Atari Explorer Online: 7-Dec-93 #0221
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 12/11/93-04:49:56 PM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: Atari Explorer Online: 7-Dec-93 #0221
Date: Sat Dec 11 16:49:56 1993
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:: Volume 2 - Issue 21 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 7 December 1993 ::
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:: ::
:: ATARI .............. News, reviews, & solutions ............ ATARI ::
:: EXPLORER ............ for the online Atari .......... EXPLORER ::
:: ONLINE ................. Community .............. ONLINE ::
:: ::
:: Published and Copyright = 1993 by Subspace Publishers ::
:: """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" ::
:: Publisher ........................... Michael Lindsay EXPLORER ::
:: Editor .................................. Travis Guy AEO.MAG ::
:: Assistant Editor GEnie................ Ron Robinson EXPLORER.1 ::
:: Assistant Editor CompuServe.......... Albert Dayes AEO.1 ::
:: Assistant Editor Delphi......... Andreas Barbiero AEO.2 ::
:: Assistant Editor Internet........ Timothy Wilson AEO.8 ::
:: Atari Asylum ................... Gregg Anderson AEO.7 ::
:: Unabashed Atariophile ..... Michael R. Burkley AEO.4 ::
:: Atari Artist ................... Peter Donoso EXPLORER.2 ::
:: ::
:: Contributors: ::
:: """"""""""""" ::
:: Peter Smith ::
:: ::
:: Telecommunicated to you via: ::
:: """""""""""""""""""""""""""" ::
:: GEnie: AEO.MAG ::
:: CompuServe: 70007,3615 ::
:: Delphi: AEO_MAG ::
:: Fnet: AEO Conference, Node 319 ::
:: AtariNet: AEO Conference, Node 51:1/10 ::
:: Internet: aeo.mag@genie.geis.com ::
:: ::
:: Internet subscription service: stzmagazine-request@virginia.edu ::
:: (Internet subscription requests ONLY!) ::
:: ::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Table of Contents
* From the Editors ....................... This is not your father's Atari.
* Dateline: Atari ............... Bob Brodie tells all in this information
packed GEnie Real Time Conference.
* Jaguar Tackboard .................... San Bruno mall show this weekend
Atari replaces defective R/F boxes
* Stalking the Elusive Jaguar ........... Can an anti-Atari gamer fall for
Atari's new Jaguar? One such
Jaded Gamer shows us how.
* Andreas' Den ...................... Andreas makes up for lost time as he
visits Atari for us. TT030s
are back in production!
* Atari Asylum ........................ Reopened and ready for new inmates.
* Battlewheels for the Lynx ...................... Crash'em, smash'em cars.
* The Unabashed Atariophile ................... New PD and Shareware files
for _your_ Atari computer.
* The Lynx Cheat File: Part 1 ............. From [APB] to [Lemmings], Lynx
hints and cheats galore!
* GEnie ST RT News ..................... New files & happenings on Atari's
Official Online Resource.
* Developing News ........................... Computer Musicians Coalition
New IAAD Board
Photo Show Professional
Technation's sonavista
Cyberdrome 1.2
* Shutdown ............................ Around the world and up your block.
--==--==--==--==--
||| From the Editors ....... Atari Explorer Online: The Next Generation
||| Travis Guy
/ | \ GEnie: AEO.MAG Delphi: AEO_MAG Internet: aeo.mag@genie.geis.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to this issue of Atari Explorer Online, your window to events
happening in the World Atari.
The Atari Jaguar is still the main point of interest - as well as
Atari's reaction to customer problems. It seems that the RF
switchboxes that Atari bought to include with the first shipments of
Jags were causing horrific amounts of interference on the video
displays. Jaguar nay-sayers immediately pounced on the problem, saying
things like "Atari's dumping old 2600 switchboxes" and "Is this 64-bit
power?"
The very next day at Atari Corp., steps were began to isolate and
correct the problem. The result is Atari held up shipments of Jaguars
until they could secure new autoswitching RF boxes. Atari also has
indicated that they will replace the defective RF boxes for current
customers and that if a customer had taken it upon his/herself to
replace their own box, Atari would "make good" to them by offering a
S-Video or composite A/V cable!
This won't quiet the nay-sayers, but I feel it is a clear indication
that Atari Corp. is serious about customer satisfaction, and that they
will do what they have to to make the Jaguar's introduction a success.
For more Jaguar information, please read the Dateline: Atari
transcript (heck, read it two, three times!), as well as Andreas'
articles in this issue. (Welcome back, Andreas!)
Another "Welcome back" goes out to the Atari Asylum's Gregg Anderson.
Gregg has been Atariless for the past few months, and with his recent
purchase of a Mega STe, has picked up where he had left off. It's good
to have him back around again.
A name that hasn't graced an Atari publication in many, many years is
back as well. Peter Smith, better known of late to GEnie gamers as
"The Jaded Gamer," succumbed to the lure of the Jaguar. Peter had left
the Atari community years ago, vowing to never buy Atari again. His
article shows that the Jaguar has the appeal to almost mystically draw
attention. (Not to mention that he finds Cybermorph to be an
outstanding game.) Peter represents the type of crowd Atari needs to
attract. It's good to have you "back in the fold" Peter.
Albert's COMDEX articles in the last issue caused me to bump the
appearance of the first half of the Lynx Cheat File. Now if I had
only deleted any reference to it in my editorial also.... It's in
here, with the second half already set for the next issue.
Also, looking ahead to the next issue of AEO, there'll be the Second
Annual AEO Readers' Survey. It's vitally important that we keep in
touch with you, our readers, so be prepared to dictate to us how you
want AEO to focus on things.
Before I go, let me draw your attention to the shuttle astronauts who
are busy repairing the Hubble Space Telescope even as I type this.
When I was a kid back in the sixties, being an astronaut was the
coolest thing one could imagine. Over the past few nights, watching
the video of the repair work in process has brought back some of that
excitement. They're truly playing with high-tech toys! Our best to the
Endeavour's crew on their "house call" and a safe trip back home!
Jaguars are HOT! Atari is making good, and working on making it
better. TT030s are coming off the production line. Let's keep our cool
out there, and we'll see you back in two weeks. Happy Holidays!
Have you played Atari today?
--==--==--==--==--
||| Dateline: Atari
||| Captured and Edited by: Travis Guy
/ | \ Courtesy: GEnie Atari ST RoundTable
-----------------------------------------------------------------
<[Host] ST.LOU> Before getting started, some business about how an
RTC works. While the RTC room is in Listen-Only mode, you can only
address our guest when I let you talk. To get my attention, just
/RAIse your hand. Just enter this from your keyboard: /rai
<[Host] ST.LOU> I'll acknowledge your raised hand as soon as I can,
but please be patient. I will let you know when your turn is coming
up.
<[Host] ST.LOU> Some other RTC commands are:
/hel - Lists all RTC commands.
/sta - Status (list) of everyone in the RTC room.
/exi - Exit the RTC, but you remain logged onto GEnie.
/bye - Log off of GEnie directly from the RTC.
/rai - Raise your hand. Lets me know you wish to address our guest.
/nam - Lets you change your nickname.
<[Host] ST.LOU> Welcome to the December edition of Dateline Atari
with Bob Brodie. I am going to keep my introductory comments REAL
short because the last time Bob joined us - so did over 100 people!
With that many people, some were disappointed that we ran out of time
and could not answer their questions. No doubt the focus of tonight's
Real Time Conference will be the Jaguar's outstanding rollout in New
York and San Francisco. I am sure Bob will talk about Atari's
fantastic success with this incredible product. Before beginning, I
would also encourage you 'gamers' to check out the new Jaguar CATegory
in the Bulletin Board. May I suggest you begin by downloading the
fast-accumulating archive files! Now, heeeeeeeeeeere's BOB!!!!
<BOB-BRODIE> It's great to be on GEnie for our monthly Dateline:
Atari! Session. I'd like to take this opportunity to extend my
wishes for Happy Holidays to all Atarians. May this holiday season be
full of joy for you and those that you hold dear!!
<BOB-BRODIE> We've got a lot to talk about as we head for the
holidays, and some of the much sought after Jaguar T-Shirts to give
away tonight, so let's get started!!
<BOB-BRODIE> Tonight, I'm once again coming to you from the East
Coast. This session of Dateline: Atari finds me as guest of Ron
Kovacs of Z*Net News Service. Atari has sent me to the New Jersey/New
York area to visit the retailers that are presently carrying the
Jaguar. I'll be here for five days, returning to Sunnyvale late
Friday night. I'm grateful that Ron has opened his home to me for
dinner this evening, and to do tonight's RTC. This also marks the
first time we've had a Dateline: Atari
<BOB-BRODIE> Following the roll out event in New York last month, we
began shipping the Atari Jaguar, our new 64 bit multimedia
entertainment system. Consumer acceptance has been outstanding, and
we are working to accelerate shipments to meet demand as quickly as
possible. Virtually every retailer that is carrying the Jaguar has
sold out their present allocation!! We will be shipping additional
quantities of Jaguars today, and next week. Our roll out hasn't gone
entirely smoothly, though. We have had some consumers report that
they had problems with poor image quality on the screen. Upon
investigation, we discovered that some of the RF switchboxes, which
were supplied by an outside vendor, did not meet our specifications.
We stopped shipping Jaguars briefly in order to remove the defective
switchboxes, while we acquired an acceptable replacement unit. The
new RF switch box is upgraded from the initial RF box, in that it is
an auto switching unit. In the event that there are people that still
have the defective switch box, they can call our 800 service number,
1-800-GO-ATARI. We will be happy to send them a new switch box at no
charge. For those customers that have already obtained another
switchbox, or do not wish to wait for Atari to replace their defective
switch box, Atari will send them free of charge their choice of an
S-Video or Composite Video cable. These customers should call
1-800-GO-ATARI, and return their defective switchbox. Please remember
that this 800 number is strictly a service number.
<BOB-BRODIE> Atari regrets any inconvenience that this might have
caused our customers. On a personal note, I read a number of posts
on-line speculating that Atari might have utilized old RF boxes from
the Atari 2600, XE Game System, or other products. That's simply not
true. Ironically enough, if we had been as cheap as some of our
critics would have you believe, there probably wouldn't be any problem
with the RF boxes in the Jaguars! <grin> While this has been an
unfortunate happenstance, it does underscore the value of doing a test
market to discover any problems before going national with a new
product.
<BOB-BRODIE> The weekend following the New York launch event, Atari
conducted a promotional event at the Newport Mall in New Jersey.
We're pleased to report that the event was a tremendous success!
Thousands of youngsters participated, and enjoyed a hands on
experience with the Jaguar!! Atari is pleased to announce tonight
that there will be another mall presentation of the Jaguar, this time
at the Tanforan Mall in San Bruno , CA. This mall is located off of
Interstate-380 and El Camino Real, not too far from San Francisco
International Airport. We'll be at the mall on this coming weekend,
December 11-12. Those of you in the Bay Area that haven't had a first
hand look at the Jaguar should stop by this event. We'll be giving
away Jaguar T-shirts, and Jaguar caps at this event as well.
<BOB-BRODIE> I've been swamped with requests for Jaguar units for
reviewers, the amount of attention that Atari is garnering for the
Jaguar is simply _HUGE_. Atari has had the Jaguar showcased on the
CBS Morning News, The Today Show, we're going to be on "Good Morning
America!" during their hot Christmas gift giving segment the holidays.
The Jaguar will also be featured in "Hi-Tech Toys for the Holidays"
segment of the "Next Step" program produced by The Discovery Channel
and KRON-TV, Channel 4 in San Francisco. Those of you in the Bay Area
will be able to see this segment of "Next Step" on Friday, December
17th at 8:00 PM on Channel 4. Nationally, the show will be available
on The Discovery Channel, which airs on Tuesdays at 9:30 PM. Show
host Richard Hart is also the high technology reporter for KRON-TVs
NewsCenter 4. KRON-TV is the San Francisco NBC affiliate.
<BOB-BRODIE> The latest edition of "Die Hard Game Fan" is hitting the
streets now, with Cybermorph on the cover of their current issue. Die
Hard Game Fan reviewers made Cybermorph their Game of the Month,
rating it 99, 98, 98, and 96!!! Be sure to check out this issue of
Die Hard Game Fan, it has close to 8 full color pages of Jaguar
coverage. They also review the next game due out for the Jaguar;
Trevor McFur in the Crescent Galaxy, and a terrific poster of
Cybermorph that their staff artist created!! The current issue of
Electronic Gaming Monthly also has a "Future Wave" coverage of the
Jaguar version of Raiden!! Trevor McFur in The Crescent Galaxy is due
at Atari next week, with Raiden due in Christmas week. Evolution:
Dino Dudes was the last of our titles to be released by our game
testers, and should be in the stores shortly after Christmas. Be on
the lookout for other Jaguar coverage in Game Pro, Video Games, ST
Format, and ST Informer Magazines!!
<BOB-BRODIE> On the review front, I'm doing the best I can to keep up
with the demand for review units, but there are bound to be a few
people that will be upset if they don't receive a Jaguar for review.
If you have a particular publication that you feel would be useful for
Atari to have the Jaguar reviewed in, please feel free to send me a
note in GEnie mail with your suggestion. I've been amazed at some of
the publications that are excited about the Jaguar, including
publications that normally just review video products, rather than
video games. Atari has also been contacted by a number of more
"mainstream" publications that are very interested in the Jaguar.
Sometimes it feels like anyone that has ever written an article is
queueing up to request a Jaguar review unit. We're being a little bit
careful about where the units go right now. As our supply of Jaguar
units increases, we'll be getting out even more units for review. For
the time being, I'm concentrating on the magazines, with the
newspapers and free lance writers taking a back seat.
<BOB-BRODIE> On the Lynx front, this week will mark the beginning of
the Lynx TV ads that we're going to begin running. These ads will be
in the same markets (NY and San Francisco) where we are presently
doing our Jaguar TV ads. The print ads for the Lynx have been running
concurrently with the Jaguar ads. The Lynx print ads will be changing
to reflect a new promotion that we're running for the Lynx - Buy a
Lynx between now and Super Bowl Sunday (January 24th, 1994), and we'll
send you a FREE Lynx NFL Football Game Cartridge! There are coupon
pads being mailed to all of our retail partners now for this
promotion. Your cost for the game is just $3.50 for shipping and
handling. Be sure to check the next issue of Atari Explorer Online
Magazine for all the details on this special purchase promotion. By
the way, Atari Explorer Online Magazine is also preparing some very
nice GIF pics of the pin outs for the S-Video and Composite cables for
those of you that just can't wait for them to get to the stores! AEO
will also have some GIFs of the Jaguar roll out event in New York very
soon as well. They used a Migraph Color Scanner with a Falcon030 to
scan some 35mm photos from the event. I'm sure you'll enjoy seeing
them!
<BOB-BRODIE> On the computer front, we continue to have an excellent
supply of Falcon030s in stock. The new Migraph Color Scanner for the
Falcon is really terrific, and Cubase Audio for Falcon is getting rave
reviews in the Music field!! According to one of our rep firms,
Cubase Audio has capabilities that would cost a Mac or PC owner over
$7,000 more to obtain!
<BOB-BRODIE> With that...<whew!> I'm ready to conclude my remarks and
take any questions, Lou. Let's get started!!
<[Host] ST.LOU> Before taking questions, a reminder that the Jaguar
T-shirts will be given away to the 4 persons who answer the skill
testing question. HINT: The answer is in that massive text file that
Bob just uploaded :-) <Too bad for you folks scrolling at 9600> :-)
OK, here we go with Hydraxxus.
<[Hydraxxus] J.GERMAN3> Bob, as you may have seen I posted a question
about other nets getting news about Atari before GEnie And complained
that I thought this was THE place for Atari news....what's the scoop?
GA
<[Host] ST.LOU> By the way, folks... just one question tonight.
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Jim. Well I think what you're really referring to is
Sam's postings. He's been playing around with Aladdin, but not with a
lot of success. On the other hand, he was really impressed with how
easy CIM was to set up. I'm trying out some of the new things like
Oracle for GEnie to see if I can make it easier for him to get on
GEnie. He's using a Falcon, and an IBM laptop. He doesn't care for
Aladdin on either one. I'm in constant contact with AEO, and am
online as much as possible. But as I indicated in my opening
remarks, I'm out of the office now visiting retailers. That doesn't
leave very much time for being online. I'm trying to get here more
often, but it's tought. oops, that's tough. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Thanks, Bob. Give me a sec to record all the /RAI :-)
Swamped at the moment :-) Next we have Shadow.
<[Shadow] D.VANTREASE> What's the tentative release date of the CD
unit, and price? And will there be software bundled with it? (CD unit
for Jaguar, that is!) GA
<BOB-BRODIE> Shadow, the CD is set for mid 94. At this point, we
envision a price of approx $200. No plans re the CDs at this point.
ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> On to Travis at Atari Explorer Online.
<[Noles #1!] AEO.MAG> Hi Bob, Ron. Bob, AEO thanks you for you
dedication to online users. You do a terrific job that many just can
realize. First, congratulations to Atari. The way it looks, the Jaguar
is already a winner with consumers. Bob, I suppose you have had time
to read the response to your letter to Electronic Gaming Monthly in
which they make some pretty interesting claims. Would you care to
respond to them tonight? ga
<BOB-BRODIE> I thought some one might want to ask about that
tonight... When I wrote the letter to Electronic Gaming Monthly, I
was truly surprised that they told their readers that we were
responsible for the lack of Lynx coverage in their magazine. When I
saw the response to my letter that they printed, I was really upset!
<BOB-BRODIE> First of all, you have to understand that prior to my
taking over the relationships with the game mags, they were handled by
Juli Wade. She had been asking EGM to return the Black Box that they
had for a couple of years. Every time she asked them to return it,
they denied having a Black Box. (We knew that they had one...our
staff in our Chicago office gave them one.) It wasn't until she
resorted to asking them to return it so it could be modified to work
with the Jaguar that they finally returned the box that they had
denied having for YEARS! And they have the gall to say honesty is the
best policy?!?!?!?
<BOB-BRODIE> While they bemoan our supposed lack of support, we
agreed to meet with EGM Editor Ed Semrad the day after our initial
Jaguar press conference in Sunnyvale because he couldn't make it to
the "real" press conference. Ed was given hours of exclusive, hand on
time to question myself and Bill Rehbock, all without the hassle of
the crowd that the other media had to contend with at the press
conference. Ed makes regular trips monthly to the Silicon Valley to
visit Electronic Arts, Sega, Capcom, 3DO, and other companies. I
invited him to visit us on his next trip, but he chose not to.
Instead, he returned to our office two months later, complaining about
the fact that other mags had screen shots that he didn't. So even
though other publications had obtained the shots that AEO had uploaded
for us, I modemed all of the screen shots (close to 14 megs) to EGMs
offices so Ed wouldn't have to mess around with a Syquest.
<BOB-BRODIE> When EGM called to ask for a Jaguar unit so they could
have coverage in their issue for CES, I personally got the unit
shippped out from a Fed Ex office that accepts shipments past the
normal cut off times. I sent them out a unit that had literally just
come back in to the office from the Newport Mall event in New Jersey.
<BOB-BRODIE> I'm very sorry that EGM seems to think they aren't
getting proper support. The fact is that the support we've been
giving EGM _IS_ what they need, but it is not what _they want_! Other
magazines print reviews of Lynx games with the very same support from
Atari. For EGM to say that they can't write about the Lynx simply
isn't true. If they were really honest, they would have said that
they WON'T write about the Lynx.
<BOB-BRODIE> But then again, if they were really honest, they would
have returned our Black Box when we asked for it. Instead, they
denied having one for YEARS!
<BOB-BRODIE> Mind you, this is the same magazine that constantly
insults Atari in print. In one publication, they ran a column telling
people what to do to get on the cover of EGM. One of the suggestions
was new hardware always gets on the cover...unless it's from Atari.
Another column ran the top ten reasons that the Jaguar will fail.
There were two versions of that column. One of them ran in a sister
publication of theirs called "HERO Illustrated". According to them,
the number one reason that the Jaguar will fail was Sam Tramiel. I
was shocked to see that they were so very personal, so nasty, in their
attack on Atari.
<BOB-BRODIE> The last time Ed was in our building, we discussed all
of these things with him. Ed assured us that he just wanted to run a
quality magazine from an editorial standpoint. Sam Tramiel personally
spoke to Ed, and simply told Ed that he didn't know what the problem
was between EGM and Atari. Sam asked Ed for a better relationship,
and for all the nasty commentary to stop. We have even started
advertising with EGM, like the other game magazines.
<BOB-BRODIE> After everything Atari has gone out of our way to do, I'm
shocked that Ed would be so arrogant, so very nasty in his reply to my
letter. If they choose to ignore the needs of their readers, that's
they're choice. We've seen what happens to other publications that
ignore their readers needs, and continually insult and belittle people
in their publication, like STR. They burn _all_ of their bridges,
alienating consumers and industry people alike, and then wonder why
they don't get any information. I hope that EGM won't be foolhardy
enough to continue down that path.
<BOB-BRODIE> At this point, I recommend that you read Game Pro, Die
Hard Game Fan, or Video Games to get the best Atari coverage.
<[Host] ST.LOU> Wow... were you expecting that question? :-)
<BOB-BRODIE> Or of course, AtariUser Magazine. ga
<[Noles #1!] AEO.MAG> I think we all should give Bob a round of
applause for the job he does. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Thanks Travis. Bob, let's welcome Nate to the RTC>
<[Nate] L.JESSE> Bob, first, what is Atari doing about third party
licensees such as electronic arts and Capcom, etc.? Secondly, what
options do i have, I'm from Illinois, to get a Jaguar before X-Mas? GA
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Nate, we've signed up over 35 licensees at this
point. EA is not on the list yet, which is no surprise considering
Trip Hawkins close involvement with 3DO.
<[Host] ST.LOU> Folks, there are 14 in queue. I will get to you ASAP.
Thanks for being patient. GA, Bob
<BOB-BRODIE> However, EA is really much more of a publisher, than a
developer. We've gotten a number of licensees that have been
published by EA, like Park Place. Re Capcom, they have requested a
development unit, and we're expecting to have a meeting with their
staff in Japan at some point.
<[Host] ST.LOU> REMINDER... the answer to our T-Shirt Draw question
is in Bob's opening remarks.
<BOB-BRODIE> Being from Illinois is tough right now. I was reading
in the BB earlier tonight about a number of people being told by
Babbages that we had dropped the ball. I'm certain that this is just a
misunderstanding by the personnel in the store. We've been very clear
with their corporate management that we would prefer they restrict
their shipments into just SF and New York. If they go out of those
areas, they are diluting the product availability to the target areas.
ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Thanks. Now Sam RAPP!
<[Sam_030] SAM-RAPP> Bob... When will you be shipping Jags to those
of us that ordered from Atari Direct? It has been almost a month
since you charged my credit card! I figured you were waiting for the
next batch of T-shirts, so you could send one along! Would it help if
I had only ordered the console, instead of an extra controller and two
other games? Thanks! GA
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Sam, the Jaguars will be shipped to you so that they
will arrive before Christmas. I wish I could be more specific, but I
cannot give you a more accurate statement at this time. Remember that
the units are really being shipped by IBM. So for the orders that are
sent out from Sunnyvale, we have to get a shipment from IBM before we
can ship, too. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Ooops, I missed Hal. Here he is now. GA Hal.
<[Hal] H.SCHEIE> I have a Jag on order from J&R, I'll get it in their
next shipment .Any chance it will be this week?
<BOB-BRODIE> I don't have the exact allocations on hand, Hal. I
believe so, but can't guarantee that. Please, remember that I'm NOT
in the office right now. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Sean from Processor Direct
<[Sean@TWP] P-DIRECT> Good evening Bob, easy question for you
tonight: Are any developers are making an indepth flight sim for the
Jaguar, and if not could you pass the hint on to them? <grin> GA
<BOB-BRODIE> Can you say Microprose? ga
<[Sean@TWP] P-DIRECT> Not chopper.. GA
<BOB-BRODIE> Fighter sims, jet sims, etc.
<[Host] ST.LOU> Sounds good to me. Next we have Ken.
<[Ken] K.STEVENS1> Hey Bob, still waiting for my direct order Jag
(hint, hint). Question, how many titles are being developed/ready for
the Jag CD? (By the way,how do you give a round of applause on a
computer?) ga
<BOB-BRODIE> <Clap, Clap, Clap> Ken, I know of several titles being
developed, but I'd rather not get into specifics right now. They are
just getting up to speed on the system. Remember, CD games take
around 500+ megabytes of data. That's a lot of stuff to develop. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Moving along to Kid Metal.
<[Kid Metal] M.MURPHY31> Howdy from Texas, Bob. Will the INcredible
Universe in Dallas get any Jags to sell before the national roll-out?
GA
<BOB-BRODIE> Yes ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Oh..... Mark Warner is next. GA Mark. Welcome
<[Mark Warner] M.WARNER8> Bob, can you tell me what other games beside
Alien v Predator are due out in January? I also want to comment on
how impressed I have been with way Atari has handled the RF problem.
(whoops thats "with THE way") ga
<BOB-BRODIE> Thanks Mark. I've been really tied up getting out and
dealing with the review unit issues, so I'm about a week behind in
that info. Maybe more. At this point, I know that we're hard at work
on Tiny Toons, AvP, and Club Drive. But after AvP, I'm not sure about
release dates. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Charles Smeton of NewSTar is our next guest, Bob.
<C.S.SMETON> Hi Bob. Thanks for sending Crescent Galaxy, an extra game
controller, and the Jaguar T-Shirts and Hats to the ToadFest. Toad
Computers donated a Jaguar that was raffled off and which raised over
$500 for Habitat for Humanity. The Jaguar was the main attraction at
the show. With the Jaguar being the main focus at Atari, I have heard
numerous rumors that the outside of TT's for Jaguar Development Kits,
there is little to no activity on the computer end of things at Atari.
As a developer with a vested interest in the computer end, do you have
any encouraging words? GA
<BOB-BRODIE> Charles, we're still very interested in the computer
business. We're looking for applications that will give people a
reason to select an Atari over the competition. Programs like Cubase
Audio do just that. We don't have any intention of giving up on the
computer business. But in order to do the Jaguar properly, it's
requiring just about all of our resources. At least in the manpower
segment. ga
<C.S.SMETON> Thanks Bob, I just hope that we can hang in there until
the resource allocation shifts a bit ;-) ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Thanks Charles.
<BOB-BRODIE> Charles, me too. Me too. Please keep... in mind that
we've also publically talked about using the Jag as a CPU at some
point.
<[Host] ST.LOU> Next we have Hydraxxus... then Hassen
<[Hydraxxus] J.GERMAN3> Earlier you mentioned MP. Did you mean to say
you would pass the word or that they were working on titles? (Clap,
clap, clap {for the Jaguar, it's a great machine, I like mine}) (nice
tie)
<BOB-BRODIE> Jim, they are working on titles. Glad you like your
Jaguar...I wish I had more time to play!! ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Now Hassen
<[Hassen] H.HAMMOUD> Hello Bob. I was in Toys R us on Friday here in
Indiana. They had no Lynx carts at all, nor did they expect to be
getting any. What's up? Also, will there be an Asteriods port to the
Jag???(I still love that game.) GA
<[Hydraxxus] J.GERMAN3> Gee, free question?
<BOB-BRODIE> Hassen, we've had a problem with the Lynx in Toys R Us
for quite awhile. However, that has been resolved, and they will be
getting them, along with some promotional material regarding the Lynx
NFL Football game. ga Re Asteroids, we're talking abouti t. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> OK On to Matt Rivman.
<[Matt] M.RIVMAN1> Hi Bob, and thanks yet again, for being here! The
question is just a bit off the Jaguar topic... Any ideas about the
late financial statement from Atari? I'm a somewhat new investor and
would like to keep up! GA
<[Host] ST.LOU> You folks are being terrific... and patient. Still 15
in the queue.
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Matt. We've been so busy with the press of business
for the Jaguar that we asked the SEC for an extension to file. We
should be releasing the numbers very soon. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> OK, now we have J.Hardie.
<J.HARDIE> Bob, does Atari have any plans to attend the January CES in
Vegas? Also, how about filling us in on the Crescent Galaxy cheat? ga
<BOB-BRODIE> Yes, we will be at CES in January in our own booth.
Because the booth allocation occurs so early, we didn't get a prime
space. So our booth will be small, but we'll probably have at least
one suite, too. Re Crescent Galaxy...if I told you now, it'd ruin all
the fun for everyone else! :) Suffice it to say that it requires an
extra controller, and there are some specific codes you input for
things. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Time out, Bob. If you folks have already /RAI but
were not acknowledged by me, please /RAI again now. I think I have
everyone in queue.... On we go to Jungle Jim.
<[Dave] D.SMITH200> Bob, are there any plans to interface the Jaguar
with existing Atari computers to handle I/O processing for advanced
graphics applications? If not, it might be something to consider... ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> What just happened? hmmmm.....
<BOB-BRODIE> Dave, we're certainly interested in using the Jaguar
technology across all of our product lines.
<[Host] ST.LOU> Dave, what is your Job #
<BOB-BRODIE> And we've had a lot of "feelers" from other people
looking to use it on their systems as well. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Oh oh... Jungle Jim was 51. JJ... please /RAI now to
get your question There he is....!
<[Jaguar Jim] J.THORNHILL> Bob, while in N.Y. did you happen to stop
by ACCLAIM's offices for a little 3rd party chat? Yes, sorry!
<[Host] ST.LOU> GA Bob
<BOB-BRODIE> Actually, their R & D office is in Chicago I think. :)
I've got a pretty full schedule, Jim. Mostly with retailers and the
press. Bill Rehbock will handle the developers. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Here's Travis!
<[Noles #1!] AEO.MAG> Bob, I'm sure that the "make good" policy on the
switchboxes and the extra A/V cables will go a long way to showing
people that Atari Corp. is deadly serious about satisfying its
customers. Are you having to visit all the dealers in the NY area, or
just the regional offices? (If you weren't so busy, I'd ask you for a
report for the next AEO. <big, winky grin!>) ga
<BOB-BRODIE> Well there are over 150 dealers in the NY area. And I'm
only here for 5 days, so I won't get to all of them. But I am
visiting the stores, not the regional offices. We have a rep that is
doing that. Thanks for the kind comment about the switch
boxes/cables. We're upset about it, too! Heck, we paid for the bad
stuff just like our customers did!!! ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> T. Lipsky. Step up to the mic GA T.Lipsky
<T.LIPSKY> Bob, Microsoft has expressed intrest in the home market
including Childrens software, has Atari been approached by Microsoft
regarding the JAguar. ga
<BOB-BRODIE> No comment. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> OK... then we have L.GRACE next
<L.GRACE2> Hi Bob. will the success of the Jag help fund marketing
for TOS machines? i.e. Falcons. Thanks GA
<BOB-BRODIE> Yes, in fact we have talked about at some point using the
Jaguar chipset for a TOS machine. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> On to Harj Nagra from Toronto!
<[Harj] H.NAGRA1> When is that Kasumi Ninja game due out? And how
does it compare to Mortal Kombat?
<BOB-BRODIE> Again, I'm a little bit behind on the software release
schedule right now. I suspect that it might be the late 2nd quarter.
It's designed to be a competitor to Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter
II, with lots of blood and gore. :)
<[Host] ST.LOU> GA, Bob?
<BOB-BRODIE> Nope..just clearing the capture buffer. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Steve Johnson is here....
<[DrHfuhruhurr] STEVE-J> Have any new retailers (and developers)
signed on that you'd care to mention? There is talk that Sears,
Montgomery Ward, and even the vehemently anti-Atari Software Etc. are
getting a bit of an itch to carry the Jaguar. GA
<BOB-BRODIE> Sears and Montgomery Ward are coming on board during the
national rollout. Software Etc. is not on the list at this point. We
have a few other developers that we signed on, but I want to hold off
on the announcements so we can coordinate everything properly with
their PR firm. One of the other retailers that I think is very
interesting is Blockbuster Video. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Apollo is next.
<[Apollo] N.CHANDLER> Modem? Head to Head? Multi-Player Network(s)
(Like here on GEnie)? Any plans for this type of gaming? :)
<[Host] ST.LOU> GA Apollo.
<BOB-BRODIE> Yes, yes, yes!!! In fact, we think that some of the
multiplayer networks espoused like the Sega Channel might be better
served by a cartridge that allowed you to dial into GEnie to play
online games here! The keypad on the controller is perfect for that
kind of stuff!!! ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> We're going to Shadow, then our draw question.
<[Shadow] D.VANTREASE> Bob, when will the S-Video/composite 'adapter'
be available, and can I order it directly from Atari? Every time I
call, they say they have stopped taking orders! Know a price on the
adapter? Also, any _longer_ cables coming? (AvP date? :-)
<BOB-BRODIE> It really isn't an adapter. It's a cable that plugs on
to the A/V connector on the back of the Jaguar. The S-Video and the
Composite units are not the same. They are separate cables. You will
be able to order it, but we're not taking any more orders on Jaguar
product at this point until we have fulfilled the orders that we have
in hand. I'd guess (emphasis on guess) that the cables will go for
around $15-20. The pricing hasn't been set yet. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> After the contest we have K.Swift, Rob Anisko,
P.Irwin, Nate, Chris C., Steve-J, Hassen, T.Hebel and C.Oates. Did I
miss anyone? use the /RAI now! OK
<BOB-BRODIE> ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> I added jobs 33, 10, 25, and 23 to the queue. That
will be it for tonight.
Now for the contest.
The Rules:
Only paying members are eligible! No free accounts :-)
Bob will post the question.
Type your answer and don't hit RETURN until
you see that the room is in TALK-MODE.
The first four correct answers judged by Bob and Ron
will win a FREE Jaguar T-Shirt!
OK Bob.... the question please!
<BOB-BRODIE> In my opening remarks, I mentioned that Atari is now
doing a special offer to people that purchase a Lynx between now and
January 24, 1994. What is the FREE game that you get when you
purchase the Lynx?
<[Host] ST.LOU> 60 seconds.
30 seconds
15 seconds
10,
** <[Host] ST.LOU> Room is now in the talk mode.
<[Sean@TWP] P-DIRECT> Lynx NFL Football
<[Phil] P.HANZE> NFL football
<[Sam_030] SAM-RAPP> NFL FOOTBALL
<[Stargazer] L.HINSLEY> NFL Football
<J.HARDIE> nfl football
<[Sean@TWP] P-DIRECT> Lynx NFL Football
<[=Tom=] T.MCCOMB> NFL FOOTBALL
<[Hassen] H.HAMMOUD> NFL Football
<[Hydraxxus] J.GERMAN3> NFL football !!!!!
<[Harj] H.NAGRA1> NFL Football!
<L.GRACE2> NFL Foorball
<[Nate] L.JESSE> nfl football
<A.SZILAGYI> nfl football
<C.S.SMETON> NFL Football Game Cartridge for the Lynx
<[Dave] D.SMITH200> NFL Football
<[Tim] T.OSBORNE> NFL Football
<[Iver] I.POSSEHL1> Iver Possehl: NFL Football
<T.LIPSKY> red baron
<E.BAIZ> nfl football
<[Rick] R.RIMKEVICUS> Pit Fighter
<[Apollo] N.CHANDLER> NFL Football
<K.ANDERSON41> NFL football
<[Zombie] R.ANISKO> Lynx NFL?
<P.IRWIN> nfl football
<[Kim] K.SWIFT> Chips Challenge? Just a guess!
<JOHN.KING.T> In 'N Out Burger, the game.
<[Ted] J.PATTERSON3> Batman Returns
<[Dave] D.SHORR> Lynx NFL Football Game cartridge
<[Doug] D.ASHTON1> NFL Football
<[Parrot Head] C.CASSADAY> Nfl Football
<[Ken] K.STEVENS1> NFL Football
<[Spud Boy] T.HEBEL> NFL Football for the Lynx
<R.BINGHAM2> Summer Games?
<D.ENGEL> Lemmings!
<[Moe] R.MOORE12> NFL Football NFL Football
<[Shadow] D.VANTREASE> NFL Football ('94) !!!!!!
<[DrHfuhruhurr] STEVE-J> NFL Football
<[Matt] M.RIVMAN1> NFL Football
<[Sir Fransis] K.DRAKE> Warbirds
<[Sam_030] SAM-RAPP> NFL FOOTBALL
<[James] J.VOGH> Lynx NFL Football Game
<J.HARDIE>
<[Jaguar Jim] J.THORNHILL> nfl football,
<D.FRANCOEUR> NFL FOOTBALL
<[Hal] H.SCHEIE> NFL FOOTBALL
<T.LIPSKY> nfl foodtball
<[Zombie] R.ANISKO>
<[Noles #1!] AEO.MAG> "Crash & Burn"?
<[Sam_030] SAM-RAPP> NFL FOOTBALL
<[Zombie] R.ANISKO>
<[Sam_030] SAM-RAPP> NFL FOOTBALL NFL FOOTBALL NFL FOOTBALL
<R.BINGHAM2> Do!
<[Sam_030] SAM-RAPP> NFL FOOTBALL
<[Ron] EXPLORER.1> Ralph's World
<[Sam_030] SAM-RAPP> NFL FOOTBALL NFL FOOTBALL NFL FOOTBALL
<D.ENGEL> Sonic The RoadKill?
<[Hydraxxus] J.GERMAN3> Hawaii time lag!!!!!!!!
<MIKE-ALLEN> tramiel vs. predator.
<[Sam_030] SAM-RAPP> NFL FOOTBALL NFL FOOTBALL NFL FOOTBALL
<[Hassen] H.HAMMOUD> Super Asteroids
<[Sam_030] SAM-RAPP> NFL FOOTBALL
<[DrHfuhruhurr] STEVE-J> Gee, Sam!
<[Sean@TWP] P-DIRECT> Kill Sam! Please!
<[Matt] M.RIVMAN1> NFL FOOTBALL
** <[Host] ST.LOU> Room is now listen-only.
<[Host] ST.LOU> Ralph's World??? :-) OK Bob.... check your buffer and
declare the winners. after I let you talk.... :-) GA Bob :-)
<BOB-BRODIE> The winning answer was NOT Flaming UPS Trucks in
Jacksonville.
<[Host] ST.LOU> Hahahaha
<BOB-BRODIE> The correct answer is NFL Football.
<[Host] ST.LOU> Jacksonville Jaguars? OK... looks like Sean D.
<BOB-BRODIE> The winners are: P-Direct, P.Hanze, Sam-Rapp, L.Hinsley
<[Host] ST.LOU> Phil Hanze, Stargazer and Sam! Congratulations.
Please send your mailing addresses to ST.LOU and I will forward
everything to Bob. OK? Bob is NOT in Sunnyvale right now.
<BOB-BRODIE> Sam really doesn't want the shirt. He just wanted to
win.
<[Host] ST.LOU> Not much! :-)
<BOB-BRODIE> :) <ducking>
<[Host] ST.LOU> Oh... and send your sizes!!!! with your addresses.
King, what size for you? :-)
<BOB-BRODIE> Congratulations, gang! You're gonna love 'em. Very high
quality Hanes T-Shirts. If you're an XXL, don't be shy about it.
I've got 'em.
<JOHN.KING.T> Mine is an XXL and it fits all 320 pounds of me.
<[Host] ST.LOU>a I am getting some very funny /sends :-)
<[Host] ST.LOU> OK....
<BOB-BRODIE> Yeah, but you gotta dry clean it, King.
<[Host] ST.LOU> Now to finish off the queue. NO MORE /Raises please.
K.SWift
<[Kim] K.SWIFT> Is Atari planning a computer based on the PowerPC chip
set? I want to buy a computer in summer 1994 and that's when the
PowerPC is coming out. To be honest, I'm very tempted. I'd like to
see an AtariPOWER system for s/w compatibility.
<[Kim] K.SWIFT> ga
<BOB-BRODIE> We've talked about it a lot, Kim. We're longtime
partners with Motorola, and now with IBM, the Power PC becomes very
tempting. However, the Jag chipset is VERY appealing, too. At this
point, we haven't decided. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Rob Anisko is next.
<[Zombie] R.ANISKO> Bob, just curious about the origins of Microsoft
Arcade, or that is, how 5 classic Atari games landed up on the old
Windows platform? just hearing about this made me go "hmmm" :-)
<[Zombie] R.ANISKO>
<[Zombie] R.ANISKO> ga
<BOB-BRODIE> We did a licensing deal with Microsoft so they could do
the arcade stuff. :) ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> On to P.IRWIN
<[Host] ST.LOU>
<P.IRWIN> Hi Bob got my jag. today and it was defective :(
<[Host] ST.LOU> How so?
<P.IRWIN> Butto my question When can we expect everything to hit the
stores... (controllers, CD drive, Cables and such..) (Left Bob e-mail
on how the sound goes beserk) ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Thanks.
<BOB-BRODIE> I'm sorry to hear that you're unit was defective.
Unfortunately, that does happen from time to time to all
manufacturers. How was the unit defective? The second controllers
will be available in just a couple of weeks, the CD ROM is due out the
mid part of 94, and the cables will be in the stores the end of
January. I'll look for the email on the unit. Thanks! GA
<[Host] ST.LOU> On to Nate
<[Nate] L.JESSE> Hey again Bob, first of all, 'kudos' on the GEnie
online idea, I love it. Secondly, is Atari planning any character to
represent them? Such as Nintendo's plumber, or Sega's Sonic? How
about Jinx the Jaguar? ga
<BOB-BRODIE> At this point, we're just sticking with the black Jaguar,
Nate. Once you see the box, you'll have a good vision for how it will
look. All of our marketing efforts are using the black background
with the cat eyes logo. as well as the red JAGUAR logo with the
slashed R on it.
I think it would be neat to see a Jaguar game a la Sonic or Mario. We
do have a Lynx (Cutter) in Trevor McFur in the Crescent Galaxy. Glad
you like our modem idea...some of the phone companies/cable companies
are not as pleased! :) ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Chris Cassaday... NOT a winner tonight :-)
<[Parrot Head] C.CASSADAY> Bob, with the test market shipments
reaching full capacity in late December, does that push the national
roll-out back any? It would seem that it would take a few weeks
before a 'true' nation-wide tendoroll-out was in force. BTW, I second
Charles Smeton's remarks about 'sending out Crescent Galaxy and the
shirts and hats to the TOAD fest. I had a really great time, and have
a "way-cool" Jaguar hat to show for it. ga...
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Chris, glad to hear you got a hat...they're rarer
than the T-Shirts!! Boy, am I getting /sends about the hats now!
<[Host] ST.LOU> Did you get my /send ? :-)
<BOB-BRODIE> :) I don't expect it to cause a delay. We're actually
getting more up to speed. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Steve Johnson is back with another question.
<[DrHfuhruhurr] STEVE-J> NINJA GAIDEN III is the next game to be
released for the Lynx, but do you have a date for it (and others
forthcoming -- hopefully SUPER ASTEROIDS/MISSILE COMMAND and ULTRA
STAR RAIDERS (???), among several others)? By the way, I'd like to
pass on the suggestion to air a few 'well- placed' teaser ads
nationwide this Xmas to maybe take some of the OTHER system sales
away!
<BOB-BRODIE> Ninja Gaiden III _should_ be here already, I'll check on
it when I get back to the office. I haven't heard of Ultra Star
Raiders and the other titles you mentioned as ones that are going to
be ready any time soon, Steve. Thanks for your suggestion about the
ads, but that would just compound the frustration of people that want
Jags that can't get them at this point, Steve. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Hassen returns....
<[Hassen] H.HAMMOUD> Bob, just exactly _when_ is the National Rollout?
Also, anyway one could purchase a Jaguar T-shirt or cap? I bought an
old Atari jacket from Telegames and my nephew loves it!
<BOB-BRODIE> It will begin toward the end of January, and we'll have
T-shirt, caps, and OTHER GOODIES available for sale then. :) ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> T.HEBEL
<[Spud Boy] T.HEBEL> How many Jags have been made so far... In round
numbers. Also I have heard rumors that you could use the Lynx with a
Jaguar somehow, is this true?
<[Host] ST.LOU> C.OATES ans Sir Fransis follow
<BOB-BRODIE> Spud Boy, again...I'm not in the office. I do know that
IBM released a bunch of machines today for delivery, but the numbers
aren't on hand. Yes, you will be able to use the Lynx with the
Jaguar. The ports for the Comlynx port are on the expansion bus of
the Jaguar. You will have a special cable to connect from the Jaguar
to the Lynx. We forsee you using the Lynx as a controller for Jaguar
games. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Bob, I am told that there were no Comlynx ports on
the Jags at Toad. Can you confirm that? The expansion bus is inside?
<BOB-BRODIE> The Comlynx signals are on the expansion bus, Lou. Every
Jaguar has one. There isn't a Comlynx port per se on the Jaguar, but
just as you have a S-Video or a Composite cable, you will have a cable
from the expansion bus. It's on the rear of the unit, clearly
accessible from the outside, not internally.
<[Host] ST.LOU> Oh, now I get it! Back to hosting.... :-) Chris Oates
<[Chris] C.OATES2> 1) You mentioned Blockbuster as a retailer. Does
this mean Jaguar games for rent? 2) Any chance of eventually using
Jag + CD as a CD rom for my Falcon? I don't want to have to purchase
two CD Rom drives. GA
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi Chris, yes...It does mean that you will be able to
rent Jags. They'll also be selling them, too. Re the Jag CD, I don't
think so. The Jag CD is intended to be plugged into the cartridge
port of the Jaguar, and then pass thru for another cartridge to go
into. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> On to Sir Fransis
<[Sir Fransis] K.DRAKE> My ship pulled into port late! :) Do you
know if Atari plans to offer a special deal next year and pack the
Jaguar with a CD ROM unit at a lower-than- separate price? GA
<BOB-BRODIE> Oooooh, have you been talking to one of my
co-workers???? :) Well, we have a couple of ideas for the CD. :) I
want to point out that these are just ideas, we haven't decided on
anything in particular yet. Nah, better not.
<[Host] ST.LOU> Go for it!
<BOB-BRODIE> Ok, what the heck...
<[Host] ST.LOU> :-)
<BOB-BRODIE> As you know, the Jaguar CD is also capable of playing
Music videos. We're working with some of the musicians we know well
to do music on the game, and include a music video with the cd. But
that's not cast in stone. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Mike wants to know if these are RAP artists. He LOVES
RAP music! <ducking>
<BOB-BRODIE> All of em.
<[Host] ST.LOU> Next we have J.HARDIE
<J.HARDIE> Bob, I've heard rumours of special controllers being
packaged with some games, most notably TEMPEST 2000, what can you tell
us about this? ga
<BOB-BRODIE> Wow, a lotta ANTI-Rappers here tonight!
<[Host] ST.LOU> Four more question, Bob! Mike, calm down :-) Hmmm,
/RAP Mike.
<BOB-BRODIE> Hi J.Hardie, Tempest is still a way out, but we're
certainly looking at special controllers. We've also have a few
people that are talking about separate controllers to do other things
like fighting games. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Back to Jungle Jim.
<[Jaguar Jim] J.THORNHILL> 1) Dpo you know why Babbages is telling
some people that the CD unit will be $400.00 and 2) Does the Jaguar
fit into SGI and Warner's plans for a cable TV bix of some sort they
are working on? GA
<BOB-BRODIE> Jim, I don't know, but I will talk with our people that
are working with Babbages. We haven't set the price firmly on it. So
there really isn't any concrete info, just speculation on their part.
<[Host] ST.LOU> Three more questions, folks.
<BOB-BRODIE> Re the Cable thing...well it's this way. If you follow
the San Jose Mercury News (which is the hot paper in the silicon
valley), one day the cable multimedia thing is the hotest thing going,
the next day it's over-rated. We're talking with a number of people
about it. But so far it's just talk. ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Ken Stevens is here. Welcome, Ken.
<[Ken] K.STEVENS1> [A[A[D[DBob, one more question on the Jag CD.
With the potential release of the Sega Saturn (64 bit with built in CD
Rom) in late 94, how will that affect the release of the Jag CD?
Thanx....GGGGGAAAAA!!!
<[Host] ST.LOU> Bob, ignore those /sends for now :-)
<BOB-BRODIE> Ken, it depends on what version of Saturn they release.
:) At first they said that it was a 32 bit machine, now they are
saying 64 bit. Actually, it really isn't going to impact Jag CD at
all. We're of the opinion that the Jaguar offers the best of both
worlds. The Jaguar carts are faster than CDs, and hold the most data
of any cart system in the world!! ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> G.SAUNDERS is next.
<G.SAUNDERS4> 3DO Crash and Burn has "CD-ROM lag"; how will the Jag
avoid this problem?
<[Host] ST.LOU> Then Matt Rivman will wrap it up for us.
<BOB-BRODIE> I played that at a "Nobody beats The Wiz" today and
noticed the same thing. Two ways, #1 Double speed, #2 Cache. There
won't be much noticeable slowdown. If you have seen other CD games,
you've seen the "LOADING" message on the screen. We don't need that.
:) ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> OK, my buddy Matt Rivman has the last question for
tonight.
<[Matt] M.RIVMAN1> Bob, I just wanted to know what I can go back to my
local Babbages and tell them in reply to their statement that Atari
short-shipped their distributor?? And will Atari be sending 'pro's'
to the stores to demo like 3DO did? (oops! thats2)
<BOB-BRODIE> Great to have friends, eh Matt? First of all, Babbages
doesn't have a distributor. They deal directly with us. Second of
all, it appears that they are shipping around the country, not just to
NY and San Francisco. That's not what they were supposed to do. And
I guess you missed my opening remarks, I'm in NY visiting retailers
all this week. I guess that makes me a pro like 3DO. :) ga
<[Host] ST.LOU> Whew! A record number of questions _and_ we managed
to hold a contest in the middle! Bob, thanks for taking the time, once
again, to bring the latest Atari news to GEnie's ST RoundTable. I hope
our guests enjoyed the evening. I sure did! I look forward to the
January edition which will likely be moved off the long weekend (I
hope). Actually, it will be on the 7th, right? Anyway, it was great
to have Bob and Ron online with us tonight. Have a great holiday
season with your families. GA
<BOB-BRODIE> Once again, I have enjoyed our time together here on our
official online service, GEnie. These Dateline: Atari! Sessions have
become a monthly event that I truly look forward to each and every
month. It's been wonderful to see the high level of interest in the
RTC each month! That's a tremendous source of encouragement to me as
I prepare for it!!! Thank you once again for attending, and may you
all have the most wonderful holidays ever! Goodnight, and thank
you!!!
--==--==--==--==--
||| Jaguar Tackboard
||| By: Andreas Barbiero
/ | \ Delphi: A.BARBIERO GEnie: AEO.2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Continuing with AEO's promise to deliver the straight news right from
Atari, before you have to read it elsewhere, a couple of informative
memos were passed to me to pass to you!
//// Jaguar Promo Tour Continues!!
Well, Mr. Terry Valeski is at it again! Following on the heels of the
widely successful November mall presentation, the weekend of Dec.
11-12 will see a showing of the Jaguar and its software at the
Tanforan Mall in San Bruno, CA. The great thing about these mall expos
is that they are cooperative. They are usually linked in with a radio
station and with the promotion company for the mall itself. This means
that there is a huge amount of free publicity for the event - in this
case, two weeks of radio promotion, as well as being in one of the
largest malls in the San Francisco area.
San Bruno is about 5 miles from Candlestick Park, and about 10 miles
from downtown San Francisco. It is on a short, but highly travelled
part of highway, connecting 101 to 280 about 2 miles north of San
Francisco International Airport. The high profile show-off of the
Jaguar in the mall not only hits up Christmas shoppers, but also makes
an impression on the stores in the mall, changing any bad opinions
about Atari to the better. Now all they need is to hit up the malls in
Northern New Jersey where hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers come to
shop (there is no sales tax on clothes in NJ) and the malls in Los
Angeles, followed by a whirlwind tour of Houston, Atlanta, Miami....
//// Customer Service? Atari redresses a minor error.
A few RF switchboxes shipped in the Jaguar boxes were defective, some
Atari detractors even claimed that they were old switchboxes from the
2600! This is not the case as the Jaguar RF boxes have a little
Jaguar logo on them, as well as having a 300 Ohm connector. Remaining
and future Jaguars are being shipped with fully functional and
upgraded switchboxes. Know someone with a bad switchbox? Call Atari
at 1-800-GO ATARI to receive a new one FREE.
Don't want to wait? Buy a standard switchbox at any electronics
retailer, which will solve the problem immediately. Then call Atari at
1-800-GO ATARI, and Atari will send you, free of charge, your choice
of an S-Video or composite cable for enhanced game playing! Yes, you
read it correctly! Of course, your TV needs to have these inputs, but
either way the problem will be quickly solved.
--==--==--==--==--
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---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--==--==--==--==--
||| Stalking the Elusive Jaguar
||| By: Peter Smith
/ | \ GEnie: PAS.JPD
---------------------------------------------------------------
First, to get it all out in the open, let me take a moment to tell you
that I am not a fan of Atari Corp. In fact, I like to think that I'm not
a fan of any company. I've been burned by the giants of the industry,
and by the little guys. I'm a confirmed skeptic, and a very Jaded Gamer.
Now, not being an Atari fan, and having sold my ST long ago, I don't
have cause to keep track of Atari's plans aside from what I read in the
magazines. I'd heard rumors about a videogame system called the Jaguar
but wasn't privy to any inside information.
I love electronic gaming though, so I kept reading about the system. The
Jaguar sounded really intriguing but I couldn't help but think that
Atari would blow it. It has been my opinion (as an Atari 400, 800XL,
520ST, Mega ST, and Lynx owner) that Atari couldn't sell a glass of
water to a desert nomad. They've always come out with hardware that
pushes the state of the art, and then never marketed it properly to get
the word out. I firmly believed that this would once again be the case,
and I decided that I wouldn't buy a Jaguar and be stuck with an orphaned
system.
Time passed, and I learned more and more about the Jaguar, and it kept
sounding better and better. Folks on the nets started talking about
massive marketing budgets, and I, frankly, scoffed at them. "Atari and
marketing just don't mix." I told them. Then the ads started to
appear... in the magazines and on TV. I quietly ate my words. Still,
though to me, Atari would have to prove its on-going commitment to
marketing the unit before I'd be suckered into buying one.
There was, however, a growing group of online enthusiasts who just could
not wait for the Jaguar to hit the stores. Atari announced its test
markets would be in NY and CA. Since I happen to live in NY, an online
friend from outside the test market area asked me if I could help him to
get a Jaguar. As an incentive, he offered to let me "test" the unit for
him for a day or two. I readily agreed, and called a few stores and
found there was already a waiting list. I put my name on two, just to be
sure.
As the release date grew near, I was drawn into the thrill of the
hunt. Even though the Jag wasn't for me, I was still anxious to get it
as soon as possible. I was hoping to be the first one online to get
one, and pass it on to my friend as quickly as possible. Every day,
I'd call 3 or 4 stores, asking if they'd gotten Jaguars in. I was
surprised to find that I never came across a salesperson that replied,
"A what?" when I asked about a Jaguar. Obviously, the word was out.
Finally, the day came. I called a store, and was answered with "Yes,
we got three in. Sadly, you are number seven on the list." Arrgghh! I
called the other store, where I had actually prepaid for the Jaguar.
"We'll have them tomorrow."
At this time, I had my name on two lists. I now realize that I was,
somewhere in the greedy recesses of my mind, hoping both would come in
so I'd be forced to buy a 2nd Jaguar - for myself. I still couldn't
reasonably and logically justify buying a machine this young from a
company with a track record like Atari's.
The next day came and sure enough the store where I had prepaid for the
Jaguar got a shipment. I grabbed my old money spending buddy (let's call
him Brian, just because I've always wanted the chance to "change
someone's name to protect the innocent"), and we rushed to the mall and
picked up the Jaguar. We got the last one. I felt a strange pang of loss
in the pit of my stomach, and couldn't understand it. I mean, I didn't
really need a Jaguar so why the sense of disappointment? Brian was
disappointed, too. He wanted a Jaguar in the same vague "gotta have the
new toy" way I did.
We stopped to quench our thirsts at the bar in the mall. While sipping
soft drinks (actually we were swilling beer, but this is a family
magazine) and watching the staff hang Christmas ornaments, we discussed
the Jaguar.
"Well, the hardware is certainly impressive, but can Atari market it
properly?"
"If we wait a year, the price will probably drop and there'll be a wider
assortment of software for it." "There is no software now, aside from
the pack-in, VyperMoth is it? What? Oh! Cybermorph!" "Yup, I'm happy to
play what I've got until the Jaguar establishes itself. I'll wait a
while to see how it does before -I- buy one."
"Me too!" <clink of glasses as we toasted our own wisdom and restraint>
Soon enough it was time to go, but "Brian" wanted to stop in at an
electronics store across the street. He -said- it was to buy an audio
CD, but in retrospect I have my doubts. We were walking past the video
game section, when we both stopped and swiveled on our heels. Two Jaguar
boxes. Two of us. No one inbetween.
"Probably just empty, 'Coming Soon' boxes." Brian ventured.
"Yeah, I called here yesterday and they said they'd no idea when they'd
be getting Jaguars in."
Tingling from head to toe, we crept closed. I picked up one box, Brian
grabbed the other. "This one is full." I whispered. "This one is too."
replied Brian. We looked at each other, and both knew what the other was
thinking but neither wanted to say anything.
"Really, the smart move is to wait." I said. "On the other hand, I do
have a store credit card for here... it's only credit, right? I'll just
pay it off a little each month..."
Brian's reply? "Do you have enough room on your card to buy this one,
too?"
At about this moment an unaware clerk strolled by. We grabbed him by the
collar and threatened to end his life if he didn't take our money RIGHT
NOW and let us run off with these Jags. He led us around a corner to a
register to ring us up and we interrupted a second salesman in the midst
of a lengthy pro-Jaguar spiel to Joe Yuppie and his kids, Bill and
Hillary. Crestfallen, the second salesman quickly trailed off with "...
and those are our last two...." Joe Yuppie looked at me, and I sneered
at him and sorta growled deep in my throat. He looked at Brian, who
answered with a feral grin. "I'll give you $300 for one of those." Joe
Yuppie said, as Bill and Hillary started to whine. Looking at his
demented offspring as they started to really wind up into fits, Joe
looked like he was gonna panic. "Make that $400!" he shouted.
"You'll get my Jag from me when you pry its controller from my cold,
dead fingers." I said, as I signed on the dotted line. Backing away from
the Yuppie family, we made a break for the door. We didn't feel safe
until we were headed for home, three Jaguars safely stowed away.
//// Life With My Jaguar
My fingers trembled a bit as I unpacked my Jaguar. "Not bad" I murmured
as I gazed for the first time on its sleek contours. Appearances are of
course a subjective thing, but I'd rate the Jaguar just under the
TurboDuo in sex appeal, which puts it way ahead of the Genesis and Super
Nintendo. Still, no one is going to mistake it for a piece of audio
equipment.
The controller is bigger than I thought it would be, but fits very
comfortably in the hands - as long as you hold your controller in the
traditional way (holding it with your fingers and working the controls
with your thumbs). I sometimes like to reverse my right hand, hitting
the buttons with my fingers while supporting the controller with my
thumb. This is going to be difficult with the Jag controller due to its
size.
The controller has three "fire" buttons on the right, a directional pad
on the left, and a pause and option button in the middle. This part of
the controller looks like a hybrid of the SNES and Genesis controllers.
But the Jaguar controller adds a numeric keypad below the traditional
buttons. These are arranged just like a phone's keypad, right down to
the * and # signs. Slots on either side of the keypad help to secure a
plastic overlay which sits on top of the keys and describes their
function. Presumably, many games will come with their own overlays.
This keypad may become extremely significant if computer game developers
start flocking to the Jaguar. More buttons means the potential for more
complex controls and games. Ah! Before I forget it, one very neat
function that I've only seen on the TurboDuo before now is the ability
(with the Cybermorph cart, at least) to reset the machine from the
controller. This can come in handy when you're in a really lazy mode and
want to restart a game.
The one real gripe I have with the controller is that the cord is just
too short (4 feet). No doubt either Atari itself will lengthen this, or
a third party will come out with either extenders or a complete
replacement for the controller with a longer cord.
So at any rate, enough looking at the bloody thing, let's plug it in and
play something! I quickly toss aside the cheap looking R/F cable and dig
for the A/V cable. And dig. And dig. Don't you bother making the same
mistake 'cause there ain't one in there! All Atari supplies with the
Jaguar is an R/F cable with a manual switch box. Well, I have numerous
A/V cables lying about the house so I turn the Jag around to see where
to plug them in...! Curses, foiled again! There are no standard output
ports on the Jaguar except for the R/F port! There is an edge connector
which will accept Atari's own composite, RGB or S-Video cable.
Muttering under my breath, I resign myself to using the R/F cable. I
plug everything in and turn the Jag on for the first time. I hear a
decent sounding Jaguar's roar, some very cheesy music, and see a screen
full of snow. I turn the unit off again, still muttering, and check my
connections. Turning it on again yields the same results. The leftmost
edge of the screen looks pretty good but the rest has horizontal bars of
snow on it, moving in time to the music. I pick up the controller and
hit thrust. I fly at high speed, seeing mountains pop into existence in
front of my eyes and quickly crash. Disgusted that I'd been so excited
over such a lame piece of equipment, I go to bed, wondering what the
store's exchange policy is.
The next day, the nets are abuzz with Jaguar gossip. Seems I'm not the
only one with reception problems using the R/F setup. Word is, if you
have another game system, you can use the cable from that. I try it. The
picture gets much, much better. The sound is still feeble and
monophonic. Still, at least I can see what I'm doing. Atari makes a
statement that some people have had problems with the included R/F
cable, but most do not. Maybe so, but then the people who haven't had
trouble are a silent majority because just about everyone I've heard
from on the nets ran into exactly the same interference I had.
At any rate, Atari promises to rectify the problem and this is where
the situation stands as I write this. Atari has a chance to show it
really means business this time out. The low quality R/F cable is a
problem that can readily be fixed. If they take care of it promptly it
will show a dedication to the customer that will install confidence in
this skeptic. (Editor: Already done!)
I call Atari to buy a S-Video cable since that is what I want, anyway.
I am told that these won't be out until the end of January. Harumph!
Later, the grapevine reports 1) that the cable will be ready by the
beginning of January, and 2) that one of the Tramiels has ordered to
have the cables ready in 10 days. Again, if this were to occur it
would really send a message that Atari is trying its best to do right
for its customers.
To sort of add insult to injury, within a few days of the Jag's
release some kind-hearted souls on GEnie post the pinouts for the
Jaguar's edge connector. Following their directions and with the help
of some friends with good soldering skills, I build myself an A/V
cable. The picture improves even more (less artifacting and bleeding
of colors, and overall brighter, more vibrant colors), and the sound
is now in full glorious stereo. THIS is more like it! THIS is what I
paid for.
You really owe it to yourself to hook your Jaguar up to your stereo
system or to a stereo TV. Cybermorph uses the aural abilities to good
effect (for instance, if there is an enemy off screen shooting at you,
you can clearly tell from the sound which direction he is shooting
from) and I can only expect that future titles will sound even better
- as the programmers and musicians get comfortable with the system.
This seems like the perfect time to take a closer look at the pack-in
game.
//// Cybermorph
As I mentioned earlier, my first look at Cybermorph was less than awe
inspiring. And in fact, my opinion didn't really change until I
realized I was coming at it all wrong. Cybermorph is not what's
generally called a video game. Cybermorph is a computer game that
happens to be on a console system.
For those who haven't seen it let's start with a brief description of
the game. In Cybermorph you control a vessel, call it a hovercraft or
a plane, in a fully 3D world. You can roam about the world at will,
with your only limitation being one of height. Your craft has a very
definite ceiling and many mountains jut far above it, creating a maze
in some areas. Your object is to collect pods, which within the
fiction of the game contain data, equipment, or even cryogenically
suspended people. There are myriad enemies out to stop you from
accomplishing your goal, and many of the pods are hidden.
On the plus side, you have several different weapons at your disposal.
Your basic cannon has unlimited ammunition, but all your other weapons
must be powered-up by picking up tokens which are sometimes left
behind when you destroy an enemy. Picking up the tokens adds a limited
amount of ammunition to one particular weapon. The standard weapons
are: the Cannon (with Rapid Fire, Twin Shot, and Three-Way Shot
power-ups); Cruise Bombs, which hug the ground as they travel and are
thus excellent for taking out buildings and non-flying enemies; Mines,
which excel at taking out pesky enemies on your tail; and
Incinerators, a stream of flame which will travel up a mountainside,
and thus can be used to destroy enemies above your maximum height.
Additionally, there are three SuperWeapons, only one type of which can
be carried at a time. These are: Nitros, which give a burst of super
speed and make you invulnerable to your enemies (but not to
mountainsides, so be careful where you're aiming before you fire a
Nitro); ThunderQuakes, which act as a smart bomb and destroy all
nearby enemies; and Detonators, which act as a smart bomb for
buildings, crumbling any in the area to the ground.
So basic gameplay goes something like this - you are deposited on a
planet (I'm told there are 50 planets total) and you must fly around
and collect a certain number of pods. While doing so, you destroy
enemies and buildings for defense, points, and power-ups. Once you've
collected the pods, a portal will open up and take you off the planet.
Once your mission is accomplished, you move onto the next planet.
There are 10 planets per level, (8 normal planets as just described, 1
boss planet where the basic goal is to kill off an ultimate badthing,
and 1 bonus planet which is an opportunity to rack up points and
powerups with no enemies to harass you) and you are given a password
whenever you leave a level.
While I am grateful for this password feature, I would have been even
more grateful for an in-level save game feature, since conquering all
the planets of a given level can take hours if you're going after
maximum points.
Cybermorph is, however, more than the sum of its parts. The basic
premise is simple but the designers have put enough twists and
surprises in the game to really keep your attention. For instance,
often you will find mountain ranges that you just can't get over, even
though your radar tells you that a pod is on the other side. Sometimes
you will discover a transporter portal which will whisk you to the
other side instantaneously. Then later in the game when confronted
with the same situation, you'll find that rather than trying to find
another teleporter, there is a twisty little passageway that you can
just fit through to get you past the mountains.
And then there are the Vortex towers. These innocent looking fixtures
generate a field of anti-matter that will destroy any pod it touches.
They can't be destroyed, although shooting them will halt the spread
of anti-matter for a while. In cahoots with the Vortex towers are
enemies called Snatchers. These flying pests will scour the planet
searching for pods. If a Snatcher finds a pod, it will pick it up and
carry it somewhere - usually to a Vortex tower and its nefarious
anti-matter field! (Although not always. There are times in the game
when the Snatchers actually provide a service to the player.) An
additional feature of the anti-matter field is that they are very hard
to navigate, as they are completely black. There are no visual clues
to help you navigate by - you'll have to rely on your scanner to grope
your way out of a large anti-matter field.
Writing a review of a game like this is a little like walking a
tightrope. I want to convey to the reader just how much I am loving
this game (yes, I'm still playing it after a week straight!) but on
the other hand, I don't want to give away any of the surprises that
have so delighted me. Suffice it to say that as you progress through
the game, you'll encounter more and more different enemies. Each of
them has its own strengths and weaknesses. Learning about the enemies
is a big part of the game. Exploration is an even bigger part, as
collecting pods can become quite a challenge, involving the discovery
of teleporter portals hidden inside buildings, or even pods hidden
inside... ah, but that would be telling.
There are radar dishes which, when destroyed, will cause certain
hostile enemies to freeze in place, making them easy pickings. There
are guns which are indestructible but which do nothing but reflect
your own shots back at you. There are mysterious ships floating
overhead, and to be honest I'm still not sure what, if anything, they
actually do. There are force fields which are impenetrable, until you
find and destroy their source of power at which time they fall. There
are things that look just like pods until you try to pick them up, at
which time they attach themselves to your ship. Hey! I didn't tell you
about Skylar!
Skylar is your on-board computer. She pops up in one corner of your
screen to commend you on a job well done, or state such obvious things
such as "Avoid contact with the ground" when you fly into the side of
a mountain. In good American SF tradition, Skylar's voice is that of a
woman with a British accent. Skylar is usually just neat (or annoying,
depending on your point of view) background, but she does occasionally
come in handy. For instance, if an anti-matter field is approaching a
pod, she'll announce, "Pod in trouble."
Cybermorph is quite customizable. If in fact you detest hearing Skylar
ask you "Where did you learn to fly?" you can turn down her volume,
independent of other sounds. In fact engine noise, sound effects, and
Skylar volumes are all controlled individually. As far as flying goes,
you can choose to see the Cybermorph ship from above and behind, or
you can choose an "in-cockpit" view, which is really just the same
view but without the ship being visible. You have a view behind the
ship, and from the left or right (the keypad on the controller is used
to control these). Lastly, you can toggle a targeting crosshair on or
off, as the mood suits you.
In all, Cybermorph is without a doubt the best game of its kind ever
to grace a console system. This is the opinion of a hybrid gamer, who
normally prefers computer gaming but also plays a lot of video games.
Whether it finds as enthusiastic a reception among the younger gamers
weaned on Street Fighter remains to be seen. Cybermorph is not a
fast-paced, adrenaline pumping, arcade blastathon. It requires some
thought, some planning, and some patience. And it takes a bit of
playing time before you start to really appreciate its nuances. Still
and all, this Jaded Gamer gives it a whole-hearted thumbs up. If
Cybermorph is any indication of the kinds of games we'll be seeing for
the Jaguar, then I'm going to have to change my handle.
//// So, Was It Worth The Wait?
I'm still not convinced that Atari Corp. and I are ever going to be
friends. A lot depends on how they handle the cable issue, and how
fast they get product on the store shelves. But I'm really happy to be
a Jaguar owner, and if I get a half-dozen more games of the caliber of
Cybermorph the system will be worth having, even if aliens come and
abduct all the Jag developers after that.
The national roll-out is in January. Atari has a month to iron out its
R/F hookup difficulties, and get a selection of games on the store
shelves. While they're getting that together, if they keep up the
media blitz, I think the machine will do really well. Nintendo and
Sega are going to be pushing the development of their next generation
machines, but Atari has a headstart. If it keeps up the pressure, the
Jaguar could be THE system to have for the next few years. I can say
from personal experience that none of my SNES or Genesis games seem to
be as interesting as they were before this cat came to live with me.
What matters now is getting a good solid base of machines into the
hands of the gamers. Once that happens, third party support will
follow and we all know it is the support which really makes or breaks
a machine. The list of Jag developers is getting more and more
impressive, and I for one can't wait to see what some of them come up
with. The name Atari may become a household word once again. I've paid
for my ticket, and I'm ready for the ride of my life.
//// Author's Bio:
My name is Peter Smith, also known as The Jaded Gamer. I've been
playing computer and video games basically since there have been such
creatures. Like so many others, I first got really hooked on home
systems when I saw Star Raiders playing on an Atari 400. I've never
regretted the decision to buy that system. I got my start reviewing
games back in the days of ST Log and later, ANALOG Computing. Back in
those days I used a 520ST and Mega ST for my gaming hobby.
As the software support for the ST declined, I looked for something to
supplement it. This led to the purchase of a TurboGrafx-16 game
console, and later, a Genesis. While I enjoyed the arcade games on
these machines, I really wanted games with a bit more depth.
Eventually, I bit the bullet and bought an MS-DOS machine - something
I didn't think I'd ever do. In the years since, I've added to my
hardware collection. I now play on a TurboDuo, a Genesis with CD, a
Super Nintendo, a 486/66, a Lynx, a 3DO, and now, of course, a Jaguar.
I look forward to the day when I don't need a PC to play a game with
some real depth to it. I think the 3DO and the Jaguar may provide that
experience for me. In any event, I'm confident the future holds some
seriously intense gaming experiences for all of us!
--==--==--==--==--
||| Andreas' Den
||| By: Andreas Barbiero
/ | \ Delphi: ABARBIERO GEnie: AEO.2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
//// Back from the Great Beyond.
Returning to America, even from the highly Americanized military bases
around the Pacific rim, is still a culture shock. Even more so was the
change from having money in my wallet to the usual cashless situation
around home. My wife and kids still got all my paycheck on deployment,
but when overseas I got the magical PER DIEM, about $600 a month paid
directly to ME. It was exciting to be able to buy beer whenever I
wanted, not to mention the occasional bottle of Johnny Walker Red label.
I had to pay for my own food out of that, but it was still really cool.
Thank God there were no Atari stores around there... I would have been
broke even then!
Speaking about computer equipment overseas, Japan was not the hardware
Mecca that I had supposed it to be. Everything from harddrives to
monitors was FAR more expensive than back home. RAM was cheaper, but I
had all I could plug into my machine. (Still needing a TT-RAM board, all
I have on my TT030 is 4 megs of ST-RAM) The cost of consumer goods, and
the taxes paid on them, was far higher than in the USA. Singapore, for
instance, is a beautiful, clean country (island actually, but a
sovereign country none the less) but in order to get a car you have to
buy a permit to own a car (~40,000) and pay a tax on the car which is
about 1.5X the cost of the car sometimes, I spoke to a Singaporean A-4
pilot and he said he paid close to $200,000 for a $20,000 car! Most
people I met in Japan said that because they could not afford a bigger
home or a bigger car, they banked their money. Up north near Misawa, the
wages were lower, and prices were just as high, I met many people who
were one or two years in debt just paying living expenses.
Needless to say computer users were fewer than I would have expected.
The American marketplace is still the place to go when you want to sell
something, even despite the outrageous competition.
//// Inside Atari
News on the computer front at Atari is looking good. TT030's, rumored to
be out of production, are finally rolling off the assembly lines. These
machines are overdue not because of lack of demand, but due to a
"unimaginable string of production nightmares." Hopefully, they will
become available soon. Where? We don't know where the production units
will be going to, but in Germany or the USA - wherever they land - they
will be welcome. These units are not just going to be sold for Jaguar
development either, but as units available for sale to computer users!
Don't beat up on your Atari dealer too quickly about all this though,
the Jaguar is eating up every extra hour at Atari, and just as soon as
they can get going with them, they will! TT RAM boards are available
also, in limited quantities, but all sizes are in stock as of last week.
The Lynx has not been forgotten! In the next issue of Die Hard Game Fan
magazine (not yet on the shelves) there is a brand new two page spread
advertising the features of the hand-held machine, boldly comparing it
directly to the competition. There should be a big promotion in the
wings for the Lynx, pared up with NFL football, and a game giveaway.
Watch AEO for more information on this as it is released. Also included
in this issue is a objective review of the Jaguar and Cybermorph.
Cybermorph may not be the immediate "eye candy" of Crash & Burn on the
3DO, but Cybermorph is more varied and challenging than some detractors
would have us believe. Cybermorph received the accolade "Best Game of
the Month" from Die Hard, and for all the details you need to read the
magazine because there is some awesome 3rd party reviewing of the Jaguar
in this magazine! Speaking of the Jaguar, Atari held direct sales of the
Jaguar via a 1-800 line, but due to the fact that there was only a
limited percentage of units available for direct sales, the demand far
outstripped the supply, so if you REALLY want a Jaguar, there are
dealers who can sell you one via their own mail order channel!
Upon my return, I managed to get in to Atari to speak with Bob Brodie.
We talked about the happenings of the past six months, and the increased
health of Atari Corp. The rise in stock and the huge interest in the
Jaguar has placed Atari in a position where it can now hope to wedge its
way into the general computer marketplace. Pushing the Falcon030 heavily
in the past year, while appealing to Atari users, would have drained
resources that could have been used to earn money from the stock
rocketing in price, or in pushing the successful roll-out of the Jaguar.
What is going to happen with the Falcon030?? Atari remains confident in
its new entry, and will start to push Atari computer products as name
recognition increases. This is something that dozens of Atari users have
told me that Atari needs to make its presence known in the computer
market. This is exactly what will happen, and just like the existence of
the Atari 2600 instigated me to buy an Atari 800, the Jaguar will
interest a whole new generation of video game players into the wonders
of what a REAL computer can do. Computing is not all Street Fighter II!!
Digital Optical Analog FINALLY got a fully working version of the
Blackmail voice mail system in to Atari - they are supposed to have one
up and running over in Sunnyvale right now - and the consumer versions
ready to sell. Falcon030 games are starting to come in now, and once the
titles start to appear, sales will rise for the hardware. The third
party hardware people have been really busy, and the Falcon030 is now
able to compete speedwise in all factors to a TT030. Screenblaster is as
cool as it was hyped to be, and there are other products that AEO will
be covering in the future that will allow for fast-RAM, video expansion,
and other neat things.
I had a chance to play with the Falcon Speed at B&C Computervisions. It
was only the '286 version, but it ran Windows faster than I thought it
could have. I have seen Windows 3.1 run on a real '286 and it was
totally unusable - on the Falcon030, it was really quick. It couldn't be
confused with a '486DX2-66, but it ran Windows applications fast enough
to use. I got to thinking that the Cyrix '486 plug in chip/board upgrade
for '286 computers could be used to boost the Falcon Speed, but the
surface mounted chips of the Falcon Speed might be hard to modify to
accept the Cyrix upgrade. Now, if someone could figure out how to run a
'486DX2 in a Falcon or TT030 with Windows running under MultiTOS or
Geneva, THAT would be cool. I wonder if it ever would be possible to run
VGA PC games.
On the game topic, there are many new games that I need to catch up on,
especially things which will run on a TT030 and a Falcon030. The first
game that I will be reviewing is Ancient Art of War in the Skies, this
game is specially enhanced for STe and TT030 usage, and that kind of
work is definitely worth a closer look. STeve's Software out here in
California is once again supporting the userbase by offering to lend us
the software to review. As the Falcon030 sells, interest in ST software
diminishes, and for a while it may seem as things are dead until the
Falcon takes off in sales. Regardless, there are dozens of games in work
or recently released, and just suffering from a lack of exposure to the
marketplace. We'll fix that.
--==--==--==--==--
||| Atari Asylum
||| Head Inmate: Gregg Anderson
/ | \ GEnie: AEO.7
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings my fellow GEnieaics;
Wow... I've never seen the Asylum so crowded before. I take off for a
little while and look at what happens, Total Chaos! Seriously, I've
been absent from the electronic pages of AEO due to a death in the
family.... My always loyal Mega4 gave up the ghost last month and,
between first trying to get it repaired and then having to look for a
replacement, it's taken until now for me to get back to my private
padded cell here in the Asylum. So then, let's start wandering down my
fevered imagination.
I'm now sitting in front of a brand new (well, new for me anyway)
MegaSTe and enjoying it immensely. I can see why this unit was
considered the best ST system ever released. Internal hard drive
bay, easy 1.44 Meg floppy upgrade, 16 Mhz CPU, separate keyboard, and
the newer TOS make it a great system to work with.
Ok, I'll admit that it's raw CPU power is not quite the equal of a
Fast Technology T-25 (or even a T-16 for that matter). However, it's
more efficient graphics hardware and TOS 2.06 make it feel just as
fast as my old T-16'd Mega. Having a place for my hard drive is also
nice, though FrankenDrive's noticeably noisier than he was living in
that old shoebox. Another joy is in the booting process. Even with
my external SyQuest I no longer have to go through a prolonged six-
button powerup sequence like I did with my old Mega4. Now everything
is a 'one button' operation, everything except the SLM-804 that is.
That beast's just too much of a power hog to trust on the same circuit
as the rest of the system. Ah well, a small sacrifice at worst
<grin>. Another change is that I no longer have to hold down the
'mode' key on my Omnix when rebooting via the keyboard or reset
button (WuzTek's ST/Multiscan VGA adapter). This system ALWAYS
remembers what res.. it was in before the reset. My Mega4 demanded that
I hold 'color' or 'mono' every time it was.
So what have I been using to log on to GEnie? Well, since you asked...
How about a borrowed DOS box? Yes, I share your revulsion, but beggars
can't be choosers and I was lucky to have access to an extra system
(though the owner never hesitated to rub it in every time he saw me
using it. This was especially embarrassing since the owner is also my
Father <smile>).
So what was it like? Well, I suppose it was better than being rolled
over a bed of tacks then dunked in a pool of rubbing alcohol, but not
by much. The system was a 25 Mhz 386SX with Windoze, a VGA monitor,
and (for GEnie purposes) the old DOS standby ProComm.
Now then, from a simple numbers point of view this thing should have
out powered a Falcon, let alone a Mega. After all, it was a good five
years newer than my old Mega4, clocked in at twice the CPU speed, and
had all the "bells and whistles" that DOS owners like to brag about.
So it was faster, right? WRONG!!!! I was appalled how much slower
Windows made this thing feel than my six year old Mega. Yes, the VGA
display was nice to have (though not nearly as sharp as my old
monochrome ST) but the Falcon's display is just as large and MUCH
brighter and clearer. Sound? Forget it! Even my original 520 had
better built-in audio than a standard DOS box. My new MegaSTe sounds
at least as good as a "base level" DOS audio board (ThunderBoard,
Sound Blaster, ect) and the Falcon's built in audio appears to
challenge even the best available on the DOS platform, for a LOT less
money.
As for ProComm... well, let's see; limited download protocals, no edit
buffer, no way to check what you've downloaded or reread what you've
scanned, no graphics interface (total keyboard control), no... well,
you get the idea. There is just NO way to compare ProComm with any ST
compatible terminal program now in existence (and I've used a lot of
them). Well, maybe the old ST Talk was a bit similar, but then it
dates from back in '85 or so.
Most Atari owners have no concept of how big the step from ST to
DOS/Windoze really is. While Windoze offers a visual similarity to
GEM, Finder, and Intuition it's in NO WAY as easy or to use or as
logical in its operation. Since it's a disk-loaded shell it also
consumes huge amounts of your hard disk space, up to (or over) 20 Meg
just for the operating system (and OS/2 and WindowsNT will demand even
more). Windows also places a MASSIVE demand on system speed.
Why do you think there's been such a huge push to increase the speed
of Intel CPUs, create local bus video systems, and the constant
redesign of Windoze Accelerators? It's to make these systems operate
the now popular Graphics Interfaces so that they at least "feel" as
fast as what you and I have been using for years. Think I'm kidding?
Check it out for yourself. Only recently has the DOS world managed to
match the ST/TT in graphics speed (though not in ease of use) and then
only after spending billions of dollars in the process.
After a month of beating my head against a DOS wall I was past
desperate, I was well into frantic! You can imagine how relieved I
was to find an available MegaSTe here on GEnie. My thanks to the
previous owner as this unit's in pretty good condition and, better
still, didn't require that I sell my first born son to get my hands on
it. I'd have killed for a TT030 system, but such was not to be. The new
TT's that Atari promised us still haven't arrived (not that I could
afford one anyway) and used ones are going for almost as much as they
did new <sigh>.
Though I'd have loved to get a Falcon, there were similar problems.
Not only the expense of the bird itself but the change would also have
required that I replace my SLM-804 & Migraph hand scanner. Buying a
Falcon would have killed my bank account, buying a Falcon AND a new
laser AND a new scanner would have left me out on the streets wearing
a sign saying, "Will compute for food."
Well, enough of all that. Let's just say that I'm happy to be back and
hope to start reviewing some new material for the eager occupants of
the Atari Asylum. In fact, I'm putting something together for us right
now... no promises but if it works out I think you'll be pleasantly
surprised. If the next project manages to work out, I almost guarantee
you'll be pleasantly surprised. Wish me luck.
//// Where Sherlock Unmasks the Villain
//// or, Who done baby in?
So what killed my Mega4? I'll tell you; what killed Baby was a
weakened power supply. The symptoms were erratic resets, noticeable
video distortion when the floppy was accessed, and a tendency to
reset EVERY TIME something put a load on the wall outlet. Seriously;
if anything in the room powered on (A/C, dehumidifier, microwave, etc)
my Mega would reset. Needless to say this was the source of much fun
and amusement.... NOT! I changed surge suppressors, added a UPS,
altered the daisy chain, all to no effect. Then, finally, baby took
that big dive and never came back up for air.
If your system shows ANY of these symptoms RUN, do not walk, to your
nearest dealer/service center AND GET THAT POWER SUPPLY REPLACED!!!!
If you can, I suggest one of the better power supplies from Best
Electronics. Why? From what I hear they've proven to provide not
only cleaner power but more reserve power than Atari's admittedly
"what's needed and no more" design. If I'd installed one in Baby when
this first started I'd still be a good $500 to the better right now.
So what caused the failure? How about having to deal with 50Hz, 100VAC
for two years? That's what they use in Japan, and while most DOS-boxes
have over-designed power supplies that can handle the stress, my
Mega's couldn't. Despite surviving it for almost two years (and doing
fairly well), it finally gave up the ghost and took the Serial system
with it. The power supply we could replace, but the damage to the
serial port drivers were beyond repair.
//// Back in the real world
So what's new? Well, there are some new games on the shelves these
days. Ishar II (a new D&D adventure from Europe), Reach For the Skies
(Battle of Britain simulator, not Falcon compatible I'm afraid), ZOOL
(a seriously strange but highly successful arcade game, can you say
teenage mutant ninja ant?) and Microprose's Dog Fight (lets you fly
combat in a wide range of aircraft ranging from WWI to today, or how
about taking on an F-16 with a Spad?). Also not Falcon compatible,
what's wrong with Microprose anyway?. In terms of productivity there
are serious rumors of new goodies coming from Compo, Lexicor,
DMC/CyRell, and others (details to follow in a future issue).
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Falcon Compatibility
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Once Again it's time for another exciting episode of: "FALCON
COMPATIBILITY." As usual the following is adapted from posts here on
GEnie as Falcon owners tell us of their own experiences. Thanks again
folks, we appreciate your help.
------------
R.GRABLE [Richie]
I recently picked up a Falcon 84/4meg and decided to try the ICD
Pro utilities on it. After re-formatting the drive with ICD I
installed the booter and configured the booter for 256 color
Falcon mode. This is where I started having problems. M-TOS
and Geneva would not load at all (screen was really funny).
Re-formatted with HDX (5.03c) with a partition scheme of GEM, BGM,
BGM. This produced problems after about half an hour with what
normally can be cured by installing folderxx.
However, this did no good so I tried the ICD booter again but this
time did not set the video. Guess what, it's running fine even with
M-TOS and Geneva. Looks like setting the video screws things
up. Anyone else experienced problems with either HDX or ICD?
------------
R.NELSON48 [Grouch (:{]
Yo Richie -
I wasted half an hour today booting and rebooting trying to get
multiTOS to work with the ICD booter until I tried letting the boot
happen in ST medium rez. It was that high rez falcon screen that was
killing MiNT or whatever. Sometimes you just have to keep banging your
head against the wall until it feels good. =-= Grouch (:{ =-=
------------
S.BULTMAN [Scott] at 09:15 EDT
Just a note to you Falcon MIDI users, MIDI Master Drummer from
Zobozian Software is now Falcon-compatible. We're pleased to be
able to support the Falcon and have plans to take full advantage
of the Falcon's internal sounds/sampling in future upgrades.
For more info, check out the demo (MMD_2_5.LZH) and MIDI Master
Drummer topic in the MIDI area (CAT 3, TOPIC 39).
------------
FAIRWEATHER [David]
Bentley Bear Educational games works.
Monty Python's Flying Circus game works!
Sierra Games: Colonel's Bequest, Conquest of Camelot, Leisure Suit
Larry III, Codename Iceman, Hoyle's Card Games, King's Quest IV all
work! (And speedily too!)
Music Mouse (a very old program that turns your mouse into a midi
instrument) works.
------------
J.EIDSVOOG1 [CodeHead]
With the recent release of Warp 9 v3.80, _all_ of CodeHead's
software is now compatible with the Falcon, except for one small
point. MaxiFile has a problem deleting a folder. Although the
contents of the folder are delete, the folder itself remains.
An update to MaxiFile is planned, but no release date is available.
John
------------
PG.MUSIC [PG-Kevin]
John,
The folder deletion problem sounds just like the problem that NeoDesk
had in deleting a folder on my Falcon. Dan has mentioned something
about a bug in the Falcon TOS that causes this problem.
--Kevin
------------
TOWNS [John]
Congrats to CodeHead and John! Super work. I am sure that all those
Falcon owners will be very happy to have CodeHead products available
to them.
To ALL Falcon030 owners: If you don't own or have never looked at the
CodeHead Software lineup of products, do yourself a favor: Do it now!
They definitely will enhance the usability of your Falcon030. They are
worth _EVERY_ penny and more!
------------
J.EIDSVOOG1 [CodeHead]
Thanks all for the show of support. I didn't realize that my message
was going to be such big news. Warp 9 was the only program that didn't
work on the Falcon when it was released. The rest of our products
required no change.
Kevin,
We don't call this a "bug" in Falcon TOS, but they did change the way
the GEMDOS folder deletion call works. It used to accept either of the
following strings:
C:\TEST
C:\TEST\
Now it only accepts the first one. MaxiFile uses the second one.
I didn't realize that Neodesk had this problem as well. I guess we're
in good company.
John
------------
T.HEBEL [Spud Boy]
Dennis,
Older versions of SMPTE Track won't run on the Falcon. That was
one of capabilities added in the Platinum Upgrade. I would suggest
upgrading. It is the best and easiest to use sequencer you'll find,
IMHO.
Try Oracle. It is a Stalker script that Talks to GEnie and it works
on the Falcon.
------------
M.WORLEY3 [Michael]
Category 9, Topic 6 Falcon030 Owners,
Civilization is now working on my Falcon!!! Unfortunatly there's
more things wrong with the game than just the Falcon. Here's some
things I did to get it working.
1. Look on your disks for the file SLAM2.BBM. This file must be
renamed SLAM2.LBM.
2. The INSTALL.PRG, Don't use it. The version I have will either
crash, quit without finishing or miss some of the files. Copy the
disks to a folder on your hard drive yourself. When you get a 'Name
conflict' press 'skip'.
3. Versions: I bought my game back in April and the files are all
dated 3/11/93. When I bought my Falcon I got another version of the
game with files dated 3/08/93, 3/11/93 and 3/23/93. Some files were
missing on the other version. There should be 111 files to the game,
not including the game save files: CIVIL?.* .
4. BACKWARD V2.23: Here is the setup I use.
Freq= 16 Mhz
Caches= Both
Tables= Kept
TOS Patches= On
Speaker= Off
Hard disk= Off
Blitters= 16 Mhz
Errors= ST mode
DMA Sound= Timer A
Memory= 1 Meg I don't reboot I use install. I hope this helps!
/\/\ichael / \ /
\/\/orley Atlanta,GA -*-
------------
AEO.7 [Gregg]
On the table of 'no-go' I have to include Accolade's 'The Duel'
and ARC's 'Enterprise' games.
On the 'Works' stack though we can now add 'Red Storm Rising' and
the original 'Risk'. Interestingly enough the VERY old and original
Battle Zone and Star Raiders work in ST Low mode.
-Gregg-
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// A fine dinner of CROW
//// (or: where your favorite
//// Asylumite fesses up)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
From: the ICD Forum
Topic 8: "The Link -- an external SCSI Host Adapt"
Hi guys... Well, it's time to bring out the old grill and saute' one
of my favorite dishes.... crow
For almost two years I've had intermittent problems with a hard drive
partition refusing to accept a copy or file creation (first the D
partition (word processing) then my C partition (boot & color stuff).
In each situation the drive was far from being full, less than 1/2 in
the in the case of the C partition. All my disk/file checking
utilities said everything was perfect... I reformatted many times,
swapped files around, and even when the problem seemed solved it
eventually returned.
Well, I think I've found the cause... and it's got NOTHING AT ALL to
do with the ICD formatting/boot software, my DiamondBackII utility, or
anyh-thing else.
So what is it? Well, here comes that dirty bird.... Was anyone here
aware that the ST has a 256 item limit on entries in the root
directory? You can have any combination of folders and files so long
as the total listed by GEM at the top of the open directory is BELOW
256 items or less.
Try to go over that limit and you get all kinds of strange results...
including mundged files if you try to force it on older versions of
TOS.
Newer versions seem better able to prevent damage, though they still
don't tell you why you can't finish the copy operation.
I owe special thanks to Al Fasoldt and Wayne Watson who mentioned this
limit to me in the Atari forum. Guess that'll teach me not to let my
hard drive get so cluttered.
Seriously folks, if you find your partitions getting up near that 256
limit do yourself a BIG favor and CLEAN IT UP!!!!! Avoid the
frustration and more (such as my current embarrassment) that I've gone
through.
Thanks again guys for for all your help folks, sorry to have been such
a pain.
Gregg (who's C partition has gone from 256 to 170 entries)
(and by the time this was written had dropped to 125 entries)
************
Topic 39 Thu May 26, 1988
Sub: HARD DRIVES
------------
ST.LOU [Lou]
Gregg, instead of repartitioning, just add a few more main folders
to hold your subs.... \DOWNLOAD, \UPLOAD, \ALADDIN, etc.
------------
GENIELAMP.ST [John G]
Gregg,
I think the 256 limit on the root partition is from the DOS
compatibility angle Atari was striving for :) I know there is a
limit like that on DOS partitions.
John E. Gniewkowski
Editor, GEnieLamp S
------------
A.FASOLDT [Al Fasoldt]
Gregg,
This limit of root directory entries is not an Atari invention. :)
It's the way all drives, hard and floppy, work. By the way, my
original SH204 manual has an excellent section on the root- directory
limit, so Atari hasn't been keeping this secret.
The root directory is located in a fixed-size area on the disk.
Depending on the disk type, the disk may have anywhere from 64 to 512
slots for root-directory entries. You may have noticed that some
floppy formatters let you specify a non-standard number of directory
entries; on one of the formatters, this is called "Minfat" or
"Minifat," referring to a smaller File Allocation Table entry for that
floppy; this lets you put more data on the disk while limiting the
number of entries that can go in the root, since it frees up the
actual data space slightly.
This entire matter has never, to my knowledge, been looked at as a
genuine limitation, for a very good technical reason: A disk with
hundreds of root directory entries forces the operating system to slow
down quite a bit when it reads the disk. Folders that are tucked away
inside other folders (or one level down in the root) aren't polled by
the OS during a standard disk read, but the root directory is always
logged in.
Having your files inside folders also provides better organization on
your disk. And the old limitation of eight nested folders that make
life a little difficult under the older TOSes is not present in
2.06/3.06/4.xx, so you can nest them (for storage, at least) as far
down as you like. Many applications will have problems finding files
that are nested past eight levels, but you won't have a problem
storing them 'way down there.
Al
------------
AEO.7 [Gregg]
Wayne & Al....
MANY MAJOR THANKS, MUCH GRATITUDE, HUGE SMILES EVERYWHERE!
You were right on the button, the C partition had EXACTLY 256 items
listed. It now has under 170 and will go lower before I'm done.
I'll be totally honest with you. For all my reading, writing, and
Atari time (from an 800 in 83, a 520 in 86, a Mega4 in 87, and my
current MegaSTe in 93) with hard drives from the Mega4 on.... I'VE
NEVER SEEN THAT 256 ENTRY LIMITATION MENTIONED.... even in the
various DOS magazines I've read. Seriously, I've never heard of it
and, considering all the experts I've been asking since the first time
it showed up two years ago (in Japan) I'm surprised I've not it was
never mentioned before.
What can I say? The fault was mine.... I've already gone over to the
ICD forum for a quick side-order of Crow <grin>....
See you in AEO.....
Gregg
----------
So, what's the moral of this little tale? while you can never have
too much disk (or closet) space, you can over-clutter. This is
especially true if you've got unusually large partitions or (like me)
are just a tad too sloppy for your own good. Final suggestion? CLEAN
UP YOUR DRIVE!!!!!!!!!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Random Thoughts, Comments,
//// and GEnie Wanderings
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Category 14, Topic 41
Message 174 Wed Nov 17, 1993
STEVE-J [DrHfuhruhurr] at 03:34 EST
Well, according to Bob Gleadow (head of Atari U.K.), through Summer
1993, between 13,000 and 14,000 Falcon030s were sold in all of
Europe (about 40% of those being in Germany). I think it would be
a pretty safe guess that around 20,000 to 25,000 have been sold
worldwide. Also of interest is that, apparently, Atari is
interested in licensing other companies to produce ST/TT clone
systems, if any are interested (since, I would guess, Atari's 'done'
with them).
------------
Head Lunatic: 20-25,000 Falcons? If accurate then this number's not
as good as we'd like but better than it might be considering how
little 'push' there's been in marketing Falcons or in letting the non-
Atari world know about them. What is encouraging is that the lion's
share has been in Germany where most of our better productivity
software comes from (though the better games seem to originate in
England or France and the best utilities are home grown here in the
USA). I assume that the USA, Canada, and Australia account for the
remaining 10-12,000 Falcons. There have a few rumors of a TT clone
under development in Germany but there are no real details yet.
//// A Faster Falcon? Auf Deutsch!
Head Lunatic (again): Here's an interesting little tid-bit from
the pages of GEnie. There've been rumors of a German made Falcon
accelerator floating about for months, almost since the day the
Falcon was released. Now we seem to have at some confirmation that
such a product may be more than just hot air (as in Vapor <grin>).
Read on;
Category 18, Topic 23
Message 156 Mon Nov 08, 1993
B.AEIN [B Man] at 23:36 EST
I Hope no one minds my cleaning up this post.
Bman ************************************************
This just in over Atarinet.. thought some people here might be
interested.
I found a message which might be of interest to our ATARI-insiders :-)
The Author can be reached via Gateway Atarinet-Turbonet.
========== cut ==========
Msg #242 / 1-253 Time: 03 Nov 93 00:11:04
From: Werner Frey
To : All
Subj: Falcon 030 Upgraded :-)
---------[T_ATARIS]------------------------------------
Hi folks, today I've got my Falcon upgraded using an upgrade-board
called Mighty-Sonic from German manufacturer GE-Soft. After doing
some testing using Gembench 3.25 here are the results:
GEM Bench v3.25 Ofir Gal 10.9.93
============================================
Falcon 030 TOS 4.02, MiNT not present
Blitter Disabled, NVDI 2.50 present
Video Mode = 640 * 400 * 2 Colours
FPU not present Run and Malloc from STRAM
Reference = ST + Blitter
1. 2. 3. 4.
============================================
GEM Dialog Box: 292% 387% 447% 324%
VDI Text: 1107% 1976% 1976% 1437%
VDI Text Effects: 1369% 2506% 2485% 1740%
VDI Small Text: 1181% 1667% 1667% 1398%
VDIGraphics: 934% 1591% 1652% 1262%
GEM Window: 167% 208% 250% 183%
Integer Division: 582% 1165% 1168% 1165%
Float Math: 213% 248% 3714% 3654%
RAM Access: 281% 594% 591% 348%
ROMAccess: 294% 414% 402% 364%
Blitting: 192% 157% 158% 129%
VDI Scroll: 354% 418% 420% 389%
Justified Text: 276% 450% 450% 340%
VDI Enquire: 259% 424% 461% 287%
============================================
Average: 535% 871% 1131% 930%
Graphics: 613% 978% 996% 748%
CPU: 342% 605% 1468% 1382%
1. F030 16MHz, no Fastram, NVDI
2. F030 32MHz, Fastram, NVDI
3. F030 32MHz, Fastram, 68882, NVDI, GEMRAM
4. F030 32MHz, no Fastram, 68882, NVDI
When running at 32MHz Blitter was always disabled ! On the board
I have 8 MB Fastram (TT-Ram)
Next I compressed a whole directory from my hd, containing 3.2 MB
of mixed data in 99 files to a LZHarchive of 1.4 MB using LHARC 2.31.
Clock | Fastram | 640*400*2 60Hz | 1024*768*16 88Hz(i) | Effectivity
------+---------+----------------+---------------------+---------
16MHz | no | 8min 05sec | 11min 10sec | 79%
32MHz no | 6min 18sec | 10min 52sec | 60%
32MHz | yes | 3min 16sec | 3min 45sec | 87%
Most impressing i found the acceleration when activating the fastram.
Effectivity takes care of the increased bus-arbitration when working
in higher resolution.
I don't wait for the F-040 now, as I bet ATARI won't drive it that
fast:-)
BTW, on the board I found a 68030-50. We're thinking about getting
the clock up to 48 or 64 Mhz :-)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Wrap Me Up!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Well, looks like this wraps up another exciting episode of the Atari
Asylum. Hopefully the next issue will be more informative (no promises
on being more entertaining). Till then, take care and keep on
computing.
Gregg Anderson, head inmate and keeper of: the Atari Asylum
PS: Would YOU like to find your name in print? If you have an
interesting review, article, or topic you want to write about, feel
free to drop me an Email note at AEO.7 or our illustrious editor:
Travis Guy, at AEO.MAG
We'll be only too happy to look at it for you and, most likely, enter
it in the Asylum so that others can enjoy it (with full credit and
thanks to the author of course <grin>).
I'll be looking forward to seeing your submissions.... Want to
write? Then GO FOR IT!
--==--==--==--==--
||| Lynx Review: BattleWheels
||| By: Tim Wilson
/ | \ Internet: wilsont@rahul.net GEnie: AEO.8
---------------------------------------------------------------
Type: Action/Strategy
Developed by: Beyond Games
Comlynx: Sure does! 6 players!
Probably the most popular Lynx game around, BattleWheels is an
incredible title and a must have for your Lynx. Definately a game for
you and your friends to have.
BattleWheels is a first person view driving game, but one doesn't just
drive around a track. Instead, you choose an arena to wage combat in.
See, in Battlewheels, not only can you have big engines and go fast,
but you can also have big guns that make things blow up fast.
BattleWheels is much like "Car Wars" (By Steve Jackson Games). The
premise is this: Combatants equip cars with weapons, armour n' engines
then duke it out for the delight of the television audience. Think of
a demolition derby, BattleWheels represents just a fatal one.
You start out by selecting various options for your game, such as:
car color, character portrait, team color, starting cash, arena,
number and skill of the computer opponents.
The game will remember your options, if you ever have to press
restart, say, to end an uneven match, you won't have to go and reset
all of your options. (As long as the power is on.)
The game is split into two types. Action: where the player is given a
preset car so one can get playing quickly, or Custom: where the real
strategy comes into the game, and one builds a car from stratch.
"Custom" allows the player to spend up to the amount of money that he
or she has. The first round's cash is dictated by the startup
settings, but if the player wins the next round, kills other players
or picks up cash prizes, will be able to spend those earnings as well.
Money is spent on the following attributes: Armour, Weapons, Engine,
Frame and Ammo. Your car has various armour positions, front,
back,left, right, even underneath the car, to ward off mines. Weapons
may be mounted on any of the four sides, but some only in certain
places, for example, one wouldn't want a flame thrower to be put on
the _front_ of a car right? That'd really screw up your paint. If
playing more than one round, you have to fix up your car as this is
not done automatically (you may not have the money for it!) Your
weapons are: Machine Gun, Flame Thrower, Rockets, Paint Spray, and
Mine dropper. Paint sprayers will paint an opponent's windshield, so
they can't see. So what do you do if you can't see through your
windshield?
One gets out of their car....
Yes, you can get out of your death machine, and with your autopistol
and body armour, walk/run around outside of your car. Players on foot
are extremely easy targets for cars. I've gotten run over quite a few
times by other players racing along at 65 m.p.h.
If you happen to be the one doing the running over, you get to see
your victim launch into the air...arms and legs flopping.
"Why get out of your car then!?" you ask. Like I mentioned before
getting out of (and then into) your car will clean paint. But you can
also get the money bags that are scattered around the play area. Or if
one has the ill-fourtune of their car being on fire, well it's a good
idea to get out of it before the gas tank goes. Your character is a
very good acrobat, by pressing Option 2, and moving forward, right or
left, the runner will do a dive-roll in that direction. This can save
your butt from getting run over if you dodge at the correct moment, or
dodge behind a tree or building.
Combat is fast and furious. One can look out any window, look at a
radar screen (possibly disabled at the setup screen for added
challenge) or look at your car's status. The windows will crack, or
get bullet holes in them as you get shot up on that side. Weapons are
selected with the combo: O1 + (direction). If you have more than one
weapon on a side, pressing once more moves to the next weapon.
Your current weapon and ammo remaining are displayed in the forward
view, as well as a compass and your speed. This requires you to glance
forward occasionally (very realistic in my opinion) not only to check
up on ammo reserves, but also to see if a tree or car is in the way.
"A" is the trigger, this fires whatever weapon you are currently
using. If that weapon is facing anywhere besides forward, your view
will switch (as long as you hold down A) to the weapon direction.
The graphics are some of the best I've seen in a Lynx game. Small
details such as the bullet holes, or the runners that perform
dive-rolls to the spinning tires on the cars are great. Cars even
smoke, burn, and then explode.
Sound is also great. While the music is only on the title screen
(thank goodness), the sound effects during battle are top notch for a
Lynx game. The sounds are in true stereo! If I get attacked from the
left side, my left earphone hears the machine gun and bullets biting
into my armour. Normally, the only cue is a green arrow on the forward
screen.
Playing with other Lynxers is the best way to play Battlewheels. I
recently played with 3 others and it was a real blast. We usually try
to take on the "Dark Lords", computer players with maxxed out cars.
And other times we split into teams, or have a free for all.
Verdict: No timers, no bosses, no score, no levels, this is my kind of
game. Good blending of action and strategy. My 10 year old cousin even
liked it. (expect him to be a regular feature ;-) The Comm-Lynx is
used right. I can't wait to see what these guys do on the Jaguar.
Ratings: ***** Really cool
**** Neato
*** I raised an eyebrow
** Eh...er..uhm.
* This Bites... burn it.
' ' I'd pay people to take it.
Sound: ***** Way cool stereo effects, wear headphones and turn em up!
Music: ** Ok music, its only on the title screen.
Graphics: ***** Lots of detail, cars look neato.
Gameplay: ***** I loved Car Wars(tm), so this is great!
Controls: **** Theres a lot of controls, sometimes tricky.
Overall: ***** Buy it, play it, love it.
Reviewers Note: Overall is not an average, it's "overall." The total
sum of the entire game, not just the rated aspects.
--==--==--==--==--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- --==--==-- Delphi Sign-Up Information --==--==-- --
-- --
-- To enroll as a Delphi subscriber, modem call 1-800-365-4636. Press --
-- [Return] once or twice, and type IP26 [Return] at Password: --
-- --
-- Answer all of the questions, and you'll be cleared for Delphi --
-- access in a few days. If you have questions about Delphi services, --
-- give a voice call to Delphi Member Services at 1-800-544-4005. --
-- --
-- --==--==-- Delphi Sign-Up Information --==--==-- --
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--==--==--==--==--
||| The Unabashed Atariophile
||| By: Michael R. Burkley
/ | \ Delphi: MRBURKLEY GEnie: AEO.4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I have been astonished by many things these past two weeks.
Thanksgiving was spent at my in-laws, and I had a great time
(astonishing!). I've already finished most of my Christmas shopping
(amazing!). I downloaded over 150 new files (Terrrribble, because I
spent too much time downloading them all and not enough time reviewing
them!). My son had his Ninth Birthday on December 5th (how can this
be?). But perhaps the most astonishing thing of all was a piece of
mail my wife and I received in the mail last week. It was a "Season's
Greetings" card from Paul Lee, the author of DC Sea version 2.2b and
DC Xtract version 2.2b (Get these! He has also written many other
programs).
We had registered DC SEA and DC Xtract several months ago. Shortly
after we sent him a check we received a personalized thank-you note
for registering. That was amazing enough because it doesn't always
happen that way. I've registered Shareware with which the only
acknowlegement I've received has been the canceled check. I really
expect nothing different. But to be thanked is very nice. Thanks Paul!
I would also wish to thank Uncle Carl (check out his
software - excellent!), Damien M. Jones (for Sound Lab), Paul Lefebvre
(for Oracle), and Randy Hoekstra (for Grocery Lister) for adding notes
and help in acknowledging the registered versions of their programs.
It makes a guy feel special!
But Christmas Cards? That, I think, is above and beyond the call of
duty. I was astonished, and very pleased. Thank you again Paul!
Shareware authors: Take note! I am a pleased customer, and pleased
customers like me might become repeat customers in the future. That
card cost some money to buy and to send, and I didn't expect it, nor
will I expect another in the future. But a post card is a different
matter. They only cost nineteen cents and a little effort. It would be
nice to get a postcard. OK? Astound me some more!
Here is a (limited) review of some (few) of the files I have
downloaded recently...
y 32DODGE is a 640 x 400 .GIF file by Barry Summer of a 1932 Dodge car
rendered with Phoenix 1.0. Originally the Dodge was a complex DXF
object file which he converted to a Cad3D2 file using Rosetta 3D. Not
stunning, but nicely done with flowing lines and bright highlights.
y ACCTRIS is v.1.0 of ACCTRIS, a very nice dual player Tetris clone by
Frederic and GALLEE Gilles (dated Nov. 24, 1993). Designed to work
with any ST--Falcon, this color or mono (640*400 minimum resolution
which means mono only for standard ST/E's) .ACC/.PRG can be played as
a one person game or with either a computer or human opponent. It uses
the STE sound chip if available so you get excellent sound. Keyboard
controlled (and you can select your own keyboard controls). You can
select the "intelligence" of the computer opponent and, to a limited
extent, the intelligence of a human opponent (hint: it depends on whom
you invite to play with you!). Lots of options you can select. The
game is played in an open window allowing background downloading and
multi-tasking applications to continue to be used even when playing.
French and English resource files are included along with French docs.
I recommend this version.
Also included is a low res demo of a single or dual- player
"Shufflepuck Cafe" clone (two mice required for dual-player mode).
This is actually a "work in progress" so it provides only the most
limited of demos. I like Shufflepuck Cafe (like an Air Hockey table)
and have often wished that it had a dual player mode. If this comes
out I will get it!
y COMA_150 is the demo version of CoMa v.1.50 by the SOFTBR-Team
(dated Oct. 29, 1993). This is a .ACC/.PRG Shareware fax send and
receive software package from Germany. This version has better Falcon
compatibility, fixes some bugs, now allows 1st Word Plus documents
with all enhanced text features to be transmitted, and polishes things
up. It is limited in that only the top 500 lines of any FAX will be
sent (or printed). Simply by clicking a button in the program you can
switch between English or German versions of the program. Docs
(German) included. Lots of features, but you are going to have to
check them out.
y DIGITAL is the Digital Tracker v.1.01 by Emmanuel Jaccard (dated
Nov. 17, 1993). This program is a SoundTracker/NoiseTracker compatible
MOD editor/ player for the Falcon030. It will play and edit four or
eight voice MODs (and play 16 bits). It contains tools to manipulate
blocks, tracks, and patterns of notes, and will search and replace
notes as well. The docs are all in French and since I don't have a
Falcon.... This archive contains three MOD files GUN ("GUN!! Stop the
Gun!" - secret agent type music), Jurrasic, and Planet. SHAREWARE.
y EASEDEMO is Ease 2.0 by Dirk Sabiwlasky, an alternate desktop demo
program from Germany. Ease will work with any ST-Falcon with at least
one meg of RAM. This desktop will allow you to do just about anything
you wish a desktop to do. It will allow you to place program icons on
the desktop and run then with a key press or mouse click (but the demo
version can't run programs, or save any changes you make). Like the
newest TOS's allow (and NeoDesk, of course) you can "drag and drop"
files on to a program icon and thus start the program. TOS programs
will run in a window. Clicking on a text file (any file, actually)
will then show its contents in a scrolling window.
You can place pictures on the desktop, cycle through your windows and
resize them at will (open up to 50 windows at a time when used in
conjunction with WINX!). You can have text displayed in one window
while icons are displayed in another. There are really too many items
to list here. The program and docs are all in German (the docs
translate very well with GER2EN30 and the ALFRED_E translation file -
over 90%, though I still had difficulty making sense of much of the
translation). Ordering info included. One nice thing is that EASE is
(mostly) compatible with Geneva and with NeoDesk. You can have both
loaded into Geneva and switch between them as you wish!
y GEM++19 is the GEM++ : C++ libraries for GEM/AES/VDI, version 1.99
(not quite 2.0 or so the author, Warwick Allison, says). These files
require the GNU C++ compiler and Bammi's GEMLIB patchlevel 30 or
better or MiNTLIBS patchlevel 34 or better to be useful. The author
has increased Falcon friendliness of produced code and has configured
the makefiles for optimized compilations (greatly reducing the size of
the library and executables). Docs included. I would guess that if you
know how to use this in your C++ programming then you need it!
y JAGLOGO is a Targa (.TGA) rendering of the Atari Jaguar's Logo
created using Lexicor's Phoenix Object Renderer. View with GEM View or
another Targa viewer. Not PhotoChrome3 compatible.
y JPEGV214 is the V11 JFIF viewer v.2.14 by David R. Oldcorn of Volume
11 Software Development (dated Nov. 11, 1993). This JFIF viewer (JPEG
is a sub-set of this, I gather) for the Atari Falcon will also allow
you to view GIF, Degas, and Spectrum 512 pictures, all in the Falcon's
True Color mode. This freeware viewer is a full competent and speedy
viewer but is actually only a teaser for the author's DSP-aware
version (cost 5). Both of these viewers are FAST. For example you can
view a 640x480 color JPEG file with the 68030 version in just 15
seconds and the DSP version only takes 6 seconds! It will also run as
a slide show, keeping pictures in memory as memory availability
allows. Docs included. Falcon only.
y KAND155E is Kandinsky v.1.55 by Ulrich Rogoderer (dated Sept. 13,
1993). This shareware vector/GEM metafile drawing program is
excellent. Now translated into English (still with German docs,
though) this program allows you to create vector graphics which can be
printed out at the highest resolution of your printer with no image
degradation (can't say that about bit mapped files!). You can import
.GEM images from EasyDraw (another excellent program from MyGraph).
The program allows you to export images in PostScript format, too! It
works on color and mono 680x0 machines (Falcon and TT res, too?), and
is very fast on image re-draws (nice!). It has some excellent GEM
sample files included. It seems to be very easy to use, and I think,
fairly easy to figure out, even with the lack of English
documentation. GDOS/SpeedoGDOS compatible (while needed to save files
they are are not needed to run the program). Check it out!
y MIDIMODS is an amazing file (I told you this last time!). It's not
so amazing that it contains "Manshadow" a nicely done .MOD music file
so much as it is amazing that it contains a text file listing all the
Noisetracker MOD files in the MIDI Roundtable's Library 14 on GEnie. I
didn't even know that library was there and I see from this file that
there are over 1,340 MOD files there! I downloaded a PILE of these and
I'm only to the "A's." I also found a stack of .MOD files in the Amiga
group (AUDIO) on Delphi and downloaded a few meg from there. I'll try
to get you a review of them... real soon now!
y MULTLANG is a working demo of a Multi-Lingual Word Processor,
V.1.51ST by Drew Hanniger (dated May 20, 1987). It does everything
except saving a file. MLWRITER is an easy to use Multi-Font Word
Processor that allows you to print out to a number of dot matrix
printers. Ten Fonts (English, German, Mormal, Arabic, Greek, Russian,
Swedish, Hebrew, Math, Symbols, Spanish and Custom are supplied, plus
you can customize your own font or Language with the supplied font
Editor (that's a 10 minute time limited demo). Docs and ordering
information included. Even though it's such an old program it works
fine on my TOS 1.62 accelerated STE.
y PGP23AB is "Pretty Good Privacy version release 2.3a" by Phil
Zimmermann (dated July 2, 1993). PGP, short for Pretty Good Privacy,
is a public key encryption package; with it, you can secure messages
and data files you transmit against unauthorized reading and digitally
sign them so that people receiving them can be sure they come from
you. The keying is very secure and efficient. Excellent docs which
explore both the theory and practice of public encryption. I would
recommend this file just for them. (I don't know where the "B" comes
from in the file name as it isn't in the docs anywhere I can see).
English, French, and Spanish help files are included (all docs are in
English). 716K uncompressed.
y POVSH111 is POVShell v.1.11 by Dirk Klemmt (dated Dec. 2, 1993).
POVRay is an excellent Ray Tracing program with one big drawback (for
me at least). It operates in a command-line environment so is
difficult to use and program. This program is a "shell" that
simplifies the use of POVRay. It fixes some bugs in v.1.10 and is
compatible with the ST--Falcon line. This works with either the older
POVRay v.1.0 or the newly released v.2.0. The program is in English,
but the docs are in German.
y ROCBOT by Barry Summer is a .GIF picture that is the combined output
of a Microbot Disk rendering in Phoenix 1.0 and a POV hi res GIF. The
robot (from the Microbot Disk) looks as if it is being constructed in
the midst of a vast outer space factory (from the POV rendering).
Small spheroid robots are moving about, up and down, and could
possibly be doing the construction. View with any GIF viewer.
y BETRTRK3 (entitled STARTREK SEQUENCE on Delphi) is a .SEQ animation
by J. Fry (dated 1992) in which the USS Enterprise (original version)
appears on the viewscreen of another star ship (nice idea). It rotates
in a complete circle then goes into Warp Drive and disappears in a
blaze of colors. Well done. Use ANIMATE4 to view.
y STGD0993 is the Sept-Oct, 1993 issue of the ST Gaming Digest. This
is the "leaner, meaner" issue in which a lot of the "dead wood" in
games has been cleared out. What you see here is what you can get!
y TOAD is a GIF file by Barry Summer. Entitled TOAD 3d2, this GIF,
rendered with Phoenix 1.0 and taking advantage of the power of
Bitstream's Speedo fonts shows a metalic "Toad" that I would never
want to meet! It looks more like a squat T-Rex than a Toad, and a mean
and shiny one at that!
y TRIKE by Barry Summer is a .GIF taken from the Microbot Design Disk.
It is of a 3D tricycle (sort of) which is wearing a hard hat and
sunglasses! The "tricycle" name is a bit of a mis-nomer because the
trike is missing its front wheel!. Rendered in Phoenix 1.0, this GIF
is 256 colors, 640 x 480. View with any GIF viewer.
y ZOAT is the ZOAT Demo by Andrew Laing. ZOAT is a three-level working
demo of the game ZOAT. If you remember last issue I told you to hold
off downloading this game because there were no docs included in the
archive, and I could not figure out how to play the game. Well, the
author has uploaded the doc file! See ZOATRULE for the docs to this
game. They are very helpful. Now that I can see how this game is
supposed to work I find it interesting. The object is to move these
two pairs of figures about the screen and have them end up _exactly_
over the desired spot. When that happens you move on to the next
level. The only problem with that is that at each level you have to
re-learn the joystick controls! The author switches them around at
each level to keep things interesting! The graphics also appear much
better this time (I don't know why, but things look different this
time around). Shareware (over 50 levels when you register). Not Falcon
compatible. Requires joystick, one meg (minimum) of RAM and a color
monitor. It is a STOS game which will not work on TOS 2.05 or above
(but get STOSFX27 to take care of that).
Sorry this is such a short issue folks. That just means that next
week's will be bigger (_maybe_ but Christmas is a busy season for
me!). Until then I recommend that you check out Anthony Watson's
Recipe Box v.4.2 (WOW!) and any of Uncle Carl's programs just
released. I'll tell you more about them later. Until then, take care!
All of these files can be found on one or more of the following
on-line services: GEnie (M.BURKLEY1), Delphi (MRBURKLEY), The CodeHead
BBS (213-461-2095), Toad Hall (617-567-8642), and The Boston Computer
Society's Atari BBS (617-396-4607) (Michael R. Burkley). Drop me a
line!
Michael lives in Niagara Falls, NY. He is a former Polyurethane
Research Chemist and is presently the pastor of the Niagara
Presbyterian Church.
--==--==--==--==--
||| The Lynx Cheat File Part 1: From [APB] to [Lemmings]
||| Maintained by: Peter Hvezda
/ | \ Internet: phvezda@wilma.pnfi.forestry.ca
------------------------------------------------------------------
________________ ________________
/ \______________________________/ ___ ___ \
/ o | || | \
/ _____________________________ |___||___| \
/ [] | __ ___ _____ _ __ __ | [] \
| || | | | \ \/ /|\ \ | |\ \/ / | || | | | | |
| _ || | | | \ / / | \ \ | | \ \/ | || | | | | |
| _| |_ || | | | / / | \ \| | <\_> | || | | | | |
| |_ _| || [] | |__|_ | | | |\ | /\ \ | [] || | | | | |
| |_| || | |____| |_| |__| \__|/_/\_\ | || | | | | |
| || | | || | | | | |
| || | T I P S & T R I C K S | || | | | | |
\ [] |_____________________________| [] ___ ___ /
\ ATARI | || | /
\ _____________________________ |___||___| /
\_________________/ \________________/
The LYNX Cheats file was originally created and maintained by Damian Gick
He unfortunately lost his net access and couldn't continue his support.
The honour of maintaining the LYNX Cheats file was then passed on to Kevin
(Tazzzzz) Dangoor, who provided exemplary service to the LYNX community by
not only maintaining the Cheats file but also compiling all of Robert Jung's
game reviews into one handy file. As an added service he made these files
available through a highly efficient mail server. Kevin sold his Lynx and
has passed on the torch of maintaining both the Reviews and Cheat files to
yours truly. I have some big shoes to fill, and I will do my best to carry
on the tradition set forth by my predecessors.
The LYNX cheat file is now more comprehensive than ever before. I have added
several more tips and tricks as well as changing the format slightly. I hope
that you will find the changes refreshing and I look forward to any comments
or suggestions that you may have about them. Incidentally, the LYNX Cheat file
is also available in RTF format (which includes bitmapped maps). If you would
like to submit any tips or tricks that you have come across or discovered,
please e-mail them to the address listed below.
The FAQ, the Lynx Game Reviews, and the Lynx Cheat files now reside at the
anonymous ftp site: ftp.mantis.co.uk in /pub/uploads. Special thanks should be
extended to Mathew for maintaining the ftp site and mail server.
-- Peter Hvezda
(Internet e-mail: phvezda@wilma.pnfi.forestry.ca)
[APB]=====================================================================
A.P.B.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Level skip:
In APB, if you hold down OPT 1 and OPT 2, and run into a donut (or through
the Donut shop) your quota will be filled and you will be returned to
the station and proceed to the next level.
Skip to level 99:
When your quota is met, hold down OPT 1 and OPT 2 when you touch the
Officer Bob parking space. This will warp you to level 99. (The game will
not end, just repeat level 99 with random quotas).
[AWE]=====================================================================
AWESOME GOLF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hole in one:
Entering LANDLORD as your name at the beginning of the game. Use the
OPTION 2 button to swing at the ball. Hitting OPTION 2 while the ball is
in the air, will sink the ball!
[BAK]=====================================================================
BASKETBRAWL
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Play with Michel Jordan on your team!
Put in MJ?? to play with a partner, supposedly Jordan. Replace the ??
with any two numbers. Pause, hold down Option 1 and press Option 2. You can
change the pause message to anything you want! (from Star*Lynx BBS)
Level codes
Level 1-1 AAAA Level 3-3 IIII
Level 1-2 BBBB Level 4-1 JJJJ
Level 1-3 CCCC Level 4-2 KKKK
Level 2-1 DDDD Level 4-3 LLLL
Level 2-2 EEEE Level 5-1 MMMM
Level 2-3 FFFF Level 5-2 NNNN
Level 3-1 GGGG Level 5-3 OOOO
Level 3-2 HHHH
Taken from January 1993 EGM (Edward Mann). Someone at Atari is very
imaginitive.
These codes transport you to the beginning of each level with maximum power-ups
and allow you to shoot at the hoop in any level:
Level 1-1: 999Q Level 2-1: PP9T Level 3-1: 9PPW
Level 1-2: P99R Level 2-2: 99PU Level 3-2: PPPX
Level 1-3: 9P9S Level 2-3: P9PV Level 3-3: 999I
Level 4-1: P99J Level 5-1: 99PM
Level 4-2: 9P9K Level 5-2: P9PN
Level 4-3: PP9L Level 5-3: 9PPO
(from Deena Krutak in June '93 GamePro)
[BAT]=====================================================================
BATMAN RETURNS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Invincibilitiy:
You can make Batman invincible with the following steps at the title screen
(the one with the Batlogo): press up 8 times, down 12 times, left 15 times,
right 19 times and option 1 27 times, press A or B to start the game. Once
the action starts, press pause. Then use option 1 to skip to the next level,
option 2 to make Batman invincible! Falling can still kill you, however.
>From Video Games and Computer Entertainment.
[BAL]=====================================================================
BATTLEWHEELS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Get the Spray Gun While on Foot:
When you're on foot, pressing OPTION-2 + OPTION-1 will get you a paint
sprayer.
Lock Your Viewscreen:
When you are looking at an alternate view (left, back, or right, by using
the B button), press and hold OPTION 2 before releasing button B. When you
release button B, your view will be "locked" in that direction until you
press button B again.
Stealth Mode:
On the character selection/options screen, pick the female driver with
the short blonde hair. Now pick the green car, and keep the highlight
box around the car. Hold OPTION 1 and press button A, and your car turns
to an all-black design. When you play, your car will be invisible on
radar and "by eye". You will be seen if you leave your car, and finding
it again can be tricky...
Super Car!
On the character selection/options screen, pick the male blonde driver.
Now pick the tan car, and keep the highlight box around the car. Hold
OPTION 1 and press button A, and your car turns to a red body with a
black top. When you play, your car will have unlimited ammunition and
rapid-fire for all weapons.
[BIL]=====================================================================
BILL AND TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
WalkThru From Portable Addiction Electronic Magazine
First of all, collect all the notes you can get and find the gold
nugget. Now go to the guarded building and give the nugget to the guard.
Enter and find the man that tells you about the staff. Return to the
telephone booth and travel to 15OO BC. Use the scare stone. Find all the
notes you can get (remember to count by sixteens!). Enter the valley and
find the paper note about the fake staff. Travel back in time and put the
note at the pillar. Go to the South-East of Egypt and find the royal ankh
(You must wade through shallow water). Travel to 15OO again and find the
boat at the South-West part of Egypt. Use the royal ankh. Find your way
thru the water (it's like an invisible maze). First go to the place where
you found the ankh in 17OO BC. Enter the temple and find the secret
passage which leads to the harp. Return to your boat and go to the pyramid.
Go into the pyramid and open the door by walking over the red spots on the
ground. Then, when past the wall/door, walk over the four other red spots
and take the staff. Find the two keys and open the corresponding doors. To
get rid of the two creatures guarding the room, just lure them out of
there and then run away. When you return to the room they will be gone. To
take the staff, use the harp. Return the staff to the man to get the
flute. Use this flute in 17OO BC at the North-East to scare the animals
over there. Then find all the notes that are hidden under the trees to
find a phonebook-page. Travel to Rome.
First, enter the dungeon. Find all the notes and the two keys: Blue
and black. Remember to visit Caesar at the north of the arena when you
have enough notes. Outside the arena you must once again find notes. When
you think you have all of them, go to the statue. Push the four pieces
around the statue in place and the push the statue. Now do this again and
then go stand in the middle yourself. After you get launched, find all the
notes around the house, but don't enter it. When you got all the notes,
walk into a roman to get kicked out of the garden. You are now outside. Go
West, to where a roman is guarding the entrance of the city. Now go down
and find your way through the forest. Somewhere in the forest there is the
next page of the phonebook. You must collect all the notes in the forest
and you must also find the little building. Enter it and find the way
through the maze until you find an apple. Leave the building and go to
the guard. Give him the apple and enter the city. If everything is right
you now have 8O notes. Travel to Europe.
In Europe, enter the mansion. To avoid the furniture, stay on the
green dots on the floor. This may take some practise! Find the white key
and then find your way to the backyard. Use the black key to open the
gate. Go to the North-West of the screen to find a red key. Use it to enter
the small house nearby. Avoid dracula and take the magic wand next to
his coffin. Return to the mansion and find the organ. Use the wand to
shrink it down so you can carry it. Return to the phonebooth (The wand
causes the furniture to stop). Travel back to Rome. Do the trick
with the statue and this time enter the house while using the organ pipes.
You can now safely walk thru the house to the backyard to take the lyre.
Return the lyre to Ceasar and you will get another lyre. Enter the
dungeon and use the lyre to scare away the lion that guards the white lock.
Use the white key to open the lock and take the page of the phonebook.
Travel to Rome 7O BC and enter the dungeon. Use the black key and put
it back where you found it (Bottom-right). Now travel to Texas. Collect
all the notes you can get. Somewhere, hidden under a skull, there's a
golden coin. Go to the station and buy a ticket. Walk to the train and use
the ticket. Now use the train to find the remaining notes. You must also
find the golden nugget, hidden under yet another skull. Travel back to
Egypt and replace the golden nugget at the place where you first found it.
Now travel to San Dimas 2691 AD! Yeah, most radical, dude!
Be careful on the step-stones as you can only jump from one to another
if they are in the middle-position. Again find as many notes as you can
and find the dynamite. Return to Texas. Use the dynamite to release Billy
the Kid. Return to San Dimas. Go to the place where you usually get
overwhelmed by enemies and use the harmonica. You can now safely enter the
next part of San Dimas. Every time you pick up a note in this part, a
block will disappear somewhere else, thus letting you reach other notes
after which you will be rewarded with a golden key. Return to Europe.
Collect 16 notes. Use the golden key to enter the previously
unaccessable house at the swamp. Here you will find a mandolin. You can
use this to enter the previously locked part of San Dimas. The Grim Reaper
welcomes you, and you're now ready to play his game. As the exact route
isn't easy to explain in a solution like this, I'll just tell you what to
do. The objective of this part is to collect yet another 16 notes.
Sometimes it is necessary to shove blocks over the lava in such a way that
you can go to other parts of the playing field. The princesses have got
the last note. If you succeed in rescuing them you should have 144 notes
by that time. To get back to the entrance of the playing field, go east
from the place where your rescued the babes. The go south and walk
clockwise (ie: south, west, north). When you are standing against the
north wall, walk west to the corner and go counter-clockwise. Once in the
northeast corner you must go west, south, west and north to the exit.
You'll have to find the correct tiles to jump on all the way yourself. Now
you must return to the phone booth. The Grim Reaper is guarding it, but
when you play your guitar he suddenly realizes that he has LOST! Enter the
booth and travel through time to finish the game!
[BLU]=====================================================================
BLUE LIGHTNING
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The mission codes are:
Code Mission No. Code Mission No.
AAAA 1 LOCK 6
PLAN 2 HAND 7
ALFA 3 FLEA 8
BELL 4 LIFE 9
NINE 5
Landing upside-down:
How About an Upside-Down Landing? In Level 6, you land and take-off from
air strips. Try doing a barrel-roll (Pressing Option 2 and turn left or
right), and then hold the plane upside-down, while pressing Up over and
airstrip (to land). You will then land upside-down, the cockpit opens
from the fuel tank, and you take off backwards!
Bonus points:
For bonus points, hit your afterburniners as you enter the canyons on level
BELL. The Gutsy Bonus will give you 30,000 points ("You've got guts!").
When you're in the canyons fire your afterburners for 65,000 poins (Lunatic
Bonus) "You're crazy!!" The points are added when you land -- but if you do
both, it will only display the Lunatic Bonus, but you get points for both.
(A good place for the second bonus is right before you enter the second set
of canyons)
[CAL]=====================================================================
CALIFORNIA GAMES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although the manual says it's two player, up to 4 can be Comlynxed. It may
take a few tries, but keep at it. (It's also a bit slow, but hey, it wasn't
meant for 4 players.. :)
BMX: If you stay just a little (about one pixel) above the place where the
grass meets the dirt there won't be anything in your way (Like those pesky
bales of hay). You can crash the game by hitting the bale of hay on the
bottom of the track just before the finish line. The game will freeze and
the only thing you can do it turn it off. Tiny tid-bit: If you're going
_really_ fast when you cross the finish line and jump just a little after
crossing it, you will end up crashing into something you can't see way to
the right.
SURFING: In the surfing game, you can ride the pelican. Run your last man
into the bottom of the screen a few seconds before the timer runs out. The
bird will fly across the screen until the timer runs out and you'll land on
it! It's possible to do an UNREAL 360 (5 360's) for 1200 points (As opposed
to 600 for a Quadruple 360)
FOOTBAG: If you spin right after jumping, you spin faster than normal.
Thus, jump and hit the bag with your head, then spin away...
Also-- in the manual under Foot Bag it says: "Score an extra 50 points for
hitting the seagull in the beak with the foot bag (but only in this game --
be kind to the birdies in the other events)."
[ Thought that was pretty cute. :) d.g. ]
HALF-PIPE: Hitting Option 2 while skating will show off the Lynx's awesome
scaling capabilities.
[CHE]=====================================================================
CHECKERED FLAG
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Course information:
RIDGEWAY Odo Side
SHANGHAI 0.3 Right
PORTFOLIO (w/picture) 0.7 Right
CYBERBALL 1.0 Left
ATARI CORP. 1.2 Right
[atari logo] 2.1 Left
ST (w/picture) 2.7 Left
Total lap distance: 2.9 miles
GRIZZLY FLATS Odo Side
ATARI CORP. 0.8 Right
SLIME WORLD 1.3 Left
SHANGHAI 3.2 Left
[atari logo] 3.7 Left
Total lap distance: 3.7 miles
SKULL VALLEY Odo Side
WARBIRDS 0.2 Right
RAMPAGE 0.9 Left
AWESOME GOLF 1.5 Left
PORTFOLIO (w/picture) 2.3 Right
Total lap distance: 2.7 miles
GREAT BEND Odo Side
SHANGHAI 0.5 Right
AWESOME GOLF 1.4 Left
SLIME WORLD 2.3 Right
ATARI CORP. 3.0 Left
RAMPAGE 3.5 Right
Total lap distance: 3.8 miles
PALM SPRINGS Odo Side
ATARI CORP. 1.0 Right
PORTFOLIO (w/picture) 1.2 Right
ST (w/picture) 2.0 Right
TT (w/picture) 2.4 Right
[atari logo] 3.3 Right
Total lap distance: 3.7 miles
DEATH VALLEY Odo Side
KLAX 0.2 Left
STUN RUNNER 0.6 Left
ST (w/picture) 0.8 Left
RAMPAGE 1.1 Left
CYBERBALL 1.4 Right
MS. PAC MAN 1.9 Right
[atari symbol] 2.7 Left
ATARI CORP. 2.8 Left
SHANGHAI 3.3 Right
PORTFOLIO (w/picture) 4.1 Left
Total lap distance: 4.2 miles
REED POINT Odo Side
LYNX (w/picture) 1.0 Right
CYBERBALL 2.2 Left
Total lap distance: 3.1 miles
LOGAN SPEED Odo Side
GEO DUEL 1.0 Right
MS PAC MAN 2.3 Left
STUN RUNNER 3.5 Left
Total lap distance: 4.7 miles
WOODLAND Odo Side
KLAX 0.2 Left
BASEBALL HEROES 0.6 Right
STUN RUNNER 1.0 Left
PORTFOLIO (w/picture) 1.2 Left
MS PAC MAN 1.4 Left
Total lap distance: 1.7 miles
EAGLE BEND Odo Side
KLAX 1.1 Right
CYBERBALL 1.8 Left
AWESOME GOLF 2.3 Right
TT (w/picture) 2.9 Right
[atari logo] 3.8 Right
Total lap distance: 4.0 miles
VICTORVILLE Odo Side
CYBERBALL 0.5 Right
SHANGHAI 1.3 Left
BASEBALL HEROES 1.8 Right
MS PACMAN 2.4 Left
KLAX 2.8 Left
GEO DUEL 3.7 Right
ATARI CORP. 3.9 Left
Total lap distance: 4.0 miles
PHOENIX Odo Side
STUN RUNNER 0.9 Left
RAMPAGE 1.1 Left
ST (w/picture) 1.6 Right
LYNX (w/picture) 2.2 Right
[atari logo] 2.5 Right
ST (w/picture) 2.7 Right
ATARI CORP. 3.0 Left
TT (w/picture) 3.1 Left
AWESOME GOLF 3.6 Right
SLIME WORLD 4.2 Right
Total lap distance: 4.4 miles
FARMINGTON Odo Side
WARBIRDS 0.9 Right
RAMPAGE 1.8 Right
LYNX (w/picture) 2.8 Left
Total lap distance: 2.8 miles
MIAMI Odo Side
TT (w/picture) 0.3 Left
LYNX (w/picture) 0.6 Left
BASEBALL HEROES 1.0 Right
GEO DUEL 2.0 Right
AWESOME GOLF 2.5 Right
WARBIRDS 2.9 Left
Total lap distance: 3.1 miles
BLACK CANYON Odo Side
RAMPAGE 0.3 Right
ATARI CORP. 0.7 Right
BASEBALL HEROES 1.3 Right
CYBERBALL 2.2 Right
Total lap distance: 3.0 miles
MOUNTAIN VIEW Odo Side
LYNX (w/picture) 0.1 Right
TT (w/picture) 0.4 Right
GEO DUEL 0.8 Left
(atari logo) 1.6 Left
CYBERBALL 2.4 Left
ST (w/picture) 2.7 Right
Total lap distance: 3.2 miles
COLDWATER PASS Odo Side
WARBIRDS 0.4 Left
LYNX (w/picture) 1.0 Left
PORTFOLIO 1.4 Left
AWESOME GOLF 2.1 Right
SLIME WORLD 2.8 Right
TT (w/picture) 3.0 Right
Total lap distance: 3.2 miles
DARLINGTON Odo Side
BASEBALL HEROES 0.9 Left
MS PACMAN 1.9 Right
STUN RUNNER 3.1 Right
ST (w/picture) 3.6 Right
Total lap distance: 3.7 miles
Transmission information:
Gear (7-speed) Top Speed Gear (4-speed) Top Speed
1 29 1 49
2 55 2 106
3 83 3 172
4 107 4 219
5 148
6 179
7 219
[CHI]=====================================================================
CHIP'S CHALLENGE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHIPS CHALLANGE LEVELS
LEVEL CODE NAME |LEVEL CODE NAME |LEVEL CODE NAME
1 BDHP LESSON ONE | 51 IGGJ I SLIDE |101 RPIR APARTMENT
2 JXMJ LESSON TWO | 52 PPHT THE LAST LAUGH |102 VDDU ICEHOUSE
3 ECBQ LESSON THREE | 53 CGNX TRAFFIC COP |103 PTAC MEMORY
4 YMCJ LESSON FOUR | 54 ZMGC GRAIL |104 KWNL JAILER
5 TQKB LESSON FIVE | 55 SJES POTPOURRI |105 YNEG SHORT CIRCUIT
6 WNLP LESSON SIX | 56 FCJE DEEP FREEZE |106 NXYB KABLAM
7 FXQO LESSON SEVEN | 57 UBXU STRANGE MAZE |107 ECRC BALLS O FIRE
8 NHAG LESSON EIGHT | 58 YBLT LOOP AROUND |108 LIOC BLOCK OUT
9 KCRE NUTS AND BOLTS | 59 BLOM HIDDEN DANGER |109 KZQR TORTURECHAMBER
10 VUWS BRUSHFIRE | 60 ZIVI SCOUNDREL |110 XBAO CHILLER
11 CNPE TRINITY | 61 RMOW RINK |111 KRQJ TIME LAPSE
12 WVHI HUNT | 62 TIGW SLO MO |112 NJLA FORTUNE FAVORS
THE
13 OCKS SOUTH POLE | 63 GOHX BLOCK FACTORY |113 PTAS OPEN QUESTION
14 BTDY TELEBLOCK | 64 IJPQ SPOOKS |114 JWNL DECEPTION
15 COZQ ELEMENTARY | 65 UPUN AMSTERDAM |115 EGRU OVERSEA DELIVERY
16 SKKK CELLBLOCKED | 66 ZIKZ VICTIM |116 HXMF BLOCK BUSTER II
17 AJMG NICE DAY | 67 GGJA CHIPMINE |117 FPZT THE MARSH
18 HMJL CASTLE MOAT | 68 RTDI EENY MINY MOE |118 OSCW MISS DIRECTION
19 MRHR DIGGER | 69 NLLY BOUNCE CITY |119 PHTY SLIDE STEP
20 KGFP TOSSED SALAD | 70 GCCG NIGHTMARE |120 FLXP ALPHABET SOUP
21 UGRW ICEBERG | 71 LASM CORRIDOR |121 BPYS PERFECT MATCH
22 UZIN FORCED ENTRY | 72 EKFT REVERSE ALLEY |122 SJUM TOTALLY FAIR
23 HUVE BLOBNET | 73 QCCR MORTON |123 YKZE THE PRISONER
24 UNIZ OOR TO GELD | 74 MKNH PLAYTIME |124 TASX FIRE TRAP
25 PQGV BLINK | 75 MJOV STEAM |125 MYRT MIXED NUTS
26 YVYJ CHCHCHIPS | 76 NMRH FOUR PLEX |126 QRLD BLOCK N ROLL
27 IGGZ GO WITH THE FLOW| 77 FHIC INVINCIBLE CHAMPION|127 JMWZ SKELZIE
28 UJDD PING PONG | 78 GRMO FORCE SQUARE |128 FTLA ALL FULL
29 QGOL ARTICFLOW | 79 JINV DRAWN & QUARTERED |129 HEAN LOBSTER TRAP
30 BQZP MISHMESH | 80 EVUG VANISHING ACT |130 XHIZ ICE CUBE
31 RYMS KNOT | 81 SCWF WRITERS BLOCK |131 FIRD TOTALLY UNFAIR
32 PEFS SCAVENGER HUNT | 82 LLIO SOCIALIST ACTION |132 ZYFA MIX UP
33 BQSN ON THE ROCKS | 83 OVPJ UP THE BLOCK |133 TIGG BLOBDANCE
34 NQFI CYPHER | 84 UVEO WARS |134 XPPH PAIN
35 VDTM LEMMINGS | 85 LEBX TELENET |135 LYWO TRUST ME
36 NXIS LADDER | 86 FLHH SUICIDE |136 LVZL DOUBLEMAZE
37 VQNK SEEING STARS | 87 YJYS CITY BLOCK |137 HPPX GOLD KEY
38 BIFA SAMPLER | 88 WZYV SPIRALS |138 LUJT PARTIAL POST
39 ICXY GLUT | 89 VCZO BLOCK BUSTER |139 VLHH YORK HOUSE
40 YWFH FLOORGASBORG | 90 OLLM PLAYHOUSE |140 SJUK ICE DEATH
41 GKWD I. C. YOU | 91 JPQG JUMPING SWARM |141 MCJE UNDERGROUND
42 LMFU BEWARE OF BUG | 92 DTMI VORTEX |142 UCRY PENTAGRAM
43 UJDP LOCK BLOCK | 93 REKF ROAD SIGN |143 OKOR STRIPES!
44 TXHL REFRACTION | 94 EWCS NOW YOU SEE IT |144 GVXQ FIREFLIES
45 OVPZ MONSTER LAB | 95 BIFQ FOUR SQUARE |145*******THE END******
46 HDQZ THREE DOORS | 96 WVHY PARANOIA |146 JHEN CAKE WALK
47 LXPP PIER SEVEN | 97 IOCS METASTABLE TO CHAOS|147 COZA FORCE FIELD
48 JYSF MUGGER SQUARE | 98 TKWD SHRINKING |148 RGSK MIND BLOCK
49 PPXI PROBLEMS | 99 XUVU CATACOMBS |149 DIGW SPECIAL
50 QBDH DIG DIRT |100 QJXR COLONY |150*******THE END******
_______________________|____________________________|________________________
The code for level 146 was found on level 34 (Cypher). That level spells out:
JHEN which is the password for level 146.
CHIP'S CHALLENGE
FRACTAL GENERATOR PROGRAM
INSTRUCTIONS
Chip's Challenge has a secret. In it's many codes for levels of
play, there is a code which will allow you to enter into the
infinite world of fractals. A fractal is a geometrical or physical
structure that has an irregular or fragmented shape at all scales
of measurement between a greatest and a smallest scale such that
certain mathematical or physical properties of the structure are
greater than the spatial dimensions. If you can understand the
definition, that's what a fractal is.
Fractals were discovered by a man named Benoit Mandlebrot and he
even named one of the images you'll see in this program after
himself. There are lots of different images to be seen in this
program, so don't just stay in one area. Now, on with the fun of
fractals.
The code for entering the program is MAND. After it is entered. a
picture will start to form on the screen. DON'T TOUCH ANY BUTTONS
UNTIL THE PICTURE IS DONE. When it's done, then you can move
around and zoom in to see more details. NOTE: Since each picture
has extremely fine detail, it will usually take a few minutes for
an image to form. Especially if there is black in ore around the
picture.
CONTROLS FOR THE PROGRAM:
(B) Button: When this button is pushed, it will create a box
outline on the screen which you can move around. When
the button is pushed again, the image on the screen
will zoom away from you.
(A) Button: When this button is pressed, it will also create a box
outline. When pressed again, this will cause the image
to zoom towards you.
NOTE: After the image has either been zoomed away or towards you,
take the outline off the screen and let the Lynx adjust the
picture to more detail.
OPTION 1 Button: This will create and vanish he box outline.
NOTE: Always take the outline off the screen
after you are done with it.
OPTION 2 Button: This will create the box outline and starts the
color cycling on the screen. One push on the
button causes the cycling to go forward. Another
push causes it to go backwards and a third will
stop the cycling altogether. NOTE: To change the
color of the cycling, go to the index.
PAUSE Button: This button will cause the MANDLEBROT / JULIA SET
EXPLORER INDEX to appear on the screen. In the
index, you can change the depth, color and cycle
rate of the fractal's and also create your own
pictures. The index should look like this:
MANDLEBROT EXPLORER
X: FE.0000000000
Y: FE.0000000000
STEP: 00.0800000000
DEPTH: 0100
PALETTE: 00
CYCLE RATE: 04
XJUL: 00.0000000000
YJUL: 00.0000000000
You can change anything you want on the index and it will not hurt
the Chip's Challenge game. But, before you change any of the X, Y,
XJUL and YJUL settings, look at all the different images that can
be found in the pictures on the screen. You can change the palette
and cycle rate without messing up the programmed images. NOTE:
There are two different programs to play with in this game. To
see the other images other than Mandlebrot's, go to the index and
push OPTION 2. It will change the title from MANDLEBROT EXPLORER
to JULIA SET EXPLORER.
That's all there is to this program. Hope this help's you have
lots of fun exploring the infinite images of the fractal
generator.
NOTE: These instructions have been created by KALE SWINDELL 1990
and have not been copied from any other source material.
The Lynx Mandelbrot code does 48-bit fixed-point math using 8 bits of
integer and 40 bits of fraction, via the hardware multiplier (16x16) and a
lot of help from the 65C02. The comment line on it (the source) says it
was written by Steve Landrum of Blue Lightning fame.
[CRY]=====================================================================
CRYSTAL MINES II
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crystal Mines 2 Codes
---------------------
List compiled by: Greg Littlefield and John Hardie
Completed by Charlie Craft 5/11/92
Text file begun by John Hardie 4/10/92
1 - TSLA Down In The Dirt 2 - UEPT Logan's Run
3 - MTFQ Blocks And Bombs 4 - IRTR Wren's Nest
5 - ZCXP Out With A Bang 6 - DPRX Tanya's Tangram
7 - OIGT Monster Go Boom 8 - YHYR Dan's Deadly Maze
9 - VYHK Rocky Horror 10 - ITCU It Grows On You
11 - QCFK Easy Trap Of Doom 12 - BXNG Rock And Roll
13 - MOXA Bombs A' Plenty 14 - IDWJ Catacombs
15 - RFVC Red Herring 16 - GHSI Behind The Lines
17 - SKHU Impervections 18 - TRFN Blasting Zone
19 - LQRE A Wrinkle In Time 20 - AURV Bolder Dash
21 - TYGU Mud Wrestling 22 - FUIX Buried Alive
23 - QFXV Crystal "Mines" 24 - XVXU Can't Touch This
25 - KYPO Felony Arson 26 - HBTR Sandbox Bullies
27 - SFEB Stake Your Claim 28 - HXRE Dry Vein
29 - TRVJ Quiver 30 - FQCS Boulder Mania
31 - ZOIH Pipe Hype 32 - LHJV Stuck In The Mud
33 - GVYU Rat Race 34 - EMTV Split Infinity
35 - OHXY Switch Swatch 36 - GSTB Minefield
37 - UXRC Chimney Sweep 38 - PWYH What A Blast!
39 - XQCE Hardrock Headache 40 - PNGU Nuke Zone
41 - DZDI Down Is Up 42 - PIPH Lucky Number
43 - PKAV Of Gravity... 44 - TBUM Shape Up
45 - CXRI Gravity Wise 46 - QIPZ Slime Pit
47 - HBJP Candlestick 48 - NXKU Bouncing Boulders
49 - IGPY Cloudbuster 50 - INUK Whirlwind
51 - LPHD Block Mania 52 - NEBX I Get Around
53 - JVNL Hot Pursuit 54 - CAQS Runny Stocking
55 - KEHL Cakewalk 56 - EMSE The Sewers
57 - ZLAE Crystal Factory 58 - MSXV Drop A Rock
59 - JXTD Magic Mirror 60 - SOVS Cache
61 - GHGV Rock Concert 62 - QVOZ Crystal Tomb
63 - ZCEL Make My Maze 64 - COYH Pardon Me
65 - HJHT Take Control 66 - DONQ Castle Mania
67 - VBHF Rad Drops 68 - JSMJ Crystal Cannon
69 - HTRA Tick Tock 70 - WBHD Crossroads
71 - MVJX Rain Dance 72 - ANZI Jungle Gem
73 - EDLA Zero Gravity 74 - PCMN Boulder Exchange
75 - YJKJ Monster Mania 76 - RAIQ Which Way?
77 - ZRWH Mud Boggin' 78 - ECMO Safe Cracker
79 - AOTP The Howling 80 - SVWK Trial -N- Error
81 - VRBO Squeeze Play 82 - SVYA Jailhouse Rock
83 - KRFH Dodge Ball 84 - CNQR Sidewinder
85 - YNXR Ghost Of A Chance 86 - CWQU Plumber's Helper
87 - YXFJ Change Machine 88 - SRDW Triple Threat
89 - PDSQ Out Of Order 90 - QKOA Robo Rooter
91 - CKLQ Riddle Me This 92 - KHBA Cheque It Out
93 - MZKM Joel's Conniption 94 - DYDO Saturn V
95 - IDIC To Boldly Go 96 - WVOM Who Knows?
97 - NJCU Pipe Dream 98 - WUQR Volcano Vacation
99 - BSZB Pipeline Puzzle 100 - RERF Asylum
101 - WNON Slime Jar 102 - IVLC Around The World
103 - PJOL Crystal Trap 104 - RGEI Central Square
105 - WCEF Down The Drain 106 - DSGY Creature Comforts
107 - PHUF Swamp Things 108 - NCDS Gravity Ball
109 - KOMZ Herringbone 110 - LFXQ Water Closet
111 - WAET Xenophobe Zoo 112 - YJNV Conveyor Belt
113 - TAUJ Mutation 114 - IMOZ Towering Inferno
115 - NBFD Take Your Pick 116 - ZAPR Shopping Spree
117 - BXFT Elevator Muzak 118 - GEFA Kaleidoscope
119 - QIKD Gemnastics 120 - GMWJ Death Zone
121 - MKIH Don't Be Greedy 122 - ULEL Multi-abuser
123 - KBDW Bombs Away 124 - QEFP Sound And Fury
125 - SFJX Make 'Em Yourself 126 - LQXW The Four Seasons
127 - INMQ Lobotomy 128 - NMAD Hell And Back
129 - RHEM Pipe Organ 130 - YHVR Newton's Nightmare
131 - FSHF Jail Break 132 - EIKJ Quantum Quarry
133 - CQCR Running On MT 134 - AIYA Haunted House
135 - SXOE Arrow Phlegm 136 - EKDR Bohemian Rhapsody
137 - DRVY Lift Lackeys 138 - RGUM Spacin' Vaders
139 - FEDC Avalanche! 140 - PRKL Evil Twins
141 - ONKO Leftright 142 - QXPL Meltdown
143 - JRXP Girls Best Friend 144 - PADJ Phase Shift
145 - KGLI Spiral Of Doom 146 - FDXR Mouse Trap
147 - BLKS Zen 148 - TJGB Freeze Frame
149 - QKBT Check Mate 150 - AUEC Terminus
*NOTE* Upon completing level 28, you are awarded a 1 million point
super bonus.
Bonus Levels
------------
0 - ZERO Secret Vault From Level --
1 - KQVW Deja View From Level 9
2 - QATR No Time To Think From Level 18
3 - DBFQ Bonanza! From Level 27
4 - LEJM Nimbus From Level 34
5 - ODJY Monty Haul From Level 39
6 - BVOS Pinball Wiz From Level 43
7 - SKLR Ping Pong From Level 48
8 - JPGR Twist And Shout From Level 52
9 - BIOH Time's Up From Level 55
10 - BNRY Time Bomb From Level 59
11 - UJIL Time To Spare From Level 61
12 - NMXS Lava Slide From Level 66
13 - LKBI Slam City From Level 70
14 - RNSK No Way Jose' From Level 73
15 - STRA Hide-N-Seek From Level 78
16 - YTST Snake's Belly From Level 84
17 - HBJO Flood Gate From Level 89
18 - CHRN Killing Time From Level 96
19 - WIFC Way Out From Level 100
20 - ESBD Hermit Crab From Level 106
21 - TMCB Menagerie From Level 111
22 - GCSQ Yuchsville From Level 114
23 - PNZS Mine Shaft From Level 119
24 - KDVI Surrounded From Level 125
25 - DHZY Pool Queue From Level 130
26 - IVRQ Pit Of Lost Souls From Level 134
27 - OSNY Shoot The Moon From Level 138
28 - LOTL Tarmaze From Level 143
29 - MWOH Safety Dance From Level 146
30 - JCXZ Downtime From Level 149
Level skip:
Enter the password KIMI but don't press the A button to start the
game. Instead hold down Option 1 and Option 2 buttons and press B. You will
hear a sound like a machine gun and you'll see the first level (Down in the
Dirt) appear on the screen. Press A to skip ahead to the next level or
press B to move back through the list. When you see the level you want to
play, press any direction on the control pad to start the game.
[DIN]=====================================================================
DINOLYMPICS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: wsgbat@rwa.urc.tue.nl (A. Thissen)
Level Codes:
Level codes are only revealed for every four levels completed.
Level name: Code:
1 Let's get the spear LYNX
2 Let's get the torch
3 Nobody steals our idol
4 Let's get the rope
5 Let's get our friend KRIS
6 Jump over the mammoth
7 Rescue the witchdoctor
8 Visit a girlie
9 Feed the god CAVA
10 Rescue Fido
11 Visit a friend
12 Go fishing
13 Let's go hunting DBBS
14 Visit your cousin
15 Visit a girlie
16 Our idol is missing
17 Feed me TINA
18 Recover the boulder
19 Find your friend
20 It's your wife's birthday
21 Go home for tea KITI
22 Get those fishies
23 Find your brother
24 Get food for party
25 Party time
[DRA]=====================================================================
DRACULA THE UNDEAD
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: dab1@ukc.ac.uk
First, get the notebook from the chest of drawers. Go into the bedroom and
get the tinder box from the table and the crucifix from the bed. Use the
crucifix. Go to the dining room, get the oil from the table. Talk to
Dracula, and immediately afterwards, use the notebook. Go to the
antechamber, open the window and look out of it. Use the notebook. Climb
out of the window and go to the next window on the right. This room should
be the bedroom. Open the window and climb out of it. Make your way to the
top right window (it should be a big window like the one you climbed out of
initially). Examine the table, then use the notebook. Get the lantern, fill
it with oil and light it with the tinderbox. Go through the door on the
right into Dracula's money room. Get some money, get the box, then open the
box. Use the iron key you find in it on the door. Go into the crypt. Turn
the lantern so that it says "The lantern has been turned down". Go down,
right. Get the twine. Go right, down, down. Get the crowbar, examine the
coffin, use the notebook. Find your way back to Dracula's study. Climb out
of the window, and go back to the top left hand window. Go to the south
wing landing and use the crowbar on the door. Enter the sewing room. Wait
to be returned to the bedroom and then use the notebook. Climb out of the
window and go to the top left hand one. Go to the dining room, get the
sugar from the table. Go back to Dracula's study and get the lantern. Light
the lantern with the tinderbox and enter the catacombs again. Go down,
right, right, down, down. Get the small brass key from the coffin. Return
to the south hallway and use the small brass key to open the clock. Get the
small key. Return to Dracula's study, examine the desk and then use the
notebook. Get the hook from the drawer. Go to the money room and turn the
lever on the bottom wall. Enter the library through the door which opens
and examine the books. Examine the book you get, then tie the twine to the
hook. Enter the catacombs and go down, right, up, up. Climb the ladder and
then use the sugar on the horse. Get the spade and use it on the well. The
fishing line on the well, then climb down the well. THE END.
[ELE]=====================================================================
ELECTROCOP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the codes to all the doors and what they contain.
Level 1 D1 = 2473 -> Level 2 Level 7 D1 = 6021 -> Level 4
D2 = 9874 -> Level 2 D2 = 5824 -> Level 9
D3 = 8743 -> Weapons
Level 8 D1 = 7698 -> Level 6
Level 2 D1 = 3287 -> Lvl 7 (Right)
Lvl 3 (Left) Level 9 D1 = 0170 -> Pla.Cannon
D2 = 5409 -> Empty D2 = 1092 -> Empty
D3 = 7102 -> TriLaser
Level 3 D1 = 9284 -> Level 4 D4 = 4726 -> Empty
D2 = 7210 -> Level 4 D5 = 1375 -> Level 11
D3 = 3936 -> Smart Bomb D6 = 2857 -> Bi-Laser
D4 = 7395 -> Plasma Cannon D7 = 6998 -> Tri-Laser
D5 = 8294 D8 = 1798 -> Tri-Laser
D9 = 4321 -> Level 1
Level 4 D1 = 0394 -> Weapons
Level 10 Left Exit -> Level 11
Level 5 D1 = 8658 -> Weapons Middle Exit -> Level 9
D2 = 5462 -> Door 7 Right Exit -> Level 2
D3 = 9973 -> End of Game
D4 = 7642 -> Door 1 Level 11 D1 = 0293 -> Bi-Laser
D5 = 0912 -> Door 2 Left Exit -> Level 3
D6 = 0974 -> Door 3 Right Exit -> Level 12
D7 = 7865 -> Door 4
D8 = 4285 -> Door 5 Level 12 D1 = 2987 -> Pl.Cannon
Stingrays -> Level 10 D2 = 6473 -> Pl.Cannon
Open/Closing Doors -> Level 1
Level 6 D1 = 9722 -> Level 5
D2 = 8765 -> Level 12
[Get the lynx cheats rtf file which includes maps to all the levels!]
Crash the game:
To crash the game go to either level 5 or 9 and get as many programs
hacking the door codes as possible. It may be best to set the code to the
one over the actual code (See above) so the program won't find the code too
soon.
Level select:
Turn off your sound at title screen, now hold up and left on the
joypad and keep tapping both A & B buttons until it says "LEVEL 1" instead
of "NOW TELEPORING TO LEVEL 1".. Use joypad to choose level. (from
Star*Lynx)
[GAT]=====================================================================
GATES OF ZENDOCON
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Following are all of the codes, maps, and some hints for GATES OF
ZENDOCON: SPOILER WARNING: If you enjoy discovering things for
yourself, you should probably stop here. This file takes a lot of the
fun out of it!
General Strategies
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GZ's monsters are completely predictable: Every time you play a
level, they will appear in the same places, in the same sequence.
In addition, the "alien helpers" and other objects in the level appear
in the same places. Thus, the key to mastering a level is to first
explore the level. Move your ship up and down, up and down, as you
proceed through the level, so you can see everything that's there.
You might have to sacrificing your ship lots of times before you
manage to get the whole level explored. After you know what's there,
you can develop the best strategy for getting through the level. This
might involve moving your ship as little as possible to reduce risk,
or it might involve moving it as much as possible so as to blow away
more aliens.
The Levels
~~~~~~~~~~
In the listing for each level, the gate(s) which exist on that level
are indicated with a letter, an arrow "->", and the name of the level
which that gate leads to. Different letters indicate different
possible positions of the gate, as shgown in this diagram:
+--------------------------+
| B |
| A D E |
| C |
+--------------------------+
This is meant to be a schematic representation of the level; your ship
starts out at the left and proceeds towards the right.
For example, in the first level ("BASE"), it says "A -> ZYBX, E ->
RAZE". This means that there are two gates: one at position "A", and
another at position "E". You have to go through two "waves" of alien
attack to get to a gate at position "E".
Each level's entry also tells which "friendly aliens" can be found on
that level, and where. The symbols used are as follows:
@: "Floating Eye". Hovers below your ship and shoots a fireball
horizontally.
*: "Plasma Ball". Hovers above and behind your ship, until you fire,
at which point it wanders off (usually towards the closest enemy)
and attempts to destroy enemies by touching them.
^: "Death Arising". Hovers above your ship and shoots a red "laser
beam" straight up.
>: "Sonic Dart". Hovers above and slightly ahead of your ship and
shoots a vertical white "sonic pulse", which moves to the right
and enlarges as it moves away. The result is a continuous
triangular wave of pulses which "sweeps out" virtually everthing
in front of your ship.
The description also tells where the alien is found. Note: You won't
find the alien if your ship is already accompanied by an alien of the
same type.
The levels are numbered in such a way that the gates always lead you
to a higher-numbered level. Also, whenever possible consecutive
levels have been given consecutive numbers. (Most levels only have
one gate.)
1. BASE: A -> ZYBX, E -> RAZE
2. ZYBX: B -> NYXX, C -> XRXS, D -> NEAT
3. XRXS: A -> ANEX
4. ANEX: A -> NEAT, E -> BARE
5. NEAT: A -> YARR
6. YARR: B -> EYES. *: Near bottom, at end.
7. EYES: A -> NYXX, D -> BARE
8. NYXX: C -> ZYRB. @: Near top of screen.
9. ZYRB: A -> SRYX
10. SRYX: A -> BARE
11. BARE: A -> STAX, D -> XRAY
As soon as possible, move the ship straight up to the top of the
playfield. Do *not* move left or right. The dragon will fly into
your tailjets and get killed instantly.
A description of the "real" strategy for killing the dragon is given
below under level "NERB".
12. XRAY: A -> RATT. *: Near top of screen.
13. RATT: A -> NYET
14. NYET: A -> RAZE
One easy way to get through this level is to stay on the bottom and
never shoot. Of course, you don't get many points this way!
15. STAX: A -> SZZZ
16. SZZZ: A -> RAZE. *: Middle of screen, at beginning.
17. RAZE: A -> TRYX, B -> ROXX, C -> TRAX, D -> TERA
18. ROXX: A -> NERB
19. NERB: A -> TREY. @: Stay above partition, after dragon.
The dragon in this level is like the one in "BARE": It can be killed
only by having its "head" contact your tailjets. None of the alien
helpers affects the dragon.
To slay the dragon, note that it travels on a grid of circles. It
will always stay in this grid.
Here's a rough sketch:
: : : :
'. .' '. .' '. .'
.'''. .'''. .'''.
.' '.' '.' '.
: :xxx : :
'. .'. .'. .'
'...' '...' '...'
.' '. .' '. .' '.
: : : :
The dots, quotes, and colons represent the path of the dragon. The key
is to get your ship into the position marked "xxx" in the center of
one of the circles. Avoid the dragon until you can see where the
"center of the circle" is, and then put your ship there when the
dragon is out of the way.
Once in the center of the circle, your ship is entirely safe. After a
while, the dragon's path repeats; when it comes round the circle
again, it will fly through your tailjets and die.
(Actually, this doesn't always happen. Sometimes your ship is a
little too far to the right and the dragon will just "chirp" a little
as it goes by. If this happens, move your ship to the left a *tiny*
bit and wait for him to come around again.
Note: This strategy has to be modified somewhat in "SSSS", where you
get more than one dragon at a time.
20. TREY: A -> STAR. >: Third set of partitions, top.
21. STAR: D -> SSSS, C ->BYTE. @: First set of partitions, bottom.
The "B" gate is under the second partition. It's also sort of hard to
enter.
22. SSSS: A -> BREX
The dragons in this level come in groups of two or three. This makes
things more difficult, because they don't always travel on the same
"grid".
The strategy is the same, but since the dragons travel on different
grids, you'll have to keep moving your ship. If you can't move fast
enough, use your shields -- they will get you out of the way much more
quickly. (However, you'll be dead if you're caught between two dragons
or caught between a dragon and the edge of the playfield.) Dodge the
dragons repeatedly until you see what pattern they follow. Each one
follows a repeating path. Then, kill them off one-by-one, using the
method described in "NERB".
23. TERA: A -> BYTE
24. BYTE: A -> BETA. >: Near bottom of screen.
25. BETA: B -> TRAX, E -> NEST
26. TRAX: A -> ZEBA
27. ZEBA: A -> TRYX, E -> ROXY. @: Near top.
28. TRYX: B -> STYX
In this level, the "floor" restricts the ship to the top half of the
play-field. However, there is a "hidden feature" or "easter-egg"
which allows you to access another gate "below the floor". Here's how
you find it:
*** HEY! WOULDN'T YOU RATHER FIND THIS FOR YOURSELF? I THOUGHT
*** SO. IF YOU'RE NOT A WIMP, YOU'LL SKIP THE NEXT FEW PARAGRAPHS.
Immediately put on your shields and move the ship down, to kill the
alien tanks. Then, start dropping bombs (using your shields when
necessary to kill newly-appearing aliens). You will notice at one
point the bombs appear to go through the floor. At this location is
an invisible "hole" through which you can fly your ship.
It will probably take a few tries before you get through, because the
hole is rather small. Once you get through, you maneuver through a
couple of minor obstacles and then find the gate. It leads you to the
"easter-egg level", whose name is " ". (Four blank spaces: this
level, therefore, can't be accessed directly as the others can because
its name cannot be entered.)
The easter-egg level is fun. It also gives you all four alien
helpers: @, *, >, and ^.
*** END OF WIMP'S SECTION ***
29. STYX: A -> YARB
30. YARB: A -> BREX
31. ROXY: A -> NEXA
32. NEXA: A -> NEST
33. NEST: A -> EBYX
34. EBYX: A -> BREX. *: Middle of screen (can't miss it).
35. " ": A -> NERB. *, @, ^, >: all near bottom, near beginning.
This is the easter-egg level. Description of level "TRYX" above
tells you how to get here.
Since this level leads back to an "earlier level", it is possible
to loop, and thus (in theory) to play Gates of Zendocon forever:
NERB->TREY->STAR->BYTE->BETA->TRAX->ZEBA->TRYX->here->back to NERB.
36. BREX: B -> ZEST, C -> SEBB, D -> STAB. ^: Near bottom, after
a long sequence of towers with yellow-and-gray pyramid-shaped tops.
37. ZEST: A -> ZORT. *: Bottom of screen, under stalactite.
38. ZORT: B -> STAB, E -> BRAN
39. BRAN: A -> BROT
40. STAB: A -> BOXX. @: Middle of screen, at beginning.
41. BOXX: C -> SEBB, E -> TENT
Here's a map of this level. "[]" represents a box which is hard to
shoot, "<>" represents one which is easy. "C" and "E" show the
locations of the gates.
(left half:)
+--------------------------------------------------------/
| <><> [] <> [] [] <> [] <> [] <> /
| [][] [] [] [] <> [] [] [] [] [] \
| <> <> <> [] <> [] [] [] [] [] \
| [][] [] [] <> <> [] [] [] <> [] /
| [] [] [] [] [] [] <> [] [] [] /
+-------------------------------------------------------\
(right half:)
/-------------------------------------------------------+
/ <><><><> <> <><><><><><><><>[][][][] [] |
\ [][][][] [][][][][][][] <>[][][][][][] [] |
\ [][][][] <>[][][][][][][] <>[][][][][][] [] E |
/ [][][][] [][][][][][] <>[][][] [][] |
/ [][][][] C [][][][][][][] <><><><><><> |
\--------------------------------------------------------+
42. TENT: A -> BROT. *: Near middle.
43. SEBB: A -> SNEX. ^: Near bottom.
44. SNEX: C -> ZAXX
Yes, the "tank/truck" objects can be destroyed! However, it's a very
complex operation.
1: Wait until the first tank is about halfway across the screen.
2: Move behind its cannon, then down behind it after the 2-legged
walker isout of the way.
3: Follow it closely, and simultaneously maneuver the ship so
that it's 3 pixels off the floor. Move almost all the way to
the edge of the screen.
4: Keep the lasers on continuously. This should kill additional
walkers as they approach.
5: As each additional tank piles up behind you, the score
increments by increasing amounts. When the score is
incrementing 10 at a time, the one's digit will be constant.
Shortly after this happens, you will kill a walker. Just
after the walker is killed, move up slightly, wait for a
missile to fly just under you, then move back down into
position.
6: Continue to the end. When the screen stops scrolling, leave
your ship still for a bit; the tanks will all simultaneously
be destroyed.
45. ZAXX: A -> BROT
46. BROT: A -> STOB. >: Near bottom.
So-named because of the Mandelbrot Sets used in the background?
47. STOB: A -> XTNT
48. XTNT: A -> BOTZ
49. BOTZ: A -> SNAX
50. SNAX: A -> ZETA, D -> NEAR
51. NEAR: A -> ZETA. *: Near bottom. @: Near top, immediately after
*. >: Near bottom, shortly after @.
52. ZETA
This is the "penultimate level", as it were. The object is to shoot
at the object which slowly moves up and down along the right edge of
the screen. Every now and then, this object will "open its eye"; this
is the only time when it's vulnerable. The second time you
successfully hit it when its eye is open, everything on the screen
blows up and you are sent to the endgame.
NOTE: If you have alien companions, they will be destroyed along with
everything else! (However, they still help you get through this
level.) The consequence of this is that when you face Zendocon, you
always face it alone.
53. Endgame
In the final screen, you fight it out with Zendocon itself, the evil
spider-monster which rules all the other aliens you've been fighting.
To make it through this level, use the following procedure:
Zendocon appears on the right edge of the screen and moves
horizontally towards you. While firing the lasers continuously, move
your ship down slowly. You will eventually find a point at which your
lazer-fire makes "explosions" appear on the monster.
When Zendocon is getting close, move your ship to the left and *up*
out of the way. It can touch your ship without hurting you, but you
want to avoid having it cover your ship entirely. Use your shields if
it's a close call.
When it starts heading back towards the right, move your ship back
down to fire at Zendocon's "soft spot" again. Use your shields when
necessary to keep the "eyeballs" from hitting you. After the first
couple of left-right "cycles" of Zendocon's movement, you'll be able
to position your ship so that you can hit the soft spot and also avoid
touching the eyeballs (because Zendocon slowly drifts up as it moves
back and forth.)
Using this technique, you should be able to hit Zendocon enough so
that it dies after five or six repetitions of its left-right path.
If you don't, it will start moving around the screen diagonally. This
means it's probably too late -- but in a last-ditch effort, put on
your shields and fly into its "mouth". This might do it in.
If you kill Zendocon and then "commit suicide" by crashing your ship
into the floating eyes, you're given another ship and have to kill
Zendocon again. If you lose your last ship in this way, you lose the
game. Killing Zendocon multiple times doesn't increase your score all
that much, but it's something to do if you have lots of extra ships at
the end of the game.
Shortest Route From Start to Finish
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fifteen screens, plus Zendocon. There are three equally short paths
from BREX to BROT:
,->ZEST->ZORT->BRAN-.
BASE->RAZE->TRYX->STYX->YARB->BREX--->STAB->BOXX->TENT--->BROT-.
`->SEBB->SNEX->ZAXX-' |
,---------------------------------'
`->STOB->XTNT->BOTZ->SNAX->ZETA->endgame
At BASE, take the second gate. At RAZE, take the first. At TRYX,
STYX, and YARB you have no choice (disregarding the easter-egg in
TRYX). At BREX, choose whichever path you like best (if you choose
the upper path, take the second gate at ZORT; if you choose the middle
path, take the second gate at BOXX.) From BROT to SNAX you have no
choice; at SNAX take the first gate.
A typical final score for the "shortest route" is around 100,000.
(Or 10,000,000 in the "hard" mode -- good luck!)
Gates of Zendocon Map:
Each level's gates are numbered left to right, top to bottom, as the
terrain scrolls from left to right.
Start
AAAA -->BASE 1
2/ `--.
/ ZYBX 2
/ 1/|3 `--.
/ / | XRXS
/ / | |
/ / | 1 ANEX
/ / | .--' |2
/ / NEAT |
/ / | |
| | YARR |
| | | |
| | 1 EYES |
| | .--' /2 /
| NYXX / /
| / / /
| ZYRB / /
| | /______/
| SRYX /
| \ /
| BARE 2
| 1| `--.
| | XRAY
| STAX `--.
| | RATT
| | |
\ SZZZ NYET
\ `--. .--'
`----------->RAZE___ 2
1/|3\4 `--------ROXX
/ | \ `--.
/ | \ NERB
/ | \_ |
/ | TERA TREY
/ | | .--'
/ | | 2 STAR
/ | | .--' |1
| | BYTE SSSS
| | | |
| | 1 BETA |
| | .--' |2 |
| TRAX | |
| | | |
| 1 ZEBA | |
| .--' |2 | |
TRYX ROXY | |
| | | |
STYX NEXA 1 | |
| |2 `--. | |
YARB | NEST |
\ | | |
\____ | EBYX |
\ | .--'-------<-'
1 BREX
.---'2| 3\___
ZEST | \
/ | \
/ | STAB
/ | |
ZORT | |
| | |
| | 1 BOXX
| | .--' |2
| SEBB |
| .--' TENT
| SNEX /
| | /
BRAN ZAXX /
`--------`--. /
BROT
|
STOB
|
XTNT
|
BOTZ
|
SNAX 2
1| `--.
| NEAR
| .--'
ZETA
-- Howard Chu @ University of Michigan
[GAU]=====================================================================
GAUNTLET
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solving the plant problem in the last level (Level 40):
1) Take the first plant in the second group of plants.
It will spit you out of another plant.
2) Escape from this plant and take the top plant of the four. This will
spit you out between two more plants.
3) Take the left-most plant and get the Star Gem! Immediately give it to
Noj and all the robots turn to gold.
To Select Levels
1) Choose your character.
2) Start the game, but DO NOT move your character.
3) Press the OPTION 1 button, this will take you to Level 5.
4) Repeat this to go to Levels 10, 15, and 20.
[KLA]=====================================================================
KLAX
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can warp to level 56 by getting a "Big X" on level 11. You can also
warp to level 51 by getting a "Big X" on level 6. Both of these give you
bonuses of ~60,000 points.
[LEM]=====================================================================
LEMMINGS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From: ken@hpclkms.cup.hp.com Mon Sep 27 14:57:28 1993
CODES FOR LYNX LEMMINGS
-----------------------
FUN TRICKY TAXING MAYHEM
--- ------ ------ ------
1 N/A 1 kellieseye 1 seeittonon 1 nearlygone
2 dinkiedoos 2 singleduck 2 justforyou 2 lemmingoue
3 whenyousee 3 lookandsee 3 runandflee 3 spendspree
4 opensadoor 4 manyanmore 4 doortodoor 4 onthefloor
5 lemmsalive 5 cansurvive 5 stillalive 5 uncleclive
6 onesinafix 6 lemsbricks 6 fixedmyfix 6 clogclicks
7 luckyseven 7 walkingstk 7 anurebevan 7 difference
8 onefatlady 8 dontbelate 8 helpmemate 8 waitanwait
9 washinline 9 doinitfine 9 drinknwine 9 eatanddine
10 jmajorsden 10 lemmsagain 10 tenpercent 10 tentontess
11 lovelylegs 11 lemminlegs 11 stickuptwo 11 binisthree
12 justadozen 12 ontheshelf 12 digindelve 12 twotimesix
13 unluckyyou 13 yourinluck 13 hisbadluck 13 returntome
14 atenanfour 14 fourteenie 14 teensforth 14 twicelucky
15 threefives 15 fiveteenie 15 teensfifth 15 nineandsix
16 verysweety 16 sugarlevel 16 notsosweet 16 charitynum
17 sevenanten 17 yeartowait 17 driveukcar 17 stillyoung
18 keyofadoor 18 agecanvote 18 votesforme 18 comesofage
19 lasteenage 19 lesstwenty 19 tenstonine 19 olderstill
20 secondscor 20 totimesten 20 doublesten 20 numbtwenty
21 todaytoday 21 halfanswer 21 lockandkey 21 olderlemms
22 doubleduck 22 duckstwice 22 twoelevens 22 lemminduck
23 twoanthree 23 oneisforme 23 justforeme 23 soonbefree
24 sentrydoor 24 playinmore 24 lemminmore 24 lemmsstore
25 quarterton 25 lemsstrive 25 jiveanjive 25 lemmsdrive
26 thisisafix 26 chopsticks 26 lemsinafix 26 yourinafix
27 lowendevon 27 aluckyduck 27 lemsheavon 27 lemtodevon
28 sellbydate 28 shutmygate 28 gardengate 28 twostoplay
29 goldenline 29 wotsmyline 29 startowine 29 oneafterme
30 dirtygirty 30 hurtyhurty 30 fivexsixis 30 lemmgfinal
Here's what you get when you win:
---------------------------------
ALL DONE!
congratulations!!
you've completed
l e m m i n g s
everyone here at dma
design salutes you as a
master lemmings player
not many people will
complete the mayhem
levels. you are
definately one of the
elite.
programming
brian watson (biscuit)
with
graphics conversion by
mike dailly
gary timmons
scott johnston
level editor by
steve hammond
(using amos which was
an atomic-size
mistake)
original music by
tim wright
and
brian johnston
lynx music
tony williams
additional graphics
jamie grant
levels themselves were
converted by
john harris
and
john delayney
psygnosis/atari liason
greg duddle
graham stafford
and
john skruch
testing
mike clarke
gray mercer
craig duddle
faran thomason
and
sean patten
original concept
by
dma design
tea boy
mike dailly
scott johnston
and
russel kay
sprite generator
mark ireland
Electricty supplied by
scottish power which
was originally
contained in a big
hydro-electric dam
which was powered by
water that got its
energy from the sun
and so on and so forth
right back to the very
beginnings of the universe
and now the traditional
scrolly message things.
the following items
were consumed during
the making of lynx
lemmings;
520 cans of coke
200 bags of crisps
108 custom built sandwhiches
300 cups of tea
64 tracker bars
1 fruesli bar (blech!)
and a lot irreplacable
fossil fuels
and the following equipment
used in the course of the project;
900 gallons rocket fuel
1 teleporter
4 hard disks
set of spanners
nicam tv set
15 amigas
22 pcs
desk lamp
paintball guns
farside calendar
amos compiler
blank disks
too much paper
cranky old amstad printer
satellite system
screen blanker
star trek video
tayside buses
cfcs
welding kit
soldering iron
hammer
nails
circular saw
30 rolls wallpaper
bucket and spade
power sander
hover mower
paint strpper
particle gun
cold fusion reactor
comic rays
fan
telescope
digital thermometer
lemon curd sandwhich
fridge
microwave oven
jar of loose change
gobstopper
business card
vacuum cleaner
stickey backed plastic
with invented assistance
from the following people
and places.
nasa
cern synchrotron
hubble space telescope
jodrell bank
corner shop
cray research
edinburgh zoo
starbase 47
not forgetting the
hinderances from these;
road works
headphones
network crashes
solor storms
ozon depletion
chocolate cake
pcs
snowstorms
tidal wave
earthquake
disk errors
volcanoes
blocked drains
hangovers
yogurt
coffee perculator
are we clear yet?
anybody listening?
no?
good.
important message
----------------
5
4
3
2
1
we're going for the
record now.. What's the
largest scrolly mesage
ever seen on a game cartridge?
no idea? miniscule, thats what.
we at dma design in our shiny green office
building are attempting 40k worth of message.
pointless, futile, mesage. thats 40960 characters.
we even employ someone purely to write these scrolly
mesages. we have more text.
loads!
loads!!
loads!!!
and then some!!!!!!
speaking of characters,
there were some very
strange ones involved
in creating the game. I
myself am a member of the
the guild of scrolly
message writers, not
the everyday messages
that get flung around
on demos but a bona
fide scrolly embedded on
a rom cartridge. few are
qualified to reach this
level of expertise. if you
wish to do this youself
there are special night
classes you can attend. you
just have to know where to
find them.
thanks go especially to the
sandwich ladies and the
chocolate cake that caused me
so much trauma trying to
slim down..
so anyway, in several
thousand years time
some archeologist is
going to dig up this
cartridge. i may as
well explain a few things
about 1993
first of all the
location of atlantis.
it is in fact in the
tay estuary just next
to dundee, sctoland
that fact alone explains
why atlantis has remained
so quiet over the years.
who could take them seriously
nowdays with the think highland
accent and a claymore
come to think of it, wielding a claymore in
front of people does tend to make them take you
seriously. so why did atlatis sink?
it was the constant rainfall that did it.
I may as well tell you
that the scrolly
message classes are
held at the following
address.
the university
1 south underwater st
west 15
atlantis
enclose around 20 quids
worth of stamps for all
correspondance
and now vampires.
are you one of the
legions of the undead?
does the sun make you
peel until there is
nothing left? do
hordes of irate locals
armed with sunbeds try
to ruin your night?
if the answer to any of
the above questions is
a resounding yes then
you really have got problems
I suppose in
that case you'll have
been playing lemmings
in the middle of a
transylvanian castle
in the basement.
in that case, make sure
you've got plenty of
batteries.
can't leave out aliens:
why would anyone wish to
leave aliens out of a scolly
message (a note for the
pedantic: under no cimcumstances
is a message text called a scolling
message, it is always a called a scolly )
so anyway: aliens. we
are of course talking
about the suckers that
come from space and not
the ones that try sneak
in you're country when
you're not looking.
I am confident that no-one
at dma design has in fact
been abducted by aliens
although several of them may
actually be aliens themselves.
have you ever seen whitley
strieber's communion?
if so then i can give
the true explanation.
the alien is large, white, bald and has enormous
eyes. now consider what michael
jackson is doing to himself, and
it will instantly become clear that this is what
michael will look like in several hundred years.
considering his reputation for eccentricity and
his vast wealth i have no doubt that
he will fund a time machine and go back to the
eighties and pretend to be from outer space. or not.
a word about piracy.
yes, even cartidges
can be copied. it's
not very nice is it?
if you do try it then the
jokes on you. inserted
into this text is a
powerful magical spell
to shred the very soul
of evil nasty people who
would take away our livelihood.
nasty pirate
go way.
you'll never live,
to see the day,
when evil triumphs
over light,
'cos we all think
you're full of
* zzzt * software
failure there* mmm,
never mind. on with
the next topic. the
pentagram graphics
should take care of
it anyway.
7k of message!
ah we never quite
got to 40K but I think
it is still enough
to count.
i think it's a...
world record
for a console cartridge.
you!
until next time
a little message from
the programmer.
enjoy your lynx. it is
the best of all of the
hand held portable machines.
only with your support can
we produce software for this
lovely little piece of
hardware with a goal
keeping the machine alive and kicking
well i may not have plans
to do anything in the immediate
future on the lynx, but if it is still around in a few
years maybe I'll do lemmings ii on it.
then again maybe not
i suppose i would have to
be mad to attempt it but then
again anyone who attempts a major
programming feat using a 6502 must be mad
but don't forget the lovely hardware
this little machine can do more to the
display than an amiga
can thanks to rj mical and his team
for being insane enough to design such
a nice piece of hardware and having the foresight
to produce their development software on the amiga
maybe it's because they
had something to do with that as well?
bye...
| Ken Sumrall | Internet: ken@cup.hp.com |
--==--==--==--==--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- --==--==-- CompuServe Sign-Up Information --==--==-- --
-- --
-- To sign up for CompuServe service, call (voice call) (800) 848-8199. --
-- Ask for operator #198. You will be sent a $15.00 value CIS membership --
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--==--==--==--==--
||| Atari ST RT News
||| By: John G. Hartman
/ | \ GEnie: J.G.H.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Atari RT Weekly News 11.5
= Upcoming Realtime Conferences =
Dateline Atari! RTC has been changed to Monday, Dec. 6th at 10:00 pm EST
Stay tuned for what is happening in the world of Atari from Atari!
PRIZES! 4 JAGUAR Tee-shirts will be given as Door Prizes!
= Bulletin Board Changes =
JAGUAR topics can now be found in their NEW Category 26
FALCON 030 topics can now be found in their NEW Category 30
= ATARI RT LIBRARY =
= RTC TRANSCRIPTS =
------------------------------------------------------
30840 SDS_RTC.ARC X MIKE-ALLEN 931125 11136 53 13
Desc: SDS RTC Transcript 24Nov93
30775 PRGRTC02.ARC X MIKE-ALLEN 931121 8960 51 13
Desc: Transcript of 2nd programming rtc
30668 TOAD_STF.ARC X MIKE-ALLEN 931111 11264 144 13
Desc: Toad Comp/STraight FAX! RTC 10Nov93
30626 PRGRTC01.ARC X MIKE-ALLEN 931106 18304 85 13
Desc: Transcript of 1st Programming rtc
30622 BRODIE15.ARC X ST.LOU 931105 18816 576 13
Desc: The Jaguar Rollout from New York
30603 JV_RTC.ARC X MIKE-ALLEN 931104 8704 90 13
Desc: JV Enterprises RTC 3Nov93
------------------------------------------------------
= LAST TWO WEEK'S PRESS RELEASES =
------------------------------------------------------
30911 RELEAS93.ASC X DABRUMLEVE 931129 2432 19 14
Desc: Press Release from the IAAD
30909 TCGIFMAP.ZIP X TOAD-SERV. 931129 34816 4 14
Desc: MAP to TOAD COMPUTERS! GIF FORMAT!
30908 TOADJAG.TXT X TOAD-SERV. 931129 4608 15 14
Desc: JAGUAR will be PRESENT at TOADFEST!
30881 ATARINET.RTC X OUTRIDER 931127 384 15 14
Desc: Atari TalkAbout - Monday in BBS RT!
30834 CLASSDOC.ARC X G.WREN 931125 3200 22 14
Desc: Description of CLASS_46.ARC (30833)
30814 PIECES_A.TXT X S.GARRIGUS 931123 1920 55 14
Desc: Special Musical Announcement! - CMC
30806 OVERDRIV.TXT X B.AEIN 931123 3584 111 14
Desc: A new product to use 3.5 IDE drives
30799 GEMVW301.ZIP X CYBERCUBE 931122 8832 125 14
Desc: PR announcing the new GEM-View3.01!
30785 F22_PR.TXT X J.TRAUTSCHOL 931121 6016 138 14
Desc: Flash II v2.2 upgrade-Press Release
30753 PRESS.TXT X A.WATSON6 931119 3072 80 14
Desc: Recipe Box Press Release
30745 TDFSTUPD.TXT X TOAD-SERV. 931119 2816 201 14
Desc: DAVE SMALL'S COMING! TOAD FEST '93!
30742 RAFFLE_5.ZIP X S.KIPKER 931118 3840 44 14
Desc: STeve's 'FUJI RAFFLE' v5.0
30727 TOAD1193.ZIP X TOAD-SERV. 931117 15104 330 14
Desc: SPECIALS+ TOAD COMPUTERS, NOV. 93!
------------------------------------------------------
= LAST TWO WEEK'S DEMO RELEASES =
------------------------------------------------------
30905 BLITZDMO.ZIP X E.MONACO 931129 27008 29 10
Desc: New GEM defragmenter/optimizer demo!
30894 BLITZCI.ZIP X E.MONACO 931128 7680 101 10
Desc: AWSOME! 10K Defragmenter/Optimizer!
30886 SHOOT.ZIP X R.HARRINGTO1 931127 43264 20 10
Desc: TT med. rez demo of game
30869 ZOATRULE.DOC X F.LIEW 931127 4992 44 10
Desc: INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ZOAT DEMO
30842 COMA_140.ZIP X J.WILES1 931125 173440 28 10
Desc: Demo Fax program
30828 AGENDA_C.LZH X F.VUOTTO 931124 38912 69 10
Desc: Graphic Calendar Creator (Med-Rez)
30759 M_QWK119.LZH X A.WATSON6 931120 82176 39 10
Desc: Mountain QWK Offline Reader (1.19)
30754 RECIPE40.LZH X A.WATSON6 931119 88832 83 10
Desc: The Recipe Box - Version 4.0!
30744 PROFILE!.LZH X C.HAFNER 931119 90880 97 10
Desc: Floppy/Hard Disk Librarian
30741 DOGFIGHT.ZIP X S.KIPKER 931118 277504 119 10
Desc: Demo of DogFight from MicroProse.
30739 PROLOCK!.LZH X C.HAFNER 931118 32896 34 10
Desc: Password protected screen locker !
30738 HSEEK27A.LZH X C.HAFNER 931118 67840 38 10
Desc: HeidiSeek File Finder/Maintenance
30737 BELEF22B.LZH X C.HAFNER 931118 75520 40 10
Desc: Archive file converter & shell.
30731 AGENDA_M.LZH X F.VUOTTO 931118 38528 134 10
Desc: NEW! Graphic Calendar Creator PG/DA
30719 SPLASHDM.LZH X D.RUTHERFORD 931117 15616 40 10
Desc: Put Degas/Prism Pics on your Desktop
30696 MAGICBOY.TOS X E.BAIZ 931114 200320 56 10
Desc: Great game demo for the ST.
30684 GL4DEMO.ZIP X R.HOEKSTRA1 931113 52992 60 10
Desc: Demo of The Grocery Lister Ver. 4.0
------------------------------------------------------
= LAST TWO WEEK'S TOP 10 DOWNLOADED PROGRAMS/FILES =
------------------------------------------------------
30711 ZMPTCH01.LZH X A.PAGE3 931116 5632 290 7
Desc: Storm ZMODEM 1.00->1.01 patch
30733 MDTST105.ZIP X TOAD-SERV. 931118 41600 169 7
Desc: VER. 1.05 -- TOAD MODEM TEST UTILITY
30728 THURG_R.LZH X M.STAUFFER1 931117 104320 164 8
Desc: Arcade Game created using M.A.G.E.
30717 SQUIGGLY.LZH X CODEHEAD 931117 4224 154 16
Desc: EOS module creates squiggly patterns
30748 RECYCLNG.ZIP X G.FUHRMAN 931119 8704 151 16
Desc: another EOS module for Warp 9
30784 F22UPG.LZH X J.TRAUTSCHOL 931121 159104 149 7
Desc: Flash II version 2.2 free upgrade
30731 AGENDA_M.LZH X F.VUOTTO 931118 38528 134 10
Desc: NEW! Graphic Calendar Creator PG/DA
30724 SAFEMENU.ZIP X GRMEYER 931117 3840 129 2
Desc: Mac style menu utility
30741 DOGFIGHT.ZIP X S.KIPKER 931118 277504 119 10
Desc: Demo of DogFight from MicroProse.
30749 FLYGRAMS.ZIP X G.FUHRMAN 931119 8576 115 16
Desc: Warped Book of Changes module
------------------------------------------------------
--==--==--==--==--
||| Developing news!
||| Items of interest from TOS platform developers and supporters
/ | \ -------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Creative Musicians Coalition' Album
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
\`- </
\ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ /
( ATTENTION! )
ALL MUSIC LOVERS!
Creative Musicians Coalition
presents:
the release of the new instrumental album, Pieces Of Imagination, by
Scott R. Garrigus. A soulful blend of Rock, Pop, Jazz, Classical and
NewAge that will offer you a fresh new outlook on the independent
music scene of today. The album features 8 songs for over 30 minutes
of listening enjoyment. Each selection -- from Seahorse Jamboree to
In Remembrance -- showcases the wide range of this provocative music
which celebrates the depths of imagination and the heights of
creativity. A truly unique addition to your collection, Pieces Of
Imagination should be regarded as a must-have album. In addition to
all this, every aspect of the album was produced on Atari computers!
That's right! From composing and recording to full color j-card, all
was done using Atari computers! So see what your Atari can do and...
CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION TODAY!
\`- </
\ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ /
( )
For more information
call Creative Musicians Coalition at: 1-800-882-4CMC
Vox: 1-309-685-4843
Fax: 1-309-685-4878
or e-mail
Internet: aimcmc@pan.com
CompuServe: 71333,3702
PAN/Delphi: AIMCMC
GEnie: S.GARRIGUS
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// New IAAD Board
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The Independent Association of Atari Developers (IAAD) is pleased to
announce the results of the annual election of our Board of Directors.
Newly-elected Board members include Greg Kopchak of It's All Relative,
David "Dr. Bob" Parks of Dr. Bobware, and Charles Smeton of NewSTar
Technology Management. Nathan Potechin of DMC was reelected to a
fifth term, and Dorothy Brumleve of D.A. Brumleve was reelected to the
Board and to the Presidency by a unanimous vote.
The Board wishes to thank outgoing Board members Jim Allen of FAST
Technology and Nevin Shalit of Step Ahead Software for their years of
service.
The IAAD is an organization of third-party commercial hardware and
software developers supporting the Atari ST family of computers,
including the ST/STe, TT030, and Falcon030 series. The current
membership includes most active developers in North America as well as
some from abroad. Unique in the industry, the organization works to
provide its membership with help in marketing, packaging, technical
matters, and other issues of interest to third-party developers.
Working in concert with Atari, the IAAD strives to raise Atari product
awareness and to ease the introduction of new products into the
marketplace. Such support takes place through member-to-member
exchanges and group projects. Past projects have included anti-piracy
advertising, a "Meet the IAAD" online conference, a dealer mailing,
and a brochure containing descriptions of participating members'
products. Last year's major focus was a study of software piracy in
North America, the results of which were published and uploaded to
BBSs and information services all over the world. An IAAD Membership
Directory including product listings is updated regularly and made
available on major online services.
Commercial developers are encouraged to apply for membership by
sending GEMail to the PERMIT$ address on GEnie. Developers who are
not currently GEnie members may contact D.A. Brumleve at 217 337 1937
for more information. User groups, magazine publishers, and others
wishing to reach a large number of developers may send ASCII mailings
to DABRUMLEVE on GEnie or Delphi, to dabrumleve@genie.geis.com on the
Internet, or to 76004,3655 on CompuServe.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Photo Show Pro
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Photo Show Pro supports Kodak Photo CD on the Atari Falcon 030 and
allows the user to create scripted slide shows and presentations that
make maximum use of the built in hardware capabilities of the Falcon
030.
Photo Show Pro has twenty different fades and disolves when creating
scripts, allows overlay of text on graphics in your choice of system
colors, screen fades to black or white, inverse colors, and image
overlays. Photo Show scripts can be created directly from CD using the
Kodak Photo CD PCD format or created from disk using the FTC 16 bit
true color format. All effects are super smooth, even when running
under MultiTOS.
Digitized sound files in AVR format can scripted along with graphics
allowing the user to add commentary, sound effects, or background
music to their presentations.
For creating titles, Photo Show Pro displays 24-bit BMP files in the
Microsoft Windows bitmap format.
Photo Show Pro can be used with VGA, RGB (Atari monitor), and standard
broadcast televisions. Slide shows and presentations can be recorded
to VCR using either RF output or the higher quality composite output
of the Falcon 030.
Full 16 bit color with correct aspect ratios are displayed on all
monitor types except monochrome.
Photo Show Pro will auto show your Kodak Photo CD graphics using 16
different effects directly from your Photo CD discs. A special Corel
mode allows the same auto shows using the Corel series of Photo CD
images. Corel is planning to release over 100 theme discs of Kodak
Photo CD graphics with each disc containing 100 images.
Conversions can be made to 16-bit FTC, 24-bit TIF, 24-bit EPS, and
24-bit RAW formats from Kodak Photo CD's PCD format. Image conversions
can be done in pixel resolutions of 192 by 128 up to 3072 by 2048.
A special XFS CD rom driver for MultiTOS is included with Photo Show.
The driver works with the Toshiba 3401, NEC-38, NEC-55, NEC-74, and
NEC-84 cd rom drives. On the Toshiba drive, the XFS driver supports
multi-session Photo CD and 9660 standard (MS-DOS) discs. NEC drives
support single-session Photo CD and 9660 standard discs. The driver
senses the type of disc in the drive and can switch to and from Kodak
Photo CD and 9660 format on the fly with no need to reboot to switch
disc types.
Photo Show Pro retails for $59.95 and requires an Atari Falcon 030
with 4 meg or more of memory. Ask at your favorite dealer or write
Randall Kopchak, 2233 Keeven Lane, Florissant MO 63031. Registered
users of our original Photo Show program can upgrade to Photo Show Pro
for $15.00, postpaid, from the address above.
It's All Relative can be reached online via e-mail on GEnie or Delphi
to GREG and on CIS via e-mail to 70357,2312. Voice (314) 831-9482.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Technation's sonavista
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Atari's Falcon Lights the Way
Fully exploiting the incredible power and versatility of Atari's
Falcon 030 multimedia computer, TECNATION DIGITAL WORLD (Palo Alto,
California) have developed sonovista, the world's first Intelligent
Sound-to-Light Graphics and Video Typewriter. A powerful yet easy to
use real-time interactive graphics system that draws on the Falcon's
state-of-the-art digital technology and Tecnation's special 'BiT
BOPPER' software to create never seen before visual effects for use at
nightclubs, raves, concerts, and other music and dance venues.
Sonovista's intriguing visuals are based on TecnationUs unique
multi-layer VideoGobos, digital images whose appearance can range from
simple abstracts and logos,to the most complex and psychedelic fractal
chaos patterns. And an array of enchanting color filters, instant
visual FX, and VideoGobo transparency masks offer limitless creative
potential to aspiring CyberJockeys'.
Alternatively, sonovista can be left to run unattended generating its
own automated light show. And the powerful iCUE (Intelligent Cue)
system allows any effect to be instantly stored, and subsequently
recalled at the press of a button or under external control.For those
occasions when the CyberJockey needs to talk to the audience, the
CyberWriter* video typewriter allows eye catching text to be keyed in
live, and instantly displayed on top of animating VideoGobos.
sonovista offers the music and dance industry a dramatic and
versatile new medium that excites and wows audiences as the dynamic
imagery on the surrounding video screens responds to the ambient
music. And by connecting the system to a vision mixer, sonovista
graphics may be blended or keyed with a live video signal from a stage
camera, turning an event into more of a live interactive music video.
Additionally, artists may create their own VideoGobos using popular
computer graphics programs. The VideoGobos can then be installed on
sonovista's hard drive in a matter of seconds via the built in 3.5
floppy drive.
Tecnation chose the Falcon because its specification was ideal for the
requirements of the sonovista project, namely a stereo audio input
and DSP (Digital Signal Processor) to help with sound processing, and
the BLiTTER graphics chip that assists with generating sonovista's
real-time interactive visual effects. The MIDI interface offers a
range of control options.
High End Systems, Inc., the world's foremost intelligent lighting
company has been appointed distribution rights to sonovista by
Tecnation. sonovista was subsequently launched by High End Systems at
Lighting Dimensions International in Orlando, Florida, the lighting
industries premier trade show. Passers by were so awe struck by
sonovista's unique visuals that orders were immediately received from
all over the world.
Tecnation Digital World is a private company founded to bring about
change through the imaginative application of innovation and design.
The company pioneered the European desktop publishing revolution in
the 1980s. Tecnation went on to design and develop various creative
software products for a number of 3rd party companies before creating
the BiT BOPPER computer graphic sound-to-light system that introduced
the 'Lighting-by-Video' concept into the European nightclub and rave
scene to great acclaim. Tecnation moved to Palo Alto, California in
1992 to tap the vast resources available in Silicon Valley. Sonovista
is the first of several innovative digital interactive multimedia
products being developed by the company.
For further details: TECNATION DIGITAL WORLD Palo Alto, California,
U.S.A. Alex Blok - Tel: (415) 327-4332
HIGH END SYSTEMS, INC.
Austin, Texas, U.S.A.
Tel: (512) 836-2242
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
//// Cyberdrome 1.2
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
The Cyberdrome 3-D Virtual Universe is now even better! If you
thought your nighmares were bad before, just wait! But remember, it's
still ONLY a game!
Missionware Software is proud to present an upgrade to one of the best
games ever for Atari computers. If you don't already own Cyberdrome,
this is your chance to experience the thrill of fighting CJER, the
rogue Artifical Intelligence virus. And not only can you fight CJER
yourself, but you can play with a friend too!
Cyberdrome works on all Atari computers, including the Falcon, in ST
Low or Medium compatibility modes.
Just What is CYBERDROME?
Cyberdrome is the name of a Virtual Universe existing inside of a
permanent computer Memory Matrix designed to "grow" Artificial Life
programs. While intended to be a place for humans to peacefully
interact with data via Virtual Reality simulators, it is now under
attack by deadly, virus-infected programs controlled by a rogue
Artifical Intelligence system called CJER
The mission of the CyberForce is to rid CyberDrome of the virus
infected programs. Join the Cybernauts in their quest by running the
"Cyberdrome" program on your Atari computer. Doing so will create a
link with a 3-dimensional Hoverjet Construct and allow you to enter a
scale-model of CyberDrome and practice fighting the deadly attack
programs.
Cyberdrome Features:
-> Combines the realism of a real-time flight simulator with arcade
action plus problem-solving and exploration of a dungeon game.
-> Single player or 2-player/2-computer mode using a serial cable or
modem.
-> All elements of single-player mode are active in the
2-player/2-computer mode.
-> Includes special 2-player Head-to-Head competition mode to
increase your skills as a Hoverjet pilot.
-> Multiple level missions allow for novice to advanced pilot
training plus a special training mission for beginning pilots.
-> Official CyberForce ranks awarded to players for successful
completion of each of the six Mission Levels included.
CyberDrome Version 1.2 - New features:
1) More realistic Raider movements - Raiders never stop, they keep
shooting and running all the time. They come at you from all
sides and are very unpredictable (and difficult to hit with
conventional pulsars (see part 3 below) .
2) Drone (in solo mode) now acts as real wingman - it attacks the
Raiders in very realistic ways and it is fun sometimes to just
sit there and watch a Raider and the Drone battle it out.
3) New Weapon: Bore-sight Tracking Pulsar. Locks on to nearest
badguy; just press the trigger key to fire. This weapon is
really needed against the new fast moving Raiders and also works
against the Predators as well as Seeker missiles. Experienced
players will find that this new weapon makes it pretty easy to
kill the Predators. They may still use the older Vertical
Pulsars to give the game more challenge, but for everyone else,
this will be the weapon of choice against everything on the grid.
4) New Sky: We've added a "painted" image of a gridded sky with
parts of it "eaten" away. It really adds the the "other world"
feeling of the game.
5) Weapons-Scope view is no longer wire-frame. Everything uses
solid-filled polygons now. The Weapons-Scope still uses the
heads-up display and the rest of it works the same.
6) Start Time: Every level now starts at the BEGINNING of an
ATTACK Cycle, so there is only a few minutes to wait before the
action begins. The rest of the Cycles remain unchanged.
Note: Modem vs Direct Computer-to-Computer connection:
Version 1.2 of CyberDrome checks serial numbers at bootup. It will
not permit team play *over a modem* if serial numbers match. You must
have separate copies of CyberDrome to play this way. However, you can
play CyberDrome using the same copy when using a direct, null-modem
connection.
Upgrades are now available directly from Missionware Software. You
need no new documentation for version 1.2, therefore we can keep the
upgrade cost low. And if you enjoy playing in "Team" mode, we've got
an even better deal for you.
If you are a registered owner of CyberDrome and would like to update
to version 1.2, just send in $15 to receive your new version 1.2 disk.
If you and a Teammate would both like to upgrade, the cost is only
$25! You both must be registered owners. No matter what upgrade
method you choose, make sure to include your full name and address AND
the serial number(s) off of your disk. If the registered name and
serial number does not match, we will not be able to process your
upgrade. If you aren't sure whether or not you are registered,
include your old master disk.
Would you like to join the CyberForce? If so, this is a great time to
do it. CyberDrome normally sells for $39.95 plus $4 shipping and
handling, for a total cost of $43.95. But now you can purchase
CyberDrome for $39.95 with shipping and handling included! That's a
savings of $4 over your usual mailorder costs.
Even better is our special deal when 2 of you purchase CyberDrome
for Team play. If both copies are shipped to one address, your cost
is only $69.95, shipping included! Now *that's* a deal you can't
pass up.
(These special deals are for USA and Canadian customers only.
Overseas customers must include an extra $4 for shipping, making the
total purchase price $43.95 (for a single copy purchase) or $73.95
(for a Team purchase). Even so, that's a savings of $4 over our
usual overseas shipping and handling rate of $8.)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The special deals above are available through January 31, 1994.
Missionware Software accepts payment for upgrades and new purchases as
follows:
Personal checks Money Orders
Visa MasterCard
To order, or for more information, contact:
Missionware Software
354 N. Winston Drive
Palatine, IL 60067-4132
United States of America
phone 708-359-9565
--==--==--==--==--
|||
||| Shutdown ............................ Power off, EXIT, BYE, Logoff
/ | \ ------------------------------------------------------------------
AEO can now be found on CompuServe in the GAMERS forum (type "Go
Gamers" at any system prompt). AEO-PJ will continue to be available,
as usual, on CompuServe in the Atari Forums.
I'm pleased to be able to offer the many readers of AEO who can only
access us via the Internet a chance to obtain AEO through a
subscription service. If you have an Internet connection, drop Greg
Lindahl a request at <stzmagazine-request@virginia.edu>.
We welcome feedback from all of our readers; feedback both positive
and negative. Whatever you think of our efforts, we sincerely would
like to know. Our EMail addresses are sprinkled throughout each
issue - with the new Internet gateway into GEnie, you can reach us
through the Internet also. Append "@genie.geis.com" to any of our
GEnie addresses.
Until the next issue of AEO, I remain,
Your Editor
Travis Guy
Internet: aeo.mag@genie.geis.com
--==--==--==--==--
(This issue printed on recycled photons)
--==--==--==--==--
DNFTEC
--==--==--==--==--
#1 (11-1)
Go Noles!
--==--==--==--==--
Atari Explorer Online Magazine is a bi-weekly publication covering the
entire Atari community. Reprint permission is granted, unless
otherwise noted at the beginning of the article, to registered Atari
user groups and not for profit publications under the following terms
only: articles must remain unedited and include the issue number and
author at the top of each article reprinted. Other reprints granted
upon approval of request. Send requests to <aeo.mag@genie.geis.com>.
Opinions presented herein are those of the individual authors and do
not necessarily reflect those of the staff, or of the publishers. All
material herein is believed accurate at the time of publishing.
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Atari, ST, Mega ST, STE, Mega STE, TT030, Atari Falcon030, TOS,
MultiTOS, NewDesk, BLiTTER, Atari Lynx, ComLynx, Atari Jaguar, Atari
Portfolio, and the Atari Fuji Symbol are all trademarks or registered
trademarks of Atari Corporation. All other trademarks and identifying
marks mentioned in this issue belong to their respective owners.
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Atari Explorer Online Magazine
"Your Only Independent Atari Online"
Copyright = 1993, Subspace Publishers
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:: Volume 2 - Issue 21 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE 7 December 1993 ::
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