Z*Net: 16-Aug-91 #9134
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aj434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 08/18/91-11:59:26 PM Z
From: aj434@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: Z*Net: 16-Aug-91 #9134
Date: Sun Aug 18 23:59:26 1991
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Z*NET INTERNATIONAL ATARI ONLINE MAGAZINE
August 16, 1991 Issue #91-34
Copyright (C)1991, Rovac Industries, Inc.
Publisher/Editor: Ron Kovacs
Editor: John Nagy
Assistant News Editor: Mike Mezaros
Software Shelf: Ron Berinstien
Reporter: Mike Brown
Games Column: Drew Kerr
=======================================================================
* CompuServe: 75300,1642 * Delphi: ZNET * GEnie: Z-Net *
* Internet: 75300,1642@Compuserv.Com *
=======================================================================
CONTENTS
THE EDITORS DESK..................................Ron Kovacs
Z*NET NEWSWIRE..............................................
GENCON 1991 REPORT................................Mike Brown
GLENDALE ATARIFEST UPDATE......................Press Release
CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT'S GAMEROOM........................Drew Kerr
FOREM DISCOUNT COUPON.......................................
CODEHEAD SOFTWARE SNEAK PREVIEW................Press Release
SAN DIEGO LYNX PREVIEW...........................Robert Jung
SUDDEN VIEW....................................Press Release
BLACKJACK PLUS 3...............................Press Release
Z*NET SOFTWARE SHELF..........................Ron Berinstein
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THE EDITORS DESK
----------------
by Ron Kovacs
=======================================================================
Much commentary was received during the week about our including the
after conference comments that appeared after the ST-Report Conference
transcripts last week. It was never my intention to purposely include
the comments to hurt anyone's feelings. The comments that followed
the actual conference were a part of the total picture since it was
abrutly ended by the guest speaker.
In the future, as I understand the guidelines set by GEnie management,
the after conference comments should not be included and the GEnie
sign-up information also attached to the article. I did not include
the information and apologize for the error. All directives will be
met in the future.
Here is more information on a story we ran a few weeks ago, the Atari
MannyFest in New York City. The following is reported by Drew Kerr who
made an effort to attend.
MANNYS
Miracle of miracles, an Atari event in New York City! Manny's, a long-
established professional music store, sponsored what might be called an
Atari micro-event at the end of July. The program focused on non-MIDI
software and featued Step-Ahead Software (Tracker), Goldleaf Publishing
(Wordflair II) and ICD Marketing (Calamus). Step-Ahead's Nevin Shalit
estimated about 50-60 people showed up between 12 noon and 6 pm and
called the event "a first positive step." All showcased software was
discounted.
Unfortunately, the program was poorly marketed -- only one quarter-page
ad in the weekly "Village Voice" the week before the event. Manny's
Peter Levin, who ran the show, doesn't own an Atari and is unaware of
how to reach the Atari community. Yet, he promises more Atari events in
the future. --Drew Kerr
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Z*NET NEWSWIRE
--------------
=======================================================================
ATARI EXPLORER GOES MONTHLY TO CATCH UP; SUBSCRIPTION DEAL
Publisher/Editor of Atari Explorer Magazine John Jainschigg says that
their production schedule is finally set and that they will be producing
issues on a monthly basis through the end of 1991, making up the normal
yearly total of six issues. The next issue should be arriving at
subscriber mailboxes in the next week, and features 15 pages of Atari
8-bit material in addition to the full Atari coverage. Jainschigg also
announced a discount on subscription rates to Atari user-group members.
Regular yearly rate for the Atari-owned bi-monthly magazine is $14.95,
but is now reduced for club members to only $9.95. Call Atari Explorer
for details at 218-723-9202.
HOUSTON ATARI SAFARI '91
HACE is sponsoring a one day computer show in Houston on September 28,
1991 at the Holiday Inn, I-10 and Silber. ATARI SAFARI '91 will feature
a visit from Mr Bob Brodie, of Atari Corporation and the latest in Atari
Computers and Software. The show will be held from 11 am til 5 pm.
ADMISSION: $2.00 (pre-Teens Free). USER GROUP tables (for information
and membership only) may be reserved free. SALES tables may be reserved
by any party for ten dollars ($10.00). TABLE RESERVATION DEADLINE IS
TUESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 1991. Make reservations by calling (713) 988-3712
or (713) 493-2310. HACE, P.O. Box 460212, Houston, Texas 77056-8212
ATARI REPORTS INCOME
Atari reported operating results this week for the second quarter ended
June 30, 1991. Sales for the second quarter of 1991 were $49.2 million
as compared to $84.9 million for 1990. During the quarter, sales were
adversely affected by the company's transition to subcontractors for
assembly operations, as well as poor economic conditions in Europe, and
the adverse effects of exchange rates. Net income for the quarter was
$30.4 million, or $.53 per share, as compared to $1.5 million, or $.03
per share, for 1990. During the quarter, the company sold the land and
building of its Taiwan manufacturing facility, which resulted in a gain
of $40.9 million after deducting certain expenses, including severance
and land transfer tax, which were directly associated with the closure
of the facility. The income generated by the sale of the facility is
subject only to land transfer tax. As a result of adverse exchange
rates during the quarter, the company experienced a loss on exchange of
$4.1 million as compared to an exchange gain of $1.7 million for the
same quarter of 1990. In the second quarter of 1991, interest expense
net of interest income was reduced to $0.8 million as compared to $1.2
million in 1990 as a result of the company's repurchase of part of its
5 1/4 percent subordinated convertible debentures. Since year end, the
company has reduced inventories by $18 million, eliminated all short-
term debt, amounting to approximately $28 million and has a current cash
position of approximately $65 million. At June 30, 1991, the company's
current ratio improved to 4-to-1, compared to 2-to-1 in December 1990,
and its debt to equity ratio improved to 0.8 as compared to 1.7 at
December 1990.
COMMODORE SETS UP PLANT
Commodore will invest 9.1 million dollars to set up a plant in the
Philippines to assemble computers. The plant will be set up in Manila
and produce interface cards and hardware.
IBM PCRADIO
IBM will offer the 9075 PCradio, a notebook-size, ruggedized, battery-
operated computer that lets users access and input information from
remote locations. It connects to larger IBM computers via radio or
cellular-based communications, or through conventional telephone lines
by using integrated modems. IBM will offer three models depending on
communications requirements -- radio, cellular or telephone. The model
for radio communications operates with the ARDIS data radio network.
PCradio sends and receives facsimile copies via cellular communications
networks and can receive facsimiles via telephone lines.
ACCLAIM SHIPPING FIRST SOFTWARE
Acclaim announced that it will start shipment of "Populous" for the
Super Nintendo Entertainment System at the end of this month. This game
will be one of the first third-party software titles available for the
Super NES hardware unit, which is scheduled to be available at retail in
September.
COMPUSERVE FEEDBACK
In the August 1991 edition of CompuServe magazine there are two letters
to the editor about the lack of Atari ST file coverage. The letters
refer to the June 1991 issue when the magazine listed available files in
the column "Favorite Files Mania", and listed files for other popular
platforms; MS-DOS, Amiga, Apple II, and NO Atari files whatsoever. The
feedback brought no response from the magazine editor Douglas
Branstetter. If you are a reader of CompuServe Magazine, you can voice
your opinions too by writing, CompuServe Magazine, 5000 Arlington Centre
Blvd, Columbus, Ohio, 43220, Attn: Editor. Tell him about the lack of
Atari coverage!
=======================================================================
GENCON 1991 - EYEWITNESS REPORT
-------------------------------
by Mike Brown (LCACE)
=======================================================================
Atari Corp. has the reputation for being able to snatch defeat out of
the jaws of victory with an alarming regularity. A major exception to
this "rule" is their ongoing participation in TSR's GenCon Gaming Fair
and Convention held at the MECCA in Milwaukee, WI.
GenCon organizers estimate that this year's 4-day event drew in excess
of 15,000 participants - most of that number paid a premium to be
registered as "players", while others were registered as spectators,
exhibitors and judges. This is a very significant number of end-users
for Atari to present their products to; most importantly, at GenCon,
Atari does not need to worry about the "games" image that may burden it
elsewhere. At GenCon '91, as in years past, Atari was a shining star
"doing what they do best" in the GenCon computer gaming area - easily
grinding co-participants Sega, and Commodore into the dust.
I enjoyed the good fortune of again being a worker/guest of Atari Corp.
and MilAtari at GenCon 1991. It's a great experience being a volunteer
at GenCon - it's very gratifying to be a small part of the considerable
"behind the scenes" work that goes into GenCon's computer gaming area.
I must comment that Bob Brodie and the Atari staff deserve credit for
"righting" the situation where the equipment Atari loaned MilAtari would
have arrived as much as two days late for the opening of the show. Bob
influenced the shipper to get the 65 ST systems, 15 Lynx systems and
supporting equipment to Milwaukee's MECCA convention center "just in
time" for pre-show setup. Hats off to TSR for extending the Weds. setup
time so that MilAtari members could get everything ready for GenCon's
first day. Of course, the ones who really pulled the fat out of the
fire are the MilAtari members who left the Bob Brodie's "welcome"
cookout and party to do setup work when the equipment finally arrived.
As was true last year, the MIDI-maze competition was absolutely packed
in all scheduled time slots. Two 16-player MIDI-mazes were set up with
starting times alternating on the half hour. To further frenzy the
interest, a complete LYNX portable color game outfit was offered to the
player winning the most MIDI-maze "rounds". After tasting MIDI-victory
8 times, Jerry Haerle of Oconomowoc, WI ermerged as the winner. Coming
in a tight second was Dave Curtis of Madison, WI.
Due to popular demand, an 8-player "practice" MIDI-ring was also
available for people to get their feet wet; players on this ring were
not eligible to win the LYNX- it was for fun and practice (read: a
little less cut-throat!) only.
GenCon was the unofficial Midwest debut of the Lynx-II; the smaller,
redesigned successor to the original Lynx system. Atari provided 15
complete LYNX-II systems, as well as 10 each of the current LYNX games.
These could be tried for a low $2 an hour "rental" with the option to
get a different game if you tired of the one you initially selected.
I'm not sure what the official "most popular" LYNX title was, but I
observed that the slot where the "Warbirds" cartridges SHOULD have been
was mostly empty when I checked. Because of Atari's participation -
many, many people were exposed to the LYNX that have never seen one
before.
I had a chance to borrow a LYNX-II long enough to share my impressions
of the new design - obvious features of the LYNX-II jump out at you,
such as the new power indicator/low battery warning LED, the backlight
off/on switch, and the new "doorless" cartridge slot. Other features
are more subtle - the finger grooved and curved "soft grips" on the
backside of the unit and the raised protective bezel around the screen
(to prevent scratching) will be appreciated by anyone who uses the LYNX
more than casually. Although I was not able to test it - the screen
itself is recessed in the case much further, probably eliminating the
need for a separate sun screen when played outdoors. I could go on and
on about differences and improvements in the LYNX-II but I'm sure that
it will be covered in greater detail elsewhere. For a full first look
at the Lynx II, read last week's edition of Z*Net Atari Online, #91-33.
MilAtari is to congratulated for their innovative computer sign-up for
computer gaming events at GenCon. The only thing that I could fault the
system on is the lack of a way for players to make inquiries ("What
machine am I on in the 10:30 game????") into the system without
disturbing the sign-up process. All in all, I thought it was most
professional, and helped drive home the fact that the ST is much more
than just a game system.
The thing that dulled the enjoyment of the computer gaming area was
(again) the continuous failures of the "standard" Atari joysticks as
used in the MIDI-maze areas. Although Atari supplied 130 joysticks,
MilAtari workers were busy all day Sunday repairing joysticks so that
they would not run out! I realize that the Atari joystick is an old
design, but I would hope that they would have the quality bugs worked
out in manufacturing them by now...it was embarrassing to say the least
that there were so many Atari joystick failures. Applause to Dr. Armin
Baier for his outstanding work in riding herd over "joystick repair
central".
Of course, the computer gaming area is but a small part of the thousands
of GenCon events happening daily in the massive MECCA convention center.
Since MIDI-maze was sold out almost from the opening of the doors at
8:00AM Sunday, I had a little time to wander around the "grand hall" and
visit some of the exhibitors. Unfortunately, the number of computer
games companies exhibiting at GenCon '91 continued a downward trend.
Non-game vendors seemed to be doing the best business - Comic Book, Star
Trek souvenirs of all types, and jewelry/fantasy costume (as well as
replica weapon) vendors were swamped all day.
Everywhere you turned, there was a board game being played, huge
sections of space between seminar rooms were marked off in a grid
fashion where naval battles were being simulated. Major game companies
took advantage of the crowd to present game prototypes, and take surveys
among the gamers.
As always, the evening Sci-fi film festivals were well attended, in the
GenCon tradition, this year's festival included such varied subject
films as "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", "The Terminator", "Curse of
the Undead", "Highlander", "Vampire Hunter D", "Akira", and "The
Punisher". A nice sprinkling of cartoons and short subjects were run
between features.
All having been said, GenCon is a feast for the senses, after spending
a few hours there, as either a spectator or a participant, you feel a
bit overwhelmed by the scope and energy of it all. If you've never
attended GenCon, make plans now for the Silver Anniversary 25th GenCon
to be held August 20th-23rd 1992; if you can't wait that long, plan to
attend European GenCon this November 15th-17th at Holiday Club Pontins,
Camber Sands in Sussex, England.
For more information on GenCon or European GenCon, please contact -
GenCon Information
TSR, Ltd.
P.O. Box 1154
Lake Geneva, WI 53147 USA
=======================================================================
GLENDALE ATARIFEST UPDATE
-------------------------
Press Release
=======================================================================
The Southern California ATARI Computer Faire, Version 5.0 (AKA The
Glendale Show) is expected to be the largest show of its type, ever, in
North America. The show will be held at The Glendale Civic Auditorium,
1401 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale, California, USA. Local directions can
be found by referring to the Thomas Brothers Guide for L.A. County page
25-E2. Take the Glendale Blvd. exit of the 134 FWY and go North two
miles or take the Mountain St. exit of the 2 FWY and go West one block.
The Faire dates are September 14 & 15, 1991 and show hours are Saturday
10-6 and Sunday 10-4.
General admission is $6.00 per person. Anybody planning to attend the
show who resides outside of Southern California may send a SASE to
H.A.C.K.S., 249 N. Brand Bl. #321, Glendale, CA 91203 and receive a pass
for free admission. This offer is limited to no more than two people
per pass and one request per household.
A special hotel rate has been made available at the Burbank Airport
Hilton Hotel. That special rate is $59 per night for single or double
occupancy. For reservation call 818-843-6000 and mention ATARI. If you
have problems with the rate ask for Roy in Convention Services. Do not
call the 800 number, unless you want to pay the National rate of $119
per night.
THE GLENDALE SHOW PARTICIPANTS:
ATARI Corporation The Computer Network Mid-Cities Computers
Goodman's Music Musicode Safari Fonts
Sliccware Clear Thinking Micro Creations
Rio Computers Best Electronics Branch Always
Michtron ADG Productions CodeHead Software
Omnimon Peripherals Gadgets by Small Zubair Interfaces
ICD PDC COMPO Software
Beckemeyer Develop RIMIK Enterprises McDonald & Assoc.
GoldLeaf Publishing Soft-Aware Talon Industries
JMG WizWorks Gribnif (expected)
Phil Comeau Software Double Click Sudden, Inc. (expected)
D.A. Brumleve Artisan Software BSE Company (expected)
Z*NET Online Magazine
=======================================================================
CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT'S GAME ROOM
----------------------------
by Drew Reid Kerr
=======================================================================
GEnie D.KERR1
Delphi DRKERR
Looking for a solution for those deadly ultraviolet rays of summer?
Stay inside with your Atari and get Leisure Suit Larry a date! In the
past month, a number of heavy hitters have finally been released after
much delay and hype. But do they live up to all the advanced
trumpeting? We shall see....
BATTLE COMMAND-LESS
Have you wondered where "Battle Command" is, the follow-up to the
classic "Carrier Command?" The game was released by Ocean in the UK
some months ago to excellent reviews and big sales but was incompatible
for USA machines. Like "F-29 Retalliator," Electronic Arts picked up
the American conversion rights. Unfortunately, EA decided to drop all
Atari products soon after. Somewhere in America, there are 72 working
copies of "Battle Command." Otherwise, this is one great game we're
going to have to bite the bullet on.
GAME ROOM DIRT
Despite reaching the planning stage, Lucasfilm Games has dropped plans
to convert their "Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe" to the ST, but will
release mission disks for "Their Finest Hour"... The much-awaited
"Hunter" should be released by the end of August and "Deuteros," the
sequel to "Milennium 2.2" is scheduled for September... Are these Les
Manley games from Accolade a blatant rip-off of Leisure Suit Larry or
what?... Ocean picked up some more license conversions: "Robocop 3,"
"Terminator 2: Judgment Day," "The Addams Family," and "The Simpsons"...
Sierra releases scheduled for ST shortly: "King's Quest V" and "Space
Quest IV: Roger Wilco & The Time Rippers"... So far, the only magazine
to offer concrete strategy hints for "Midwinter II: Flames Of Freedom"
was the July issue of The One (ST)... Have you been having trouble
installing Domark's "3-D Construction Kit" into your hard drive? I
can't get it to work, with repeated warnings of "not enough memory."
Another warning: the accompanying video tape which explains how to use
the program is *incompatible* with American VCR's... Following "Railroad
Tycoon," the next Microprose conversion to ST will be the World War I
flight simulator "Knights Of The Sky." Attention Microprose: here's my
ST wish list -- "Covert Action," "Command HQ" and "Gunship 2000"....
MIDWINTER II: FLAMES OF FREEDOM (Microprose)
The original "Midwinter" knocked the gaming world on its side with an
incredible concept: another ice age arrives... you must gather a group
of survivors to battle a coup d'etat growing from one side of the
island. There were 32 characters with distinct personalities to
interact with, sniping, snowmobiling, hanggliding and skiing. I thought
it would make a great plot for a Schwarzenegger film!
The sequel is now out, delayed from an original March release and it's
very much an advance and a step backwards. The plot moves on: the ice
is melting and now new islands have formed throughout the ocean.
Another coup is in the works and it is your job to go from island to
island completing missions, finally stopping a growing Armada set to
attack your home island.
Yes, it's a mouthful. Needless to say, like the original, the
accompanying book is a monster, but superbly designed and written. This
game works like a more involved version of the original -- you are given
a specific mission with objectives, a weapon or two and dropped on the
island to kick butt. The weapon assortment is vast: flying subs,
balloons, hovercraft, tanks, helicopters and just about anything a guy
like Tom Clancy could dream up!
The interaction has advanced, making it closer to a plotted film. When
meeting characters, they can offer you information, shelter, take you on
a secret journey, give you papers and weapons or even betray you! Each
island is like a complete game unto itself with a very distinct story
which you create as you go along. Sounds are abundant, too: motors,
birds, guns, bombs.
But there are A LOT of buts! The first and biggest complaint is the
fact that with a game of this size with so much information packed on
three disks, there is no ability to put it in a hard drive. This is
monumentally annoying, considering the amount of disk swaps to get the
game going and the slowness of disk reading. For example, to just start
the thing, you have to put in your Program disk, wait, put in the
Graphics Disk, wait, watch the credits, go through the disk protection
ID process, load your customized agent from another disk, and back to
the Graphics Disk. Then, when you choose a raid, you have to go through
several screens of explanation when a few would do the job. It takes
about 10-15 minutes to get this all together before you even start a
mission!
When you are traveling across the 3-D landscape, which is impressive to
look at, it seems vehicles are left around carelessly. I mean, I'm
being bombed like crazy by planes and zeppelins, and my screen tells me
that I can grab a helicopter at the same time. Well, I must have pretty
incredibly long arms to do this! How do you "grab" a flying helicopter?
If you are not in training, you can either perform raids (which is
taking one selected island at a time) or a full-blown campaign where you
are assigned a series of missions before the Armada picks up steam.
Considering the length of just one raid on an island alone, you can not
save it to disk -- only campaigns!
Final Verdict: great concept, frustrating execution. Once you get
going, it's quite intriguing but flawed.
F-15 STRIKE EAGLE II (Microprose)
This has to be the most disappointing and *unnecessary* flight
simulation I have ever seen. The fact that it comes from Microprose,
which makes the best military sims hands down, is doubly puzzling.
The bottom line is -- this is just a simplified version of the
magnificent "F-19 Stealth Fighter!" The graphics are the same, the
cockpit features similar devices and the manual is the usual Microprose
bible.
Besides being another exercise in aggrevation from non-hard drive
installation, one of the best things that set apart Microprose from
other simulations is missing -- the handy keyboard overlay. Now all we
get is a sturdy card explaining which key means what. So the feeling of
operating a genuine control panel is gone. Also absent is any kind of
on-screen map before you start a mission to plot out your strategy. You
have to fumble around with separate maps of Middle Eastern, European and
Asian locations.
On the original "F-15 Strike Eagle," there was no take-off -- you
started the game in mid-air! Here, at Rookie level, there is not only
no take-off, but your landing is automatic, too! As a matter of fact,
you can auto-land at any level of the game. I mean, landing in flight
simulations is tricky, but that's part of the fun of learning how to
fly. But to do away with honing your landing skills pretty much makes
this less of a simulation than an arcade game. And no wonder -- "F-15"
is now Microprose's first arcade game!
If there's anything positive that I can say about "F-15 Strike Eagle II"
is that the graphics are slightly more enhanced than the ones found in
"Stealth Fighter," and those visual were fabulous. The demo mode is
truly eye-opening, with beautiful stunning colors and scrolling.
Final verdict: If you want to give your 12-year-old brother his first
flight simulation, this is a decent start. Otherwise, pass this one up
for the vastly superior "F-19 Stealth Fighter."
ARMOUR-GEDDON (Psygnosis)
The British firm of Psygnosis, famous for graphically-wonderous shoot'em
-ups and Roger Dean-designed boxes, is throwing its weight around in new
directions. Their "Infestation" was an entertaining variation on the
Aliens-type theme of us vs. insects. Now they enter the futuristic
flight simulation/arcade arena with "Armour-Geddon."
"Armour-Geddon" is a perfect example of what's good and bad about many
Psygnosis games. Yes, it's visually jaw-dropping, the gameplay is
exciting, but the manual is a total bust! And if the manual is a bust,
how can you really understand the focus, the strategies, what makes the
game tick and your direction in this hypothetical world? Why can't
somebody from Microprose or Spectrum Holobyte teach these guys a few
things about manuals?
The plot, if you can call it that, is to find parts of an atomic bomb
scattered throughout a vast 3-D landscape and fuse them to blow up a
laser cannon which will destroy the world (could you ask for anything
less, I ask?). If you are given a set of missions, you wouldn't know it
by reading the manual -- there's no mention of them!
There are numerous screens: a grid map with symbols never explained in
the so-called manual, R&D (where engineers and scientists construct new
weapons and artillery), Intelligence (to set waypoints in your missions)
and Weapons. In a "Carrier Command" touch, you can operate up to six
vehicles from bombers and fighters to tanks in completing your
assignments.
First thing I noticed when I got into my fighter cockpit -- you have to
taxi down a small path and then make left to face the runway (not in
manual). The controls are not complicated once you are airborne but
they are extremely sensitive. You could do a spin, gain or lose
altitude in a matter of moments. The best strategy is the old
simulation maxim: stay low and slow.
Because of the manual's shortcomings, a number of things are just never
explained and it's up to you to figure them out: What are the missions?
How do the weapons function against the enemy? What's the best way to
use them? What does the bomb segment look like? What do the symbols on
the grid map mean? How do I know when I've scored a hit?
The British magazines have been falling over themselves praising "Armour
-Geddon," perhaps because of the superior graphics or maybe they have
bootlegged copies of a full instructional manual. I don't understand
what all the excitement is over.
Final verdict: Pretty to look at, fun to just ride around in, but you'll
have to be Sherlock Holmes to make a good game out of it.
FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER (Spectrum Holobyte)
This long-awaited spiritual sequel to the classic "Falcon" arrives in a
beautiful blue box containing the Stephen Coonts paperback book the game
was based on. A message on a GEnie bulleting board said this was the
"deepest" flight simulator around and this is totally true.
"FOTI" bears only a few similarities to "Falcon" and stands up very well
on its own. Both have modem facilities and separate cards explaining
your keyboard controls (Spectrum Holobyte should take a hint from
Microprose and use layovers for ease and realism). Whereas "Falcon"
took place on an unknown stretch of land, "Intruder" is set knee-deep in
1972 Vietnam during the infamous Linebacker Campaign. "Intruder" is
easier to get into than "Falcon" and, thank God, hard drive installable.
Undoubtedly, the game's greatest selling point is the variety of game-
playing options. You can fly an A-6 Intruder or F-4 Phantom and switch
to either plane mid-session! If the mission involves a group of planes,
you can control up to eight aircraft, "jumping" from cockpit to cockpit!
As if that wasn't enough, you can choose the CAG (Commander Air Group)
option, which allows you to plan your own mission in attacking real
Vietnamese installations and locations. YOU select the primary and
secondary objectives, and choose the waypoints, weapons, timing, route
and crews. And then you can fly any plane you send out!
Graphics are more fine-tuned than "Falcon," which is another way of
saying they're very good. Since the breakthrough of "Fighter Bomber"
and its multiple camera views, "Intruder" joins the fray with satellite,
tracking, and outside views, all with zooming and rotation.
I hate to break the news to Spectrum Holobyte but there's this one
stickler they still haven't learned from "Falcon": on their COMED
(Combined Moving Map/Radar), what they call a "TV picture relayed from
the missile" is merely a green outline drawing. See "Stealth" or even
"F15 Strike Eagle II" if you want to see a real TV (video) picture.
The manual is extremely well-written and not "above your head," but the
organization is wrong. They take you on your first Intruder, Phantom
and CAG missions right away, describe the 13 game missions and THEN
analyze the cockpit, controls and weapons use. You've got it backwards,
folks.
Your first job, regardless of plane, is known as Operation Morning Song,
sinking a torpedo boat. The manual takes you step by step and you
realize, while it's involving, it's NOWHERE as complicated as "Falcon"
or "Flight Simulator II." There is a weird contradiction in
instructions: in the walk-through, they tell you to level out at 10,000
feet and then dive at the target. Yet, in the mission description later
in the manual, "come in low over the sea from the east." Well, what's
it gonna be, boys? (I prefer starting low and then climbing about 25-30
miles away from the target, then down we go.)
Autopilot strikes again! This device will direct you, even bring you
right to the target and dive! Like "F-15 Strike Eagle II," you can leave
the landing to your new computer buddy, but he doesn't always get it
right the first try! At least the manual states: "The autopilot in this
game is more sophisticated than any autopilot currently available."
Final verdict: Best flight simulator since "Stealth." No need to worry
about conflicts with "Falcon" -- "Flight Of The Intruder" stands firmly
on its own. Manual needs a few kinks to be worked out.
EDITORIAL CORNER
Judging from two major flight simulations featuring autopilot landing
sounds like the marketing departments have been working overtime at
Microprose and Spectrum Holobyte. Unquestionably, plane landing is no
piece of cake and may be a bit frustrating after you've completed a
breakneck mission. The last thing you want to worry about is landing
the damn thing.
If you are releasing a true simulation, these autopilots would be total
science fiction. It's also not true to the idea of accuracy in
reproducing what pilots actually have to do after a mission.
Microprose made it too simple -- just fly by the airbase and you'll
instantly land. You can't learn anything that way. On the other hand,
Spectrum Holobyte makes autolanding optional, so you can at least
observe how it's done, note the techniques and flight patterns, and do
it on your own. This latter method is certainly the more laudable one.
QUICKIE ON DOMARK'S "RBI BASEBALL 2": Sticks close to the arcade
version. Not as hardcore statistics-oriented as "Microleague Baseball."
Mindless fun, but you have to wonder: why do they use actual rosters
from 1988-1989 when it is now 1991?
OUT NOW:
Cybercon III (US Gold), Life & Death (Software Toolworks), Prehistorik
(Titus), Renegade Legion Interceptor (SSI), Atomino (Psygnosis), Tie
Break Tennis (DigiTek), Mercs (US Gold), Switchblade II (Gremlin),
Wreckers (Audiogenic), Frantic (Core Designs), Eco Phantoms (Electronic
Zoo), Germ Crazy (Electronic Zoo), Billiards II (Infogrames), Tournament
Golf (Elite), Blade Warrior (Imageworks), Outzone (Lankhor), Magnum
Compilation - RVF Honda, Oriental Games, Pro Tennis Tour, Satan, and
After The War (UBI Soft), Darkman (Ocean), Sarakon (StarByte), Rainbow
Collection with New Zealand Story, Rainbow Islands and Bubble Bobble
(Ocean), Metal Mutant (Silmarils), Conflict Middle East (SSI).
LATE NOTES ON "FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER":
After further review of the FOTI manual, I have found some glaring
omissions worth noting. First, the walk-through of the first Intruder
mission is missing some critical information to release your Walleye
missles.
Since the Walleyes is a small-laser guided missle, it uses bombing
device known as DIANE. But you wouldn't know that unless you turned to
page 142, buried towards the back of the manual! If you don't hit the
";" button to change the DIANE waypoint, your missle will never lock on
the target. Your COMED screen must read ATTACK for your missle to lock,
not NAV. The whole walk-through of this first mission never mentions
this crucial detail.
The second problem involves switching from plane to plane. On the game
box, this aspect is boasted of and it's even mentioned on the keyboard
layout as SHIFT #. Yet, there is no explanation in the entire manual
about how you can move from plane section to plane section. Apparently,
you can even move into the enemy's cockpit or SAM site, according to
that keyboard guide, but again, no explanation of how it's done.
Spectrum Holobyte has had FOTI on the market in IBM version for quite a
while, so you would think these glitches would be fixed by now. The
first gaffe would frustrate anybody just taking their first steps
through the game and may not be solvable until they found this buried
explanation. The second goof is critical to the enjoyment and depth of
the game. If a game company bothered to advertised this feautre and go
to the trouble of putting it in the program, they should absolutely
explain it!
I hope the Spectrum Holobyte folks catch this review because they should
know better. If you have similar problems, address your e-mail to:
GEnie - HOLOBYTE, CompuServe - 76004,2144 or by phone, 415-522-1164. I
believe instructions should be complete and reread and checked over and
over again for completeness and compatability.
=======================================================================
Z*NET USER OFFER - FOREM DISCOUNT COUPON
----------------------------------------
Clip Out And Print Off
=======================================================================
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
*-*-*-*-* Special Discount Coupon Offer *-*-*-*-*
For a limited time only you may use this special coupon order form
to obtain your copy of the world's leading Atari ST BBS program.
This offer expires September 15th 1991. To use this coupon just
print this portion of this weeks Z*Net Online, fill out and mail.
$10.00 off the regular price of FoReM ST with this coupon only!!
Regularly $79.95 including shipping, only $69.95 with this offer.
Your Name ____________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________
City/State/Zip _______________________________________________
Your voice phone _____________________________________________
Your BBS Name ______________________________________________
Mail completed coupon with $69.95 to:
Stephen Rider
20 Cargill Ave
Worcester MA 01610
Orders must be postmarked no later than 9/15/91
*-*-*-*-* Special Discount Coupon Offer *-*-*-*-*
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=======================================================================
CODEHEAD SOFTWARE SNEAK PREVIEW
-------------------------------
Press Release
=======================================================================
A Sneak Preview From CodeHead Software...the Rebirth of MultiDesk
-----------------------------------------------------------------
CodeHead Software will shortly be releasing an amazing, totally revamped
version of MultiDesk called:
MultiDesk Deluxe!!
We're not yet ready to present a full press release describing all of
MultiDesk Deluxe's features but we _can_ tell you a little bit about its
unique break-through in versatility, offering previously untapped
computing power.
MultiDesk Deluxe gives you the flexibility of Atari's XControl Panel,
but with the ability to reuse your current accessories rather than
limiting you to current CPX availability and feature limitations.
While it will retain the resident accessory loading features that have
always existed in MultiDesk, MultiDesk Deluxe will give you an
additional area for accessories to be loaded from disk whenever you need
them. These non-resident accessories will all share the same memory
area, allowing it to be reused without limit!
The final result of MultiDesk Deluxe is that you can now use LESS
MEMORY, boot up FASTER, and use MORE ACCESSORIES!
o No longer does your MultiDesk buffer need to be large enough to hold
those accessories which you seldom use.
o Non-resident accessories are only loaded when you need them so only
a split-second is required at bootup time for MultiDesk Deluxe to read
the names of the available accessories.
o MultiDesk Deluxe now lets you use up to * 96 * accessories while
consuming only a fraction of its former memory usage!
We're off to Germany to attend the Duesseldorf show, but we'll be back
to tell you all about MultiDesk Deluxe! Projected release date for
MultiDesk Deluxe is September 14th. You won't be disappointed.
Dispelling a nasty rumor...
CodeHead Software *IS* Developing a New Product For Atari Computers
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The recent August issue of Atari Interface Magazine included feature
articles and reviews of many of our products. We'd like to thank Bill
and Pattie Rayl for a very well-done issue which accurately describes
many of the basic as well as the advanced features of our software. But
as great as this exposure was, it seems many people have focused an one
small paragraph in the issue.
"Now, the bad news." That's exactly how the paragraph in "Editorial
Ramblings" started out. This editorial went on to point out that the
CodeHeads are registered Macintosh developers and that "While the
CodeHeads will continue to support their current products in the Atari
market, they 'currently have no plans to release any new products for
the Atari market.'"
While these statements are true (or were true when they were made), they
have been grossly misinterpreted by many readers. We've had several
comments from people who say "I'm sorry to hear you're abandoning the
Atari market." Nothing could be further from the truth.
We'd like to make it clear that we in no way blame Bill and Pattie Rayl
or Atari Interface Magazine for this misunderstanding. They accurately
reported the quote as well as confirming with us on the phone before
printing it.
We've made the statement about not planning any new products several
times and are only beginning to realize what a mistake it is to say
this. It just doesn't make good business sense for a number of reasons:
o There are probably only a few (if any) Atari developers who ARE
currently planning any new releases, but they don't publicize this
fact.
o We've always stated in the same breath that we will continue to
support our existing products as long as there are even a couple of
inches of the Atari ship above water, but this is usually ignored.
o We made the same statement (about no new products) before releasing
our CodeKeys program a year ago but it didn't stop us from writing
and releasing this useful tool.
o We ARE currently planning a new release for the Atari market!!!
We're not ready to present a full press release yet, but we are
developing a MIDI recorder called MIDI Spy. It is an accessory which
records and plays back MIDI data in the background. It's always
recording so you'll never lose another valuable musical idea. Full
details about MIDI Spy will be released in an upcoming press release.
This is something musicians have been waiting for!
=======================================================================
SAN DIEGO LYNX PREVIEW
----------------------
by Robert Jung
=======================================================================
Well, I'm flabbergasted. I went down to the San Diego ComicCon (Comics
Convention) for some R&R, and end up previewing new Lynx games.
Naturally, I had to dedicate myself to many hours of playtesting. Here,
then, is a report on what I saw:
MEETING NEW FRIENDS
Running the Lynx booth was Gary Barth, a very easy-going Lynx
representative. Gary has worked closely with the industry, having
written for GamePro magazine and having many friends in the business.
He was handing out Lynx-shaped brochures, as well as the "Atari
Adventure" 16-page insert found in many video game magazines.
Four games were shown at two kiosks: CHECKERED FLAG, SCRAPYARD DOG,
TURBO SUB, and VIKING CHILD. According to Gary, they were nearly
complete, and are expected to be on sale in September. Gary also showed
me early beta versions of HARD DRIVIN' and ISHIDO, though we do not
expect those to be released until the end of the year. He insisted that
Atari is dedicated to bringing out 20-30 new games before the year ends.
This doesn't include third-party titles, so if everything is correct,
Lynx owners will have a very merry Christmas indeed.
PLAYING AT THE KIOSKS
Please note that the comments offered below are initial impressions
only. The games I played were not officially ready for release, and
features may be changed by the time a game reaches the stores. The four
Lynx games I saw for public playing were:
CHECKERED FLAG
This is a one-to-six player auto racing game, and is easily the most
impressive title I saw, not to mention just plain fun. I want mine now!
This card is literally crammed with options. You can run for practice,
drive one race on a track, or go for a multi-track tournament. There
are 18 tracks to choose from, with enough twists and bends to satisfy
everyone. You can race against up to nine opponents, from 1 to 50(!)
laps. Your starting position can be determined at random, or by a
qualifying lap. Your car can have a 4-speed automatic transmission,
4-speed manual, or 7-speed manual. For the extra touch, your Indy racer
can be any of ten colors, and you can choose the gender of your driver.
In the race itself, the action is shown from behind your car, with your
dash panel (speed and gear) and side-view mirrors on the bottom of the
screen. A road map at the top of the screen shows the course and the
position of everyone in the race. The roadside obstacles consist of
trees, cacti, rocks, cows, and signs to avoid. Hitting an obstacle
wastes time, and hitting another car causes you both to spin out and
lose speed. The joypad is used to both steer and change gears (on the
manual transmissions), while the buttons provide gas and brakes.
The game controls are properly balanced; players who found ROADBLASTERS
too difficult to control will enjoy this title. Graphics are attractive
and convey the feeling of speed very well. Sounds consist of musical
scores between races, the roar of motors and the squeal of tires, and a
digitized "start your engines" countdown, complete with echo. The only
bad news is that the promised track editor may not be in the final
version. Still, this game is terrific!
SCRAPYARD DOG
This is the Lynx's answer to Mario, Bonk, and Sonic. You play the part
of Louie, a junkyard owner whose best pet dog has been kidnapped by the
mean Mr. Big. You must guide Louie through a scrolling junkyard
landscape and try to rescue your pup. This game is similar to the SUPER
MARIO games, and has the same kind of cute appeal. Enemies consist of
mean animals (Mr. Big's minions) and junkyard obstacles. You dispatch
enemies by throwing cans at them, and pick up money along the way. If
you can find them, there are secret bonus screens. In these, you can
buy additional weapons and protection, or try to win extra lives and
money in skill contests.
There's a lot to see and a lot to try. The game looks like it's clearly
intended for younger players, with cute graphics and light music to
match. However, it's not a pushover, and is challenging enough for
everyone.
TURBO SUB
This is a first-person, shoot-everything action game. Your objective is
to repel an alien invasion by attacking the fiends in your turbo sub, an
amphibious attack craft. Waves consist of an aerial assault, where you
blast flying enemies while dodging attacks and debris. You then dive
underwater, to fight more enemies, avoid collisions, and try to pick up
gems. At the end of each level, you can use the gems to buy additional
weaponry.
This game strikes a balance between good and bad points. On the one
hand, there is a wide variety of enemies to see and destroy, and the
action level is very high, with a lot of aliens to shoot. On the other
hand, the game offers little variation or innovation. The 3-D effect is
almost absent; aside from seeing targets and an occasional cloud fly by,
there is little sense of motion. The graphics are adequate, though not
unusually inspiring, and the sound is simply functional. Perhaps the
final game will be more impressive, but for the version I saw, the
appeal of TURBO SUB will come from the nonstop action.
VIKING CHILD
Though this is supposed to be based on a European computer adventure,
the game I saw was more of a scrolling action game. You play the part
of a Viking, walking and jumping across the land, to find a missing
child. The action is presented in a side view, which scrolls along with
your movements. You fight monsters along the way, in hopes of seizing
their treasure. There are shops where you can buy weapons and supplies,
as well as hidden caverns to explore. The quest is broken into several
stages, and a stage must be completed before you can reach the next. A
password feature lets you skip to the later levels, and the game holds
high scores for up to ten players.
The only problem with VIKING CHILD that I found was the speed of my
character; he seemed to plod along while other beings sprinted. Basic
combat consist of jabbing your sword until the enemy dies, though the
use of additional attacks spices up the action. The game graphics are
small but detailed, and the subscreens have entertaining touches, such
as the troll in the shops who kicks your purchases. Lacking a user's
manual, I wasn't able to tell if the game has even more complexity than
the version I played.
BEHIND THE SCENES
In addition to the games shown at the kiosks, Gary Barth also brought
along beta versions of two more games. As one Lynx fan to another, he
was more than happy to let me try them out:
HARD DRIVIN'
This game card is an adaptation of the sensational Atari Games' driving
simulator. You race a sports car on a combination race/stunt track,
trying to finish laps as fast as possible while avoiding nasty crashes.
The Lynx version I saw was clearly incomplete. The sound was missing,
and the steering was very sensitive. Unlike WARBIRDS, which did its
simulating with scaled sprites and filled polygons, HARD DRIVIN' was
completely done with polygons. This is a very math-intensive task, and
the effect is that, compared to WARBIRDS, this game feels a little
slower. Though I could not compare directly, it seems to play at about
the same rate as the Atari ST computer version.
Though this was only a beta version, the game already shows signs of
promise. As in the arcade, you have a choice of manual or automatic 4-
speed transmissions. The track has been duplicated exactly, with all of
the familiar features and obstacles. If and when you get into an
accident, an instant replay feature will show you what you did wrong.
Keep an eye on this one.
ISHIDO: THE WAY OF THE STONES
This title is an adaptation of a computer game from Accolade. It is a
strategy game; you have 72 tiles of six different colors, each marked
with one of six different figures. The idea is to place the tiles on a
board, adjacent to other pieces of the same color and/or symbol, in
specific combinations. The more complex the combination, the more
points are awarded.
The Lynx adaptation seems identical to the computer version. You can
choose different colors and symbols for the tiles. Game scoring can be
in the "ancient" or "modern" method, which emphasizes careful placement
or quick thinking. Hints are available, and there is an "oracle"
feature, which analyzes your game to "offer insights into personal
questions". If nothing else, it's harmless fun.
I personally don't believe this is a beta card. The version of ISHIDO
I saw looked almost complete, with elegant graphics and all of the game
options available and installed. Don't be too surprised if you see this
game out very soon.
=======================================================================
SUDDEN VIEW
-----------
Press Release
=======================================================================
For more information, contact: Rod Coleman 800-421-4228
Sudden Incorporated Releases Its First Product - Sudden View
Reno, Nevada - August 1st, 1991 - According to Rod Coleman, programmer
and president of Sudden Incorporated, he has just released a commercial
beta version of his new accessory text editor for the Atari ST, Sudden
View.
Sudden View is remarkable for its fresh approach to editing
fundamentals. It removes the metaphor that normally stands between the
user and his text, creating a sensation of "Live Editing".
Sudden View's most obvious feature is its ability to dynamically scroll
text and move text blocks. These functions occur in real time and in
direct response to the user's movements. They occur fast enough to make
their speed irrelivant. The text moves as the user's hand moves.
Even though Sudden View only edits ASCII files, they are internally
indexed so that the user can display any part of the file instantly.
This is true whether the file is two Kbytes or two megabytes long.
Another difference is that Sudden View has no "Insert" or "Replace"
modes. Editing action is cursor position dependent, allowing the user
to just place the cursor and type. If the cursor is over a space to the
left of any text, it will insert, otherwise it will replace.
All deletes and changes are kept in a twenty element buffer stack so
that the user can restore something that was deleted some time ago.
This buffer stack also works in concert with Dynamic Text Arrangement as
a scratch pad.
Sudden View has no margin bar, yet can support as many different formats
as the user wishes. Each line is its own format, therefore, the format
conforms to the user's actions, and not the other way around. It is
also very flexible in setting and adjusting word wrap.
The Power Menu is another unique feature of Sudden View. It is a
multiple level menu system that can be keyboard or mouse activated.
Even though it is as fast as normal power key conbinations, it requires
no memorization. Learning it is very natural.
Sudden View's copy, cut, paste, and move features are its real strength.
It defines four different types of text blocks which can be selected and
manipulated without using any menus. The block types are Character,
Sentence, Field and Line. They allow for a very direct and powerful
arrangement of text.
The user can drag a Sentence through a paragraph as it dynamically re-
formats in real time. A group of Fields can be deleted, replicated or
moved as the user directs. The text becomes an extention of the user's
thoughts; the editing process becomes "Live".
Since Sudden View presents a significant number of new concepts and
features, a fully functional demo version is available for evaluation.
Some advanced features and configuration are left out, however, it is
generally useful and allows the user to get a feel for Sudden View.
This demo version has periodic commercials, but can be freely copied and
given to friends or up-loaded to bulletin boards. Sudden View files are
not copy protected.
The personalized version of Sudden View has all of the advanced
features, but no commercials. It may only be copied for the registered
user's personal backup. This personalized version also can be
configured for any size workspace and will run as a program. It sells
for $69.95. Both versions are available by calling 800-421-4228.
Since this is a beta release, a final update and hard copy documentation
will be provided free to each registered owner of the personalized
version of Sudden View upon final release.
For more information, contact Rod Coleman, Sudden Incorporated, 5081
South McCarran Blvd., Reno, Nevada, 89502, or call 800-421-4228 or
702-827-2996.
=======================================================================
BLACKJACK PLUS 3
----------------
Press Release
=======================================================================
HERE IT IS...THE FANTASTIC NEW "BLACKJACK PLUS 3"
This is the program that will show you why you have lost at the game of
blackjack! Stop leaving your money at the casinos! Practice alone, or
play with friends using joysticks, mouse and/or keystrokes.
NOW IT'S EASY TO LEARN TO WIN AT BLACKJACK!
"BLACKJACK PLUS 3" - comes in two versions: 'ADVANCED' & 'BASIC'
>>>>>>>>> For all IBM PCs & compatibles (EGA/VGA) <<<<<<<<<
>>>>>>>>> For all Atari St computers (Color & Mono) <<<<<<<<<
These programs include ALL the features necessary to accurately provide
you with a real casino environment. Both versions come with 'basic'
strategies, which teach you what to do in every situation.
====================================================================
TRY THE NEW DEMO IN LIBRARY # 12 (IBM PC RT): BJ_DEMO.ZIP
LIBRARY # 10 (ATARI RT): BJ_DEMO.ARC
====================================================================
The demo is the 'BASIC' version. It is fully functional, and you may
play for approximately five minutes, before it times out. Find out why
you have been losing. You can WIN next time!
ALL ASPECTS OF THE GAME OF BLACKJACK ARE SUPPORTED!
SPLIT ANY PAIR
DOUBLE DOWN (according to casino rules you set)
DOUBLE after SPLIT
TAKE or REFUSE INSURANCE
SURRENDER
You may specify:
One to seven active players (just like at the casino)
Each player's mode of play (see explanations below)
Each player's playing strategy
Each player's betting strategy
How many decks to use (1-9) & dealing depth (when to shuffle)
Casino rules (not all casinos use the same ones)
Playing speed (your comfort level)
Display card totals?
Play Modes:
MANUAL - you play the game, just like in the casino
AUTO - play is automatic, according to any chosen strategy
(put other players at the table with you!)
FEEDBACK - you are informed of mistakes in play (learn a strategy)
BACKGROUND - test strategies quickly (100 hands-8 seconds)
THE 'ADVANCED' VERSION allows you to:
Display card counts - Running count, True count, # of cards left,
# of Aces, Adjusted count
Keep a log - All play action is recorded
Extended statistics display - Information is calculated for you!
Print log and statistics for evaluation
Save all setups to disk
You can quickly examine how different strategies perform. The play log
records how every hand was played and the statistics tally information
so you may determine a winning method of playing.
NOTE: A player's card counting strategy may use any counting system:
Programmable running count
Selectible true/exact count adjustments
Count adjusted playing and betting strategies
Ace side count adjustment for betting
Insurance decision based on count
You can:
Set the value of each card for the running count
Select from various methods to determine the true count
Make playing and betting decisions based on the true count
Use an Ace side count adjustment for betting
Make insurance decisions based on the count
Set up and play any playing, betting and counting strategy.
Try those from Canfield, Revere, Thorp, Uston or come up with your
own!
QUIT GIVING THE CASINO THE EDGE - NOW YOU CAN WIN!
THE 'BASIC' VERSION INCLUDES:
Two preset basic playing strategies
Programmable win/loss betting strategy
All features of the advanced program except as noted below:
THE 'BASIC' VERSION DOES NOT INCLUDE:
Programmable playing strategies
Programmable counting systems
Play log and save setup features
OF COURSE, BASIC USERS MAY UPGRADE TO "BLACKJACK PLUS 3 (ADVANCED)"
>> MUSICODE provides fine software at affordable prices! <<
"BLACKJACK PLUS 3 (Advanced)" $49.95 (Atari ST & IBM)
"BLACKJACK PLUS 3 (Basic)" $23.95 " "
"VOICE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMs" $59.95 (Atari ST)
(Yamaha & Kawai synths)
All taxes & shipping charges are included! Orders shipped same day they
are received.
>> VISA & MASTERCARD <<
>>>>>>>>>> Call or write today! <<<<<<<<<<<
MUSICODE SOFTWARE VOICE: (619) 469-7194
5575 BALTIMORE DR. FAX: (619) 698-8099
SUITE 105-127 EMAIL: M.TURCSANYI
LA MESA, CA 91942 (Melinda)
=======================================================================
Z*NET SOFTWARE SHELF
--------------------
by Ron Berinstein
=======================================================================
So after the barbecue this afternoon why not make plans to with your
signifcant other to relax, explore and enjoy the beautiful evening sky.
That's right, think about it. This could be your perfect excuse to do
something exotic.
First of all you'll need the right place. A cozy corner away from the
city lights. Perhaps near an ocean, or a lake. You'll need to pack the
essential items: champagne, tulip glasses, beach blanket, and of course,
the bottle opener! Plan for soft romantic music in the car, and perhaps
a nice little walk as the final step in your journey prior to arriving
at your hideaway.
To prepare for your night sky star quest you'll need a few lessons about
the sights. STARGIDE.ARC contains "The Amateur Astonomer's Guide to the
Night Sky," by M. Kudlowski. This is a very nice astronomy program that
allows you to view the night sky anywhere, and on any date. In
addition, it points out constellations, and has data on some 1300 stars.
Public Domain from Great Britain. As for the "rest of the story,"
that's up to you and your imagination!
SEXYTRIO.LZH should provide motivation for your imagination. These
images were captured through Vidi ST and then converted to PI3 (Mono).
The emphasis was on the dithering.
Well, if you have time for a quick game and strip poker is out of the
question you might try:
NOIDS.ARC is a breakout type game for the TT and MegaSTE. This version
of Noids is shareware.
OMEGA V.75 is a complex rogue-style game of dungeon exploration.
Unlike other such games, there are a number of ways to "win", depending
on various actions taken during play." Runs in Medium or High Res, but
requires 1 meg or more!
SPACE TRADER ELITE VERS. 2.06 is Space Trader Elite version 2.06. It is
a doorgame for certain BBS systems ( QuickBBS ST - Forem, etc.). It is
a clone of the MS-DOS TradeWars doorgame.
ST VEGAS This game contains poker, blackjack, slots, and roulette.
Runs in color only!
BEYOND Another like Tetris, except you must match similar parts rather
than build columns. Shareware.
So, you're ready for the heavy STuff now... well here it is:
WINXV13.LZH is a big patch to GEM's Window manager, it also effects the
DeskTop's Event Manager etc.). GEM applications can now ask for more
windows! The maximum number of possible windows is 127 (this is a
practical barrier). Some programs only allow 7 windows though.
GEMIMIT Shell shows that this isn't necessary. Needs TOS 1.4
REND512.LZH displays CAD-3D v2.0 objects in 512 colors and then will
allow you to save them in Spectrum 512 format. It displays objects with
smooth shading, and allows the objects to cast shadows. Atari ST with
1 meg or more memory and color monitor required. CAD-3D or Cyber Sculpt
required to create 3-D objects.
And for those of you who like to CAD around, but don't have a Cad
program yet...
JIL_2D is basically a full featured cad program. This is a program
from 1988 that has just been recently posted again. This will take at
least 1 megabyte of memory.
So.. here it is, there have been so many new compression versions of
this and that, I prepared this list of recent new versions.
LZH201B.LZH has LHARC 2.01b and untranslated German docs.
LZH 201B TRANSLATED has LHARC2.01b with translated documantation. It
is a fully optimized version of the new Quester, (all assembly), high
speed LHARC ttp file. This version creates the smallest LZH file so
far. It is fully compatible with earlier versions. This file works
beautifully with CFJ's ArcShell v 2.6 (folders too!).
LZH1321.LZH T. Quester's LHARC version 1.321.
LHA VERSION 1.30 with speed improvements and complete compatibility
with .51 and .60. Also works with folders and comments.
And for organizing your compression programs:
EASY TO USE ARCSHELL or EDMSHL11.LZH has EDM Shell version 1.10.
This is a new, easy-to-use ARC/LZH/ZIP/ZOO shell with configurable
command lines. It uses the new EDM interface. Shareware.
XYZSHL40.LZH is XYZShell 4.0 updated for XYZ 2.1
And if you want to compact the whole disk....
CHAOS DISK COMPACTOR (CDC) is a program that will turn whole disks into
files. Why? Well, some users might wish to backup entire disks to your
Hard Drive, send an entire disk over a modem, etc. If the ST can read
the disk, CDC should be able to compress it. Works in any resolution.
CDC will also decompress Magic Shadow Archiver files.
So, why not tidy up your files with an editor?
DATAKEN is a binary file editor that allows you to display and edit
data in almost any format. There is an edit window with block
operations and editing, a comparison window for the analysis of unknown
data, a structure screen for C-type data structure editing or storage,
and a database manipulation screen. This is a disabled DEMO which
truncates files upon loading.
SUDDEN VIEW DEMO is a fully functional demo of Sudden View, a text
editor that provides the ability to select and drag blocks of text
around on the screen! Comes with full documentation...A commercial
version is due in the fall.
And on the subject of files, let's compare notes...
COMPARE (NEW VERSION) is an upgraded version of COMPARE.PRG, the GEM
based file comparison program. View ANY type of file in any one of four
display modes (3 ASCII & 1 hex); search for ASCII or hex bytes; limit
search and compare operations to marked blocks; print out comparison
data; synchronize windows for easier viewing. This version is fully
compatible with the TT, and works fine with 19" monitors. Improvements
include menu and keypress equivalents for clearing blocks, and dragging
the slider when windows are synchronized now results in both windows
being scrolled to equivalent positions.
And now because you asked for it.... It is Professor Berinstein's
private collection of things that you may never need.
LONGTUTH.ARC will allow you to break the eight character filename
limit, and forget about filename extenders. LONGTUTH creates "TAGGED"
ASCII FILES that permanently store your pertinent file information on
the root directory.
ALARM CLOCK is an accessory alarm clock... (I guess it is for those who
wish to become alarmed!)
PERIODIC is a file that can run as a program or as an accessory. It is
simply a Periodic Chart of the Elements which you can access on your
larger than the original Mac screen. Great for all of you Chemists who
haven't committed it to memory.
FLOATTUT.ARC is a text file that fills you in on how computers in
general handle very large and very small numbers. What possibility of
errors is introduced by these schemes? What can be done about these
errors? This 7 page text file discusses the theory of floating point
numbers, some related problems and suggested solutions.
FASTTALK is a Full Duplex chat program, allowing both the user and the
Sysop to type at the same time! And, right in the middle at the right
is the current time updated every minute, so you know when to say
goodbye. FaST Talk works with any BBS that can run outside programs,
AND with terminal programs like Flash! that allow you to run TOS and GEM
programs.
FORTRAN COMPILER is a complete Fortran compiler by Andre Koestli. Its
use restricted to non-commercial and non-military applications. This
file contains compiler, linker, runtime library, math library, and
manuals.
TX81_ZIP is a desk accessory that will allow you to load and send
patches to your TX81Z without exiting your sequencer program!
CHORDEX is a program that teaches you how chords are played on a piano
and guitar. Color only.
LEXICON is a program that enables you to learn French and Italian.
As if the last issue didn't have enough fonts...
FLINTSTONES TYPE 1 FONT is another Type 1 font for Pagestream v2.1.
It looks like the lettering used in the Flintstones' cartoon.
CRYPT FONT FOR PAGESTREAM has two fonts converted to PageStream format.
The archive contains the .FM, .DMF, .HI, .PSF, PFA (type 1), and .PFB
(type 3 for Ultrascript) files for two complete fonts. Cotton is Caps
only, and Crypt, which looks like 'Tales From the Crypt,' contains upper
and lower cases. Shareware.
And under the heading: Files to "adMIDI to your collection"...
STMIDIEX or MIDIEXCL.LZH contains the docs and prg. files for STMIDIEX
a Midi System Exclusive program for the ST. It allows you to send and
receive System Exclusive data files for use with your outboard
sequencers, keyboards, special effect mods, lighting systems, midi sound
boards, or whatever. If you want the capability to store your sys. ex.
data on your computer than this is for you.
YAMAHA PSS SERIES EDITOR PSSED - A sound editor for Yamaha PSS series
keyboards. PD
And prepare to follow the bouncing ball...
32 BAR BLUES BLUESMID.LZH contains five variations of 32 bar blues.
These are standard midi files, so you can load these into your
sequencer...
"WRATH OF KAHN" SOUND FILES are some classic digitized dialogue files
from the Star Trek movie "Wrath of Kahn". Included is a player program.
And last, but certainly not least, a type of program that everyone
needs, but many of us don't like to spend time on...
VAULT 3.0 is v.3 of the hard drive backup program; it is now written in
C instead of Personal Pascal and has an improved interface.
*************
Hear ye, Hear ye, Hear ye! (Time to get very serious - <smile>)
This week's edition is dedicated to the hard working folks at Delphi.
Many of the files listed in this week's article (those that have no file
extenders as part of their names) can be located in the easy to use ST
database on Delphi. Like GEnie and CompuServe, Delphi has it's own
blend of a particularly good and individual personality.
*************
The above files were compiled by Ron Berinstein co-sysop CodeHead
Quarters BBS (213) 461-2095 from files that were either directly
uploaded to CodeHead Quarters BBS, or downloaded from GEnie, Compuserve,
and Delphi online services.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Z*NET Atari Online Magazine is a weekly publication covering the Atari
and related computer community. Material contained in this edition may
be reprinted without permission except where noted, unedited and
containing the issue number, name and author included at the top of each
article reprinted. Opinions presented are those of the individual
author and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the staff of
Z*Net Online. This publication is not affiliated with Atari
Corporation. Z*Net, Z*Net Atari Online and Z*Net News Service are
copyright (c)1991, Rovac Industries Incorporated, Post Office Box 59,
Middlesex, New Jersey 08846-0059. Voice (908) 968-2024, BBS (908) 968-
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at PPN 75300,1642 and on GEnie at address: Z-Net. FNET NODE 593
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Z*NET Atari Online Magazine
Copyright (c)1991, Rovac Industries, Inc..
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