Does someone know the artist, the original (game) picture  ?

https://csdb.dk/release/?id=20936

Does someone know the original game (cover) picture ?

https://csdb.dk/release/?id=184765

I don't know about you, but I am so damn (is this ok?  If not I'll change it...don't want to break forum rules) busy I have very little time to do anything fun any more...it's depressing.  So maybe we can help each other out?  I've seen others posting challenges before but they've stalled. I'm willing to lead one myself but it's probably going to be 1 a month simply due to time.  So let's try this and see if we can have a little fun each month.  What do ya say?

Let's start simple:

********************************************************************************
*********** JANUARY CHALLENGE 2025 - BOUNCING BALL **********
********************************************************************************

Write a program for your C64 or C128 of a ball moving from left to
right.  You can do this with character graphics, hi-res graphics,
sprites, etc...whatever you'd like.  I don't think we'll "score" this
first challenge as I just want to get us on the keyboard doing some
coding.

Send your solution to me by email and I'll post it on my Codeberg
repository.  It does not have to be source code, it can be a D64, D71,
or D81 containing a BASIC program.  If you did it in Assembly, then yes,
I would prefer the source code listing along with the executable.
This way folks can see your symbols, labels, etc.  Feel free to
include READMEs or whatever you'd like and I'll work to get it into
the repository in some organized fashion. 

This first time is about learning and hopefully everyone can learn
something from someone else.  Whether it be how to do sprites on a
C128 or perhaps start a journey with some assembler like 64Tas, or
ACME so please comment your code and comment well.

The cutoff for submissions will be January 31.  Sorry, but I'm not
real interested in fighting with time zones this first time so just
submit it by your own end of January 31.

P.S. I've set the repo to have all submissions licensed under AGPL-3.0
or later and stated such in the description "...unless otherwise
specified".  As such, you're free to specify a license of your own if you
prefer.

Submissions or Questions: dagershman @ proton . me
Repository                         : Codeberg: RetroChallenges - January 2025

when you find yourself calling a refrigerator an icebox

Classification: OS Enhancement
Programmer: Robert Rockefeller
Publisher: Loadstar 128, Issue #10
Year: 1991
Disk Image: https://c64forum.com/diskshare/C128/128shell.d64

In my previous blog entry, I mentioned how much I enjoy playing those quaint basement/bedroom games that were developed by the "Average Joe" computer hobbyists.  Back in the day, most of those games were only available to me via the magazines that were published at the time.  Yes, I did have a floppy disk "trading" buddy at school, but that resource was still pretty limited until I went off to college.  And until I landed my first real job after college, my spending money was pretty limited.  I couldn't really afford to spend much on retail boxed games.  I did, however, have a few spare dollars every so often to spring for a copy of Compute! or Run magazine.  This is where my enjoyment (and appreciation) for magazine type-in games began.

To be able to simply type in a few (sometimes hundreds) lines of code printed in a magazine onto my C64 and get a game I could actually play was amazing to me.  Sure, the games are probably not what many would consider to be masterpieces, but they did provide some entertainment.  Sometimes it took me a few evenings to finish typing in the game code, depending on how complicated/elaborate the game was.  So, I was motivated to spend more time playing it, than if it was just another game on floppy disk I "traded".  These magazine published games were a great way to build a video game collection when you were short on cash.  I think they deserved a lot more love, than what they typically got.

I'd like to share some of my favorite typed-in games from those days, which I still find myself playing and enjoying every so often. 

First up, one of the earliest ones I typed in for myself:  Space Dodger, by Kevin Mykytyn. 

This game was published in Compute! Magazine, issue #60, May 1985. Link to Article...

Compute! printed versions of the game for the C64, VIC-29, TI, Apple II, and Atari home computers.  In this game, you simply have to avoid the obstacles by flying your ship up or down for as long as you can.  It's colourful and quite addictive.  I really liked the sound effects, as you flew your ship between lanes.  Sometimes I would load up this game and let it run, just to have the "spacey" droning sound running as background/white noise.

The program listing was about 150 program lines, mostly DATA statements; but wasn't too bad, as magazine type-in games went.  Compute! had a "spellcheck" program that you could run to help you ensure you typed in the lines of code correctly, which helped a lot.

       

My next favorite typed-in games that I've spent a lot of my spare time playing is the game, Spiders, by Joe Rocke and Tim Victor. 

This game appeared in Compute! magazine, issue #54, back in 1984 and was originally written for the VIC-20, but had versions developed for the C64, Apple II and PC.

It's difficult for me to recall, but from the date of publication, I would say that Spiders was my first machine language typed-in game.  Actually, the game has two parts (which was common for VIC-20 games of the time); the first part was in ML and the second was a short BASIC program to get the game going.  You first load in the ML portion, using ,8,1, then NEW, and then follow up by loading the second BASIC program and RUN that to launch the game. 

Spiders is a pretty good Galaxian-style game, in which you have to blast the "space spiders" hovering above you, as "fighter" drones dive bomb you.  Once all the fighters are defeated, the two "officer" squadrons hovering above descend upon you.  Blast them for bonus points.

The thing about this game is that, if your "robot" fighter ship gets destroyed (of which you have three), a full formation of fighters appear and you have to take all of out again before moving on to the next level (a.k.a. "web", as the game calls it).  When one of your ships get taken out, there's a cool swarming routine in which all of the remaining fighters descend down to the bottom of the screen.  Then the level starts over again.  I thought it was nice touch to the game.  The sound effects are not so bad, either.

For a typed-in game from a magazine, I thought Spiders was a pretty good space shoot-em-up.  It's also not all that long of a listing to type in.  I probably did it in one sitting, back in the day, using the MLX editor.

       

This next game in my list of favorite typed-in games isn't here because it's a particularly good game, but it does hold a special place in my memories because it's one of the very first games I sat down and typed in to my C64.  The game is called Demon's Lair and it was published in the book, "Using the Commodore 64 In The Home", written by Hank Librach and Bill L. Behrendt back in 1983.  This was the book that got me going with programming in BASIC and I typed in just about every program that it contained.  This was also the time when I had no storage device for my C64.  So, I actually typed in a few of these games several times until I got my 1541.

Demon's Lair was my first dungeon crawler adventure game on the C64.  Before this, I had Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Misty Mountain on my Intellivision.  It was (and still is) one of my favorite dungeon crawling games, so programming my own was an extra treat for me.

By today's standards, it's a pretty dull and rudimentary adventure game, even for BASIC.  But, there is a particular charm to it, at least for me.  You're on an adventure to collect treasure and battle monsters.  The maze is revealed to you as you move about, using the H, J, N, and U keys.  When you encounter a monster, you have very little time to use either S (for sword) or K (for knife) to slay the creature before your energy level hits zero.

There's no sound in the game, but there is a short tune that is played on the title screen.  Yes, this game actually has a sprite generated title screen.  All of the rest of the graphics are PETSCII.

The game is 30 blocks in size, so it is a pretty long game to type in.  But it being in BASIC also helped me to learn some interesting programming techniques and inspired me to learn more about all of the fun things I could do with my C64.  On those rainy days when I have a desire to take a trip down memory lane, I'll load this game up for a quick play.

           

D64 Disk

Classification: Game / Space Shooter
Publisher: The Gold Disk
Programmer: Dennis Lo
Music/Sound: Dennis Lo
Year: 1985
Rating: ★★★★

This game is compatible with the Comet64.

When I first discovered this game, it immediately became one of my favorite pick-up-and-play games.  It's a relatively straight forward game, with one goal: to destroy enemy ship at the top of the screen.  It was written by Dennis Lo and published by The Gold Disk - Issue #12, and appears (from what I can tell from the disk image it is on) to be part of a larger publication; which included tutorials on programming in machine language.  The game's "main menu" also makes reference to "The Game of Nim."

When I first started playing Star Fortress, it seemed to me like a combination of the games Star Castle and Yar's Revenge.  However, rather than having the enemy ship in the middle of the screen, with shielding encircling it (like Star Castle), Star Fortress puts the enemy at the top of the screen and the shielding stacked as layers beneath it.  Your task is to blast holes through the shielding and target the enemy ship behind.  But, watch out for the orbs raining down upon you from above and once there is a clear path through the shielding, the enemy ship will fire laser bolts at you, too.

As the levels progress, the shielding builds up layers (up to a certain point).  Also, the number of times you have to hit the enemy ship to destroy it increases.  And, every time you hit the enemy ship, it moves faster.  When you get into the higher levels, this really increases the game's level of difficulty, as you really have to stay nimble to avoid the enemy's laser fire.  But, I have to say that, when you do land that final blow that destroys the enemy ship, Star Fortress has one of the most satisfying boss explosions I've seen in a space shooter like this.  Blam-O!!

One of the more challenging things that happens in the game is that, on level 12, the shielding becomes invisible.  So you have no idea where the gaps are and, therefore, have no idea as to when the enemy ship will attack.

Although the game play is simple, the game itself is excellent.  The controls are responsive, the graphics are colourful, and the sound effects sound very authentic for the genre.  I really enjoy playing it.

Conclusion

★★★★ -  Lots of fun; I can't get enough of it.

               

I just can't get enough of these simple games, created by just an Average Joe, plunking away on his C64 in his basement or bedroom.  I don't know what it is about those simple, rudimentary games you typically find published in magazines and on those monthly disk mags; but I enjoy them to bits.  Many of them can be difficult to play, simply because of broken or slow controls.  Or, the code is typically not as efficient as it could be; especially when programmed in BASIC 2.0.

But this doesn't really matter to me.  In fact, in many of the cases, it just adds even more amusement to the game for me to enjoy.  I really can't pin point as to why I find these sort of games so amusing.  Maybe it's the feeling of having a closer connection to the individual who wrote the game.  Usually these sort of games are created by just one person, who probably isn't someone you would consider to be a "professional" game developer.  But, rather, it is  just an ordinary person who had an idea for a video game, who decided to sit down at his C64 or C128 and bash out some code.  This is what made the early days of home computing such an amazing phenomena, at least to me. 

You've got everything you need, in your 64 or 128, to make just about anything you can dream up.  And to sit there and play these simple, but (for the most part) very unique games, created by a regular guy is just a fun thing for me to do. It find it even more enjoyable when the author chose to program his game in BASIC.  Not only does this make the experience even more personal, but I might actually even learn something from it.  They didn't use special editors on more advanced systems, or "construction kits" like they do today.  It was just a guy with his 64 and 1541; which is why I guess I consider them so special.

It's also why publications like Loadstar and Uptime were so important.  They provided the ability for these "basement" game makers and application writers to connect with the C64 user base, along with the potential of making a bit of money from their creation.  Let's not forget, there was no Internet through which to share your games back then.  Not everyone had the resources to produce and distribute their own floppy disk packages to the mass market.  But Loadstar and Uptime filled that gap and helped the home programmer prosper, which allowed some really great software get into the hands of eager C64 and C128 owners.  The other thing that set these disk magazines apart from regular retail game publishers is their determination NOT to use copy protection.  Readers were encouraged to examine and learn from the code that went into the programs they published.  For some of their programs, they even encouraged people to improve upon them and resubmit their results for publication.

Anyway, here are two of those kind of games I have enjoyed, from the disk mag "Up Time".  They are, "Rocket Man" and "Neutron Man".  Now, neither of these games would have won many awards.  However, when I compare them to some of the games I've seen published by the likes of Mastertronic, I'd have to say
I enjoy these more than something like their game "Magic Carpet".

UpTime Volume #2, Issue #6, "Rocket Man"

Written by Mark Pakerski, in 1988.
D64 Disk

It's a simple Scramble clone with bit of a twist; you can only fire one missile at a time and, when you push left on the joystick, you halt your advancement on the screen.  So, if you wish to hang back and clear up the  baddies on the screen, without just flying by them, you can do so.  The real challenge to the game is the one missile at a time limitation.  If you miss  your target, you must wait until your missile travels across the screen before firing again.  Oh, and you only get one ship.

It's not a very complicated game, but not so bad I guess for being published on a disk mag.  I found the short launch sequence of your ship when you launch  amusing.

               

UpTime Volume #2, Issue #7, "Neutron Man"

Written by J.C. Hilty, in 1988.

D64 Disk

This game was a bit of a surprise in regards the approach the creator chose to develop it.  Fundamentally, it's a multi-stage, multi-load game written in BASIC, with some hi-res graphics interlude screens used between each of the levels.

The game-play is pretty much the same between levels: avoid the aliens and their projectiles, while firing energy bolts to destroy the aliens.  The  difference between each of the three levels is pretty much just the direction you're flying/facing.

Because it's BASIC, the joystick controls are hampered and slow to respond. Movements are somewhat slow and jerky, too. But, even with all of this taken  into consideration, I still found the game more engaging than games like Magic Carpet, The Last V8, or 1985: The Day After.

This sort of game isn't for everyone and it's not very technically advanced, when compared to what can be achieved on the system today.  But, what amazes  me is that it is something achievable (and playable) for someone with just a  C64 and a floppy disk drive, and the creativity to sit down and make it.

I think that kind of freedom to create is wonderful.  This really was the grassroots of what they consider today as "indie publishing".

           

Classification: Game / Run and Gun
Publisher: Protovision / Psytronik Software
Programmer: Bernd Buchegger
Music/Sound: Roy Widding
Year: 2020
Rating: ★☆☆☆

Outrage is a run and gun style platform game, where you're some sort of space marine out to blast a lot of alien riff-raff.  It's the sort of thing that one has come to expect with this style of game.

According to the write up on Psytronik's website, the game contains five levels with boss battles at the end.  They also mention that the game was first conceived of and developed back in 1992.  In 2001, apparently the game was resurrected and it was planned to be released in 2005.  But, due to some problems with the code, it didn't make it's release.  In 2020, with a lot of rework, the game finally was ready for release.  Seems like a lot of work to me for a game that sounded relatively short, having only five levels to it.

When I first loaded up the game, it seemed more to me like something from the Commodore demo scene.  The Protovision splash screen was the first to appear, then it loaded up some sort of backstory / instruction screen, with PETSCII graphics.  Then, after that, another splash screen for the game with some pixel art appears.  After this, another splash screen with some animated banner sort of artwork.  Am I ever going to get to the game?

After all of this, the first level of the game begins.  Strangely absent, however, is any sort of title or hi-score screen; rather, you're just thrown right into the game.

The background music for the game is boring.  From what I've been able to play, it sounds like there's a different tune for each level (I've only made it to level 2).  However, the actual tunes themselves aren't very long, so they loop quite a bit.  After about fifteen minutes of playing, I had to turn the volume down.  This is where a title screen would have been nice, to perhaps choose whether to listen to music or sound effects.  As for sound effects, I could only discern two: when you shoot your gun and when you die.

During game-play, you collect coins, which you get after dispatching baddies, which you use to upgrade your weapons and replenish energy.  But you have to be darn quick to collect those coins, as they disappear in just a few seconds.

The graphics are good, but certainly not anything that makes the game stand out from other run and gun games.  In fact, they remind me a little bit of what you'd see on a Spectrum, with bands of colour, rather than individually coloured objects.  I'm not trying to belittle the Spectrum, I've just come to expect more from a C64 game.

There's a few oddities that I noticed, in regards to the graphics, like not being able to see your gun when you run.  It just sort of vanishes when you're moving.  It puzzled me at first, but it doesn't affect game play at all.  Also, from what I've seen in the first two levels, the backgrounds are static, although it looks like you're supposed to be walking over sections of water or lava/fire.  So, not a big deal, but drawn waves aren't the same as waves that actually move or change in some way.

As for the game play and mechanics, this is where the game feels like it could have used more time in development.  Player movements are responsive enough, but I struggled with the ability jump onto and off of platforms.  I just found myself falling off of the edges just too easily.  Shooting the gun was also a bit frustrating, as it just seemed a little to slow for what was happening around me.  Sometimes I even found myself standing too close to enemies and having to back up in order for my bullets not to go straight through them.  There's also a "quirk" (or who knows, maybe it a feature) where enemies just vanish if they walk off the edge of the screen, even if you're just half a second behind them.  If you care about collecting coins to upgrade your weaponry, don't let anything walk off the screen.

What I found to be the most frustrating was the "little tricks" that are typically use in these kind of games to ramp up the difficulty level.  That is, hiding obstacles in the scenery so that you either have to memorize where everything is or tip-toe around trying to expose / hit them, when all other sorts of action is happening around you.  Look, it's a RUN and gun game.  Having to pussy foot around, looking out for that slightly differently shaded pixel showing me that there are spikes in the floor waiting for me is not something I enjoy.  At least not in a platformer like this, anyway.

Lastly, even though you do have a score counter, it apparently doesn't have any purpose.  When you lose your last life, you're taken right back to the beginning of a new game.  What was my score at the end?  I have no idea.  Again, this where a title screen with hi-score table would have been nice.

Outrage is an okay run and gun platform game and may be right up some people's alley.  But, this isn't anything that keeps my attention and I don't have any motivation to see what's past level 2.  I just think that, even though it's taken so long to make it to market, it could have spent a little more time in development. 

At least it plays fine on NTSC machines and on TheC64Mini.

Conclusion
★☆☆☆ - Just not interesting enough for me to want to return and get to the next level/boss.  For me, it doesn't stand out.  As an action platform shooter, there are better games on the C64 to spend time playing.
               
       

Classification: | Game / RPG
Publisher: Loadstar 128
Programmer: Jon Mattson
Music/Sound: Jon Mattson
Year: 1991
Rating: ★★★★

At first, I didn't care too much for this game.  It was interesting to me to find an RPG-style game, written for the C128 using it's 80 column screen mode.  But, because I'm not all that interested in RPG / turn-based games, I didn't really spend much time playing it.  From first glance, it just seemed too cumbersome and (to be honest) boring to me.  But, for whatever reason, I recently decided to sit down and give it a chance and put some effort into it.  Well, I have to say, now I'm hooked and am finding it difficult to "put it down", so to speak.

Knight's Quest was created by Jon Mattson and was published in Issue #12 of Loadstar 128, in 1991.  The game is modeled on a typical RPG turn based game, but with a couple of twists.  First of all, it can be played as a two-player game.  Each player has their own character to play in the adventure.  In Jon's game instructions, he kind of likens this idea to a two player board game; kind of like King Arthur meets Monopoly.

Secondly, apart from the RPG elements of the game, there's also a real-time jousting "mini game" that you take part at certain times during your adventure.  When I first came across this game, I wasn't aware of this element to the game, so it was a real surprise when I first discovered it.  Of course, if I just bothered to read Jon's instructions, I would have know about it from the beginning.

The underlying plot to the game is as follows (in a nut-shell):  The king of the land is dying and he does not have an heir to pass the kingdom on to.  So, there's a quest to find someone who's worthy of taking on the crown and becoming the new ruler of the land.  Your goal is to travel the kingdom, taking on quests of righteousness, to gain honor and valor and then find the king (apparently residing in a hidden castle) to claim the crown.

When you first start the game, you are given the option to either continue playing a saved game, or start a new game.  If you start a new game, you first have to build a map of the kingdom and then create your character.  The map is randomly generated by the computer, but you have certain input as to what traits are given to your character.

The map that is generated is a pretty large one and is never the same.  So, there's lot of replay value to the game in this manner.  And don't think this game is one that you will quickly finish, as there's a lot to explore and a good number of challenges and side quests to keep you busy.  In Jon's overview of the game, he says that he designed the game so it could be completed in four to five hours, but it's taking me longer than that (unless I get killed off by some wickedly strong baddie).

Your primary interface with the game is the joystick.  Player One uses a joystick in port 2.  If you happen to have a friend playing with you, then player Two uses a joystick plugged into port 1.  You move your player with the joystick and activate the command menu with the fire button.  This is also how you interact with the in-game characters, by using the joystick to select your actions and dialog responses.

Each player has a mini map to show their current position in the kingdom, as well as a table of information showing their current status (like health, characteristics and inventory statistics).

Each move on the map represents a time interval of one in-game hour.  Some terrains will take more time to traverse than others.  You have to watch your fatigue, as well as the fatigue of your horse, and take the appropriate time to rest, or you won't be getting very far in the game.  Also, the map will go dark as night-fall approaches.  You can still move during the night, but you won't be able to see where you're going.  This is about the only frustrating thing I find about the game (and one of the reasons I didn't originally play it for very long): you spend a lot of time stopping and resting to keep up your strength.

However, once I got over this little hurdle, I quickly warmed up to the game and found myself getting all tied up in the adventure.

As you travel the land, you'll encounter many different beasts and inhabitants.  Some will be helpful, but many will be out for blood and your possessions.  You'll have to use your whits in order to stay alive.  Turns out, you can't just go about hacking and slashing your way through every challenge.  Not only will you run out of health and vitality quickly, but your honor and valor levels will not amount to much, either.  Remember, the goal of the game is to prove to the king that you're worthy of his crown.

So, you'll have to figure out when it's best to talk your way out of a situation or just plain run away, rather than fight.

You'll also come across people who will ask you for help, offering you the chance to take up a quest to gain some honor.  These side missions are usually something to do with you traveling to a particular part of the map and finding something or someone (like tracking down a band of ruffians who are terrorizing some local villagers).

The most unique aspect of this game is the jousting tournaments that take place ever so often.  While you're out on your adventures, you will be informed of a tournament happening in X number of days in a particular town.  If you can make it to the town in time, and you still have your steed, you can take part in the joust.

The jousting plays out in standard tournament fashion.  You are pitted against other knights and noblemen and, in real time, you have to select your strategy and aim your lance, as you and your opponent charge towards each other on horse-back.  It's a combination of strategy (choosing your stance) and reflexes (aiming your lance) with a little bit of random luck, typical of an RPG.

I've yet to win a tournament, but I think I'm getting the hang of it.

One of the nice things about Knight's Quest is that you can save your game when ever you wish.  So, there's the opportunity for you to save your character before unknowingly crossing paths with the necromancer or troll that's strong enough to do you in.

This game certainly isn't for everyone.  It may take a bit of effort to get into it, as it did for me.  But, I think that, once you get past some of the more mundane tasks of the game (like resting), you may enjoy the underlying story line that awaits you, in Knight's Quest.  It's just another good example of how the C128 can be used to entertain and that it can do more than just ''GO64''.

If you do decide to give this game a try, be sure to check out Jon's introduction/game instructions, which I've included in the disk image.  To do that, go to 80 column mode and:

''DLOAD"QUICKTEXT.80"''

Then, when the program asks for a document to load, enter:  ''T.KNIGHT'S QUEST''

Conclusion

★★★★ -  It took me a while to get into this game, but when I did, I found it very engrossing and difficult to put away.  I haven't finished it yet, but it keeps calling me back to try again.