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Commodore Free Magazine
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Issue 99
Free to download magazine dedicated to Commodore computers
Available as PDF, ePUB, MOBI, HTML, TXT, SEQ and D64 disk image
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EDITORIAL
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While I set out with good intentions, I was side tracked by the fact Myself and my son were attending Insomnia gaming event at the month end, with this in mind I decided that was the deadline, and had to focus my efforts on getting a review of Insomnia before the hype had faded down too much.
Also in this issue
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NEWS
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AMIGA
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Dungeonette The New Adventure
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Adrian Cummings. Creator of original titles such as Cyberpunks, Tin Toy, Doodlebug and more. announced a high quality game coming to the Amiga AGA/CD32 called 'Dungeonette'.
Adrian Cummings "Dungeonette - The New Adventure started it pretty much after CyberPunks 2 was released, so it's a slow burner project I guess. I'm about a third of the way through mapping the game, which is pretty big and set in the lands of 'Amigea'".
"It will run on stock Amiga AGA and CD32 with 2Mb ChipRAM and of course Amiga 500 Mini etc. It is a hybrid of many games in reality and has some roots in Diablo for sure but also many others as a hack & slash dungeon crawler. Just for the record... Originally the basic game was written for Apple Watch many years back and then also a version was released for Spectrum Next back in 2017/18. This version is all new just for Amiga however and only resembles those previous titles in name only".
https://softwareamusements.com/MutationSoftware/index.html
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Roadshow 1.15 released
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delayed by only 18 months), the free Roadshow TCP/IP stack 1.15 update is now available to all customers. focused on improving installation and maintenance tasks, as well as making the installation documentation more useful and accessible.
New commands have been added to automatically find and install network device configuration files and fix errors & defects in the many configuration files Roadshow uses.
By request, a "compact" Roadshow installation disk image (1.76 MByte high-density) is available for the first time, containing a "reduced" version of the full installation archive. The "compact" installation is restricted to software built for all Amigas (68000 CPU or better) and omits the large reference documentation.
Roadshow ist available in three formats:
- As a digital download
- On CD-ROM
- On USB card (FAT32-formatted medium)
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Duke Nukem 3D
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Released on Aminet
This is an Amiga 68k port of Duke Nukem 3D based on the old Atari/Amiga portswith some newer features from Chocolate Duke added for extra flavour.
Requirements:
1) An AGA Amiga.
2) 68060 processor or better.
3) 32 MB of RAM.
4) AHI installed and configured (see links section below).
5) The Duke Nukem 3D data files (must be the full PC Atomic version!).
Configuration Options:
The 'CloseWB' configuration option can be used to close the Workbench.The 'DisplayModePAL' configuration option can be used to set your display mode (PAL or NTSC).When running from the Shell you must specify a stack of at least 300,000.The AHI device used will be the one setup in your AHI Prefs (unit 0).You will need to place the PC game data files DUKE3D.GRP and DUKE.RTS
in the AmiDuke folder.Any errors *should* be written to a file called 'ERROR.TXT' in the game directory.
Performance Considerations:
1) If you have a Blizzard you should really be using BlizKick, Apollo usersshould be using RemApollo.
2) Fast File System is actually really slow, use PFS3 instead.
3) Use v4.18 of AHI as the later versions are too slow on a real Amiga.
Limitations:
1) No network or multi-player support.
2) No joystick support.
3) No music support.
https://aminet.net/package/game/shoot/AmiDuke_AGA
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Amiga pi keyboard
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THEA500 Mini console is something to write home about if you’re an Amiga fan – until you realise you can’t use its keys . In the brand new issue of The MagPi, David Crookes discovers a solution. Happy #MagPiMonday!
https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/thea500-mini-keyboard-magpimonday/
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COMMODORE 64 NEWS
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OneLoad64 Games Collection v5
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OneLoad64 version 5, we are told is the best Commodore 64 games / roms collection With all of the games included converted to cartridge format for the fastest loading possible
The collection is over 2,000 games, including multiload conversions. So whatever you're using, be it emulators including the MiSTer FPGA, or real hardware with the likes of the Ultimate64, EasyFlash, Kung Fu Flash, TeensyROM, SD2IEC etc, be sure to download this massive collection of C64 retro gaming goodness and check it out, it's completely free!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ef6J-yyzE14stEaqjK7XlYuutDDBOCyr/view
or
https://mega.nz/file/WZUV2ApA#JFoFB3vVCcfiKe02TkTqq3JOR2OoWLWBGA2B8m_bxbI
watch a video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz0CJbkplj0
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Bare Metal Emulation on the Raspberry Pi - Commodore 64
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Whats faster than something fast, well its something even faster, if you remove the os and just run the emulation software wouldent that lead to a more responsive machine, after all the os is taking up valuable CPU time isn’t it > Well yes and in this youtube tutorial you are given the answeres to the ultimate Commodore emulation system
https://youtu.be/53wHr415LPU?si=QmBuy4huLVzSoNGv
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C64 scpu doom
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WHAT ! you mean I have waited all these years and listened to people telling me its not possible on the C64 even with the SCPU, then someone releases a version of Doom for the Commodore 64, ok you need the Super CPU accelerator to run it but DOOM !
Well it is actually running
The website says
This is a port of DOOM based on the original ID software source code release.
This port requires a C64/C128 with a SuperCPU v2 and 16MB RAM. PAL, NTSC (old and new) it has only been tested on real PAL hardware.
While this DOOM port isn't meant to be taken seriously, it has proven quite useful for testing and improving the MIPS recompiler as DOOM is a rather complex and large application.
https://youtu.be/7ZzivzuDOls?si=N5Yk-CMNF-H0Fl_g
https://scpu.amidog.se/doku.php?id=scpu%3Adoom
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GREY FOR THE CBM 64
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Armed with a pistol and chainsaw and followed by some very funky music, another doom style cone hits the Commodore 64
Grey is an FPS (first person Sooter) still in development stages but looking very good so far. There are four levels to explore in this current version. As with Doom style games you need to collect a required door key (doors requiring keys are marked with vertical stripes placed on neighbouring walls) or opening push-walls.
What's new in version 5:
- animated small and medium enemies equipped with melee and hitscan attacks respectively
- barrels
- shotgun and chaingun pickups
- player can take damage and die
- more game levels
Credits:
Programming and design by Piotr Kózka.
Music, sound effects & textures by Kamil Wolnikowski.
Source:
https://csdb.dk/release/?id=239169
Youtube Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36dzAMgu0i0
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C64 - Polish Pixels in Video Games – Book
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Funding needed !
Explore Poland's C64 Game Development: Vivid tales & art in unique gaming history book!
TLDR
This campaign is a deep dive (1980-s up till today) into the world of Commodore 64 game development in Poland, spotlighting legendary game developers and the vibrant demoscene. The coffee-table style book (already published in Poland, Hardcover, 240+ HQ pages) aims to preserve digital history and celebrate the community's contributions. With visuals, stories, and insights from insiders, it's more than a book; it's a tribute to the 8-bit era. Support helps the printing of the English edition, offering various tiers with unique rewards for backers.
Backing this campaign?
You're not just grabbing a book. You're saving a slice of digital history and saluting a community that made magic in the 8-bit era!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/c64-polish-pixels-in-video-games-book#/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTPJG6IZyCs&t=90s
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CORESCAPE CBM 64
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Released for the Commodore 64 and Priced at $2 for the download payable via card or paypal or name your price, here is what the website says about the game
Battle your way out through eight stages in a constant race forward – you have not been voted the "Best-looking blockade runner of the interior systems" for the last three years to be caught by the authorities. Collect additional lives and credits (score) on the way out.
https://drmortalwombat.itch.io/corescape
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TeensyROM NFC Game Loading System
on the C64
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Here is an overview video for the awesome new NFC Loading System on the TeensyROM using real Commodore 64 hardware. It is inspired by the fantastic TapTo project for MiSTer
https://github.com/wizzomafizzo/tapto
the project uses NFC cards to get the CBM 64 to load games from SD card device, the NFC cards don’t hold enough data for the game but just enough to tell the teensyrom what game you have put in the reader and then to load that game. It’s a nie idea and the gent has printed some nice NFC card games, I suppose if it was all embedded into the c64 it could potentially be very useful
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqgyiQdGp7o
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PLUS 4 NEWS
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Cbm 264 interview bil herd
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Great question and answer session with Bil Herd about how he entered commodore and hos working relation ships within commodore The original 264 series of commodore machines were designed by a team of engineers at Commodore, led by **Bil Herd**¹². He was also the main designer of the **TED chip**³, which was an integrated circuit that provided video, sound, timers, and keyboard input for the 264 series⁴. The TED chip was named after **Tramiel, Elliott, and Darrell**, the three people who initiated the project.
https://youtu.be/nyKf0cz0BIs?si=YRQuB0DhlQSoAvbU
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Gina plus 4
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The Great Giana Sisters is a classic on C64 although Nintendo though it was so much like Mario they banned the game there are numerous cracks of the game online and even a PETSCII version, the C64`s soundtrack by Chris Hülsbeck is one of the most popular video game soundtracks of all time. Finally! thanks to TCFS, the game is now available on the plus 4 if you have played mrio you know the score
Title: Giana Sisters
Category: Game/Platformer
Release Date: 2024-03-03
Language: English
Size: 64K
Device Req.: Disk only (1 side)
Machine: PAL & NTSC
Code Type: Machine code
Distribution: Freeware
Code by: TCFS
Additional graphics by: Unreal
Music by: Csabo
Notes: AKA The Great Giana Sisters. A 2D platformer. Guide the Giana Sisters (Giana and Maria) through the levels, collecting diamonds and powerups, avoiding or killing enemies.
https://plus4world.powweb.com/software/Giana_Sisters
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PET NEWS
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Doomed "PETSCII" Pacman - CBM PET version
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Looking rather nice if a bit spooky, a petscii version of pacman for the pet range of machines
This is the CBM Pet version of my C64 Pacman clone. It needs 32 Kbyte memory, it works on 4032 and 8032 models.
More information
Published Nov 23, 2023
Status Released
Rating Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Author Ko-Ko
https://ko-ko74.itch.io/cbm-pet-pacman-clone
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Spyders for Commodore 8032/SuperPET
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Blimey this is another superb effort on the Pet
8032 / SuperPET version of the mini space invaders game Spyders. I was going to add more aliens to shoot, but I can't compare to Jimbo's Space Invaders II.
Source code included. Based on Mr. NOP's original 4032 version.
Suggested improvements: sound, keyboard matrix reading instead of location 151. But I know I'll never get to it.
https://milasoft64.itch.io/spyders-for-commodore-8032superpet
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Commodore Pocket PET
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Summary (from the website)
I recommend printing the main body and the bottom and the volume knob out of beige filament and the side insert bezel and interior parts from black
I will upload the stickers in a bit, they're on a different computer that isn't at hand atm.
the BOM is
-1 theC64 mini
-1 3.5 inch hdmi lcd
-usb c 5v 2a boost converter
-pam 8403 with potentiometer
-two tac switches with longer buttons
-a rii mini wireless keyboard
-3.7 v 956090 lipo battery (this is the big battery)
-a love 4 port usb hub (three ports on top one on side)
-two small oval tablet speakers
-a 3v buck converter
-a 2 inch piece of clear filament
-3mm led color of your choice
-power switch (1x1.5 cm)
-4 m2 inserts and bolts to put the case together
my modeling talents are not perfect by any means so there will be a little hand trimming you will need to do based on my modeling and your printers print quality,
I printed the stickers on a silvery metallic printable paper, but you can use whatever you want, you can find a 3mm hole punch on amazon to punch the LED hole in the power sticker.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6489432
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GENERAL NEWS
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The Ghosts of Blackwood Manor
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The Ghosts of Blackwood Manor is an award-winning interactive horror from Stefan Vogt, the acclaimed author of Hibernated and The Curse of Rabenstein. Take on the role of novelist Thomas King and his wife Cora as they move into a remote Scottish manor house, just days before Christmas 1986. Seeking inspiration for his next book, Thomas begins to explore the history of Blackwood Manor, only to uncover a dark secret that dates back centuries to the days of the Great Scottish Witch Hunts.
The Ghosts of Blackwood Manor is a complex interactive fiction piece written in Infocom's advanced Z-machine format XZIP. The game has three different endings, a bad, a neutral and a good ending, depending on the player's choices. It is very likely that the player, on a first playthrough, will not reach the good ending, even though it is possible. Reaching the bad or neutral ending first is part of the experience and helps the player understanding the true intentions of some of the NPCs and the impact of decisions made, so they may be reconsidered.
SYSTEMS
The game is available for Commodore 64, Spectrum +3, Spectrum Next, Amstrad CPC and PCW, Commodore Amiga, Atari 8-bit, Apple II, Atari ST, MS-DOS, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, Commodore 128, Mega65, MSX 1 and MSX 2, Commodore Plus/4, SAM Coupé, TRS-80 Model III, TRS-80 Model 4, classic Macintosh and modern PC. For playing the game on a modern machine, a .z5 file is provided, which allows you to run the game in a Z-machine interpreter of choice like Frotz, Lectrote or Fizmo.
PHYSICAL RELEASE
The physical release comes in a box that resembles the original Infocom packaging back from the day. You can order it through my publisher PolyPlay. rtro.de/blackwood
https://8bitgames.itch.io/ghosts
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Niklaus Wirth,
Visionary Software Architect, Dies at 89
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Pascal, the programming language he created in the early days of personal computing, offered a simpler alternative to other languages in use at the time. In 1970, while he was teaching at the Swiss university ETH Zurich, Dr. Wirth released Pascal. He also built one of the first personal computers and was instrumental in helping a Swiss start-up company (Logitech) commercialize the mouse The Association for Computing Machinery honored Dr. Wirth in 1984 with the Turing Award.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/22/technology/niklaus-wirth-dead.html
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COMMODRE FREE REVIEW
Corespace CBM 64
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REQUIREMENTS
The game has been designed for and tested with PAL on various C64 and C64 emulators (e.g. TheC64) your NTSC mileage will vary
Joystick in port 2
As mentioned in the news section this is a new (ish) release for the Commodore 64, having paid my $2 asking fee (suggested price, you can pay more if you like and it is nice to support codes on our platform) I downloaded the game from a secure site and saved the resultant PRG on an sd card ready to load into my C64.
The game comes with Various cheats already available that can be activated during gameplay, but using them will prevent you from getting a high score:
T: Trainer mode grants infinite lives.
L: Gives you another life.
R: Restarts the current level.
S: Skips the current level.
H: Slows the game to half speed.
BOOTS UP
Loading is quick and the initial title screen looks really good, so I’m hoping for a rely positive experience from this game having only seen the website, at this point I haven’t watched any video playthroughs, I originally became hooked on this because it looked so much like the uridium style of graphics, and that’s where it ends because this is a shooter plain and simple.
The main load screen has credits and a funky sid tune with some scrolling text
FAST PACE
Wow don’t expect an easy game here, you need a joystick in port 2 with the usual left right up down fire. The game is very smooth I didn’t notice any glitching or pausing in my play test review. The graphics look great, everything is very smooth and the ship has the right amount of inertia so when you push left or right it’s a smooth transition, the animation adds to this, so it’s not just a jump left or right and music plays through the game seamlessly. The actual core coding is very professional then. If you touch the edges and flying over solid buildings you will die, it takes a few seconds then you loose a life, you then transported to the same place less one life and can continue. obviously hitting an enemy, bullet or flying into solid objects isn’t recommended but you can collect coins for extra lives.
The game scrolls up the screen at a constant pace and moving your joystick and ship up, of course speeds up the ship, but the action never ceases it’s a relentless pace. You will have to really think fast as some of the area needs careful thought, and isn’t at first easy to figure out how to get round or though items, some calculations are shooting items to create a path through, other times its just careful flying, but as I said it’s a fast game and I seem to have perfected driving into things and dyeing very quickly
Summary
Fast gameplay and great music and graphics, make this another great commodore release, although the graphics are shaded and well-drawn, somehow it seems to lack a 3d depth, it could be because the aliens and ship had no ground shadow, but if this sort of game has you excited you certainly won’t be disappointed.
Commodore Free Score
8/10
Video playthough
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-uqijgkWco
download
https://drmortalwombat.itch.io/corescape
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Commodores 264 machine line
By Commodore Free
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There is a lot of confusion on the 264 range of Commodore machines, commonly known as the TED line, lets quickly look at the ending of the product line and jack Tramiel’s ultimate Departure from Commodore then see if I can clear up some confusion or make things worse:
In 1984, after a heated board meeting on January 13, Tramiel made the decision to leave Commodore. His resignation was primarily due to disagreements with Irving Gould, the chairman of Commodore, regarding fundamental principles and how to run the company. Some claim it was also because Tramiel wanted his sons on the board and they were refused, but let’s just leave this as “he was upset and left the company he had founded”. A quote from around the time states that Tramiel felt that if he couldn’t approach his office with a smile and happiness, then ultimately it was time to step down and wiser words have never been spoken, if the job you do doesn’t bring you joy then its time to leave or change jobs.
The 264 Series and Timing:
The 264 series was a line of 8-bit home computers that were developed by Commodore and launched At the January 1984 C.E.S., billed as the machines to follow up the Commodore 64. only the C116 was released in Europe, though it was redesigned as the C16 for American consumers. The C264 became known as the Plus/4, while the V364 was never released.
The 264 series, was unveiled just days before Tramiel’s departure from commodore. with only one of these models reaching the market in its original form. Tramiel’s exit occurred shortly after this product launch. All three computers used the custom TED (Text Editing Device). chip for graphics and sound. The CPU was the 8501 from MOS Technology. The TED chip allowed Tramiel to bundle multiple features into one chip, cutting production costs and lowering the overall price to as little as $50 for the cheapest model.
The C116 would be the low end of this spectrum, having about 12K of memory. The C264 and V364 would have built in software, 64k of memory, and the V364 would have speech synthesis built in. Confusion at Commodore following the loss of founder Jack Tramiel it appered they had no real leader and resulted in a refusal to follow up on this workable marketing plan for the machines launches.
The Commodore 116 was designed by engineers at Commodore-US. The Commodore 16, was adapted later from 116 designs by engineers at Commodore-Japan. The C16 was meant to be the replacement for the VIC-20, which had been discontinued a few months before. Compared to the VIC, it is indeed an impressive machine. With 16K compared to the the VICs 3.5K, better video graphics, and full compatibility with VIC peripherals.
They were designed to be low-cost alternatives to the popular Commodore 64, with built-in software and a new video and sound, Jack saw that Sinclair and Amstrad had the lower end of the market and wanted to clean up as Commodore had done with the Commodore 64 at the higher end.
The 264 line had already started to be developed and in Bil herd (commodore Engineer) words, once the chip (TED) was designed you were limited on what else could be done as you had a fairly strict design outline already in place.
Bil Joining Commodore:
Bil Herd joined Commodore and initially worked on several projects, including the Commodore Plus/4, C16/116, C264, and C364 machines (with voice synthesizer for speech output for the first time). His role at commodore was that of principal engineer involved designing and developing these 8-bit home computers. The Commodore 264 series was part of his portfolio.
Bil also worked on the Commodore 128, Herd also worked on the initial architecture of the Commodore LCD computer, although that product was never released.
Post-Commodore Contributions:
After leaving Commodore, Bil Herd continued to design faster and more powerful computers, with a focus on machine vision. As of September 2020, he produces videos for Hackaday. In 2021, Herd co-authored a book titled “Back into the Storm: A Design Engineer’s Story of Commodore Computers in the 1980s,” sharing inside stories about his experiences designing computers for Commodore.
Bill famously pointed out while playing a game on the commodore 264 range as he got near the screen sparks came out of the joystick, and he was told to “fix it or your fired”
My View
The 264 series could I feel have been a success but for the marketing department at Commodore, even Bil remembers that marketing wanted to sell the plus4 for the same price as the Commodore 64, However Jacks original goal was to market the plus 4 for only $79 usd and Bil says the machines cost only $11 usd to make at that price point the machines would have been a real success, for people without the purchasing power to buy the commodore 64 that was retailing at $389 the Sinclair spectrum with 16k of ram sold at around $170. The cost cutting was due mainly to commodore owning and manufacturing the MOS technology chips and so weren’t held to ransom on price. The machines still stand up today, if you look at some of the plus 4 demos and even reworked games such as we looked at last issue with Commando, they easily would have and do “hold there own” the plus 4 sells on ebay for around $150 usd today and is definitely a machine you should be involved with.
commercial failure
Ultimately the 264 line failed for several reasons then. First, the machines were not compatible with the Commodore 64, which had a large library of software and peripherals. Second, the built-in software was of poor quality and limited functionality, (but that depends on who you talk to as I know many owners prise the software) and the machines lacked a dedicated sound chip. Third, the machines were priced too high for the budget market, and too low for the business market. Fourth, the machines faced strong competition from other 8-bit computers, such as the ZX Spectrum, the Amstrad CPC, and the Atari 8-bit family. Fifth, the machines were launched at a time when Commodore was undergoing internal turmoil and leadership changes, which affected the marketing and distribution of the products
The models and prototypes in the 264 series were:
- The C16: The most basic model, with 16 KB of RAM, a 16-color graphics mode, and a built-in BASIC interpreter. It was intended to replace the VIC-20, but it was less powerful and more expensive than its predecessor. It was mainly sold in Europe, where it had some success in Germany and Italy¹².
- The C116: A smaller and cheaper version of the C16, with a membrane keyboard, a smaller case, and a different power supply. It was only sold in Europe, and it was not very popular¹².
- The Plus/4: The flagship model, with 64 KB of RAM, a 121-color graphics mode, and four built-in software applications: a word processor, a spreadsheet, a database, and a graphing program. It was intended to compete with the Apple II and the IBM PC, but it lacked the features and compatibility of those machines. It was mainly sold in the US, where it flopped¹².
- The 364: A prototype model, with 64 KB of RAM, a built-in speech synthesizer, and a numeric keypad. It was supposed to be the top-of-the-line model, with advanced features and capabilities, but it was never released to the public. Only a few prototypes were made, and they are very rare and valuable today¹³.
Summing up
- The 264 series was a line of low-cost computers with built-in software and a new chip TED, four models made up the line: the C16, the C116, the Plus/4, and the 364 (never released prototype). They had different features, prices, and markets, but none of them were successful mainly due to the high retail price.
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SILICA SHOP
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Its working like a dream
Looking in the local newspaper I saw an advert for a shop assistant in a shop within Debenhams Manchester store (a concession) I had been a Silica shop customer for years, and having just recently purchased an amiga 4000/040 desktop model I was keen to send off my Curriculum Viti.
I like all the other eager workers were summoned for an interview at Salford docks Manchester, entering the building I was given a pencil and a questionnaire to fill out, the questionnaire was more like some Human resources personality test with hundreds of questions along the lines of “do you keep a diary”, “do you look at a diary daily” I’m led to believe some 1000 people attended this test, then we I think we’re all lead one by one to a lift with the HR manager and up to another level into a suite serving as an interview room. I was asked the usual questions, why did you apply etc then the HR manager asked me the question, “tell me all you know about Commodore” for over 1 hour I spouted out about the vic, the commodore 64, the Amiga and the Amiga 4000 /040 and my history of Commodore and the main people who made up the company.
The interviewer sat amazed at, one I had purchased an amiga 4000 as he said I was one of the first to order the machine from his records, and Two at the amount of information coming from this young mind. He looked at his watch and realised he was now well behind schedule for his interview list and had to cut me mid conversation, I think we were scheduled 15 minutes. So after shaking hands and myself still spurting on about commodore architecture he said “great to meet you and I will see you on the next interview sessions” he then went red and said “oh I shouldn’t have said that”, and as you have guessed your now onto round 2 which is really a formality with Debenhams”
A week letter I had a phone call from Sidcup kent and was invited to Round 2 was more as was said an informal chat with Debenhams security just to check I wouldn’t steal more than I would sell I suppose, after that chat I went home and waited, sure enough I received another phone call “congratulations and welcome to the team” I was then advised I had to travel to Sidcup to receive a weeks worth of gruelling training, There we met a the directors and had a quick look at how mail ordering works and how the posters are printed for the magazines, Silica owned its own photographic studio that could enlarge and print posters of enormous size as well as scan images. We saw a machine that could copy tapes and inlays in seconds, along with another machine that copied floppy disks and inlays and sleeves in literally seconds spewing them into a hopper at the bottom of the machine.
Training went well and the last 3 days we were assigned shops, mine was Tottenham court road TCR the main silica Shop hub, it was an amazing experience, although I knew I had to up my knowledge of consoles, PC systems and the Amiga, and to some extent the Atari were already under my knowledge belt, having assessed the Atari falcon before my Amiga 4000 due to the then supposed DSP the falcon would have for music.
Silica also ran the Amiga helpline, and in training I managed to sit in on a few sessions with confused customers trying to get printers working or change country settings, some had more grand experiences and problems like genlocking and wanting to know how to setup the NTSC video toaster for a pal broadcast!
We opened shop in Manchester on the third floor of Debenhams next to the toy department, Café where I met my soon to be wife of 25 years a café manager, and also nestled next to a discount books and Cd concession. Although pay was meagre to say the least you had the opportunity via sales to earn commission and items were weighted on a pints system and via the profit they made, so floppy disks were a 9/10 and a printer would be about 2 with a pc 1 , the scaled didn’t relate to a percentage just an arbitrary guide to a points system.
I remember we would get IBM and Hewlett Packard telling us if we sell 10 machines were entered into a draw to win a holiday, although I said I would rather sell people what they want and not what profited me the most. This is something currys excel in, guiding you to something you don’t wat to gain commission or sell outdated stock.
Sales were good, very good) we had some real characters enter, some miffed at not being picked for the sales team, but others with genuine interest and excitement about products. Each of the staff had a strength so we had a PC and upgrade specialist, a console expert, a programming guru who knew about amigas an ex magazine writer and myself the Amiga specialist, Oh and a manager who oversaw us. The manager later left after some 250k of stock went missing, stolen out the shop and I was then promoted to manager, things went well and Debenhams would come to empty the tills 3 times a day as the cash wouldn’t fit into them we were taking so much.
The death of my dream
I got on well with the directors, especially well with one who would ply me with inside knowledge and also with the head programmer who gave me access to items on my shop computer menu I shouldn’t have had like the IN/out system where you could see who was in or out at head office, so if a director went in at 6am then clocked out at 6.30 and it was now 10 you could be pretty sure he was going to spy on a shop!
My sources would also called to say “next week is a spot inspection” or “You have a director coming to the store with family to do a plain clothes walk round” Interestingly when directors came they would normally ware the green Silica tshirts and even if they were in mid conversation, if a customer needed help they would break off and help the customer! Not something that happens in forms today, as they feel they are above everyone.
liquidation
On one of my calls I was relayed the sad news “commodore is in liquidation” and I am to visit you tomorrow, the director relayed the news almost in tears that an era had come and Commodore was in real trouble, there may be a buyout but it wasn’t certain. I was told that the shops relied on Commodore, silica tried to invest heavily in a OEM pc they badged up as Silica pc, and although it gained good reviews, and was a great price, the company couldn’t gain supply of the machines in enough quantity, Silica put more money to get the machines, but eventually this would lead to Silica with cash flow problems and then close the shops and mail ordering completely, I left about 2 years before they closed the Manchester branch, they had directors missing a month’s pay just to keep things going, selling off shop fittings, but it was fairly obvious even from the news about Commodore administration they wouldn’t survive.
Shopping history
So you read my take, and there are many other stories like, other mail order companies over took them etc, but it really was the demise of commodore that killed Silica.
History
Silica Shop was a UK-based computer retailer and distributor who sold Atari, Amiga, Sega, Nintendo and other platforms in the 1980s and 1990s. It was founded by David Martin in 1982, and had its original shop in Sidcup, Kent. It later expanded to have several stores across the UK, including over 19 concession stores within Debenhams. However, it went into administration in 1996, due to financial difficulties.
Silica Shop was popular among Atari fans, as it offered a wide range of hardware, software, and accessories for the Atari 8-bit and ST computers. It also published newsletters and catalogues, and ran a membership club for its customers. Some of its former employees went on to work for other computer companies, such as Escom, Intel, AMD and Microsoft.
- David Timothy, the founder and managing director
-Mason John Woodhams, the secretary of The Silica Shop Ltd
- Noel Daniel, a former programmer who worked in the Tottenham Court road branch:
- Silica Shop was originally called Prodis, which stood for Program Distribution Services. The name was changed to Silica Shop in 1984, to reflect the company's focus on silicon-based products. Silica Shop was one of the first retailers to offer a mail-order service for computer games and hardware, which allowed customers to order from anywhere in the country. They also had a loyalty scheme called Silica Points, which gave customers discounts and free gifts. Silica Shop was involved in the development and publishing of some Atari games, such as Sidewinder, Thunderfox, and Foundations Waste. Some of their staff were former or current programmers, such as Noel Daniel and Eroll Elliston.
I don’t remember this but.. apparently Silica Shop had a mascot called Silica Sid, a cartoon character who appeared in their adverts and catalogues. He was a friendly and helpful guide who gave tips and advice to customers Silica Shop became one of the largest Atari retailers in Europe.
Silica was the Uk importer for Commodore and would repackage commodore products to better appeal to the uk market, so you may remember the various xmas packaged gift sets with free games and a lovely designed xmas cover of the commodore computer, this was Silica who would buy up the rights to the games, reproduce them in house and then re-package them with the machine to public ad though trade channels.
The Atari users would be given a shrink wrapped pack of about 20 games to get them started . Within Silica there were often competitions to design the box contents, layout, picture and pack name. the packs were sent out separate so the shops could repackage them, so an xmas box would be ripped of its outer cover and any reference to xmas and packaged as a summer collection etc
a brief history of a forgotten age, I still have my silica greed tshirt and my silica manager ID badge. People now don’t remember this passing phase but just for a brief few years of time Silica had the world of computer retail at its feet.
Can you add to this story, Did you work in one of the many Debenhams outlets or directly for Silic itself?
Let me know
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Commodore Free review
Gina sisters for the 264 range (+4 CBM 16)
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History
If you have seen Mario the Nintendo plumber then you get the basics of this game, a right to left scrolling landscape, but you can only move right, you can only go back to the edge of the screen, the screen doesn’t scroll left to right and just stops! You are to collect items and squish the monsters by landing on them, you can headbutt various items than will give you bonus and energy.
Developed by Time Warp Productions, a German video game company, and released in 1987 on the Commodore 64 “The Great Giana Sisters” was designed by Armin Gessert and features music composed by the legendary Chris Hülsbeck. The game was published by Rainbow Arts for the Commodore 64 and was later ported to other platforms such as the Amiga, Atari ST, and Amstrad CPC.
Head butting releases and item
Grate graphical loading screens
Released originally on the Commodore 64 and then pulled quickly for copyright reasons, “the great gina sisters” still remains a classic on the commodore 64 with many sites offering a download to this piece of history, and while we can complain all we like it is a very close copy of mario from Nintendo al be it with different main character sprites.
Amiga version of this classic platformer:
the Amiga version was released in 1988. Retaining the design from the original Commodore 64 version.. The scroll screen melody of The Great Giana Sisters was composed by the talented Chris Huelsbeck and remains iconic in gaming history.
Port to Commodore Plus/4:
On March 3rd, 2024, a coder named TCFS ported the original game from 1987 to the Commodore Plus/4 platform
Gameplay and Features
The Great Giana Sisters C64 is a 2D side-scrolling platform game where the player controls either Giana or her sister Maria (supporting alternating two-player mode).
Each level contains dream crystals that give points when collected, contributing to the game’s high score.
Power-ups include:
Fire Wheel Transforms Giana into a punk with the ability to crush rocks by jumping and hitting them from below.
Lightning Bolt Awards Giana “dream bubbles,” a single projectile shot.
Double Lightning: Gives her the ability to shoot recoiling projectiles.
Strawberries Grant her homing projectiles.
Water Drop A defensive item that protects Giana against fire.
Enemies include owls, rolling eyeballs, flesh-eating fish, and deadly insects.
Special items affect the entire screen, such as the “clock” (freezes all enemies) and the “magic bombs” (kill all enemies).
Plus 4 version
With an excellent conversion of the original music the plus 4 is never going to be a SID chip but does a plausible rendition of the music. The game looks very colourful and for a moment you forget this isn’t the C64 version, its smooth glitch free and with all the game play elements remaining intact, even to the point of changing direction while jumping gives an other world non gravity floating feeling just right for the games mechanics, because this helps when timing jumps. You need to get some pixel perfect jumps for this action, but its never frustrating and it’s a little more forgiving than some games of this ilk.
The game is both polished and great to play, as you can tell its one of those frustrating, one more time games where you wanted to leave but are now late as your on your 25th one more time plays
The great Gina sisters is a classic game for he Commodore range of machines, it’s a shame Nintendo wouldn’t franchise Mario out to be developed for the Commodore range, Its also great to see this game now available on the plus 4 even if its taken so long to arrive. The Commodore e64 version would receive the same score so a very worth 7 isn’t to feel disappointed about. I think all versions would score the same if I’m pressed into an answer
SCORE
7/10
Version comparison
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnObTaZWR6M
Plus 4 version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YqWt3Oq0ek
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The incomplete history of ELITE
By Commodore Free
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Rose tinted glasses
Way back in time, when the bbc micro had its own tv service on the BBC and the years started with 19 (something), a game was released that was so impossible to comprehend it became and still is a classic. The game called ELITE was a space trading game and while on paper it didn’t sound that ground breaking, it set a standard still used by many such games today. The idea is you collect items from one planet, then look at the most lucrative planet to travel to and sell you items at a vast profit. Crammed into a minuscule amount of code and using wireframe 3d graphics the player area was immense. Some versions like the Amiga featured filled colour graphics, but that was processor dependent.
If you started trading contraband then the police you trail you and shoot you down, here your best option was to hyperspace and hope to get lucky as you never knew where such hyperspace would take you and what the planet would be like, friend foe or worse! Not only was the gameplay unique, but the game featured a radar that could not only show the position of the aliens or other space traders, but also the height and how close they were to you.
I think because the BBC version was the first version I saw and the C64 version looked quite glitch in comparison, I still look back on Elite as a BBC game, and still think the BBC version was probably the best, I have included some video of different systems playing so you can make u your own mind.
An Unofficial plus 4 has been created that shows what could have been with silky smooth graphics. So plus 4 users can experience the thrill of 1980 they never had.
plus 4 (unofficial)
https://plus4world.powweb.com/software/Elite_Plus4
https://www.indieretronews.com/2022/09/elite-4-flicker-free-classic-as.html
Commodore 64
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhTTpV5qFrs
BBC version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6m4DwkYgGs&t=165s
amiga
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsuWgLEQBxM
IAN bells (co creator) website
http://www.iancgbell.clara.net/elite/
Elite: A Pioneering Odyssey in Space Gaming
In the early 1980s, when home computers were still quite a new fad, a groundbreaking game emerged from the minds of two British programmers. Elite was the brainchild David Braben and Ian Bell. The two quickly wrote the game as they were scared Somone else would do it before them, and so while they were both studying at the University of Cambridge, they worked together on a game that would revolutionize the gaming world.
Elite was famously described as the game that couldn’t t have been written.
Players had an Open Universe System, the ability to Rhome anywhere, Players could explore eight galaxies and over 2,000 planets, drawn in 3D wireframe graphics and using clever calculations to remove lines that couldn’t be seen by the player, in doing so leaving a clean and uncluttered experience. There are No High Scores as such, and basically as a Players you could choose your own path, be that of trading goods, hunt bounties, smuggle contraband, or mining asteroids.
The original game is said to contain only 22 Kilobytes of code memory. Braben and Bell how they managed to compressed the game into such a tiny code space is incredible.
Gameplay and Legacy
In Elite, players assumed the role of Commander Jameson, a space adventurer with a Cobra Mk III starting at Lave Station and armed with 100 credits. Players were subject to Combat, Engage in dogfights with pirates, police, or other traders. With the option to Upgrade your ships weaponry and shields to survive these attacks, and the goal really of the game was to upgrade your rank to become ELITE, although you were free to become just a space pirate and shoot police, and as they left the planet to track you down they would destroy you. Most of the ships encountered in the game were named after snakes or reptiles.
Sales
The original game Elite sold an estimated one million units. Of course, Sequels and Spin-offs wouldn’t be far behind to follow on this success: Two popular sequels followed: Frontier: Elite II and Frontier: First Encounters. Then In 2012, Elite Dangerous rebooted the whole franchise and interest in the game for the 21st century, pulling in a new generation of players.
Conclusion and summary
Elite defied conventions, transcending its 22-kilobyte origins to become a game legend in its own right. Its open-ended gameplay, minimalist graphics, and audacious design set a precedent for future space sims.
Innovations:
Wire-frame 3D graphics with hidden-line removal: Elite was one of the first home computer games to use this technology. The Dark Wheel: A novella by Robert Holdstock was included, providing insight into moral and legal codes for players. open-ended gameplay model and revolutionary graphics led to its widespread porting across contemporary home computer systems.
Influence and Legacy:
The Elite series is one of the longest-running video game franchises, and has served as a model for so many other games. originally published by Acornsoft for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron computers in September 1984. The game was later ported to virtually every contemporary home computer system, including:
Apple II
Amstrad CPC
Commodore 64
ZX Spectrum
MSX
Tatung Einstein
IBM PC compatible
Acorn Archimedes
Amiga
Atari ST
Nintendo Entertainment System (PAL regions only)
Commodore 64 Version:
The Commodore 64 version of Elite received critical acclaim. With Zzap!64 awarded it an impressive 97%, calling the game a brilliant game of blasting and trading and one of the best games of the year in 1985.
Amiga Version:
The Amiga version of Elite, released in 1989, continued the games success, When Zzap!64 awarded it a high score of 98%. Elite Plus (known as Elite Plus in the US and EU) was an enhanced version of the original Elite for the Amiga.
Unofficial Commodore Plus/4:
Elite was indeed converted for the Commodore Plus/4, thanks to the efforts of dedicated hackers.
These hacker conversions allowed players to experience the space trading and combat simulation on the Plus/4 platform. The game retains its core features, including wire-frame 3D graphics and the quest for Elite status.
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Commodore Free Insomnia
Birmingham NEC review
28 March - 1 April 2024
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If you thought insomnia was just some sleeping disorder, then your missing out on an exciting exhibition of all things gaming.
History
The Insomnia Gaming Festival, originally known as the i-Series, was founded in 1999. It began as a small LAN (Local Area Network) event where gamers could come together, connect their own computers, and play games as part of a vibrant community. From these humble beginnings in a small office in Swindon, England, with just a few hundred attendees, it has now grown significantly over the years. The festival was primarily cantered around LAN gaming, where participants competed in tournaments to win prize money.
Evolution and Growth
Insomnia slowly expanded beyond LAN gaming. It transformed into a comprehensive gaming extravaganza that celebrates all aspects of gaming culture, so today, it's not just a gaming expo; it's a celebration of all things gaming. Attendees can explore brand new game releases, indulge in cosplay, discover indie games, engage with gaming content creators, and more. However Insomnia isn't only about playing games; it's also a place to meet new people, form communities, and immerse oneself in the vibrant gaming scene.
Venue
The festival quickly outgrew its initial confines and now takes place at the Birmingham NEC (National Exhibition Centre) in the United Kingdom. The NEC is the largest exhibition center in the UK, providing ample space for gaming enthusiasts, exhibitors, and stage shows. if you're passionate about esports, LAN parties, stage performances, and all things gaming, Insomnia is the place to be!
Review
Each venue or event is given a number prefixed by an I so this event is (I72) and while on the face of things, an 8 bit r even 16 bit gamer may be looking else where for fun, Insomnia has something to offer every type of gamer, Dressing up or cos play seems to be a big thing at this years event, and while I only booked one day, its enough for a casual gamer. If I was hardcore, I would be taking my own gaming rig, hooking it up to the lan, booking my tent into the hall area for a sleep over and be blasting scum until its time to leave.
On entrance it can feel at first overwhelming, a large stage area has guest speakers though the day talking about all gaming, games and testing, while other central areas are filled with small to large companies selling their wares, anyone with enough money can sell items at the show, paying a fixed price per meter squared. Prices can be higher than normal, costing in the retailer’s travel expenses but… you can find some gems and items being sold off. New releases especially tend to be heavily promoted and so heavily discounted at the show.
Tucked away to one side is the retro section, although it seemed a bigger area than usual, this is were old tv`s are commissioned back into action and various consoles are brought back to life. Surprising with all the new glitz happening that gamers are still drawn to the retro games, maybe its nostalgic, maybe they come to look at how bad games were or just appreciate some of the coding genius that went into beating the best out of these systems. I met a few fellow 8bit gamers and we chatted, some new about C= Free and some are going to look up the website.
This year it was consoles only, saga, xbox, playstation, etc no classic gaming computers, no msx, no spectrum and no commodore, someone I spoke to said it was because they get stolen. However it would seem there is little demand for these, the consoles on display were all locked n boxes and bolted to the tables, I didn’t delve further for the review.
Other areas have promoters or influencers, commonly known as overpaid youtubers who will chat and sign autographs, having been paid vast sums of money to attend, last years even was quiet with hardly any of these influencers around, this year though and after lots of criticism they are back in force. To be quite honest I didn’t know any of them, but as they are not retro influencers that really isn’t surprising. Still, I grabbed a few posters and autographs because, well you never know whe one of these influencers will chair a tv show and be catapulted into fame. To be honest they were all very polite and none had heard of C= Free, many knew little of commodore, but again with their age that’s not so surprising.
Conclusion
Billed as a Lan party, and that’s still seems to be the focus, to play with friends, and fellow game enthusiasts online gaming, Insomnia tries to cater for all needs and while the retro section feels like its an after thought there were a number of systems recommended. As a retro users, you probably will not feel your well catered for but if you’re a more all round gamer then it’s a great event to meet, greet and catch up with the latest gossip, friends’ and influencers.
The place is huge and although we did meet some influencers I have no clue who they were, my son however did seem to know them and they were not adverse to talking about gaming, although none had heard of commodore or of commodore free.
Homeward bound
Coming back via Birmingham motorway you realise how bad the state of British roads are, cars swerving dangerously to avoid massive holes in the road, uneven surfaces, its impossible not to band down into some pothole, my car suffered and reported a catastrophic failure. Next day at the garage I was presented with a 2k bill for my delves into potholes, the garage said he had a few bad cars from Birmingham, so next year, if its running and not on strike ! we will take the train!
https://www.insomniagamingfestival.com/
you are stamped for re entry on arrival
E.O.F