Compute Gazette Type in Games

[grondinm]

Since i am new to the VIC I wanted to try and get the full experience including entering type in program listings. I have found on archive.org issues of Compute Gazette. I though this might be fun to do and also preserve these games in a playable format for those that don't want to take the time to type them in. I make no promises on a "release" schedule but i will try to type one in per week at least. I'll also try to go in order of issue.

My process will be

1. Type in program listing on real VIC-20
2. Save to tape
3. Record tape to PC
4. Convert sound to .tap
5. Test .tap file using Vice

The convert steps seem to be hit and miss for me sometimes. Either I'm doing something wrong/inconsistent or the tools/hardware I'm using are not consistent in output. I'll confirm Vice can load it at least twice. I'll make a new post for each "release" and give some details on it. If this thread is in the wrong section please move it. If this is something that is not wanted/permitted please also let me know and i will remove it.

[grondinm]

Game name: SkyDiver
Issue: 1 July 1983
Article by: Alan Crossley
Memory: Unexpanded
Notes: Joystick required
Description from Article:
"Skydiver" is a game of skill and luck in which you try to control a parachutist to a safe landing. It's up to you to choose when to jump and which landing pad to try for.You'll also have to learn to compensate for varying winds.

It seems I have some mistakes as the plane does not look quite right. It is playable. If you can see the mistake(s) I've made please let me know.

Hope you enjoy!

.tap file here
.prg file here

EDIT:Dec 21 - .tap file updated to a proper working one.

[grondinm]

Game name: Navets
Issue: 10 April 1984
Article by: Steven R. McCloskey
Memory: Unexpanded
Notes: Joystick required
Description from Article:
In "Nevets," you are transported to the Land of Adnerb, where your mission is to protect four power capsules against the ever encroaching Nevets. Your only defense against the thieving Nevets is a turret gun, which you control with your joystick.

.tap file here
.prg file here

EDIT:Dec 21 - .tap file updated to a proper working one.

[Noizer]

Interesting project that you demonstrate here. Wouldn't it be enough to enter the listings in vice and save it as PRG for sharing?

[vicist]

Some of these games may be available from VIC-20 Listings.

[grondinm]

Interesting project that you demonstrate here. Wouldn't it be enough to enter the listings in vice and save it as PRG for sharing?

Quite true. But as i do not have a sd2iec device it would still require some conversion for me to be able to play on my VIC. Like i said i also want to have the real full experience of the 80's with this.

Some of these games may be available from VIC-20 Listings.

I did find that resource but did not see anything from Compute Gazette specifically on it. That's why i figured i would do this.

[Mike]

I'll make a new post for each "release" and give some details on it. If this thread is in the wrong section please move it. If this is something that is not wanted/permitted please also let me know and i will remove it.

That's a nice project and it surely is welcome here. You should consider using the attachment facility of the forum to provide the *.tap files, perferably by putting them into *.zip archives - main reason: unless you have an own filehoster, cloud-based storage tends to disappear over the course of time ...

Within VICE, it is possible to save a 'digital' version of the type-ins as either *.prg files or within *.d64 disk images. These again can be attached here as *.zip-ped archives. If you have any question in that regard, details of that transfer process are discussed in the "Emulation and Cross Development" section.

[vicist]

Some of these games may be available from VIC-20 Listings.

I did find that resource but did not see anything from Compute Gazette specifically on it. That's why i figured i would do this.

There are several game books from Compute! on the site.
Skydiver is in Compute!'s First Book of VIC Games.
Nevets is not there, so is a welcome addition.
Maybe some of the other games you intend to enter can also be found in these books.

[grondinm]

Some of these games may be available from VIC-20 Listings.

I did find that resource but did not see anything from Compute Gazette specifically on it. That's why i figured i would do this.

There are several game books from Compute! on the site.
Skydiver is in Compute!'s First Book of VIC Games.
Nevets is not there, so is a welcome addition.
Maybe some of the other games you intend to enter can also be found in these books.

I did not look under books for them...thank you for pointing that out.


I feel i need to rethink how i'm going to do this...either i'm doing something wrong or something... 9 times out of 10 Vice won't load the .tap file. I swear it does/did load before i posted here. I don't understand what's going on but it's kinda really pissing me off...it should either fail all the time or load all the time. Maybe i just need to turn them into prg's.

[Mayhem]

Just to note both of these games are already in Gamebase20.

I applaud you doing type-ins and there's definitely a load that need doing, but I think all of that Compute book has been done.

[grondinm]

Just to note both of these games are already in Gamebase20.

Well then...thanks for raining on my parade LOL.

I did try and look for games mentioning Compute Gazette as the source but did not find anything i could use on my real VIC. I did find a site with them all posted in disk images but that did not seem as viable to me since i did not know how to use those to get the games to my VIC. Plus the idea of typing them in myself sounds much more fun...so i'll probably keep doing that for theses. If they are already in the community then i may keep them to myself.

Also where can one download gamebase20? Tried searching the forum but found only dead links...

I applaud you doing type-ins and there's definitely a load that need doing, but I think all of that Compute book has been done.

Oddly enough Half the fun for me is the typing in. Is there a resource listing games/programs that need to be done?

[prowlr]

I thought I had a link to a site where you could download a number of the Compute/Compute Gazette listings. I did find http://www.vic20listings.freeolamail.com/ which has type ins for a number of other magazines which you might enjoy.

I was lucky enough to have kept most of the type ins I did years back. More recently, I have mainly been typing in some of the Utils they have which I thought would help me manage my Vic20

[grondinm]

So it does seem like this project was DoA. Since all these have already been done and shared in a few places i see no point in sharing them again(unless there is a want for .tap/.prg "releases"). I still plan on typing in the ones i want since as i said the typing in is half the fun for me and using a disk image or similar just is not the same when it comes to these.

I'm still on the lookout for some typins that have not been done/shared already.

[grondinm]

Game name: Snake Escape
Issue: 1 July 1983
Article by: Daryl Biberdorf
Memory: Unexpanded
Notes: Modified controls to W,A,S,D

Description from Article:
In"SnakeEscape," your goal is to move a snake out of a poisonous garden. There are approximately 150 poisonous plants on the screen after you enter your skill level. The snake appears in the upper-left corner after all poisonous plants have been placed. You then attempt to get the snake to the escape hole within the time limit you chose earlier.

I know my last post said i would not post anymore of these as to not duplicate the work but since I've change the controls to be W,A,S,D I figured I would share. This one was quite fun to enter. Only 2 easy to fix mistakes.

Hope you enjoy!

.tap file here
.prg file here