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R/+CLASSI

This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.

Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.

Tape/disk: Home » Personal collection » Acorn ADFS disks » Electron_User_Group » EUG_51.ADF
Filename: R/+CLASSI
Read OK: ✔
File size: 15FC bytes
Load address: 52204556
Exec address: 4C432B2E
Duplicates

There are 2 duplicate copies of this file in the archive:

File contents
                   Product:     CLASSIC ARCADE GAMES
                   Supplier:   DATABASE PUBLICATIONS
          Available on Tape, 3.5"/5.25" Disk (ADFS, DFS, CDFS)
                   Reviewed by (the) Dave in EUG #51

WHEN games describe themselves as "classic", it's best to tread with 
caution. Database Publications' collection of four machine code arcade
games is a case in point; on either tape or disk you get SNAPMAN, ALIEN
INTRUDERS, PANZER ASSAULT and MAYDAY and you'll probably agree that the
majority do not sound too familiar. True classics are very recognisable:
most computers have their clones of TETRIS, HOPPER and PAC-MAN that can
be thus described. What can make all the difference is the modesty of 
the packaging. It's when OTHERS describe them as classics, AFTER an   
amount of time has passed, that they can rightly claim the title.
   It might be a bit harsh to begin a review this way as Database Pub-
lications do not claim these four games are brand spanking new classics
of the time. Rather, they seek to collate some of those clones referred
to; possibly that even possess such an elitist accolade.
   SNAPMAN, not altogether unsurprisingly, is the new version of PAC-MAN
with four different coloured ghosts and a yellow munching circle you 
must navigate around a maze. Subtle differences to the Acornsoft SNAPPER
are in there - instead of dots, you follow a green line trail, the
ghosts are more closely related to the original PAC-MAN arcade game and
a collision with one of them and your character sinks smoothly into ob-
livion - but it's not as professionally presented vis-a-vis loading and
title screens. There's no joystick option yet the arcade screen layout
does seem neater, the sprites 'cuter' and the execution speed perfect.
It's a nice reworking although the original SNAPPER is so popular, and
appears on so many compilations, that it was never destined to take its
crown.
   Next on the menu are those rows of Space Invaders that move slowly
(in fact, not so slowly in this version) from side to side and down the
screen towards your laser at the bottom. Protecting you are three big
yellow blobs under which you can take shelter or blast away from under-
neath in order to hit the ALIEN INTRUDERS who are pounding away at them
from the top. The 'official', if that's the right word, release of this
game is Micro Power's ELECTRON INVADERS. Actually, INTRUDERS is just a
little bit better in terms of sprites, speed and addictiveness. Making a
fantastic use of colour and seamlessly doing about a million different
things at once, it's a real achievement on the little Electron and in-
credibly fast on a Turbo one or BBC.
   Even the 'reporter' that scrolls across the top of the screen is in-
corporated. But it falls down, like the first, on its boring high-score
table and introductory screen plus lack of joystick option.
   There's no doubting that these first two games are the best. The 
coding and screen layouts are faultless and the sprites very colourful.
It's with the move to PANZER ASSAULT that things get stranger. This is a
maze game where you control a tank, and although this is mostly a m/code
game it's just a CHR$ definition you control, set in a maze with enemy
tanks appearing out of nowhere. You must simply blast a set number of 
tanks each level until you are blasted away by one of them. This may be
an arcade game but it could never be in the same league as the earlier
ones! It does what it's supposed to, includes a joystick option and also
has a nice layout on screen. Supposedly, it's another classic? Afraid
not. It's original yet it's unimaginative and boring. Placed here, it 
serves only as a kind of ironic reinforcement that cloning sell-out 
'tried and tested' arcade games can result in holding one's attention
span longer than a brand new one!
   The title MAYDAY also sounds rather unfamiliar but one might suspect
this was to be a version of the BOMBER arcade game. It's not. Extra-
ordinarily, this game is actually a TEXT adventure!! Now this has to be
the most predictable shot in the foot for reviewing purposes. Media that
describes itself as a compendium of ARCADE games (classic or not!) needs
to adhere to that categorisation. It's as annoying as when, as a child
in BOOTS, you picked up the latest 8 bit game, saw the graphics on the
back cover and after buying it realised they were from the AMIGA or ST
version!
   Of course, there are no graphics in MAYDAY. You are faced with a Mode
6 screen with the location description and choice of GO NORTH, etc. The
adventure in itself is best suited to beginners and takes place on a 
troubled space freighter in the future. In point of fact, if you like
text adventures, it's not all that bad at all. But it's not a classic 
and it's not an arcade. And most importantly, it shouldn't appear on 
a compilation that states that it is!
   Europress, the new name for Database, have released this disk into 
the Public Domain so you can pick it up in most libraries for just one
pound. If you are new to the Electron then you'll probably enjoy those
two 'true' classics and spend a little time playing around with PANZER
and MAYDAY. Remember also that, from a sales point of view, the title
CLASSIC ARCADE GAMES sounds much better than FOUR GAMES and, without its
original title, it might never have made it TO review.
   A final point to make is there are only a very rare number of disks
[Apart from the EUG ones - Ed] that work with Electron ADFS's PAGE set  
to &1D00. This is one of them! Consider it...
                                                            Dave Edwards

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00000010  20 20 20 50 72 6f 64 75  63 74 3a 20 20 20 20 20  |   Product:     |
00000020  43 4c 41 53 53 49 43 20  41 52 43 41 44 45 20 47  |CLASSIC ARCADE G|
00000030  41 4d 45 53 0d 20 20 20  20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20  |AMES.           |
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00000050  3a 20 20 20 44 41 54 41  42 41 53 45 20 50 55 42  |:   DATABASE PUB|
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00000ae0  68 65 20 66 69 72 73 74  2c 20 6f 6e 20 69 74 73  |he first, on its|
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00000b20  20 70 6c 75 73 20 6c 61  63 6b 20 6f 66 20 6a 6f  | plus lack of jo|
00000b30  79 73 74 69 63 6b 20 6f  70 74 69 6f 6e 2e 0d 20  |ystick option.. |
00000b40  20 20 54 68 65 72 65 27  73 20 6e 6f 20 64 6f 75  |  There's no dou|
00000b50  62 74 69 6e 67 20 74 68  61 74 20 74 68 65 73 65  |bting that these|
00000b60  20 66 69 72 73 74 20 74  77 6f 20 67 61 6d 65 73  | first two games|
00000b70  20 61 72 65 20 74 68 65  20 62 65 73 74 2e 20 54  | are the best. T|
00000b80  68 65 20 0d 63 6f 64 69  6e 67 20 61 6e 64 20 73  |he .coding and s|
00000b90  63 72 65 65 6e 20 6c 61  79 6f 75 74 73 20 61 72  |creen layouts ar|
00000ba0  65 20 66 61 75 6c 74 6c  65 73 73 20 61 6e 64 20  |e faultless and |
00000bb0  74 68 65 20 73 70 72 69  74 65 73 20 76 65 72 79  |the sprites very|
00000bc0  20 63 6f 6c 6f 75 72 66  75 6c 2e 0d 49 74 27 73  | colourful..It's|
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00000be0  6f 20 50 41 4e 5a 45 52  20 41 53 53 41 55 4c 54  |o PANZER ASSAULT|
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00000fb0  45 58 54 20 61 64 76 65  6e 74 75 72 65 21 21 20  |EXT adventure!! |
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00001150  20 74 68 65 72 65 20 61  72 65 20 6e 6f 20 67 72  | there are no gr|
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00001280  61 74 20 62 61 64 20 61  74 20 61 6c 6c 2e 20 42  |at bad at all. B|
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00001320  20 74 68 65 20 6e 65 77  20 6e 61 6d 65 20 66 6f  | the new name fo|
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00001360  62 6c 69 63 20 44 6f 6d  61 69 6e 20 73 6f 20 79  |blic Domain so y|
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00001380  70 20 69 6e 20 6d 6f 73  74 20 6c 69 62 72 61 72  |p in most librar|
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000013b0  72 65 20 6e 65 77 20 74  6f 20 74 68 65 20 45 6c  |re new to the El|
000013c0  65 63 74 72 6f 6e 20 74  68 65 6e 20 79 6f 75 27  |ectron then you'|
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00001420  6e 64 20 77 69 74 68 20  50 41 4e 5a 45 52 0d 61  |nd with PANZER.a|
00001430  6e 64 20 4d 41 59 44 41  59 2e 20 52 65 6d 65 6d  |nd MAYDAY. Remem|
00001440  62 65 72 20 61 6c 73 6f  20 74 68 61 74 2c 20 66  |ber also that, f|
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00001470  69 74 6c 65 0d 43 4c 41  53 53 49 43 20 41 52 43  |itle.CLASSIC ARC|
00001480  41 44 45 20 47 41 4d 45  53 20 73 6f 75 6e 64 73  |ADE GAMES sounds|
00001490  20 6d 75 63 68 20 62 65  74 74 65 72 20 74 68 61  | much better tha|
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000014b0  2c 20 77 69 74 68 6f 75  74 20 69 74 73 0d 6f 72  |, without its.or|
000014c0  69 67 69 6e 61 6c 20 74  69 74 6c 65 2c 20 69 74  |iginal title, it|
000014d0  20 6d 69 67 68 74 20 6e  65 76 65 72 20 68 61 76  | might never hav|
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000014f0  69 65 77 2e 0d 20 20 20  41 20 66 69 6e 61 6c 20  |iew..   A final |
00001500  70 6f 69 6e 74 20 74 6f  20 6d 61 6b 65 20 69 73  |point to make is|
00001510  20 74 68 65 72 65 20 61  72 65 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20  | there are only |
00001520  61 20 76 65 72 79 20 72  61 72 65 20 6e 75 6d 62  |a very rare numb|
00001530  65 72 20 6f 66 20 64 69  73 6b 73 0d 5b 41 70 61  |er of disks.[Apa|
00001540  72 74 20 66 72 6f 6d 20  74 68 65 20 45 55 47 20  |rt from the EUG |
00001550  6f 6e 65 73 20 2d 20 45  64 5d 20 74 68 61 74 20  |ones - Ed] that |
00001560  77 6f 72 6b 20 77 69 74  68 20 45 6c 65 63 74 72  |work with Electr|
00001570  6f 6e 20 41 44 46 53 27  73 20 50 41 47 45 20 73  |on ADFS's PAGE s|
00001580  65 74 20 20 0d 74 6f 20  26 31 44 30 30 2e 20 54  |et  .to &1D00. T|
00001590  68 69 73 20 69 73 20 6f  6e 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68  |his is one of th|
000015a0  65 6d 21 20 43 6f 6e 73  69 64 65 72 20 69 74 2e  |em! Consider it.|
000015b0  2e 2e 0d 20 20 20 20 20  20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20  |...             |
000015c0  20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20  20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20  |                |
*
000015e0  20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20  20 20 20 20 20 20 20 44  |               D|
000015f0  61 76 65 20 45 64 77 61  72 64 73 0d              |ave Edwards.|
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