Electronic Games Issue 29

PRIMARY SYSTEMS COVERAGE THIS ISSUE

• Atari VCS - Atari 2600
• Atari 5200
• Atari 7800
• Atari computers - 800 - 800XL
• Commodore VIC-20
• Commodore 64
• ColecoVision
• Apple - Apple II
• PC - IBM PCjr
• stand-alones
• arcade

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

Switch On! - Arnie the Iconoclast (editorial by Arnie Katz)

Hotline (news section)

• Games Are His 'Guiding Light' (Guiding Light actor Damion Scheller)
• Game Inspires Book (Shadowkeep inspires Alan Dean Foster book)
• Home Subliminal Suggestion (Stimutech's ExpandoVision interface; computer programs with subliminal messages)
• One In Four Homes Has Computer-User
• International Exchange (export markets; MSX delayed for USA market; MSX games; computer popularity stats; Acorn Computer Corp. opens US headquarters, distribution deals)
• 1983 Was Record-Breaking Year (sales figures)
• The Names Change, But The Faces Stay The Same (Sierra On-Line becomes Sierra; Children's Computer Workshop becomes CTW Software; Counterpoint Software becomes Springboard Software; Dynatech Microsoftware becomes CodeWriter Corporation)
• Iowa Femme Wins Kraft Video Game Contest (winners Paula Boge, Michele Barr)
• Anniversary (3rd annivesary of EG)
• Pitfall Harry Comes Home ('Programming Pitfall Harry' pamphlet by David Crane available from Activision Commodore Club)
• Scarborough Sends Software To Schools (buy a Scarborough program, Scarborough will donate a program to a school)
• The Three Stooges Get Own Coin-Op
• Star-Byte To Distribute Victory Software
• Software Beat (Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Junior for Coleco Adam; Trivia Mania; Robert A. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke upcoming adventure games, Michael Crichton's Amazon)
• Typing Tutor Sets Sales Record (Mastertype named best-selling educational game)
• Laser Game Uses Live Actors (Us vs. Them conversion kit for M.A.C.H. 3)
• Coin-Op Beat (Two Tigers; Cobra Command; Treasure Cove; Konami in the UK)
• Codewriter Contest Offers Prizes For Adventure, Arcade Games
• What's Hot (boxing games; Computer Boxing, Ringside Seat, Computer Title Bout)
• Britain's Gamelords Invade The Colonies (Quicksilva computer games)
• Hardware Beat (The SpeeDemon upgrade for Apple II; Okimate 10 color printer; GIM Electronics' RF modulator for Apple, connect computer to TV; McPen light pen; Electra Guard 3 surge protector; Floppiclene disk drive cleaner)
• Stay Neat And Stow The Clutter (Stor-A-Bit desk organizer)
• Discwasher Bites Apple (Apple IIc carrying case)
• China Exports (Cullinet Software to sell software in China)
• AT&T Launches Computer (PC 6300 IBM-compatible PC)
• EG Readers Pick Their Favorite Games (top lists)

Readers Replay (letters column)

The Great Game Designer Hunt

How software companies find - and keep - designers. ('How Software Publishers Woo, Win and Keep the Top Talent' by Bill Kunkel and the EG Editorial Staff; includes 'The Changing Role of the Designer,' 'Subsidiary Rights: The Next Battle?,' and 'Bridging The Quality Gap' sidebars)

What's New In Educational Games?

A look at the latest in learning fun. ('Here's the Latest in Learning Fun' by Joyce Worley; edutainment commentary)

Touchdown

EG's annual look at electronic football. ('Touchdown! - EG's Annual Guide to Electronic Football Games' by Michael Meyers)

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COMPUTER GAMING SECTION

Action Arena (computer game reviews)

• Arcade Boot Camp (Apple II disk)
• Zombies (Atari computers disk)
• Zeppelin (Atari computers disk)
• Sargon II (C64 disk)
• Super Bunny (Apple II disk)
• Frogger II: Threedeep (C64 cart)
• Jungle Hunt (Apple II disk)
• IFR Flight Simulator (C64 disk)
• Pinball Wizard (VIC20 cassette)
• Cosmic Tunnels (Atari computers)
• Crazy Caveman (C64 disk)
• O'Riley's Mine (Atari computers disk,cassette)
• Blue Moon (C64 disk)

Passport To Adventure (computer game reviews)

• Questron (Apple II disk)
• The Hulk (Apple II disk)

Think Tank (computer game reviews)

• Tycoon (Apple II disk)
• Rails West (Apple II disk)

Articles Of War (Under Southern Skies (Apple II disk) overview/strategy/review)

Electronic Pressbox (sports game reviews)

• Championship Boxing (PCjr disk)
• Football (Atari computers cart)
• Summer Games (C64 disk)

Playing It Smart (edutainment reviews)

• Aegean Voyage (C64 cart)
• Wiztype (C64,PC disk,cart)
• Qwerty's Alphabet Adventure (Apple disk)
• Ernie's Magic Shapes (Atari,C64 disk)
• Paint Magic (C64 disk)
• Studio 64 (C64 disk)
• Storytree (Apple disk)

Translations (ports)

• Seven Cities Of Gold (C64 disk)
• Robotron: 2084 (VIC20 cart)

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Strategy Session ('Shoot Now and Ask Questions Later' by Frank Tetro, Jr.; game strategies for the following:)

• Time Pilot (Col)
• Popeye (800)
• Burgertime (PC,PCjr)

All Aboard

How computers keep railroads on the right track. ('All Aboard! - Railroad Simulator Keeps Engineers on the Track' by David Lustig)

Insert Coin Here ('Punch-Out Scores A Coin-Op KO!' by Bill Kunkel; Punch-Out arcade game review)

Arcade America ('Welcome to Arnie's Place' by Steve Madwed)

Players Guide To Programmable Video Game Systems (sections:)

• Atari 2600: Strength In Numbers
• Master Of Modularity (ColecoVision)
• The Supersystem Bows Out (5200)
• Introducing The 7800
• Videogaming Outlook

Inside Gaming

Tracie Forman talks to Dan Bunten of Ozark Softscape ('Software King Of The Ozarks' by Tracie Forman; developer profile)

Programmable Parade ('Don't Go Near The Water: Gremlins On Parade;' console videogame reviews:)

• Gremlins (5200)
• Gremlins (2600)
• Quick Step (2600)
• Pitstop (Col)
• Nova Blast (Col)
• Robotron: 2084 (5200)

All-Star Quirks ('Find the Glitches, Easter Eggs and Bugs in Your Favorite Programs' by Tracie Forman; reader submitted easter eggs and glitches; includes 'What's A Glitch?' sidebar)

Sub Hunt ('The Game World Meets the Real World' by David Lustig)

Game Of The Month ('Bruce Lee: Enter the Joystick!' by Bill Kunkel; Bruce Lee (Apple,Atari,C64 disk) review; includes developer commentary with Ron Fortier and Kelly Day)

Test Lab ('The Atari 800XL: A Lot Of Computer For The Price' by Henry B. Cohen; includes 'Some Things Lost In Translation' sidebar)

Q&A ('Welcome to the Computer Clinic!' by The Game Doctor)

Stand Alone Scene ('Moving Color On A LCD Screen!' by Joyce Worley; stand-alone reviews, each with 'How It Plays' control section:)

• Spitball Sparky (Nintendo; handheld (shown))
• Runaway (Gakken; handheld (shown))
• Snow White (Inventa)

Reader Poll