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Wrap
Text File
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1997-04-16
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17KB
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419 lines
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ oOo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCLUSIVE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ oOo ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have good news for all Demo fans, I have just had interviewed non other,
than Bob Chewter of Radical Systemz, he agreed to answer a few questions
for the Doc.M column. So without waiting any longer here is the interview
Doc: Hello Bob, my name is Doc.M of the newsletter STEN, would you mind
answering a few questions for me, and be honest as possible?
Bob: Hello Doc, what's up?
Doc: What is you demo crew called?
Bob: Radical Systemz.
Doc: How many members are there in Radical Systemz?
Bob: 1 + 2 critics, and a friend who does kinetic sculpture, and Candy my
dog who keeps me company.
Doc: What is your D.O.B?
Bob: What is a D.O.B?
Doc: Do you work or are you at school/college?
Bob: Sort of no (?)
Doc: When was Radical Systemz formed?
Bob: 1985/1986.
Doc: What was the first demo you worked on called?
Bob: 2 Lamps(Aegis Animation).
Doc: Can you tell me the name of your favourite demo people?
Bob: Tobias Richter, Red Sector, Eric Schwartz, 1950's Aldermaston
CND march.
Doc: Tell me Bob, how many demo's has Radical Systemz made?
Bob: Well Doc, at the moment we have 20ish demo's, but we are still
growing (bigger and better).
Doc: The first demo Radical Systemz released, what was it called?
Bob: Our first demo was Mini Movies / 2 Lamps + Steelhit.
Doc: Out of all the ST programmes, which is your favourite?
Bob: Well hmm, I reckon it has to be Unispec + Dpaint(ST), as I use them
a lot.
Doc: Can you tell us, how did you learn to do demo's?
Bob: I made it up as I went along.
Doc: At what age did you do your first demo?
Bob: Er, er - about 35, well you did ask!
Doc: If it was at all possible, who in the computer world would you most
like to meet?
Bob: Now that's a hard one, hmm, it has got to be Tobias Richter and
Mr.Babbage (I wonder if Mr.Babbage's mum told him off for spending
too much time playing his computer!).
Doc: What do you like most about demo's?
Bob: Trying to do the impossible, and entertain!
Doc: What if anything, do you dislike most about demo's?
Bob: It's got to be the lack of variety, wiggly sprites, vector-balls,
boring scrollers, bad spelling and the use of foul language!
Doc: Can you tell me, what type of machine do you have at this moment?
Bob: At this very moment I have an Atari STM 1meg and an Amiga 1 meg!
Doc: Can you remember the name of your first computer?
Bob: Yes!
Doc: Well, what was it called Bob?
Bob: No it wasn't called Bob, it was Texas TI 99/4A. We had it for a
couple of weeks and got fed up with it, so we got an Atari 600XL,
which later got exchanged for a 800XL. It was the best home computer
for its time but the software was hard to come by and was expensive
but the variety was amazing! Hardly any magazine supported it
(Speccy crap mostly). The Amiga still reminds me of it hardly
surprising since the Amiga was originally the 8000XL till commodore
got their hands on it!
Doc: If you were to suggest a book for people who wanted to learn how to
start programming for demo's, what would you suggest?
Bob: Computer Animation Primer, or any book with ideas used on
professional systemz. Computer Animation Primer has routines in Atari
8 bit basic, but stacks of info about how animation works on
professional systemz. Ideas come first! As far as programming is
concerned, I don't know what book to suggest as I can't code sadly
(too old and to stupid).
Doc: Tell me what in your mind is the biggest turkey programme out for the
ST?
Bob: It has to be any game by PARADOX! and Activision's AFTERBURNER (still
we got our own back against them glad to say.......)
Doc: What is your favourite food?
Bob: Any sensible NON junk food! yuk!
Doc: What is your favourite drink?
Bob: Oh, Newcastle Brown Ale!
Doc: If you read computer magazines, which are they?
Bob: Well I buy a few magazines, and they are as follows:
Amiga computing, ST world, ST user and any other magazine written by
NON spotty faced twats with their brains caught in their zippers and
and my last one is Thurley Road Rat Catchers Gazette but they no
longer print listings - shame!
Doc: If we wanted to add Radical Systemz demo's to our collection, who
would we contact?
Bob: You can get Radical Sytemz from any PD library worth their salt, such
as Floppyshop, Public Dominator, 16/32 PD Library etc, etc, etc!
Doc: Well Bob, your time under the spotlight is nearly over, at the end of
the interview, I am going to ask you to name your top ten demo's and
for your top ten demo people/crews, are you willing to do this?
Bob: Hmmmm, Okay why not!
Doc: Before we call it a wrap, would you like to take this opportunity and
give a message to any members of other demo crews?
Bob: Yes, I would like to give the following messages:
ELECTRONIC IMAGIES: IT TOOK TIME BUT I'M GLAD YOUR DOING SOMETHING
USEFUL NOW!
THE LOST BOYS: STOP POSING!
TCB: ANDERS! WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO DO THOSE ANIMATED MESSAGES LIKE I
SHOWED YOU, INSTEAD OF BORING SCROLLTEXTS.
This is Bob of Radical Systems top tens:
Crew Demo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1.Eric Schwartz 1.Anti-Lemmin'(2meg)
2.Tobias Richter 2.All latest Star Trek stuff.
3.Red Sector 3.The Famous One.
4.Inner Circle(E.I) 4.Decade Demo.
5.Er- a Greek crew(Anim Scroller) 5.Dragons Lair.
6.Tex 6.Big Demo(lots going on).
7.Virtual World 7.Tom Soft.
8.Pure Metal Coders 8.PMC Demo.
9.Bud brains 9.Bud Brains2.
10.Shining 10.Vector Exterminator
(Blitter Scaling!)
Doc: Well Bob thank you for taking the time and answer my questions, all
the best for the future.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now back to the Demo reviews:
I am going to have a quick look at some Animation demo's first of all:
TOM & JERRY by Electronic's (SW Software Library)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This demo is a must for all of you with kids, or for those of us who are
still kids at heart?
As the name suggests this is a full length (Yes full length) cartoon of
our favourite characters Tom & Jerry, the art work for this demo is
excellent, add a good soundtrack to it and you have your very own Tom and
Jerry cartoon for your ST.
Out of 5*. I must give Tom & Jerry 4*.
SAFESEX by Harvey Lodder (Floppyshop Dem 790c)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well this demo is perfectly safe to run in front of the kids. I first
saw/heard this demo on the Amiga, and hoped it came out for the ST. You
have a screen with a monitor and an ST on it with twin speakers by its
side, on the monitors screen you have Max Headroom.
This is a demo with a great sound sampled sequence, Harvey has made the
cuts just in the right places, the voices of the interviewer and the
person/persons being interviewed are on the subject of safesex, definitely
one for the collections.
Out of 5*, I feel this demo must also get 4*
ST-MENU #6 from The Overlanders(Floppyshop Dem 742c)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This demo starts off with a good opening screen and a fabulous tune, the
picture was done by the newest member of the 'OVL' who is Beetle Juice.
After leaving the title intro you are offered an ten page menu screen (9
of which are demo's).
~~~~~~~~~~ oOo ~~~~~~~~~~
MEGA SCROLLER:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This screen has a bouncing Overlanders logo, with good music by none other
than Mad Max, the code was written by Epsilon (his last screen for the
OVL), the Sergeant done the graphics for this screen. What you get is a
big scroller (and I mean big) with clear letters running over coloured
raster bars, there is a lot of info in the scroll line well worth a read.
~~~~~~~~~~ oOo ~~~~~~~~~~
NEW INTRO(1MEGA):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This screen is by TDA(Switzerland ?), and the music is by guess who? yes
Mad Max!, in the centre of the screen you have a red dragon standing
behind 3 golden letters 'TDA', if you watch the centre of the letter 'D' a
ball chain comes out and bounces about the screen.
You have two scroll-lines in the screen one on the top (which starts to
bounce up and down), and a larger one along the bottom of the screen,
which does weird and wonderful things, not bad, but I would like to see
more of 'TDA's coded demo's before I pass my judgement on them.
~~~~~~~~~~ oOo ~~~~~~~~~~
3615 GEN4 CHALLENGE(1MEGA):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, well who's this making an appearance in this demo, it's none other
than ULM.
This screen has a lot going for it, to start with you have a great big see
through scroll-line, and you see a moving landscape plus a rotating 'THE
FATE' logo and great music to listen too, both the screen and the music is
coded by 'The Fate'.
~~~~~~~~~~ oOo ~~~~~~~~~~
WHODARES DEMO SOURCE CODE:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the title describes, this is the source code for the 'Whodares' demo
from the 'ULTIMATE GFA BASIC DEMO' by OVR.
What you have to do is press the 'Esc' key to get back to the desktop, and
then load in you GFA basic's program and then load your coded, and then
see how the experts do it!
~~~~~~~~~~ oOo ~~~~~~~~~~
THE JINGJANG DEMO:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This demo is by 'AGRESSION (Finland)', I can't tell you about this demo as
it does not work on my machine, maybe it's just for the 'STE'?
~~~~~~~~~~ oOo ~~~~~~~~~~
BIG BLUE DEMO:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No. no, no, it's not what you think (shame on you, tut tut), this screen
is just what it says a big blue ???????? yes you've got it, a big blue
scroll-line coded by MANTA and EPSILON.
You have a smaller yellow scroller bouncing round the blue scroller, the
yellow scroll text is well worth reading as the subject is about software
piracy in France. Nice one 'OVR'
~~~~~~~~~~ oOo ~~~~~~~~~~
GEN$ CHALLENGE:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a demo that has another demo within, when you enter into this demo
you are met with a GEN4 3615 screen?, and a french scroll-line, you are
then asked to choose your 3d form from the F1-F4 keys:-
F1: A revolving squashed tube? and a large yellow golf ball?
F2: A Swiss flag made up from a starfield and a large yellow golf ball?
F3: A revolving cube and a large yellow golf ball?
F4: A revolving star ball and guess what? yes a large yellow golf ball?
~~~~~~~~~~ oOo ~~~~~~~~~~
DIGITAL SOUND TEASER:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You enter this program from the desktop, you run the main program then
load in the 'MOD' files, you also get a picture loaded as well, best thing
to do is to sit back and mellow out with the music.
If I were to choose the best piece of music in this demo it must be the
'ENOLAGAY'mod.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Music out of 5* gets 4*
Art work out of 5* gets 3*
Scroll-line content out of 5* gets 5*
Value for money out of 5* gets 4.5*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GRAND TOTAL OUT OF A POSSIBLE 20* THIS DEMO GETS 16.5*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well done lads
*****************************************************************
At this point it's sad to say that this is the last demo from the one and
only 'LOST BOYS', this demo crew have given us a lot of pleasure in the
past years, so with a tear in my eye let's look at THE LOST BOYS grand
finale:
OOH CRIKEY WHAT A SCORCHER: (CALEDONIA PDL)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This demo is also a bit of a flight simulation, as you have to fly your
space craft onto landing ports, but watch out for the fractal mountains so
lets get into the flight cabin and do some flying:
TLB CHAINSAW MASSACRE:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This demo has you doing your on version of the Texas chainsaw massacre,
well almost, as all you can do is sit back and watch one of TLB(Spaz I
think) set about one of the Carebears(Who by the way, is chained up on the
wall) with a chainsaw!
The reason for this slaughter is given in the intro screen.(This is a
sicko screen).
A BRAIN BLASTER (ZONK):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you have saw the demo Acid-burner II by TCB, then you are in for a
treat, because this demo is truly fantastic!!!!
Just sit back, open a Buddie(TM), switch off the lights and Pump up the
volume to the max.
Go on give yourself a treat. on me.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This screen has four back drops which changes itself, you have a large
scroll text (which is brilliantly done), but I found the back drop
movement a bit sore on the old pork pies after a short time.
The music is not their best as it puts you off reading the scroll text.
WHAT A BUMMER:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is one of those demo's that has the bubble field backdrops and the
message come to you from the centre of the screen, the music is good and
the graphic message at the bottom of the screen is quite a nice touch too!
YOUR MIND IS MY ASHTRAY:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Lost Boys bouncing logo, add some old music and a large scroll-line
going right to left! no, going bottom to top! no, bottom left to top
right! no, bottom left to top right and revolving! no, look just load this
demo in and have a look for yourself. OK!
T.A.N.S.I.O.M:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A revolving star field, with text that comes out of the centre of the
screen to meet you just like in the Star Trek movies! Oh what's this a
moving chequered base, what's this moving balls as a back drop! Oh how
original. No more your giving me brain damage! This demo is getting
boooorrrinnggg!
THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A moving checked field with coloured bouncing balls coming towards you
from the distance, and an impossible to read scroll text and that music is
the type of music that you can be sick in tune too, this is a sad way to
end your reign in the demo world!
This demo has a lot of great art work intro's for each level.
~~~~~~~~~~ oOo ~~~~~~~~~~
Music out of 5* gets 3*
Art work out of 5* gets 5*
Scroll-line content out of 5* gets 3*
Value for money out of 5* gets 5*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GRAND TOTAL OUT OF A POSSIBLE 20* THIS DEMO GETS 16 *'s
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well done lads.
We hope to hear from you soon, all the best for the future.
This issue's demo winner must be ST-MENU #6 from the OVERLANDERS,
**************************************************
Hey, it's getting close to Christmas, why not give yourself a treat and
buy all the demo's in this review.
**************************************************************************
THE ALL FORMAT COMPUTER SHOW DECEMBER THE 1st - CITY HALLS, GLASGOW.
AT THE LAST SHOW THE PDL's DID NOT APPEAR? BUT AT THIS SHOW THE FOLLOWING
WILL BE THERE IN FORCE:
~~~~~~~~~~ oOo ~~~~~~~~~~
FLOPPYSHOP PDL (FROM ABERDEEN).
AND CALEDONIA PDL (INVERNESS) MAY BE THERE TOO?
~~~~~~~~~~ oOo ~~~~~~~~~~
So, come, on along and support the libraries, if you can't make, it just
drop them a line and say that Doc.M sent you.
~~~OOOO~~~
Just to see who has read this far. If you load the picture (colour only)
in the 'COMPO.DIR' folder you will find a screen shot from a demo. Write
to me, DOC M, and tell me which demo it came from. The first correct entry
drawn will get the sender a voucher for 5 demos of their choice from
Floppyshop. Thanks, Steve!
So until the next time demo watchers, it's chow for now.
Doc.M