*********************************** Commodore Free Magazine http://www.commodorefree.com/ *********************************** Issue 98 Free to download magazine dedicated to Commodore computers Available as PDF, ePUB, MOBI, HTML, TXT, SEQ and D64 disk image =================================== ***************** CONTENTS ***************** Quick Review of the 1541 Ultimate MK 2 Pioneer of the Home Computer Industry News Rough and Ready Guide to Commando on the Commodore range of machines Sonic the Hedgehog c64 review Review the sentinel c64 A DARK START TO “RUN/STOP-RESTORE”by L enard R. Roach ------------------------- ***************** Editorial ***************** We have some more of the same for this issue, with a review of the 1541 Ulti mate Mark 2 I just purchased for mysel f. A look at the game commando on Comm odore formats to see which version cam e out the better-looking and more impo rtantly, the most playable version. No one mentioned the trimmed-down news section, so I am hoping this is a bet ter way forward for the magazine. News is all over the internet about Commod ore and it did fill out the magazine s omewhat; it was turning into just Comm odore news magazine. It was mentioned I should go with a vb log or Youtube channel as they are mon etised but there are so many good blog s out there -- adding another isn’t so mething I had thought about doing. Any way, I don’t want to embarrass the com petition with my stunning looks and yo uthful complexion and send them into s ome sort of inferiority complex. Still, enough about the options. I am not taking and let’s look at what we a re doing. So it’s the usual news secti ons, reviews, and other juicy gossip. As usual help is always needed. Creati ng the text versions and Html versions isn’t hard but time-consuming so too, is the disk version, so if you can sp are any time to help out I would be mo re than grateful, as I am getting comm ents now about when these versions wil l be released. Many of you may have more time, but I seem to have less and less spare time with looking after loved ones and just getting daily life chores is taking a ll my time away. Still hope you are l ooking forward to another issue. Again , any comments are welcome even the an onymous user who emailed me to just sa y “Commodore Free your crap” its all n ice to hear (I think constructive comm ents are more welcome, though.) If you’re reading this and think, “Why haven’t you mentioned about XYZ?”, ma ybe I don’t know about it, you’re welc ome to write something about a game or machine that you think needs more cov erage or exposures. If you are creatin g hardware and software I would like t o promote that to our readers, so drop me a line. The website was hit yet ag ain with a malicious attack and email is still down. You can get me on the L emon format via an instant message unt il we resolve these attacks. I just wo nder why would you bother attacking a Commodore website about news. Still …… …….. Moving on then... Thanks for reading and I hope you like this issue . C=FREE is and will always be FREE ! -------------------------------------- ***************************** Quick Review of the 1541 Ultimate MK2 ******************************* The 1541 Ultimate Mk 2 is a cartridge for the Commodore 64 range of computer s that can emulate various other cartr idges and the Commodore floppy disk dr ives. It also has features such as USB and an Ethernet port in the form of a n RJ45 commentor, the device has the a bility to load TAP files voa its tape emulation, and includes a real-time cl ock. The 1541 Ultimate is based on an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) meaning that code can be rewritten to the chip, think firmware updates, Here is a brief review and history of the product: The 1541 Ultimate Mk 2 was developed b y Gideon Zweijtzer and released in 201 0 as an improved version of the origin al 1541 Ultimate, which came out in 20 08. People praise the 1541 Ultimate Mk 2 for its professional build quality, sleek design, and wide range of funct ions. It can load and run games and programs from USB devices with SD card readers or USB thumb sticks, using .D64, .G64 , or .PRG files with cycle-accurate 15 41 support and as mentioned can load t ap files or tape files. It can also th erefore copy and archive floppy disks , and run CP/M and GEOS. The device ca n emulate other cartridges such as the Commodore REU, Action Replay, The Fin al Cartridge III, Super Snapshot V5, R etro Replay, or TurboAss with Codenet support. on-board Ethernet, can be use d for Telnet or FTP and has a USB host controller, which can connect to exte rnal CD/DVD drives, keyboards etc. As mentioned, it has a tape adapter that can emulate a cassette player, and a b attery-backed up real-time clock that can keep track of file date and time c ompatible with the C64, C64c, SX-64, C 128, and C128D, although some features may not work with the latter two mode ls. Features a microSD card slot for p rogram saving. IT also emulates 2 SID chips and can with the right software use them simultaneously for playback. So not only can you mount disc images you can also load CRT or cartridge fil es and run or flash the device from th ese. One example of maybe some useful software would be the Commodore diagno stic software downloadable as a disc i mage from here https://c64os.com/buyer sguide/1541-diagnostic When we get to telnet and FTP things b ecome less crystalised as these allow the device to ftp or telnet into the c artridge so it can’t be used as an eth ernet port to access the internet dire ctly like some of the other cartridges out there. Example: retro replay net or rrnet cards on the client that teln ets into the 1541, you can change sett ings and mount discs etc. FTP has the ability to upload files to the 1541 re motely from a pc or mac, The 1541 Ultimate supports standardise d file systems like ISO9660/Joliet (th ink CD ROMS) and support for FAT16 and FAT32 devices, these are the formats of many USB thumb drives so you could copy files to and from your PC Mac, et c. using the thumb drive Overall, the 1541 Ultimate Mk 2 is a h ighly recommended product for anyone w ho owns a C64 and wants to enjoy the b est of both worlds: the nostalgia of t he original hardware and the convenien ce of modern technology. It is a well- designed, well-made, and well-supporte d device that can enhance the C64 expe rience in many ways. It is not cheap, but it is worth every penny Ultimate64 - Product Page https://ultimate64.com/U2P_Cartridge_B lack ...a more in-depth review https://c64os.com/post/1541UIIplusrevi ew 1541 Ultimate - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1541_Ult imate When I have had time to play fully wi th my device (I have only just purchas ed it) I will write a full user review . Thanks C=FREE ------------------ ************************************ A Pioneer of the Home Computer Industr y ************************************ While I am breaking no new boundaries here and not intending to cover every option available (others do that more professionally than I) or if you want a full history then look no further th an these two extensive books cover Com modore better than I ever could -- I w as asked recently to give a brief hist ory – anyway, I’m going off track... If you’re new to Commodore then this t ext will give you a brief history for a more in-depth guide buy the two book s listed here: On the Edge: The Spectacular Rise & Fa ll of Commodore Commodore: A Company on the Edge https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brian-Bagnall /e/B001IXNYBA?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qi d=1705410300&sr=1-2 Commodore Business Machines (CBM) was a subsidiary of Commodore Internationa l, an American company that played a m ajor role in the development of the ho me computer industry during the the 19 70s and 1980s. CBM was founded in 1954 by Jack Tramiel,who was a Polish immi grant and Auschwitz survivor, he start ed the company as a typewriter and add ing machine business in Toronto, Canad a. In the 1960s, CBM expanded its operati ons to Europe and Asia, and diversifie d its products to include office furni ture, radio and stereo equipment, and calculators. However, the company face d financial difficulties due to the pr ice war in the calculator market, and Tramiel decided to enter the emerging field of personal computers. In 1977, CBM introduced the Commodore PET, one of the first all-in-one home computers, which featured a keyboard, a monitor, a cassette drive, and a bui lt-in BASIC interpreter. The PET was v ery popular in the education market, a nd established CBM as a leader in the personal computer industry. In 1982, CBM launched the Commodore 64 , which became the best-selling comput er of all time, with over 17 million u nits sold. The Commodore 64 was a powe rful and affordable machine, with 64 K B of RAM, a 16-color graphics chip, a 3-channel sound chip. The Commodore 64 dominated the home computer market in the early to mid-1980s, and created a loyal fan base of users and developer s. The Commodore EMAX Based on the same hardware as the Comm odore 64, using the same 6510 processo r, the VIC-II graphics chip, and the S ID sound chip. However, the EMAX did n ot have a built-in BASIC interpreter, and required a cartridge to run BASIC programs. The cartridges were compatib le with the Commodore 64. The EMAX had only one joystick port on each side, and no serial or user ports. It also h ad no AV output, and used an RF modula tor for video and a 3.5 mm jack for au dio. The EMAX was intended to be a cheaper alternative to the Commodore 64 and th e VIC-20, and was planned to be releas ed worldwide. However, it faced strong competition from other consoles and c omputers, and was not well received by the Japanese market. It was also over shadowed by the success of the Commodo re 64, which offered much more feature s and capabilities. The EMAX was soon discontinued, and only a few thousand units were produced. The Commodore SX-64 The SX64 was a portable version of the Commodore 64, released in 1983. It wa s the first full-color portable comput er, featuring a built-in five-inch mon itor and a 1541 floppy drive, and aime d at business users, but it was not ve ry successful due to its high price, h eavy weight, and compatibility issues with some C64 software and hardware The SX-64 had a different default scre en color and device number than the C6 4, which could cause problems with pro grams that assumed the C64’s settings. It also lacked a cassette port and an RF port, so couldn’t use tape or a TV as an output device. The SX-64 was discontinued in 1986, af ter selling only about 10,000 units. T he SX-64 was also known as the Executi ve 64 or the VIP-64 in Europe. It had a few variants, such as the DX-64, whi ch had two floppy drives, and the Comm odore LCD, which was a prototype lapto p with a monochrome LCD screen124 The Commodore 128 The last 8-bit home computer released by Commodore in 1985. It was a success or to the Commodore 64, with improved features and some compatibility. Th ma chine had two CPUs: a MOS 8502 (a slig htly improved version of the 6510) for running Commodore software, and a Zil og Z80 for running CP/M software. It a lso had two video chips: a VIC-IIe for 40-column mode, and a MOS 8563 for 80 -column mode. It had 128 KB of RAM, ex pandable to 640 KB with a RAM expansio n unit. The main hardware designer was Bil Her d, who had also worked on the Commodor e Plus/4. Other hardware engineers wer e Dave Haynie and Frank Palaia, while the IC design work was done by Dave Di Orio. The main Commodore system softwa re was developed by Fred Bowen and Ter ry Ryan, while the CP/M subsystem was developed by Von Ertwine. The machine sold about 2.5 million uni ts worldwide, making it less successfu l to the Commodore 64, which sold over 17 million units. The Commodore 128 w as discontinued in 1989, as Commodore shifted its focus to the 16-bit Amiga line. Four main versions of the Commodore 12 8 were manufactured: - The **C128**, which was the standard model with a redesigned case and keyb oard, 128 KB of RAM, two CPUs (8502 an d Z80), two video chips (VIC-IIe and V DC), and a built-in 3.5-inch floppy di sk drive. It could run Commodore 64, C 128, and CP/M software. - The **C128D**, which was a desktop v ersion with a separate keyboard and a built-in 1571 disk drive. It also had an internal cooling fan, a reset butto n, and a 6502 processor in the disk dr ive for faster access. It was compatib le with the C128 software and hardware . - The **C128DCR**, which was a cost-re duced version of the C128D, with a sma ller case and a 1571CR disk drive. It also had a different motherboard layou t, with some chips replaced by ASICs. It was compatible with the C128 softwa re and hardware, except for some minor differences in the disk drive. - The **C128CR**, which was a cost-red uced version of the C128, with a small er case and a different motherboard la yout. It also had some chips replaced by ASICs, and a different power supply . It was compatible with the C128 soft ware and hardware, except for some min or differences in the video output and the disk drive. Commodore 65 The Commodore 65 was a prototype compu ter created by Commodore in 1990-1991. It was supposed to be an improved ver sion of the Commodore 64, and it was a lso meant to be backwards-compatible w ith the c64, while still providing som e advanced features. However, the proj ect was cancelled by Commodore's chair man in 1991, and only a few prototypes were known to be made. Some of the features of the Commodore 65 were: - A CSG 4510 processor, which was a 16 -bit version of the 6502 chip, running at 3.54 MHz. - 128 KB of RAM, expandable to 8 MB. - A built-in 3.5-inch floppy disk driv e. - A VIC-III graphics chip, which suppo rted 256 colors and resolutions up to 1280x400 pixels. - Two SID sound chips, which provided stereo output and 6 sound channels. - A Commodore BASIC 10.0 operating sys tem, which had some enhancements over the C64's BASIC. The Commodore PET Educator Also known as the PET 64 or the Model 4064, was a released in 1983 and sold to schools as a replacement for ageing Commodore PET systems The Educator 64 was based on the same hardware as the Commodore 64, having a MOS 6510 proce ssor, 64 KB of RAM, a SID sound chip, and a VIC-II graphics chip. However, i t used a monochrome monitor and a PET- style keyboard, which made it look lik e a PET. It also had a built-in Datase tte (tape deck). The Educator 64 was intended to be com patible with both the PET and the C64 software, but it had some limitations. For example, it could not display col or graphics or use sprites, and had no joystick ports or user ports. It also had a different ROM, which included a modified version of Commodore BASIC 4 .0 and a PET emulator, The Educator 64 was not very successful, as it was mo re expensive and less capable than the C64. It was also soon replaced by the Commodore 128, which offered more fea tures and modes. Commodore 16/plus 4 The Commodore Plus/4 and the Commodore 16 were released in 1984 forming part of the 264 family, along with the Com modore 116, which was only available i n Europe. based on two new MOS chips: a 6502 compatible 8501 CPU and TED, an all-in-one sound, video and input/out put chip. Both had superior BASIC than previous Commodore models. The Plus/4 had 64 KB of RAM and a built-in offic e suite with a word processor, a sprea dsheet, a database, and a graphing pro gram. The C16 had ony16 KB of RAM with out built-in software. They were incom patible with the Vic 20 and 64’s softw are and hardware, lacked sprites and h igh-quality sound. intended to replace the VIC-20 and competing with other l ow-cost home computers, both were disc ontinued in 1985 Commodore CDTV Called a multimedia device that combin ed a Commodore Amiga 500 computer with a CD-ROM drive and a remote control. It launched in March 1991 The CDTV was intended to be an all-in-one home ent ertainment system that could play game s, music, videos, and educational soft ware. However, it faced several challe nges that led to its commercial failur e. - A high price of $999 in the US and £ 499 in the UK, which made it too expen sive for most consumers and gamers. - A lack of software support, as only about 100 titles were released for the CDTV, many of which were ports of exi sting Amiga games or CD-ROM versions o f books and encyclopedias - A poor marketing strategy, as Commod ore did not emphasize the Amiga brand name or the computer capabilities of t he CDTV, and instead focused on the mu ltimedia aspects that were not very ap pealing or innovative at the time - A strong competition from other CD-b ased consoles, such as the Philips CD- i and the Sega Mega-CD, as well as fro m the PC market, which offered more po werful and versatile machines with CD- ROM drives The CDTV was discontinued in 1993, aft er selling less than 60,000 units worl dwide while considered a flop, it was a very ahead of its time as a concept. Amiga Commodore bought the rights from the d esigner Jay Miner, a revolutionary com puter that featured a 32-bit processor , a multi-tasking operating system, a graphical user interface, and advanced graphics and sound capabilities. The Amiga was ahead of its time, and was w idely used for video production, anima tion, music, gaming, and desktop publi shing. The Amiga line of computers inc luded models such as the Amiga 500, th e Amiga 1000, the Amiga 2000, and the Amiga 1200. Despite the success of the Commodore 6 4 and the Amiga, CBM faced several cha llenges in the late 1980s and early 19 90s, such as the rise of IBM-compatibl e PCs, the internal conflicts between Tramiel and his main investor Irving G ould, the lack of marketing and innova tion, and the poor management of the c ompany. In 1994, CBM declared bankrupt cy, and its assets were sold to variou s companies, including Escom, Gateway, and Cloanto. There were several models and variants of the Amiga, each with different har dware specifications and capabilities. Amiga 1000: The first Amiga model, rel eased in 1985. It had a Motorola 68000 CPU at 7.16 MHz, 256 KB of RAM (later 512 KB), and the Original Chipset (OC S) for graphics and sound. It used a 3 .5-inch floppy disk drive and an exter nal keyboard. It supported AmigaOS ver sions 1.0 to 3.11. Amiga 500: The best-selling Amiga mode l, released in 1987. It had the same C PU, RAM, and chipset as the Amiga 1000 , but in a smaller case with an integr ated keyboard. It also had a built-in RF modulator for connecting to a TV. I t supported AmigaOS versions 1.2 to 3. 11. Amiga 2000: A more expandable Amiga mo del, released in 1987. It had the same CPU, RAM, and chipset as the Amiga 50 0, but in a larger case with five Zorr o II expansion slots, two 16-bit ISA s lots, and a video slot. It also had a 5.25-inch floppy disk drive and a hard disk drive. It supported AmigaOS vers ions 1.2 to 3.91. Amiga 3000: A high-end Amiga model, re leased in 1990. It had a Motorola 6803 0 CPU at 16 or 25 MHz, 1 MB of Chip RA M and 1 to 4 MB of Fast RAM, and the E nhanced Chipset (ECS) for improved gra phics and sound. It also had a SCSI co ntroller, a flicker fixer, and a batte ry-backed clock. It supported AmigaOS versions 1.3 to 4.11. Amiga 500+: An upgraded Amiga 500, rel eased in 1991. It had 1 MB of RAM and the ECS chipset. It also had a new ROM chip with AmigaOS 2.04 and a battery- backed clock. It supported AmigaOS ver sions 2.04 to 3.11. Amiga 600: A compact Amiga model, rele ased in 1992. It had the same CPU and chipset as the Amiga 500+, but in a sm aller case with an integrated numeric keypad. It also had a built-in IDE con troller, a PCMCIA slot, and a hard dis k drive. It supported AmigaOS versions 2.05 to 3.91. Amiga 1200: A low-end Amiga model, rel eased in 1992. It had a Motorola 68EC0 20 CPU at 14.32 MHz, 2 MB of RAM, and the Advanced Graphics Architecture (AG A) chipset for enhanced graphics and s ound. It also had a built-in IDE contr oller, a PCMCIA slot, and a hard disk drive. It supported AmigaOS versions 3 .0 to 4.11. Amiga 4000: A high-end Amiga model, re leased in 1992. It had a Motorola 68EC 030 or 68040 CPU at 25 MHz, 2 MB of Ch ip RAM and 2 to 4 MB of Fast RAM, and the AGA chipset. It also had a SCSI co ntroller, a flicker fixer, and a batte ry-backed clock. It supported AmigaOS versions 3.0 to 4.11. Amiga CD32: A CD-ROM based game consol e, released in 1993. It had the same C PU, RAM, and chipset as the Amiga 1200 , but in a console case with a CD-ROM drive and a gamepad. It also had a bui lt-in MPEG decoder and a digital signa l processor. It supported AmigaOS 3.12 . There were also some other Amiga model s and variants, such as the Amiga 1500 , the Amiga 2500, the Amiga 3000T, the Amiga 3000UX, CD32 The CD32 was a CD-ROM based game conso le developed by Commodore and released in 1993. It was based on the Amiga 12 00 computer and used the Advanced Grap hics Architecture (AGA) chipset for en hanced graphics and sound. It was the first 32-bit CD-ROM console in Europe and Canada, but it was never officiall y sold in the US due to a patent dispu te. One addon was the fmv cartridge th is allowed the cd32 to play full-motio n video (FMV) discs, such as movies an d interactive games. It was a cartridg e that plugged into the expansion slot of the CD32 and contained a MPEG-1 de coder chip and 1 MB of RAM. It was rel eased in 1994 and cost £199 in the UK. The FMV module was compatible with so me CD-i titles, such as The 7th Guest and Voyeur, as well as some CD32-speci fic titles, such as Chaos in Andromeda and The Guinness Disc of Records. How ever, the FMV module was not very popu lar, as it was expensive, had limited software support, and suffered from po or video quality and synchronization i ssues. The legacy of CBM lives on, as many of its products and technologies are sti ll used and appreciated by enthusiasts , hobbyists, and retro-computing fans. There have been several attempts to r evive the Commodore and Amiga brands, such as the Commodore PET and Commodor e LEO smartphones, the Commodore 64 Mi ni and Maxi consoles, and the AmigaOS and AROS operating systems. CBM was a pioneer of the home computer industry, and its products influenced generations of computer users and cre ators. Not just business machines, Com modore was a cultural phenomenon. Did Commodore change the world as we knew it (probably)? One thing is for sure: many people working in the Informatio n Technology business today are in tha t job as a direct result of owning som e form of Commodore computer and that includes yours truly. ----------------------- NEWS ************************************** ****** Ever tried to build something and it's all gone wrong? ************************************** ****** Well, this poor chap tried to build an Atari 2600 cartridge, but the chain o f misfortune that presented itself has to be watched to be believed. He laug hs about it all the way through but yo u can just feel his frustration mounti ng especially when he applies the stic kers he created and they just fall off , although he does follow through and finally create a working cartridge. https://youtu.be/ILj-FL0MLtE?si=LfLX9C Uwcf8VU2Gw -------------------- *************************** Retro gaming realy was better **************************** Now, for me the slow loading times of cassette never reduced my enthusiasm. As the game’s title screen slowly appe ared on my TV the excitement mounted, then the music kicked in, and finally after about 2 minutes (on a turbo load ) the game was ready to play (after yo u had rebooted, re-aligned the tape he ad and started again). Now games seem to be all the same, running around in a 3D environment collecting ammo and s hooting people seems to be the most re leased game ever. What happened to the game play, where is the product I bou ght, Retro games had us buying physica l tapes with beautifully designed inla y covers, now the games are just downl oaded from a server but you never actu ally own anything. Here the metro news paper talks to some games for their o pinion about games . But, however you read it and however l ong you debate about it; there is only one conclusion and that is that Retro games really are just better! I think the main problem with new game s is that they seem to demand so much effort, reading about control systems, who you can and cant talk to or inter act with, what you need to collect and where to place it to trad up etc. So, OK now and again I just want to lo ad up, grab a controller, and play wit h out using any brain power at all and kill off a few hours and aliens. I wo nder if aliens play games where humans invade there world and they have to d estroy them ? https://metro.co.uk/2024/01/20/weekend -hot-topic-enjoy-retro-gaming-20144882 / *************************** Plus 4 Outrun conversion *************************** Many arcade conversions came to 8-bit machines but maybe not as eagerly awai ted as Outrun, while the arcade machin es had more processing power some of t he 8-bit home computers and programmer s somehow managed to cram the main det ails and gameplay into our beloved 8-b it machines. TCFS has now released th e highly anticipated conversion of the classic arcade game “Turbo Outrun” on the Commodore Plus/4! Announcement direct from the Plus/4 Wo rld Facebook page. "And so, almost quietly, in mid -Janua ry, here is the new incredible pseudo- conversion from the increasingly incre dible Sasvári Tamás aka TCFS! It is no coincidence that it is recognized as "Maestro" between two distant golden e ras of the Plus/4, and it's no coincid ence even the release day: 14 January 2024, happy 40th anniversary to the Co mmodore Plus/4!!" "To celebrate this happy anniversary, the Maestro, with the help of Csaba Un real Kemeri (Unreal/MX) for the graphi cs and the extraordinary contribution of Csabo/LOD, which has rewritten the entire soundtrack to let it literally shine on TED, here comes Turbo Outrun! " "Now this has been a very hard task to achieve, the author had to change, ad just, renounce, move and re-code from scratch tons of the features which dec reed the success of the original for C 64. All in all, this IS Turbo Outrun, but this IS NOT Turbo Outrun, but this IS it anyway! There's a completely in novative way to manage with the turbo, there's no need to worry about great impacts or road bumps or adverse meteo rology, but there's also a new logic f or the opponents, a new scoring system and even a challenge for you to have your best score into the hall of fame. " Download: http://plus4world.powweb.com/software/ Turbo_Outrun https://youtu.be/qgwiIEfPi3s?si=Xgi_1p NzXz_iF0w4 --------------------------- ************************ Upgrading a C64 to HDMI *************************** No soldering and no case modifications , an easy way to upgrade to HDMI outpu t from your Commodore computer? With s o many newer TV`s and monitors removin g analogue style connectors how do we connect our machines to newer devices who seem to have finalised on HDMI int erfaces? Well, this video will show yo u how you can upgrade without too much fuss. https://youtu.be/eSGsCfHwHCA?si=vBsvpi -_Bh24oTVu https://github.com/c0pperdragon/LumaCo de https://github.com/hoglet67/RGBtoHDMI https://www.tindie.com/stores/c0pperdr agon/ ------------------------ ************************************** ** Commodore 128 80-column Digital output in mono ************************************* Did you know that the Commodore 128 su pports the output of a digital signal that you can use to connect to newer d isplay devices and is cheap to make or buy. I have one of these cables and p lugged it in purely by chance to my 12 8 and yes it does actually work, altho ugh we shouldn’t be surprised as the v ideo shows the output of the c128 did support this feature. Here you can fin d a Commodore monitor but even back th en these things were expensive, now th ey’re like gold. Sure, there are adapt ors available for full-colour (althoug h not cheap) but you could make this y ourself or buy it for £12 and use GEOS or Wheels in 80-column mode on an old TV. 80 Columns on the Commodore 128 withou t RGB or an adaptor? Connect your Commodore 128 and 128D co mputers via RGBi output to 80-column m onochrome goodness to any composite in put source. This cable connects the 9- pin Dsub connector on the Commodore co mputer to composite monitors in monoch rome only. This cable does not provide audio. You will need to use or purcha se a 5-Pin Composite AV cable or 8-Pin S-Video AV cable for audio when using this cable. Compatibility: Commodore 128/128D (9-Pin Dsub) Any composite compatible monitor (Yell ow RCA) Please verify your monitor has the pro per connection. 3 Feet in length (0.9 Meters) with an option to be longer. Buy the cable here: https://www.8bitclassics.com/product/C ommodore-128-monochrome-rca-video-cabl e/ Watch a video explaining the cable her e: https://youtu.be/EtfCxej4OWM?si=qZzpbO k_8gk7QvjL Lemon has a topic on this here: https://www.lemon64.com/forum/viewtopi c.php?t=70044 ----------------------------- ************************************** ********************** Untold DigiMuz Story. A Commodore TED (Plus/4, C16/ C116) Upgrade ************************************** ******************** Uncover the hidden gem of Commodore Pl us/4, C16, and C116 history, the DigiM uz, a sound expansion cartridge that b reathes new life into the Commodore Pl us/4 and C16. Join us as we explore th e origins of this forgotten prototype, its features, and the community's eff orts to revive it. Witness the DigiMuz 's capabilities through demos, games, and even BASIC programming. Don't miss this rare opportunity to learn about this unique piece of Commodore hist Video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AXHNl pyo-M Blog file here https://retrocombs.com/digimuz ---------------------- ****************************** Mario hits the Commodore Pet ****************************** Looking really nice This Commodore PET version of the game has similar game mechanics to the ori ginal Mario Bros arcade game. Hit the floor under the turtles to flip them, and jump up to kick them. A one or two player action game made for the TOJam 2023 Game Jam Youtube video with gameplay: https://youtube.com/shorts/EyajXdpNxoQ ?si=XrjPXlxmhSw-4kIB Download: https://jimbo.itch.io/petscii-bros ------------------------------ ********************* Amiga raydar ******************** Decoding a moon message Moonbouncing with the Amiga: - a metho d for sending signals from one point o n Earth to another, but can we harness it to receive a message from the Moon then decode it on a Commodore A3000 w ith #Linux https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caZtHd Ne0Ag -------------- ********************************** Amiga hero-inspired game *********************************** A game inspired by Activision's game H .E.R.O. from Atari 2600/XL, C64, and C ollecovision. Original Games history https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.E.R.O. _(video_game) Pawe? 'tukinem' Tukatsch's latest game is an Amiga conversion of the game He licopter Emergency Rescue Operation (H .E.R.O.) from the US games company Act ivision that was released in 1984, and originally programmed for the Atari 2 600. The aim of the game is to fly int o the depths of an underground cave wi th the character, who has a helicopter backpack, in order to rescue lost min ers and avoid various dangers. The mus ic and sounds were created by Marcin ' Eightbm' Bia?obrzewski, Minimum requirements: Amiga 500 with 0,5MB chip RAM + 0,5MB slow RAM Controls: joystick or keyboard Download here: https://tukinem.itch.io/ami-hero Read more about the release here: https://www.indieretronews.com/2024/01 /ami-hero-amiga-game-inspired-by.html ------------------------------------ ************************************** ************************************ The best retro games of all time as se lected by staff at Sheffield national video game museum ************************************** ************************************* Not sure I would agree… What do you think? Are these the best 11 retro games of all time? (I thought Doom would be in the top 10) 1 Space Invaders 2 Pokémon Snap 3. Time Crisis 4. Sonic the Hedgehog 5. Micro Machines (1997, PlayStation) 6. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008, Nint endo Wii) 7. Ms. Pac-Man (1982, arcade) 8. Horace Goes Skiing (1983 ZX, Spectr um) 9. 1942 (1984, arcade) 10. Paperboy 11. TOEM: A Picture Adventure (2021, P C) National Video Game Museum, at Castle House, on Angel Street, in Sheffield C ity Centre Pick the greatest games of all time The National Video Game Museum has use rs playing nearly all of their selecti ons at the popular visitor attraction, which is the UK’s only museum dedicat ed solely to video games, celebrating and interrogating their history and cu lture over the last 50 years, and feat uring over 100 playable exhibits, from retro arcade machines to modern games consoles, alongside unique exhibition s which are carefully curated by its t eam of experts. The museum preserves 5,000 objects of video game heritage for future generat ions through its collection. The prima ry focus of the British Games Institut e (BGI), our governing charity, is to educate the public on the art, science , and technology of video games. Open Thursdays and Fridays, from 1pm-4 pm; Saturdays and Sundays, from 10am-1 pm and then 2pm-5pm; and every day dur ing the school holidays, from 10am. visit: https://thenvm.org/about/ https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/the-11- best-retro-video-games-of-all-time-as- selected-by-staff-at-sheffields-nation al-video game-museum-4445854?page=1 --------------------- ************************************** ************************** A Rough and Ready Guide to Command on the Commodore range of machines ************************************** *************************** Here is some basic history and informa tion about the arcade game and a look at some of the Commodore conversions. Commando was released by Capcom for th e arcades in 1985. It was designed by Tokuro Fujiwara, who also created Ghos ts 'n Goblins and Mega Man. At the tim e these one-man-army-style films were becoming very popular in the cinemas, starring the likes of Chuck Norris, Ar nold Schwarzenegger, and of course, Sy lvester Stallone, with each tying to o ut-do one another for the top ratings spot. The game was originally titled Senj? n o ?kami (Japanese: ????, or converted to English as “Wolf of the Battlefield ”), and was, at the time, distributed in North America by Data East, and in Europe by several companies, including Capcom, Deith, Leisure, and Sega, S.A . SONIC. The game is a vertically-scrolling, ru n-and-gun video game where the player controls a one-man army soldier who go es by the name of Super Joe, and has t o fight his way through a jungle full of enemy soldiers. Super Joe is armed with an assault rifle only and a has a limited supply of hand grenades; howe ver, he can steal supplies as the game progresses. At the time the game was both a critic al and commercial success, becoming on e of the highest-grossing arcade video games of 1985, and also one of the be st-selling home video games of 1986. I t was also highly influential, spawnin g numerous clones and sequels and popu larizing the run-and-gun shooter genre . Its legacy can be seen in many later shooter games, especially those relea sed during the late 1980s to early 199 0s. The game was at the time ported to var ious home computers and video game con soles, such as the Nintendo Entertainm ent System, Atari 2600, Intellivision, Atari 7800, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron , Amiga, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, MSX, A mstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Virtual Cons ole, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 1. So me of these ports include hidden under ground shelters, items, and extra leve ls not seen in the arcade version. Som e are unrecognisable to the original, bearing only the name. The game also spawned a sequel, Mercs, which was released in 1989. Mercs int roduced not only a three-player mode, but added more weapons and a health ba r. C= Free Arcade version review I only played the arcade version after playing the c64 version. My friend an d I went to an arcade and I saw the ma chine, we ran over, inserted our money , and stood beholding the superior gra phics, sound and hardware the arcade v ersion supplied. While the game felt f rustrating we were still eager to ente r our money and try to get on the high -score screen to show off our efforts. At the time I felt the music didn’t r eally match the c64 version as it felt weedy -- almost a disco version. This was, after all: war, blud ‘n’ guts, a nd death. I still look out for the mac hine, and from time to time see it in the arcades. When I do and if it’s wor king, then my money is all but gone! Watch the arcade ROM Running under MAM E emulation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmlM1K S7txE&t=9s AMIGA CONVERSION Ported to the Amiga in 1989 by Elite S ystems. The game puts you in the role of a lone soldier who must infiltrate enemy bases and destroy their forces. You can use a machine gun and grenades to fight your way through eight level s of increasing difficulty, each with a boss at the end. The game features s mooth scrolling, colorful graphics, an d catchy music that creates an immersi ve atmosphere. The game is very challe nging as you have to dodge bullets, bo mbs, and traps -- while facing hordes of enemies. The game is faithful to th e original arcade version, but it also adds some extra features, such as a t wo-player mode, a level editor, and a cheat mode. It is considered by many a s one of the best shooters on the Amig a and a must-play for fans of the genr e C= FREE AMIGA REVIEW The game feels very slick, the music i s great although it feels too smooth f or the game, lacking the Commodore 64’ s hard-hitting relentless drive, but, however, sounds close to the arcade ve rsion. Sound effects and sprites look and feel again genuine to the arcade v ersion. The main gameplay scrolls thro ugh nicely and even when you have an a rmy of bullets and enemies the gamepla y doesn’t slow down at all. Side by si de with the Atari ST version they look similar but the Atari version seems t o have larger sprites. Both, however, look and feel close to the original ar cade machine. Not a bad conversion. Sound 4/5 Too smooth and nice, but g enuine Gameplay 4/5 As good as the arcade Graphics 5/5 Looks like the arcade Overall 4/5 Not much wrong Watch the Amiga full gameplay version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWc3wN TDmjI&t=14s Commodore 64 version The Commodore 64 version of Commando w as developed and published by Elite Sy stems in 1985. The game features three levels of intense action, where the p layer controls a commando who must sho ot his way through enemy soldiers, tan ks, helicopters, and fortifications. T he game is praised for its fast-paced gameplay, smooth scrolling, and catchy music. However, the game also has som e flaws, such as disappearing sprites, slowdowns, and glitches. The game was considered to be too easy and short f or experienced players. Overall, Commando is a fun and addicti ve game that showcases the capabilitie s of the Commodore 64. It is one of th e best arcade conversions on the syste m, and a must-play for fans of the gen re. The game has a score of 4.2 out of 5 on Lemon64, C= FREE REVIEW COMMONDO C64 Well as stated before, this was actual ly the first version I played before s eeing it on an arcade machine, I bough t the game from a local chemist store (yes they really did sell computer cas settes) it just looked cool on the cov er. For me it’s the Rob Hubbard music that lifts the game into something el se. The music perfectly fits the actio n with its pounding bass and relentles s driving, and the squawking nature se ems to make it really fit a blood and guts arcade adventure. Of course, with the limitations of the SID sound chip it was possibly the only route he cou ld take. Fairly faithful to the original arcade version, it does feel like the game w as rushed. The music is cut out by the sounds of gun shot and firing, but wi th only three sound channels it is alw ays a trade off. The graphics, althoug h looking good, it’s the sprite multip lexor (more than one sprite make up a graphical character) that fails in thi s version where half a car drives past ! It gets confusing. to say the least. The gameplay slows down with too much on-screen action and even the music b egins to take on a more relaxed vibe Graphics 3/5 Sound 5/5 you nailed it Gameplay 4/5 slowdowns and multiplex i ssues Overall 4/5 feels rushed Commodore 16 version The Commodore 16 version is very diffe rent from the arcade original, as it o nly features small sections from the f irst level, split into five single scr eens. The graphics are also very basic , and the sound is limited to beeps an d explosions. The game is very challen ging, as the enemies are relentless an d the player has only three lives. The game received mixed reviews from crit ics, who praised the gameplay but crit icized the graphics and sound. Some re viewers also noted that the game was t oo difficult and frustrating for casua l players. Commodore 16 version is a huge disappo intment. The game is reduced to a seri es of static screens, with poor graphi cs and sound, and a difficulty level t hat is almost impossible to beat. The game loses all the charm and excitemen t of the original, and becomes a tedio us and frustrating exercise in trial a nd error. The only positive aspect of the game is that it is faithful to the arcade gameplay, but that is not enou gh to save it from being a waste of ti me and money. Commando on the Commodor e 16 is a game that should be avoided by all means, unless you are a masochi st or a collector. C= FREE review C16/+4 commando Well, it went a little downhill here f or the c16 version of the game. Not on ly are they static screens, but we see m to have lost the gameplay plot altog ether. The c16 and plus 4 deserve so m uch more from this game. How the publi shers at the time had the nerve to rel ease such an effort and then ask for m oney for the game, let alone command t he name is just beyond my belief. Gameplay 1/5 Graphics 1/5 Sound 1/5 bleep Overall 1/5 oh dear Long play on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAKmhq OEfgA&t=16s Plus/4 recreation of Commando TED rend ition of Rob Hubbard's song. Coded by TCFS design in 1992 This version is what should have been released, it’s quite faithful to the o riginal and of course has the TED play ing Rob Hubbard’s rendition of the tun e. How the original official version w as released is beyond my comprehension , when the machine is capable of so mu ch more as can be seen from this versi on featuring scrolling and better grap hics, and is just worlds apart from th e original. Unofficial version score Gameplay 4/5 faithful Sound 4/5 Robs rendition on the ted Graphics 4/5 scrolling ! Overall 4/5 and deservedly so https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rDXSG P-V9Q Various computer format versions of th e game can be watched here including s ome unofficial versions for the c16 an d c64 with bug fixes and enhancements, and some other info like typos and c hanged versions in Germany. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrPyE yOW5E Some extra information about Rob Hubba rd and the C64 sound track: Rob wrote the c64 version after hearin g the arcade version. That night he se t about creating a SID rendition that turned the soundtrack into a classic. He said he took the motif or melodies he heard and just included them, just enough to make it recognisable from th e arcade. Then added his SID wizardry and the rest was history. Rob Hubbard interviews: https://youtu.be/EDhCQKOQLpo?si=CVJai6 VsBJh0ynOM https://youtu.be/0OxRyOSTHDM?si=MLuIaV Ra6ZQ3juox 8-Bit Symphony and Rob Hubbard - The O ne Show 11 September 2019: https://youtu.be/lNaU2F57ptE?si=G5uDys 3XKy7f3DCh --------------------------------- *********************************** C=free Sonic the Hedgehog c64 review ********************************** Sonic first appeared in 1991 game Soni c the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis co nsole. Since then, Sonic has starred i n many games, spin-offs, comics, carto ons, and movies. Sonic was created by a small team of d evelopers at Sega, led by programmer Y uji Naka and artist Naoto Oshima, who wanted to make a game that would rival Nintendo’s popular Super Mario Bros. Series. Sonic was an influential and i conic video game franchise, and has so ld over 140 million units and grossed over $5 billion as of 2014. Now, in an intriguing turn of events t hat sees the iconic blue blur, Sonic t he Hedgehog, making a surprising appea rance on the Commodore 64. This adapta tion, a technical feat in itself, brin gs Sega's flagship character into the realm of 8-bit computing. When the new s broke that Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega' s speedster and gaming icon, would gra ce the Commodore 64, it sent waves of excitement through the Commodore retro gaming community. Graphics and Sound: Pushing the C64 to Its Limits The first aspect that strikes you in t his C64 version of Sonic is the visual presentation. with the VIC-II graphic s chip pushed to its limits, rendering Sonic's vibrant world in a dazzling a rray of colors, the game maintains a r ecognizable and charming aesthetic tru e to its source material. The sprite w ork, especially Sonic's animations, is commendable, capturing the essence of his speed and agility. Sonic's animations, from his iconic ru nning loop to his impatient foot-tappi ng when idle, and wagging finger on th e title screen, are meticulously recre ated. The fluidity of these animations is a marvel, especially considering t he hardware the limitations. Backgroun ds, though less detailed than the Gene sis version, are layered and scroll sm oothly, creating a sense of depth and motion. A SID Chip Symphony The SID chip, a cornerstone of the C64 's appeal, is employed masterfully in this game. The iconic tracks of Green Hill Zone and others are adapted with a clear understanding of the SID's cap abilities, resulting in a soundtrack t hat is both familiar and refreshingly new. The sound effects, from the colle ction of rings to Sonic's jump, are cr isp and instantly recognizable. The mu sic is not just a background element b ut an integral part of the Sonic exper ience, adding an energetic rhythm to t he gameplay pushing the player along. The iconic tunes of the original Sonic are reproduced with the distinct, ric h synth sounds characteristic of the C 64, and the music and sound effects in this version have a nostalgic charm t hat Commodore enthusiasts will surely appreciate. Gameplay: A Speedy Challenge Sonic's hallmark is speed, and this C6 4 port does an admirable job of replic ating this. The frame rate is understa ndably lower than its 16-bit counterpa rt, but the gameplay remains surprisin gly fluid. Although precision platform ing is a bit more challenging due to t he limited resolution on the conversio n, yet it adds an extra layer of playe r skill to the game. The joystick controls are responsive, but players will need to adapt to the C64's input style, which can be less f orgiving when it comes to quick, react ive movements. Replicating Sonic's bli stering speed on the C64 was no small feat. The game maintains a respectable frame rate, crucial for the fast-pace d gameplay Sonic is known for, and the essence of speed and momentum is effe ctively captured. Level Design: A Compact Adventure However, the essence of Sonic's explor ative and fast-paced levels is retaine d. The developers have cleverly used t he C64's capabilities to create engagi ng, albeit more compact, stages. Each level in this C64 adaptation is a cond ensed version of the original so level s are shorter and less complex than in the original game. The developers hav e smartly designed the game levels to fit within the memory constraints whil e maintaining the explorative nature o f Sonic's world. Although the levels a re shorter and less complex, they reta in key elements like loop-de-loops, ra mps, and secret areas, ensuring the ga meplay feels authentic. Technical Achievements: A Testament to C64's Capabilities What stands out most is the technical wizardry involved in bringing Sonic to the C64. The smooth scrolling, multi- layered backgrounds, and sprite handli ng are exceptional, considering the ha rdware limitations. It's a showcase of what skilled programmers can achieve on the Commodore 64. Final Verdict: A Must-Play for C64 Ent husiasts Sonic on the Commodore 64 is an impres sive feat that blends nostalgia with t echnical prowess and offers a unique a nd enjoyable experience. It's a testam ent to the C64's enduring legacy and a must-play for fans both of the c64 an d Sonic. Rating: 10/10 Pros: Impressive graphical and sound adaptat ion Fluid gameplay and faithful recreation of Sonic's speed Technical achievements showcase C64's capabilities Cons: Limited resolution affects precision p latforming Shorter, less complex levels due to me mory constraints Overall Experience: A Sonic Adventure Reimagined Playing Sonic on the Commodore 64 is a unique experience that blends nostalg ia with technical innovation. In concl usion, Sonic the Hedgehog on the Commo dore 64 is a remarkable accomplishment . It's a must-play for anyone interest ed in the intersection of retro gaming and technical wizardry, offering a fr esh perspective on a classic. This gam e is not just a nostalgic trip; it's a showcase of what passionate developer s can achieve with beloved, albeit old er, technology. Sonic requires C64 or C128 (in C64 mode), + compatibl e REU of at least 256 KB, a disk drive (.d64 and .d81) and joystick an NTSC machine, or a C128 or other CPU accele rator is highly recommended. Credits : Code Mr. SID of HVSC Crew, Megadesign s Incorporated Music Encore of Kollektivet, Undone Graphics Veto of Oxyron, PriorArt, Tri star & Red Sector Inc. Download : https://csdb.dk/getinternalfile.php/22 2919/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_d64.zip https://csdb.dk/getinternalfile.php/22 2920/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_d81.zip https://csdb.dk/getinternalfile.php/2 23156/Sonic_the_Hedgehog.sid Want to just watch a video with some h istory and the game running ?! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRnDbx vxi-o ---------------------------------- *************************** C=free review the sentinel c64 *************************** The Sentinel, released as The Sentry i n the United States, was created by Ge off Crammond and published by Firebird in 1986 for the BBC Micro, then conve rted to the Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST, Amiga, and IBM PC. Used solid-filled 3D graphics env ironment, something relatively new and groundbreaking at the time. This expe rimental approach led to a game that w as unlike most other games on the mark et. The Amiga conversion also has a sa mpled soundtrack by David Whittaker. Gameplay Mechanics and Objective The core of Sentinel's gameplay is bot h innovative and cerebral. The player takes on the role of a 'Synthoid' plac ed in a surreal, solid filled 3D lands cape. The primary objective is to abso rb energy and ultimately defeat the Se ntinel, a formidable entity that looms over the landscape. Players must absorb trees for energy, which can then be used to create 'Robo ids' (robot-like entities) or boulders . Strategic placement of these element s is crucial, as the player must conti nually move upwards in the landscape t o avoid the gaze of the Sentinel, who drains the player's energy if caught i n its view. One of the game's most unique mechanic s is the ability to 'teleport' by tran sferring consciousness from one Roboid to another. This adds a layer of stra tegic depth, requiring careful plannin g and foresight on the side of the pla yer. Comparisons and Legacy At its time of release, there weren't many games like Sentinel. Its unique u se of 3D graphics and its strategic, a lmost puzzle-like gameplay set it apar t from more action-oriented titles of the era. The game's emphasis on observ ation, energy management, and strategi c movement was pioneering at the time. In terms of legacy, while not many gam es have directly copied the Sentinel's format, its influence can be seen in various strategy and puzzle games that emphasize environmental manipulation and strategic positioning. Player Perspective From a player's perspective, Sentinel offers a blend of tense survival and s trategic planning. The game's pacing i s methodical, requiring patience and c areful thought. The eerie, minimalist sound design and the stark, surreal la ndscapes contribute to an atmosphere o f isolation and urgency. The challenge lies in mastering the environment and understanding the best ways to move a nd manipulate objects to stay out of t he Sentinel's sight. Graphics The graphics of Sentinel were a signif icant achievement, especially consider ing the limitations of hardware at the time. On the Commodore 64, the game u tilized the machine's ability to handl e detailed graphics to create an immer sive 3D environment.. On the Commodore Amiga, these graphica l capabilities were enhanced further. The Amiga's advanced graphics chipset, with its higher resolution and greate r color depth, allowed for more detail ed and smoother landscapes. The game's environment consisted of a checkerboa rd landscape, scattered with objects l ike trees, boulders, and the Sentinel itself. The use of perspective and sha ding gave a sense of depth and height, crucial for a game where vertical mov ement and line-of-sight played key rol es. Sound Sound in Sentinel was minimalistic but effectively used to create an atmosph ere of isolation and tension. The Comm odore 64’s SID (Sound Interface Device ) chip was adept at creating distincti ve sound effects and ambient tracks. T he game didn't have a continuous sound track; instead, it used sparse sound e ffects to emphasize actions like the a bsorption of energy, the creation of R oboids, and the menacing presence of t he Sentinel. This minimalistic approac h to sound design was deliberate, aimi ng to keep the player focused on the s trategic elements of the game without distraction. Gameplay and Its Uniqueness The gameplay of Sentinel was unique fo r several reasons: Strategic Movement: Unlike many games of its time, which focused on fast-pac ed action or linear progression, Senti nel required careful and strategic mov ement. Players needed to constantly as sess the landscape, plan their next mo ve, and position themselves out of the Sentinel's view. Energy Management: The game introduced a complex energy management system. P layers had to absorb energy from the e nvironment (trees) and use it judiciou sly to create boulders and Roboids. Th is resource management aspect added a layer of strategy not commonly seen in games of that period. Teleportation Mechanic: The ability to teleport by transferring consciousnes s to a newly created Roboid was innova tive. It required players to think sev eral steps ahead and consider their po sition relative to the Sentinel and th e landscape. Environmental Manipulation: The player 's ability to alter the environment by creating and absorbing objects was a novel concept. It required a combinati on of spatial awareness and strategic planning, as the landscape itself was a tool for progression and survival. Atmospheric Tension: The game's design created a palpable sense of tension. The silent, watchful presence of the S entinel, combined with the sparse soun d effects and the vast, open landscape , created a unique atmosphere that was both eerie and captivating. First Impressions and Graphics As a player booting up Sentinel on my Commodore 64 for the first time, I'm i mmediately struck by the unique visual style. The 3D landscape is unlike any thing I've seen on the system before. The checkerboard ground stretches out in all directions, with geometric boul ders and tree-like structures dotting the landscape. The way the Sentinel st ands motionless, surveying its domain, creates a sense of foreboding right f rom the start. Conclusion In summary, Sentinel was a groundbreak ing game on Commodore platforms, lever aging the hardware's capabilities to d eliver an experience that was both tec hnically impressive and conceptually i nnovative. Its unique approach to 3D g raphics, sound design, and gameplay me chanics made it stand out in the gamin g landscape. The game challenged playe rs not just with reflexes or pattern m emorization, but with strategic thinki ng, resource management, and an unders tanding of a complex, three-dimensiona l environment. This combination of fac tors is what made Sentinel a memorable and influential title in the history of video games. Game playthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW1GLt wtlI0 Rating: 10/10 Pros: Impressive graphical and use of sound Fluid gameplay but slow paced for many Tense and thoughtful gameplay Cons: Many will find the game too slow Of course now graphically it looks dat ed -------------------------------- ************************************ A DARK START TO “RUN/STOP-RESTORE” -by Lenard R. Roach ************************************ (The story you are about to read is tr ue. Only the names have been changed t o protect the innocent as well as the guilty.) She sat on the edge of the sofa in our Corona Avenue home doing no more than staring at the living room floor, try ing to find the words to tell me about the dark secret that she was harborin g in her soul. She has held this secre t in for months. Now she was caught. C aught by her son while visiting his ho me in Gardner, Kansas no more than a f ew hours ago. He told her that if she didn't tell Dad what she was doing the n he would tell Dad himself. She backe d herself into a corner. She knew that only the truth was the way out of the tangled web that she weaved. After d ropping off her traveling companion at his home, she reluctantly drove here knowing she would have to face the mu sic of what she had done no matter how sour the notes are. She looked up at me with sorrow in her eyes but no tear s. “Honey,” she began, “I've been having an affair with Mark from church.” I stood there. I didn't know at the mo ment whether to cry or get mad. I let her tell her story about how, starting with a church function, they develope d a friendship. That friendship slowly started to become more affectionate, then it became a full blown affair wit h this Mark, a poor young man who hims elf was having problems in his own mar riage. They confided in each other the ir marital issues, then they comforted each other, then they fell in love wi th each other and started an affair be hind the backs of both Mark's wife as well as me. The affair has been going on for about a year. She finished her story. “I didn't mean to, dear. It just … hap pened.” I've been told many times by psychiatr ist friends that infatuation, especial ly the daring infatuation like that of a hidden love affair, is an emotion t hat sometimes is stronger than cocaine . The thrill of secretcy, the sneaking around to meet each other, to be toge ther despite the odds of getting caugh t, plus for how long the affair can go on before they are finally busted, wa s a drawing force that is next to impo ssible to resist. Even I have been cau ght in that web on occasion by women w ho came onto me, but before anything c ould develop informed the potential ex ternal female love interest that I was a “happily” married man. I was not lo oking for an extracurricular romance. The spurned woman would find a way to get back at me; to make me suffer for my decision by either spreading rumors on me at my job or among the few frie nds I had. The next thing I knew I was dismissed from my job or ostracized b y my friends. I held my ground with su ch women choosing my wife each and eve ry time. That ring I wore on the fourt h finger of my left hand was not there because I like flashy jewelry. It mea nt I was betrothed to another “til dea th do us part.” But what if that death was emotional and not physical? I was at a loss. In the middle of my shock to her confession of betrayal I asked a stupid question: “You gotta choose. It's either him or me. Now which is it?” She looked up at me with still no tear s in her eyes. “There is no choice,” s he said. She rose from the sofa and wa lked slowly to the bedroom. Out of the closet she pulled out a large suitcas e and threwit on the bed. After openin g it, she went to the dresser and star tedputting her clothes into it. She al so took down some clothes from the clo set and put them into the suitcase as well. I stood there with no emotion at the moment as I watched 26 years of m arriage get packed into a large piece of luggage. She closed the lid and lat ched the bag. She then turned to face me. “I've dropped off Mark at his place. H e's telling his wife the same thing I told you. I'm tired of your crap the s ame as Mark is tired of her's. We've b oth rented an apartment around the col lege area andwe are going to move in t ogether. I'm going to go pick him up a nd weare going to start a new life tog ether free from the both of you. Goodb ye, you bipolar gremlin!” She picked up her suitcase, walked aro und me and headed out the front door. I watched from the front door as she p ut her suitcase in the back of her car , got in, and backed out out the drive way. I stared in disbelief as she drov e west on Corona Avenue to the end of the street. She made a left turn onto 61st Terrace and was out of my sight. Gone forever. I stood at the door for what seemed li ke hours allowing the heat from the ho t July day rush into the house making the air conditioner start to work over time. I finally had a little common se nse to come back to me and shut the do or before the cats tried to get out. I turned to look at the living room. Th e entire house began to feel like some thing from The Amityville Horror. Noth ing was right. Nothing felt right. The heartbeat of the house was gone. The house was in cardiac arrest and there wasn't a cussing thing I could do abou t it. I took a step towards the bedroom only to be stopped by three cats who were staring up at me. They knew something was terribly wrong. They sat there wit h a blank look on their faces. Their t ails didn't wag. They didn't even blin k as they looked long and hard at me, wondering what I was going to do next. I stepped over them and into the bedr oom. I stared at the bed where all tha t love was made. I fell face forward i nto the mattress and started crying un controllably. The reality of my situat ion finally caught up with me. The thr ee cats each jumped onto the bed one a t a time and rubbed their heads against me as I let out he aving sobs. The cats tried to comfort me the best they could at what was my worst hour. Soon even they laid down on the bed an d watched me closely like a momma cat watches her kittens knowing that there wasn't a cussing thing they could do to help me no matter how bad they want ed to. They had to allow my emotions t o run their course. All they could do was lay down close to me and be on sta ndby for whatever may happen next. That was July 2010. For the next two m onths I played scramble as I tried my best to handle things on my own withou t help from a life partner. During thi s time we got the divorce settled and signed by a judge. My ex-wife and her new lover immediately started to make wedding plans for June of the followin g year. I also worked out a system to get my life back in some sort of finan cial balance by using my Five Program Bonus Disk that I wrote on my Commodor e for use to balance a person's person al economy. I was moving at the speed of evolution in getting some footing under me but my heart was heavy. The scars that the ex-wife left on my soul were still fr esh and tender. Little things were get ting me mad as a hornet. It got to a p oint where my sitation started to affe ct my job performance. Work had to let me go for bad customer relations as w ell as customer complaints. Now I was freshly divorced and out of a job. I d idn't know what to do. Why was all of this happening to me? I felt like God Himself was mad as sin at me for somet hing that I did and I had no idea what that was. I sat at home the day after I was fire d. I was on the divan pondering what I should do for work. I knew I shouldn' t think about working right away. I ha d way too much to process in my life a t the moment to really be of any use t o any employer. My rule of thumb has a lways been that, if you are fired, lai d off from your job, or some other per sonal disaster, to take three days to decompress so you can be the best you can be for yourself and those around y ou. When you can get a good grip on yo urself then go look for a job. Today w as different for me. I've always been Mister “Go go go!” and now my steam en gine has run out of fire in the fire b ox. I went to my room where the five d rawer filing cabinet was stored. In al l five drawers were hundreds of manill a folders. Each folder contained one o f my stories, skits, plays, articles, or a newsletter of a Commodore club wh ere I made a story contribution. I opened the top drawer where all my Commodore work was stored. In the fron t was a copy of my 100% self publishe d book, “Run/Stop-Restore”. I pulled i t out and went to the front page. On t hat page was written the following: TO MY DARLING WIFE --- THANKS FOR MAKING ME A SUCCESS! YOUR L OVING HUSBAND, LENARD I whispered a vile word under my breat h and was about to throw the book into the trash. I didn't need to have any reminders of my exwife in my house. As I was heading to the big trash can in the kitchen I stopped short. I looked at the book again, then opened it and started flipping through the pages. I would stop at a story and read a few lines. I smiled as I remembered the ci rcumstances and situations that brought that story to mind. I looked at a few more selection s, each time remembering where I was a nd what I was doing that prompted me t o put the story on paper. I left the k itchen and walked to the living room s till flipping pages. I sat down in my armchair and started reading what I ha ve compiled back in 2000. Those were s ome great times back when I working on making the book possible. Then a thought hit me. Did I still hav e to original hardcopies of these stor ies that I put in this compilation boo k in my files? I rose from my chair an d, with book in hand, went back to my bedroom and the file cabinet. I starte d thumbing through the book. As I came across a story in the book, I would l ook for the original copy that I had f iled away. As I found each story folde r I threw the fileon the bed then look ed for more. In the matter of an hour I found a good portion of what went in to the “Run/Stop-Restore” compilation. For some unknown reason I also pulled a few files out of the cabinet that we re Commodore related but not in the bo ok and put them on the bed as well. Wh y? I didn't know … yet.I closed the dr awers in the file cabinet then turned to face the mess that I created with t he folders that were strewn on the bed . There was no rhyme or reason for wha t I was doing. Then a voice like a whi spering echo resonated in my head that said the following: “START OVER.” I looked at the mess again and immedia tely knew what I needed to do. I was t o re-create “Run/Stop-Restore” and rep ublish it using a brick and mortar pub lishing company instead of the copier in the Commodore computer room. That s eemed impossible. Nobody in their righ t mind would buy a book about stories of a bygone computer that was only a v apor in the whisps of time, but the th ought still hounded me. Is it really p ossible? I knew that if I wanted to get the boo k published at a real book publisher I would have to convert all the GeoWrit e text into a format manageable by a P C. Enter The Big Blue Reader. The Fres no (California) Commodore User Group, of whom I was a long distance member, was nice enough to send me copies of t he Big Blue Reader program. The functi on of the program was to take selected files froma Commodore word processing format and make those documents into something readable by a PC. With a sta ck of folders to guide me, I sat down at my Commodore computer desk and star ted looking through what seemed like a myriad of 5.25” disks containing ever ything that Ihad written using both Sp eedscript as well as GeoWrite. As I found the needed file on a Commod ore disk I would transfer that file on to a single 5.25” disk so I could have everything in the same place. Then, u sing Big Blue Reader, I allowed the Co mmodore to transpose the contents of t hose files onto a 3.5” disk that was f ormatted to 720K, readable by a PC tha t still used either the .TXT or .RTF f ormat. I worked feverishly on the proj ect. My mood improved as I went along. I had both my Commodore as well as my PC working as I began the chore of cr eating a real book suitable for publis hing. During the morning I worked on f inding a job via the Internet. In the afternoon I would take a few hours to rest and play with the cats and decomp ress my mind. In the evening I would w ork on the book, sometimes going well into early next morning before I reali zed that I had to get some kind of sle ep. My adrenaline was high. My cats, w ho were there as I went through the em otional crash of my wife leaving me fo r another man, were next to ignored wh en it came to maintenance for them lik e feeding, watering, and sanitation. H owever, they were not going let me for get them in this whirlwind of exciteme nt that now gripped me. When the time came for eating, they would jump on to p of the Commodore computer stand and be sure to block my view of the monito r by lying down in front of it. When t he cats learned that this action got m y attention, they started doing for ev erything like getting petted or to get me to play with them. I didn't mean t o start ignoring my little companions but I felt like I was onto something b ig and I didn't want to stop in fear o f losing momentum. For about two weeks I work this way until all the needed word processing files were converted t o PC and uploaded to my laptop. Next was organizing the stories into a readable and flowing format. This was hard for me because I had no sense of organization. I did my best, moving o ne story to another section of the boo k, and then back again. I was no good at this but I worked at it anyway. Bef ore long I had compiled a sizeable boo k that was clean cut and put in a prop er order. To add some flair, I made my own personal comments about each stor y that I called “facades.” It was a sh ort history of where the story idea ca me from and how I developed the idea i nto the spiel that the reader was read ing. Next came the chore of looking fo r a publisher. Hitting the Internet again, I started looking for book publishers. Here is w here naivete sadly kicked in. I read m any blurbs about this publisher and th at publisher promising success and the moon. Everything sounded good on abou t all of them. Now was the problem of choosing one of them. By the quirk of a whim, I fell on Titanic Books out of Springfield, Illinois. I contacted th e sales agent department via email and told them that I had written a book a nd was in the market for a publishing firm to take on the project. They were more than eager to see my work and gi ve me their opinion if it was a fit in their style of books. I transposed my composition into a .PDF format and se nt it on. It didn't take long for them to respond saying that they would be glad to take on the project. I was ela ted. On the first throw of the dart I hit the bullseye. Later on I would lea rn that what I did was really hit the eye of a bull which would later gourd me in the butt. Between the contract department and my self we worked out deal where I would pay them $3,000 and they would publish the book. Wait a minute! Even in my e lation I knew that something didn't ji ve. Why should I have to pay them $3,0 00 if they wanted to publish my book? I thought that when a publishing compa ny made a contract with an author it w as because the publisher believed in t he work and felt that it would make a good sales and profits for both partie s. Maybe things have changed in the bo ok publishing field that I once read a bout when I was younger? I didn't know . Nonetheless, I gave Titanic Books my Discover Card number and they took th eir $3,000. I was on my way, but to wh ere? Time passed. I finally found a job wit h Flash Delivery, a contract courier i n Kansas City, Missouri, located in th e East Bottoms near the Missouri River . They were happy to have me on board. I quickly showed enthusiasm, was alwa ys cheerful, and clients swifty took a liking to me. Some of the people I de livered to enjoyed some of my jokes; o thers were crabby people who made suck ing lemons a past time they indulged i n during off hours didn't care for my humor. They wanted me to take the pack age they needed delivered and get out. The job was a great deal. It was a “w ork when you want; don't work when you don't want” situation. I could contin ue working on the book at my own leisu re and not worry about hitting a time clock. I quickly found out, however, t hat when you “don't work when you don' t want” means that you also don't get paid. The small settlement checks I go t at the beginning of the job became a motivator for me to back off the book for a time and focus on getting money for food in the fridge as well as foo d for the cats. I slowed down on the b ook while I focused on financial survi val. Titanic Books was calling me at all ho urs asking if I saw their latest propo sal and does that meet with my approva l? Between working and Titanic Books I was getting worn out and fast. The em otional rollercoaster I was on in July quickly melted away during this time while working on the book, but at what cost? When I got home from work at ve ry late hours, I would sit down in my armchair with my laptop in hand and go over the day's emails. Practically ev ery email was from Titanic Books needi ng approval for something. Being weary from work does not make one apt with the capacity of making good decisions. “Can't you just publish the book?” I would shout out loud to the empty hous e. Those outbursts brought the cats in from wherever they were hiding to che ck on me. Because Titanic Books was tr ying to “catch the market on this genr e” the pressure kept on. It was to a p oint that I was up until 01:30 every n ight going over emails giving my opini on on what they were asking of me at t hat moment. Later I found out that, while I was in a sleep deprived state of mind, I sig ned a contract that gave me only a 2% royalty foreach book sold. I also agre ed to having an old IBM PC2 on the cov er instead of a Commodore 64 computer. This whole thing was getting out of h and. I needed to fall back and regroup . I contacted Titanic Books and asked them, “What was the deal with the PC2 on the front cover? This is not a Comm odore computer of any kind.”They respo nded. “We don't know what a Commodore is execpt that is a computer so we fou nd the oldest computer picture in our files and putit on the cover.”I emaile d again. “I can send you a picture of a Commodore computer if you need one.” They responded with a bunch of gobbled egook about legal rights and only bein g allowed to use pictures that they co pyrighted themselves. It was a bunch o f malarky and I knew it.I sent a final email. “If you didn't know what a Com modore computer was then why did you t ake on the project?”No reply.In the me antime and behind the scenes, my great friend The Vector wasletting his fing ers do the walking with research of hi s own on Google. He texted me via Mess enger one day with the following item of interest: “LENARD, DID SOME RESEARCH ON TITANIC BOOKS. CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO SEE WHA T I FOUND.VECTOR.” I immediately clicked on the link. Upo n my screen came the complaints from o ther would be authors who published wi th Titanic Books and their reviews wer e't good. Many objected to the fact th at Titanic Books took their money and produced little if any results. Others said that the royalty checks th ey mailed out to authors once every qu arter were so worthless that even the payday loan companies would not cash t hem. The objections scrolled on for qu ite a while.I leaned back and started rocking in my armchair. All my effort, all my work, was now in the hands of what reviewers called, “charlatans who preyed on the ambitious writer, promi sing much and delivering little.” I wa s crushed. I was thinking about pullin g my book off of their presses and get my money back … all $3,000 of it, but research on this avenue showed that I signed an iron clad contract for publ ication with Titanic Books and there w as no way out. I sat there wondering w hat to do next. I messaged Vector: “CRAP!” Nuff said. During the next couple of months Titan ic Books still kept contacting me aski ng if things were right or if I wanted to change anything. Finally, on Decem ber 29th, 2010, five months after my d ivorce from my wife was final, the boo k went into preliminary printing. Choo sing a title for my book seemed to be the last piece of the puzzle before go ing full force on the presses. Not thi nking twice, I chose the same title fo r the book as I did its predecessor bu t with a subtitle to go along with it: “Run/Stop-Restore: 10th Anniversary E dition.” After all, it was almost ten years to the day that “Run/Stop-Restor e”came off my copier and was bound int o book form by a local bindery. This w as a bittersweet moment. I became an a ctual published author but I had no on e to share the triumph with except thr ee overweight and lazy cats. I went to the pantry and pulled down a bottle o f Pounce cat treats. The cats came run ning in and started jumping all over t he counters as well as myself wanting the treats they so well deserved after staying with me for the last six mont hs and not to tryto bolt out the door and run out into the yard to escape th e turmoil I made for myself with my ou t of control emotions. Dover, Wellingt on, and Austin each enjoyed an abundan ce of cat treats that day, so much so that after a short while of their mewi ng and purring.I dumped the remaining contents of the cat treats into the fe ed dish and let them go crazy like pir anhas in a meat market. On March 13th, 2011, a big box was lef t on my doorstep when I came home from another long day of delivering packag es for Flash Delivery.I unlocked the d oor and hoisted the box into the house . Man, it was heavy! I put it down on the sofa and quickly tore off the seal ing tape. Inside was fifty copies of “ Run/Stop-Restore: 10th Anniversary Edi tion” – 25 softbound and 25 hardbound. The book was thin. At first I thought that Titanic Books had edited out man y of my stories to shrink the size of the book. What I originally sent them was 200 pages of text; what came in th e box werebooks that were close to 118 pages. I flipped through the pages of one of the copies. What Titanic Books did was change the font to something much smaller so as to not waste space on a page and thus put all my content into a more compact format. It was str aightforward and done very professiona lly. Perhaps the Internet flamers were wrong about Titanic Books. I discovered that my book was being ca rried by all the major books venues in cluding Books-A-Million, Barnes & Nobl e, Amazon, and even Walmart. This was very impressive to a struggling author like myself. I got onto Messenger and told The Vector that I got samples of the book in and if he wanted a copy. Of course the answer was, “Yes!” Going to family and close friends I began t o hand out copies of the book. Some we re willing to pay for it but I insiste d that no money needed to exchange han ds -- just go on the various book webs ites and give their honest review of m y book. If they like it, say so; if th ey hate it, say so; if the burn it, be ware of the fire marshall. As for myse lf I put one copy of each, hardbound a nd softbound, into my bookshelf at the house. However, what the Internet said about the royalty checks that came from Tita nic Books was spot on. In May 2011, I went to my bank to deposit my first ro yalty check (a whole $16+) and the ban k rejected the check almost immediatel y repeating what was said on the websi te Vector directed me – Titanic Books has a tendency to pass bad checks to t heir authors. I went down to my local payday loan company and tried cashing the check and got the same results. No w I was stuck with a supposedly bogus check and no where to cash it. A littl e touring of town finally produced the fruit of a financial institution that would cash the check (for a 3% fee). Yet, despite the evidence that Titanic Books came through on most of its pro mises, I dedicded that I would never g o through them again. I was already wo rking on my second Commodore themed bo ok. The search for a new publisher was on. Over the short span of a few months I picked up another job to help with my bills that were piling up because I sp ent $3,000 of money I didn't have to become the first member of my family t o get into print on something other th an a rap sheet. I was working the even ing shift at the Chat N' Scat convenie nce store located on 75th and State Li ne Road just on the west side of the M issouri state line. I was so close to the Kansas/Missouri border at this sto re that all I had to do was walk west across the street and I was in eastern Kansas. “Run/Stop-Restore: 10th Anniv ersary Edition” was done and now in th e capable(?) hands of Titanic Books. T here was nothing more on my end to do but wait and see how things were going to develop over the next couple of mo nths. Still, I was burning up the Inte rnet looking for a new lead for a diff erent publisher. “Have you tried publishing on Terra?” the British gentlemen asked me.The per son who was addressing me as I helped him with his purchase of Marlboro Ligh ts was white haired, stood about six f eet tall, and possessed a perfectly cu rled white handlebar moustache. I lear ned over time that his name was Powell and he worked at the local hospital a s a night guard. He was on his second marriage to an American nurse who work ed at the same hospital and had about three grandchildren back home in Engla nd. He knew all about my publishing ex perience. Mr. Powell had a soothing vo ice and was easy to talk to. Over a fe w short months I told him all about wh at I went through with Titanic Books. “Sorry you went through all that, old chap, but you should have done a more extensive research over the Int ernet than barking at the first tree i n the forest,” he gently chided. “The deed is done, Mr. Powell,” I answ ered. I looked up at him. “What was this about a publishing comp any called Terra?” Mr. Powell gave me the Reader's Digest version of Terra Publications, a self publishing business that does its wor k over the Internet and publishes “on demand.” All the books they receive fr om authors are stored in a massive dat abase and are only called off for prin ting when someone orders a copy. You c an set your own royalty percentage, wh ere you want to be published around th e world (provided you have obtained th e copyright in that part of the world) , and you can do as much or as little marketing that you want. It sounded li ke the same thing I experienced with T itanic Publications at the end of 2010 .“How much does all this cost?” I aske d Mr. Powell as he was heading out the door with his purchase. He turned bac k and gave me a quick glance. “It's free,” he said as he walked out the door. “WHAT THE BLAZES!?!” I said in thought . “Why did I waste my hard earned money on Titanic Books when the re were free resources on the Internet that offered a similar deal at the pr efect price –- FREE! Iwas excited. My heart pounded hard in my chest. I coul dn't wait to get off work and research Terra Publications on my own. When I finally got off work I practically fle w home, bursted through the door, step ped around the cats who sat near the d oor to to welcome me, grabbed my lapto p and was soon exploring the Internet for all the information I could find o n Terra Publications. In short, they d id everything Mr. Powell said they did . All they asked for in exchange was 4 0% of the total royalties gathered by the author in payment and Mr. Powell w as right, it was free. I couldn't beli eve it. I sent Vector a message and asked him to explore Terra Publications on his e nd and see if he could find anything i n the way of negative reviews. He was more proficient on the computer than m e and knew exactly where to look for t he proper information. The only thing he could come up with is that an autho r who uses Terra Publications had to d o EVERYTHING from cover design to cont ent to marketing. All Terra did was pr int the book and put a blurb about it on their website's bookshelf. “Nothing too strange about them,” Vector messa ged back. “I think we may have a winne r here. I can even design the covers f or you as long as you can come of with a blurb forthe back.” My second Commodore book was close to done by this time. Thanks to a meeting with a customer in my convenie nce store who came from across the Atlantic, I finally found a publis hing home. I owned all the United States copyrights and eveything this time was under MY control. The second Commodore book, “S hift-Clr/Home: More 8-Bit Thoughts In A Gigabit World” definitel y would have a Commodore 64 on the front. Vector saw to that. Things were starting to head my way after such a devastating end of 2010. But before any other books on the Comm odore computer would be published with my name on the front cover I had one more piece of business to do involving the first book. I grabbed a copy of “ Run/Stop-Restore: 10th Anniversary Edi tion” and put it into a mailing envelo pe then addressed it. Inside the book on a blank page I wrote the following message to its recipient: “TO MY EX-WIFE KAREN, TAKE A LOOK AT ME NOW! NOW THAT I'M ON MY WAY! THANKS FOR LEAVING ME. THIS B OOK WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN POSSIBLE IF IT WASN'T FOR YOUR BETRAYAL. BEST OF L UCK IN YOUR FUTURE. LENARD R. ROACH MAY 2011.” In the end, the final counterstroke wa s mine. The battle was over. Thanks be to God and Commodore computers I was on my way to recovery in all departmen ts – mental, emotional, and physical. https://www.amazon.com/Run-Stop-Restor e-Anniversary-Lenard-Roach/dp/14567192 46 https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks& rh=p_27%3ALenard+R+Roach&s=relevancera nk&text=Lenard+R+Roach&ref=dp_byline_s r_book_1 E.O.F