Videogaming Illustrated Issue 8

PRIMARY SYSTEMS COVERAGE THIS ISSUE

ColecoVision
Intellivision
Odyssey
Coleco ADAM
Atari VCS - 2600
Amiga Power System (aka Amiga Power Module; 2600 add-on system; news coverage, never released)
Commodore VIC-20
Atari 400 - 800 - 1200XL
Atari 600XL - 800XL - 1400XL - 1400XLD (news coverage)
Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Computer
Atari 5200
Ultravision (news coverage, never released)
stand-alones
arcade
pinball

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(The following is loosely based on this issue's table of contents with select article taglines and/or excerpts (noted in quotes) included. (Notes) and bullet lists added for clarity.)

(This issue of VI introduces a new "Chip Ahoy" feature - essentially a gallery of misc. photos, screenshots and artwork related to games covered elsewhere throughout the issue. Also, the video game review section is expanded to now formally list the game publisher and platform for each review, along with a new scoring system (grade scale) for a game's gameplay and graphics.)

The Keyboard (editorial by Executive Editor Tim Moriarty)

Eye On (news section; column headlines:)

• Let The Games Begin (upcoming games sorted by system:)
  • Atari 2600 (from Imagic, Activision, Atari, 20th Century Games)
  • Atari 5200 (from Atari, Tigervision, CBS Electronics)
  • Intellivision (from Imagic, Mattel, CBS Electronics)
  • ColecoVision (from Coleco)
• River Of Sticks (joysticks and hardware:)
  • Triga Command joystick
  • Prostick II, Prostick III
  • Amiga Power-Stick, Power System (cassette add-on system for 2600)
  • The Blaster (turbofire add-on)
  • The Obelisk (gaming furniture)
  • Super Champ Joystick
  • Z-Stick
  • Zircon Track-Ball
• Lemon Aid (used video game stores)
• Battling Binoculars (Tomytronic 3-D handheld games)
• Hi, Billy! Videogaming Illustrated! (online networks; The Games Network, Gameline)
• Short Notes (new game developers; game developers going out of business; Ultravision cancelled)
• Summer and Smoke (upcoming arcade games)
• Out Of Pocket (Video Coin Holder personal quarter dispenser)
• Just Doing My Duty, Sir (US Army, colleges opening arcades)
• Market Blur (Odyssey Command Center (shown); video game, computer markets)
• Mountain or Molehill? (Romox ECPC programmable cartridges for game rentals)
• Quartet (upcoming Atari computers; 600XL, 800XL, 1400XL, 1450XLD)
• Characters In Search Of A User ('The Movie Maker')
• Give That Player The Psycho-Hook (Synapse developer profile)

Preview

E.C. Meade and Jim Clark review the latest videogames. (console videogame reviews, most with box art and screenshot)

• Room of Doom (2600)
• Dishaster (2600)
• Tanks But No Tanks (2600)
• Cosmic Corridor (2600)
• Vanguard (5200)
• Keystone Kapers (2600)
• Happy Trails (Int)
• White Water! (Int)
• M*A*S*H (2600) (aka MASH)
• Mines of Minos (2600)
• Cosmic Swarm (2600)
• Pepper II (Col)
• Truckin' (Int)
• Strawberry Shortcake: Musical Match-Ups (2600)
• Solar Storm (2600)
• G.I. Joe: Cobra Strike (2600)

Focus On: Video Devils of the Deep

A new school of videogames beckons players to explore the silent savagery of the deep sea. (running commentary discussing the following games:)

• Seaquest (2600)
• Shark Attack (2600)
• Jungle Hunt (2600,5200)
• Shark! Shark! (Int)
• Dolphin (2600)
• Fathom (2600,Int)
• Atlantis (2600,5200,Int,Ody)
• Bermuda Triangle (2600)
• Airlock (2600)
• Sea Battle (Int)
• Sub Hunt (Int)
• Polaris (2600)
• Sub Chase (Armored Encounter) (Ody)
• Fishing Derby (2600)
• Frogger (2600)
• Frog Bog (Int)
• Frog and Flies (2600)

Behind the Scenes: Magnavox vs. Mattel

A Blast From the Past. (by Stephen Bent)

Conquering: Space Panic

In space, no one can hear you scheme. (by Michael J. Sittnick; Colecovision game overview and strategy)

Conquering: No Escape

There is literally no escape from this Imagic cartridge for the Atari 2600. There is no winning it either; you play it until the wrath of the gods wears you down. Can this be construed as a theological statement from Imagic? No, just a game that will remain an exciting challenge from now 'till doomsday. (by Robert J. Sodaro; 2600; game overview and strategy; includes 'The True Myth of Jason and the Fleece!' sidebar)

Print Out

E.C. Meade looks at books. (book recommendations and warnings)

• Maze Warps by Vladimir Koziakin
• That Game From Outer Space by Stephen Manes
• Hello, Mr. Chips by Ann Bishop
• Chip Mitchell: The Case of the Stolen Computer Brains by Fred D-ignazio

Input

Our readers write. (letters column)

Media Preview

• Motion Pictures (Jaws 3D, 3D in film)
• Radio ('The Screen Fiend' radio show, featuring video game coverage)
• Home Video (Tape-Mender VHS/Beta repair kit)

Championship Videogaming (reader submitted game strategies and trivia; usually addendums to game guides published in prior issues; includes 'taking it to the streets' section spotlighting arcade games; this issue:)

• Super Pac-Man
• Dragonfire
• Dragonstomper
• Tron
• Pac-Man (arcade)
• Defender (arcade)
• Stargate (arcade)
• Qix (arcade)
• Zaxxon (arcade)

Conquering: Xevious (by Randy Palmer; arcade; game overview and strategy)

Conquering: Arcade Games

Arcade Game Strategies by Randy Palmer.

• Front Line
• Star Trek
• Tron
• Burgertime

Arcadia: Hand Helds

'You've Got The Whole Arcade In Your Hands!' Call them "Portable," "Table-top," "Pocket-size," or "Hand-Held," but the mini-arcade games are opening up a whole new market. (by Richard Meyers; table tops and LCD handhelds discussion, shown (unless noted))

• Pac-Man (Col)
• Galaxian (Col)
• Frogger (Col)
• Donkey Kong (Col)
• Ms. Pac-Man (Col; not shown)
• Zaxxon (Col; not shown)
• Super Cobra (Entex)
• Stargate (Entex)
• Turtles
• Defender (Entex)
• Donkey Kong (Nintendo Game & Watch; b&w photo)
• Donkey Kong II (Donkey Kong Jr.; Nintendo Game & Watch; b&w photo)
• Mario Brothers (Nintendo Game & Watch; not shown)
• Space Invaders (Tiger Toys; b&w photo)
• Burger Time (Mattel; b&w photo)

Computereyes: Adam

"Adam is a computer system which includes a stepped keyboard, letter-quality printer, mass memory drive for its 80K of RAM memory, a word processor built in in ROM, two game controllers, a BASIC program, and a Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom (super) game program. The system will sell for around six hundred dollars." (system overview)

Chip Ahoy

A Preview of Upcoming Games. (image gallery; box art, screenshots, arcade cabinets)

• Crackpots (Activision; 2600)
• Moonsweeper (Imagic; 2600)
• Solar Storm (Imagic; 2600)
• Congo Bongo (Sega; arcade)
• The Activision Decathlon (Activision; 2600)
• Mountain King (CBS Electronics; for Atari computers)
• Boulders and Bombs (CBS Electronics; for Atari computers)

Computereyes: Hardware

Atari's 1200XL. Unto the third generation shall be born a sleeker, friendlier, more versatile and expandable computer. (by Martin Levitan; system overview; includes mention of future 600XL, 800XL, 1400XL and 1450XLD models)

RAMblings

Computergame reviews.

• Pinhead (400,800)
• Keys Of The Wizard (TRS80)
• Serpentine (VIC20)
• Trashman (VIC20)
• Pipes (VIC20)
• Rat Hotel (VIC20)
• Apple Panic (VIC20)
• Choplifter (VIC20)
• The Dark Crystal (Apple II)
• The Alchemist's Laboratory (TRS80)
• Mars Cars (Apple II)
• Shark Treasure (TRS80)

Computereyes: BASIC

On The Software Side. Programming in BASIC - it's as simple as 10,20,30. (by Dale Rupert)

VCI Special: Book of Videogame Lists (list index of videogames, many with screenshots, sorted by genre or frivolous category; part one; includes 'Don't Get Mad, Get Even!' section requesting readers submissions for future Worst Video Game list)

• Slide & Shoot
• Streak & Shoot
• Pivot & Shoot
• Gambling
• Flight
• Stationary Shoot
• Drive
• Mythic Adventure
• First Person Games
• Paddle Controller
• Games Whose Titles Were Changed Prior To Release
• Underwater
• Games With Titles Of Four Letters Or Less
• Alliterative Titles

Video Victor (comic strip)

You Read It Here First

"The novelists named herein were never consulted, and no blame should be attached to them." (comical game ideas and concepts publicly proposed by the Videogaming Illustrated staff)

• Winky by Stephen King
• Narcissa's Whim by Judith Krantz
• Love's Heaving Hickey by Barbara Cartland