Electronic Games Issue 25

PRIMARY SYSTEMS COVERAGE THIS ISSUE

• Atari VCS - Atari 2600
• Atari 5200
• Vectrex
• Atari computers
• Intellivision
• Commodore 64
• Commodore 264 - 364
• Apple II
• Coleco Adam
• stand-alones
• arcade

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(TOC excerpts follow, with (notes) and bullet lists added for clarity)

Switch On! - Dedicated Followers of Fashion (editorial by Arnie Katz; discussing the pessimistic press)

Hotline (news section)

• Don't Count Out Arcades (laserdisc and computer tech rejuvenating arcades)
• Odyssey Exits Videogaming
• Reston Unveils Moviemaker (animated movie software for Atari computers)
• Shakeout Continues (20th Century Fox exists business; Epyx buys Starpath)
• New Stores Enchant Shoppers (Enchanted Villages stores)
• First Star Offers Reward (First Star offering $500 for marketable program)
• Games Fly High In Canada (Canadian Pacific Airlines tests in-flight game rentals)
• Cal/OSHA Blips "Hard Hat Mack" (OSHA comments on negative representation in EA game)
• Pampered Hotel Guests (PIRCS (The Personal In-Room Communication System) allows hotel game rentals)
• Quote Of The Month
• Rock-Ola Helps Hospitalized Kids (Rock-Ola donates games to Chicago Childrens Memorial Hospital)
• Amiga Readies 'Lorraine' Computer (spec and pricing details)
• Things To Come (William Mataga designing text adventure game engine)
• Software Beat (game releases for IBM PC, Apple II, C64, VIC20, TRS-80; Coleco licenses Richard Scarry IP; Dovetail Group developing music software for CBS; Lord British developing Car Wars; ColecoVision games from Apollo; Distro Enterprises' Her Majesty's Secret Weapon includes pre-recorded soundtrack to enhance gameplay)
• Bushnell Introduces Arcade Game System (Sente Technologies developing standardized, modular, arcade SAC system; Snakepit game)
• Coin-Op Beat (NFL Football; NCMI against "pay-off" machines; Star Rider; Spy Hunter)
• Hardware Update (Apple disk drive package; Monty Plays Scrabble available in French, British editions; Telesys exits videogame business to concentrate on computer peripherals; Activision, Atari working on 2600 game download service; Tri-Dimensional Television offers enhanced TV viewing; Synetix sprite animation peripheral cards for Apple computers)
• Consumer Beat (Starcom renamed Magicom, Dragon's Lair merchandise; computer tax deduct-ability, Atari sues JS&A Group over game copier; Sage Enterprises starting public domain service for Adam computer users; Honeywell to provide service for Coleco products; Quick Reference Guides)
• Gessler Goies (sic) Multi-Lingual (French, Spanish edutainment titles)
• Micro Lab Wants You To 'Live Your Game' (Micro Lab game contests)

Readers Replay (letters column)

Inside Coleco's Adam

Coleco's computer goes under the microscope. ('Is This the Next Generation?' by Neil Shapiro)

Games Preview ('Software Preview - Our Third Annual Unveiling of the Hottest New Games' by The Editors of Electronic Games)

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COMPUTER GAMING SECTION

Software Showcase (computer game reviews)

• Spare Change (Apple II disk)
• Neutral Zone (C64 disk)
• Super Cobra (Atari cart)
• Zeppelin Rescue (C64 disk)
• Jumpman Jr. (Atari cart)
• Dancing Feats (Atari disk)
• Pharoah's Pyramid (Atari disk)
• Capture The Flag (Atari disk)
• Randamn (Apple II disk)

Game-A-Thon (computer game reviews)

• Quest For Tires (Atari disk)
• Q*bert (Atari cart)
• Squish 'Em (C64 disk)
• Clowns (C64 cart)
• Oil's Well (Atari disk)

Passport To Adventure (computer game reviews)

• Planetfall (disk)
• Gateway To Apshai (Atari,C64 cart)
• Enchanter (disk)

Think Tank (Fortress Of The Witch King (Apple II disk) review)

Electronic Pressbox (sports games reviews)

• Rally Speedway (Atari cart)
• Ringside Seat (Apple II disk)

Playing It Smart (edutainment reviews)

• The Chambers Of Vocab (Apple II disk)
• Computer Facts In Five (Atari disk)
• Number Relationships (Atari disk)
• Counting Bee (Apple II disk)

Articles Of War (game overview/strategy/reviews)

• T.A.C. (Apple II,800 disk)
• The Cosmic Balance, The Cosmic Balance II (Apple II,Atari disk; combo review)

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The Players Guide To Science Fiction Games

EG takes you out of this world. (sections:)

• Classics Of SF Gaming
• Warriors Of Tomorrow!
• A Galaxy Of Science Fiction Action Games
• The Thinker's Guide To SF Gaming

Do Videogames Hurt Your Eyes ('Electronic Games: Do They Hurt Your Eyes? - Here's One View on a Controversial Topic' by Jeffrey Hansen and Tim Coleman)

Tops & Flops Of 1983

Read what the experts have to say. ('EG's Editors Salute Winners and Losers in the Gaming Year Gone By')

The New Coin-Ops

These are games we'll all be playing soon. ('Better and Brighter Than Ever!' by Bill Kunkel)

Insert Coin Here ('M.A.C.H.-o, M.A.C.H.-o, Man!' by Bill Kunkel; commentary and the following arcade game reviews:)

• M.A.C.H. 3
• Astron Belt

Programmable Parade ('RealSports Baseball Is Definitely a Hit!'; console videogame reviews)

• Realsports Baseball (5200)
• Boing! (2600)
• Pengo (5200)
• Pac-Man (5200)
• Mountain King (2600)
• Beamrider (Int)
• M*A*S*H (2600)
• Blockade Runner (Int)
• Web Wars (Vec)
• Sewer Sam (Int)
• Frogger (Int)

Commodore's Newest Computers

Are the 264 and 364 an advance - or a sidestep? ('An Inside Look At Commodore's Newest Computer - Is Commodore's C-264 the Next Big Gaming Machine?' by Tom Benford)

Q&A ('Answers to Your Electronic Gaming Questions' by the Game Doctor)

Stand-Alone Scene ('Eat Your Spinach - And Win!' by Joyce Worley; each with 'How It Plays' control section)

• Popeye (Nintendo; handheld)
• Basketball (Hattori POP Game; handheld)

Reader Poll