Cover of the June 1984 issue of Compute!'s Gazette
Gazette was Compute!'s most successful spin-off magazine. It covered Commodore's 8-bit computers, primarily the Commodore 64 but also, at times, the VIC-20, C-16/Plus 4, and Commodore 128. The June 1984 issue includes:
Features
- The Future Of Commodore Games - A look at some of the more mature and complex games coming to the Commodore 64. Some specific titles looked at here include Seven Cities of Gold, B.C.'s Quest For Tires, King's Quest, Sorcerer, Blade of Blackpool, Infidel, Space Ace, and others.
- Inside View: The Designers Behind M.U.L.E. - An interview with Dan Bunten, Bill Bunten, Jim Rushing, and Alan Watson, designers of M.U.L.E.
Games
- 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe - A type-in 3D Tic-Tac-Toe game for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
- Castle Dungeon - A type-in graphics adventure game featuring hidden bombs to find, blind monsters to avoid, and evil wizard, and more. For the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
- Revenge of Cyon - A type-in game for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20 in which you must destroy ships from the Cyon Empire. It's sort of a cross between Space Invaders and Missile Command.
- The Frantic Fisherman - A type-in fishing game for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20 in which you must also avoid shards and thunderstorms.
Table of Contents from the June 1984 issue of Compute!'s Gazette
Reviews
- Arcade-Style Games For The VIC-20 - A review of two games for the VIC-20, Skramble! and Gridder. The former seems to be the better game.
- Easy Script: Word Processor For The 64 - Review of this word processor for the Commodore 64 from Commodore. This was a pretty good word processor for its time.
- Worms? For The 64 - A one to four player worm training game for the Commodore 64.
- IFR (Flight Simulator) For The VIC-20 - Given the limitations of the hardware, this was a pretty good flight simulator for the VIC-20.
Education/Home Applications
- Computing For Families: New Standards In Home Learning, Part 2 - The second in a series of articles on using computers for education at home. It includes discussion of the best computers and software to use, guidelines for parents, and more.
- Therapy - A more advanced version of Eliza to type-in for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20.
- Spelling Critter - A type-in educational spelling game for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
- Shape Match - A type-in shape matching game for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20.
- Word Scramble - A type-in game for the Commodore 64 in which you must unscramble words.
Programming
- The Beginner's Corner: Planning A Game Program - How to design and implement a game using Tic-Tac-Toe as an example.
- Inside Random Numbers - A look at how random numbers are generated on the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
- Power BASIC: One-Touch Keywords - A type-in utility that provides shortcuts for the 52 most common BASIC keywords on the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
- Machine Language For Beginners: Indirect Addressing - A tutorial on indirect indexing with machine language.
- File Copier - A type-in utility for the Commodore 64 and VIC-20 that will copy files from one disk to another using a single disk drive.
- Hints & Tips: Appending Sequential Disk Files - A How-To for appending data to sequential files. I once wrote a journaling program on the Commodore 64 that did something like this.
- Scroll 64 - A type-in machine language routine that lets you control scrolling from within a BASIC program.
- Tape Data files For VIC and 64 - Examples for setting up, writing to, and reading from tape files from BASIC on the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
- VIC 5K Emulator - A technique for emulating having only 5K of RAM on the VIC-20 and memory expansion is installed for programs that are incompatible.
- Tape Protection For VIC An 64 - Techniques for protecting files on tape from being copied on the VIC-20 and Commodore 64.
- All About PRINT For VIC And 64 - A guide to using BASIC PRINT statements on the Commodore 64 and VIC-20.
Departments
- Editor's Notes - A look at the growth of Gazette over its first 12 issues (with a circulation of more than 300,000). Plus, a letter on software piracy.
- Gazette Feedback - Letters from readers about reading joystick input, using PEEK and SYS commands, double sided floppies, and more.
- Simple Answers To Common Questions - Questions answered about machine language vs. assembly and disk drive commands.
- Home Telecommunications - A look at using the various services on networks such as Delphi, CompuServe, and others.
- Horizons 64 - A look at Blue Max, a new game from Synapse; a look at an Apple emulator for the Commodore 64 called the AP Modular Pak; and a comparison of the PCjr and Commodore 64.
- VICreations - A look at new games and educational programs on the VIC-20 including Kindercomp (Human Engineered Software), Type Attack (Sirius Software), Write Now! (Cardco), Skyblazer (Broderbund), Donkey Kong (Atarisoft), Laser Zone (Human Engineered Software), and Capture the Flag (Sirius Software).
- News And Products - A look at new products including keyboard overlays for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64, a cassette backup program from Creative Electronics, Seek-Bible for the VIC-20, PET, and Commodore 64, Doodle! graphics program for the Commodore 64, a parallel interface board for the VIC-20, Roadsearch computerized maps, and more.
Back cover of the June 1984 issue of Compute!'s Gazette
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https://ecency.com/retrogaming/@darth-azrael/the-one-november-1989
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It was a sweet time with the crazy screams of the games loading from the tape to the Spectrum and Commodore 64 "computers". One day we will laugh on these we use now :-)
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