fantasy with a versions being completed (which were still host of intriguing characters that may a few months away from being so). Had help or hinder your exploration of this they been, they probably would have gone dream world.” - Fantasia Diamond was to be straight to their budget label. a sophisticated graphic text adventure by Kim Topley for Hewson. Well, at least it http://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/custodian/ sort of was on the Spectrum and Amstrad. Although also advertised for the C64 and BBC, Kim didn't have either of the machines to convert the source code over, and Hewson at the time didn't have anyone available to convert the game either. With poor sales of the Spectrum edition, any thoughts of a conversion swiftly vanished and Hewson went onto greater things, with Paradroid just around the corner.
State of Play
Nothing was ever started on any other platform, so not even a sniff of a game will ever be found. Maybe someone dedicated will some day convert it?
http://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/fantasia- diamond/
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Roadstar XRi rumoured that it was canned due to Developed in 1989 pressure from Firebird with their current Likely by Tim Rogers (code), Darrin Zolyxx game (another clone of Qix) on Stubbington (graphics) and Hugh Binns release. Another rumour suggested Hewson (graphics) had got tired from their recent legal wranglings over Morpheus, and decided to avoid any more potential issues from Firebird/Taito. Neither were true, and the real reason was that the developers were very young and inexperienced at the time, and just didn't have the maths skills to work out the fill routine. So they just moved onto other things they could do, and the game never got beyond some early demos.
State of Play Fairly fresh from his stunning Nebulus, John Phillips set to work on his next game “Other things” would result in completion to amaze everyone in the shape of Roadstar of Marauder, which Hewson then published. XRi. Described as a racing shoot-em-up Apart from an early demo (still at large), puzzle game, you would fly around 3D the only thing currently out there is tracks on an air vacuum – shooting your Barry Leitch's music in HVSC that was path through a maze of obstacles. Your intended for the game. Sinclair at the time described it as a http://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/sophistry/ weird sounding game, and no doubt it would have been just that. Other magazines confirmed the game as being real, including a C64 conversion being also Tran under development. Not long after the Developed in 1987 news articles, the game completely Steve Collins (code + graphics) disappeared with nothing more was ever mentioned.
State of Play
Not too long after, Eliminator appeared – which had John Phillips mostly involved. The game sort of half matched the description, so its very likely Roadstar XRi at some point turned into Eliminator. http://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/roadstar- xri/ A bizarre name, but a rather interesting
game with a mixture of Defender, Uridium Sophistry and R.I.S.K. Tran had you having to blast enemies and collect a certain amount of Developed in 1987 'orbs'. Once enough are collected, you Robert McGowan (code), Mark Kelly (code), can land and take control of a guy who Alan Mac (graphics), Barry Leitch (music) must then blast prisons open to save Before Marauder, development team Arcanum hostages – before escaping the level. Developments were working on a Qix clone Although Hewson liked the game, it was too with cool looking graphics (sort of an similar to other titles they had, so they early Volfied if you like). It had been rejected it. Steve never got chance to
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 47 try other publishers, due to college work. sprawling map with wonderful graphics. So it was to gather dust for many years, Hewson felt it was too complex, so Jukka until GTW recovered the game from Steve in reprogrammed it and made it more adventure 2004. All complete, and just missing -based – but then it was felt to be too music – it's a great little game and a boring. It was then turned into a simple shame it didn't make it out fully. shoot-em-up, which we all came to love and enjoy. Much to Jukka's disappointment
though after all his efforts – it was State of Play decided to stick straight onto the Rack-It label. Not to be deterred, Steve went on to do Herobotix, which was released on Hewson's Rack-It label. He later would go on to State of Play convert Badlands for Domark. In recent years, Jukka's disks were all http://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/tran/ preserved – and earlier editions and demos from the game were recovered, showing the game's very different look and direction. Sadly, Jukka passed away several years ago, so we will never hear the full story from the great man himself.
http://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/zamzara- v1/
Zamzara V1 Developed in 1988 Jukka Tapanimaki (code + graphics), Charles Deenan (music + sfx)
Visit Games That Weren’t 64 for Our final title isn't quite an unreleased information on many more lost and game I know – but what we didn't know at unreleased Commodore 64 games. the time was that Zamzara was to be much more involved. With elements of http://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/ “Impossible Mission”, where you would collect genes and build DNA and navigate a
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 48 Reset Rewind By Rob Caporetto
Each issue, the Reset crew will take a journey back into the mists of time, to take a look at a title from C64 history, and see how it fares today. Does it still stack up, or is it just another game best left in our collective memories? As we’re celebrating the games of good old Hewson Consultants this issue, it only seems fair to take a look at one of their early gems on our humble machine. With a little bit of discussion, the only fair choice had to be one of their first (if not the first) releases in 3D Lunattack, which also shares the honour of being the first C64 release by a little known team known as Graftgold. So what’s the low-down from the crew? Read on and find out!
Not being immediately “Perseverance impressed, it wasn’t until I received a few playing tips is the order off Ant and Rob that I was able to look under the surface of the day and catch a glimpse of what Turner/Braybrook were actually here. trying to achieve and realise Blissfully, that there is some real depth and vastness to the game. Alas, despite all of this, I there is a Unkle K: did find it hard to get past moment when Rob’s done it to me again, the sluggishness of how the choosing a title which I have game moves and plays, which everything no experience with and thus no impacted my enjoyment. It does look nice, but the gameplay is clicks.” foggy nostalgic glasses to look through! just a little too slow for me. It’s the lack of immediate Braybrook wasn’t a name I was gratification that will put familiar with growing up, m o s t p e o p l e o f f , instead my C64 celebrities unfortunately. were the likes of Jeff Minter and Tony Crowther. In fact, I had little exposure to Rob: Braybrook’s masterworks until later in my C64 life. Like My first experience with 3D most of his subsequent C64 Lunattack was discovering a releases after Lunattack (even Watch our resident gameplay lone copy of the Zzap!64 though it is, in fact, a expert Rob Caporetto own 3D Megatape it appeared on in the conversion of Steve Turner's Lunattack like a boss. If you late 90s. I’ll admit, seeing Spectrum game), it is not want to have any idea what’s ‘3D’ in the title got my immediately accessible, going on, we recommend it! attention while browsing those https://www.youtube.com/ instead requiring some tapes, but that was only the watch?v=GJrktrydX4Q perseverance, experience and start. That would happen when more than a little skill to I got home, loaded it up, and get going. saw two familiar names on the
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title-screen: Andrew Braybrook and Steve explaining the different modes, but the Turner. Without instructions, getting into map remains confusing. It is still it wasn’t easy - and I remember my initial satisfying to destroy the enemy fighters plays were filled with confusion, and at long range. The graphics are bland and feeling a little underwhelmed. As I’d monochrome, the sound FX are limited and later discover, 3D Lunattack was the third it takes time to get further into the entry in a series of ZX Spectrum titles, game. and the only instalment which made the The only Seiddab game converted to the jump over to the C64. Thus, it’s got that C64, it does hold some interest. But there Speccy feel down. Coming back to it now? were better things to come from Steve It has quite a different feel to a lot of Turner and Andrew Braybrook. other games on the machine. Sure, it doesn’t feel as frantic as Skyfox might, It took me about a year to realise Seiddab but having this wide open space to explore is baddies backwards… as you track down the Seiddab bases, and take out their forces is a tough challenge, but honestly, I find it a fun Ant: one. Turner and Braybrook?! Did I read that intro screen right? This ought to be good! Unfortunately my first forays onto 3D Lunattack’s ... ummm ... lunar surface were a confusing mess. Time and again I crashed after my hull overheated and I became a twisted hulk of metal and depressurised screaming. An unintuitive interface and navigation system clearly does little to draw in a new player.
Luckily our own Reset crew were on-hand to help (this culminated in our little Beginner's Guide that’s hopefully floating around near this article). Soon I was getting the feel for the controls and how to work out where the hell I was. Getting Merman: a sense of my general position was very I got this on the Beau Jolly compilation important. 10 Computer Hits 3. It's a mixed bag of Perseverance is the order of the day here. quality, and the small booklet makes it Blissfully, there is a moment when hard to understand all the instructions. everything clicks. When I started playing I struggled and Once the nuances (and there are many) are died very quickly. It took a few goes to understood, a solid and atmospheric work out what was going on, including blaster is uncovered underneath the moving the crosshairs above the horizon to befuddling and I-bet-this-runs-lovely-on-a launch the long-range missiles. Get it -Speccy exterior. lined up right and there is a great explosion effect as the enemy fighter is There is, however, something more subtle destroyed. The 3D effect is reasonable but that really excited me about Lunattack. I doesn't stretch the C64 much. The large can see shades of my favourite game, control panel is also annoying. Morpheus. Activating weapons systems by moving your reticle to various locations The player's craft feels very sluggish on the screen feels very familiar. turning and the map display confuses. Playing the game now brings back the Proto-Morpheus. frustration. I like the start-up sequence,
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Gazunta: Ant’s Guide to the Lunar Surface
As a long-time fan of shooters, 3D 3D Lunattack isn't exactly easy to get Lunattack sounds like it’s made for me - a into, and I found the instructions a free-roaming blaster where you take on little lacking. When the game starts, let waves of enemies with a mixture of the Attract Mode roll, and you'll piloting skill, firepower and strategy - eventually see a score table showing the but for the life of me I just can’t get icons for various enemy types as they along with it. appear on the map (see previous image).
I’m used to great shooters taking a while So the one thing I really struggled with to get to grips with - ask me about the was navigation. Where's my compass? How countless hours I spent with Virus on the they hell do I read the map? Amiga just to get halfway competent at the basic controls - but the clunky complexity When you bring up Map Mode (by hitting any of Lunattack leaves me cold. The molasses- of the Function Keys when in Missile or like frame rate does not do it any Laser Mode), be aware that the game favours, either. continues as the map is displayed, and deviously, you can't pause it from here! Ant’s great starter guide was a huge help, You'll see something like the screen and I totally recommend reading it before below. There's a lot to take here. Don't attempting your first run. Just be panic! prepared to put in a lot of effort for not a lot of reward. Even when you get to grips with it all, the game never really becomes anything more than a mild diversion. An interesting curiosity and certainly worthy of note in an historical context, but 3D Lunattack has not aged well.
Conclusions:
3D Lunattack is certainly a divisive pick amongst the crew - which can be said is a fair conclusion to draw. Unlike later Graftgold titles, the initial learning * See the little white tank (roughly in curve is a tad too high (reinforced by the the middle)? That's you right now. documentation), with the result being something that only dedicated fans will * The inverted tank with the red push through to enjoying this one. background down and to the right? That's where you're gonna be real soon, unless you change direction.
* The grey tanks behind you tracking north -west? That's where you were.
* The other symbols match those enemies in the intro screen. The number following them is the strength. So we've got 5 missile silos in that sector nearby, and 6 aerial proximity mines in the other one.
* There is no compass.
Stay on the map screen, and you'll see it
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update as you zoom across the moon. Inevitably, you'll die if you do this for too long (usually from crashing into the rocky outcrops that dot the surface).
Returning to the main view screen, there's another mode called Navigation Mode. It comes up when you move the crosshairs down to the bottom of the view panel. You get this pathway vector that shows where to turn to get back onto the course currently locked in.
Something like this:
That's your radar giving you an ETA and vector onto an enemy fighter. Move your crosshair to the
top of the screen, line it up with that X and start firing missiles (tip: Start firing before you've lined up). This seems to be a little hit and miss. I've destroyed fighters this way when I've not been 100% lined up with the X. Apparently you can shoot fighters with your laser when they've closed in for their attack run.
After quoting Aliens a few times by The game is really a big shoot-em-up (it shouting "We're in the pipe five by five!" reminded me a little of Starglider). Your You can bank around, hit the function key TEMP gauge is just like a damage and you've just magically locked in a new indicator. When it maxes out, you crash. course like some sort of 22nd century The TEMP does go down very slowly so fly space jockey. around avoiding things for a good bit and you'll see it decrease in large chunks. Before I understood Map Mode, I had no idea why you'd want this, but now it's That's about it. Good Luck! obvious. By jumping from Map Mode to the main screen and back again, adjusting course as you go, you can line up a sector you want to go to on the map. When you're lined up go to Navigation Mode, hit a Rob Caporetto owns and maintains function key and viola! Now you can fly around and shoot baddies and then you can the hellfire64 YouTube channel, go back to Navigation Mode and follow the pathway again. featuring his ‘Rob Plays’ C64 gameplay and review videos. The rest of the game is fairly self explanatory. You'll spend most of your time zapping aliens in Laser Mode (lead Take a look! your targets!). If you see something like this at the top of the screen: http://youtube.com/hellfire64
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 52 Game Review
Game: Hessian Developer: Covert Bitops Release Date: February 2016 Available: Covert Bitops (free digital download, Psytronik (digital release) It’s a bit like: Metal Warrior Score: 9/10
You wake up all starry eyed in a strange shipping container, scars all over your body and a whopping headache and weird memories. Either you’ve just had a night out in Las Vegas, or something very sinister is going on. Merman and Paul investigate!
The Hessian Premium Edition Game Overview features some wonderful Poor Kim. She’d only taken complex, there are sure to be cover art. The Ultimate this security guard’s job as a extra weapons lying around bundle includes lots of other last resort… things were which she will be able to put stuff, and we all like stuff, desperate and the money was to good use. Unfortunately, don’t we! surprisingly good. There was the nanobots need to be never any indication that recharged on a regular basis so things could go so wrong. She she’ll have to find power couldn’t have known that the sources too… and rescue anyone “This is a Throne Group’s scientific caught up in this mess. inventions were so… dangerous. There will also no doubt be an Now she was living proof of well-polished incredible range of that… but living for how long? experimental hostiles to and enjoyable Kim has been attacked by the overcome. Bring ‘em on! Can Throne Group’s out-of-control Kim prevail and end the Throne game, ideal inventions (why do the Group’s nightmare before it’s for mapping.” inventions of evil scientists even begun… and possibly get always go wrong?). She should her life back into the bargain? be dead, but radical, Hessian is the latest game from revolutionary surgery has saved Lasse Öörni, creator of the her life… unfortunately, at a acclaimed Metal Warrior series cost. Kim has woken on an of games, under the Covert emergency operating table Bitops label. It is available having been injected with as a digital download from the nanobots… a life- saving Covert Bitops homepage, as well procedure which has amazing but as various physical editions terrible side-effects. from Psytronik. The limited The nanobots have rendered Kim Ultimate Edition contains the superhuman, with incredible game in a limited edition box, strength and recovery powers. as well as including other Hessian’s author has included Using these, she must explore inserts such as a soundtrack all the bells and whistles, the massive 700-room Throne CD, A3 folded game map, various including a nice intro and title Group complex in an attempt to stickers, a badge and more. screen to get you in the mood. find out what has gone wrong Hessian is also available from and put a stop to it. With Psytronik in the usual Budget this being an evil scientific and Premium disk editions.
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bloodstream use battery energy – shown in the right-hand meter – to repair her injuries. Standing still while not in combat will slowly recover health, at the cost of battery power. Finding and using medikits (with H) give an instant health boost, while batteries can be picked up or obtained from defeated enemies; press B to use a battery and re-fill the battery meter.
If you have played Metal Warrior, then the graphic style will be familiar. The main sprite is well animated, moving over detailed backgrounds representing the Throne Group Science Complex. The gameplay Merman - 8/10 is also similar to what has come before. Interact with the NPCs (non-player I enjoyed playing the Metal Warrior games, characters), explore the buildings and and this is a spiritual successor to that find what you need to do next. The series from Lasse Oorni and Covert BitOps. computer logs and NPC speech bubbles give On loading there is an option for “safe you extra information and fill in the mode” loading, for compatibility with more background story. Combat can take a while devices. Then you get a large logo and the to master, especially with the need to impressive title screen with music. The press keys. But it is satisfying to take main game loads and reveals the credits. down the attacking forces, which stay dead Pressing fire to start gives a menu – once you have cleared an area. allowing you to start a new game or continue an old game. There are five save On dying, you are given a choice. You can slots on the disk, giving you the option Retry, which sends you back to the nearest of restarting from a point you have entrance you used with the health you had already reached to try again. at that point – but the enemies in that section have respawned. Or you can Save & The game starts with our heroine Kim (a End the game, prompting which slot you lowly security guard on the night shift) want to save to (or choose Abandon Game if waking up in an operating theatre after you are in a difficult position). some kind of attack on the premises. She meets someone who tries to help her, only This is a well-polished and enjoyable for him to be gunned down by a security game, ideal for mapping. The music does a drone. With the information that you need great job of adding to the atmosphere, a warehouse pass and to contact the driving you on. Familiarity with the survivors in the parking lot, her mission controls takes a few games. My one bugbear begins. was missing the slope of the stairs, or
Control of Kim gives plenty of scope to explore, with the combat roll to evade enemies. Important items and exits are highlighted by an arrow onscreen. In combat different weapons or objects are selected by pressing , and . to cycle through them. Ammo is needed for most weapons, with extra clips and bullets remaining shown onscreen.
Kim's health meter shows her physical strength and when this runs out it is game over. However, the nanobots in her
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conversely going onto a stairway rather to mind when playing Hessian, and with than running past. The difficulty level is good reason as the two games have the same fairly high but is pitched well. The save programmer/graphic artist. system is really useful. Hessian is not a revolutionary step I purchased the Ultimate Edition of forward from the Metal Warrior games, but Hessian from Psytronik, which came in a it doesn’t have to be. It refines the luxurious black box with printed artwork. formula, adds a more interesting scenario Inside the box were a key ring and and delivers on the gameplay front in stickers, a soundtrack CD (in a jewel spades. The graphics are improved, the case) and the boxed disk. Full marks to audio is stunning and the whole package is Jason Mackenzie for how good the packaging an absolute treat for C64 owners. is. Cheaper options are available, but the It astonishes me that, more than twenty collectors will want to try and get that years after I bought my last Commodore 64 limited edition before it sells out. game in a shop, people are producing games All in all another impressive release from of this standard for our beloved machine. Covert BitOps and Psytronik. You’d expect hobbyists to knock out a few basic efforts in their spare time, but this is a truly professional product of the highest quality. If you’re still using yours, you need this game in your collection.
Paul - 9.5/10
Some considerable time ago, fourteen years ago in fact, I was lucky enough to write for Issue 107 of ZZAP! 64, a tribute edition produced by fans and ex-ZZAP!-ers. In it, I reviewed an excellent game called The Hessian Ultimate Edition is still available. C’mon, Metal Warrior 3, which technically became treat yourself! the last ever ZZAP! Sizzler. I mention it because it was the first thing that sprang
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Reset #09, June 2016 Page 56 Rack-It Retrospective By Paul Morrison
Andrew Hewson’s book, Hints & Tips for Videogame Pioneers, is a comprehensive look at the rise to prominence of Hewson Consultants. As you’ve already read, we like it a lot! But, if there’s one area that’s possibly sold a little short, it’s Hewson’s baby budget label, Rack-It. It’s only covered very briefly, but I’m of the opinion that it needs a closer look, so I’ve put together a bit of a retrospective. Here we go!
If Hewson Consultants was a makes collecting them an name synonymous with quality appealing option. full-price games, then its The first games out of the Rack budget label, Rack-It, soon -It stable were original and built a decent reputation of entertaining, setting a its own. Unlike other budget precedent that would, for the labels affiliated with bigger most part, be maintained. The companies, though, it wasn’t a pairing of Anarchy and Tunnel string of top-notch re-releases Vision were very different that initially made Rack-It a games with which to announce label worth taking interest in… the label’s arrival. Anarchy but rather, a small catalogue is a fast-moving action puzzle of quirky and really game which asks the player to interesting original games. blast certain blocks in a maze, If you run through the list of with the exit only being Rack-It releases, you’re sure revealed when all the required to find at least a couple of blocks have been destroyed. It games that you bought, possibly sounds easy enough, but a time on a whim, and ended up really limit and some infuriatingly enjoying. My first experience challenging maze layouts make with the label came with my Anarchy something of a hidden purchase of 5th Gear, which gem. Tunnel Vision, on the I’ll talk about more, later. I other hand, is a lot more remember seeing it and being straightforward, being a split- seduced by the action-packed screen racer set, oddly enough, cover art… the screenshots in a tunnel. The 3D effect is, looked like they would live up umm, effective, but some to that, so I bought slightly confusing objectives it. Perhaps it wasn’t exactly spoil the fun a bit. the game I was expecting but I Rack-It’s games were often still enjoyed it. written by previously-unknown OK, as with any software house, programmers who never really a couple of the Rack-It went on to produce anything releases were below par (that’s else of note. Occasionally, a pun, as you’ll find out though, it was an outlet for later), but by and large they renowned programmers to release were good games with a few real something which, for one reason gems thrown in the mix. There or another, was not suitable weren’t a lot of games released for a full-price release. The on the label either, which next Rack-It game, Sunburst,
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was a perfect example. Written by John M. worthy Rack-It game. Phillips of Nebulus fame, it’s an Super Cup Football, on the other hand, interesting shoot ‘em up in the Time Pilot marked one of the lowest points in the vein, where the player must destroy ships Rack-It catalogue. Football games were and collect energy cells which will notorious for being poor on the Commodore vaporise the current system’s sun! Seems 64, with only a few rising to the top of a bit vicious, but that’s shoot ‘em ups the league. Super Cup Football was a for you. It’s a good little game, but a relegation candidate all the way. It couple of irritating flaws mean that Rack- plays badly, and to make matters worse, It was the right home for it. there’s no animation on the ball, so it It was a few months before there would be looks like you’re shuffling a boulder up any new Rack-It games on shelves. Again, the pitch! two would come at once and again, their Again, there was a bit of a lull from the success would be mixed. Thunder Force is label. It turned out they were saving a scrolling beat ‘em up, but it’s really their next batch of releases for Christmas slow and very, very limited. You can see as several games were released around the the aim was for something along the lines festive period. Of those, 5th Gear is the of Green Beret, but for the most part you one that trips my nostalgia switch. It just move a couple of steps and hammer the was the first Rack-It game I bought, and fire button to punch the relentless it looked from the screenshots as though onslaught of guards. It almost leaves you it would be a Spy Hunter-beater. It’s not wishing they would use the guns you were really anything like that game though, carrying and put you out of your misery being more of an obstacle course with quickly! enemies and power-ups. Kind of a puzzley Battle Valley, on the other hand, is a driving shoot ‘em up, in fact. You’d be fantastic little game. Using a hard pressed to find another game like it combination of tanks and helicopters, the and it’s well worth a bit of your time. player must traverse a rugged landscape, Much less successful was Ocean Conqueror, taking out enemy installations and a submarine simulator which fails at terrorist bases and rebuilding bridges to pretty much everything. It has an get to two stolen nuclear missiles, which exciting premise but it’s slow, confusing must be destroyed to ensure world and not fun at all, sadly. Fortunately, peace. It’s a tough and enjoyable there was redemption in the form of one of challenge, and a perfect budget game. Ra ck - It’s finest releases, the The next few months were pretty quiet for horizontally-scrolling shoot ‘em up, Hewson’s budget label, and those that did Slayer. Comparisons ranged from make it out formed a pretty mixed everything from R-Type to Armalyte, but bag. Herobotix was the best of the it’s actually more like the rock-hard bunch. At first glance, it looks a bit blaster IO. Don’t be put off by that like a Paradroid rip-off. It soon becomes though as it’s more forgiving and apparent that, other than featuring robots therefore more enjoyable to on a spaceship, it’s nothing like that play. Programmed by music wiz Gari game. Once it comes into its own, the Biasillo, it leaves you wondering if blend of blasting, puzzling and perhaps he should have carried on exploration becomes pretty addictive! programming!
Subterranea was a much more conventional Rounding out that batch of releases was shooter. It actually looks quite a bit Scorpion, an odd little game in which the like the classic full-price Hewson shoot player manoeuvres through a network of ‘em up, Zynaps, with a bit of inspiration pipes, attempting to collect a batch of taken from Delta. It plays fairly well, bombs which have been left in a spiteful although the slow fire rate and attempt at sabotage. Some odd-looking occasionally iffy collision detection can enemies have been left by the saboteurs to annoy. Overall though, Subterranea is a guard the pipes, making your job even more
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difficult. It’s alright, but it leaves Alleykat and Star Wars add a bit of extra you wanting to play Super Pipeline 2 interest. instead! The catalogue of Rack-It original games The traditional post-release lull was ended with possibly the best release of broken with a batch of games which would all time… Andrew Braybrook’s Heavy Metal be the last original games in the Rack-It Paradroid. The second reworking of his catalogue. Golf Master ensured that Rack- seminal C64 game, this is considered the It never released a good sports game, by definitive version by the author himself, taking golf back to the dark ages of and is therefore the best version of computer golf games. It’s a 2D overhead- arguably the best ever Commodore 64 view effort which, although fairly quick game. That being the case, it’s almost to play thanks to its icon-driven control certainly the best use of £2.99 that there method, just isn’t a lot of fun. When ever was. If you don’t have it, expect to Leader Board was available for the same pay considerably more for it now than it price, why would you even bother with cost back in the day. You really ought to this? own it, though!
Much better was Gribbly’s Special Day Out, The Rack-It label lived on for a while and a tidied-up version of Andrew Braybrook’s put out a small number of mostly high- first original C64 game. It’s smoother quality re-releases. In many respects, it than the original and now glitch-free, and was the perfect complement to Hewson’s the gameplay is as fantastic as it ever full-price label… it didn’t release as was. It’s a true joy to play, and every many as other, similar labels but the home should own a Gribbly. Gari Biasillo focus was on quality, not quantity, with was back soon after with Steel, another just the occasional misstep-step. It only futuristic game with robots. Unusually, serves to reinforce our view that the this one utilises a side-on view as you Hewson name was really one where you’d zoomed through corridors. As a result, it take notice of every game they released, plays a bit like a fast-paced shoot ‘em up safe in the knowledge that your money version of something like Odin’s would almost always be well-spent. If Heartland. It’s a good game for mappers only everything in life came with such a too, and although it’s not as good as guarantee. Slayer it’s a decent effort all the same.
Better than Steel and possibly even better than Slayer was Zamzara. Coming from the talented Jukka Tapanimaki, author of full- price hits such as Netherworld and Octapolis, it’s a fast-paced action- platformer which is slightly reminiscent of Thalamus’ hit blaster, Hawkeye. You play an alien who has to escape from a laboratory complex… in just 15 minutes. That time limit really pushes the game onto another level and you’ve really got to bring your A-game if you want success!
Another game which was reminiscent of Hawkeye was Gary J. Foreman’s Orion. Released between his two classics, Ranarama and Rainbow Islands, it’s a fun little blaster which doesn’t reach the heights of those two games, nor of Zamzara. It’s a decent way to pass a bit of time though, and its nods towards
Reset... Page 59 Freedom Expansion Unit By Stingray
So what exactly is this new piece of If you were to think of this new hardware hardware? Well it's a lot of things, the as being the original EasyFlash cartridge design goals of this new C64/C128 expansion with an external KERNAL mode, an AR were: Freeze Cartridge mode, C128 External Function ROM mode and a Clockport added, (1) Should be available in a kit version, you probably wouldn't be too far wrong. similar to the way the original EasyFlash cartridge could be purchased X-KERNAL: as a kit. The External KERNAL mode allows the C64 KERNAL to be replaced with any KERNAL (2) Should have a retro feel and approach stored on the FEU. A couple of extra to the design and endeavour to use awesome features with this mode are (1) technology that was available at the it works on C128 hardware (2) It can be time the C64 and C128 were Combined with the Freeze cartridge mode commercially supported. simultaneously. (3) Have support for external KERNAL Freeze Cartridge: (4) Have a Clockport (zap insisted I This mode can be used with AR compatible include this, thanks mate). cartridge images.
(5) Have outstanding functionality on C128 Clockport: hardware (this one was important to me This was included to allow the addition as I love using my C128). of an Ethernet port and an RTC. More details will be released on this soon. Initially I wasn't keen on the Clockport idea but my very good friend zap insisted Here is my chance to thank a couple of that I include this, the most important people so I will take it. Thank you zap design goals for me were having external for all your good advice and support of KERNAL function and having optimal this project and thank you to DMackey for functionality on C128 hardware. helping me out with the NTSC chips. How is it possible for this to be available as a kit? The surface mount components are pre-soldered, this means that only the through hole components will require soldering.
So what are the specifications and features? Well, nothing is set 100% in stone yet but here are some preliminary specifications and features.
FEU Preliminary Specifications / Features:
Compatible with EasyFlash images External KERNAL Freeze Cartridge C128 External Function ROM Clockport The Freedom Expansion Unit is still 128kB SRAM under active development. Watch this 1MB FLASH ROM space for further news and information!
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 60 Reset Mini-Bytes!
Super Carling The Spider character - especially Psytronik, Feb 2016 considering the size, with Carling moving around with Commercial personality, best shown by his http://www.psytronik.net/ death animations.
Super Carling the Spider is a C64 gem, and one of the most fun releases I’ve played in some time.
The original Carling the Spider was released onto the VIC-20 in 2009, and after quite a while in development, its follow-up/remake leaps 9.5/10 onto the C64 in style. Rob “Super Carling After the opening celebrations the Spider is of the Forever Group’s new inter-dimensional diamond Honey Bee Enhanced a C64 gem, and vaults goes wrong resulting in Psytronik, May 2016 one of the the contents being lost, and Commercial an innocent party being http://www.psytronik.net/ most fun framed, it’s up to Carling to go through the vaults, recover releases I’ve all the diamonds and clearing the names of the wrongly played in some accused.
time.” Each vault’s represented as a single screen, containing the diamonds, an exit portal… and many obstacles… ranging from spikes, to the dreaded BALLS OF STEEL. The challenge of course is making it through Honey Bee is a cutesy collect the hazards, as quickly as 'em up which was produced by possible - with a bonus timer Richard Bayliss from a concept counting down. by Wayne Womersly. You control a honey bee and must navigate Like with any good puzzle- each screen collecting pollen platformer, the controls are and returning it back to your top-notch - Carling moves hive, one drop at a time. As about nice and fluently under usual, you need to avoid the This loading screen bitmap was your control, meaning that nasties and landscape drawn by none other than Robin when you mess up a jump, it’s obstacles to save yourself Levy, of Armalyte fame! your fault, and yours alone. from instant death. The graphics ooze charm and
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Honey Bee’s graphics are colourful, crisp previously unpassable doorways. It serves and score very high on the cuteness scale. as a great carrot-on-a-stick that keeps The new attract screen and level intros you wanting to explore every nook and that weren’t present in the 16kb compo cranny of the game’s massive, single-load version add to the polish, with the (!) environment. Be prepared to make a map overall package oozing the usual Psytronik as there are plenty of opportunities for quality we’ve all become accustomed to. new areas to be unlocked with later Sonically, Honey Bee features an upgrades, all of which give you a real assortment of fun, boppy tunes that fit satisfying feel of augmenting your the game well are all rather pleasant, but abilities. will eventually begin to wear a bit thin All of this great work is undone by two over time as they continue to loop and design issues that could have been repeat. rectified with a bit more care. Your The gameplay isn’t overly difficult and is character’s movement feels much too stiff, easy to get into, however, I did become and the way he awkwardly descends and frustrated by the pixel perfect collision jumps is oddly robotic and without any detection at times, sometimes not knowing sense of inertia. This results in you how I died at all. That being said, it’s having to work against the control system fun for a while and my 10 year old rather than with it, which is fundamental daughter really enjoyed playing it, in making a great platform game. laughing away as she splattered into a The other issue is to do with the enemies. tree for the umpteenth time. I’m not They look great, sure, but I hate the way particularly keen on the bonus levels every time you re-enter a room any though, which seem more like an previously destroyed enemies reappear. It afterthought than a worthy addition to hampers the feeling of making progress in the game. the game, and also makes backtracking an Honey Bee Enhanced would have made quite unnecessarily difficult affair. It only the delightful budget release back in the takes a few hits to die and there’s no C64’s heyday. It’s easy to imagine the save points in the game - making the game game with a Codemasters logo slapped onto very hard unless you have an Action Replay it. Today, it still holds up as a fresh or similar cartridge of you’re playing on and fun time waster that will give you and an emulator. the kids a few hours of entertainment. 6/10 6/10 Cam Unkle K
Eye of the Gods Psytronik, February 2016 Commercial http://www.psytronik.net/
Agh. I feel really conflicted reviewing this game. There is so much that Eye of the Gods does right! I am totally on board for a Metroid-esque game but there are also a lot of petty grievances that stand out.
I love the central formula of a massive network of interconnected rooms to explore and find new abilities hidden throughout, and using those abilities to unlock
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CBM Asteroids Pentagram Wegi, April 2016 Rod & Emu, May 2016 Commercial Freeware [email protected] http://csdb.dk/release/?id=148188
Asteroids is one of those arcade games The one real pang of jealousy we felt which has never converted well on the C64. towards Spectrum owners was over their Sure there’s been Blasteroids, along with Ultimate Filmation games. Who among us Norbert Kehrer’s Asteroids Emulator, but didn't hanker after Knight Lore? It neither have really satisfied. wasn’t to be though, with only Nightshade making the journey across, but thankfully, Thankfully, Wegi’s stepped up to the if belatedly, we now have Pentagram, the challenge and delivered with CBM last of Ultimate's Sabreman Asteroids, which truly does put the arcade adventures. The wait was worth it as it's experience onto your C64. a lovely conversion. There aren’t many embellishments here - just an intro whilst decrunching, along Using that iconic isometric 3D, you’re with a title screen. challenged to explore and find a number of objects, using them correctly to win the All of those are rendered in good old game. As was traditional, most rooms are white-on-black, serving as the perfect puzzles in themselves, and a lot of the throwback to the monochromatic vector joy comes from figuring out each room. displays used in its arcade form. Speccy owners, in what was undoubtedly the Onto the gameplay, and it’s quite the start of an upturn in the number of rubber faithful conversion. The level progression fetishists, were happy enough to use their plays out like you’d expect, slowly dead flesh keyboards to play their ramping up the number of asteroids to games. As a result, Pentagram plays clear in each stage, along with the better using the keyboard. The joystick frequency of attacks by both the large and controls are functional but jumping can be small saucers. a little awkward. Still, it's by no means The controls feel solid enough - squeezing a game-breaker. the arcade set up onto a single joystick, and feeling quite solid in the process. I've no idea why Pentagram was converted The graphics are clear representations of above, say, Knight Lore, but it doesn't the arcade assets, though scaled up to matter. That it exists is fantastic. You better suit a humble TV set. should play it and finally experience the joys and frustrations of this isometric Despite the small loss of smoothness, CBM world for yourself. Asteroids is a great conversion, and will be welcomed by any fan wanting arcade fun 8.5/10 on their C64! Paul
8.5/10 Rob
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Quod Init Exit IIm BOOK REVIEWS Retream, June 2016 Donationware C64 in Pixels Fusion Retro Books, 2016 http://www.retream.com/QUOD_INIT_EXIT_IIm/ Softcover/hardcover, 266 pages
https://fusionretrobooks.com/
Quod Init Exit IIm is the sequel to Quod Init Exit which was released in 2012. The Story of the C64 in Pixels is the However, it plays nothing like the latest work of love by prolific original, instead featuring some smooth 8 retrogaming-tome-producer, Chris Wilkins. way scrolling platform action with our hero, Zampo the pig. Like the first game, Weighing in at almost 270 pages, The Story there is a running theme of food, toilets of the C64 in Pixels is a rollicking, and potties and your special power is a collaborative affair with contributions turbo fart that helps you jump across some from many of the alumni of the halcyon C64 of those longer gaps. There are also food days. Coders, musicians, artists, sceners, items that you need to eat to keep your salesmen, and managers are all represented hunger at bay. Ultimately, your job is to here, each with sordid (ok, not really collect all of the potties in the realm to that sordid at all what’s the rating on bring normality back to the kingdom. this book anyway?) tales to tell.
While playing the game, I did find that Things kick off with a sharp, condensed the movement feels a little clunky, and it history of Commodore International centred does require some precision jumping as it around confrontational and charismatic is easy to miss the edge of a platform. founder Jack Tramiel. We then move onto some extremely interesting, if Enemies come flying at you pretty quickly disconnected, sections about cartridge and as soon as you touch one, you’ll go games, C64 music remixes, and loaders. back to the last checkpoint flag which are Some of the contributors here were a very littered across the platforms. Graphics, pleasant surprise. however, are beautiful. Featuring high resolution sprites and backgrounds, this The middle of the book shows a selection is one colourful game. Music is a bit of popular C64 games (with pleasing cheeky as well. The atmosphere generated screenshot spreads) with a short synopsis fits the theme quite well. for each game. I would have loved to have seen some more juicy bits of information Whilst beautiful, I do feel overall the about each game here and unfortunately game needs a bit more attention with the this section pales when compared to the control scheme and platform layout. It is sheer awesomeness of the First and Third great, however, to see more platformers parts. coming out this year. The final and largest section, The 5.5/10 Memoirs, is also by far the best. In fact, Raj
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it’s so good I would have been happy if computing revolution in Sweden, but will the entire book was filled with these also give many readers a sense of poignant snippets of retrogaming history. familiarity, allowing them to establish a With contributions from a breadth of C64 connection with the book based on their talent, The Memoirs are the stories that I own experiences and memories. want to read. The pattern of questions may What then follows are the people and their be a little obvious but the insights from stories. Personalities range from tech the famous C64 folk are glorious. gurus, entrepreneurs, musicians, game
developers as well as famous (and There is so much tasty C64 goodness to infamous) hackers, crackers and demo sink your teeth into here that I have no sceners. Chapters about famous scene choice but to highly recommend The Story groups TRIAD and Fairlight are of the C64 in Pixels. Buy it now, make a particularly interesting, which are cuppa, and settle in for an amazing followed by some touching tributes for a journey. handful of Swedish sceners who have passed
away. It was also great to read about the Ant game makers and the stories that were told about the development of some bona-fide Generation 64 C64 hits, that either come from Sweden or Bitmap Books, 2016 have a strong Swedish connection. Hardcover, 181 pages The presentation of Generation 64 is http://www.bitmapbooks.co.uk/ second to none. It is a beautiful book of sublime quality. Everything from the cardboard slipcase and design, to the printing and colours are superb. Every page is thoughtfully laid out, easy to read and eye catching. Choosing a non- glossy finish for the pages was also a wise decision. Anyone considering a retro themed book would do well to look at Generation 64 and the Bitmap Books back catalogue.
One criticism is the lack of a contents page (or even a proper index). Why a contents page wasn’t included is beyond The Commodore 64 and its influence on the me. Maybe it was a stylistic decision, but UK gaming industry is a well told story, flicking through the book looking for especially with the release of several certain chapters or sections can be books and documentaries of late. frustrating when there are 181 pages to Generation 64 tells a different story, wade through! with author Jimmy Wihelmsson taking us on There is no doubt that Generation 64 is a a journey to his native Sweden, where the niche product, but it is an extremely well C64 heavily influenced a generation of presented book and a very interesting Swedish gamers, some of whom became global read, not only from a cultural point of success stories in the gaming and ICT view for Swedish gamers, but also for the industries, amongst others. rest of us to read about how it all began Beginning with a brief rundown on the for some very big names in the industry. birth of home computing in Sweden, the Thoroughly recommended! first few chapters give some background Unkle K information and help the reader gain some much needed context for what is to follow. The beginning chapters not only give a fascinating insight into the early
Issue #08, January 2016 Page 65
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 66 Cheat & Beat By Vinny Mainolfi
Welcome to my new, regular 11831,173. Simple. column that sets out to assist So let’s get this show started you with Commodore 64 games with a few cheats and features that you may be struggling to for some Commodore 64 newbies… get through. Now I’m all for taking on a challenge and playing through a game WITHOUT cheats, but now and again we NEWBIES all hit a part in a game where Super Carling the Spider no matter how hard we try, we (Psytronik) just can’t manage to get passed an annoying end of level boss, First up, we have a bunch of or find a particular key to cheats and features for the advance you to the next 30 odd cute platformer Super Carling levels. We all have a break- the Spider coded by Joe point, which inevitably ends up ‘Polygon’ Dixon for Psytronik in a flick of the OFF switch on Software. A challenging little our beloved machine, and moving game that can get a little on to another game. How many tough in places, and so here games have we never completed, are a few POKES to assist you leaving a whole load of through those difficult bits… unchartered areas we have never Lives: seen? I’m guessing many of you. POKE 11831,96 (173) I for one want my monies worth - $2E37 60 (AD) and would like to see the rest of the game that I’ve spent my Timer: hard earned cash on. And so I’m POKE 7793,173 (206) here to help and reveal the - 1E71 AD (CE) hidden depths of those oh-so- Invincible: hard Commodore 64 games… POKE 9448,0 (1) With regards to the POKES that - $24E8 00 (01) I provide, they can be used in Moon Jump: conjunction with an Action POKE 7924,0 (9) Replay Cartridge, or any other - $1EF4 00 (09) freeze utility that allows you to enter in POKEs. I’ve even Tune Select: provided the HEX codes that you POKE 16991,0-6 can enter into emulators. I’ll - $425F 00-06 provide the POKE first, and Level Skip: then the HEX code – so take POKE 32637,2 your pick. The bracketed - $7F7D 02 (00) numbers will reset/turn off the cheats and revert the game back Game End: to its original state if POKE 32635,25 required. For example: to turn - $7F7B 19 ON infinite lives for Super POKE 32636,2 Carling the Spider, you need to - $7F7C 02 POKE 11831,96. To turn OFF POKE 32637,2 infinite lives, POKES - $7F7D 02
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Slime Deluxe (TND Games) Freeze Timer: POKE 7753,173 (206) This arcade game was originally coded by - $1E49 AD (CE) Mr. Nop, and then enhancements were added POKE 15464,173 (206) by Richard Bayliss of TND Games, giving - $3C68 AD (CE) the game a little more glitter and POKE 34003,173 (206) glamour. The game can get a little hectic, - $84D3 AD (CE) and so now and again you may need a little POKE 38442,173 (206) help… - $962A AD (CE) Lives: - Tiger Claw (.PRG version) POKE 32972,189 (222) As well as providing you with a map to - $80CC BD (DE) this delightful platformer by the LazyCow Infinite Smart Bombs (Commodore Key to team, I’ve also created a few cheats and activate): features for you to play with: POKE 36936,0 - $9048 00 Infinite Energy: POKE 37009,173 (238) POKE 15119,0 (1) - $9091 AD (EE) - $3B0F 00 (01)
Level Skip: Fly Mode (Push up): POKE 35189,1 POKE 12619,0 (1) - $8975 01 - $314B 00 (01)
Walk Through Walls: POKE 13838,0 (0A) Spaceman Splorf (Pond) - $360E 00 (10) This next feature isn’t really going to POKE 13747,0 (0A) add much to the game because the gameplay - $35B3 00 (10) is all about avoiding the asteroids to Game Ending: gain points. But saying that, it’s fun to POKE 38825,4 fly around for a bit without getting hit… - $97A9 04 Invincibility:
POKE 2540,00 (43) - $09EC 00 (2B) OLDIES
Okay – so you’ve had your quota of new MAH (Retream) game cheats… it’s time for some oldies from the Hackersoft archives (pads 19 and This fast-paced 20)… arcade game from First up, a title that I purchased back in Saimo of Retream is the day, and still own to this very day… a bit of a hidden gem. A lot of people are put off by the frustration and Avenger (Gremlin Graphics) simplicity of the This cheeky little feature allows you to game, but if you persist and spend at walk through all the walls – allowing you least 20 minutes trying to work out what to get wherever you want… to do (which is one of the qualities of the game), then you’ll get hooked to the Walk Through Walls: point that you’ll want to complete it! I POKE 10474,24 (56) was fortunate enough to be on the team - $28EA 18 (38) testing the game and so I had to play it POKE 10640,23 (56) to the end WITHOUT cheats! For those of - $2990 18 (38) you who just can’t stand the heat… POKE 10793,24 (56)
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- $2A29 18 (38) - $69C8 01 (00) POKE 10840,24 (56) Countdown Off: - $2A58 18 (38) POKE 27843,234 (173) - $6CC3 EA (AD) POKE 27844,169 (31) Silk Worm (The Sales Curve) - $6CC4 A9 (1F) POKE 27845,0 (208) Not really a game I played much when it - $6CC5 00 (D0) first came out back in 1989, because at that point I’d moved on to the Master System – only to return back to the Commodore 64 about 6 months later! Exolon by Nick Jones
Invincibility: This was a popular game back in the day. I POKE 20529,96 (185) remember playing it quite a lot - but I - $5031 60 (B9) soon grew tired and never returned to it as I found it very frustrating. Thirty Freeze Timer: years later, I hacked the game and created POKE 26992,0 (1) the following cheats to get me through it… - $6970 00 (01) POKE 26913,0 (1) Infinite Lives: - $6921 00 (01) POKE 7427,173 (206) - $1D03 AD (CE)
Infinite Ammo: Hewson POKE 7651,173 (206) - $1DE3 AD (CE) Our final section provides cheats and features for the theme of this issue of Infinite Grenades: RESET – which in this case is games from POKE 5650,173 (206) Hewson Consultants (courtesy of Hackersoft - $1612 AD (CE) pads 4, 5 and 16). Without further ado…
Gribbly’s Day Out by Andrew Braybrook
Even though this game appeared to be totally frustrating and very difficult to play, it still managed to hold its own and stay secure in the hearts of most Commodore 64 gaming freaks. But just in case you’re still struggling with it… Uridium by Andrew Braybrook
How many of you remember seeing this Invincibility: superb shoot-em-up for the first time EVER POKE 24662,165 (133) back in 1986? I DO! One of my school chums - $6056 A5 (85) was the first person in our school to POKE 28711,0 (1) purchase a copy and paraded it around the - $7027 00 (01) playground (bastard!). On loading the game, it was obvious that Andrew Braybrook Gravity Off: had created a masterpiece, which still POKE 27080,1 (0) stands its ground today! But for those of
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you still struggling with the game… there were any other games he created that I could hack. To my amazement there was, Level Skip (use Commodore Key): and it was in the form of a '3D' puzzle The following POKEs will not only platformer called Mission Impossibubble manipulate the game’s code, but it will that had totally passed me by. If you’ve also introduce a new piece of code into struggled to play through and see all the the game that allows you to skip levels by cool levels… pressing the Commodore Key: Collision: POKE 12196,32 POKE 22328,76 (240) POKE 12197,192 - $5738 4C (F0) POKE 12198,200 POKE 22329,66 (8) POKE 51392,169 - $5739 42 (08) POKE 51393,127 POKE 22330,87 (141) POKE 51394,141 - $573A 57 (8D) POKE 51395,0 POKE 51396,220 Freeze Time: POKE 51397,173 POKE 23538,44 (202) POKE 51398,1 - $5BF2 2C (CA) POKE 51399,220 Freeze Enemy: POKE 51400,201 POKE 39259,96 (222) POKE 51401,223 - $995B 60 (DE) POKE 51402,208 POKE 51403,3 POKE 51404,76 POKE 51405,184 Before I go, I feel I need to point POKE 51406,21 out that all these cheats and features POKE 51407,173 were personally acquired by myself. I POKE 51408,1 painstakingly went through the game POKE 51409,220 code and found the relevant switches POKE 51410,96 POKE 3394,50 that generates the cheats and features. It’s a challenge in itself, Make sure you enter them in correctly and a lot of fun… when it works! otherwise you may crash the game! Until the next issue – feel free to drop me an email asking for specific cheats and features for games that you are currently stuck on. You can contact me at: [email protected]. Oh – and you can also see me on my two Commodore 64 websites: www.c64endings.co.uk www.hackersoft.co.uk
Ciao for now!
Vinny Mainolfi owns and maintains the Mission Impossibubble by Mat Sneap wonderful C64 Endings website. He also produces his crazyhacks under the Hackersoft label. I first stumbled on this game after crazy hacking the Mat Sneap game http://www.c64endings.co.uk 'KNUCKLEBUSTERS' and decided to see if
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 70 Format Wars! By Last Chance
Game: Anarchy Publisher: Hewson/Rack-It Year: 1987
Written for the Commodore 64 by Michael Sentinella. In-game graphics by Michael Sentinella. Title screen by BAY. Music by Nigel Greave.
Converted for the ZX Spectrum by Dominic Robinson. Converted for the Amstrad CPC by Michael Croucher, with graphics by John Cumming and sounds by J. Dave Rogers.
“So you might GAME STATUS 15.75 and the review at CPC wonder, what Game Reviews has a score of 7 The moment I was made aware out of 10. makes me like that this magazine's theme would be Hewson, I knew I was the game at all? in trouble, because I didn't DESCRIPTION & REVIEW Well, I'm a know of any Hewson games that would have just two versions A short version of the game's sucker for available, at least from which official description could go cheapness, and the other was made for the C64, something like this: You have so I had very little options been chosen to break into a this game has it from those that had no more security complex of the rebels in spades.” than three. In the end, Anarchy who have taken over the planet from Hewson's low-budget range Sentinel 4, and your mission is was the only plausible, and to destroy the rebels' entire really, possible choice for supply with the help of your this issue. A.C.E. Mk2 Interceptor unit. I guess it always has to be My experience with the game is something elaborate in order to fairly limited, but it seemed get you in the mood. to have surprisingly good reviews at the time of release Although it hasn't been - for example, Zzap!64 gave it confirmed anywhere, it is very 83% and Your Sinclair gave it clear that Anarchy was adapted an 8 out of 10. Currently, the for the Commodore 64 from a original C64 version has an 1985 Taito arcade game called unexpectedly low score of 6.7 Raiders5. Thanks to Neo-Rio at Amstrad Vs Spectrum Vs C64. from a total of 52 votes at Lemon64 for pointing that out. It’s on again! Lemon64; 43 World of Spectrum The basic idea is the same: you voters have rated their version control a tank-like entity in a 8.06; the score at CPC-Softs is top-down 2D maze, in which your mission is to destroy all the
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necessary blocks interesting customized loaders. Since Rack while keeping your -It was basically Mastertronic's UK enemies at a safe distribution label for Hewson's titles distance. Once you with lower priority, the tape loaders were have destroyed all based on the same loading scheme used by the necessary Mastertronic's later 80's releases. This blocks, an exit would mean, that on the C64, the Invade-a- will appear and you Load! loader game would be replaced by must enter it in loading screens, and there would be no order to pass on to music either. Of course, this just the next level. balances out the three versions, but since While in Raiders5, we're not counting this into the scores, you really only it's all the same. need to destroy
certain blocks (yellow ones from the midst of light grey ones), in Anarchy you need to destroy all the destroyable blocks before an exit will appear, and you also need to get to the exit with your weapons disabled.
Naturally, the game grows more difficult as you make progress, and you will also come across some special enemies along the way. Although it has only 16 levels, Anarchy offers a nice challenge.
For what became to remain Michael Sentinella's only known game, Anarchy certainly proved his talent, and left us wanting for more. If nothing more, at least it serves as a good reminder, that Hewson had great little things to offer in the mid-price range as well. C64 (top), CPC (middle) & Spectrun loading LOADING screens.
Since the comparison is restricted to the 8-bits by nature, and because all evidence point towards this game having only been The loading screens show the cover art in released on tape, we might as well take a three slightly different angles and look at the usual threesome's loading different variations of colouring, the C64 times... version getting it the closest to the cover art in both colouring and angle. Only the Rack-It triangle has been C64/Hewson: 2 min 36 sec mirrored for the C64 loader, probably due C64/Ozisoft: 2 min 17 sec to a lapse in attention. Since the game has no proper title logo, every version CPC/Hewson: 3 min 44 sec has its own version of the title.
SPE/Hewson: 4 min 30 sec PLAYABILITY Strange, usually the Amstrad version is Anarchy is one of those games, in which the slowest of the lot... anyway, unlike gameplay is so solid and neatly regular Hewson games, the lower-priced structured, it's difficult to screw it up. Rack-It titles feature no particularly
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Essentially, all three versions are very The C64 version uses smooth push-scrolling similar, but there are some slight, almost method, which activate a few blocks from barely notable differences. In fact, one the edge of the screen. The other two also of the biggest differences is in the use push-scroll, but it is made to reveal control methods: on C64, you can play with a bigger chunk of the map at a time. On a joystick in either port, while both the AMSTRAD version, this isn't that much SPECTRUM and AMSTRAD force you to play of a bother, but the SPECTRUM version has with a predefined set of keys. The keys all the informative bits spread to all for the SPECTRUM version are A for left, S four corners instead of having them nicely for right, L for up, comma for down and P lined up below or above the action screen, for fire. The keys for the AMSTRAD version and so the score panels and all those are either cursors or Q for up, A for sorts of things take up space you would down, N for left, M for right and ENTER need to see what would be happening in for fire. front of you. For example, in level 5, you might run into a regular enemy droid at You move your tank in the four main the bottom right corner of the level, directions only, and you can only shoot in because it hides behind the score panel. the direction you are going. The levels I'd say that's a huge minus, which is are built of various types of destroyable unfortunate, because otherwise the blocks and single-type indestructible SPECTRUM version plays very nicely. ones, and you can only shoot the destroyable ones from a distance of at If you want to nit-pick about details, least one block between you and the block there are some minor changes made to level you're about to destroy. In later levels, layouts for the SPECTRUM and AMSTRAD you will also come across blocks that will versions compared to the original, which I respawn elsewhere in the level after haven't really noticed having any real having destroyed them once. There are a difference to the gameplay balance. Also, couple of different kinds of enemies the regular enemy droids might have a roaming around, depending on the level: somewhat better AI, but it's difficult to regular drones that can be rendered tell without being a coder. But, were it inactive for a while by shooting at them, not for the exclusive options on the C64, and special security droids that cannot be I'd say the C64 and AMSTRAD versions play destroyed or made inactive, and who will just about similarly enough to call it a centre on your location and follow you as tie between them, while the SPECTRUM straight as they possibly can. This will version is let down by the info bits' render them somewhat deceivable, but you locations. As it is, though... still have a time limit you have to take into account. C64 - 3 There are practically only two differences that set the original apart from the two CPC - 2 conversions. The first one you will notice from the C64 version having a title menu, SPE - 1 which allows you to change the number of players and your tank's acceleration speed from three possible choices - slow, medium GRAPHICS and fast. For some reason, these also Anarchy. For anyone aware of the word's correspond to novice, intermediate and connection to the punk rock scene and the hard difficulty levels respectively, always fun to draw circle around the first although I couldn't find much difference 'A' letter in the word, the styling has in them that way. For the SPECTRUM and become almost inseparable from the word. AMSTRAD versions, you only get a single Perhaps there is something of a similar player mode and fast acceleration speed, idea present in Hewson's Anarchy's plot, which on the other hand is quite enough but how has the spirit been represented for most of us. here? The second difference is more important.
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Not that well. Only the C64 version features the anarchy signal in some cheap digital imitation, but I guess it can be considered as a modern, machine- b u i l t c l e a n Levels 1&3 rendition of an C64 (left), Amstrad (middle), Spectrum (right) anarchy. The rest of the title Once the game actually starts, the most screen is kind of immediately notable graphical difference busy with the between the three versions is the screen flying drones and size. On the AMSTRAD and SPECTRUM, this every line of text has some actual importance, because in their own neither of them have proper scrolling like separate boxes, the C64 version does. As it is, the C64 and the official version's screen size falls between the Hewson logo in the other two, with the SPECTRUM version middle of it all. having less width and the AMSTRAD one The CPC title having more. The way the C64 version's screen is a bit scrolling works is that your tank pushes boring, with no actual graphical content, the screen to either direction from the apart from a special font used for all the middle area of the screen, until it text, and a light blue box around the reaches either end of the level, whereupon Hewson copyright bit. The SPECTRUM title the tank will move freely around at either screen is almost as boring, but it does side of the screen, depending on which end have a more Hewsonesque title logo, kind of the level you happen to be at. The of reminiscent of Cybernoid and the like. AMSTRAD and SPECTRUM versions will force All the rest of it is just text in another you to move closer to the far edge of the new font, but there's a lot of more colour screen before the screen flips about half- used here than in the AMSTRAD version. way forwards, which leaves less time for you to react to any enemies. As the SPECTRUM version also has all the info bits slightly inside the action screen at each corner of the screen, your view is often blocked as you push the screen into either possible direction.
Design-wise, the SPECTRUM version can be considered the prettiest of the lot, but if you're like me and can sometimes have problems seeing things in environment where everything blends together, it's not your ideal version then. Both AMSTRAD and C64 use wider pixels, but the AMSTRAD version has more suitable colours for the Before you get to play, the C64 version game. The thing is, the AMSTRAD version gives you some options, as shown here in doesn't have much of visual effects. Once the screen with the blue background. The you have destroyed all the necessary other two versions don't have an options blocks from a level, the other two menu, but they give you a small breather versions acknowledge the opening of an between each level with a traditional "Get exit by some visual effect - on the C64, Ready" screen instead. the background pattern starts scrolling,
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Levels 5&6 C64 (left), Amstrad (middle), Spectrum (right)
and on the SPECTRUM, the lights will fade blending in with the background graphics. off and on until you reach the exit. There Happily, the backgrounds have been is none of that on the AMSTRAD, and all designed in such a way that such a problem the other animations have been left to the occurs only rarely. Perhaps the C64 most essentials only. One of the most version doesn't look the most appealing on entertaining graphical differences first sight, but it has the most actually has to do with animations - in functional overall look. the SPECTRUM version, an enemy that has been disabled, will starts showing signs of life by making the cross sign on the box spinning, while in the other two versions, the box with the cross sign flashes red and white.
Due to the futuristic, almost non- descriptive style of the graphics, it doesn't really matter much, what do all the blocks, enemies and backgrounds look like. What's more interesting is, are the graphics functional, and how appealing does the game look. The appeal factor, of course, is a personal matter, but the functionality part is mostly about how C64 high-scores. well do all the moving objects stand out from the backgrounds. In the AMSTRAD What I find funny about old arcade-like version, all the backgrounds are a bit games for home computers is that so many overdecorated considering the wider of them have these obligatory high score pixels, but the well-balanced colouring lists, even though they were rarely does help the outcome. In the SPECTRUM possible to be saved for posterity. So, version, the sprites are all monochrome, when a mid-priced game like this goes a so they have a greater potential of bit extravagant in the size of the high
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SOUNDS
This is interesting. Had I not accidentally left the title sequence of
the C64 version looping for quite some time due to something happening in the kitchen, I probably would not have noticed that the title screen features four different short tunes, which are played in turns. The way the loop sequence goes is, the title screen is on for about 10-15 seconds, after which the high score table is shown, and finally, another 10-15 seconds are spent on demoing the game. There is nothing particularly impressive about any of the four little tunes, but they fill their purpose, and a couple of them are even rather memorable.
High scores The SPECTRUM version's title sequence only Amstrad (top) alternates between the title screen and Spectrum (bottom) the high scores table, at least until you
have played the game one round, after which the game demo is shown as a replay from some part of your previous session. score list, particularly when the game is In terms of music, though, there is only only available on tape, you have to one title theme tune, which is actually applaud the game designer's audacity to rather good and fitting for the game, and have this kind of cheek. The C64 version lasts for about 38 seconds. But lo and has 15 entries in the high score list, all behold, the AMSTRAD version also has just displayed on one screen along with the one title theme tune, which is, frankly, surprisingly NES-like character table to even better and compositionally longer write your name with. The AMSTRAD and than the SPECTRUM tune, and loops as long SPECTRUM versions have more sedate high as you like to hear it, because there is score tables, but for the SPECTRUM no separate screen for high scores, nor is version, someone decided to do a little there a demo mode lurking around the tech demo feature of scrolling bars in the corner. In fact, I might take the unsafe foreground and background, while jamming route here and claim that the CPC version the list itself in the middle. Nice touch. has the best music, even though the C64 Although I left out some bits here, the has four nice, but short tunes. important parts have been dealt with, and But the sound effects are an entirely most of the left-out bits are merely different matter. To me, at least, the variations on the same things. Anyway, sound effects on the original C64 version since we're focusing primarily on the are a bit too weird, but more importantly, quality of graphics here, less their unfitting. Somehow, the sounds the game functionality, I have to base the scores produces when destroying regular blocks on colours, animations, effects and reminds me of Donald Duck's Playground, scrolling. only these are randomized, but still very similar sounds. There are some other noises as well, but none of them feel C64 - 3 powerful or energetic enough. For this SPE - 2 sort of a game, I would have expected something a bit more mechanical and clunky CPC - 1 for sound effects. The SPECTRUM version has only sound effects for when you destroy anything, and they remind me
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mostly of DOS platformers like Commander dig through the archive. You should be Keen, but they're loud and effective able to find comparisons of at least enough to work. Also, due to their Cybernoid, Eliminator and Uridium from determinedly solid way of sounding, I'm there, and some other mentions in the more inclined to like them. The AMSTRAD Unique Games series. sound effects are more akin to the C64 version, but your weapon has a more percussive and noticeable sound to it. Now it's more like Donald Duck meets Cybernoid.
Anyway, quantity doesn't always mean quality, or vice versa. Surprisingly, the SPECTRUM version has the most fitting sound effects, and the AMSTRAD version has the best theme tune. But also, I'd say the AMSTRAD version has the best combination of both. Even though this is bound to shock many of you, I'm going to have to say the C64 version has my least favourite soundtrack, as it is the least impressive.
CPC - 3
SPE - 2
C64 - 1
OVERALL
That didn't go quite as expected, but in the end, the results are as close to each other as one could possible hope for them to be. As it usually goes, the platform for which the game was designed, beats the conversions by some distance, but in all honesty, all three versions of Anarchy are quite playable and each of them have something to offer that the others don't have. See for yourselves.
1. COMMODORE 64: Playability 3, Graphics 3, Sounds 1 = TOTAL 7 2. AMSTRAD CPC: Playability 2, Graphics 1, Sounds 3 = TOTAL 6 Anarchy Level 1 C64 (top), Amstrad (middle), Spectrum (bottom) 3. ZX SPECTRUM: Playability 1, Graphics 2, Sounds 2 = TOTAL 5
Visit Last Chance’s Blog,
So there you go - a Hewson-related Finnish Retro Game Comparison Blog comparison, as requested. For more Hewson- related comparisons, feel free to visit http://frgcb.blogspot.com.au/ the Finnish Retro Game Comparison Blog and
Reset... Page 77 Deep Thoughts By Merman
Over the past year I have been privileged Moonfall would appear on the 21st Century to work on two projects with Andrew Hewson Entertainment label Andrew Hewson and his son Rob. The first was an in-depth started, and that company went on to interview for Retro Gamer. And then I was great success with its Amiga pinball delighted to be asked to help with the games. The appearance of classic Hewson proof reading on Andrew's book Hints & Tips titles on the C64 DTV was a timely For Videogame Pioneers, which tells the reminder of what the company had story of Hewson Consultants (and 21st achieved. And soon you will be able to Century Entertainment). read the full story from behind the scenes, which I'm sure all RESET readers Andrew's books on using the ZX81 and will enjoy too. Spectrum, along with his magazine column, attracted programmers to send in their For more compilations, visit Andy games. After a string of Spectrum hits, it Vaisey's great Compilation64 site at: was Graftgold and Andrew Braybrook that http://www.compilation64.blogspot.com gave Hewson great C64 games. For more on the Hewson book, visit: I played several of them on compilations, with Andrew Hewson understanding the value http://hewsonconsultants.com of licensing his games to get further revenue from them. 3D Lunattack, Gribbly's Day Out and Paradroid all appeared on Beau Jolly collections (which the label specialised in). And Hewson put out great compilations too. Four Smash Hits brought together Zynaps, Exolon (a great conversion of Rafaelle Cecco's Spectrum hit by Nick Jones), Ranarama and Uridium Plus (with new ship layouts).
4th Dimension remains one of my Hewson favourites. Four games originally intended for budget release on the Rack-It label were put in one box, for the same amount as one full-priced game. Insects in Space was an amazing shoot 'em up from Sensible Software. Mission Impossibubble impressed with its isometric levels, created by Mat Sneap. Head The Ball was a delayed Graftgold conversion. And Cyberdyne Warrior came from the Rowlands brothers, then The C64 Direct-to-TV (C64 DTV) famous for Creatures and Retrograde, providing solid flick-screen platform action with plenty of blasting. A great value package from great teams. Visit Merman’s SEUCK archive, SEUCK Vault, for hundreds of downloadable SEUCK Hewson had a strong track record before its creations. liquidation. Delayed games Rubicon and http://www.seuckvault.co.uk/
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 78 The Commodore Jedi Master By Lenard R. Roach
Written with the expressed ignorantly called a consent from The Estate of "typewriter". He corrected me Carl B. Zuel. by explaining that it was a personal computer called a Everyone who uses a Commodore Commodore 64. It was the high had someone who introduced tech, top of the line gadget them to the machine. Maybe available on the market. He your person was the quick told me about all things it talking enthusiastic sales Lenard and his trusty C64. It was could do: It could be a clerk in the electronics Carl who first introduced Lenard typewriter, it could be a department in your local mall. to this amazing computer! video game, it can talk on the Maybe yours was the kind, telephone, it can even be told elderly relative who thought what it can become by simply you might enjoy this Commodore typing on the keyboard certain thingamabob for Christmas so key phrases called BASIC. He it ended up under your tree. showed me a few functions; he Me? It was the gift of a used “Carl imparted even let me sit down at the Commodore 64, printer, and machine and play with it. I tape drive from my wife's best much wisdom to was mesmerized! I couldn't friend at the time, but I am wait to get home and tell my me, especially getting ahead of myself. For new wife that we needed a this to be a true tale of Commodore 64 in the house. At in the new Commodore glory we must turn home, the wife heard of Carl's the hands of time back even field of gift and instantly shot down further to when Commodore my hopes and aspirations of first hit the market in my computing that getting a system of our own. little burg of what would soon "$600 just isn't in the he and I both grow into the city of Olathe. budget," she explained. I was explored.” Carl and I went to the same heartbroken but I knew she was high school. He was a right. I had a baby to feed sophomore and I was a senior. and bills to pay before I got Back then I was big into something as nifty as a superhero comics and I brought Commodore 64. a bunch to a dress rehearsal That was 1984. of a play we were both starring in and he started Coming to Christmas 1988, I thumbing through the issues. I got a slightly used Commodore said something stupid to him 64 for Christmas. I was goat and we hit it off instantly. hopping crazy happy when I got it and instantly called Carl Before I knew it we were going in Olathe (I was married with to midtown Kansas City every one son and living in Kansas Saturday at 10 am to make our City, Kansas by this time) and weekly "comic book run" to a told him that I finally got a little shop at 40th and Main. unit of my own. I couldn't One Christmas Day Carl showed wait to start working on me an interesting device his writing my movie script that parents got him that was on has been stuck in my head for Carl & Juli on their wedding sale at Sears Roebuck for months. day, of which Lenard was in $600. I went with him into his "Hold it a minute, Lenard," attendance. room and he showed me what I
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Carl said over my receiver, "you'll need "It's good, man," he said, "and I'm sure a proper software to change the computer magazine will pick it up, but let me add a into a word processor. Come to my frat tweak that will make it more user house at the college after classes resume friendly." and I'll fix you up." (Carl was attending Carl booted the program and within five Wichita State University by this time and minutes was already saving a final copy. was home for holiday). Right after New The problem I had was calculating how many Years 1989 I climbed into the Chevette and dashes ( - ) should go behind the printed made the four hour drive to Wichita, amount on the amount line of a check. Carl Kansas and to the Kappa Sigma fraternity set up a few algebraic expressions that house where Carl was a member. Carl was told the Commodore to figure it out and already a Big Man on Campus since he was print needed dashes onto the check. It the only person in any fraternity house to worked brilliantly when I got it home. have a personal computer. I went to his Carl also eliminated my SYS64738 command room where he had his Commodore 128 set saying to me that the program will now up. (He apparently upgraded). A quick scan work on a Commodore 128 in 40 column mode of the local boards and he found me the with that BASIC expression gone, and sure perfect word processing package that would enough, it did. I promised him $100 of my work best with the Commodore 64 and my sales to him, expecting to get $1,000 from tape drive, "Speedscript 3.0" from any magazine since this program was so "Compute Gazette" magazine. Carl happened necessary to life in the early 1990s. He to have that issue where the word told me to forget it or give it to a processor was printed and gave it to me to charity. use as a user manual. I thanked him and, after dinner, I headed back to Kansas City I saw Carl twice after this meeting: Once, with the program neatly tucked into a when he married his high school sweetheart cassette. I wrote my first and only movie, Juli and a second time a couple of years "Crimebusters," on that Commodore 64 using later to buy his Commodore 128 for he was the tape drive and 30 minutes of a 60 leaving the Commodore world to operate the minute cassette. growing IBM world.
With that magazine that Carl let me borrow My best friend ever died of a blood clot were other programs written in BASIC, in November 1998 at the very young age of BASIC machine, and machine language, and I 33 -- the same age Jesus Christ was when started to study how this type of talking He was nailed to a coarse wooden Roman worked with the Commodore. Before long cross. Parallel universe. most of the algebra I learned in high Carl imparted much wisdom to me, school started to come back to mind and especially in the new field of computing programming started to make sense, that he and I both explored. I've compiled especially BASIC. Before long I was a few things he told me to do especially writing short subroutines which, I hoped, when working on the Commodore. I hope in I could use later. the remainder of this article to share In spring 1992, I was in my car heading with you, the reader, what Carl, the again to see Carl at Wichita State. I just Commodore Jedi master, shared with me, the coded my very first salable program for Commodore padawan: the Commodore 64, but it lacked definition "Save early and save often" -- This was at when it came to printing. I sent the the top of Carl's list of functions to do program several times over to Carl using when he himself was coding on the the GEnie network and Carl couldn't do Commodore. As with even today's computers anything with it; he had to see the actual a person must save the work early and working model. By late morning I again often. You *never* know when any computer stood in Carl's room at the Kappa Sigma will crash so be sure that as little data fraternity house watching him muse over as possible ends up accidentally going what I wrote. into the Abyss of the Unknown.
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"Save under a different file name" -- Carl manufacturing of DSDD disks. Carl always believed that when you progress, preached to use direct from Commodore subroutine by subroutine, in your coding hardware and software products. Carl adventure, save your work, yes, but save imbedded in me the desire of making the work into several different file multiple copies of my Commodore work onto names. Carl suggested using numbers in a several disks. When Carl changed platforms sequence like: PROGRAM1, PROGRAM2, and due to necessity and sold me his Commodore etc. Why? He said that you may write a 128, he kept back a few disks not for subroutine that doesn't fit well with the personal use, but they had personal whole program, but it may work in a future information on them that I should not see. work. Also, if there is a hiccup that is I suspect there were love letters to his created and added to the work in progress, wife on those disks that were meant "for you can delete or note the offending her eyes only." Everyone has secrets. I subroutine and have the previous respect his decision. functioning code safely saved beforehand. Carl said more than this, but my ancient "Always checksum" -- Carl gave me this memory can't recall these quotes right at advice back when Commodore was just this scripting. He was a friend, brother, starting to lose status with the computing and teacher to me and, I suspect, to masses. When I coded "Check It Out" I others as well. More than his family and check summed the work to death. The friends lost a great man, but the program without checksums was about 20 Commodore world lost a great coder and blocks in size; with checksums added it educator. God bless you, Master Z. God was about 33 blocks. If it wasn't for a bless yours. Goodbye, farewell, and Commodore function called "crunching" I amen... would never been able to bring the program down to the workable size of 26 blocks. This was also the maximum block size allowed by "Run" magazine for publishing. Carl taught me to crunch also, which I do a lot whether the program needs it or not, but checksums, well, I have to confess. I don't add too many of those to my newer Commodore works because they are cumbersome to write and, I hope, the 21st century Commodore user is a little bit smarter than what they were in the 80s and 90s. If any mistakes happen during input by the user in any of my programs, I try to provide an out which usually requires the poor user to re-input all the information from start point alpha. Sorry Master Z, I have broken a sacred commandment. Carl Zuel, C64 mentor and best friend of Lenard Your forgiveness I implore. Roach, on his 33rd birthday. Sadly, Carl passed away 9 months later. "Make multiple copies on several disks" -- Carl, as I stated before, believed in "save early; save often."
He also believed in the above statement. One too many times he lost important files, documents, and programs to the Visit Lenard Roach’s Homepage evils of disk integrity failure. Even with fresh 5 1/4" disks from the computer store http://lenardroach.com/Home.php he would still lose data to the sin of lax
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 81 Reset Q&A
What is Reset Magazine?
Reset Magazine is a free, non-profit fanzine dedicated to the Commodore 64 computer. Our target audience is the casual Commodore 64 user and retro computer enthusiast. Reset is distributed on the internet as a free PDF.
Who produces Reset?
Reset is produced by Reset Magazine Staff. We also have many others who make contributions to the magazine. See page 3 for a complete credits list for this issue.
How often is Reset released?
We are aiming for Reset to be quarterly magazine. Keep an eye on our website, Facebook and Twitter pages for information about release dates. Reset #10 is scheduled for a November release.
Why bother?
Because we love the Commodore 64. Most of us have owned C64 computers for decades and have a long history with the computer. Our aim is to create an entertaining yet informative, light-hearted, English language magazine in the spirit of Commodore Format, ZZAP!, Commodore Scene and Commodore Zone, that we hope people can enjoy, learn from and have a laugh with.
Can I contribute to Reset?
If you would like to contribute to Reset, please contact us at our email address. New ideas are most welcome. If you have a product that you would like featured, some news to submit, or feel you have something else to offer please get in touch.
Can I buy a physical version?
A limited numbered set (30) physical copies of each issue are printed as Special Editions and are available for a very short time at the time of publication for each issue. These are sold on a first come, first served basis. If you would like a Special Edition of this issue or would like to pre-order the next, please contact us at [email protected].
Can I advertise in Reset?
Yes, for free. All we ask in return is that you support us, either by plugging the magazine on your website and/or social media, providing us with news or help us in some other way. If you would like to advertise in Reset please contact us.
What is a Reset Ripper?
The Reset Ripper is an award given to outstanding games we have reviewed, which have received a score of either 9 or 10 out of 10.
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 82 Final Thoughts
I hope you have enjoyed reading through this ninth issue of Reset. It was a no brainer that we dedicated this issue to Hewson Consultants. They played such an important part in what was then a fledgling industry and had a real impact on me personally as a child. I distinctly remember always looking forward to reading about the next Hewson release, as well as getting a chance to play through their back catalogue of games via the magazine covertapes, local computer club library and buying a few as well. Even then, as a young gamer, it was obvious that Hewson games had that extra bit of spit and polish that separated them from other, less consistent (or caring) publishers. When news of the Kickstarter first surfaced, the idea of a Hewson issue was talked about rather enthusiastically amongst the staff and the timing was finally right to realise the idea. We are privileged to have Andrew and Rob take their time out to involve themselves in the issue and also to have been given the opportunity to be involved in the announcement of their forthcoming game, Hyper Sentinel (which looks brill, by the way). Really, just recalling and conversing about all of those classic games has been lots of fun. As usual, a big thanks to the Reset Staffers who love this magazine as much as I do and constantly inspire me with their creativity and enthusiasm. Without them, Reset wouldn’t happen. I simply couldn’t imagine and wouldn’t want to do this with another team. Hopefully we still have many more issues left in us too! A big thank-you and pat on the back to all of the Reset contributors, both editorial and cover disk. Your hard work and enthusiasm is also appreciated and it’s a pleasure for me to have you all involved. Special thanks once again to Dr. J and Shine who put lots of time and effort into the Reset intros. Also a big thank-you to everyone who participated in interviews for the issue. So that’s it then for another issue. We’re hoping to release Reset #10 at the Syntax demo party, which is held in Melbourne during November. We’re also planning a few changes to the magazine too, tweaking the look and freshening things up a bit. It won’t be anything drastic, just a tidy up and some enhancements here and there. We’ve also been having some professionally made test prints of Reset done, in different size formats as well and the results have been fantastic. Exciting times ahead! Take care and see you in the Reset #10. Sincerely, Unkle K
Reset #09, June 2016 Page 83 Blow the Cartridge By Cameron Davis
http://inc-x.jimdo.com