Difference between revisions of "ACU Issue 05 (Apr 1985)"

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Issue 4, 1985 of [[Amstrad Computer User]]
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[[Category:Magazines]]
 +
The fifth issue of [[Amstrad Computer User]], published by [[Amsoft]].
  
 
== Contents ==
 
== Contents ==
 +
 +
{|{{Prettytable|width: 700px; font-size: 2em;}}
 +
|Page Number || Title || Description
 +
|-
 +
|Page 5 || News || A full report on the recent L.E.T. trade show
 +
|-
 +
|Page 10 || Letters || Your input to our output
 +
|-
 +
|Page 17 || Book Reviews || Best buys from the bookshop
 +
|-
 +
|Page 20 || Screen Squashing || More than 20 columns in [[Mode 0]].  Impossible? No, read on
 +
|-
 +
|Page 26 || Printer Reviews || Sort out which type suits you
 +
|-
 +
|Page 29 || The Joy of Sticks || Sally Tyler looks at joysticks
 +
|-
 +
|Page 34 || Software Reviews || Which should you buy, we offer our PROGnosis
 +
|-
 +
|Page 43 || Competition: The Ins and Outs of the Amstrad || Thirty Copies of the new [[Melbourne House]] book to be won
 +
|-
 +
|Page 46 || Intro to Music || Tune up your computer and get ready to play
 +
|-
 +
|Page 50 || [[Missile Attack]] || Type this in and save the world
 +
|-
 +
|Page 59 || [[Monster's Final Hour|The Monster's Final Hour]] || Tried and tested adventure program
 +
|-
 +
|Page 68 || Forth || Part II of our tutorial in this fun language
 +
|-
 +
|Page 76 || Machine Code Programming || P.K. McBride takes a beginners look at machine code
 +
|-
 +
|Page 84 || Writing Adventures || Build a world of your very own
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Games reviewed ==
 
== Games reviewed ==
  
−
[[Sorcery]], [[Muntant Monty]], [[Cubit]], [[Splat]], [[Laserwarp]], [[Star Commando]], [[Xanagrams]], [[Codename MAT]], [[Sultan's Maze]], [[Crazy Golf]], [[Blagger]]
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===[[Blagger]]===
 +
===[[Codename MAT]]===
 +
''[[Codename MAT]]'' is a program guaranteed to have you hunched over your Amstrad keyboard for hours on end.  A welcome conversion from the [[ZX Spectrum|Spectrum]] by [[Micromega]], it depicts space warfare on an epic scale, as you battle to save Earth from the deadly Myon invasion fleet.
 +
 
 +
The scenario itself is slightly daft.  In a plan known as MAT - Mission Alien Termination - the combined tactical skills of all the planetary leaders in the solar system have been implanted in the mind of a teenager, who has been sent out into space in a prototype craft to challenge the aliens.  It's probably best to forget this, and remember that it is you against everything else that moves, then get on with the game.  And what a game!  The Myons start at Pluto and head through nine sectors on their way to Earth.  Using your tracking computer and scanners, you have to locate the fast-moving enemy and annihilate the fleet before your planet is destroyed.  Combat is depicted in superb three-dimensional graphics with excellent sound effects, and what makes the game extra special is the intelligence shown by the aliens, who adopt different strategies in their attacks upon your ship.
 +
 
 +
If you get low on energy you will have to dock with a planet to refuel.  This can be a tricky manoeuvre, but don't worry if 'Collision alert' flashes up.  You will just have to blast the planet out of the way and try again somewhere else you can't be squeamish about these things when the future of the world is at stake!
 +
 
 +
Strategy plays an important part in the game.  If you choose, you can control the two planetary defence fleets in each sector from your ship, and you also have to decide the reight moment to admit defeat in a sector and retreat to the next.
 +
 
 +
[[Codename MAT]] takes hours to play, so a Save option would have been useful, and I was also disappointed at the uininspiring end to the game when, after a titanic struggle, the Myons were finally defeated.  But these are minor criticisms of what is otherwise an excellent game which you will come back to again and again.
 +
 
 +
{|{{Prettytable|width: 700px; font-size: 2em;}}
 +
|Author:||[[Amsoft]]/[[Micromega]]
 +
|-
 +
|Format:||Cassette
 +
|-
 +
|Price:||£8.95
 +
|-
 +
|Graphics:||****
 +
|-
 +
|Playability:||****
 +
|-
 +
|Addictiveness:||****
 +
|-
 +
|Overall:||****
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===[[Crazy Golf]]===
 +
===[[Cubit]]===
 +
===[[Laserwarp]]===
 +
===[[Mutant Monty]]===
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===[[Sorcery]]===
 +
===[[Splat!]]===
 +
===[[Star Commando]]===
 +
===[[Sultan's Maze]]===
 +
===[[Xanagrams]]===
  
 
== Type ins ==
 
== Type ins ==
 +
All of the following programmes can be found on this [[media:acu8504.zip‎|Disk Image]] (with thanks to Ervin)
 +
 +
===Disc Merge===
 +
File(s) associated with this article:<br/>
 +
- DSCMERGE.BAS<br/>
 +
See page 82 (below) for more details.
 +
 +
===Machine Code Action===
 +
Other file(s) associated with this article:<br/>
 +
- MCDEMO.ASM<br/>
 +
- SPRITE1.BAS<br/>
 +
See page 73 (below)for more details.<br/><br/>
 +
RUN"MCDEMO1"<br/>
 +
[[image:acu8504mcdemo1.png|384px]]<br/><br/>
 +
RUN"MCDEMO2"<br/>
 +
[[image:acu8504mcdemo2.png|384px]]
 +
 +
===[[Missile Attack]]===
 +
RUN"MISSILE"<br/>
 +
[[image:acu8504missile1.png|384px]]
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[[image:acu8504missile2.png|384px]]<br/><br/>
 +
[[image:acu8504missile3.png|384px]]
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[[image:acu8504missile4.png|384px]]
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===[[Monster's Final Hour|The Monster's Final Hour]]===
 +
RUN"MONSTERS"<br/>
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[[image:acu8504monsters1.png|384px]]
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[[image:acu8504monsters2.png|384px]]<br/><br/>
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[[image:acu8504monsters3.png|384px]]
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[[image:acu8504monsters4.png|384px]]
 +
 +
===The Musical Amstrad (Part 2)===
 +
RUN"MUSIC1"<br/>
 +
RUN"MUSIC2"<br/>
 +
RUN"MUSIC3"
  
−
[[ACU April 1985 - Type-ins]]
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===Screen Squashing===
 +
Other file(s) associated with this article:<br/>
 +
- SCRLIST2.BAS<br/>
 +
- SCRLIST3.BAS<br/>
 +
- SCRCODE1.BIN<br/>
 +
- SCRCODE2.BIN<br/>
 +
See page 20 (below) for more details.<br/><br/>
 +
RUN"SCRLIST4"<br/>
 +
[[image:acu8504screensquash1.png|384px]]
  
−
== Online Pages ==
+
===Writing Adventures (Part 1)===
 +
RUN"ADVENT1"<br/>
 +
[[image:acu8504advent1.png|384px]]
 +
[[image:acu8504advent2.png|384px]]
  
−
<gallery caption="Amstrad Computer User, Issue 4, 1985">
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== Scans ==
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Image:Amstrad_Computer_User8504_001.jpg|Frontpage
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<gallery caption="Amstrad Computer User, Issue 05, April 1985">
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</gallery>
 
</gallery>

Latest revision as of 23:00, 10 May 2011

The fifth issue of Amstrad Computer User, published by Amsoft.

Contents

Page Number Title Description
Page 5 News A full report on the recent L.E.T. trade show
Page 10 Letters Your input to our output
Page 17 Book Reviews Best buys from the bookshop
Page 20 Screen Squashing More than 20 columns in Mode 0. Impossible? No, read on
Page 26 Printer Reviews Sort out which type suits you
Page 29 The Joy of Sticks Sally Tyler looks at joysticks
Page 34 Software Reviews Which should you buy, we offer our PROGnosis
Page 43 Competition: The Ins and Outs of the Amstrad Thirty Copies of the new Melbourne House book to be won
Page 46 Intro to Music Tune up your computer and get ready to play
Page 50 Missile Attack Type this in and save the world
Page 59 The Monster's Final Hour Tried and tested adventure program
Page 68 Forth Part II of our tutorial in this fun language
Page 76 Machine Code Programming P.K. McBride takes a beginners look at machine code
Page 84 Writing Adventures Build a world of your very own

Games reviewed

Blagger

Codename MAT

Codename MAT is a program guaranteed to have you hunched over your Amstrad keyboard for hours on end. A welcome conversion from the Spectrum by Micromega, it depicts space warfare on an epic scale, as you battle to save Earth from the deadly Myon invasion fleet.

The scenario itself is slightly daft. In a plan known as MAT - Mission Alien Termination - the combined tactical skills of all the planetary leaders in the solar system have been implanted in the mind of a teenager, who has been sent out into space in a prototype craft to challenge the aliens. It's probably best to forget this, and remember that it is you against everything else that moves, then get on with the game. And what a game! The Myons start at Pluto and head through nine sectors on their way to Earth. Using your tracking computer and scanners, you have to locate the fast-moving enemy and annihilate the fleet before your planet is destroyed. Combat is depicted in superb three-dimensional graphics with excellent sound effects, and what makes the game extra special is the intelligence shown by the aliens, who adopt different strategies in their attacks upon your ship.

If you get low on energy you will have to dock with a planet to refuel. This can be a tricky manoeuvre, but don't worry if 'Collision alert' flashes up. You will just have to blast the planet out of the way and try again somewhere else you can't be squeamish about these things when the future of the world is at stake!

Strategy plays an important part in the game. If you choose, you can control the two planetary defence fleets in each sector from your ship, and you also have to decide the reight moment to admit defeat in a sector and retreat to the next.

Codename MAT takes hours to play, so a Save option would have been useful, and I was also disappointed at the uininspiring end to the game when, after a titanic struggle, the Myons were finally defeated. But these are minor criticisms of what is otherwise an excellent game which you will come back to again and again.

Author: Amsoft/Micromega
Format: Cassette
Price: £8.95
Graphics: ****
Playability: ****
Addictiveness: ****
Overall: ****

Crazy Golf

Cubit

Laserwarp

Mutant Monty

Sorcery

Splat!

Star Commando

Sultan's Maze

Xanagrams

Type ins

All of the following programmes can be found on this Disk Image (with thanks to Ervin)

Disc Merge

File(s) associated with this article:
- DSCMERGE.BAS
See page 82 (below) for more details.

Machine Code Action

Other file(s) associated with this article:
- MCDEMO.ASM
- SPRITE1.BAS
See page 73 (below)for more details.

RUN"MCDEMO1"
Acu8504mcdemo1.png

RUN"MCDEMO2"
Acu8504mcdemo2.png

Missile Attack

RUN"MISSILE"
Acu8504missile1.png Acu8504missile2.png

Acu8504missile3.png Acu8504missile4.png

The Monster's Final Hour

RUN"MONSTERS"
Acu8504monsters1.png Acu8504monsters2.png

Acu8504monsters3.png Acu8504monsters4.png

The Musical Amstrad (Part 2)

RUN"MUSIC1"
RUN"MUSIC2"
RUN"MUSIC3"

Screen Squashing

Other file(s) associated with this article:
- SCRLIST2.BAS
- SCRLIST3.BAS
- SCRCODE1.BIN
- SCRCODE2.BIN
See page 20 (below) for more details.

RUN"SCRLIST4"
Acu8504screensquash1.png

Writing Adventures (Part 1)

RUN"ADVENT1"
Acu8504advent1.png Acu8504advent2.png

Scans

  • Amstrad Computer User, Issue 05, April 1985

  • Frontpage

  • Page 2

  • Page 3

  • Page 4

  • Page 5

  • Page 6

  • Page 7

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  • Page 9

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