peelings ii v4n8 1983

ss" = as VOL. 4, NO. 8 —oo7° : 2 1983 ™ >. SS Aa $3.00 By, THE MAGAZINE OF APPLE ~ ‘ SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE EVALUATION ¢ CITATION e THINKTANK e ANA-LIST ¢ ULTRATERM e EPS KEYBOARD ¢ FINGER PRINT ¢ THUNDERCLOCK PLUS e ZAXXON ¢ STARMAZE & MORE! ¢ PROOF ¢ VC-DOCUMENTER ¢ FINANCIAL TEMPLATES | 74470 91 126 NOW YOUR COMPUTER FITS THE ORIGINAL ae ARCADE H Now the excitement of original arcade graphics and sound effects comes home to your computer Introducing ATARISOFT.™ A new source for computer software. If you own a Commodore VIC 20 or 64, a Texas Instruments 99/4 A, an IBM or an Apple Il, you can play the original arcade hits. DONKEY KONG by Nintendo, CENTIPEDE™ PAC MAN, DEFENDER, ROBOTRON: 2084, STARGATE and DIG DUG. (On the TI 99/4A you can also play Protector Il, Shamus, Picnic Paranoia and Super Storm.) So, start playing the original hits on your computer Only from ATARISOFT. Some games also available on ATARIS( Now your computer fits the arcade hits. PAC-MAN and characters are trademarks of Bally Midway Mfg. sublicensed to Atari, Inc. by Namco-America, Inc. ui factured under li apse Software Corp. PICNIC PARANOIA is oftware arner Communication: ed, ATARISOFT™ produ Complete this coupon and we'll keep you up to date on the newest hits from ATARISOFT.™ Adie: Auephane ies ay ENE PRODUCT OWNED: (Check one) (I ts9/4a [] Commodore Vic 20 (J emec [J Intettivision [] Commodore 64 [_] Apple |! [Colecovision — [_] Other Mail to: Atari, Inc., PO. Box 2943, So. San Francisco, CA 94080. oo Announcing The best 6502 Assembler in the World ° e00 oo oo oo Now. The kind of high-level support you’d only expect to find on a main frame. ORCA/M (Hayden's Object Relocat- © able Code Assembler for Micros) lets you develop sophisticated applications with the speed and ease of a high-level language, yet retain the control and efficiency that only assembly language can give. Here’s what ORCA/M gives you: The Assembler Macro language features: Conditional assembly of source and macro files Separate source and macro files Nestable macros Parameter mid-string and string search functions Symbolic parameter assignment Numeric, string, and boolean type parameters Parameter subscripting Global communication between macros Macro expansion loop control Count, length and type parameter- attribute functions Extensive Macro Libraries Memory Constant Declarations: Integer Character Four-byte Integer Hexadecimal Floating Point Relocatable object module generation Fast assembly directly to disk Program segmentation: Selectively assembly individual subroutines © Global and local scope of symbols 200 ° ° ° ° ° The Linker Produce executable binary files from relocatable object modules Link routines from library files Link subroutine re-assemblies Define a new origin for previously assembled code Invoke at assembly time or by command Subroutine libraries: Floating point and double-precision routines ‘Transcendental functions Hi- and lo-res graphics Multiple-precision integer math Input and output e000 ° 0000 The Editor Co-resident screen editor: Global search and replace Block move Entry of non-keyboard characters Supports lower case adapters and shift-key modification 80-column: horizontal scrolling with 40-column displays The System Monitor: transparent control of system from one command level Extended Disk Commands: File copy File undelete Catalog sort Wildcard filenames Disk ZAP: Built-in disk sector editor Optimized DOS 3.3 compatible operating system Operating system interface: Supports a variety of configurations User-modifiable to allow linkage of custom drivers for peripherals 64k RAM supported, 48k required oo This unique array of features and functions speaks for itself: the power of ORCA is unsurpassed. All features are documented clearly and extensively. Source listings for the subroutine and macro libraries, as well as the operating system, are included. ORCA. If you're serious about developing 6502 software, it’s the one to have. Available from your local dealer, or call: 800-343-1218 (In MA call 617-937-0200) ORCA/M: 21609 Apple Il or Ile disk, 48k, DOS 3.3 ‘Two drives and 64k recommended Introductory $99.95 $149.95 After September 30, 1983 | HAYDEN SOFTWARE ORCA/M is now also the best 65C02 assembler, supporting all 27 new opcodes. New hardware support includes the Ile 80 column board and disk emulators for the Legend ™ 128K card and Tle extended memory card. WHAT DO YOU GIVE THE APPLE THAT DOESN’T HAVE EVERYTHING? Begin by giving it PEELINGS I. Then you can equip it with the best software, hardware, and com- puter products that money can buy! xg We are THE magazine of Apple software and hardware evaluation. That means we tell you the in- side story on major software packages in clear, readable y and straightforward WV! language. We rate software using standards that are updated and revised as tech- nology changes. We publish tutor- ials, glossaries and comparison charts. We explain HOW TO buy software and hard- ware. In short, PEELINGS II gives you the facts so you can avoid costly mistakes and make the right decisions. Give your Apple what it has always wanted and YOU’LL receive the benefits. Take advantage of our holiday special now. Subscribe toa year of PEELINGS II at $18 and save 33% off the newsstand price. ) 4 ™ It couldn’t be easier. Fill out the eeling postage-paid card found elsewhere THE MAGAZINE OF APPLE in this issue and drop it in the mail. SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE EVALUATION ‘Apple is a trademark of Apple Computer. Inc PO. Box 188, Las Cruces, N.M. 88001 ‘THE MAGAZINE OF APPLE Peelings (|| SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE EVALUATION Volume 4, Number 8, 1983 BEGINNER COLUMN: 7 The Anything Machine Chapter 8: DATA DEBASEMENT By Tom Little ENTERTAINMENT & GAMES 13 ZAXXON Published by Datasoft, Inc. 18 MICRO MOTHER GOOSE Published by Software Productions, Inc. 21 Gertrude’s Secrets Published by The Learning Company 22 The Dark Crystal Published by Sierra On-Line, Inc. 23 Plasmania Published by Sirius Software 25 Shuttle Intercept Published by Hayden Software Company 26 STAR MAZE Published by Sir-Tech Software, Inc. 27 Bolo Published by Synergistic Software 29 The Serpent’s Star Published by Ultrasoft 30 Music Maker Published by SubLOGIC 32 Tunnel Terror Published by Adventure International ELEMENTARY ADVENTURE GAMES 14 ADVENTURE GAMES: Why Not For Children? By Sandy Abernathy 15 DRAGON’S KEEP & TROLL’S TALE Published by Sierra On-Line, Inc. INFORMATION MANAGEMENT 35 CITATION Published by Eagle Enterprises 39 THINKTANK "Published by Living Videotext, Inc. 43 ANA-LIST Published by Synoptic Software, Inc. HARDWARE 47 UltraTerm Published by Videx, Inc. 51 Executive Peripheral Systems Keyboard Published by Executive Peripheral Systems, Inc. 55 FINGER PRINT Published by Dresselhaus Computer Products 56 THUNDERCLOCK PLUS Published by Thunderware, Inc. SPREADSHEET UTILITIES 59 62 65 PROOF Published by Micro-Sparc, Inc. VC-DOCUMENTER Published by Desktop Solutions, Inc. FINANCIAL TEMPLATES Published by Robert H. Flast & Company DEPARTMENTS 5 Authors 6 Peelings Ratings ADVERTISER INDEX Advertiser APPLE ORCHARD ... ‘APPLIED ENGINEERIN ATARI «20... BI&E. CALCSHOP ... 4 CIRCADIAN SOFTWARE... CRAWFORD DATA .... DATA SECURITY CONCEPTS . DAVID DATA......... 05 DIVERSIFIED SOFTWARE DOUGLAS ELECTRONICS. EAST SIDE SOFTWARE . EXEC-SOFTWARE... HAYDEN SOFTWARE. HAYES MICROCOMP! INTERACTIVE MICROWARE MICRO-SPARC. MICRO WARE DISTRIBUTORS . PEELINGS Il.......... SENSIBLE SOFTWARE SIERRA ON-LINE ... SOFTKEY PUBLISHING . STILLCREEK SOFTWARE . . VIRTUAL COMBINATICS . WILDCAT COMPUTING . . THE AUTHORS Robert Abernathy is a senior at New Mexico State University majoring in mechanical Engineering, He writes programs on both a mainframe computer and his Ap- ple. Robert enjoys playing computer adventure, science fiction, and fantasy games. Sandy Abernathy, who taught elementary school for thir- teen years, now teaches courses in microcomputer ap- plications and management technology at New Mexico State University. In addition, she presents workshops on educational applications of microcomputers for teachers and administrators and uses her Apple for word process- ing and consulting projects. She holds a B.S. in Biology, an M.A.T. in Elementary Education and a Ph.D. in Educa- tional Management and Development. Her hobbies in- clude fishing, camping, swimming, reading, and using her Apple. Edward Burlbaw is staff scientist and the regional manager for Science and Technology Corporation. His background is in physics, electronics, and mathematics. He has a B.S. in physics, an M.S. in mathematics, an M.S. and a Ph.D. in physics. His other interests include snow skiing and electronics. John Martellaro is an operations research analyst for TRASANA, White Sands Missle Range working in com- puter graphics and combat simulation models. He has a B.S. in astrophysics and a M.S. in physics. John enjoys computer chess, science fiction, astronomy and soaring. John Mitchener is a Personnel Management Specialist at White Sands Missle Range. He is a former Electronics Warfare Analyst for the U.S. Army and has a B.S. in psychology. John’s hobbies are ballooning, cooking and ham radio. Larry Ross is an educational consultant and Director of Computer Input in Thousand Oaks, CA. He works with public and private schools, as well as individuals, setting up educational software packages and giving instruction on their use. Alan Shalette is president of Shalette & Company, Inc., a Chicago-based management consulting firm. The firm provides market, product, business and operational systems planning assistance for clients mainly in the finance industry. He holds a B.S. (ChE) and an M.B.A. Alan’s outside interests include astronomy, photography, camping and reading. Michael Weasner is a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot/instructor with multiple FAA ratings. His most re- cent assignment was as Manager of the Computer Re- sources Division at the Air Force’s Space Division in Los Angeles, where he worked with the Space Shuttle and other space related Program Offices. Upon leaving the Air Force, Mike joined Supersonic Express Corporation, a subsidiary of Earth Space Transport Systems Corpora- tion. He holds a B.S. in Astrophysics and his interests in- clude space exploration, flying, computers, and science fiction. We Are Not PIRATES But We Can Show You How To UNLOCK LOCKED-UP SOFTWARE YOU CAN, TOO! IN- a COVERAGE Special intrest Subjects ° GRAPHICS ° DATA BASES © UTILITIES ° GAMES For Hobbyists and Advanced Computists Published Quarterly hardcgre HARD FACTS on APPLE SOFTWARE An Unprecedented and Contro- versial disclosure of closely-held COMPUTER SECRETS How to: Customize Commercial Programs Undo Copy-Protection & More! Published 8 times yearly Zip: $25.00 for 8 issues of HARDCORE yn COMPUTIST and 4 issues of CORE. Canada: $34.00 Mexico: $37.00 Overseas, foreign countries: $47.00. Payment must accompany order. funds only. No credit cards. WW ~ “Wake ciiecks and money orders payable to. CORE /HARDCORE computist P.O. Box 44549G_Tacoma, WA 98444 $5 gle a oe ile Ege 5828 I< aH 2200 | on a oon ms a os as ee PEELINGS RATINGS The Peelings Rating is a letter grade designed to indicate an overall impres- sion of the product. It is a measure of how well the publisher did the job he intended to do taking into considera- tion comparison to other similar pro- ducts, price to performance, ease of use, documentation, and sophistica- tion. We stress that you should not skip a review or disparage a program be- cause it receives a low rating. The rating alone can never tell the whole story. Only reading the entire review will give you all the information you need. For this reason, the rating should never be quoted alone without reference to text of the review. The Peelings Il rating categories follow: some example criteria are given for the categories, but they are not meant to be all inclusive. AAA — Absolutely astounding soft- ware. We have seen two programs that fit this category. AA — Top notch, superb. These pro- grams generally use the most sophisticated programming techniques and have excellent documentation. A — Very good. Software in this class incorporates very good programming techniques and has clear and infor- mative documentation. B — Good. This software may have minor errors or be slightly flawed, it may be lacking in thorough doc- umentation, or it may just be unex- citing. C — Average. Software of a medi- ocre nature. There may be a lack of good programming concepts or poor error trapping. It may be a repeat of other work, or have a low perfor- mance/price ratio. D — Below Average. Software with a blatant disregard for the user in terms of programming design, unacceptable documentation or performance/price ratio. F — Unacceptable. Software of such poor quality or usability that it should not be marketed. Publisher Peelings II, Inc Editor in Chief John Mitchener Managing Editor Rebecca Winecup Senior Editor John Martellaro Associate Editor Edward Burlbaw ing Editors William Daugherty Tom Little Alan Shalette Michael Weasner Copy Editor Richard Bishop Administrative Assistant Pamela Carmody Advertising Director Jay Eisenberg JE Publishers’ Representative Company 6855 Santa Monica Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90038 213-467-2266 Boston—617-837-1700 _Chicago~312-445-2489 Dallas—214-660-2253 Denver—303-595-4331 New York—212-724 San Francisco—15-864-32 Design Consultant Georgette Evans Grey SUBSCRIPTION RATES 9 issues (1 year) $21.00 18 issues (2 years) $38.00 27 issues (3 years) $54.00 Sample Copy $ 4.00 Back Issues $ 4.00 Canada, Mexico, APO, FPO (First Class) 9 issues $36.00 Back issues $ 5.00 South America & Europe (Air Mail) 9 issues $48.00 Back issues $ 6.00 All Other Foreign (Air Mail) 9 issues $57.00 Back issues $ 6.00 Al remittances must be in U.S. funds and drawn on U.S. bank. CREDITS Cover Art: Jud Wright Printing: Harte-Hanks Direct Marketing Albuquerque, NM. Typesetting (via modem), Layout, & Design: CrazyQuilt Graphics® , Las Cruces, NM Apple and Applesoft are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Ine Copyright 1983 by Peelings I Inc. All rights reserved Material in this publication may not be stored or reproduced in any form without permission. Requests for permission should be directed to Rights and Permissions Editor, Peelings II, P.O. Box 188, Las Cruces, NM 88004, ISSN:0744-2475. Peelings Il is published monthly except Feb,, March, and July by Peelings Il, Inc., 2260 Oleander, Las Cruces, NM. Second class postage paid at Las Cruces, NM and additional mailing offices. Telephone: (505) 526-8364 The Source: TCT120 Postmaster: Send address changes to Peelings II, P.O. Box 188, Las Cruces, NM 88004 ind all regular mail to Peelings Il, P.O. , NM 88004, U.P.S, Address: 2260 Oleander, Las Cruces, NM 88001. New product information and other editorial correspondence should be sent to the at tention of Pamela Carmody. Dealer inquiries should be sent to the attention of Maggie Gamboa. Change of address and all subscription correspondence should be addressed to Peel- ings Il, P.O. Box 625, Holmes, PA 19043. For address changes please include your old address as well as new and enclose, if possible, an address label from a recent issue Volume 4, Number 8, 1983 THE ANYTHING MACHINE Chapter Eight! DATA DEBASEMENT by Tom Little As often as computers are used for keeping records, it is surprising how much mystery has grown up around the topic of data base management (DBM). This month's col- umn will not be a discussion of all the powerful DBM systems available: the magazine’s reviews do a much bet- ter job of this than | could. Instead I'll discuss some of the basic principles of record keeping on a computer. These principles should be of value both to the amateur program- mer who would like to write a modest data base manager, and to the consumer who would like an overview of the topic to aid in making purchasing decisions. THE GREAT MASS The first consideration in computerized record keeping is the amount of storage which is going to be required for your records. Nowadays, all Apples (and just about all other small computers) have at least one disk drive and 48K or 64K bytes RAM memory. A single floppy disk can store 125K bytes of data, more or less. The best general rule is one character equals one byte. That is, about 100 bytes will be used to store a string of text containing 100 letters, digits, spaces, and punctuation. The amount of storage needed can be reduced if some of the information can be coded. For example, a date can be coded into three numbers, each of which need take up no more than a byte. The data base program can display 10,25,83 as ‘‘October 25, 1983’ on the screen, and still not have to waste the memory required to store 16 characters in memory or on disk. It is truly amazing how many things can be encoded in this way, and a data base management system customized to a specific applica- tion can squeeze every last bit out of the available storage. There are two great disadvantages to compressing and encoding data. The first is that it tends to make a system inflexible. In the example above, the date format is not agreeable to dates before 1900 or after 1999. Furthermore, if the user wanted to mark some dates with an asterisk for some reason, the program would very likely be disagreeable. Note, of course, that the program can easi- ly be written to accept any interesting information. The Peelings II problem is that what the program will or will not accept is essentially frozen at the time of its writing. This is very poor for those of us who like to regard the computer screen as a blank page, on which we can make any nota- tions we find appropriate. In general, encoding and com- pression of data reduces flexibility. Sometimes this may be desirable, often it is not. The second disadvantage to encoding data to save space is that the data thus produced will probably be in- decipherable without the aid of the program which created it. For a system dedicated to data base management, and continuously running a single, professional program, this is not a problem. A modest-sized system, however, might not provide all the possible features for using the data base. The user might want to sort his records with a separate sorting program. He might want a printout in a different format than that provided by the data base program. He may want to alter some of the information in an unconven- tional way to suit his own needs. Furthermore, if the data base program should fail in any way, encoded and com- pressed information is essentially inaccessible to the user. This applies with fury to programs which keep their data on disks with nonstandard formats. For maximum utility, a data base program should keep its files in a text format, such as could be read into a word processor and edited. Naturally there is a trade-off between the special space- and time-saving features that a custom-tailored data base program can provide and the accessibility of the data and the flexibility of its format. Both sides need to be weighed carefully before storing large amounts of data in a com- puter. For some applications, a word processor may be all that’s needed. Many word processors have powerful search functions and report-formatting commands. The word processor as data base should not be ignored. The data base program comes into its own where all the data is stored in relatively rigid format (e.g., a mailing list which contains precisely the name, address, phone number, and perhaps some other fixed items about each individual), or where some special organization is to be imposed on the data (for example, in a genealogy program, The Anything Machine 7 where individual records need to be accessed on the basis of several different relationships with other records). A data base program can also be written so as to severely restrict the entry of invalid data: it can check entered dates for intelligibility, can check spelling, and will ordinarily prompt the user specifically for only those pieces of in- formation needed. This is tremendous, provided that the items requested by the program are the same ones the user needs to file. With the storage format known, the user can proceed to calculate how much storage will be required to keep his records. For a project of any size, several floppies will be needed. This need not present a problem, even with a single-drive system: the program can prompt the user to exchange disks when a new file is needed. The key is to group the records onto the disks in such a way that swapping is as infrequent as possible. Furthermore, there should be minimal exchange of information between disk and memory. This means that individual files should be of a size which can be loaded into memory all at once. Here is another design decision: should the disk file be updated every time a change is made to the data base, or only when the user is finished altering a whole file and wants to save it. The first method is a safeguard against power failure and against managing to avoid saving the file at the end of the session. Its disadvantage is that it is more time-consuming, and may not give the user the op- tion not to save a change which itself is incorrect. These are all general problems of dealing with large quantities of data. They apply even to handmade pro- grams, written in BASIC or Pascal. Too often these issues become tangled with the actual workings of a data base program, but they are more fundamental considerations which genuinely depend only on the disposition of the user and the nature of the data being stored. The advice to the prospective data base management system (DBMS) author or purchaser is: first, think about yourself and your data base. Careful consideration of the amount and nature of the data should answer many questions about the type of program needed, before finger ever touches key. GETTING IT TOGETHER The heart of every DBMS is the scheme used for the organization of data. There are two basic methods which are used by all record-keeping programs. The first of these is the array. An array is simply a table of data in the computer’s memory which is indexed numerically. Nearly all programming languages have pro- visions for using array variables. Consider the following lines of BASIC: Why Your Apple Needs DAVID-DOS" Your Apple is easier to use and runs much faster with this new, licensed by Apple, DOS 3.3 update. DAVID-DOs (rhymes with moss), is rated AA, (top ofits class), by the highly respected software review magazine PEELINGS II. Novices and Pros DAVID-DOS is licensed by programmers for in- clusion in the software they sell. 30 out of 60 bought it on the spot when DAVID-DOS was demonstrated at the Original Apple Corps, UCLA. DAVID-DOS receives applause from Apple novices. That’s why you need DAVID-DOS. What’s Going On Every Apple II/Ile boots up with DOS 3.3 soft- ware." DOS 3.3 is right there on the first three tracks of all your program disks. Your Apple is supervised constantly by DOS 3.3. Easier and 5 Times Faster Our Installation Program goes in and makes spe- cific permanantimprovements to DOS 3.3 onall your disks in a few seconds, (The programs on your disks are not touched). From then on your programs load up to 5 times faster. And you have new features that make your Apple easier to use. *Exceptions are Pascal & CPM Operating Systems. Apple II and Applesfi are trademarks of Apple Computer inc. 100 Sectors in 7 Seconds Speed Load Applesoft, Integer & Binary 100 sector programs in 7 seconds. Tload Random and Sequential Text Files at the same speed with a simple command. Automatic Card Support Automatically supports an Integer or Applesoft Rom Card in Any slot (without configuring). Single key stroke Catalog and Catalog Abort. Shows Free Sectors Left on each Catalog. Nine New DOS Commands TLOAD speeds loads all Text Files. TLIST lists all Random/Sequential Text Files. DUMP Binary/Ascii to screen or printer. DISA dissembles Binary to screen/printer. AL prints program Address & Length. / Single keystroke, second Catalog command. HIDOS moves DOS to the Language Card. FIND hex group in 64K memory in 3 seconds. DATE prints out. Use with Mtn. clock card. Commands 8 & 9 in Hidos only. Per Ra eo Pe The Anything Machine To Order: Send Check To 12021 WILSHIRE BLVD., SUITE 212E LOS ANGELES, CA 90025 10K More Memory These nine commands operate identical to exist- ing DOS commands. Use A or A$ for address and Lor LS for length. Enter new commands on the Keyboard and use them in Basic programs with the familiar D$. Use HIDOS in Hello program for turnkey startup, adding 10K free memory. Variable Speed Scrolling TLIST, DUMP, and DISA Features are: 1, Print with PR#. 2. Key operated variable speed control. 8. Instant pause with Space Bar. 4. Exit anytime with Return Key. Compatible All DOS entry addresses have been preserved. DOS is Same length and compatible with most software. David-Dos is copyable and creates fully copyable updated disks. Init areas were used for David-Dos. Works with all Apple Is including Tle 80 Col. Requires 48K. Complete documen- tation for screen or printing and many utilities are on the disk. $39.95 Foreign add $2.00. California residents add 64% sales tax. (218) 478-7865 Volume 4 Number 8 10 DIM NAME$(20): DIM YEAR(20) 20 FOR I=1 TO 20 30 INPUT““NAME:’’; 40 INPUT’YEAR: 50 NEXT 60 FOR I=1 TO 20 70 PRINT NAME$(I);“ ——— "’;YEAR(I) 80 NEXT A record kept in array is accessed by a combination of the array name and a numerical index. Thus as the variable “I” takes on the values 1 through 20 in the first FOR-loop, the INPUT statement refers to successive slots in the ““NAME$” and ‘’YEAR’’ arrays. These arrays are depicted in Figure 1. If the index for a record stored in an array is known, the record can be accessed very rapidly. This is a main selling point for an array. Another selling point is this: if the elements of an array are arranged in a sorted order, they can be located quickly. The process is similar to fin- ding names in a phone book. Each name has its slot, and the alphabetical ordering allows you to ‘zoom in’’ quickly on any particular name. (With a real data base there is the problem of which part of the record to sort on. In our example, we may want to have the array sorted by alpha- ps eau Billin EAS NAME YEAR 1] JOHN DOE 1) 1965 2] MARTHA JONES 2] 1972 3] JAMES WATT 3] 1984 4] CHRIS COLOMBO 4) 1492 5| JOHN MARTELLARO 5} 2001 Ea 4 Ea * 20 20 FIGURE 1. Data stored in an array. betical order on NAMES, or by numerical order on YEAR.) Now some of the bad news on arrays. The first inconve- nience is that the size of an array (the number of slots) is fixed (e.g., by the DIM statements above). This means you can’t add more records past this number without rewriting the program (for example, by substituting ‘50’ for every ‘20’ above). With only one set of data this is Bill EA The Professional Billing System for EASY BILLING! ¢ 500 Accounts 1500 Transactions * Itemized Statements © Accounts obtained and transactions entered with a few key strokes © Optional interest, aging, statement messages Designed for PROFESSIONALS CONSULTANTS SERVICE BUSINESSES Apple Il + /e 48k 1 DISK DR. Adjustable Tractor Printer ¢ 100 User definable transaction codes can bill by hourly rate, % hourly rate, standard fee, minutes, entered amount ¢ Periodic and year to date billing statistics Utilities, help screens, auto-copy ! Plus $3°° Shippin: VISA/MASTERCARD ACCEPTED STILLCREEK SOFTWARE for business 03) 299-1403 6506 SW. Barnes Road Portland, OR 97225 Peelings II The Anything Machine 9 no real problem, because it’s not too difficult to figure out just about how many records the computer's main memory will accommodate and to declare the array to this size. If there are two or more different data sets in memory together, however, the array system can be quite wasteful (you may run out of space in one array while large por- tions of others are unused). Another problem is inserting and deleting records of an array. This can be done by simple assignments to the ap- propriate array elements if the array is not sorted. If you want to keep the array sorted (e.g., names in alphabetical order), then the only way to do an insertion is to find the correct spot for the new item, move all the items in subse- quent spots down one slot to make room for it, then put it into the vacated slot. In general, the amount of time necessary to insert an item into a sorted array is propor- tional to the number of items already in the array, which can be very large. The other method for organizing data is the pointer. A pointer is a piece of information which indicates an in- dividual record directly. This is usually depicted as shown in Figure 2. pointer = record JOHN DOE M 1970 FIGURE 2. Data access via a pointer. A pointer may be an actual machine address for the record or any datum which unambiguously specifies a single record to the machine or program. Pascal has pointers built in, BASIC does not. In BASIC it is possible to simulate pointers, with considerable ef- fort on the programmer's part and considerable loss of ef- ficiency. When pointers are used, the variables which contain the records are not declared explicitly. Instead, there is a special instruction (NEW in Pascal) which allocates space in memory for a new record, and provides a pointer to it. The data are then accessed indirectly through the pointer. The advantage to this strange way of creating variables becomes apparent when you consider that pointers can be part of a record themselves. This allows you to con- nect records with one another, as shown in Figure 3. LIST - —~. FIGURE 3. A linked list. JOHN DOE MARTHA JONES JAMES WATT ws | 0A [un | 0A "| 1000 a" 10 The Anything Machine This illustration shows a linked list, where each record con- tains a pointer to the next one. A linked list solves the array memory-wasting problems: space is allocated for a record only when it is actually needed. Furthermore, insertion is easy, consisting only of altering a few pointers (see Figure 4). a) LST [+ = JOHN DOE MARTHA JONES JAMES WATT. 1965 | 0A "lun | oA “Ji | ot vy KING KONG 1930 b) LIST e. r JOHN DOE MARTHA JONES |_| JAMES WATT yf ws | 0M Jon | po | Nis] oD wo] oF FIGURE 4. Insertion into a linked list. The disadvantage with this structure is that to get to any item on the list, it is necessary to traverse the chain of pointers. There is no immediate selection of a particular element, as with arrays. Also the pointers themselves take up space in memory. There are numerous ways in which to organize data us- ing pointers. Consider that each record may be arbitrarily linked to an assortment of others via pointers. Not only chains but rings, trees, and networks can be constructed using pointers to link records. Once again, it is important to emphasize that the choice of implementation depends on the nature of the data. This is why there is no best data base organization. If the in- formation is sorted and to be accessed by its ordering, and there are few insertions or deletions expected, then an ar- ray may be a feasible solution. If the data base is a con- stantly changing list which is always accessed as a whole (for example, a mailing list whose elements are never printed individually), then a linked list using pointers may be the solution. Other data imply other structures. There have been many excellent books written on data struc- tures and their advantages and disadvantages for sorting, searching, and modifying. Volume 4 Number 8 RELATIONAL DATA BASES A different tack can be taken on the whole subject. If the data base is large and general-purpose, it is desirable to allow all manner of queries. Thus, the user should be able to request not only a printout of John Doe’s address but also a printout of the addresses of all individuals who work for James Dolt and live in Kentucky. This kind of query is much more complicated. A simple-minded database program will usually have no recourse except to check each record in memory to see if it meets the im- posed condition. A relational data base management system (RDBMS) is one which is built around the idea of this kind of query. The approach used is to store tables of relations, contain- ing pointers to the records themselves. In the example, the program would look up the name of James Dolt in a table which contains the employer-employee relation. This would result quickly in a (hopefully) short list of pointers to James Dolt’s employees. Then the table containing the state-of-residence relation would be accessed by the key “Kentucky”, producing another list of pointers indicating residents of Kentucky. The two lists would be compared, and the pointers common to both would be used to ac- cess the actual data It can be seen that for a truly general relational data base system, there will be many, many tables of relations. Managing the tables is then a data base problem in itself. The RDBMS is the heavy artillery of the record-keeping world, and a full-featured one is nearly always doomed to impracticality. Still, the idea of using tables to simplify processing the most common queries is a valuable one, which is incorporated, to a greater or lesser extent, into many professional systems. The bottom line is that a lot of thought needs to go into doing any large-scale record keeping on a computer, whether you're a programmer or a purchaser. There are no right answers, no best systems or methods. Perhaps the best advice is: as long as you're not certain exactly what your present and future needs are, use a data base pro- gram which keeps its files in an easily readable and usable form. That way, upgrading need not mean retyping. Next time The Anything Machine will feature word pro- cessing, ‘‘anything -3’’. After that comes the last hurrah of this column: a sidelong glance into the future of computing!) APPLESEED” BX-DE-12 Mother Board Appleseed is a complete computer system. It is designed using the bus conventions established by Apple Computer for the Apple }[. Appleseed is designed as an alternative to using a full Apple }[ computer system. The Appleseed product line includes more than a dozen items including CPU, RAM, EPROM, UART, UNIVERSAL Boards as well as a number of other compatible items. This ad will highlight the Mother board. BX-DE-12 MOTHER BOARD ‘The BX-DE-12 Mother board is designed to be fully compatible with all of the Apple conventions. 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Card # Signature Expires PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY Name Address City State Zip roca re gueaiet a) eT | ZAXXON Apple version by John Garcia Datasoft, Inc. 9421 Winnetka Avenue Chatsworth, CA 913171 213-701-5161 $39.95 Rating:AA+ Reviewed by Michael L. Weasner INTRODUCTION The arcades have come to the Ap- ple. In the past, there were many games for the Apple that claimed to be just like the arcade version or have arcade quality graphics and sound. Very few could live up to their namesakes. That is, until Datasoft brought ZAXXON to the Ap- ple. This is the arcade game, with all the graphics and sounds of the original. Mr. Garcia has done an ad- mirable job in transporting the game to the Apple computer. In ZAXXON, your mission is to fly your spacefighter over an alien land- scape that is protected by surface-to- air missiles, gun emplacements, enemy ships and at the end is a robot with a homing missile. Along the way, there are a multitude of targets for you to destroy and objects to avoid. To enjoy ZAXXON, you will need a good joystick and preferably a color monitor or TV. In addition, the Mockingboard line of sound in- terface cards are supported to pro- vide arcade quality sound. Sound can be turned on/off, and the game can be paused at any time. Up to two players are supported, and their Peelings II scores are displayed along with the highest attained score. The documentation is a full-color, eight-page description of the game, the individual targets, scoring, and hardware requirements. Very high quality for a game. PLAY In the November 1982 issue of Peelings II, | discussed some stan- dards for flight simulators. | mention- ed that color should be used where appropriate. Although not a simula- tor, ZAXXON does come the closest to being a full-color flight simulator. You can dive, climb, bank left and right, fire your guns, and because of the three-dimensional aspect of the graphics, you will actually feel as though you are flying. There is even a shadow of your spacecraft to aid you in altitude determination. Some instruments are provided: altimeter scale along the left side of the display, fuel gauge on the bottom; the number of enemy ships and your ships remains in the lower-right corn- er. You must fly to avoid running in- to the walls or other objects but must also destroy fuel tanks to keep from running out of fuel. The rate of fuel flow depends on your altitude; at maximum altitude your fuel is de- pleted in about 10 seconds, and you will crash. There are three sections to the game: two different landscapes with a space battle in between. If you are successful in completing all three, then the game repeats but with ever increasing difficulty. You will start each game with three spaceships, but once you manage to score 30,000 points, you will receive an extra ship. Zaxxon Points are received for each target destroyed, and there are many bonuses available. Overall, the play is very responsive and challenging. Unfortunately, the play is made somewhat more difficult by an offset in the hit parameters; you must not aim precisely at the targets but offset slightly in order to score a hit. Also you can be destroyed by a missile or cannon when you thought you were safe. This is the only bug | discovered in the game, but its seriousness war- rants correcting in later versions. Once you become accustomed to this offset, you will tend to ignore it in the heat of the battle. If you have not played ZAXXON in the arcades, you will probably find the rate of fuel consumption to be frustrating. But again, once you get used to it and discover that you really must con- tinually destroy fuel tanks to stay alive, the game becomes challenging and not frustrating. SUMMARY The program disk is warranted for 90 days, and there is a registration card provided to insure that you are covered. Returning the card also gets you a full-color ZAXXON iron-on transfer. The bug mentioned earlier and the lack of a save-high-score-to- disk capability detract somewhat from the excellence of ZAXXON. However, there is no doubt that ZAXXON has replaced CHOPLIFTER as the game to have. Games for the Apple computer have a new stan- dard in smooth, color graphics and sound, and maybe flight simulators too. Make ZAXXON your Christmas present to your Apple. ADVENTURE GAMES WHY NOT FOR CHILDREN? by Sandy Abernathy Man is a curious creature. On one hand he craves stability, and yet on the other hand he seeks activities which will challenge him and give him a sensation of risk. Challenges take many forms. As a child, did you call down the magical incantation, “Step on a crack and break your mother’s back’’, and then try to avoid the cracks in the sidewalk? Did you walk backyard walls even after STOCK MARKET SOFTWARE Increase your profits with OPTIONX®, the ultimate option analysis program for the Apple computer. Extremely easy to use. Includes the Cleeton model and a dividend corrected Black-Scholes model. Calculates fair value, hedge ratio, expected return, risk/reward ratio, and much more — tak- ing dividends and commissions into account. 88 page manual completely describes the program and the equations used. Highly rated by Softalk, Infoworld, and others Send $145.00 for the program and manual. Return for full refund in 15 days if not satisfied. Request free brochure describing OPTIONX® and other sophisticated stock market software Crawford Data Systems 350 N. Lantana, Suite 561F Camarillo, CA 93011 (805) 484-4159 CA residents please add 6% tax. your mother told you not to? Do you like mountain climbing, hang gliding, or ballooning? Maybe you have a passion for jigsaw or crossword puzzles, or possibly your interests lie in exploring the worlds of Tolkein, Stephen Donaldson, or Arthur Con- an Doyle. Have you ever done some- thing in a more complicated way just because it made the activity more in- teresting? All these involve some sort of problem solving. The last one not only involves solving a problem, but also creating one. Adventure games, too, pose a pro- blem for the player to solve. Until now, however, adventure games have been designed for the adult. Those who play must be able to remember clues, locations of rooms and objects seen earlier, remember commands and object words accept- able to the computer and spell them correctly, move through complex en- vironments using compass points, ac- cept the possibility of being killed, and, above all, be very patient. Elementary school teachers are always looking for games, activities, books, and other materials to stimulate the imagination of their students, to encourage them to use their reading skills to gather informa- tion, and to develop problem solving skills. Finding activities that are not contrived and are on the level of students, that will hold their interest and provide practice for these skills is often difficult. Adventure games are one type of Adventure Games: Why Not For Children? activity that can satisfy these criteria. They are imaginary and so not con- trived, and appeal to the inherent sense of adventure and challenge in everyone. Reading skills are used to solve a problem. The player must read the material, analyze it, make a decision and live with the conse- quences. Developing game strat- egies will help the student play the game. In addition, he or she must have or develop a sense of direc- tionality in order to successfully com- plete adventure games. Adventure games are well suited to the microcomputer with color and high-resolution graphics capabilities. Sequences can be programmed that will convey a sense of movement through three-dimensional space. An adventure program has the capabili- ty of branching from one scene to any other, so the creator can set up whatever paths are most appropriate for the target group. With appropri- ate scenarios and reading levels, adventure games can be designed for the more elementary player. With the advent of microcom- puters in elementary classrooms, it has been only a matter of time until someone wrote an adventure game for this group, and finally, someone has done just that. Here are two ad- venture games designed for the be- ginning adventure game player who reads at the second- or third-grade level. | hope this is a forecast of many more quality adventure games for the elementary-school-age group.1] Volume 4 Number 8 ELEMENTARY ADVENTURE GAMES DRAGON’S KEEP TROLL’S TALE by Al Lowe and Michael MacChesney Sierra On-Line, Inc. Sierra On-Line Building Coarsegold, CA 93614 209-683-6858 $29.95 Rating: AA by Al Lowe and Michael MacChesney Sierra On-Line, Inc. Sierra On-Line Building Coarsegold, CA 93614 209-683-6858 $29.95 Rating: AA Reviewed by Sandy Abernathy INTRODUCTION Sierra On-Line has produced two introductory adventure games for the real beginner. Texts are written at the second- and third-grade level. Although aimed at the primary crowd, older players with low reading levels or those with no con- cept of what adventure games are like could play these and enjoy the experience. The real beauty of these games is the three-dimensional, high- resolution color graphics used throughout. They give the player a real sense of space and directional movement as he or she moves through the game’s environment. The text is displayed at the bottom of the screen and consists of a sentence telling something about the Peelings II current location and a set of up to three choices for the next move. Ap- propriate choices are fairly obvious, but no penalties are attached to the selection of less desirable ones. In fact, the player is almost invited to try these out as well. The author has a delightful sense of humor that emerges through the “‘silly’’ choices. Exploration of all possibilities, of course, will give the player more time to explore the world and to develop a sense of directionality. The games are easy to play since only the Space Bar and the RETURN key are used. Both packages require 48K and a single disk drive. Although written for a color monitor, they can be played using a monochrome set. This is not possible with some software. Best of all, the sound can be toggled on and Dragon’s Keep & Troll’s Tale off so the game can be played when quiet is essential. This may be necessary during a study period in school or early on a Saturday morn- ing when parents are still sleeping. The sound effects really aren’t that loud, but in certain situations they might be annoying. Every program- mer who allows the player to control the game’s sound should receive an automatic reward of some sort. The games contain the basic elements of an adventure game: a scenario which can be played out a number of ways, depending on deci- sions made during game play; direc- tional movement; hidden objects; and obstacles. If you want to in- troduce adventure games to so- meone who can read at or above the second-grade level, these two games are an excellent way to do so. GAME DESCRIPTION The games are similar in many respects. Both use three- dimensional, high-resolution pictures to show the current location. Direc- tional words are used to describe the scene and alternative moves. The combination of pictures, text, and game progression helps the player develop a sense of three-dimensional space as well as a sense of logical consequences. With these games the player does not need to know how to spell words, to remember commands, or to figure out which words the com- puter will accept. Choices are listed. The player must read them and select one in order to continue the game. The games are played using only two keys, the Space Bar and the RETURN key. Practice using these keys is provided at the beginning of the game. If the player answers ‘‘N”’ to the question ‘“‘Have you played this game before?’’, he or she can change the color of the screen or see a surprise by pressing these keys. First the picture is drawn and the color is filled in, and then the text is displayed at the bottom of the screen in regular size uppercase letters. The first sentence usually describes the current location. The next three lines usually list three choices from which the player can select his or her next move. Next the player presses the Space Bar to move the cursor next to the desired choice and then presses SAMPLE SCREEN GRAPHICS FROM DRAGON’S KEEP AND TROLL’S TALE RETURN to load the next sequence. Although almost every choice in- volves disk access, loading time does not appear to hamper game play. If anything, it might heighten the suspense. The game’s environment is stable. Rooms, doorways, stairs, etc. do not change or move. This aspect is very helpful for players who are just beginning to orient themselves with- in their own world. It means that they can explore the environment and trace and retrace paths and begin to develop a sense of direction. “If | go right this time and then left next time, V'll be back where | started.” Map- ping skills are very hard to teach primary-age children without phys- ically involving them. These games can give the child a physical sense of direction and movement lacking in most mapping activities. The com- puter’s ability to provide immediate feedback to the player is invaluable in developing these skills. Valuable objects also remain in the same place. If the player cannot col- lect one the first time it is discovered, he or she can go back at a later time and retrieve it. The opportunity to know where an object is and then to try to trace the path to the spot can encourage the development of vis- ual, spatial, and memory skills. Both packages include a very sim- ple map, picture stickers of the 16 hidden objects and a compass rose, and a Parent Guide. The Parent Dragon’s Keep & Troll’s Tale Guide is merely a folder which de- scribes the object of the game, its educational value, and how to play. Since the game is self-sufficient, this is all that is absolutely necessary. The game environments are risk free, that is, the player cannot be harmed nor can he or she harm others. This allows the player to try all choices and explore the logical consequences of a particular act. There is an element of danger, however, which the player can make as scary as he or she wishes. At ran- dom times, a guardian of the treasure appears. With the appearance of this creature, no objects can be col- lected. The games have an_ altruistic, playful nature. Both elicit help from the player for a character or char- acters in the game, and both have possible decisions that are there just for the fun of it. These fun selections encourage the player to try all possi- ble paths in the game just to see what will happen. The text gives the illu- sion that another game player, just off the screen, is talking to the player and describing the scenes. The sense of fun, the risk-free en- vironment, and the altruistic flavor should appeal to girls as well as boys. The games are designed for one player, but they can be played by a small group. Although similar in many respects, the two are designed for slightly dif- ferent audiences. DRAGON’S KEEP Volume 4 Number 8 is the more elementary of the two and presents the player with very fundamental concepts. TROLL'S TALE is more complex and intro- duces the player to more elements found in most adventure games. DRAGON’S KEEP DRAGON'S KEEP is written at the second-grade level. The object of the game is to free 16 animals located in a house or in the surrounding coun- tryside. The scenes should be familiar to the young player, and this famil- iarity should help orientation in the game. The environment is simple and consists of a few rooms on the first and second floors of a house, the basement, the roof, and several spots outside. The animals waiting to be rescued are those found in many second-grade readers and trade books and include a puppy, calf, frog, fish, raccoon, and bear. Each animal is recognizable in the pic- tures. If, during the game, the player wishes to see what animals have been found, he or she can press the F key and the list will be displayed. Directional words used in the game include “right’, ‘left’, “above’’, “in’, “into”, and ‘““down’’. Although a compass rose sticker is included, the words, “north”, “east’’, “south’’, and ‘‘west’’ are not used. The com- pass rose sets the scene for the next game in the series, TROLL’S TALE. The path to a trapped animal is ob- vious. The basic obstacle in this game is the ability to move around in the environment. For a student who is just beginning to develop a sense of direction, this is enough. A dragon has been added to the game to give it a fillip of danger. This creature pro- vides a minor obstacle by appearing at random times and preventing the player from rescuing any animal in the current scene. Since neither the dragon nor or the player have the ability to hurt each other, the green dragon with his magical red fire makes a nice, safe, scary addition. The parent or teacher may want to laminate the simple map included in Peelings I the package. This will allow the play- er to place the animal stickers over the correct circle location and then remove them at the end of play. In this way, the map and the stickers may be reused. To give you a flavor of the game, here are two text sequences. “THE BUTTONS IN THE ELEVATOR SAY: 1. DOWNSTAIRS HALL. 2. UPSTAIRS HALL. 3. FUN! (Select 3 and press RETURN). A LOUD NOISE SOUNDS AND THE LIGHTS GO OFF AND ON. THIS IS HOW THE DRAGON HAS FUN. PRESS RETURN TO CONTINUE:”” “THERE IS A VERY TALL TREE IN THE FIELD. 1. GO TO THE BARN ON THE RIGHT. 2. GO TO THE FIELD ON THE LEFT. 3. CLIMB THE TREE. (Select 3 and press RETURN). (Something happens, and then...) YOU ARE IN THE TREE. 1. JUMP DOWN. 2. BE CAREFUL AND CLIMB DOWN. (Be reckless and choose 1) YOU ARE TOO HIGH. YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL IF YOU WANT TO FINISH THE GAME. PRESS RETURN TO CONTINUE:”’ (If anything other than RETURN is pressed, the word RETURN flashes). TROLL’S TALE TROLL’S TALE is written at the third-grade level. This game bears a greater resemblance to the typical adventure game. The world is im- aginary and is larger and more com- plex than in DRAGON’ KEEP. A val- uable object must be found in order to begin the search, and clues are given at the beginning. Choices are less obvious than those of DRAG- ON’S KEEP and do not always pro- duce the same result. The player who has mastered DRAGON'S KEEP and Dragon’s Keep & Troll’s Tale can read at this level should find this adventure game challenging but not insurmountable. As with many adventure games, the scenario begins with the search for a useful object. Once found, the player is led to valuable clues which must be read in order to learn the ob- ject of the game. The player is re- quested to retrieve King Mark’s 16 treasures which are hidden in an underground world. The guardian is a “gruesome’’ troll right out of Where The Wild Things Are. It ap- pears at random times and prevents the player from collecting the treasures. The “F’’ key has the same function here as in DRAGON'S KEEP. TROLL’S TALE has more paths, passageways, and chambers than DRAGON'S KEEP. The illusion of distance is more pronounced, and the player will have to play the game more times to become familiar with all the locations in the world. In ad- dition, an element of instability has been introduced. If certain alter- natives are chosen, the player may find himself or herself suddenly transported to another part of the world. The player can control this by not selecting these choices. This world is located underground. The creator of the game has balanc- ed familiar scenes such as buildings, rooms, and a well with less familiar scenes such as underground passage- ways and chambers. Again, the main obstacle is the ability of the player to find his or her way through the various paths. The direction words “north’’, ‘east’, ‘‘west’’, and “south’’ have been introduced into this game. Some text passages in- clude translations from “right” and “left” to “east” and “west’’. The compass rose sticker included in the package should be helpful. The game is challenging enough that the teach- er or parent may want to show the player how to use graph paper to map the underground land as it is ex- plored. The map included in the package can act as an overall schema. Here are two sequences from the game: “YOU SEE SUNLIGHT TO THE NORTH. 1. GO TO THE EAST. (RIGHT) 2. GO TO THE WEST. (LEFT) 3. GO TO THE NORTH.” (Select one of the choices). “YOU ARE ON YOUR KNEES IN A NARROW HALL. 1. CRAWL INTO THE CAVE TO THE NORTH. 2. STAND UP! 3. GO THROUGH THE DOOR TO THE EAST. (Select 2 and press RETURN). OUCH! YOU BUMPED YOUR HEAD AND | DID TOO. I STOOD UP AT THE SAME TIME THAT YOU DID. PRESS RETURN TO CONTINUE:”” SUMMARY Students will probably not have a chance to complete either game in one sitting. Game play cannot be saved on the diskette. These limita- tions mean the player must retain in- formation over a period of time and develop a play strategy in order to successfully complete the games. The design of the games allows a player to explore sections of the world without having to trace through those parts already explored. These adventure games are design- ed for the beginning adventure game player who has a reading level at or above second grade. The games are not scaled-down versions of adult adventure games but are designed specifically for elementary school students. They should give the player a reason for reading and encourage the development of directionality, memory retention, and problem- solving skills. They are suitable for both classroom and home, and are easy to use and bug free. Above all, they are fun. However, be careful. If your players like this type of game, you may create in them an insatiable thirst for more of the same!(] MICRO MOTHER GOOSE Software Productions, Inc. 2357 Southway Dr. P.O. Box 21341 Columbus, Ohio 43221 614-486-3563 $39.95 Unlocked Game paddles required Rating: AA Reviewed by Sandy Abernathy INTRODUCTION MICRO MOTHER GOOSE is a well-designed software package for young children. The cover suggests it is suitable for ages three to nine. It includes an unlocked diskette with nine nursery rhymes and three games, a readable manual for parents, a Micro Do’s and Don'ts poster, six Mother Goose stickers, and an extra diskette label for the working copy. Fingerprints have been added to the label to show where it should be held. If you have 18 Micro Mother Goose an Apple computer and small children who want to play with it, this program would be an excellent introduction. Since the diskette is unlocked, you don’t have to worry about ruining your one-and-only copy. Make several backup copies and put the original in a safe place. THE MANUAL The manual is full of information,. The program is basically self-explanatory, so the producers of MICRO MOTHER GOOSE could have marketed the diskette by itself. Instead, they wrote detailed directions for playing the games and rhymes and all sorts of suggestions to make the computer experience more enjoyable for parent and child. The manual contains directions for setting up a com- puter corner and caring for hardware and software, which will be valuable for those who have just brought their new “baby’’ home from the computer store. The anecdotes and cartoons about kids, computers, and disasters are entertaining and get the point across that children need to be taught how to use valuable equipment. The poster included in the package portrays four cor- rect and four incorrect ways to use computers. For in- stance, one picture shows a hand holding the diskette cor- rectly and inserting it into the drive. The caption reads, “Handle your disks properly. Fingerprints kill them’’. Nonreaders can understand the pictures without reading Volume 4 Number 8 ) Cards Attached MasterCard & VISA Orders / Dealer Inquiries ion TO SUBSCRIBE or RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION Please See Postage-Paid Subcri DEALER INQUIRIES For Your Convenience Use This 24hr | Day Toll-Free Number INVITED g g NI | rl 00 ud af 9 chs eS 0 and ‘‘Little Miss Muffet’. Their ‘avorite sing-along rhyme was ‘‘Twin- <le, Twinkle Little Star’. When used at home, the program gives the par- ant the opportunity to read the ‘hyme as it appears on the screen and to sing the rhyme with the tune. 4 child will soon join in if this is a fun experience. The games are the most exciting oart of the program to me because wo of the three games are construc- ive rather than destructive. In my opinion, the lack of constructive zames in the world of computer 3ames is a real void. The simplest 3ame of the three is ‘‘Lamb Scram’’ n which the player must help three ambs move through a gate to escape he wolf and rejoin Mary. When a olayer is successful, flowers appear and the rhyme’s tune is played. The second is ‘’Splat’’, a game in which he player tries to catch falling eggs with a basket. The third and hardest s a typical knock-em-down game, put scaled down so younger children can succeed. There are several levels o this game, so it will hold the in- erest of ‘older’ children. | noticed hat with this last game the girls tend- ad to drift away and the boys became very serious and competitive. Al- hough each game is designed to be played by one child at a time, the Ap- dle was surrounded by eager pre- ichool bystanders making sugges- ions to the current player. With the irst two games the nonplayers made zomments that showed they wanted o help move the lamb or catch the 2ggs. With ‘Bridge Out”, the player tied to beat the previous players’ Micro Mother Goose scores, and comments centered a- round the number of points. SUMMARY This package is very carefully con- structed, from the manual with its many suggestions for parents, to the exclamation points at the end of game titles which serve to separate games from rhymes. A great deal of educational effort has gone into this package to provide enjoyable ex- periences for a child or for parent and child together. Attention to minute detail, to the capabilities of young children and their sense on whimsy and cooperation help to make this package one of the new generation of computer games. The ability to make working copies of the diskette is a big advantage. It’s nice to know that there are a few software companies that will trust customers not to distribute copies to friends. Although this program is designed for home use, it can be used in a pre- school or kindergarten setting or in a program where nursery rhymes are being learned. If you have a young, curious child and a new Apple com- puter, this program may be the package you are looking for to in- troduce one to the other. Here are two sequences from the game: “YOU SEE SUNLIGHT TO THE NORTH. 1. GO TO THE EAST. (RIGHT) 2. GO TO THE WEST. (LEFT) 3. GO TO THE NORTH.” (Select one of the choices). “YOU ARE ON YOUR KNEES IN A NARROW HALL. 1. CRAWL INTO THE CAVE TO THE NORTH. 2. STAND UP! 3. GO THROUGH THE DOOR TO THE EAST. (Select 2 and press RETURN). OUCH! YOU BUMPED YOUR HEAD AND | DID TOO. | STOOD UP AT THE SAME TIME THAT YOU DID. PRESS RETURN TO CONTINUE:” SUMMARY Students will probably not have a chance to complete either game in one sitting. Game play cannot be saved on the diskette. These limita- tions mean the player must retain in- formation over a period of time and develop a play strategy in order to successfully complete the games. The design of the games allows a player to explore sections of the world without having to trace through those parts already explored. These adventure games are design- MICRO MOTHER Software Productions, Inc. 2357 Southway Dr. P.O. Box 21341 Columbus, Ohio 43221 614-486-3563 $39.95 Unlocked Game paddles required Rating: AA Reviewed by Sandy Abernathy INTRODUCTION MICRO MOTHER GOOSE is a well-designed software package for young children. The cover suggests it is suitable for ages three to nine. It includes an unlocked diskette with nine nursery rhymes and three games, a readable manual for parents, a Micro Do’s and Don'ts poster, six Mother Goose stickers, and an extra diskette label for the working copy. Fingerprints have been added to the label to show where it should be held. If you have 18 an Apple comp with it, this pro, Since the diske about ruining backup copies THE MANU The manual basically self-e MOTHER GOC itself. Instead, 1 the games and | the computer € child. The mant puter corner an will be valuable “baby” home and cartoons ¢ entertaining an to be taught h The poster ir rect and four i stance, one pic rectly and inse “Handle your Nonreaders ca Micro Mother Goose oo © ° é) » > i Oo po = NO é E GALIANI SaIHINONI mn ° = ~< =) = = ° = 3 = ® = 2 3 Qo © S a © = = n ~ = = = o 2 < = = an a ) © = = 3 =a ® & uaTvad | 49/28 / S19PQ WSIA B Pueguajsew payoeny spueg uoldisoqns pied-23e3s0q aag aseeald ( saiinbu NOILdIYOSENS YNOA MANJY 40 JalwISANs OL the text. Some might suggest remov- ing the text since the software is designed for small children who don’t read. Having gone through the “| Can Read” phase with my own children when they were between three and five, | like the idea of the text. If a parent reads the captions to the child when asked, the child will soon ‘‘read’’ them by himself. THE PROGRAM The program is unlocked. This is a real advantage when a diskette is us- ed by small children. The “peanut butter and jelly’’ syndrome may in- capacitate the computer, but with the original safely stored, Classic Family Software will survive! No reading skills are needed to run the program, and only the Space Bar, Return key, and game paddles are used. All other keys are inactivated. There are two menus to choose from. The Blue Menu contains five nursery rhymes and one game; the Orange Menu contains four nursery rhymes and two games. Items are designated by both a picture and a title. A pointing hand indicates the current choice. Pressing the Return key loads the rhyme or game, and pressing the Space Bar moves the hand forward. Each nursery rhyme sequence is similar. A picture is drawn and col- ored, the rhyme is typed out, the tune is played, and objects in the pic- ture move if this has been included in the routine. Some pictures are still, some have moving parts, and some have two pages. The first time | used the package | felt that not hearing the nursery rhymes sung might be a drawback to an otherwise good pro- gram. In order to test this idea, | took the package to the gifted preschool class located down the hall from my office. They thought it was a mar- velous program and had no trouble with the lack of singing since they supplied their own! Most knew the nursery rhymes already, and some could read the rhymes as they were typed on the screen. Their favorite graphics were ‘‘Three Blind Mice” Peelings II and “‘Little Miss Muffet’. Their favorite sing-along rhyme was “‘Twin- kle, Twinkle Little Star’. When used at home, the program gives the par- ent the opportunity to read the rhyme as it appears on the screen and to sing the rhyme with the tune. A child will soon join in if this is a fun experience. The games are the most exciting part of the program to me because two of the three games are construc- tive rather than destructive. In my opinion, the lack of constructive games in the world of computer games is a real void. The simplest game of the three is ‘‘Lamb Scram’’ in which the player must help three lambs move through a gate to escape the wolf and rejoin Mary. When a player is successful, flowers appear and the rhyme’s tune is played. The second is ‘‘Splat’’, a game in which the player tries to catch falling eggs with a basket. The third and hardest is a typical knock-em-down game, but scaled down so younger children can succeed. There are several levels to this game, so it will hold the in- terest of ‘older’ children. | noticed that with this last game the girls tend- ed to drift away and the boys became very serious and competitive. Al- though each game is designed to be played by one child at a time, the Ap- ple was surrounded by eager pre- school bystanders making sugges- tions to the current player. With the first two games the nonplayers made comments that showed they wanted to help move the lamb or catch the eggs. With ‘‘Bridge Out’, the player tried to beat the previous players’ Micro Mother Goose scores, and comments centered a- round the number of points. SUMMARY This package is very carefully con- structed, from the manual with its many suggestions for parents, to the exclamation points at the end of game titles which serve to separate games from rhymes. A great deal of educational effort has gone into this package to provide enjoyable ex- periences for a child or for parent and child together. Attention to minute detail, to the capabilities of young children and their sense on whimsy and cooperation help to make this package one of the new generation of computer games. The ability to make working copies of the diskette is a big advantage. It’s nice to know that there are a few software companies that will trust customers not to distribute copies to friends. Although this program is designed for home use, it can be used in a pre- school or kindergarten setting or in a program where nursery rhymes are being learned. If you have a young, curious child and a new Apple com- puter, this program may be the package you are looking for to in- troduce one to the other. Software and Tupperware: These days, most everyone stores their leftovers until they can think of something to do with them. Now, Micro Cookbook does the thinking for you. Tell Micro Cookbook what’ in your refrigerator and it'll tell you what you can make. Micro Cookbook includes hundreds of delicious recipes using common leftovers and ingredients most every home always has on hand. Micro Cookbook stretches your food budget by helping you stretch your food. Micro Cookbook also lets you select a recipe by name (Veal Picatta), by ingredient (veal), by classification ((talian) or a combination of the above. Plus, Micro Cookbook allows you to enter your own recipes, create your own cookbook and prepare your shopping list. Add a glossary of cooking terms, calorie and nutrition guide, table of measurements, ingredient substitutions and food buying, storage and cooking guide, and you see why Micro Cook- book is an appetizing program for you. YY yy Uy gy, a PO. Box 755, Rockport, MA 01966 (617) 546-6553 Look for Micro Barmate, the computer age bar guide and companion to Micro Cookbook. Versions available for APPLE II + , APPLE lle (80 column) and IBM PC (64K, PC DOS). The cost, $40. Available at your favorite dealer or by mail. VISA” Cermputer inc, Waa Corpcrton sad Dnt Inouses es MC or phone orders accepted, Please add $1.50 handling charge. ape GERTRUDE’S SECRETS The Learning Co. 4370 Alpine Road Portola Valley, CA 94025 415-851-3160 $44.95 Rating: A Reviewed by Larry Ross INTRODUCTION Gertrude’s Secrets is a program containing seven highly interactive games which teach and reinforce the attributes of color and shape. Logical thinking must not only be used while playing the game, but is also an in- tegral part of operating the program. THE LEARNING COMPANY recom- mends this program for children ages four to nine. DOCUMENTATION Gertrude’s Secrets was designed to provide somewhat of a discovery ap- proach to operating the program. The written documentation consists of a very small pamphlet which in- cludes a map of the rooms used in the program. Screen documentation enables the player to discover the workings of the program as he/she passes through each room. THE PROGRAM The user is greeted with an ab- solutely beautiful title page: a picture of Gertrude next to a safe. The next screen page shows how to move a green box which must be manipu- lated by either four keys or a joystick Peelings I throughout the program. This box will be used to travel through the myriad of “rooms” contained in the program and to manipulate the game pieces. The user now has two options. The first is to travel through the right door, which leads the player through various rooms, each giving instruc- tions on some of the fundamentals needed for the game. The player is actually taught how to pick up and put down objects, move in small in- crements, move rapidly, and turn on and off the sound. The method of choosing the joystick option for mov- ing the box is also detailed in this sec- tion of the program. The second option is to travel through the left door. This option can be chosen after the user has a thorough understanding of the infor- mation taught in option one. The left door leads the user into rooms which are entered to play the game. It is at this point that the room map, provid- ed in the instruction pamphlet, should be used. There are four special categories of rooms to enter. The first of these rooms is the “Rule Room’’. There are seven ‘Rule Rooms’’, one for each game. Entering this room will provide you with information used to play each game. The second special room is the “Sample Puzzle Room’’. This room illustrates a completed puzzle. The combined effort of entering the rule room and the sample puzzle room will give a fairly clear picture of how the game should be played. The third special room is the ‘New Puzzle Piece Room’’. This room is filled with puzzle pieces different Gertrude’s Secrets from those used in the game. When a player introduces a new piece into the game, all of the other pieces automatically change their shapes as well. The fourth special room is the “Shape-Edit Room’’. The Shape-Edit Room allows the user to pick up a game piece and alter its shape. The game piece is carried into the room and is automatically enlarged. The shape can then be altered by erasing or adding minute squares to it. The new shape can then be entered into the game once again, automatically changing all the game pieces. There are seven games which may be played in this program. The first is the “3 X 3 Array’. A 3 X 3 array is presented. Gertrude drops certain puzzle pieces in selected boxes and the user must decide what the pat- tern of the array is. The attributes of shape and color are used to deter- mine the pattern and play the game. The second game is the ‘4 X 4 Ar- ray” and is played the same as the previous game, with the exception that there are now 16 boxes instead of nine. The third is the ‘One Loop Puz- zie’. A predetermined attribute is selected by the computer, or Ger- trude, and it is up to the user to deter- mine which three puzzle pieces belong in a box. A process of elim- ination is used, as inappropriate puz- zle pieces fall through the box. The fourth puzzle, “Two Loop Puzzle’, is very similar to the previous game. The difference is that this time interlocking boxes are used with a common space created. Thus, three pieces are inserted into each box, and one may be placed in 21 the common space. This piece would have one attribute of each box. The fifth puzzle, ‘‘One-Difference Train Puzzle’, has a series of six boxes connected to each other with one line between each box. The user must place puzzle pieces in each box such that there is one attribute which is different between each piece. The attributes of color and shape are once again used. The sixth puzzle, ““Two-Difference Train Puzzle”, is a variation of the preceding game. This time there must be two differences between each puzzle piece. The seventh puzzle, ‘’Mixed- Difference Train Puzzle”, is a varia- tion of the two preceding puzzles. This time there are some puzzle pieces which must differ in one way and others which must differ in two attributes. EVALUATION There is no question in my mind that Gertrude’s Secrets is an excellent educational game. It is nice to see a game for young children which is both educational and nonviolent. From an educational standpoint, the game teaches and reinforces the recognition of shape and color. This is accomplished in a pleasurable manner in which the child becomes involved in learning, but has not at- tached the educational label to his activities. Another positive attribute of this program is the ““shape-edit’’ feature which allows creativity and variation. The structure of the game, which moves the player through various rooms, also adds a challenge. The program is recommended by THE LEARNING COMPANY for children ages four to nine. A bright four- or five-year old might be able to play the games with an adult, but will probably be unable to operate them independently. Therefore, the skills are generally at a six- through eight-year-old level, but the opera- tion of the program calls for an older child. Even though Gertrude’s Secrets does not lend itself immediately to in- dependent operation, the program is exciting and educational. The logical thinking process is well taxed in this program. Children find it absolutely fascinating! THE DARK CRYSTAL by Roberta Williams Sierra On-Line, Inc. Sierra On-Line Building Coarsegold, Ca 93614 209-683-6858 $37.95 Rating: A Reviewed by Robert L. Abernathy INTRODUCTION The Dark Crystal is an adventure game based on the movie of the same name. The setting of this adventure is the strange world of the Dark Crystal. A crisis is developing which will allow evil to conquer the entire planet. This conquest will on- ly be averted if you can guide Jen on his quest to repair the Crystal. This 22 game is the #6 Hi-Res adventure game produced by Sierra On-Line, Inc. There are both text and graphics. BACKGROUND The background for this adventure is given in the documentation as “Aughra’s Song”. Aughra is the ug- ly, one-eyed chronicler of the world of the Crystal. The song tells how she witnessed the coming of the urSkeks, who were drawn to the planet by the Crystal. The Crystal is always magical, but its powers are greatest when all three suns come together in the sky. This occurrence is known as the Great Conjunction. The urSkeks used the light of the Crystal at the Great Conjunction to purge their evil side by passing through the light of the Crystal. Each one was fractured into two separate beings, one evil (the Skeksis) and one good (the Mys- The Dark Crystal tics). Although the bodies were divid- ed, the souls of these beings were linked. The Skeksis stormed through the castle, and in the melee, struck the Crystal. A shard of the Crystal broke away and flew out of the cas- tle, and fell onto the mountainside. The light of the Crystal was dimmed, and it became known as the Dark Crystal. The Mystics fled the castle and made their way to the Valley of the Stones, leaving the castle to the Skeksis. At first, the Skeksis did not let their evil natures show. They became friends with the Gelfling, a native race of small elf-like people. This relationship was broken when the Skeksis began to take Gelfling as slaves. The Gelfling were dismayed and sought to make a wall of pro- phecy. This wall showed that the Skeksis would rule the world forever Volume 4 Number 8 unless the shard was put into the Dark Crystal by the hand of a Gelfl- ing at the next Great Conjunction. When the Skeksis saw the wall, they resolved that no Gelfling should be left alive so that the prophecy would be unfulfilled. To this aim, the Skeksis created the Garthim, a race of in- credibly stupid and unbelievably strong shelled creatures. As spies, the Skeksis sent out bats carrying an ar- tificial crystal that sent images back to the castle. As an additional measure, the Skeksis made three copies of the shard and scattered them onto the mountainside. Al- though the Gelflings brought all four shards to Aughra, she has been unable to discover which is the real shard from the Dark Crystal. Now Jen and Kira are the only two Gelflings left alive. The time of the Great Conjunction is near. Jen will soon be sent on a quest to find the shard and place it back into the Dark Crystal. When you play The Dark Crystal, you are controlling Jen on his quest. First, he must find Aughra’s obser- vatory and answer her riddle. Only then will she let him take a shard, but he must be able to chose carefully from the four shards to get the right one. Also, he must avoid the servants of the Skeksis, who will attempt to locate him and take him prisoner. This is only the beginning of the adventure which, with some luck, will end in the healing of the Dark Crystal. Much of the scenery and mysteries are new, but most of the key parts of the Dark Crystal adventure are from the movie. This makes some parts of the adventure easy if you have seen the movie. However, the game deviates from the movie enough to make the game interesting for those who have seen the movie. You do not need to see the movie to play The Dark Crystal. The game comes on two diskettes, with data on both sides. Three sides are unlocked, and you are encourag- ed to make copies of these sides. Label these copies carefully so you will be able to use them at the right times. The booting side is locked, so you must use it to boot the game every time you play. After booting, only the unlocked sides are used. A data diskette can be formatted by the game, and only by the game, if you want to save your place. A DOS 3.3 diskette cannot be used to save your place. The documentation for this game is very well done. A history of the Crystal is given, as well as direc- tions for booting the diskette. There are also directions for playing adven- ture games written especially for those who have never played an ad- venture game before. It shows not only how to enter commands, but also how to plan an adventure and how to map your progress. This fea- ture makes The Dark Crystal a very good introduction to adventure games. CONCLUSIONS The Dark Crystal is a good graphics adventure game, although some peo- ple may want a more mysterious story line; much of the material will not be new to people who have seen the Dark Crystal movie. There are ad- ditions made to make this adventure interesting. If you have never played an adventure game before, this game will provide clear, readable instruc- tions.0 PLASMANIA Sirius Software 10364 Rockingham Drive Sacramento, CA 95827 916-366-1195 $34.95 Rating: A Reviewed by David Birnbaum Peelings I INTRODUCTION The submarine creeps slowly through the alien forma- tions. A huge blob drifts toward it. Quick, dodge to the left . . . to the right. Blast it! It continues down the passage. A scene from a sci-fi movie? No, it’s one of the newest games from Sirius Software, Plasmania. In this game, ap- parently based on the book Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov, you are in control of a submarine, shrunken down to microscopic size and placed in the blood stream in an attempt to save a patient who has a blood clot in a blood Plasmania 23 vessel supplying the brain. On the way to the blood clot, you must pass through various obstacles, including blood cells, enzymes, bacteria, and clotlets. STARTING OUT The disk comes in a brightly colored box, with a pam- phlet containing instructions. Unfortunately, once remov- ed, the disk doesn’t fit back into the box. In a vain attempt to get the disk in and out of the box, the box tore in two places. In the pamphlet are all the instructions for the game. The player is told how to start and what the disk should be doing. When the disk first boots up, a title page ap- pears, and then, to my surprise, a voice emanates from the computer, exclaiming, “Sirius Software presents: Plasmania—ha, ha, ha, ha!’’ This voice on bootup is in- teresting the first time, but after the fourth time, it had become annoying. After bootup, there is a short display, and then the com- puter shows the game. Hitting any key gives the start-up menu with options for normal, easy, and expert play. It also asks for joystick, keyboard, or joyport. Hitting “0” restarts the game. And the voice comes on again. . . . 3 ¥ EDD | = GAME PLAY Plasmania is much more complex than most arcade style games. There are five different phases, each with a dif- ferent objective. On the players first trip, only phases 1, 2, 5, and 6 are used. For the second trip, phase 3 is add- ed. And finally, with the third trip, phase 4 is added. Phase 1 has defense cells which are released by the blood vessel as the player passes by. As the player moves down the blood vessel, defense cells shoot out from the left wall to the right wall of the vessel. These cells can be shot or passed by. Phase 2 has blood cells. Blood cells come slowly down the blood vessel. It hurts the patient a lot to shoot these blood cells. They must be avoided at all costs. 24 Plasmania Phase 3 has bacteria. Bacteria come down the blood vessel at the same speed as blood cells. As many bacteria as possible must be destroyed. It takes three shots to com- pletely destroy bacteria. Each shot makes them pro- gressively smaller, until they disappear. Phase 4 is a combination of phases 1 through 3. The player must dodge some objects while shooting others. Phase 5 is a small blood vessel. The arterial wall shrinks to about half normal size. The object here is to get through in the shortest time. Phase 6 is the final stage. Here the player must dodge indestructible clotlets which have broken off the main clot. Shooting at them does nothing, so they must be avoided. After passing about 20 clotlets, the ship approaches the main clot. The main clot must be hit 15 times to be destroyed. Running into the main clot kills the patient and destroys you. If you make it past the main clot, then you go on to a more challenging stage. In Plasmania, instead of having three or five ships, there is one patient with a predetermined amount of heart strength. The heartbeat is displayed continually at the bot- tom of the screen. As the patient weakens, the heartbeat speeds up and gets weaker. When the heartbeat goes flat, the patient is dead and the game is over. The patient loses strength slowly but surely through the passage of time. Go- ing through a phase incorrectly is the main cause of the patient losing strength—for example, by shooting blood cells or by crashing into bacteria. Every time your ship hits an object, shoots a blood cell, or lets a bacterium by, the patient loses some of his strength. Also, if your ship hits the wall, the blood vessel releases antibodies which will weaken the patient if they are not shot. The walls should be avoided at all costs. However, a patient gains strength in phases 1 through 5 when you shoot the enzymes that appear. Avoiding the enzymes does no harm, but lessens your chance of find- ing more enzymes. SUMMARY Plasmania is an extremely interesting game. At first it is almost impossible to win, but through experience, patients can be saved. It took me at least 10 tries before | could save a patient. Also, the directions must be read careful- ly, or the player will find himself shooting blood cells and dodging bacteria. Compared with other Sirius games, this one is about average. One thing noted is that the graphics aren't as colorful or interesting as in other Sirius games.) Volume 4 Number 8 SHUTTLE INTERCEPT by John Van Ryzin Hayden Software Company 600 Suffolk Street Lowell, MA 01854 800-343-1218 (in MA: 617-937-0200) $34.95 Rating: C Reviewed by Michael L. Weasner INTRODUCTION Shuttle Intercept is a space shoot- ’em-up game for a 48K Apple II or Il Plus. The name conjures up images of something similar to Rendezvous by Edu-Ware (reviewed in Peelings, V3N9, 1983), but this impression is totally incorrect. Your mission is to retrieve satellites while destroying enemy spacecraft and avoid being destroyed by them or meteoroids. After 10 satellites pass, you are automatically placed in hyperspace where the dangers can only be avoided (your offensive weapons are inoperative). PLAY Shuttle Intercept requires one game paddle, but a joystick can be used. The single axis moves your space shuttle up and down the screen; there is no forward motion, only perceived motion as the targets move toward your shuttle (right to left). The button raises your satellite retrieval arm (not made in Canada) and also fires your weapons. Sound can be turned on and off using the “S’’ key. A pause is available as is a Peelings Il Ty a ea restart without rebooting. A color monitor or TV will be required to distinguish the friendly satellites from the enemy's. The game plays very similarly to a Space Invaders type game with the screen turned on its side. Being restricted to only up and down mo- tion means you either dodge the ap- proaching missiles, meteoroids, enemy satellites and spacecraft, or you shoot at them. Some of the targets cannot be destroyed with your laser cannon (I suppose this shuttle is called Moonraker) but will either annoy you or destroy you if they strike your shuttle. At various times you will make the transition in- to hyperspace where you must maneuver (up or down only) to avoid being hit; your weapons are in- operative. The retrieval of the satellites will require precise position- ing of your craft in relationship to the rapidly approaching satellites. One very annoying aspect of Shuttle In- tercept is that when in hyperspace, it is extremely difficult to avoid be- ing hit repeatedly after being hit the first time; there is insufficient time allowed for the game to react to mov- ing the paddle before being hit again. Other than these last two points, play of the game is very simple. Shuttle Intercept SUMMARY Shuttle Intercept is a game that would be ideal to create using The Arcade Machine (V3N9, 1982). Its play and graphics have the same limitations that one would expect from using The Arcade Machine. Shuttle Intercept might appeal to young children, but even they will tire quickly of the repetitive nature of the game, the lack of a challenge once the basic skills are mastered, and the problem mentioned above when hit in hyperspace.) BT&E FULL LINE OF: AI, AVALON HILL, MATTEL BRODERBUND, PHOENIX, CONTENTIAL, MUSE DATASOFT, EPYX, GEBELLI, SYNERGISTIC QUALITY, SIRIUS, SIERRA-ON LINE, PFS DB MASTER & UTLY, STRATIGIC SIMUL. HOLIDAY SPECIALS 21.70 - APPLE PANIC OR SPICE, SEA FOX AUTOBAHN, CANYON CLIMBER, CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN, CAVERNS OF FREITAG 25.35 - AE, BANDITS, SERPENTINE, BEER RUN, CANNONBALL BLITZ, CHOPLIFTER CRISIS NTN, SHERWOOD FST, FROGGER 28.95 - BAG OF TRICKS, ZAXXON, BLADE OF BLACKPOOL, PINBALL CONST, SET DARK CRYSTAL 43,45 - BANK ST WRITER - 47.00 GLPE 54.35 - 1ST CALSS MAIL, HOME ACCT. 94.20 - SCREENWRITER IT 160.00 - DB MASTER, UTLY’S 72,50 EA BT&E 21 NEREVIEW COURT CHARLOTTE, N.C, 28210 (704) 553-1261 - SOURCE TCS739 COD/M.0./CERT.CHK./PERSONAL CHECKS ALLOW 2 WEEKS TO CLEAR - NC RES. ADD 4% S/T - US ORDERS UNDER $100 ADD $2 P&H - VISA & MASTER CARD ACCEPTED 25 STAR MAZE By Gordon Eastman Sir-Tech Software, Inc. 6 Main Street Ogdensburg, NY 13669 315-393-6633 $34.95 Rating: A Reviewed by Monty Lee INTRODUCTION STAR MAZE is a Hi-Res game in which you must maneuver through a maze to find nine power jewels scattered about. You must then return them to your mothership. Do this for all 16 levels of the STAR MAZE, and you become an ace. OPERATION Since STAR MAZE is a protected diskette, you have to boot the game diskette. After loading you are in a demo mode until you select the con- trol mode desired for play. The choices are Keyboard, Paddles, Joy- stick, or Atari Joystick/Joyport. Because of all the possible combina- tions plus the required keys for bombs, etc., STAR MAZE comes with a seven-page pamphlet which ex- plains the various modes of opera- tion. Once you become familiar with a particular mode, you won't need to refer back to the pamphlet. You start the game with a full fuel tank and three antimatter bombs. With the joystick, you press button 0 to fire the thrusters to maneuver. Thrust is applied in the direction you 26 are facing, determined by the joy- stick. The joystick mode is extreme- ly easy to use. Simply point the joystick in the direction you want to face, and the ship points that way. Sir-Tech uses an excellent program- ming technique in providing a meth- od to reverse both the horizontal and vertical axes of the joystick in case yours doesn’t respond correctly. This capability makes STAR MAZE com- patible with all joysticks on the market. To pick up a power jewel, you have to fly (traveling less than 200) over one (speed indicated on the right—see Figure 1). If you fly over your mothership with a speed of 100 or less, you can drop off a jewel and refuel. Each load of fuel lasts approx- imately four minutes. MALE To complicate game play, there are various alien ships in the maze, and all are out to get you. You either have to destroy them or avoid them. As you play the game, you will find out which ones to destroy and which ones to try and avoid. The reason for two different tactics is that some tend to divide after you fire at them, and each part becomes more aggressive. To destroy them, you press button 1 Star Maze to shoot bullets. If things get desperate, you can press the X key to fire an antimatter bomb. Unlike bullets, you have a limited supply of antimatter bombs. These bombs will obliterate all enemy objects in sight. In extreme cases, you may hyper- warp to other areas of the STAR MAZE. Of course, hyperwarp is not a proven success, and you may either find yourself destroyed or in some cases in a spot filled with more aliens than before. STAR MAZE is very easy to learn. The most important thing when play- ing is to get your bearings in the maze. Each maze is different from game to game and level to level. However, each maze is relatively small, and you can usually get your bearings and find your way back to the mothership quickly. You need to be able to get back for both refuel- ing and for dropping off the jewels. Finding the last jewel can sometimes be frustrating because it may be hid- den in some remote part of the maze. Once all the jewels are dropped off at the mothership, you proceed to the next level. A BONUS is awarded depending upon the speed with which you complete the maze. If you are destroyed by an alien, you start with a new ship at the mothership. You still have the same number of jewels left that you had when de- stroyed. You have only three ships before the game ends. If you are one of the top six scorers, you can record your score and it will be saved to disk. Sir-Tech has provid- ed a backup copy of the game on the backside of the diskette. When using this version, you cannot save the Volume 4 Number 8 high scores to disk unless you cut out a notch for the read/write sensor. SUMMARY STAR MAZE is a fun game that is not extremely difficult to play. The Hi-Res graphics are good, and the Hi- Res program flow is superb. There is no flicker at all, even when a multi- tude of shapes are on the screen. The sound effects enhance game play and are not at all obnoxious. The game may lose its interest after a while because each level is mostly a repetition of the first level. The aliens do get faster and it is a little harder, but the difference is not immediately noticeable. After you get to about the fifth level, the mazes start to blur to- gether in your mind if you aren’t con- centrating. The only frustrating part about the whole game is the occa- sional restart after being destroyed by an alien or a flying rock right in the middle of the game. This gives you no chance, and you lose a ship un- necessarily. STAR MAZE provides enough difficulty for the advanced game player, yet is challenging with- out being frustrating for the beginner. BOLO by Elvyn Software Synergistic Software 830 N. Riverside Drive Suite 201 Renton, WA 98005 206-226-3216 $34.95 Rating: A Reviewed by Robert L. Abernathy INTRODUCTION Bolo is a tank/maze game. You are in a tank set in your enemy’s proving grounds, looking for the replicator tank factories. These factories must be destroyed since they are capable of producing large numbers of tanks which will be used in the conquest of Earth. This game makes an ef- fective use of black-and-white graphics. GENERATING THE MAZE When you first boot Bolo, it begins with an example of the option screen. Pressing any key will allow you to put in your choices for level and density. There are nine levels of increasing difficulty. This difficulty refers to the enemy tanks, not the maze. The density refers to number of walls in the maze. A density of 1 will make many empty spaces in the maze, while a density of 5 will put walls almost everywhere. Once your choices are entered, the program Peelings I Bolo generates the maze. The maze is always generated when you start a new game, so it is different each time you play. The game then places the replicator factories and your tank in the maze. SEEK AND DESTROY Your job in the maze is to find and destroy the six fac- tories which are producing tanks for your enemy. To aid you in this endeavor, there are some instruments on the right side of the screen. One simply shows your location in the maze. This instrument is a large, empty rectangle with a single d