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Received: from oberon.wintermute.co.uk by steil.wintermute.co.uk with SMTP id AA1074 ; Fri, 05 Jan 96 12:00:18 UTC Received: from mote.wintermute.co.uk (root@mote.wintermute.co.uk [193.133.228.13]) by oberon.wintermute.co.uk (8.6.10/8.6.9) with ESMTP id MAA03852 for <sdelaney@steil.wintermute.co.uk>; Fri, 5 Jan 1996 12:08:18 GMT Received: from ni.net (ni1.ni.net [192.215.247.1]) by oberon.wintermute.co.uk (8.6.10/8.6.9) with SMTP id WAA29330 for <sdelaney@steil.wintermute.co.uk>; Wed, 3 Jan 1996 22:28:27 GMT Received: from mail.maximized.com by ni.net (5.x/SMI-SVR4) id AA00396; Tue, 2 Jan 1996 22:41:57 -0800 Errors-To: <aeo-error@maximized.com> Received: from CUPID_SERVER/SpoolDir by mail.maximized.com (Mercury 1.21); 2 Jan 96 23:30:25 -0700 Received: from SpoolDir by CUPID_SERVER (Mercury 1.21); 2 Jan 96 23:11:50 -0700 From: "TRAVIS GUY @ AEO MAGAZINE" <AEO_MAG@delphi.com> To: "AEO by Email" <AEO-by-EMail@maximized.com> Subject: AEO_0409.TXT [1/1] 234K Date: Wed, 03 Jan 1996 01:39:30 -0500 (EST) Errors-To: <aeo-error@maximized.com> Sender: Listserv@maximized.com X-Listname: <AEO-by-EMail@maximized.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT X-Mailer: Mercury MTS v1.21 Message-Id: <14F01AE565A7@maximized.com> :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: Volume 4, Issue 9 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE January 1, 1996 :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: ATARI .............. News, reviews, & solutions ............ ATARI :: :: EXPLORER ............ for the online Atari .......... EXPLORER :: :: ONLINE ................. Community .............. ONLINE :: :: :: :: Published and Copyright (c) 1993-1995 by Subspace Publishers :: :: All Rights Reserved :: :: """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" :: :: Publisher Emeritus ........................... Michael Lindsay :: :: Editor/Publisher .................................. Travis Guy :: :: Assistant Editor GEnie......................... Ron Robinson :: :: Assistant Editor CompuServe................... Albert Dayes :: :: Assistant Editor Internet.................. Timothy Wilson :: :: Assistant Editor Delphi..................... Mark Santora :: :: Unabashed Atariophile ............... Michael R. Burkley :: :: User Group Coordinator ..................... Ron Whittam :: :: 8-bit Editor ............................... John Hardie :: :: Sunnyvale Editor ........................... Adam Urbano :: :: UK Correspondent ........................... Iain Laskey :: :: WWW Spinner ...............................Frans Keylard :: :: :: :: Contributors: :: :: """"""""""""" :: :: Bryan Edewaard, Clay Halliwell, :: :: Damien M. Jones, Charles Wells, David A. Wright :: :: :: :: Telecommunicated to you via: :: :: """""""""""""""""""""""""""" :: :: GEnie: ST/JAGUAR RT Library 38 :: :: CompuServe: ATARIGAMING Library 10, VIDGAME Library 15 :: :: AOL: VIDEO GAMES FORUM Hints, Tips and Tricks II Library :: :: Delphi: ATARI ADVANTAGE & WORLD OF VIDEO GAMES Libraries :: :: Fnet: AEO Conference, Node 319 :: :: AtariNet: AEO Conference, Node 51:1/10 :: :: :: :: FTP recent AEO issues from: rahul.net:pub/wilsont/AEO :: :: Search gopherspace under "aeo" for back issues :: :: :: :: World Wide Web: http://www.ior.com/~fkeylard/aeo.htm :: :: http://www.mcc.ac.uk/~dlms/atari.html :: :: http://www.bucknell.edu/~svensson :: :: :: :: :: :: EMail Request address: AEO-by-EMail-request@maximized.com :: :: :: :: >>> To subscribe to AEO, send a message to the request :: :: >>> address, with the following line (no subject): :: :: >>> :: :: >>> subscribe aeo-by-email :: :: >>> :: :: >>> and your address will be added to the list. To :: :: >>> unsubscribe from AEO, send the following: :: :: >>> :: :: >>> unsubscribe aeo-by-email :: :: >>> :: :: >>> to the same request address, making sure you send :: :: >>> it from the same address you subscribed from. :: :: :: :: AEO is also in file format on the Jaguar Mailing List :: :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Table of Contents * From the Editors ......................... A toll stop on the Infohighway. * Preview: Fight For Life .............. Mark tries out a recent version of this long-time-coming polyfighter. * Fun 'N Games ........................... What the games magazines saw, at last fall's game-in at Atari. * EGM SuperTour ...................... How BattleSphere crashed the Burbank stop on the gaming tour. * Jaguar Tackboard ................... The latest Jaguar development list - Jag PRs - SBO "Punisher" code. * In The Pub ............................ Jaguar news from the UK, and Iain is immortalized in silicon. * NBA Jam TE ........................ "Jag's on Fire!" will be the cry when this game hits the hot spot. * Defender 2000 .................... Llock your doors. Llanders are coming! AEO's exclusive review sizes up Jeff Minter's latest Jag game. * Battlemorph ............................... Those pesky Pernitians return to do battle on Jaguar CD. * Reprint: CatBox Review ................ A saucy little expansion box that can spice up your Jaguar gaming. * I-War ........................................ Another incarnation of the CyberVirusWarGame theme. * Pitfall the Mayan Adventure ............. Whips, snakes, an old felt hat. Haven't we been here before? * The Unabashed Atariophile .................... PD and Shareware files for =your= Atari computer. * Rare Gems .......................................... Quotes worth quoting. * Developing News ............................. The New Current Notes In-Touch HP & Mustek Scanner Drivers Afterburner040 & FalconFX Catherine Wheel CD * Shutdown ............................. Around the world and up your block. --==--==--==--==-- ||| From the Editors ........... Atari Explorer Online: Jaguar Voyagers ||| Travis Guy / | \ GEnie: AEO.MAG Delphi: AEO_MAG Internet: aeo.mag@genie.com ------------------------------------------------------------------ Life exacts its own tolls in its own time, and your AEO staff has certainly paid its small share over the previous two months - new employment, a brief hospital visit, a cross-country move, a budding romance, computer equipment failure, and in my own case, the past two weeks recovering from my lower back's sudden refusal to bend despite my insistance. Of course there's the perks, like a flood of new Jaguar releases to keep us busy writing. This issue of Atari Explorer Online is packed with reviews and previews of just released (and of yet to be seen) Jag games and new Atari computer files. As for Jaguar games still off in the future, I can tell you right now that Phase Zero and Skyhammer are looking very fine, but there'll be more about them in the next issue... just as soon as I can get up and around and off the medication. (Hence this shadow of an editorial.) Please accept from the entire staff of AEO, our best wishes for you and yours to have a safe and happy 1996! Peace and Freedom for all. --==--==--==--==-- ||| Jaguar Preview - Fight For Life ||| By: Mark "Stingray" Santora / | \ GEnie: AEO.4 AOL: MrSantora ---------------------------------------------------------------- About a year ago, Atari made a big deal over hiring a member of Sega's AM2 programming team. Francois Bertrand joined Atari as the head of the AM1 (Atari Magic One) programming team. The first project for AM1 was a 3D fighter for the Jaguar, called Fight For Life. FFL debuted at last year's E3 in a very early form. The models were crude, the motion capture was jerky, and the textures really needed to be redone, but it was still shaping up nicely, and the public was looking forward to it. Move to this past fall, Atari announces that FFL is on "Indefinite Hold." When pressed for what this means, Atari's response is that FFL does not meet up to their new and improved gaming standards. If the game ever did shape up to meet these criteria, then Atari would release it. Back in November, I started a new job with a production company in Los Angeles. I joined them a few days after they finished shooting the Atari Jaguar Infomercial (detailed elsewhere in this issue). In post-production I was able to try out a few games that were still in development, one of the most noteworthy cartridges was Fight For Life. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Revision 2 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Around the time of ECTS, a couple of shots from the revamped FFL surfaced on the Internet. They showed improved texturemapping and sharper imagery. Many of the 'netters quickly dubbed these shots, "Fight For Life - Extreme." The only comment from Atari was that the game still did not meet its standards and would not be released. Then in November, Atari laid off a considerable amount of its in-house development staff, including most of the AM1 crew. Francois Bertrand was no longer at Atari and rumor had it that FFL would most likely never see the light of day. Shortly after, Atari asked Francois back into the fold to finish the game, and from all accounts, he has done so, so FFL's final fate lies in the hands of Atari Test and Atari's management. The preview copy I was able to play was dated from the end of October, so it is by far, NOT the final word on the Polyfighter That Wouldn't Die.. =-=-=-=-=-=-= //// The Game =-=-=-=-=-=-= The plot is pretty simple, you're dead and in Hell. Did I mention it's hot there? The Devil and his son, Junior, have a little tournament - they take a group of dead people and allow them to fight one another. The winner of the tournament is given their life back, so I'd guess that for Hell-based activities, it's fairly popular. Each fighter starts with some very basic moves, and one or two special moves. As you beat each opponent, you are given the ability to "steal" two of their special moves. They then become part of your permanent character, which is represented by a code entered on the character selection screen. While I never played an earlier edition of FFL, I did spend countless hours in front of an editing system working on the AEO @ E3 video this past summer, so I feel like I got to know it quite well. Then when I started playing the October version of FFL, I was blown away. Before I really get into this preview I want to stress again that this is a -preview- copy from over two months ago. Graphically, the new textures on the characters are very sharp. They blend together well and share a style common to Tekken. It would appear that the number of polygons in each character has been lowered since its last public showing (I'm estimating), but if so, the textures easily make up for that. A major fault I'm afraid I must find is that the characters do not appear to be Gouraud shaded with a light source. With this ability built into the Jaguar, its omission is quite noticeable when compared to other games and other polygon engines. The fighting area or "ring" is basically the same as all of the other 3D fighting games - it is comprised of pastel squares. It is something that I hope will be elaborated on by the time the game is released. However, one of the neat twists on the "ring out" option is that when you hit the edge of the ring, you get electrified. It's not that gory, but plumes of smoke emanating from each character would be a nice touch.... The backgrounds are simple, flat looking bitmaps that wrap around the ring. The game moves at a fairly decent clip, and I would estimate that it averages about 24 frames per second. Even with the floating camera, full 3D motion of the characters, and music, I have never seen it drop below 21 fps. As for the sound and music, it's average. There is a fully sampled guitar riff that accompanies the title credits which is extremely clear, but then we go back to the standard Euro-tinny in-game music. Sound fx are also average. There are some voice samples in the game, but they are sparse. Now for the big one, control. Thankfully, FFL utilizes the ProController to its limits. Although the original joypad is usable, I suggest the ProController. The 4/6(L/R) shifts you left and right in the 3D world. The 7,8,9(X,Y,Z) are extra punches and kicks. The joypad works as you think it would, up is jump, down is crouch, left/right move you left/right. In this version, the control is a bit rough. With the continual playtesting and Atari's standards, I'm sure that this game will easily be tweaked to perfection. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Fighting Stereotypes =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= I've talked about the graphics, the sound, the control, so what's left... comparisons. If you own a PlayStation or if you've played Toshinden, which seems to be everyone's current benchmark, then you will find FFL extremely rough. It does not have that glossy over- produced feel that Toshinden has. I don't think that it would be possible to have FFL come even close to Toshinden without a complete rewrite of the main game engine and new artwork. But what about Virtua Fighter on the Saturn? Right now, FFL does LOOK better than VF on the Saturn, but it does not look as good as VF Remix. Remember though that FFL is a four megabyte cartridge on a system whose design is almost two years older than the Saturn and PlayStation. The Jaguar also has considerable less RAM to work with. What do I think of Fight For Life right now? I can see why Atari did not want to release it just yet. It really wasn't ready. Is it ready now? I hope so. I guess we are just going to have to wait until the next word comes down from Atari on one of its more public internal projects. --==--==--==--==-- ||| Fun 'N Games Deux ||| By: Adam Urbano / | \ GEnie: AEO.5 Internet: adamu@cue.com --------------------------------------------------------------- Last June, Atari held a "Press Day", an event where all the members of the videogaming press were invited to come to the corporate headquarters and test some of Atari's newer offerings. This October, Atari held another one of these shows, and will apparently continue to hold them about once a quarter. If anyone remembers the concept behind the last show, it is heralded as a "Fun 'N Games" day, in which the first part of the day is hands on gaming at Atari, and the latter half is spent at some non-videogaming activity. Last year the activity was a trip to the local amusement park, Great America. This year, however, Atari went all out and created an amazing presentation at The Magic Edge, a local Flight Simulator. But first I'll explain the gaming portion of the day. The presentation started a little bit after nine o'clock in the morning with a speech by Mr. Ted Hoff. The group present for the show was small enough that Ted didn't even bother using the microphone system that was set up. Nothing new was brought up during the speech, Ted just did a quick overview of what Atari's plans for the future were, including such items as which games they planned for a Christmas release, and which ones were to be released on the P.C. Immediately following this, Mr. Hoff pointed out the various Atari employees and their occupations, and then the press was invited to go and play the games. Most of the games had at least one programmer, producer or tester standing by them in order to answer questions. So, without further delay, the games: Fever Pitch - This soccer game reminded me very much of some of the """"""""""" Neo Geo's arcade soccer games. The graphics, play mechanics, and style of play are very similar. For those of you that haven't seen one of the arcade games, the action is sprite based, with a very cartoony look, and a slightly angled perspective on the action. The game is definitely not a sports "simulation", it is an arcade game. Each team has a star player that can perform special feats, such as strikers who can shoot especially well, or players with extra speed. Other options include an instant replay with options for reverse angles and slow motion. This game can support up to four players with the Team Tap. Formula One Racing - (Name Will Change) This CD game was probably one """""""""""""""""" of the games I felt that had the most potential of all the games at the show. After Atari's previous attempts at racing games, (cough, cough, Checkered Flag, cough), I was anxious to see what they did to improve on their track record. I was pleasantly surprised to find this nicely texture mapped racer. The graphics are very similar to something such as Indy Car Racing or NASCAR on the P.C. Lots of polygons with fairly detailed texture maps covering mostly everything. The game/graphics engine was quite impressive on this one, with the only possible down side being the frame rate, which is most likely a product of the game's earliness. Not to say that the frame rate is anything like Checkered Flag, the game does run smoothly, but with a game like this it is worth the nit-picking to create a perfect product. The largest highlight of this game is the number of tracks - 16 in all to choose from - and with 1 or 2 player play, this game should have quite a lot of replay value. Atari Karts - This game abounds with similarities to Mario Kart on """"""""""" the SNES. The game's graphics are all very nice texture maps that have a clean look to them with no pixilation. These texture mapped grounds are complemented by gorgeous 16-bit parallax scrolling backdrops. The graphics all scroll along at a perfect smooth-as-silk framerate. Some of the various levels include a beach complete with light-effect produced waves, desert stages, antarctic stages, highways, castle stages, and an oriental stage. The games levels are divided into various "cups" with a series the various backdrops in each. There are four skill levels included and a two player split-screen option. SuperCross 3D - This is a texture-mapped motorcycle game that has the """"""""""""" player racing through 14 stadiums, each containing a different race course. The graphics on this one are very nice, with a fully texture mapped ground and SGI rendered bikers. The various courses are interesting, with various jumps of changing size and type, from little bumps to multi-story drops. The player can even do mid-air stunts off the jumps. The problem with this game is a sub-par framerate. The game is rather slow and choppy, and to me that contributes to poor gameplay. If that aspect can be fixed it will be an incredible motorcycle game, far superior to the 32X attempt. NBA JAM Tournament Edition - If any one game was the hit of the show, """""""""""""""""""""""""" this was definitely it. This one looks to be every bit as good as the arcade game. The characters are absolutely huge, and everything is animated very well. The Team Tap is even supported for four player play. There really isn't much else that needs to be said, just go look at the arcade game to see how this one looks on the Jag. Slam this, EGM! Phase Zero (a.k.a., Hover Hunter) - This great looking game highlights """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" the hardware potential of the Jaguar. Using a graphics engine very similar to Commanche on the PC, Hover Hunter creates a very realistic looking 3D universe. The landscape is a detailed depiction of natural terrain, with riverbeds, canyons, hills, and mountains. All of this flies by at a very smooth 15 frames per second. Some of the various areas the player will encounter include mountains, deserts, the arctic, and a lava filled fortress. The game has ten of these missions to complete, and each of the landscapes is immense. Atari has the size of the 3D terrain listed as "...equivalent in scale to a metropolitan city." and they certainly don't appear to be exaggerating on this one. The control on this hovercraft is very well done. After seeing the initial response to the control in Hover Strike, the designers have done a good job to make sure that the hovercraft in this game is fun and easy to steer. The craft steers as if it were a normal vehicle with friction acting upon it, but there is a certain amount of "drifting" involved. It is similar to a car with bald tires on wet pavement. This control scheme actually contributes to a lot of the enjoyment. The game contains several great sounding options such as Jaglink support and surround sound. Let's just hope that these options make it into the final version. Battlemorph - The sequel to Cybermorph made a showing, and was met """"""""""" with a very positive response. Most of the concern that people had with Cybermorph have been dealt with, and these changes have made Battlemorph a much better game than the original. The basic goal of the first game ("collect the pods") has been updated, and now there are several very distinct mission types. These can be everything from collect missions, to search and destroy missions. The variety is a welcome and refreshing change from the first one. The graphics also have taken a slight revamp. The game seems to sport more on-screen polygons, and a much smoother frame rate. The original "popping" of polygons onto the horizon is now a "blending" of polygons, with the background slowly melting into view. The terrain is also more elaborate, and the color schemes are more realistic. The underwater section is absolutely stunning - the player merely drops the ship into the water, and an instant transition to the undersea section is made. The graphics become slightly distorted, the colors darker, and fish float quickly by. The effect is very convincing. There really wasn't much negative to say about this game, and the only people who disliked it appeared to be the ones who just plain hated Cybermorph from the beginning. Baldies - This game uses a top-down perspective to create a vivid, if """"""" not cartoony, world in which the player must build a society to conquer the enemy. The player may choose from workers, builders, soldiers and scientists to help him or her in the quest. This game has an enormous amount of complexity behind the apparently simple interface. For example, if you give the scientist a skunk, he may create a stink bomb. Then, drop the skunk into an enemy house and the enemies players will run outside. And if the player had happened to set a minefield right outside the door, that would be a very effective way of killing the enemy. Other options for death include the ability to trap enemies, electrocute them, or just plain drown them. The player can really do whatever he or she wants in this game. One of the major highlights in Baldies has got to be the artificial intelligence. The little baldies live about their lives in a "fishbowl" like setting, in which they do their normal activities without the aid of the player. With more than 100 different levels, including bonus levels, hidden features, tons of inventions and secret warps to discover, Baldies should keep players busy for quite some time. //// Off to the Edge After we finished playing the various games, the press was all shipped off to The Magic Edge. This is similar in concept to Battletech, however, the game engine for Edge is far, far superior. Each player is in the cockpit of a fictional fighter aircraft. This cockpit rotates and shifts up and down, matching the on-screen action, to give the player a feeling of movement. Each cockpit is powered by a SGI machine, so the terrain that flows below is silky smooth and photo-realistic. After a delicious catered lunch of pizza and salad, each press representative was given a free networked game. Finally, each person was given an Atari gift bag. This year the bag was stuffed to the brim with goodies and games to test. The fun-filled bag included Jag Sunglasses, glasses string, an Atari pen, squirt bottle, and both a Denim Jag shirt and a baseball style Jaguar shirt. The games to take home included Battlemorph, Baldies, Missile Command, NBA Jam, Atari Karts, and Attack of the Mutant Penguins. So you know all the magazines have plenty of material to print, let's see if they follow through. All in all, Atari made a very excellent showing at their press day, with every effort being made to make sure that the press had a good time. With continued support like this Atari should be on the track to a good reputation with the various magazines. --==--==--==--==-- ||| Atari at the EGM Supertour ||| By: Mark "Stingray" Santora / | \ Genie: AEO.4 AOL: MrSantora ---------------------------------------------------------------- In late October, someone mentioned the EGM tour and reminded me that it would be in Burbank Saturday November 11, and Sunday November 12. Living in the San Fernando Valley, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to check out the tour and the company that rarely gives the Jaguar a break. The week before the event, I mentioned that I would be attending to a couple of friends of mine, Scott LeGrand and Stephanie Wukovitz. I suggested that they come along and bring Battlesphere with them to get some feedback. Alas, they were off to a convention for work, but they said I could take the latest version and see if the people from EGM would allow it to be seen. So, Scott worked his behind off to get the networking really solid before he left, but it was crashing too much. So they disabled it, updated my FlashROM of the cart (I'm play testing it), and sent me on my merry way. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// To Burbank =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Burbank is an easy twenty minutes from me by car. After riding down a couple of different freeways, and there are a lot of them here, I arrived at the Burbank Media City Mall around 10:30am. I fumbled my way inside and just figured I would follow the noise to the Set Up. Unfortunately, the mall was kinda empty at 10:30am but I eventually found it, placed on the bottom floor of the three level mall in the atrium. The entire mall could look down on the tour. It proved to be a very nice spot to have the tour set up. My first job was to get a lay of the land and see what they had. The tour consisted of these eight feet tall yellow cylinders which each house four TV screens and pads beneath them for you to play the game with. Every company represented had one cylinder. Companies represented were Sony, Sega, Viacom New Media, Williams, Time Warner Interactive, X-Band, Panasonic, and our favorite, Atari. But Atari did not have their systems housed in the standard tour cylinders - Atari fashioned the tour with four of the Jaguar kiosks. Each kiosk had a Jag, one or two controllers, depending on the game, and instructions mounted to the kiosk so you knew how to play. It looked very professional. Atari had supplied four FlashROMs for the tour to use. When the tour started, the games were not available, but by time the tour had hit Burbank, they all were. Atari had sent Rayman, Super Burnout, Ultra Vortek, and White Men Can't Jump (which only had two controllers on it). During my day-long stay at the show I showed off my prowess at Ultra Vortek and even enabled the turbo code - people really dug that. Throughout the day, the booths became very crowded, and the Atari kiosks were very rarely not in use. Meanwhile, the other systems weren't as lucky. Sure the PSX had Toshinden running and that was pretty busy, but it also had some sort of speedo racing game which had real nice graphics, but no gameplay. You were suspended on a cable as you accelerated down a trench. When you hit a corner, you swung out. It was like a really bad version of Stun Runner without it being any fun. Williams had DOOM there for the SNES, and while it didn't look bad, the play mechanics weren't very good and the movement was jerky. Mortal Kombat 3 was also there for the SNES and Genesis - what can I say, it was MK3. They also had a tournament for it. I was told there would be an Ultra Vortek tournament on Sunday. Next I hunted down the manager of this tour. Once I tracked her down (forgive me, but I can't remember her name and she was so nice to me), the manager was not only more than happy to let me plug in BattleSphere, but they announced it over the PA, every 30-45 minutes! The announcement was usually something along the lines of, "OK Folks, we have a Jaguar Developer here today (I told her I worked with 4Play but was not the programmer) who is here to get some feedback on their new game! Go and play it now months before it gets released and tell your friends!" Usually after that I was accosted by many people, but they were all extremely pleasant. The manager dropped us into the kiosk which ran White Men Can't Jump. They said that this was the game that generally got left alone the most at the Atari booth. So, from around 10:45am to 4pm I demoed and talked to many people about BattleSphere, Atari, the state of Atari, dispelling rumors, answering questions about the projects, and even giving out numbers for people who needed to mail order. I should've been paid by Atari for all the shmoozing I did for them on Saturday. I even sold the three Jaguars that were at the Electronic's Boutique on Ultra Vortek, Rayman, and BattleSphere. One of the people was a person the manager brought over who was looking to spend some money on a video game system. The manager showed him the PSX, then the SNES and Genesis and finally the Jaguar. He responded, "These graphics are a hell of a lot better than the Nintendo one, and I don't have $400." He went upstairs and nought a Jag, Rayman, Tempest 2000, and Super Burnout. He showed them to me as he made his way out of the mall. It brought a smile to my face. Everyone involved with the tour was great. They were helpful and really went out of their way to help get BattleSphere some exposure. Many of the people who played it even mentioned the write up of the game in Video Games and Computer Entertainment a few months ago. Common replies to BattleSphere ranged from "very good" to "excellent." The people who played it, ranging in ages from 6 to 65, were very impressed. They loved the gameplay, the graphics, the music, and even the fact that it was going to be networkable. In fact, several people mentioned networking as being a primary reason they were going to buy BattleSphere before playing it. But after seeing it in action, not only were they sold, but they were planning on making sure their friends bought it too. Another thing that the people liked was the play options in BattleSphere. A lot of people like the option to have one player fly using pad 1 while player two uses pad 2 as the gunner. It really adds to the depth of the gameplay. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// In The End =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The EGM Supertour was a nice way for companies to show off their wares. A lot of people walk through the mall and usually stop to look, even if they didn't plan on it. And Atari's presence was felt there. In one part because of their kiosks which gave the look of the tour some diversity. Also, EGM gave a Jaguar Core System away on Saturday which was donated by Atari. According to the manager, Atari always made sure that there were t-shirts, keychains, Rayman stuff, etc., available to give away. You could tell that the entire staff was very pro-gaming, not anti-something. Atari's decision to help finance the tour, was in this reporter's opinion, a good one. Here's hoping in the future that Atari continues to expand the awareness of the Jaguar in such manners as these tours. --==--==--==--==-- ||| Jaguar Tackboard ||| Confirmed information about Atari's Jaguar / | \ Compiled from online and official sources ----------------------------------------------------------------- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Independent Association of Jaguar Developers =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The IAJD (Independent Association of Jaguar Developers) has started accepting members on GEnie. The IAJD is a private group where confidential discussions can be freely held. (Category 64 of the ST RoundTable is the IAJD meeting place.) Consequently, membership in the IAJD is limited to Jaguar developers who are registered with Atari Corp. To apply for membership, send EMail to ENTRY$ on GEnie (or <entry$@genie.com> if you're not on GEnie). Regular EMail correspondence with the IAJD should be sent to IAJD$ (again, or <iajd$@genie.com> if you're not on GEnie). =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Internet Jaguar Mailing List =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Anyone with Internet EMail access can join the discussions on the Jaguar mailing list. To "subscribe" to the list, send an EMail to the following address: <listserv@bucknell.edu> With the following as the body message: subscribe jaguar FirstName LastName (Where "FirstName" is your real first name and "LastName" is your real last name.) You should then soon receive the subscription information including such options as a digest (for those who have requested that in the past). The actual list address is: <jaguar@bucknell.edu>. All mail will go to the list server and be sent to the over 250 readers of the list. IMPORTANT: If your mail server charges you by the character or by the letter, please be aware that the Jaguar list can generate dozens, and up to a hundred EMails in a day. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Jaguar FAQ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Robert Jung <rjung@netcom.com> maintains the Jaguar FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) file, an updated list of Jaguar specs and facts. The Jaguar FAQ is posted to rec.games.video.atari on Usenet around the first of every month, and can also be found via FTP, address: ftp.netcom.com, in Andy Eddy's /pub/vidgames/faqs directory. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// AEO Development List 2.10 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Editor: The following list of game titles has been confirmed to the best of AEO's ability as of December 31, 1995. Entries in the "S"tatus column reflect any "e"rrors, "u"pdates, "n"ew titles, titles that are in "P"roduction, or "?"uestionable listings since the last AEO list. Entries in the "M"edia column reflect whether the title is "C"D-ROM, "H"ardware, or "V"R software. (Blank entries are assumed to be cartridge software.) ETA dates are dates that have been provided by the developer. AMMV. //// Titles in Development Rating/ S M Title ETA Developer Publisher """ """"" """ """"""""" """"""""" Arena Football League Q1/96 V Real Productions Atari Battlesphere Q1/96 4Play 4Play ? Battlewheels - Beyond Games Beyond Games ? C Braindead 13 - Readysoft Readysoft Breakout 2000 Q1/96 MP Graphics Atari u Brett Hull Hockey 2/96 Atari u C Brett Hull Hockey CD Q1/96 Atari u C Commander Blood 2/96 Atari ? C Creature Shock - Virgin Interactive Atari ? C Dante - Atari ? Deathwatch - Visual Design Atari P Defender 2000 2/96*8*LlamaSoft Atari ? C Demolition Man - Virgin Interactive Atari C Deus ex Machina 1H/96 Silmarils ? Dune Racer - Atari Fight For Life - Atari Atari u C Formula 1 Racing (Work Title) Q1/96 Domark Group Ltd. Atari ? C Freelancer 2120 - Imagitec Design Atari C Highlander II Q1/96 Lore Design Ltd. Atari C Highlander III H1/96 Lore Design Ltd. Atari ? Horrorscope - V-Real Productions ? Indiana Jags - Virtual Xperience C Iron Soldier II Q1/96 Eclipse Atari C Ishar Genesis - Silmarils ? Legions of the Undead - Rebellion Software Atari ? C Litil Divil - Gremlin Interactive u C Magic Carpet - Atari u C Mortal Kombat III 4/96 Probe Atari P NBA Jam TE 1/96*9*High Voltage Atari u Phase Zero 2/96 Hyper Image Atari ? Return of Magic - Virtual Artistry ? C Return to Zork - Activision u C Robinson's Requiem 2/96 Silmarils Atari C Rocky Horror Interactive 6/96 u Skyhammer Q1/96 Rebellion Software Atari C Soulstar 1996 Core Design Atari C Space Ace - ReadySoft ReadySoft u Sudden Impact ? ? T-Mek - Time-Warner Towers II - JV Enterprises u C Varuna's Forces 1996 Accent Media Atari Worms 1996 Team 17 Zero Five Q1/96 Caspian Software Atari P Zoop 1/96 Atari ? Zzyorxx II - Virtual Xperience //// Current Releases M Title Rated Company Publisher " """"" """"""" """"""" """"""""" Alien vs. Predator 8 Rebellion Atari Atari Karts - NEW Miracle Designs Atari Attack of the Mutant Penguins - NEW Sunrise Games Atari C Baldies - NEW Atari Atari C Battlemorph 10 NEW Attention to Detail Atari C Blue Lightning 7 Attention to Detail Atari Brutal Sports Football 6 Millenium/Teque Telegames Bubsy 7 Imagitec Design Atari Cannon Fodder 7 Virgin Interactive C-West H Cat Box / Black Cat Design Black Cat Checkered Flag 4 Rebellion Atari Club Drive 6 Atari Atari Crescent Galaxy 3 Atari Atari Cybermorph 7 Attention to Detail Atari Doom 8 id Software Atari Double Dragon V 3 Williams Enter. Williams Dragon 6 Virgin Interactive Atari C Dragon's Lair 7 NEW ReadySoft ReadySoft Evolution Dino-Dudes 6 Imagitec Design Atari Fever Pitch - NEW US Gold Atari Flashback 6 Tiertex Ltd. U.S. Gold Flip Out 8 Gorilla Systems Atari C Highlander I 8 NEW Lore Design Ltd. Atari Hover Strike 7 Atari Atari C Hover Strike: Unconquered Lands 8 NEW Atari Atari I-War 4 NEW Imagitec Design Atari International Sensible Soccer 6 Williams Brothers Telegames Iron Soldier 9 Eclipse Atari Kasumi Ninja 6 Hand Made Software Atari Missile Command 3D - NEW Atari C Myst - NEW Atari Atari C Primal Rage - NEW Probe Time-Warner Pinball Fantasies 6 Spider Soft C-West Pitfall 8 NEW Activision Atari Power Drive Rally 7 Rage Software Time-Warner Raiden 6 Imagitec Design Atari RayMan 10 UBI Soft UBI Soft Ruiner 6 NEW High Voltage Atari Super Burnout 6 Shen Atari Supercross 3D 5 NEW Tiertex Atari Syndicate 7 Bullfrog Ocean Tempest 2000 10 LlamaSoft Atari Theme Park 6 Bullfrog Ocean Troy Aikman NFL Football 6 Telegames Williams White Men Can't Jump 8 High Voltage Atari Wolfenstein 3D 7 id Software Atari Ultra Vortek 10 Beyond Games Atari Val d'Isere Skiing... 5 Virtual Studio Atari C VidGrid 6 High Voltage Atari Zool 2 7 Gremlin Graphics Atari Pts Stars AEO Ratings """ """"" """"""""""" 10 ***** GAMING NIRVANA!!! - You have left reality behind... for good. 9 ****+ Unbelieveable GAME!! - Your family notices you're often absent. 8 **** Fantastic Game!! - You can't get enough playtime in on this. 7 ***+ Great Game! - Something to show off to friends or 3DOers. 6 *** Good game - You find yourself playing this from time to time. 5 **+ Ho-hum - If there's nothing else to do, you play this. 4 ** Waste of time - Better to play this than play in traffic. 3 *+ Sucks - Playing in traffic sounds like more fun. 2 * Sucks Badly - You'd rather face an IRS audit than play this. 1 + Forget it - ... but you can't; it's so badly done, it haunts you. 0 - Burn it - Disallow programmer from ever writing games again. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Jaguar PRs =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Core System Price Drops to $99 CONTACT: Beth Whyte or Jennifer Hansen Shandwick U.S.A. 800/444-6663 or 310/479-4997 Atari Corporation's Jaguar 64 Hits Mass Market Price In Time for Holiday Sales, Jaguar now $99 SUNNYVALE, CA (December 15, 1995) -- In a bold retailing move to increase its share in the interactive home entertainment market, Atari Corporation announced that the Jaguar 64 system will be priced at $99. A premier gaming platform launched nationally in 1994, the Jaguar is a power home video game system designed to provide game enthusiasts with top-quality entertainment products. Atari has developed an extensive software library to support the Jaguar system, and is committed to aggressively expanding its list of exclusive titles throughout 1996. Four new Atari titles have been released this week alone for the Jaguar 64: "Atari Karts", "I-War", "Fever Pitch Soccer" and "Supercross 3D". The new games will be available at retail stores before Christmas. As Ted Hoff, Atari's President of North American Operations explained, "Atari is proud of the depth and breadth of current Jaguar platform software titles, and we're committed to enhancing this already impressive collection. Offering the Jaguar 64 at $99 will allow us to reach more consumers nationwide with top-quality games." Hoff indicated the Jaguar 64 systems will be offered at their new price in retail outlets across the country effective Saturday, December 16. That means there's still time for Christmas shoppers to benefit from the $99 price tag. With its aggressive new pricing, Atari Corporation is offering consumers a high-end home video game system at a mass market price. The action reinforces Atari's commitment to the Jaguar gaming platform, as well as providing consumers with superior and affordable interactive products. For more than twenty years, Atari Corporation has provided consumers with high quality value-priced entertainment. Atari Corporation markets Jaguar, the only American-made, advanced 64-bit entertainment system and is located in Sunnyvale, California. Atari and Jaguar are registered trademarks of Atari Corporation. All rights reserved. //// Missile Command 3D Ships CONTACT: Patricia Kerr or Jennifer Hansen Shandwick USA (800)444-6663 or (310)479-4997 Arcade Favorite Receives New Mission Atari Corporation Launches "Missile Command 3D" for Jaguar 64 SUNNYVALE, CA (December 12, 1995) -- Load your lasers, mark your missiles and secure your smart bombs, your colony is under alien attack. Gamers are gearing up after Atari Corporation's announcement that "Missile Command 3D" is the latest artillery in the Atari Jaguar 64 software arsenal. Based on the arcade classic, the Jaguar update of "Missile Command 3D" features both fiercer firepower and nastier bad guys. It takes more than missiles, lasers and smart bombs to defeat these aliens---gamers must employ a quick and accurate fighting style to protect their neighborhoods from the outer space invasion. "Missile Command 3D" contains three different game options: Original Missile Command, 3D Missile Command and Virtual Missile Command. The "Virtual" and "3D" game options boast a number of 3-dimensional worlds found undersea, in the clouds and in outer space. Stereo sound, texture mapped graphics and multiple backgrounds compliment the power of the Jaguar 64 system. "Atari Corporation continues to provide Jaguar owners with top-quality, exciting games for their Jaguar 64 systems," said Ted Hoff, Atari's President of North American Operations. "'Missile Command 3D' is another outstanding title in our lineup of software releases for the Atari Jaguar 64 and CD peripheral this holiday season." "Missile Command 3D" is available in stores nationwide, has a suggested retail price of $59.99, and is rated K-A (appropriate for kids to adults). For more than twenty years, Atari Corporation has provided consumers with high quality, value-priced entertainment. Atari Corporation markets Jaguar, the only American-made, advanced 64-bit entertainment system and is located in Sunnyvale, California. //// Jaguar CD Highlander Ships CONTACT: Patricia Kerr or Jennifer Hansen Shandwick USA (310)479-4997 or (800)444-6663 Players Fulfill Their Destiny as "The Highlander" Atari Corporation Releases Second CD Title in One Week for Jaguar CD SUNNYVALE, CA (October 30) -- The rapidly expanding software library for the newly released Jaguar CD grew again this week, as Atari Corporation launched its second CD title. "Highlander: The Last of the MacLeods" was shipped to retailers this morning. An action adventure game based on the popular animated series, "Highlander: The Last of the MacLeods" boasts both a truly sensational storyline and advanced gaming technology. Players assume the role of Quentin MacLeod, an immortal whose destiny remained unclear until his mother revealed his true identity as "The Highlander." With this knowledge, Quentin must set upon a quest to fulfill his destiny, rescue his village and save humanity from the evil Kortan. "Highlander: The Last of the MacLeods" features both original dialog and Cinepak sequences from the animated series. Atari Corporation used Motion Capture technology in the development of the game, giving the 3D characters lifelike movement. "By releasing 'Highlander: The Last of the MacLeods' and 'Hoverstrike: Unconquered Lands' in successive weeks, our Jaguar CD title library is rapidly growing in scope and depth," said Ted Hoff, Atari's President of North American Operations. "We will bring Jaguar gamers numerous top-quality titles for both the Jaguar cartridge and CD formats in the next several weeks." "Highlander: The Last of the MacLeods" has a suggested retail price of $59.99, is rated K-A (appropriate for kids and adults) and is available in stores nationwide. For more than twenty years, Atari Corporation has provided consumers with high quality, value-priced entertainment. Atari Corporation markets Jaguar the only American-made, advanced 64-bit entertainment system and is located in Sunnyvale, California. HIGHLANDER (c) 1994 Gaumont Television. All rights reserved. Highlander is a protected trademark of Gaumont Television. Licensed to Atari Corporation. Cinepak and the Cinepak logo is a registered trademark of Radius Inc. Atari, the Atari logo and Jaguar are trademarks or registered trademarks of Atari Corporation. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Cool Jag Codes =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Super Burnout "Punisher" Bike Code [] Key in the sequence "2", "1", "7", "9" and then "4" at the Super Burnout title screen. [] You will hear a musical "beep" to confirm the correct code has been entered. [] There will be a new motorcycle to select, the "Punisher." Aside from its impressive performance, it functions like all other Super Burnout motorcycles. [] All record times and speeds made using the "Punisher" will be saved to cartridge as normal. [] You can still access the "Punisher" after a reset without having to reenter the code, but the code will have to be reentered after a power-off/power-on cycle. --==--==--==--==-- ||| In the Pub ||| By: Iain Laskey / | \ Internet: ilaskey@cix.compulink.co.uk -------------------------------------------------------------- Christmas has come and gone. Santa didn't bring me anything nice for my Jaguar but then I got some laserdiscs instead so I'm not complaining! The UK Jag scene crawls along unabated. It's still proving a bit tough getting much in the way of review carts out of Atari at the moment. It's ludicrous that Atari UK can't supply review copies to magazines. Few of the gaming mags give the Jaguar anything other than an occasional damning mention and most games are hammered. When a magazine comes along that is willing to give the Jaguar a fair crack of the whip, do they get games to try? Naah. No spare EPROMs. Sorry. The excuse is that all the flash cards are being used to demo the Jaguar to retailers and until that's finished, none can go to reviewers. (FX:<Clump> Iain gets of his soapbox). Jaguar sales are down and up. The release of Playstation had an immediate effect - Jag sales halved overnight. Since the intial shock they have picked up and now Atari UK report them as being on the up and up. My contact in a local Electronic Boutique (What an awful name, they just got changed from their original name of Game Zone), confirms this and said any JagCDs they get fly out immediately and new titles sell very well. This from a confirmed PC/Playstation nut too. I'm yet to see many of the games that have been out in the US for some time although others such as Missile Command 3D appeared within days of the US release. //// Gotcha (or not) One of the European Dev Centre titles, Gotcha looks like it's going to end up as a PC only game. A Jag version may get looked at again later but it has been decided that it's not a suitable title at the moment and having played an early version some months back, I'd be inclined to agree. //// Sega games A lot of people wonder why Atari are not making good use of the access they have to Sega's games. It transpires that Jag ports cannot be started until some 6-8 months after the Sega equivalents have been released. The net result would be a stream of already out of date titles. A pity. //// PC Games One of the reasons Atari have started to look very hard at PC games is the enormous success of titles like Microsoft Arcade. Atari still own the computer rights to a great many titles of yesteryear and they have seen some pretty fat cheques arrive as payment for publishing Atari owned titles. This has apparently whetted their appetites for some serious revenue (and about time too), hence their new found interest in the PC. Let's hope they dont underestimate the cut-throat market they are entering and end up getting badly burnt (again). //// Cross Products Rather sadly, Cross Products who was working on producing Jaguar Development kits, have ceased work on the project. It appears that after many months work and some serious interest and promise of many orders from Atari, the whole thing has floundered. It appears that Cross are owned by Sega. Atari felt unable to provide Cross with the details of Jag II hardware they needed for obvious reasons. Cross were a little less than enamoured by the sudden dropping of support from Atari and told me they werent sure exactly why. A pity as Atari have often been criticised for the low quality of the Jaguar development kits compared to those of their peers. //// Zero 5 An eagerly awaited title, Zero 5, has been put back to an Easter release. The mechanics are all in place but the missions now have to be created and added in. Also, the title may change. If anyone who has seen the game has a good idea for a title then let me know and I'll pass it onto Atari. //// Team 17 I was hoping to have a Team 17 interview completed for this issue but Christmas seemed to have got in the way. Hopefully next issue will see this now. As an aside, Team 17 publish via Ocean who in the UK have decided to drop Jaguar, Hence Team 17's original line-up of Jaguar titles has ended up as just one - Worms. Still, this is a cracking game and I can't wait to see a copy. //// Five Years Away 21st Century, they of Pinball Dreams have told me they do not intend to do any more Jaguar titles but dont take it personally, they have decided to avoid any next generation consoles for the time being. They did say that its possible that if the policy changes they may go back to Jag development at a later stage. How about voting with your wallets? Pinball Dreams is a fine game and well worth buying. //// Last Call Bits Atari UK have announced a new distributor - Telstar. Hopefully this will help get even more Jaguar stuff into our shops. On a less pleasant note, Silica, an Atari selling and distributing firm since the dawn of time (I remember getting mailshots from them when I bought my 2600 back in 1980), has sort of gone down the tubes. They are in receivership with debts of 8 million GBP and are hoping to get a buyer very soon to inject some more cash. They blame the downfall on the demise of the Amiga which accounted for 45% of their sales combined with a difficulty getting PC stock. Not entirely Atari related but possibly of interest to computer lovers who have outgrown their STs but dont want to be just another clone owner. The former Apple product Division president, Jean-Louis Gassee has set up his own firm and launched a new computer. Totally different to the rest of the pack, it is designed to appeal to computer freaks and tech-heads who must have the best, neatest, most interesting computer. What he has produced is the BeBox. Powered by 2 Power PC603 processors, it is equipped to provide high-performance audio and video for just $1,600. Up to 256Mb of RAM can be installed and the standard hardware includes 16bit CD quality sound, 4 MIDI ports, a SCSI II port, 4 serial, 1 parallel and 3 infra-red ports. Software includes a graphics server, database server and digital media tool kit as well as an integrated development environment called Code Warrior. Already developers are working on software to utilise its impressive hardware. Most have been won over by finally having a piece of hardware to live up to their software dreams. Keep an eye out for it. Finally, my (albeit) minor claim to fame. Atari's European Development bought the rights for the Jag version of Fever Pitch from US Gold and did the port themselves. (I understand it's been released in the US. Hello! Over here!) This gave them a little room to manoeuvre. Result? A new team member called Laskey in my honour! Shucks guys! --==--==--==--==-- ||| Jaguar Review: NBA Jam - Tournament Edition ||| By: Damien M. Jones / | \ GEnie: DMJ Internet: tsd@gate.net --------------------------------------------------------------- High Voltage Software's own Adisak Pochanayon (an excellent Jaguar programmer) has churned out in an amazingly short time what amounts to a very good port of NBA Jam: Tournament Edition. After wheedling a review copy out of Travis (who is notably stingy with these things ;-) I slapped the funky-looking FlashROM cart into my Jaguar and powered it up. I should point out here that I'm not a basketball nut. I like to watch basketball because it's fast and professional players are just awesome. Basketball is entertaining - but it's not (for me) a way of life. The last time =I= tried to play basketball, I was completely devastated within five minutes and had to sit down before my heart jumped out of my chest and filed a complaint with OSHA. So to help with this review, I collared a friend of mine (Abe Torres) who is not only a basketball fan, but also very familiar with NBA Jam on other systems. Together we sat down in front of a nice big TV, with the Jaguar and a couple of controllers, to rake Jaguar NBA Jam: Tournament Edition over the coals. After a couple of screens full of fine print, there's a nice High Voltage Software logo, and then the attract mode sequence kicks in. Right off I notice the music is kinda cheesy, but that's okay, it's a cartridge, and I'd rather the space was saved for something more useful, like gameplay. The attract sequence shows off some of the fancy moves of the players, and talks about all the neat stuff in the Tournament Edition of NBA Jam. Things like: more moves, more sounds, more players, substitutions, and so on. Cool stuff, but we didn't want to sit through the attract sequence, we wanted to =play=. So play we did, both of us fiddling with the controllers to see what we could figure out, since we were both too lazy to read the directions. (Who reads manuals, anyway?) All right, I won't bore you with the final score (even though I beat Abe, heh heh) but it was fun. Too bad we didn't have a Team Tap and a couple of extra controllers handy, because NBA Jam: TE will use one if you've got it. So we just had ourselves. Two people can play against each other, or they can both play on the same team against the computer. Four people, of course, don't need the computer to play. Our verdict? We enjoyed it, which means right off the bat, this game is =fun= - always a good thing for a game to be. For those of you not familiar with NBA Jam (and I can't imagine who that might be) let me briefly explain the game. There are two players on each team, and when you start the game you can select from twenty-seven NBA teams, selecting two of the three players available from that team to play. There's also a special "Rookies" team with five players. Each player has their own stats - how fast they are, how good they are at making field goals, and so on. These stats really do matter (especially that FG rating!), so it's nice that both players can choose the same team - that makes a matchup completely fair. Once you've selected your team, the game begins. There are four quarters, each three minutes long. And, well, it's basketball. Players run up and down the court, taking shots at the basket, passing to their teammate, or trying to block the other guys from making baskets and steal the ball away from them. There's also a turbo button which, if pressed, makes your player go faster. Turbo runs out after a while, though, so you have to use it when it counts. You can also shove the other guys, which often results in them landing on the floor. Ya gotta be careful with that shove, 'cause you can push your own teammate (as I found out the hard way). When you're in the mood for some impressive moves, you can take a shot while moving and holding down turbo, and your player will usually do something very cool and, while he's at it, make a basket. Life is good. And then there's the Special Options. Just when you think you've got everything else under control, you can throw in hot spots - if you shoot from one, you'll get bonus points. Or throw in powerup icons. (Powerups?!? In basketball?!?) Better yet, there's Juice Mode, where you can crank up the speed on =everything=. You thought things were fast before? For those of you who get addicted to this game, it'll keep stats for you, too. You can put your initials in, and it will remember your winning percentage, ranking, and so on. (Just to keep things fair, powerup and hot spot games don't count for record-keeping.) =-=-=-=-= //// Nits =-=-=-=-= After beating Abe, I suggested we play again, this time paying a bit more attention to things in the game besides the gameplay. I'm ashamed to admit that Abe beat me this time, but at least I have an excuse. Anyway, we noticed a few things this time that sort of slipped by us the first time. Some of the players look a bit odd, but there's only so much detail you can pack into the small heads on the screen. The Knicks' uniforms were the wrong color (not a big deal, but if you're an NBA fan like Abe, you notice these things). Occasionally the announcer would declare a basket to be missed ("Rejected!") when it actually went in. I still have trouble with the controls, and I keep jumping instead of swiping at the ball. It's kind of hard to keep track of who is who, especially when the players are off-screen. And there's the above-mentioned cheeziness to some of the music. But these are minor complaints. The colors don't affect gameplay. The controls are configurable (independently for each controller). And the sounds don't really matter - real sports announcers make more screwups than I've heard out of NBAJTE. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Vs. the PlayStation =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Yeah, we have a PlayStation here. So I thought, to really make things interesting, I'd compare the PlayStation version of NBA Jam: Tournament Edition to the Jaguar version. And you know, I was really surprised. The PSX version has much larger players. Whereas the Jag version has small players with enlarged heads (so you can recognize the players), the PlayStation version enlarged the players to match the head size. This might sound like a good idea, but it cluttered up the PSX's screen and made it even harder to see what was going on. There's also the differences you'd expect from a CD vs. a cartridge version - screen transitions on the Jaguar are snappy, but on the PlayStation there are noticeable waits between screens. Sound on the PSX is also better - simply because there is more storage space. The PlayStation version also plays differently than the Jaguar version. The players block more aggressively, and for me it wasn't as much fun. I haven't played the arcade machine, but I've been told by more than one person that the Jaguar version is closer to the arcade than the PlayStation version. =-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Wrap-Up =-=-=-=-=-=-= NBA Jam: Tournament Edition for the Jaguar is excellent. The graphics are good, with lots of details - multiple layers of parallax in the background, motion in those (cheerleaders!), perspective floor, perspective backboards, and so on. Sound is decent, and the title screen proclaims 3D sound (although on my TV, even with a stereo hookup, didn't seem very 3D). Gameplay is great, it's lots of fun, and it even edges out the PSX version! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Final Ratings =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Title: NBA Jam: Tournament Edition Jaglink: No Developer: High Voltage Software Players: 1-4 Published by: Atari Cart Size: 4 Megabytes Retail: N/A Availability: 1/96 A Summary of Ratings: "*" is a whole "+" is a half 5 stars Maximum Graphics - **** Excellent, although some players look odd. Audio - ***+ Pretty good inside the game, "okay" otherwise. Control - **** Takes a little while to get used to, but configurable! Gameplay - ****+ Get a Team Tap and extra controllers and have fun! Overall - ****+ Almost as much fun to watch as it is to play! Key to Damien's Ratings: (the epicurean state of mind) ***** - Crab and lobster with butter sauce. ****+ - Lasagne--an inspired food. **** - Barbecued baby-back ribs smothered in sauce. ***+ - 12oz. medium rare steak. *** - Texas chili with cheese and onions. **+ - Cheeseburger and fries. ** - Blue and green bread (moldy). *+ - Asparagus... bleh. * - Bean sprouts and tofu... gack. + - Chicken tartar (raw). =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Author's Bio =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Damien M. Jones was born in England in 1972. Since then, he has lived in Omaha, Las Vegas, Dallas, Germany, and currently, West Palm Beach. His work in Atari computers started with crude, silly programs in GFA BASIC, and grew into real programs like Sound Lab and View II. Earlier this year he started a new company, Temporary Sanity Designs, to develop game software. --==--==--==--==-- ||| Jaguar Review: Defender 2000 ||| By: Bryan C. Edewaard / | \ Internet: tsd@gate.net -------------------------------------------------------------- Coding Guru Jeff Minter does it again - this time with an update to the classic Williams game: Defender. Created in 1980 by a team headed up by the legendary Eugene Jarvis, Defender established Williams' position as the arcade videogame leader of the early '80s. Your mission in this side-scrolling shooter is to defend a planet and the astronauts thereon from wave after wave of invading and body-snatching aliens. Defender 2000 offers three variations of the original Defender game: Classic Defender, Defender Plus, and Defender 2000. Each of the games supports a ProController mode with separate buttons for fire and thrust. Two player games can be played either with two controllers or two players sharing one controller. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Classic Defender =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Most mature gamers will immediately recognize Classic Defender in all of its sixteen color glory, and if you haven't seen the original in a while, it's quite a rush. All the original elements are here: Landers, Mutants, Humanoids, Pods, Bombers, Swarmers, and Baiters. Classic Defender closely resembles the arcade original, but purists will notice that it deviates on a few points. There are a lot of slight cosmetic variations between Minter's Classic Defender and the actual arcade machine: explosions are larger in Minter's Classic, both in the size of the particles and in the fact that they carry over into the top area of the screen; the score has rastered colors instead of the pulsating solid color of the original; the sprites are noticeably larger; and there is a volcano in the game, which is borrowed from Defender II (originally Stargate). Perhaps more seriously, I found Classic easier to play than the arcade machine. This may be somewhat due to the difference in controls, but it largely seems to be due to the fact that the landers in Classic are slightly oversized (as mentioned above) and some enemies exhibit different behavior than in the original. One good example is the Mutant, who makes quick jerky motions in the original, but jumps and jiggles around like he's going critical in Minter's Classic. I feel that both the oversized enemies and the frantic motion of the mutants makes them easier to hit. These are minor things, really, but they are somewhat disappointing. Back in the 1980s, there were valid reasons for making changes to a game when it was ported to a different platform. Frequently the hardware was different, and just couldn't do the same things as the arcade original. But the Jaguar can certainly do everything the Williams arcade machine could do, so there really isn't much of a reason for not having a perfect replica of the old game. And Minter's Classic Defender, while closer than almost any other attempt, is not quite perfect. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Defender Plus =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Defender Plus is very similar to Classic Defender except that more enemies (and elements from the Defender sequel Stargate) have been added, your fire-power is upped quite a bit, and several new visual effects have been added. Defender Plus is to Classic Defender what Tempest 2000 is to Classic Tempest - it retains the feel of the original, but increases the tempo and intensity. Visually, there is plenty of eye candy to look at. The background contains several layers of scrolling stars, and a strange "plasma" effect hovers over the mountains. The mountains themselves are filled with a psychedelic moving pattern, and all the sprites have been given a colorful overhaul. Landers now have a more metallic spaceship look, and humanoids now look like actual people. (Imagine that.) Plus also adds Stargate-like warp gates and some nasty new enemies - although I don't know what to call the new enemies because the evaluation manual doesn't have pictures of them. Starting with the fourth wave, huge ships start popping up out of the ground that take multiple hits to kill. To help keep things even, in addition to the smart bombs of Classic Defender, you have what Minter calls the "llightning laser", which will target the closest enemy, wherever it is on the screen. You only have a limited amount of this, though, so you have to use it sparingly. If you're a real wimp, you can opt to have two droid ships fly with you to help you out - they'll zip around the screen shooting at things and picking up humanoids for you. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Defender 2000 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= In Defender 2000, the game takes on a whole new look with varying backgound (and foreground) scenery that can scroll up and down as well as left and right. As you progress from level to level in Defender 2000, the graphics change from desert to mountains to city and so on. All the game objects have new graphics as well and look very hi-tech compared to the other versions. The radar, rather than just being a box sitting above the screen, is partially transparent and allows the background to be seen through it. And all the game objects are much larger on the screen, so you can see more detail in them. Your ship can pick up bonuses that increase firepower - AI Droid, AI Droid 2, Lightning Laser, and Turbo Lightning Laser. You can also pick up a shield to protect you from attack. With it, you can be hit twice without dying, and each time you will bounce off whatever hit you. (If you're moving quickly when you bounce, it's a little disconcerting to suddenly be flying back in the other direction.) Another interesting feature of Defender 2000 is that humanoids that have been picked up can fire along with you. Each humanoid hangs below the previous one, so when you get three or four of them strung beneath your ship, you carry a solid Wall o' Death wherever you go. There are also warp tokens present. Collect enough of these and you go to the warp screens, where you must stay on a lit path while hurtling down surfaces shaped like the levels of Tempest. In fact, it is very similar to the second warp level of Tempest 2000. ("Stay on the green path.") As with Tempest 2000, Defender 2000 includes a bunch of hip new tunes (portent of a Defender 2000 Soundtrack CD?) and flashy menu graphics. Some of the other effects - like the end-wave screen where your humanoid bonus is counted - are also very nicely done. Oh, you'll undoubtedly see what happens when you let the landers steal all your humanoids; it's certainly something to make you think, "Uh, maybe I shouldn't have done that...." While playing Defender 2000, I noticed that Defender is not an equation that can be played with as easily as Tempest. While I felt that Tempest 2000 gave Tempest a new lease on life, Defender 2000 loses some balance in the conversion. Defender 2000 is very cool to watch, but there can easily be too much going on at once. Once I had picked up a few bonuses, there was so much happening on the screen that I was forced to play by watching only the radar at the top. It's also difficult to pick out the colorful enemies from the colorful background, I would often collide with them while flying. It's definitely a game for those gamers who know how to get "into the zone." =-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Comments =-=-=-=-=-=-= I know this will sound negative, but with all that's going on, the 2000 mode lacks the feel of Defender. Defender Plus gets my vote for the better update to Defender in this package. Plus has a nice, modern (if wacky) look and formidable new enemies while still preserving the Defender/Stargate atmosphere. Defender Plus and Classic were very satisfying games and well worth the price of admission. All the original game elements are here and the control was very precise. Overall, I'd recommend Defender 2000 to anyone with a Jaguar who loves classic games while I'd also recommend the Williams Arcade Classics pack for PC/Mac owners with a serious craving for the classic. (Get both, it's only money.) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Final Ratings =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Title: Defender 2000 Jaglink: No Programmer: Jeff Minter Players: 1 Published by: Atari Cart Size: 4 Megabytes Retail: N/A Availability: 2/96 A Summary of Ratings: "*" is a whole "+" is a half 5 stars Maximum Graphics - **** Graphics are very nice, and full of Minteresque effects although some of them get in the way at times (much more than in Tempest 2000). Audio - **** Authentic sounds from the original as well as many improved effects. Great background music too! Control - ***** Dead on controls and thrust-fire option earns Defender 2000 five stars. Gameplay - *** Although Classic Defender and Plus play fairly authentically, Defender 2000 doesn't feel much like Defender and can be hard to follow. Overall - **** A nice package if you're into the classics, but Plus and 2000 versions might not have what it takes to appeal to people who don't already like Defender. --==--==--==--==-- ||| Jaguar Review: Battlemorph ||| By: Charles Wells / | \ GEnie: C.WELLS10 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Battlemorph takes place thirty years after the original Cybermorph. It seems that with the T-Griffon fighter, Earth was able to push back the Pernitian invasion. After that, the Earth Defense Council built a fleet of battle cruisers to patrol the colonies as a deterrent against future invasions. For some time, things were peaceful, but it was not to last. The trouble began in the Perseus Star Cluster. Several battle cruisers disappeared in that area, and Pernitian activity was reported in eight different clusters of worlds - then all contact was lost with those worlds. The last remaining cruiser has been by the defense council on a search and destroy mission, starting with the Perseus Cluster. This battlecruiser, the Sutherland, has a very special cargo - the newest version of the T-Griffon, known as the War Griffon. This ship comes with morphing technology, customizable weapons bays, underwater capability, and built-in satellite mapping hookups. By the time you reach the Perseus cluster, the Sutherland has almost totally exhausted her energy reserves, so you must defeat the Pernitian general in each of the eight star clusters. This will give you enough energy to reach the Pernish cluster, homeworld of the alien menace. It's up to you to stop the threat at its source, once and for all! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Starting Out =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Battlemorph, like Highlander, is playable in several different languages: English, French or German, selectable from the options screen. Once you are ready to start your first game, you'll be able to enter your name in a screen very similar in layout (and sound effects) to the one in Blue Lightning. There are five Save Game slots available if you are using the Memory Track cart, which is highly recommended!! There are also three difficulty settings (Easy, Medium and Hard), so those who may not be familiar with the original game can tinker around on Easy, while Cybermorph vets can plow right in on the higher settings. There is a box on the right side of the screen which gives you information about the Save Game slot you currently have highlighted, such as the weapons you have accumulated, ships in reserve, etc. When you start the game, you will move on to the planet select screen. As in the original game, you can pick any planet in any order you wish - each planet has its own mission to complete. You must finish off all the planets before moving on to the next cluster of planets. Each cluster has its own general, or "boss", to defeat for valuable plasma energy which the Sutherland needs. When you select a planet you want to play, you will be given a briefing on the mission objective for that planet. If this doesn't sound to your liking, you can come back to this one later - just select Reject and choose another planet. Once you've decided on the planet you want, it's on to select your weapons. Your War-Griffon has a built-in twin shot cannon. In addition, you have four weapons bays to customize as you wish, with the exception that you can't choose a weapon more than once. Also, you have to find weapons in this game, so when you start out, you won't have a weapon for every bay. You start with cruise bombs (great for knocking out tanks and buildings) and decoys. Decoys are really neat - duplicates of your ship, they fly around for a brief time and are great for dodging homing missiles and nasty kamikazes. Although they can't shoot enemies, decoys can fly through forcefields for you to get at power-ups you'd normally have a hard time getting to (if you can get them at all). There are many weapons to be found later on in the game (in the form of fragments which must be collected) including mines, mortars and flame-throwers. Control is similar to the original, with the keypad heavily utilized. (The game comes with an overlay to help out.) A moves the ship forward B fires your selected weapon C moves the ship backward Option selects the Map mode. This is a satellite's view of the landscape of the world, highlighting important structures, items and objectives. When you move the pointer around on the map screen, your radar's white arrow will point to it. Different buttons on the keypad select between your four weapons bays, turn your targeting crosshair on/off, cycle through several different cockpit views from your ship (plus a few overhead views). As is usual, the buttons are customizable to fit different tastes. I'm happy to say that the new ProController is supported and works quite well. The Options screen also lets you customize several other things, such as the volume levels for the music, sound effects and Skylar, or turning the Cinemas on or off. (I leave them on, since you can bypass them with a button press if you wish.) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// The Game Screen =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The majority of the screen is taken up by your view of the world. A HUD at the top of the screen displays your score, your ships in reserve, and your radar. Skylar (your talking computer, who still looks kinda like Sinead O'Conner) also pops up from time-to-time here with helpful comments. (Or the occasional trash talking.) The radar will be familiar to Cybermorph veterans - skulls are enemies (red ones are hostile, green are passive, a skull with yellow eyes is an enemy carrying a powerup), red dots for enemy shots, diamonds are power-ups, and rectangles are special buildings. Powerups and buildings only show up if you've collected an enhanced scanning powerup. A closed yellow arrow points to your mission objective (or to the exit, if the objectives have been found). The instrument panel at the bottom of the screen has been changed a little from the first game. It looks cleaner, less cluttered. There are readouts for speed (forward or reverse), altitude and energy. When all your energy is gone, your ship is destroyed. You lose energy from enemy fire and from crashes. There are "monitors" which display your different weapons bays (including ammo levels for each weapon), or other special objects you've collected (such as data pods, batteries, weapon fragments and keys). The middle of the screen is where your ship resides. As it flies along in the virtual worlds, it morphs as it changes velocity, climbs, dives underwater, etc. As before, the game is not on rails like other games of similar nature (i.e., Starfox on the Super NES) - you can fly where you want, when you want. The only real restriction to this is your ship can't fly above a certain altitude, so certain mountain ranges will block or hamper access to some areas. If you fly past the boundaries of the world, you will "wrap" around to the other side. Not being on rails opens up many possibilities on how you choose to play the game. You can fly along rather leisurely, exploring every nook and cranny. Or you can be very quick and aggressive, blasting non-stop as you fly by enemy tanks, only to turn around to pick off the ones you missed on your first fly-by. =-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Powerups =-=-=-=-=-=-= Powerups are floating cubes texturemapped with differing icons on them. Some are floating around on the planets when you arrive, others are dropped when you destroy enemies or buildings. Simply fly through them to pick them up. Ammo pods supply whatever is pictured on the pod. Occasionally, these pods will cycle through different kinds of ammo or energy for your shields. Hint pods, which are textured with a big question mark, will display a hint for the planet you are on. Keys open the locked security domes on the surface (or doors in the underground tunnels), and look like... well... big keys of different colors. Magazines increase the maximum amount of ammo you can carry for your weapons. Rapid fire is just that, and works for the entire level once you pick it up. The powerup with the big eyeball on it is an enhanced scan, which increases the effectiveness of your radar. Batteries are used in the power stations. Place one in a power station to activate the station (or remove it to cut off power to certain things like forcefields). Weapon fragments are very valuable, find four and when you get back to the Sutherland, you'll have a new weapon to use in your fight against the Pernitians. Also keep an eye out for gold-colored War Griffons; picking one of those up will net you an extra ship! The rings from the first game are back, too; blue (power) rings increase your energy back to full and flashing (speed) rings boost you to incredible speeds, during which you are invincible! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Buildings and Special Objects =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= You will encounter many different buildings in your travels, including power stations and power lines (which may need to be shut down in order to drop a forcefield somewhere on the level), teleporters, security domes (needs a key of matching color to open it), bridges (blow 'em up and watch the enemies stupidly drive off to a watery death, hee hee), underground tunnel entrances and a variety of different bases and silos which launch tanks and fighter craft. There is also a special building known as a planet cloaker. Take this sucker out and a bonus planet will be revealed on the planet selection screen! (The "Tree Planet" is funny...death to all trees! =) As mentioned earlier, your War-Griffon can now go underwater - this is really cool and has a nice underwater blur effect (like in Missile Command 3D), plus bubbles, fish swimming around, and aquatic plants gently swaying in the current. There are different types of water, too. Some is acidic and drains your energy, while others heal you or have a viscosity that allows you to fly through it as if it were air. Tunnels are another new way of commuting. They are often blocked by several different types of doors, and are texture mapped and probably the coolest looking areas in the game. Movement through them is extremely smooth and fluid - my favorite ones are the dark corridors with the lights on the sides of the walls. =-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Enemies =-=-=-=-=-=-= There is a wide range of enemies out to do you in, some slightly familiar. In addition to the standard tanks, destroyers, subs and fighter craft there are some interesting foes such as fans (which blow your ship around), worms (remember them? heh heh), leeches (drain your energy), springs (pop up out of the ground and skewer things, like your ship), bandits (steal your weapons!) and more. As before, some enemies are pretty passive, while some seek you out with a vengeance. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Graphics and Sound =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Graphics are pretty faithful to the original game, with the Gourad shading on the terrain being very impressive. There seems to be a much better use of color this time around, too. The water is now animated, and there is quite a bit of texturemapping on the enemies and structures. The cinemas, tunnel and underwater sequences are all also very impressive. Rather than just a black sky on the horizon, there are now assorted mountain ranges, planets and more, which really adds a lot to the look of the game. The framerate and terrain pop-up have even been cleaned up since the original game. There are also a lot of nice touches in the game. I like flying just above the surface of the water so that you are barely skimming it, leaving a wake behind you. In-game music has been added to the game, which was one of the major things missing from Cybermorph. The music in Battlemorph is excellent, and there appears to be a wide variety of different tunes. One nice touch is the music changes when you fly either underwater or through tunnels. Sound effects are also very good, with nice use made of stereo and depth cueing. I love to listen to this game on a pair of headphones through the Catbox. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// The Good, the Bad and the Overall =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Well, I honestly don't have anything really bad to say about this game. The main complaint many people had about Cybermorph was that it looked like they rushed it out the door, which meant things like in-game music, polished transitional screens and other minor details didn't make it into the game in time. That is not the case here, and there is an obvious... well... attention to detail <g> in this one. The gameplay is very solid and will offer many repeat playings. This game also proves you don't have to texturemap everything into oblivion to make an excellent game. If I was Atari, I would make sure this is one of the Jag titles that gets ported to the other platforms. Battlemorph is easily the best game for the Jag CD yet. Fans of the original will flip over this one. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Final Ratings =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Title: Battlemorph Jaglink: No Developer: Attention to Detail Players: 1 Published by: Atari Media: JagCD Retail: $59.95 Availability: Now A Summary of Ratings: "*" is a whole "+" is a half 5 stars Maximum Graphics - **** Nothing mind-blowing, but very good nonetheless. Audio - ***** Excellent tunes and voices, very good sound effects. Control - ***** Easy to learn, very precise, flexible, supports the ProController. Gameplay - ***** Even better than the first! Not on rails, set your own pace, tons to explore and do, selectable difficulty levels. Overall - ***** The best Jag CD game yet and one of the best Jag games, period. Key to Charles' Ratings (the sharp state of mind) ***** - Ginsu! **** - Bowie *** - Swiss Army ** - Steak * - Rusty =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Author's Bio =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Charles Wells (a.k.a., Ginsu on GEnie) has been into Atari videogames since Pong and the 2600, owning over the years various systems including a 5200, 7800, Lynx, 520 ST and a 130 XE. The Jaguar is the latest addition to the family, along with about two dozen games for it. Currently residing in Fayetteville, NC, he plans to go to school for Law Enforcement in the near future. A member of GEnie for about two years, Battlemorph is his first review for AEO Magazine. --==--==--==--==-- [Ed: This review originally appeared in AEO's Special Jaguar Edition E3, May 20, 1995] ||| CatBox Review ||| By: Travis Guy / | \ GEnie: AEO.MAG Delphi: AEO_MAG ----------------------------------------------------------------- I've found a whole new way to play Jaguar - with the CatBox from Black Cat Designs. Before, I've had my Jag hooked up to my old 19" RCA TV through an RF connection. The picture was clear, sharp, and the sound was great. While I have seen Jaguars hooked up to stereos and non-RF televisions, I had never played one extensively. But when my CatBox arrived (with an adaptor to allow me to connect to my old 1040ST's SC1224 monitor), I was able to start seeing and hearing my games in a whole new fashion. //// What Is It? The CatBox is a stainless steel box that connects to an Atari Jaguar via the Jaguar's DSP & AV Out bus edges, and provides industry standard connector jacks for S-Video, RGB and composite video; Left and Right channel stereo RCA jacks; two 1/8" stereo headphone jacks (with volume adjust); RS-232 and "CatNet" networking ports, and a pass-through Jaguar DSP bus, so other devices can be daisychained. Inside the CatBox are two PCBs with the support electronics to drive old Atari/Amiga era RGB monitors, and to properly do everything else that is asked of it. It's a very solid piece of engineering. If you're buying CatBox to drive an RGB monitor, contact Black Cat to make sure your monitor type is supported. (It should support a scan rate of 15.75kHz.) There are two jumpers on one of the PCBs inside the CatBox which a user could set for certain monitor requirements. Furthermore, a monitor cable adaptor may be required. (I had to have my SC 1224's brightness increased slightly, but it was well worth the time... nothing provides a sharper Jaguar display, than an RGB monitor.) There's two red LEDs that can been seen through holes drilled into the top of the CatBox. They both light up when the Jaguar is powered up, and I'm told that when networked, the LEDs will flicker on and off similar to a modem's Receive Data and Transmit Data LEDs. The CatBox has no external power needs or supplies. All power that it uses is drawn from the Jaguar. A nice, neat solution. //// Network Now For The Future Networking. A future step that the video game industry will have to take. CatBox supports RS-232 devices (if a game will support it, you can connect a standard external modem to the RS-232 port), CatNet (another networking possibility that uses twisted-pair telephone cable to daisychain connect multiple Jaguars), and a place to connect future DSP-port devices. I don't have another copy of Doom to test networking with myself, but I've spoken to several third-party developers who swear by CatBox for their network tests. //// Final Ratings Title: CatBox Networking: CatNet, RS-232 and DSP Designed by: Black Cat Designs Video: RGB, SVideo, composite Marketed by: ICD, Inc. Available: Now MSRP: $69.99 Audio: L/R RCA, 2 headphone Of the three "computer port" games that appeared earlier this spring for Jaguar (Cannon Fodder, Syndicate, and Theme Park), all experience some "muddiness" of text when viewed through RF output. Not so when played on my lowly Goldstar SC1224 monitor through CatBox! Crisp, clear graphics. (I didn't even know that the starfield in Tempest 2000 wasn't made of =white= stars, till I saw it through CatBox!) Audio-wise, the stereo jacks work perfectly. (If you only connect one jack to your amplifier, CatBox will sense this and supply both channels of audio through the one jack. Nice, Tom!) The amplified headphone jacks on the CatBox are a =perfect= touch - nice, clean, loud stereo. Control and use are a snap. Just make sure your Jaguar is on a solid, flat surface and that it won't be jarred during play - doing so could possibly interrupt the Jaguar/CatBox connection. Overall, this product earns five stars across the board, and the shortest AEO Jaguar review on record! There's nothing else to say, CatBox is a perfect addition to your Jaguar, and a definite "buy." --==--==--==--==-- ||| Jaguar Review - I-WAR ||| By: Clay Halliwell / | \ GEnie: E.HALLIWELL Internet: halliwee@ts436.dyess.af.mil -------------------------------------------------------------- Imagitec Design, the folks who brought us such classics as Raiden and Evolution: Dino Dudes, have struck again with I-War. Developed and released without fanfare, I-War is both the best and the worst Jaguar game I've seen. In the future world of I-War, all the computing tasks on the planet have been handed over to the Override Mainframe Computer. All is well for a few years, then the obligatory Bad Things start happening. Mutant databases begin appearing and clogging up the I-Way with their datapods. Looks like it's time to hop into your anti-virus tank and save the world! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Cybertank Driving 101 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= I-War can be played in one or two player mode. The two-player mode is mentioned only in passing in the manual, but seems to be a head-to- head contest set in a single arena. At the start of the one-player game you set your difficulty level (Easy/Medium/Hard), and choose between three different tanks - Light, Medium, and Heavy. Go for the Heavy. It's not much slower than the Light tank, and allows you access to all the weapon upgrades. It also doesn't slide around as much. You steer your tank by pushing left and right on the control pad, and move forward and backward by pushing up and down. The default button configuration is A: Select Weapon, B: Fire Weapon, C: Shields. Option isn't used. You can select from a variety of Club Drive-style camera angles with the keypad. Pressing "7" overlays a map of the current level on the screen. The manual says pressing "8" toggles the texture mapping, but I couldn't get it to do anything. The usual music-toggling and volume-adjusting options are also present. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Toys, Wonderful Toys =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= No matter which tank you pick, you're started off with a single forward-firing laser. Weapon upgrades can be found as you progress through the game. For example, Mark 2 lasers fire two-shot bursts. The bigger your tank, the more weapons you can mount simultaneously, so if you're in a Heavy, you can carry two Mark 2 lasers (a four-shot spread!) and two racks of missiles. You can eventually acquire the following goodies (most of which are available in several upgrade levels): [] Radar: One of the first items you find. Places a radar display at the bottom center of your screen. [] Missiles: These home in on the closest target, and are primarily for use against airborne targets. Unfortunately, a typical launch will result in the missile undershooting the target, looping back over it, and nosediving into the ground. [] Plasma Cannon: Hold down your fire button to charge this baby up, then unleash a huge blast of destructive energy at your target. That's the theory anyway. In practice, it's quicker to just blitz your target with laser fire. The range of the plasma cannon does seem to be slightly greater than the lasers though. [] Mine Dispenser: Tosses mines out the back of your tank. Due to the way I-War is set up (small rooms, enemies that mostly sit and shoot), mines are less than useless. Generally you'll forget you have them, accidentally spew out a few when switching weapons, then drive over them yourself. [] Rear Laser: A single peashooter laser that must be selected just like your main weapons. If you're getting hammered from behind, it's better to either run, or turn around and engage the enemy with your main batteries, thus also putting the Rear Laser in the useless category. [] Auto Targeting: Not a weapon, but an upgrade which causes your targeting cursor to float around and lock onto the closest target. You get this fairly early in the game, and it works great... most of the time. Annoyingly, you can't force it to cycle through the available targets, so it will sometimes lock onto, for instance, a stationary mine instead of the guard tower that's raining plasma bolts down on your head. You can toggle Auto Targeting off, but without it you can only fire straight ahead. Shooting flying enemies is especially problematic, since the only way to elevate your sights is to enable Auto Targeting, but since it locks precisely on, it's impossible to lead your target. [] A.I. Drone: A kissing cousin to Tempest 2000's A.I. Droid, the Drone will hover over your tank and take potshots at any nearby threats. Not very powerful (even the upgraded versions), but handy for alerting you to enemies not in your field of vision. Also good for shooting over electric barriers. The Drone can be destroyed by enemy fire. [] Shields: Your friend in a pinch. Hitting the "shield" button on your controller will make you temporarily invulnerable. There's a huge variety of enemies in I-War - bombers, tanks, homing mines, guard towers - but you deal with almost all of them in exactly the same way: blast 'em toe-to-toe until they die. Often you'll clear a room of enemies without ever knowing what was in it. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Netscape Navigation =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Once you get past all the Cyberpunk gobbledygook, I-War is pretty straightforward. Play consists of driving your tank through a series of areas connected by teleporters, collecting datapods, upgrading your weapons, and blowing up anything that gets in your way. Once you collect all the pods, make your way back to the teleporter to move on to the next level. If this sounds familiar, it should. Gameplay is eerily similar to Cybermorph, except you drive instead of flying. The major difference is that each level is divided into up to a dozen "rooms" connected by teleporters. Since the map doesn't show your current location, getting from place to place can be a major headache. Also unlike Cybermorph, there's no handy arrow pointing toward the nearest pod. In fact, pods don't show up on your radar at all! There is one save-game slot, but it's a tad flaky, and tends to replace your rear-firing laser with an A.I. Drone. The terrain is flat, with the occasional bridge, ledge, or platform. These are accessed by driving onto jumpers, which bounce you up into the air. (Whee!) There are also intermittent electric barriers, doors, magnets (pull you in), repellers (push you away), spikes (drain your shields), spinners (fling you away randomly), and switches. Switches may activate jumpers, doors, or teleporters. Driving into walls and off of cliffs doesn't damage you. Between levels you take a trip down the Data Link, a bonus round similar to the ones in Tempest 2000. Cruising down a variety of tunnel shapes, you attempt to avoid stray junk while intercepting at at least 75% of the viruses that come your way. Doing so will net you an extra life. You have two view modes available in the bonus round - first- person, which lets you see what's coming but pitches your viewpoint around so much you can't tell where you are, and third-person, which lets you see where you are but also sticks your ship directly in the middle of your field of view. =-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Graphics =-=-=-=-=-=-= At first glance, I-War is the slickest, most professional-looking game I've seen on the Jaguar. The title screen is wonderfully sharp and colorful (and I suspect 640x200). All the option and intro graphics are just superb... large, easy-to-read menu text, lots of transparencies and gee-whiz animations in the backgrounds, a demo mode that runs through the game story, a "know your enemies"-type screen, and some sample gameplay. If you were to simply stare at I-War and never play it, you'd swear it was the best Jag game ever. Alas, I made the mistake of playing I-War. The game starts you off in small rooms with only a few enemies, so the frame rate is good enough that you don't mind the primarily gouraud-shaded environs. The moment you make tracks into one of the larger rooms though, the frame rate drops like a rock, to around 5 FPS. Large numbers of enemies onscreen at once have the same effect. It's obvious that I-War's polygon engine isn't up to snuff, yet inexplicably the programmer seems to try to load it down at every opportunity. The model of your tank is marvelously detailed... so detailed that switching to any of the external views cuts the frame rate almost in half. Every laser shot that hits a wall produces a shower of polygon sparks, spraying an enemy with laser fire lets loose such a bloom of shards that you can barely see what you're shooting at, and the larger rooms in the game are often the ones with the highest level of architectural detail. There are some even some pretty impressive effects, like the "TRON"-ish way enemies burst apart when destroyed, and the mirrored ball that englobes your tank when your shields are on. =-=-=-=-=-= //// Sound =-=-=-=-=-= These are the guys behind Tempest 2000's legendary soundtrack, so of course the music (mild techno) is great. Sound effects are limited primarily to weapons fire and explosions. There's a computer voice, which sounds almost exactly like a Type 'n' Talk, but not much else. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Conclusion =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This is very much a two-headed beast. It's apparent that a lot of care and thought went into I-War, but it's undermined by an inadequate polygon engine and gameplay which is, while fun at first, ultimately tedious and repetitive. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Final Ratings =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Title: I-War JagNet: No Design: Imagitec Design Players: 1-2 Published by: Atari Cart Size: 2 Megabytes Retail: $59.99 Availability: Now A Summary of Ratings: "*" is a whole "+" is a half 5 stars Maximum Graphics - ** First-class intro graphics; pathetic frame rate when things get busy. Audio - **** Awesome tunes from the Tempest 2000 guys; so-so but serviceable sound effects. Control - **** Maneuvering your way around the I-Way couldn't be simpler. Gameplay - ** The variety of weapon upgrades is fun; the stumbling around lost is not. Overall - ** Lots of promising stuff here, but the low frame rate and confusing navigation are the kiss of death for I-War. Key to Clay's Ratings (a cyber state of mind) ***** - WarGames **** - The Lawnmower Man *** - Weird Science ** - The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes * - Hackers/The Net/Viruosity/Wild Palms/Johnny Mnemonic Clay Halliwell, currently residing in Abilene, TX, is a 27-year-old computer programmer in the United States Air Force. When he's not playing Jag games or referring to himself in the third person, he likes to hack on his 130XE, much to the consternation of his coworkers. --==--==--==--==-- ||| Jaguar Review: Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure ||| By: Mark "Stingray" Santora / | \ GEnie: AEO.4 AOL: MrSantora ----------------------------------------------------------------- Since the Jaguar's release, a little over two years ago, the most popular games for the system have been the updates of "classic" games. I am of course referring to Tempest 2000 and the upcoming Breakout 2000 and Defender 2000. These games seem to generate considerable more interest than Super Duper Mortal Street Combat Fighter XXIIV games - and with good reason. The original versions of these games are what spawned todays programmers. They look to the classics with reverence - even GameBoy has some "classics" out. The term "classic" games refers to those games in the early to mid 1980's when playability was more important than following in the latest fad. Most of the games did not have endings, and given your skill could be played for hours on end while the difficulty just continued to get harder. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Pitfall Classic =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= If you are a first generation gameplayer, than you must have heard of the original Pitfall! It was written by David Crane for the Atari 2600. When it came out, it was the game to beat, and on the Atari 2600, I would be hard pressed to say that no other game captured my attention as much as it did. The original Pitfall was simple - take the role of Pitfall Harry (the original Atari Explorer) and run around on two platforms, grabbing as many jewels and goodies as you can in under twenty minutes, while trying not to fall in the pits or the lakes with alligators, get stung by scorpions, or run over by logs. You could run, jump, swing from a vine, and climb ladders. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few objects, but you get the idea. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Pitfall: The Next Generation =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Now Activision has pulled out all the stops to update their classic, and I gotta tell you, they've done one hell of a job. The plot is simple, after years of gallivanting around the world, Pitfall Harry decided to settle down and have some kids. Well, he had a son, Harry, Jr., who's a lot like his dad - fearless and full of adventure. Seeing this in his son, this awoke the feelings in Harry Sr, that he hadn't felt since he settled down. So, he decided to set out on an expedition with his son to the Mayan Pyramids in Central America. Once there, Harry Sr. was captured by the evil Warrior Spirit Zakelua. Armed with his father's notes, a slingshot, and some attitude, Harry Jr. is going after the biggest treasure of all time, his father. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Playing the Game =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As is standard with all platformers, as Harry Jr. you can run left and right, jump up, crouch, and even crawl. That constitutes the main moves of Harry Jr. However, like his father, Harry Jr can swing from vines, and even the unconscious carcasses of snakes (more on that subject later). Unlike his father, Harry Jr. is armed with weapons. He has a slingshot that slings rocks. (which are plentiful throughout the game.) He can also use the slingshot as a whip so he does not have to waste the rocks, this is a good weapon for mice and spiders - basically those things that are small and close to the ground. Using your slingshot, you can charge your throws so that they do more damage. Throughout the levels you might be fortunate enough to find boomerangs and exploding stones. The boomerangs whip around until they've hit and killed everything on the screen. The exploding stones are very useful when things get a little crazy in front of you. One of these puppies will clear a nice path for you. You can also ride ziplines, jump on items (like spider webs or tongues of statues) to bounce you into the air, bungee jumps, riding runaway mine cars, climbing ropes, and swinging on vine. As you can tell, the gameplay is varied and never gets boring. The screen is laid out rather well with information easily accessible without being obtrusive. In the upper left hand corner of the screen in the score. In the upper right hand of the screen is the number of lives you have left and and image of Harry Jr being chased by a crocodile. As you loose health, the croc gets closer. You don't want to let him get too close or else you lose a life. In the lower right hand corner is is a numeric representation of the amount of the treasure you have collected so far. Every 50 pieces you collect, you get another continue. And in the lower left hand corner is the weapon that you are using and the number of them you have to use (you can not run out of the whip and you select the weapon by pressing the option button). There are a lot of bad guys, and they are very different. First, there are your basic skeletons. These baddies bounce around the ground as heads and then when you get close, rise up and start swiping away at you with their very large swords. Once you hit them, they go down, but their heads continue to bounce around and eventually reform the entire body! So, after you knock them down, it's a good idea to take another swing against the bouncing heads. Secondly are your snakes, mice and spiders. These are just about everywhere on most levels. They are very quick and hug the ground. Using your slingshot against them is usually a futile move. Use the sling/whip. Ditto for the blood-sucking bats and the butterflies. (!) Next, you get to play with the Spirits of Chaac. These guys will really kick your butt if you don't watch yourself. They are fast and fire at you without mercy. You also run into gargoyles that come to life and throw axes at you, they're not too fun either. The manual mentions vapor ghosts - but I haven't seen them yet. There are =many= other baddies around: monkeys, swinging Great Balls o' Fire, spikes, temple priests, etc. You won't get bored. At the end of most levels you run into bosses. These little beasties (tm. Yak) will jump all over you and rip your health away. They take multiple hits, but there is a percentage meter above the screen to tell you how good or bad you are doing. Sometimes, the end-of-level boss isn't living, and you have a split second to figure out how to deal with it.... Every time that you complete a level the game asks you if you would like to save it. Unfortunately there is only one game save, so only one player can play at a time. Of course the control pad is completely configurable, so you can adjust the settings to your liking. =-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Graphics =-=-=-=-=-=-= This conversion of Pitfall was handled by the lovely people over at Imagitec in the UK. They were responsible for last year's Bubsy and Zool 2 conversions. I know some people didn't like those games because they weren't "64bit looking," whatever that means. But even those nay sayers will be impressed by the graphics in Pitfall. They are very sharp and colorful. The animation is also excellent falling short only of Rayman status - and for a platformer, that's pretty darn good. Harry Jr. is animated slightly better than an afternoon cartoon. Everytime he moves, there is a new expression, his jacket flares up when he jumps or swings, and he goes into a levitating trance if you leave him unguided for too long. The enemies are not overlooked here, either. They are animated excellently, almost as well as Harry is. Not that it should be that distracting, after all you have to dispatch them very quickly. Also the lack of colors, seeing how the Jaguar has so many, they could have easily been put to good use here by fixing it up. Aside from that, the graphics rock. =-=-=-=-=-= //// Sound =-=-=-=-=-= The sound in Pitfall is also very good. There is different music for each of the levels I have played so far and each movement has a different effect. Even when Harry Jr. runs, you here his feet crunch down on dried grass, cement, etc. The music is equally good, never becoming obtrusive and causing you to get distracted from the game. It is also of high quality, no distortion that I can hear. The sound is used very well throughout this game and you can tell that the programmers payed just as much attention to it as they did to graphics. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Playability =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= It's all here. You run, jump, shoot, crawl, swing, slide, ride, and even find treasure. What else could you ask for in a great platformer? The control is dead on and this game is just fun! On top of that, once you reach the fourth level, if you find your may to a door which is guarded by a really simple looking scorpion (it's white and real boxy - like it was done in the "classic" days of gaming) when you go through it, you are close to being transported to the original world of Pitfall. Yes the original is here - all 4K of it, or was it 8K? Anyway, you get the three lives like the original and get to play until you lose them. After that, you are transported back to Pitfall:The Mayan Adventure and continue to play Jr. exactly where you left off with no loss of time or lives. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Conclusion =-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Pitfall is beautiful to listen to, to look at, and to play. Everything is there to keep you hooked for a while. It actually plays a little easier than Rayman, so if that was a little hard or too frustrating for you, than this is definitely the place to go. And if Rayman was fun for you, than you will enjoy this as well. I never thought we'd end up in a time where so many good games were coming out for the Jag. I know I can't afford to get them all. But if you like platformers, than I highly suggest this one. It really shines and Imagitec have done a great job with it. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Final Ratings =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Title: Pitfall:The Mayan Adventure JagNet: No Developer: Imagitec Players: 1 Published by: Atari Cart Size: 4 Megabyte Retail: $59.95 Availability: Now A Summary of Ratings: "*" is a whole "+" is a half 5 stars Maximum Graphics - ****+ Really sharp. Nicely animated. Audio - **** Really good. Very clear and solid. Control - **** It's on. You move, Harry Jr. moves. Gameplay - ***** It's a good game and it'll take time to finish it - but you'll enjoy it. Overall - **** Above and Beyond a solid effort. Worth your time and money. Key to Mark's Ratings The Ultimate State of Action Movie Directors ***** - James Cameron (T2, Aliens) **** - Steven Speilberg (Jurassic Park) *** - Peter Hyams (Timecop) ** - John Badham (Point of No Return) * - Arron Norris (Top Dog - Brother of Chuck) --==--==--==--==-- ||| The Unabashed Atariophile ||| By: Michael R. Burkley / | \ Delphi: MRBURKLEY GEnie: M.BURKLEY1 I-Net: mrburkley@delphi.com ----------------------------------------------------------------- It's been awhile now since I've written one of these articles, hasn't it been? I've not been lazing about though. It's been far too easy to download many, many more files than I can possibly write descriptions for in the limited time I have (but I'll get to them...soon!). Nevertheless, I have been able to write a few descriptions here and there. You'll find about a hundred of them below. Some of the files are new and others are old (I've been working back through my downloads!). Enjoy! But before I go on to my file descriptions I want to tell you about my newest hardware acquisition. I bought a SyQuest EZ Drive and about 13 cartridges for it. The EZ drive is a Fast, Small, and Inexpensive (relatively!) removable hard drive that works perfectly on my STE. I bought it for two reasons, the first was to allow me to easily transfer data back and forth between my Atari and my Windows 3.1/95 based clone (yes, I have one, mostly because when I first made the Suzy B's CDs, the CD had to be made on an IBM clone machine. Now I understand that there is TOS CD mastering software available!). That works just fine as long as I keep the partition size at 32 meg or below, except for one problem that Windows 95 causes. For some reason or another I end up with a lot of "hidden" garbage files written to the disk that I can't delete with my STE and that mess up the copying (I have to copy file by file rather than all at once). Windows 3.1 doesn't do that so that's what I use when transferring files. If anyone can help me to fix that problem with Windows 95, I'd appreciate it! The other reason I bought the EZ-Drive is that I needed more room to store away all of the PD files I download! My 2.2 gig drive is full! A lot of the drive is backed up on our CD set, but there are several hundred meg of files I needed to back up. Just having those extra empty cartridges around makes a big difference! I also have a SyQuest 44 meg drive (which I'm selling, by the way). I've had a SyQuest 44 for about 5 years now (though this drive is only two years old). The access speed on that drive is 28 ms. I thought that was fast enough until I got this EZ-Drive. It's access time is 13.5 ms with a sustained data transfer rate of 2.4 meg/sec (and a burst max of 4.0 meg/sec). That's fast! The drive itself is about as big as the Atari external floppy drive while the cartridges are a little larger in area than a floppy disk and about three times as thick. Dave Troy at Toad Computers tells me that the carts are the same as the SyQuest 270 meg drive except only having one platter instead of two. Whatever it is, it's a good deal, and I recommend the EZ-Drive to you. Now on to the descriptions! Here are two very welcome files to start a very long list of files! [] FALCSTUF is the first of the extras disks that came with the Atari Falcon. Atari has now released them to be fully distributable! This file contains the Audio Fun Machine, the Falcon Direct to Disk recording system, and the System Audio Manager (SAM) along with a pile of sound files (.AVR) for you to use. These all work with the Falcon (of course), but the SAM program will also work with an STE or TT). This file includes an installation program which you may use. Uncompresses to 1.38 meg so you either need a hard drive or uncompress it bit by bit. Thanks to Atari for releasing this and CLKSTUFF! [] CLKSTUFF is the second of the extras disks that came with the Atari Falcon. Atari has now released them to be fully distributable! This file contains the Atari Breakout game (with lots of features and neat sounds as the ball hits the "wall," the Calendar/Datebook/Addressbook/ Dialer program, the Atari LandMine clone (again with neat sounds and lots of features), the ProCalc calculator v.1.3 by John Brochu (a simple four function calculator OR an advanced scientific bin/hex/ everything calculator as you wish it, and the Atari talking clock (pretty neat in my book). I think that all of them (except probably ProCalc) would require an STE or higher (because of the sound capabilities), but I'm not sure, and I can't test it on an earlier TOS at the moment. Thanks to Atari for releasing this and FALCSTUF! Uncompresses to 866K so you either need a hard drive or do it bit by bit. [] AGGROINV is the "Extremely Official Party Invitation To The Aggressive II Party" (on Dec. 28-30th, with a New Years Party following!). Dated Oct. 11, 1995, this demo -is- the invitation! It requires a Falcon 030 with at least 4 Mb ram. It does not require an RGB monitor but it is recommended. It features a very nice motion blur rotator zoomer and information on the Aggressive Party 2. I found this on UNI-KL. [] AVIPL095 is v.0.95 of a simple AVI animation player for all Atari computers by Dieter Fiebelkorn. This will work with mono, 16, or 256 color displays. This is for all of you who have found AVI animations but couldn't play them. Now you can! At the moment the viewer supports only CRAM8, CRAM16 (uncompressed), RLE8, RLE4 (untested) and CVID format AVI files. Sound is not yet supported, but a utility is included which will pull the sound information out of the animation and save it as a WAV sound file. 680x0 support and math co-processor support included (math-co not required). German and English docs included. Delphi. [] BANK_M1 is a GEM-based BankLoader for the KORG M1 synth by Olaf Schrder (dated June, 1993). This file contains the original sounds (in all programs and all combination forms - whatever that means!), a piano sound, a synthi sound, and two combination sounds. The program and extensive docs are in German, but it doesn't look too hard to figure out. The KORG M1 instrument is required. [] BIGCOLOR is a Big Color v.1.05 by John Dalton (dated 1989). This is a color emulator for monochrome systems that will work with any TOS (supposedly) and with all memory configurations. It will yield seven different gray scales in "low res" and three in "medium." Docs and source code (.S) included. Recently uploaded again to Delphi. [] BOOMPREV is the is a preview version of a game for the Falcon originally to be called Boom (but now changed to Incubator) by the nEw PoWeR gEnErAtIoN. You can play this, but only to a certain level. The main part of the game is a hi-color defender type game (with a constant 30 frames per second), and the rest of the game (bonus screens, etc) includes a wolfenstein type 3D texture mapped maze with variable walls (heavy use of the DSP/68030 here), and more. It works on both VGA and TV/SC1224 monitors. True Color graphics and more. Requires at least 3 megs of Free RAM. Uncompresses to over 3 meg! Delphi. [] BOOTCONF is the TT/Falcon Boot Configuration program v.1.1. This program sets the NVRAM in the computers to control boot resolution or language, etc. It's all in German, so you might really mess something up if you don't understand what you are doing (the same could happen even if it was in English though!). Delphi. [] CDBIND01 is the CDROMIO interface by Julian F. Reschke (dated May 16, 1994). This is a series of three source code listings (.C and .H) designed to provides a *nix type interface to the CD-ROM specific functions. May be used either with a MiNT specific CD-ROM device driver or with the new MetaDOS lowlevel drivers. Hensa. [] CD_LIST7 is a listing of over 1,500 CD's that can be accessed through your Atari (dated Dec. 1995). To qualify for the listing the CD must contain over 75% of it's value in files and applications that can be used with the Atari line. CD_LIST7 now contains: 31 Atari specfic CD's including the new "All Things Falcon" and the Moving Pixels Collection; 16 CD's to use with the SARA series of software including Groliers Encyclopedia, version 6, and the new SARA Movie Guide; 8 CD's to use with Atari CD Master, just released in July; Over 600 CD's to use with Photo Show Pro for the STe or Falcon; 21 CD's to use with Brian Grier's M.O.S.T. player; 4 CD's to use with Image Library Viewer for the Falcon; Over 1,500 CD's that work with ExtenDOS Pro 2.1 by Anodyne and can be viewed or played with applications like GemView, Image Copy CD 4.0, Calamus, Sound Lab, or your favorite Atari software. Pretty Good, right? Thanks to Greg Kopchak of "It's All Relative" for compiling the list (and for doing such a great job of supporting all us Atarians!). It's All Relative is the Atari CD capital of the world (they also sell the Suzy B's CD Atari Software Treasury!). If you want any CD I'm sure they can get it! Greg Kopchak, (GREG on Delphi or GEnie or 314-831-9482) As a bit of an aside, Greg's son, Randall, is a part of a group named JAM (Jesus' Awesome Musicians) that has just released a CD of Christmas songs entitled "A Tiny Child Will Come." I've just been enjoying playing it over and over today. Check it out! [] CDPLR13B is CD-Player v.1.3b by Alexander Clauss (dated Sept. 26, 1995). This freeware audio CD-Player for the ST--Falcon runs as an .ACC or a .PRG. With all of the functions of a normal audio CD player, this program shows you how much fun it can be to play audio CD's off of your computer! From the German docs it appears that you can also copy the audio tracks to your hard disk in DVS, AVR, WAVE, AU, or SND formats in 8/16 bit, mono/stereo. Sounds good! You must have a CD ROM driver installed on your computer (MetaDOS v.2.6 from Atari is free. Unfortunately, this has problems when run with ExtenDOS by Roger Burrows. The program comes with resource files in German, English, and Spanish are included. Use the English resource to learn the program and then switch to another RSC file to learn a bit of the other languages! English (a bit) and German (a lot) docs. Hensa. [] CIVI is a patch program from Germany which will allow you to run the game Civilization on your Falcon. No name is attached to this so I don't know who did it. Delphi. [] CPUMOD2E is the CPU_MOD player for the STE (Falcon?) by Patrick RUIZ. This is an excellent(!) MOD player, and I recommend it to you. It works as an .ACC or .PRG and is Geneva/NeoDesk compatible. It provides you with all of the Amiga sound effects (CIA timing, E-commands, 8 bits/16 bits sound, Mono/Stereo, 50066, 25033, 12416, and 6258 Hz playback, and all of the functions you have come to expect) and is quite small (using only 70K of RAM). Several versions of the player are included so you can tailor it to your system set up. Source code (and a description of the MOD file format) is included along with permission to use it in your own programs! This plays your mods with an excellent sound. I especially like the .ACC version because it allows me to listen and to keep on working writing descriptions! I found this on UNI-KL. Note: The one problem I found with this (and it's a big one with me) is that it is not compatible with the Universal Item Selector. [] DACA122A is Da Capo v.1.22 (.PRG/.ACC) by Dr. Francisco Mendez of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (dated Sept. 6, 1995). This is an excellent GEM-based address database and more (company names, favorite forms of address, phone numbers, comments, and more). It allows you to keep a record of birthdays (and reminds you of them when they are near). Multiple sorts are allowed, and you can display your information in several different ways. It uses GDOS (SpeedoGDOS?) to print out your files. It was written TOS-clean, so it needs only a TOS-compatible platform and at least 512 KB RAM (in fact, it was tested successfully from the Atari 520 ST with a monochrome SM124 and original TOS up to MagiCMac running on Apple's PowerPC with a 17" and 32K colours monitor)! As I expected, it is also fully compatible with Geneva from Gribnif. Here are just a few more of da Capo's features: + GEM standards (Clipboard, non-modal windows dialogues, UNDO, Context sensitive help, Cut/Copy/Paste, GDOS and 3D Dialogues) + Display as a table or mask with colour icons + AV support, 1st Base Pipeline, Selectric and ST-Guide support with online help. + Flexible import/export options (including import of ASCII text This formerly commercial program is now released as Shareware (limited only to 40 records at a time). Now all in English. Docs included. Hensa. [] DISKL333 is DiskList v.3.33 by Peter Seitz (dated Sept. 7, 1995). This is an excellent disk cataloging utility which will allow you to catalog not only your floppy disks but also your hard drives as well. It's always nice to know what's on your floppies, but for floppies the real question for me is "where" they are when I want them! With hard drives I always know where they are, but "What" is on them is something else! The docs are in German, but the program resource file has been translated into English so it's easy to use (the German resource file is also included). STE and Geneva compatible (at least). I found this on Uni-KL. [] DUMPMNK1 is Dumpman - K1 v1.04, a MIDI utility by Carl Lofgren (dated August 16, 1994). This prg/acc will allow you to load, save, send or request anything your Kawai K1/K1m synth can do (if you have a K4/K4r then get DUMPMNK4). It does the same thing as all other MIDI dump handlers out there, but this one is specialized and optimized for the only K1. In other words, it takes only the memory that's needed. Load and save Sys-Ex data (any kind, sometimes using an included converter program). It also works as an installed application. ST--Falcon and Geneva/Mag!x/ MultiTOS compatible. Mono only. Text docs and ST Guide Hypertext docs. NeoDesk desktop icon included. Shareware. Delphi. [] DUMPMNK4 is Dumpman - K1 v1.04, a MIDI utility by Carl Lofgren (dated August 16, 1994). This prg/acc will allow you to load, save, send or request anything your Kawai K4/K4r synth can do (if you have a K1/K1m then get DUMPMNK1). It does the same thing as all other MIDI dump handlers out there, but this one is specialized and optimized for the only K1. In other words, it takes only the memory that's needed. Load and save Sys-Ex data (any kind, sometimes using an included converter program). It also works as an installed application. ST--Falcon and Geneva/Mag!x/ MultiTOS compatible. Mono only. Text docs and ST Guide Hypertext docs. NeoDesk desktop icon included. Shareware. Delphi. [] E_MAIL is "The Atari Community E-mail Address Book". Revised as of Nov. 5, 1995 by Dan Mazurowski. This list has been compiled to provide Atarians worldwide with the addresses to contact other members of our ever-changing Atari community. There are 4 distinct sections - user groups, Atari computer contacts, Jaguar and Lynx contacts, and World Wide Web pages. Please note that addresses that are of interest to both Atari computer users AND Jag/Lynx owners will be found in the computer section. It's excellent, and it even lists me in the file (I like his choices!). Delphi. [] EX32V210 is Explorer 32 v.2.1 by Michael Haydn (dated Sept. 21, 1993). This formerly commercial Sequencer originally distributed by C-Labs is now Shareware directly from the author. It is designed to work with the Roland MT-35, MT-100, E-10, E-20, D-5, D-10, D-20, D-10, D-50, D-550 sequencers. This archive contains several libraries and set-up files. It will work with color or mono monitors on any ST--Falcon machine. The program is in English with English and German docs. [] FFAQ2203 is the March 22, 1995 edition of the Falcon-Demo-FAQ created and maintained by Mr.XY - GoreMaster of the GoreZone! This FAQ lists scores of Falcon demos and the conditions on which they will run. Also included are ways to quit safely, demo names, file names, monitor types required, authors, and more. He keeps on adding to this file as he gets more demos. Programmers, keep him supplied! Delphi. [] FFT_F030 contains two programs for use with your Falcon. They are: DMA2DSP sends zero bytes via DMA to the DSP's SSI port. The DSP part receives the data and counts all non-zero bytes to detect transfer errors. The program draws a bar graph for each 4096 bytes. If the bar is entirely green, everything works fine. Transfer errors will be shown as a red part at the bottom of the bar. DMA transfer uses the handshake mode. To exit the program simply press any key. REALFFT is a fast-fourier-transformation done by the DSP in real-time. Just connect a microphone to the Falcon's mic jack and watch the spectrum analysis of your own voice! German and English docs (you've just read the English docs). Delphi. [] FLICTC47 is FLICTC v.4.7 by Sven Bruns. This is a Full-speed, =fast= FLI/FLC format animation player for the Falcon. It runs in all HiColor-resolutions (Atari calls them True Color...), with 320x200 pixels or bigger on a Falcon. FLIs may be played directly from the disk if necessary, so you can play some pretty big animations! Whether you have a standard Falcon or an accelerated version, this player will take full advantage of your hardware. You can run it from a command line or instal it as a desktop icon. It can run at 608 frames per second (on an accelerated Falcon) and runs as fast as a 486 based machine on a standard Falcon. It was compatible with every FLI/FLC animation tested and it also works with Screenblaster and NVDI. It has a lot of other features too (like optional double buffering which eliminates flicker!). The program comes in English and German variations with their respective docs. Not MultiTOS compatible. Hensa. [] FLOATING is a 256 color .TIF picture of an ad for Floating Fish Studios (according to their ad, "the industrial studio where nightmares become reality"!). This TIF shows a colorful gaping mouthed fish jumping out of the water. The water is rippling underneath the fish. Use GEMView (or any other .TIF viewer) to view. [] FP_DEMO is the demo of Fast Path v.1.0 by Keith Gerdes of Trace Technologies (released Aug. 15, 1994). FastPath extends the power of your current file selector by 1) adding 34 user-defined paths, 2) remembering the last 4 paths used in the file selector and 3) adding 38 user-defined extenders. I use UIS III in my system (and MaxiFile sometimes, too) and Fast Path can really enhance those already excellent utilities. When you call your item selector (through a program, an .ACC, however) Fast Path pops up and you have an opportunity to select exactly what path you want. It's fast and easy, and I recommend it to you if you have a hard drive (it will work with a floppy too, but.... It works with all TOS item selectors, and with UIS III, LGSELECT, MaxiFile (disabled in demo), Geneva's, Selectric, BoxKite, and more. Online help along with detailed text instructions. You occasionally get a "DEMO" alert and you can't save your configuration data, but that is no limitation on finding out our useful this can be to you. It's inexpensive, too! [] GFAPE107 is the GFA-BASIC Interpreter/Compiler-Patcher v.1.07 by Christoph Conrad and Gregor Duchalski (dated Oct. 22, 1994). This program provides a convenient method of making useful patches to the GFA-BASIC 3.x interpreter and compiler. The patches are included and you can select which ones you wish to use. Two patches are available for the compiler. They are the insertion of an improved INIT section and a bugfix for the crash under Mag!X. There are ten patches to the Interpreter, all of which improve capabilities or fix errors with various machines. This looks like an excellent program for all of you GFA Basic programmers out there! Docs included. Freeware. Hensa. [] GODLOAD is GOD-LOAD v.1.0 by Mr Pink. God-Load is a loading system for the Atari Falcon 030 that allows you to make use of all available memory. Some demos want to grab as many bytes as they can, and God-Load provides a quick and easy way of loading these demos without messing around with configurations and resolutions. Just install GODLOAD.PRG as a desktop icon with the default directory being the top window. Now to run a demo, open a window which contains the demo's directory and drag the executable file onto God-Load. God-Load will set-up memory and then reset. When it is next loaded it will load the demo from the auto folder - before GEM has been installed. This frees up a greater amount of free memory. Using this technique, many games and demos that didn't previously work will run on your machine. Docs included. [] HP550C is v.3.1 of a SpeedoGDOS HP DeskJet 550C printer drive for all ST--Falcon computers. No author is listed (authors: put your names on your works!). I found this on Hensa. [] HUECKEL a program by Uwe Schneider (dated July 1992) which will allow all of you physical chemists out there to calculate the MO vectors and eigen values (MO levels) of organic Pi-systems according to the Hueckel approximation. The heart if this program is a diagonalization of the Hueckel matrix as proposed by Givens and Householder. Completely keyboard based, this program is easy to run and should work on any ST--Falcon in any res. (best in mono). It is compatible with Geneva as well. The program is in English and has both English and German online helps. More detailed docs are in German. You really need to be a chemist to make sense of this program (maybe a working chemist would be a better qualification, since I'm still a chemist!). Hensa. [] KAND173I is Kandinsky v.1.73i by Ulrich Rogoderer (dated May 19, 1994) and the demo version of the new and upgraded version 2.02 (dated August 20, 1995). This Shareware Vector/GEM metafile drawing program is excellent. Now completely translated into English, and with online ST-Guide Helps (ST-Guide lite included) 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!). Import Easy Draw GEM vector graphics, GEM/3 files, create Bezier curves, do LOTS more (I'm amazed at all the features and options of this program!). Registering v.1.73 provides you with written docs, allows you to rotate text and objects, do landscape printing, and export images in PostScript format! Those are the only limitations in this archived v.1.73! The demo of v.2.02 does even more (one feature, among dozens, I really like is importation of Calamus vector graphics), but has more limitations (to encourage us to register!). It works on color and mono ST--Falcon's, even those with only 1/2 meg of RAM! and with a variety of graphic boards. The program is =very_ fast on image re-draws (nice!). It has some excellent GEM sample files included. Kandinsky allows you to create text that consists of BGI fonts, the vector fonts from Borland (ten BGI fonts included). It seems to be very easy to use with its GEM and icon interface. GDOS/ SpeedoGDOS/NVDI/GDOS clone compatible (while needed to save and print files they are are not needed to run the program). MultiTOS, Geneva, and Mag!C compatible. Check it out! Shareware ($29 US for v.1.73 and $50 for v.2.02 through Cybercube Research of Canada, and worth it!). Uncompresses to 1.16 meg so you will either need a hard drive or uncompress it it pieces to a floppy (both versions will run from a floppy though). Hensa. [] KONTEXT is Kontext v.1.1s from Moskito Software (you can even see that cute <ha!> "moskito" buzz across the screen and bite the logo!) which will allow you to interconvert texts from Mac, DOS and Atari format. ST--TT and Crazy Dots II Graphics card compatible (at least). Docs and program are in German. The interface is a keyboard controlled TOS style. From looking at it I guess that I could figure out how to work this if I needed the services of a program like this. Shareware. [] K_SKULPT is the K-Sculpt (Editor)/Librarian v.1.1 by Ben Hall. K-Sculpt is a complete GEM based patch/multi editor and librarian for Kawai K1 series synths. With this program you may transfer sounds and banks of sounds (one bank included) from your ST/E to the K1 and vice versa, and enables them to be saved to disk. It is possible to reorganize and sort banks of sounds, and up to eight banks can be held in the computer's memory (4 patch banks of 64 patches each, and 4 multi banks of 32 multi's each). It will work with (hopefully) any ST/E from a 520 upwards with a mono monitor and either a K1, K1m or K1r. This version is just the librarian section (ie. the patch and multi editors are not included). It is however complete and has no annoying omissions like the save function disabled. Docs included. Requires one of the above Kawai synths to be useful, but it runs just fine to look at all by itself. I found this on Hensa. [] LAUNCHER is Launcher v.2 by Frank Vuotto of F10 Software (dated 1994). This is an excellent and well-thought out utility. I've installed it on my NeoDesk Desktop and in Geneva and that's where it's going to stay! Launcher allows you to install a list of programs into it and then easily run them with just some mouse clicks. This works very well from the standard desktop (you can run your programs without searching through mounds of folders), but it is also very valuable for NeoDesk and other Desktop replacement users. Most desktop replacements only allow a certain number of programs to be placed on the desktop. You can use Launcher to increase that number tremendously and free up a lot of space on your desktop at the same time!. Place Launcher once on the desktop and you get another 32 programs just two clicks away. Rename it to indicate what type programs are listed in it and install it multiple times on the desktop (a Utility Launcher, a Sound Launcher, a Games Launcher...)! You can also pass documents to a parent program and sometimes launch accessories (those that also run as programs). This version now allows you to automatically return to Launcher when you exit a program so you can launch another. Launcher only uses 42K of system memory! Color or mono. ST--Falcon and Geneva compatible. SHAREWARE (I've registered). Hensa. [] LEXICON is Lexicon v.1.0 by Ian Clarke (dated 1995). Lexicon permits the use of the mouse to simulate keyboard commands, such as ordinary characters like: "AM7+=$ etc, non standard keys such as HELP and UNDO and combinations of Control, Alternate, and shift keys with ordinary characters. How can a MOUSE do that? By doing what mouses (or mice?) do best - drawing shapes! With Lex (Lexicon) installed you can simulate any key or combination of keys by holding down the right mouse button while you 'draw' a shape on the screen, Lexicon will use a clever system to match this symbol with one in its library (they do not even have to be exactly the same), and simulate the appropriate key being pressed, your computer will not know the difference! This is a different idea, but it sounds really neat. With a quick flick of your mouse you can make any complex key combination! Docs included. ST--Falcon compatible. Color or mono (color better). I found this on Toad Hall BBS. [] LPS124 is LPS (Play Long Samples) by Uwe Reder (dated Dec. 23, 1993). This program will allow you to play sound files with unlimited length by loading parts of it while continuously playing the sample. It can handle files with a sampling precision of 8 or 16-bit on 1 or 2 channels. Due to the sound hardware of the Atari ST replaying is always 8-bit on 1 channel. LPS has the ability to recognize unsigned linear, signed linear or logarithmic coded samples. For replaying a sound file you need a fast device (for example a harddisk or a ramdisk) 'cause floppy-disks are just to slow! The program supports a wide variety of sound formats: Interchange File Format 8SVX by Electronic Arts (*.iff/*.svx) Audio format by NeXT and Sun (*.snd/*.au) Audio format by Audio-Visual-Research (*.avr) Resource Interchange File Format by Microsoft (*.wav) Creative Voice file format by Creative Labs (*.voc) HSND-format introduced by Maxon's CrazySounds (*.hsn) Audio format used by Sound Machine (*.sam) raw data or unknown formats (you have to help the program here). ST--Falcon and Multi-TOS compatible. Docs included. I found this on UNI-KL. [] MARIANT is Mariant v.1.0 by Jean-Etienne Doucet (dated Nov. 25, 1993). Mariant is a solitaire card game for the ST/STE in low res. color. The game derives its name from being a short form of "Marie Antoinette", the real name of this game, coming from a queen of France who had serious problems during the French revolution: it was her favorite solitaire, or so says the legend.... Mariant is played with 104 cards (2 packs). The aim of the game is to sort all the cards in the 8 suits. The board is made out of 10 columns, initially filled with face-up and face-down cards, and the deck of remaining cards: it is not shown onscreen, but you can know how many cards are left at any time. Along with the excellent English docs you get nice graphics and music! Postcardware. From the Atari UMICH site and Delphi. [] MATHSYS is the MathsCSYS Formulae Tester v.1.03 by Brian Duff (dated Nov. 15, 1994). This program is designed to help remember all those nasty formulae you have to know for Maths Exams. It is specifically written to cover the Syllabus of the Scottish Certificate Of Sixth Year Studies Paper I material (Calculus, etc.), though it should be fairly applicable to an A-Level or equivalent course. Fortunately, this program is NOT a replacement for good hard studying. It is intended simply to back up your knowledge of Math Formulae. It presents you with a question (What is the Integral of ...) and you have to type in an answer (I say "an" answer because I tried it found I remembered zilch from college calculus!). If your answer isn't the same as the one stored in the program you are given a chance to tell the program whether or not you really did get it right. Keyboard controlled. ST--STE compatible (at least). Docs within program. Hensa. [] METADS26 is Atari's MetaDOS v.2.60. With this file you can get any SCSI CD ROM drive going on an Atari TT or to use an "Atari CDAR 504" CD ROM on an Atari with ACSI port. It does NOT support SCSI drives connected to an ACSI port. It does NOT support the Atari Falcon030 at all (in these cases, you'll need third-party drivers). This release fixes only some small problems present in previous versions. According to the docs you shouldn't expect any further development of this. I personally use Roger Burrows "ExtenDOS" software which works just fine, and I recommend that to you. I found this on UNI-KL. [] MUSLURN is Musex1 and Musex2 by Seymour Shlien (dated Christmas Eve, 1992). Musex1 is designed to teach you to read the notes on the musical staff and to find them on the piano keyboard. You do require some minimal knowledge of music theory. Musex2 is an ear training program designed to teach you to recognize the musical intervals (perfect fifth, major third etc.). Musex1 requires a color monitor in medium res while Musex2 will run in all resolutions (mono is a bit cramped and some of the screen gets lost occasionally, but it works). ST--STE compatible (at least). Written in GFA Basic 3.5. Hensa. [] MWIND131 is Maus-Window v.1.31 by Thomas Binder (dated August 24, 1994). This .ACC/.PRG will allow you to "top" a window (bring it to the top of all the other open windows and activate it) simply by moving your mouse pointer over it. This might not seem very useful, but once you try it you find out that it can be very useful indeed. When run under MultiTOS, Maus-Window allows you to automatically raise the priority of the process with the topmost window. This very nice feature makes working with MultiTOS even quicker and easier. This version now allows either German or English to be used. The program is very configurable, allowing you to choose just what conditions must be met for a window to be topped (he's thought of just about everything here!). A "lite" version (only 25% the full size) is included (with some limitations, obviously!). English and German program docs included. Shareware. ST--Falcon and Geneva compatible. [] NAUDIEMO is two programs that show what can be done with the NAUDIO sample replay library by Nat. The first is NaTracker, a prg/acc ProTracker MOD player for all ST--Falcon computers. It's a simple interface, but it works and sounds fine! I could get it to crash by accessing the .acc menu while the program was playing (don't do that!). The next sample is N-Quiz and QizMake. These two form a set which allows you to make and play sound quizzes (with questions like "What is the name of this song?" or "What is the name of this group?" when a sound file is played. Best in Low res, but it works just fine in mono or med. res, too. Not Geneva compatible. Just what is the NAUDIO library? It allows you to program digital audio programs for all Atari hardware platforms by allowing you to load, save, and play samples and modules on the PSG, the StarSampler+ (I have no idea what these two are!) or the STE and Falcon DMA (but the program has a "slow" or "fast" ST mode, so it seems to work on those, too. I found this on UNI-KL. [] NAUDIO is the evaluation version of NAUDIO, the sample/module replay library for all Atari ST--Falcon computers from Mulle KybernetiK (Georg Wallmann ) dated 1993. According to the docs this is the first professional quality sample library for the Atari line, that allows even complete beginners to use digital sound effects in their own PURE-C or Assembler programs. Samples are played "in the background". Your main program will NOT freeze while playing samples. NAUDIO performs close to optimal on all output devices, for the given task, which is playing samples using interrupts or DMA. NAUDIO also provides functions for loading and saving samples, compressed and uncompressed as well as loading and playing ProTracker Modules. On all output devices at least four samples can be played at the same time. NAUDIO gives you a variety of output devices to choose from. Due to the layered architecture of the library, it is possible to write portable digital sound code for Falcons, STEs and STs, w/o having to use the least common denominator (i.e. PSG) as the output device. Docs included. This version is limited in several ways (you can still use it though), but ordering instructions are included. I found this on UNI-KL. [] NISHIRAN is an action/adventure 3D game by Manuel PIRES and Guillaume LAMONOCA (dated January 1, 1995). It has been designed for the color ST--Falcon and a "PC" with 256 color display. This is a huge game which uncompresses to two DS floppy disks (you can run it from a Hard Drive as well). After beginning the game you find yourself on a strange and hostile planet. Of course, the object is to get out alive, which is quite difficult! You must use your robot scout (well-controlled by the keyboard and mouse) to investigate the environment and to gather resources. The authors have included a very detailed "walk-through" of the first level. I recommend that you study it thoroughly (and make sure to save your game frequently, too!). After finishing the first level you will be 3% through the game! The graphics and sounds are excellent (and you can play your own 50KHz MODs if you wish!). The program (and docs) comes in both English and French versions. This is the first game I've seen which comes with both Atari and clone versions. That must have taken a lot of time! Delphi. [] NUMTEST is a text file which is a test of your mental flexibility, creativity, and animal cunning. I first saw it fifteen years ago and wasn't able to finish it then. I'm still not able to finish it now (though I think I've correctly answered a few more of the questions). I don't feel too back though because few people have been able to solve more than half of the questions on the first try. *NO* books, *NO* groups, and *NO* cheating! Good luck! An example of one of the problems is... 12 = M _ _ _ _ _ IN A Y _ _ _ (12 = MONTHS IN A YEAR). I found this on Toad Hall BBS. [] OHNO is the "Oh No!" sound sample v.1.1 by David Oakley (dated 1992). Place this in your AUTO folder and you will hear a really cute "Oh No!" when you press the reset button on your computer (requires the DMA sound of the STE--Falcon computer). Hensa. [] OMEN314D by is OMEn v.3.14 by Craig Carmichael, Pres. of Esquimalt Digital (dated April, 1995). OMEn is a cross-platform operating system, with upcoming releases for the Mac, Amiga, PC (with a 680x0 card), and the Power PC. What that means is that a program written on any of those platforms will run, without modification, on any of the others! This demo will give you a hint of how OMEn works, and will show you how easy it is to program OMEn applications (it's component- ware, so you don't need to "invent the wheel" each time, components are developed which do one thing well and are then used after that in many applications), and much more. Sample applications, sound and picture files are included. Docs and online help included. I think OMEn is an exciting development in the Atari world. Check it out! This version has a number of new features such as Falcon 16 bit true-color video is supported (in the licenced version) and Falcon digitized sound. The Desktop appearance has been improved and Help menus are text files for easy translation without programming. [] PATIENCE is Patience v.2.25 by Volker Weidner. This is an excellent mono only multi-option solitaire by Volker Weidner and translated into English by Charles B. Dorsett, Jr.. This program contains six solitaire games in one: 'Eiffel,' 'Matriarch,' 'Standard,' 'Klondike,' 'Gallery,' and 'Braid.' You can have the computer play demo games of all the different games so you can get a feel for the game. Save and load games to disk. Options to "suspend the rules," (cheat!) and undo last move are available. Docs are both in German and English, though the game is only in German (but the English docs tell you detailed rules for all the games, but see below for an English version). This game is easy and fun to play. For an English language version of this game see an older version of PATIENCE (v.2.13) in the GAMES database on Delphi (or most likely other places as well). That doesn't have the translated docs (which are very useful), but the menu options and most of the dialog boxes have been translated. Delphi. [] POS_DEMO is the Positive Image Pre-Production Demo by Stephen Found (dated August 10, 1995). This usable (but saving and printing are disabled, among other limitations) Photo image processing and retouching package looks to be a very excellent product. Edit 24-bit True color images in any res (even mono!). If you can recognize an image format this will probably load it (except for GIF pictures, which I assume is due to Unisys' royalty claims)! There are pages of features included in the docs. I like the fast screen redraws (only the part that changes is redrawn!) and the built-in virtual memory for ANY ST--Falcon with a hard drive! GEM based, this version is designed around the 68000 chip, but the complete program will have versions tailored to the 68030 chip (so you can really zoom!). Any res and graphics cards are sort-of supported in this demo (if they don't work right you can force them to work, with a slowdown penalty). The final version will support all the major graphics cards. Printing options will even include 720 dpi with the Epson Stylus printer (lots of other printers supported, too). Any TOS based computer (Gemulator and MagiC Mac included) compatible with one meg or more of Free RAM. Multi-TOS, Geneva and MagiC compatible. This looks to be one capable program! Hensa. [] PSCRIPT is a set of 2 PostScript printer drivers for PageStream v2.3x. Docs are included, but one driver is a general purpose driver while the other should be used when printing to an image setter or Color- PostScript printer. That one should also be used when printing pages smaller than 8.5x11 inches. Delphi. [] QUICKDSP is the Quick DSP assembler v.0.02 by Audoly Gilles (dated Jan. 30, 1994). This assembler is nearly 40 times faster than ASM56000.TTP+DSPLNK+CLD2LOD (the assembler from Atari). It is 30 times smaller too! The speed test was done with a complete 2000 lines source. Docs included. Another programmer who doesn't allow PD Distributors to distribute his program! Delphi. [] SILKBT3 is SilkBoot 3 by Mark Slagell (the author of SilkMouse, the best mouse accelerator and screensaver <and more> I've ever seen). The objective of this utility is to allow the quickest possible one-switch bootup of Atari systems that use a hard drive. It accomplishes this by installing an executable boot sector on a floppy disk, which should be left in the A: drive whenever booting. The computer will hold off on its cold-start boot process while drives are initializing, and bypass the memory test and keypress delay used in some TOS versions. Previous versions required that the hard drive ID be "zero." This is no longer required. Another added benefit of SilkBoot 3 is that STe/MSTe owners do not need SIMMFIX if they are using the unsupported-by-Atari 2.5 meg RAM configuration. This doesn't have any of the problems that were sometimes found with SIMMFIX, and so I recommend it (though I recommend that you get SIMMFIX anyway if you want to move your STE to 2.5 meg as the docs there explain the difficulties with this in more detail than is done here). Docs included. Delphi. [] STARIO is a demo of Super STario Land. This color only game is very similar to Super Mario and is just as easy to play with your joystick or keyboard. I tested it with a person who had Super Mario (and didn't have an Atari) and he said that it was just like "the real thing." I enjoyed the running and jumping, the puzzle solving and the blasting of the bad guys. This looks to be a pretty good buy. Every time you begin a new game one of five levels from the full 100 level game will be loaded. The full game has music while this demo doesn't. Docs included. Compatible with TOS 1.02, 1.04, 1.62 (STE) and 2.06 (at least) but locks up TOS 4.04 on the Falcon (try Backwards to run) Uploaded to Delphi by Al Horton, the owner of "The Computer Dungeon" (718-547-7085) where you may find the complete program. [] SUB_DEMO is the official North American playable demo of Substation by Unique Development of Sweden (the programmers of the excellent commercial pinball game "Obsession"). SubStation runs on any Color Atari STE 1Mb+ or Falcon with an RGB or a VGA monitor. SubStation is a 1st person perspective game in which the player moves freely in an extremely fast (25 frames per second!) real-time gouraud-shaded 3D world with more than 2000 different locations, a vast number of fearsome enemies, multiplayer mode (up to four players linked via MIDI), secret rooms & booby traps, real-time lightsourced sprites, 25 kHz sound quality, more than 30 colors, "Trial and error" monster A.I, more than 32 action-packed levels, end-of-level bosses, and too much scary action for me (but not for you!). Your character is controlled using the keyboard. You can run, walk, sidestep, pick up items, choose between a six different weapon types, open doors, access elevators between the different sublevels, and even sidestep, rotate, run and fire your gun at the same time, giving you total control of your actions! I really found the "DD Audio" (Distance & Direction) captivating. It gives you a feel for where those monsters are lurking (you can hear them sneaking up on you!). The combined effect of foggy colors and the pit-pat of tiny monster feet from the far left (or right, or even behind you!) could give anyone nightmares. Detailed docs and ordering information included. Delphi. [] TCACHE64 is TCache v.6.4 by Ralf Biedermann. TCache is a very fast Harddisk-Cache for the Atari ST--Falcon. Caches are very nice in that they store disk sector information from your floppy or hard disk in RAM and then accesses that RAM when you call for that data again. That doesn't sound like much, but it can speed up the access speed of your drive 6-10 times! You may also set TCache to be a "delayed write" cache. This speeds up file writes to your disk considerably. But TCache is a lot more than just a fast, fully configurable cache program. You can also use it to redirect drive access (for example, some older programs expect to see their data files on drive C, now you can store that program on any drive and redirect any drive C access to the new drive). It also allows you to lock specific hard drive partitions, set password access to specific drive partitions, and more. The author has really worked hard to make this a very usable program. TCache is donationware. Either donate a small amount to an animal related charity or pay a larger shareware fee directly to the author (in other words, he wants you to donate to your local humane society!). The only limitation in this demo version is a short text file every time you start. This works with my ICD boot software (though the ICD software already has cache software, TCache has more features). Delphi. [] TOS2GEM by Thomas Binder (dated March 24, 1995) is a program which offers the TOS/MultiTOS/Geneva/MagiC user the ability to run TOS/TTP programs within a clean and simple scrolling window. The docs are in German, but all you really need to know (I think!) is to run this in your AUTO folder if you wish it to be a usual part of your bootup. Otherwise you may run it from the desktop. Delphi. [] WWW116 is release 1.16 in the ongoing improvement of this World Wide Web tool for your Atari (any flavor, Multi-tasking with MultiTOS, Geneva, MagiC, or not, any RAM - though with only 1/2 meg you can't use CAB, only STik) and even with just a floppy! This archive basically consists of three packages: CAB, by Alexander Clauss (Germany) will be considered the main program by most people; STiK, by Steve Adam (Australia) is the prg/acc that actually does the low-level networking stuff to the Internet, and CAB.OVL, by Tim Newsome (USA) which is the missing link between Cab and STiK (as an aside...we do have a World Wide Web going on here with such a multi-national development team!). On with the description...CAB, or the Crystal Atari Browser v.1.00a (dated mid Dec., 1995) is an Internet HTML-Browser. Now you can get on the Web in a graphical manner on all Atari's! Version 1.00 added lots of features, increased compatibility with more HTLM variations, now supports Forms, imagemaps, and more search commands, and lots of bug fixes as well (one with opening windows on older TOS machines, another with transparent background images, and two more that I don't know about). This version catches four more bugs that slipped by the last time. CAB works best with SpeedoGDOS or NVIDI (so you can display various text fonts and attributes), but it will also work with your standard system fonts (in a much plainer way). The instructions as to setting up and using the program are clear and detailed. Graphics and text are displayed using either the programs built-in routines or with your favorite utilities. A lot of work has gone into this program.... CAB.OVL is the utility that allows you to browse online. Without this you could only download HTML files and view them offline...STiK v. 1.07 (dated Oct. 4, 1995) is a desk accessory that implements TCP/IP for your Atari. Currently, STiK (which is quite stable) only supports SLIP for the Internet connection. Only HTML and IRC (which is a lot of fun - chatting with people from all over the world!) clients are currently available. This whole package is freeware with the request that you register to encourage the authors to continue their development. Wow! Exciting! This version includes a very useful FAQ file compiled by Denesh Bhabuta. Denesh is receiving contributions for the authors and manages the Atari Area at the Hensa Internet site. You may register this program in the US or Canada through Jeff Wisniewski of Dragons Egg. Thanks Jeff and Denesh! Encourage these programmers! Send them some money and comments if you use these files!! Tim Newscome sent me this file directly, and it is available on Delphi. Uncompresses to 731K. [] DUFTP1_1 is DUftp, v.1.1 by Craig Graham (dated Sept. 24, 1995). This is a GEM based FTP (File Transfer Protocol) program for use with MiNT (Multi-TOS, too) and the MiNT-net networking drivers (by Kay Roemer). You may use DUftp to fetch files from any FTP server on the Internet (or any other TCP/IP based network). You must have MiNT v.1.12 or higher and MiNTNet v.0.70 or higher to use this program. You can use DUftp to fetch files from any FTP server on the Internet (or any other TCP/IP based network). As well as just transferring files (now with improved directory caching to speed up access on remote systems) you get the following extras: Web-browser style bookmarks for fast access to your fave sites. Automatic logins. Full GEM interface. Runs under MultiTOS or plain GEM (with MiNT installed). Drag & Drop style file transfer (with Gemini or Thing Desktops) Multiple connections at the same time (under MultiTOS). Fast, reliable transfers (code based on the BSD Unix ftp). New progress indicators ("received n of m bytes" and a progress bar). Envy from PC users who have to pay for this sort of thing. AES 4.1 iconify support. No command lines. Integrated with DIP to handle your dial-up SLIP connection for you (simple Connect/Disconnect menu options). Only uses 200K when running. Context sensitive help (using an ST-Guide Hypertext file) DUftp is "advert-ware" for the Data Uncertain's upcoming World Wide Web browser "Distant Earth." Also it is intended to prove that GEM+MiNT can support easy to use networking software, and in particular, that Data Uncertain can provide that software. Docs included. Hensa through Delphi. [] ZEN is "Zen and the Art of the Internet: A Beginner's Guide to the Internet," First Edition, January 1992 by Brendan P. Kehoe. The composition of this booklet was originally started because the Computer Science department at Widener University was in desperate need of documentation describing the capabilities of this "great new Internet link" they obtained. The purpose of this booklet is two-fold: first, it's intended to serve as a reference piece, which someone can easily grab on the fly and look something up. Also, it forms a foundation from which people can explore the vast expanse of the Internet. Zen and the Art of the Internet doesn't spend a significant amount of time on any one point; rather, it provides enough for people to learn the specifics of what his or her local system offers. It's great! I found this on the now-defunct CodeHead BBS, but it's probably all about. [] DRBOBNET is the fourth edition (dated July 15, 1995) of "Accessing The Internet By E-Mail: Doctor Bob's Guide to Offline Internet Access." If you don't have direct access to the Internet through your BBS or online service, you're not alone. About half of the 150 countries with Internet connections have only e-mail access to this world-wide network of networks. But if you think that sounds limiting, read this file. You can access almost any Internet resource using e-mail. Maybe you've heard of FTP, Gopher, Archie, Veronica, Finger, Usenet, Whois, Netfind, WAIS, and the World-Wide Web but thought they were out of your reach because you don't have a direct connection. Not so! You can use simple e-mail commands to do all of this and much more on the Internet. And even if you do have full Internet access using an Atari Browser such as WWW116 or the Toronto Atari Federation's MiNT based Browser, using e-mail services can save you time and money. If you can send a note to an Internet address, you're in the game. Delphi. I think I've reviewed this next one before, but as it has to do with Internet access here it is again... [] This seven disk set is the Toronto Atari Federation's MiNT (UNIX) X-Windows Environment that includes TCSH, SLIP/PPP, FTP, Telnet and Chimera, a graphical World Wide Web Browser v.1.00 beta compiled by Sam Mesbah, et. al. (dated April 20, 1995). In order to uncompress these files you will need STZIP26 and the uncompression utilities found on DISK1. In order to use these files you need 4 meg of RAM, a ten meg separate hard disk partition (it must be overwritten with this special MiNT environment so it must be other than your boot partition), an Internet Service Provider with PPP or SLIP (I don't think that Delphi yet qualifies as this, though it's Internet access is superb), Mono Graphics mode (ST High, Falcon, TT High), and an ASCII text editor. It is recommended that you have a 14.4 modem, a boot manager (like Superboot, XBoot, or my favorite, Occultar v.3.02b by Uncle Carl), knowledge of UNIX and the VI editor-not essential but useful, and finally, the docs say a recent version of ADHI (but I can't imagine that it is limited to Atari's hard drive software- probably this means a recent version of any hard drive software). Docs included. ST--Falcon included. Delphi. Here are some STOS programs I found on Hensa, Uni-KL, and Delphi: [] BLITTER is the STOS STE Blitter Extension by L.J.Greenhalgh. This is an extension of the STOS programming language (the upload says that it will work with any ST--Falcon) which allows you to access the blitter, if available. Seventeen different commands are included. You can quickly clear the screen, check for blitter availability, even use the CPU to do something else while the blitter is doing its calculations (getting double-time work out of your computer!). Docs included. Uploaded to Hensa in April, 1995. [] CONTROL3 is the Stos Control Extension v.3.0 by L.J.Greenhalgh (dated 1994). STOS may be powerful and easy to learn but it is very unstructured when compared to languages like C and GFA basic. This extension adds a switch construct to STOS which makes program listings shorter and more readable as well as =many= other useful commands. BAS source, fonts, pictures, and other utilities included on this disk, but if you register you get lots more graphics and other helpful tools). Docs included. [] CYBER is the STOS Cyber extension v.1.00 by Andy Cato and Martin Cubitt. This extension (which includes the compiler extension) will allow you to view a cyber animation sequence (.SEQ) and depending on the way you set the flag will either loop or just go through the sequence once. In any case you can press the spacebar to exit the sequence once going. Numerous .BAS examples, six .SEQ files, and docs included. [] EXTNSEL2 is the STOS Extension Selector v.2.0 by L.J.Greenhalgh (dated July 1994). This program allows you to select which specific STOS extensions you wish to load at boot up. You may selectively activate/deactivate you selections, view which ones are active, and restore your standard configuration with a button click. You can even print out a list of the currently selected extension's commands to the printer. [] FALCEXTN is Falcon STOS Extension v. 1.2 by Anthony Jacques (dated 1995). This is an extension that has been written to allow STOS to take advantage of the new capabilities of the Falcon. There is both graphic and audio fixes here. The docs are in HTLM format, but you can still read them easily enough (or get an HTLM reader!). The docs cover how to use this. If you are a STOS programmer and want to write Falcon compatible programs get this! Shareware. [] FIGGY is a small program which will allow you to configure your computer memory to 1/2, 1, or 2 meg for those difficult programs that require a specific memory configuration. Just choose the option, click on a button and reboot. It's too bad that it can't turn a 1/2 memory ST into a 2 meg machine! [] GBP_EXT is the GBP STOS Extension v.4.7 by Neil Halliday of GBP Software (dated 1994). This extension allows you to do things with STOS that you aren't supposed to be able to do without machine language modules tying up your machine. The docs list a slew of commands for you to use. This archive only contains the run time version of this extension. If you want the compiler version you much register (inexpensive). [] ICBIS is the "I Can't Believe It's STOS" extension v.1 by Richard Hunt, (dates from April, 1994 through Sept. 20, 1994). ICBIS is a STOS extension which corrects the only 15 sprite on screen and slow sprites at that limitation of STOS and brings many additional facilities easing some, quite complex, programming tasks considerably. This advance is all under your direct control and so also requires a bit more thought before tapping at the keyboard. The docs help guide you though this, of course (it's always nice when people write useful documentation!). This file includes the compiler extension in source code format (.S), the ICBIS executable program, and several example files. ICBIS provides you with a sprite toolkit which allows you to have... + Up to 65535 sprites - not a measly 15. + More than one sprite bank can be used in the program directly - no more copying banks to bank 1! Saves on memory too. + Faster than the existing sprite system when lots doing and ... + Autoback can (and should) be turned off - 50 to 100% increase in speed! + Allows for easy parallax scrolling as sprites blanked with a specified (hence current) screen, not the last background. + Global offset for sprites - ideal for large screen/scrolling games. + Comprehensive and pixel perfect collision detection. + Background collision detection as well (what pixels under sprite!) + Invisible sprites (!) make for even faster collision detection. + Sprite movements can by precisely synchronized. + Animation position can be determined by a simple command. + Sprites can be copied to any screen at any point, unlike put sprite! + Control is easier as updating of animation and movement only done at redraw. + Numbers of sprites/moves/anims/areas required set by yourself, up to 255 each for the latter. Thus keeping memory requirements to a minimum. + Very fast screen copy type command for full screens. + Existing STOS sprites can be used in your programs as well (65550 sprites!) or if you don't use the STOS system ... + No sprite buffer needed on compilation thus freeing more memory! + Fast plotting of backgrounds using sprites (uses optimized plotting on even boundaries of 16) Wow! This looks like it does a lot! STOS required (obviously!). I found this on UNI-KL in three different archives. It's on Delphi in one piece. [] MISSLNK is the Top Notch Stuff, release 1.0 by Billy Allan and Colin Watt (dated Feb. 1993). In it you will find two STOS extensions - Misty and The Missing Link. There is also a large doc/source file giving details on how to write your own STOS extensions, use Assembly in your STOS programs, and much more! It gives an easy "how-to" guide to writing extensions, including 11 commands from the Misty and Missing Link extensions. There are also several utilities such as: COLDBOOT Does a cold boot of your machine FIGGY A program which will allow you to configure your computer memory to 1/2, 1, or 2 meg for those difficult programs. HERTZ Switches back and forth between 50/60Hz with color monitors. PAL_REST Restores default palette with keypress, by B. Allan. RAZREZ An excellent .ACC to play a wide variety of chip music files ZAK, or Muzak Application v.1.0 which allows for easy playback and recognition of music files. This program recognizes a wide variety of formats (the docs just say that and not which kinds) and will also depack all of the common packers. Shareware. [] NINJA is the STOS Ninja Tracker Extension v.1.05 for 1meg STE/TT/ Falcon machines by L.J.Greenhalgh (dated 1995). This extension allows you to play mods at up to 21khz in your STOS programs in the background on any STE/TT/Falcon. It should be able to play any four channel protracker mods and the vast majority of chip music formats available. This extension has been fully tested on the Falcon030 and works perfectly. You don't need to convert any MOD files, just load them and play them! Docs included. Hensa. [] PALREST4 is a small program by Billy Allan (one of the authors of the Misty and Missing Link STOS extensions). When you click on this you store away a little program in memory which allows you to restore default palette with keypress. This is great when you run a program which messes up your screen colors! [] STOSTRAK is the official STOS tracker. There are now better tracker routines available in STOS, but this one is needed to run the many program listings that make use of this version. This is extension #S, but is also known to be distributed as extension #H ( #S is the most common form). STFM sound only at 7-14 KHz. Also included in this archive is Michael Street's FileSpy v.1.2. FileSpy allows you to load a text file from the desktop, scroll through it forwards or backwards, search for specific words, etc. (nicely done, STE and Geneva compatible). Also included is a folder entitled UPGRADE which contains a program named COMP_207.PRG. This is an upgrade to the STOS compiler (how recent, I don't know, but I suspect 1991 from the file dates). Finally, numerous STOS .BAS and .EXE files are included for your use as is or as programming examples. Docs included. Found in the STOS category on UNI-KL. [] TUTORIAL is a STOS Basic tutorial (in .BAS and .RAN forms) for STOS and STOS Maestro. Written by Lozian (dated Jan. 5, 1990). There are no ASCII docs with this. You must load it into STOS and run through the tutorial to get that information. Sorry about this next set of files being out of alphabetical order from those above. All of the above files may also be found on Delphi, which isn't true for the ones listed below. [] CK4_7_BJ contains both a CK4 and CK7 for the Canon Bubble Jet 600C printer for use in Calamus. The CK4 is a printer calibration curve, while the CK7 allows you to define the UCR and GCR to control the level of black etc.. This file will be of interest to anyone that uses a BJC600. I found this on the now-defunct CodeHead BBS. It must be around in other places, too! [] COLRFRAC is a set of four ST Med. Warp9 Desktop background pictures of fractals in Tiny format. They are the same pictures as are in FRACTALS (though in a different format). Three are nice and one is very beautiful. Uploaded by Michael Crisafulli of Soft-Sci. CodeHead. [] F1_04C is a STIS 3D image by Lonny Pursell. This shows a Formula 1 race car in GIF format [640x256x2]. CodeHead. [] FRACTALS is a set of four ST High Warp9 Desktop background pictures of fractals in Degas format. They are the same pictures as are in COLRFRAC (though in a different format). Three are nice and one is very beautiful. Uploaded by Michael Crisafulli of Soft-Sci. CodeHead. [] LP104USA is Laborant Professional v.1.04 (the English Version) by Jens Schulz (dated June 18th, 1995). Laborant Professional is an astounding GEM-based chemistry program for the "curious chemistry user." This program does =everything= a chemistry student or professional might want. Obviously, such a statement is a bit exaggerated, but consider: the Table of Contents listing the functions available in LP is 270 lines long! Just as another example he has included a very capable Units conversion option right in the program. Not only is LP useful in Chemistry, it finds application in biology, physics, pharmaceutical sciences and mechanical engineering (thermodynamics)! Nevertheless, its main application is as a universal chemistry program for the daily work in laboratories and in the teaching of chemistry. Compatible with any ST(TOS 1.2 or higher)-Falcon computer, color or mono, in ST med. or higher with 1 meg or more of RAM. Geneva, MultiTOS, MultiGEM, and MagiC all work just fine. If you are working as a chemist, or studying to do so (or did do that but now are working at another job...say as a pastor!) then Laborant Professional is for you! Laborant Professional is divided in several scientific divisions : + Stoechiometry with powerful formula-/equation analysis + Data processing (Error determination, interpolation, approximation) + Statistical tests + Linear equation systems and matrix operations + Thermochemistry (incl. databases) + Reaction kinetics + Chemical solutions and conversions + Chemical calculation methods of a wide variety + Tables and exercising programs + Import/export of experimental data (to a WIDE variety of platforms and program types) + Integration of external programs + TeX support The program is now fully translated into English in both ASCII and TeX documents. Jens sent this to me, but I think you can find it on the Internet or on Delphi. Here are two other of my (Michael Burkley's) favorite programs of Jen's. He is one creative guy! [] PMJ_ENG2 is Premium Mah Jongg II (the English version) by Jens Schulz & Thomas Grube (dated Oct. 10, 1993). Mah Jongg is an old chinese board game in which you seek to remove pairs of tiles from a set of 144 tiles stacked in a five level pyramid. The game itself might be old, but Premium Mah Jongg II is anything but old. It is full of features, has excellent game play and graphics, and is unfortunately quite addictive! It will run in all ST and TT res, and up to 256 colors on Falcons and graphic cards. I can't begin to list all the features (but I'll try anyway). First of all, there are excellent English Docs which explain all the rules of Mah Jongg II and all the features of the game. Next, the program will tell you all the free tiles available if you wish (only in the solitaire, non-tournament mode). It will even check, in real-time if you have reached a dead end in your play (if it doesn't tell you you're finished then there is a matching tile SOMEWHERE!). It will repeat your game for you and allow you to replay your game from any point. If you don't like the color of the tiles or background you can change them! This game has a solitaire practice mode, a tournament mode, and a "happening" mode. The happening mode is where the game produces multiple copies of the exact same set of games for as many players as desired. These players then each play the games and the times are compared. The fastest player wins (and as a prize gets taken out to dinner by the other players!). This game is shareware, but you only need to pay if you get so good that you can beat the highest tourney level (or participate in a "happening"). Recommended. Floppy or hard drive installable. On a personal note I was surprised to see my name listed in the docs! Joseph M. Turner (ATARIPOWER7 on Delphi) and I (Michael Burkley!) were thanked for the help we've give Jens (Joseph has done much more than me!). Also mentioned was the fact that Mah Jongg II cannot be distributed by any Commercial PD company except Suzy B's Software (but I'm sure if any =ask_, Suzy B's will OK it <g>) [] VALENCY is Only! Valency by Jens Schulz (dated Dec. 24, 1994). I especially like Only! Valency (O!V) because it reminds me of my chemistry background. But as the opening screen of this game says, "You will love and curse this game at the same time." It sure is a challenge! You don't have to be a chemist to play O!V, all you need is quick reflexes, both mental and physical. O!V is a boardgame which presents you with 300 levels of molecules which you need to build using the atoms at hand. Unfortunately, molecules aren't nice 2 dimensional beings. They are 3D and so are the O!V molecules. As you build your molecules to match the pattern goal you need to rotate your molecule to bring the next link into view. This gets complicated...and fun! Of course, the above would just be too easy, so Jens has added all sorts of traps and dropouts to slow you down. There are solitaire (without time limits) and several Tournament modes (with decreasing time limits) options. This excellent game will play on any ST--Falcon from ST Low res through VGA 640*480 16/256 colors (including CrazyDots and Matrix graphic cards). Keyboard or mouse controlled. Shareware. English and German versions included (and their respective docs). As with anything by Jens I recommend this. [] MAGIC_MA is the MagiCMac English Demo v.1.2.1. MagiCMac from Application Systems Heidelberg Software is an alternate operating system for Apple Macintosh computers, or so the external file description says. As I remember it MagiCMac runs as a Mac program, not as another operating system. In any case, this is one amazing program. It allows you to run Atari ST software on your Macintosh 6 meg RAM or more System 7 computer with a 68030, 68040, or PowerPC CPU in cooperation with Macintosh applications. Not only does it run most application software (and a lot of other stuff, too), but it runs it four times faster than a TT (and that's just an average!). This demo lasts for 15 minutes. The full file name (for uncompressing on a Mac) is magic-mac-121-demo.hqx (BinHex). To extract this archive you need Stuffit Expander (freeware) or Stuffit Lite (shareware). You will also have to decode it first using MacBinary (Stuffit Expander does this automatically, Stuffit Lite has a menu section for it). Hensa. [] MONEY_10 is Easy Money, The Address Book and Financial Manager v.1.0 by Anthony Watson of Mountain Software. Easy Money is a fully relational database with facilities for accounts, invoices, and transactions. Various search features are available to quickly analyze your records. While Easy Money is designed for business uses, it could easily be used to handle your personal accounts and expenses, or even as a basic address book. Originally written to supply their own needs, Mountain Software is now releasing this program as fully functioning shareware. It will run on any ST--Falcon with at least one meg of RAM. Color or mono (higher res. supported). A hard drive is recommended and GDOS or SpeedoGDOS installed if you are using its print functions. Docs included. I found this on Toad Hall. [] MUSICCHA is MusicChannel v.1.51 by Stephan Bold (dated August 1994). This shareware program is an audio CD player/selector and a MOD file selector (MOD files are played through Paula, a MOD player). The program is designed to work with multi-tasking systems to allow you to play the music you select, in the background. The program and docs are all in German, so I am a bit hesitant about saying much more about this. Shareware (you can't save your config. settings in this unregistered version). ST/E through Falcon compatible. You must have Paula to play the MODs and MetaDOS (or ExtenDOS?) for the Audio CDs. I found this on UNI_KL. [] PAINT100 is Painter v.1.0 from Gordon Gibson of Sinister Developments. This formerly shareware game has now been released as freeware. Fortunately, that doesn't make it any less challenging to play! Use your joystick or keyboard to guide your player (that little white mouse/blobby thing) around the grid. As you pass over the grid it will change color. The idea of the game is to color all of the lines, thus filling in the enclosed rectangles. Sound easy? Well....you have to avoid the baddies. Those guys are intelligent and hungry, and they like to home in on you. Your sole defense is an ability to create holes in the grid which will block the baddies from following you (of course, they also prevent you from backing up yourself). This is a fast-paced and thinking person's game. I enjoy it, even though I haven't gotten very far! You have a long way to go as there are 100 levels available (I find it hard to imagine someone with enough skill to accomplish them all!) - and an included level editor allows you to create even more! Once you have completed a level you can record its password and begin right from there the next time. Soundtracker music available. Docs and hints are in a text file. Sinister Developments has created several other games (Asteroids (Colour and Mono), Galaxian, Centipede, and Space Invaders). Let's support them as they have supported us! STE, hard drive, and Geneva compatible (and I'm sure more, too). Uncompresses to 540K. I found this on Toad Hall. [] PRED201 is PrEd v.2.01 by Markus Pristovsek (dated Sept. 9, 1995). This text editor will allow you to load multiple files, copy and paste between them, mark, move and delete blocks of files, and more. One thing I like about it's block handling is its ability to use the mouse to mark just portions of the top or bottom of a block (several text editors only allow marking of whole lines). This editor allows the use of long text lines and huge files. It scrolls through text rapidly and allows you to search for specific data. On the downside (for me) is that the program and docs are all in German (but I figured out how to use it in just a short while). ST--Falcon, Graphic cards, Multi-TOS and Geneva compatible. I found this on Uni-KL. [] PRFPCH12 is the Perfect Pitch Enhancer v.1.2 by Steven Selick (dated 1994). The main goal of the perfect pitch enhancer is to develop your sense of pitch over the full range of the piano keyboard (88 notes). The computer will choose a note within your given range, and it will play it on a SEPARATE machine from the keyboard that you are using for input. Then you must search for the note that the computer played. Simple enough, however you are not supposed to be able to hear the notes you play, only what the computer plays. You will generally need two MIDI machines, but you can sometimes use just one one machine if you can turn local keyboard control OFF (see the docs). Brief docs included. ST--STE and Geneva compatible (at least). Hensa. [] PT_SRCT3T is a series of three fast (50KHz) PROtracker replay routines in Devpac 3.00 source code files (.S) by Lance (Mrten Rnge) dated Jan. 1, 1994. What's special about this code is his addition of buffers which store a few seconds of the sound in memory so that when your program and sound play would take up more CPU time than your computer has available everything still works (it just eats into the buffer time). The buffer still is being updated, albeit at a slower rate due to the CPU demands. That means that the few seconds available at a zero refresh rate can stretch out double, triple, even more! Smart idea! Docs included. I found this on UNI-KL. [] PUNSSI is PUNSSi by Eero Tamminen (dated March 9, 1995). Punssi is a small arcade game for two players on a mono system. You are in the role of the new information fetching 'agents' (ie. software filters) that roam the InterNet. Your mission is to guide the found information (represented as a ball) to your host computer and to avoid the (Intel/Micro$oft sales) droids which try to confuse you with mis-information. Getting contaminated by mis-information kills you and reverts you to where you started. The goal is to score points by pushing (bouncing) the ball to your home area on the opposite side of the "Intel Outside" screen and to avoid the droids that tail you and your opponent. When you'll crash into a droid, you'll lose one of your nine lives and start again from your original location; the droid that crashed into you disappears and the other droid splits into two new droids. The ball returns to its starting place after it has been pushed into the 'goal'. English docs and program. Joystick controlled. C source included. TOS, MiNT, MultiTOS compatible. I found this on Atari UMICH and Delphi. [] REVELDEM is the Revelations Demo by Psychosis (dated Sept. 30, 1995). The author (Alan Parker) used to code demos for the ST. Now he is working on his Falcon and has lots of ST code just for the asking on his old hard drive (he'll sell you that 40 meg hard drive too for forty pounds!). This slideshow has a scrolling text file (from which I got this information after I unpacked it using the New Depak v.1.1 by Mike Watson), and pictures drawn by a guy named Rank. I assume that it has sound, too, but the docs don't say that. I found this on UNI-KL. [] SENF is SENF by Thomas Binder (this guy writes a lot of programs!). Environment variables contain global information for programs to use. It tells them where something is kept...or can be accessed. With some software, such as a C compiler, environment variables are required for the software to work correctly. Many command line based OSs support environment variables, and so does GEMDOS, but GEM desktop does not. This makes it a much overlooked feature on the Atari. SENF is a small program which will set the environment variables for you. Just place in the Auto folder, and place the corresponding INF file in the root directory. Reboot. Docs and program are in German. Hensa. [] SET_DEV7 is Set_Dev7 v.1.0 by Mark S. Baines (dated April 18, 1995). In serial communications the Falcon uses, by default, device 6 as the serial port (which isn't connected to any hardware port at the back panel and is the ST MFP compatible port). This often causes confusion with Falcon users who use software that automatically uses the default device without checking (this was OK until the Falcon) and then find the software doesn't work with the Modem 1 SCC channel B device port that their modem is plugged into. This program fixes that by setting the default system serial device to device 7 by doing a Bconmap(7). Docs included. I found this on Hensa. [] SOKOBAN2 is Sokoban - the Bobby the Hippie Ghost edition by Johan Sprng (Pluto of ICE) and Mandus Skn. Oh, poor Bobby the hippie ghost. The Tellus Ghost Investigation Agency is going to pay him a visit, and he who has all those peace signs all over his place. He might lose his ghost licence because of those. You must help Bobby to cover all his peace signs with the stones that lies around his place. You can only move one stone at a time so you have to plan ahead and not work yourself "into a corner." You may have seen this game in the past (as an ASCII only version), but it was nothing like this. This version has improved graphics (colorful, attractive, and pleasing) and gameplay. All of the 42 classic levels are included along with a few new ones. A level editor is included so you can create as many great levels as you wish. Designed for the STE but you may play it on the Falcon too (color monitor, RGB or VGA, required). Johan has gotten tired of coding great demos and he wanted to do something else. This was his first attempt and first success (both at the same time!). I look forward to finding more PD games from him. This is excellent! Online docs. Geneva and NeoDesk compatible. I found this on UNI-KL. [] SOX10P11 is the SOund eXchange program release 10, Patchlevel 11 by Lance Norskog and a slew of other contributors. This "Universal" Sound Sample Translator (using a command line interface) translates sound samples between different file formats, and performs various sound effects. This release understands "raw" files in various binary formats, Sound Blaster .VOC files, IRCAM SoundFile files, SUN Sparcstation .au files, Sun ADPCM compressed sound files, Internet Radio files, mutant DEC .au files, Amiga/SGI AIFF files, Macintosh HCOM files, Sounder files, .WAV (I think) and Soundtool (DOS) files (and more). The sound effects include changing the sample rate, adding echo delay lines, applying low- and band-pass filtering, and the infamous Fender Vibro effect. The original program was written in June of 1993, and the ST port/docs have an October 2, 1993 date attached to them). ST--TT compatible. Docs included. [] TAUT_II is Tautology II by "Reservoir Gods." This one or two person game of skill and strategy for the Falcon (only, sigh) is a challenging and fun game. This could be called a cousin of Mahjong in that it involves the removal of matching tiles from a board. Unlike Mahjong though you can only remove matching tiles when they can be connected by a line that bends only once or not at all. I've seen another game like this (but for the ST) in TAKETWO, a game by Marco Feikert. The two player mode is either competitive or side-by-side. The game is much improved over Tautology I: new graphics and several new tile sets, new sounds, improved video, and more. You can configure the options of this game to your hearts content. Runs on all Falcons with four meg or more of RAM, with joystick, keyboard, or jaguar controller, and with RGB or VGA monitors. Inexpensive shareware. I found this on UNI-KL. [] TOS_29 is a ST-Guide Hypertext by Rolf Kotzian detailing all of the ins and outs of a variety of operating systems for the ST (well, including one that turns your Mac into an ST!). The OSs are TOS, Multi-TOS, MagiC and MagiCMac. You must use ST-Guide. v. 3.50 to view this file. I think I found this on UNI-KL. [] TSAM_242 is the Totosampler v.2.42 by Torsten Thiel. This sound sampling program for the ST/E/TT will allow you to sample and edit STereo and mono sounds (and convert between them) at up to 50KHz. Several types of hardware are supported, but you don't need them to edit or play available sound files. It's all in German and so I don't know much else about it. Multi-TOS compatible. NeoDesk and Geneva compatible. Mono only. For a similar program (in English) try Damien Jones' Soundlab v.1.11 (SNDLB111). I found this on UNI-KL. [] SNDLB111 is Sound Lab v.1.11 by Damien M. Jones (dated July 28, 1993). This is a very capable sound editor that allows you to take digitized sound samples and manipulate them to your heart's content. It has plenty of features, and its edit functions are =very= fast. You can play and record samples from 5KHz to 30KHz, use samples in .AVR (signed or unsigned), .SPL, .SAM, .WAV (commonly used on the "PC"), .SND (DigiSound and SoundOff!), and .SMP formats (for GEM Sound),, and it's easy to use. (Recording samples requires either the ST Replay cartridge or Pandaal DataSound cartridge.) It also lets you add sound effects to your samples, like echo and fade, and more. It uses a ZeST type 3D button interface that is a pleasure to watch and use. Color or mono. 40 page ASCII manual included. There's a nifty on-screen help system that takes you through the in's and out's of the program. Watch the mouse move about all by itself! ST/STe compatible. SHAREWARE. You get printed docs and updates with your registration (I've registered). 653K uncompressed. Delphi. [] UCDM is a set of two UCDM modules (UMPs) for Octalyzer by Lance! (Marten Range). One UMP is a 50 kHz 4 channel MOD player and the other is a 50 KHz 8 channel MOD player. These umps should work fine on STe, MSTe and hopefully the TT. Why might you want these umps? First thing is that the 50kHz 8 channel ump works on a normal 8Mhz STe and as far as the author (or I) know this is the first ump that does this. Since he mostly work on a monochrome monitor he doesn't know what the maximum time is for the 8 channel ump is but should be around 85%. The 4 channel ump should take around 35% maximum. If you want to learn more about Octalyzer read the description OCTA096. Found on UNI-KL. [] WD2D_PRO is the Falcon only Direct to Disk Player Professional Edition recording program/ accessory by WAX (dated Nov. 13, 1994). With this software you can play any sample which is 16 bit (either mono or stereo) at any conventional frequency. You can even hook up an external synth connected to your DSP port (how do you do that?). The sound distortion with this program is in the 3-4% range which means you get out the sound you put in, pretty accurately. Files can be compressed (though not in real time) and played back in real-time. There are lots of docs which explain everything to you music types. Here are some more of the features available... + Loop option on single track selection + Selectric multiple selection compatible + Allows text files with list of tracks to replay (.LT) + Handles multiple formats list of tracks + Handles/saves DVS compatible file format + Mathematical analysis and distortion calculation + Optional Pseudo stereo replay for mono tracks + 100% GEM and assembler + Ultra fast cache routines + Can be driven by GEM messages. Source code (.S) included. Hensa. [] ZCONT20A is zControl v.0.20a by Ralf Zimmermann (dated July 6, 1995). zControl is a replacement/enhancement of Atari's XControl CPX accessory. For all ST--Falcon computers, this .ACC (or program, just rename the file) will allow you to access any .CPX module, just as XControl does. But it's still being supported, and it has several new features. It will support the Drag & Drop, Iconification, and AV Protocols and allows several CPX modules to be run at the same time, each within its own window. Right now zControl works best from within a Multi-tasking system (Multi-TOS, Geneva, or MagiC Mac, and maybe more), but it does work with single-TOS with some limitations. The program is in German, but the docs are in English. Shareware. Hensa. Finally, here's a list of programs which the authors don't allow to be distributed via PD distributors. Thankfully for them that doesn't include places like the internet or Delphi or GEnie (but it sorta leaves me out in the cold!). [] GIGMUS14 is GigaMusic v.1.4 by Vincent Partington (dated October 10, 1992). GigaMusic is a very small program/ACC which allows you to play several kinds of music formats in the background (with the .ACC version in standard TOS or with either the PRG or ACC in a multitasking environment). I haven't heard of any of the following formats before, but these are the music files this program plays... + Mad Max (normal and digidrum), + Count Zero (normal and ripped with the Fuzion Mega Ripper) + OffBeat/Big Alec + Dave Whittaker + Synthdream (with samples!) + TriSound/TriMod Samples of these various music formats are included for your playing enjoyment. Docs included. TOS 2.06 and Geneva Compatible (at least). Shareware (he makes PD distributors pay him 1/2 of their "profits" <ha!> which makes them reluctant to distribute his program, which means he gets less money - go figure! Especially since he has placed about 168K of other people's music in his 180K total file! Is he going to pay them 1/2 of his profits? Oh well, let it pass!). [] MIDIKLA4 is MidiKla4 by Peter Bogner (dated Sept 4, 1993). This program displays a piano keyboard onscreen. From what I can tell it will display the keys that you press on your MIDI keyboard. You may rename this to create an .ACC. The docs and program are all in German (but just hook up a keyboard and you'll figure out how it works!). STE and Geneva compatible (at least). [] O3RWGMME is O3RWGMME, the General-MIDI-Multiset-Editor for the Korg O3R/W by Peter Bogner (dated Feb. 25, 1995). The programmer hoped to create a GEM-like program which was able to create/change multisets for the KORG O3R/W synthesizer-module. He wanted to do this because the O3R/W can only manage one multiset - but in the O3R/W multiset only the effect-parameters are stored, all other multisettings are lost after switching off the module. This program/accessory enables the user to choose the soundgroup, the soundname (GM-mode), the volume and the panorama setting for each channel. (You choose the soundgroup and soundname, channel and panorama settings via popup-menus. The volume is changed by a slider.) Also switching between the GM-bank and the O3R/Ws soundbank A, switching off a channel and choosing the gm-drumset are all possible. Keyboard and/or mouse controlled. ST--Falcon compatible. Color or mono. Docs (both English and German) are included. Fairware. [] SMF_PLAY us SMF_Play by Peter Bogner (dated Feb. 23, 1995). This is a GEM-based-Standard-MIDI-File-Player for your ST through Falcon. It presents you with a very simple, yet nice, interface which allows you to select a MIDI file to play using your item selector. It displays the file name and type (format 0 or 1). The program (or accessory) also allows you to set some play parameters (such as pitch bending, After Touch, etc.). There is also a MIDI clock which allows you to synchronize your external MIDI instruments with the play-function. Midi files of up to 131072 bytes are allowed. No multi-tasking during play. Fairware. [] WATCH_IT is Watch-It v.1.0a by Stefan Bock. WATCH-IT is a fast PRG/ACC GEM based picture viewer for Atari ST/STE/TT/Falcon030 computers (only GIF 87a and 89a supported at the moment). It was planned as a viewer for the Falcon only, supporting the 256-color- resolution and the truecolor-resolution, but as it is a plain GEM-program, you can also start it on the "old" Ataris as well. WATCH-IT runs on all memory-configurations, but 512 KByte may be too small for big pictures. If you don't have at least a 256 color display the pictures will be dithered down to ST low 16 color or monochrome mode (whether in ST Med. or mono, it does it well). Docs included. Multi-TOS compatible. Delphi. And one final file that I need to mention to discharge a shareware debt. At bootup this program mentions that if I use but don't praise this program and its author that my GEM operating system (and I assume Geneva, too) will be replaced with MS-DOS! Yikes! I can't risk that! Yes, I know that he was just kidding, but this program (FASTBOOT) gets my praise anyway! [] FASTBOOT is FaST-Boot v.1.0 from Tim Patrick, the Happy Hacker, a guy who goes out of his way to help people. The purpose and function of this EXECUTABLE BOOT SECTOR is very simple... First, it prints an anti-virus message to your screen at boot up - and second, it sets your FaST Technology Turbo25 accelerator to 25Mhz mode at the very start of the boot cycle. Since it activates BEFORE your hard disk boots and your AUTO folder loads, your hard disk booter and auto programs can share the same speed benefits as your applications. If you are a true "speed-freak" you will be happy to know that this, on average, will shave two seconds off your boot process (that's according to the docs, but I save 5.75 seconds on my boot up!). The files you need to set this up to boot AUTO booting games up at 25MHz are also included. You must have the T-25 (and I do <grin>) to use this file. Docs included. Speaking of speed, I wish for a Christmas present from Jim Allen. He's had my Mega 4/Gadgets SST since early December of 1994. I can't get ahold of him in any way. If he reads this =please= send it back to me!!! Whew! That's a lot of files! The only problem is that I have about another 300 meg that I haven't written descriptions for yet! Oh well, there's always next time. Finally, since it's Christmas time, and since Christmas is a very important time to me, I wish you all a very merry Christmas. May we all remember whose Birthday Christmas is! Michael All of these files can be found on one or more of the following on-line services: Delphi (MRBURKLEY), GEnie (M.BURKLEY1), Toad Computers BBS (410-544-6999), and at Toad Hall, now the official BBS of the Boston Computer Society (617-567-8642) (as 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, and co-owner with his wife of Suzy B's Software. --==--==--==--==-- ||| Rare Gems ||| Compiled by: David A. Wright / | \ Internet: centaur@nai.net ---------------------------------------------------------------- The following are the "Rare Gems (sm)" selections for December 17 to 23, 1995. "Rare Gems" is a service mark (sm) of Rare Breed Noninc. and David Alan Wright. (Internet: CENTAUR@NAI.NET) Compilation copyright 1995 by same. All Wright's rights reserved. Each weekly collection may be distributed freely as long as this notice is retained. No other format may be distributed without further authorization. All quotes covered by "fair use" of copyright law. Jeep is a registered trademark of Chrysler Corp. --:Dave Caution: Opening Windows lets bugs in! --Unknown Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear. --Thomas Jefferson Clothes and manners do not make the man; but, when he is made, they greatly improve his appearance. --Henry Ward Beecher A cheap coat makes a cheap man. --friend of Thorstein Veblen I fear the man who drinks water, and so remembers this morning what the rest of us said last night. --Unknown ancient Greek Rich men are to bear the infirmities of the poor. Wise men are to bear the mistakes of the ignorant. --Henry Ward Beecher Nobody is bound by any obligation unless it has first been freely accepted. --"The Fugitive" by Ugo Betti === The following are the "Rare Gems (sm)" selections for December 24 to 30, 1995. "Rare Gems" is a service mark (sm) of Rare Breed Noninc. and David Alan Wright. (Internet: CENTAUR@NAI.NET) Compilation copyright 1995 by same. All Wright's rights reserved. Each weekly collection may be distributed freely as long as this notice is retained. No other format may be distributed without further authorization. All quotes covered by "fair use" of copyright law. Sanitized for your protection. --:Dave When Duty comes a-knocking at your gate, Welcome him in; for if you bid him wait, He will depart only to come once more And bring seven other duties to your door. --"Duty" by Edwin Markham I hate a man who swallows [his food], affecting not to know what he is eating. I suspect his taste in higher matters. --Charles Lamb The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. --Aristotle When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another. --Hellen Keller He who limps is still walking. --Stanislaw Lec Elegance is good taste plus a dash of daring. --Carmel Snow Me, I try to get somethin' good outta every day. Know what I mean? Like, you fall through the seat in the outhouse? Well, at least it's a soft landing! --Gordon, "For Better or for Worse" strip by Lynn Johnston --==--==--==--==-- ||| Developing news! ||| Items of interest from TOS platform developers and supporters / | \ ------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Current Notes News =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CURRENT NOTES MAGAZINE PRESS RELEASE To: ALL ATARI/TOS/GEM USERS!! Re: CURRENT NOTES IS BETTER THAN EVER!! NEW SUBSCRIBERS PRIZE DRAW!! From: Current Notes magazine The Jan/Feb 1996(!) issue of Current Notes Magazine will be available shortly, following hot on the heels of our big Nov/Dec issue! Look for the Nov/Dec issue in your mailbox (if you're a subscriber), or on your favorite Atari Dealer's newstand. If there's a dealer in your area who can't find the NEW CURRENT NOTES, let 'em know we can be reached anytime at: Current Notes Magazine #2-559 Birchmount Rd. Scarborough, ON Canada M1K 1P8 ======================================================= E-mail: hcarson@io.org redfrog@io.org lianne@io.org GEnie : R.Boardman Phone: 416-752-2744 416-261-5997 ======================================================= FEATURES! FEATURES! FEATURES! FEATURES! The Jan/Feb issue will be PACKED with the very latest Reviews, News, Dealer Specials, and Technical Support. Look for these Features too: .........NeoDesk 4, CalAppt, Keyboard Gizmo, and Formatter Reviews! .........The cutting edge of Desktop Publishing from DMC/MGI Calamus! .........Getting the most for your TOS/GEM/Atari buck! .........The State-of-the-Art in Telecommunications! .........Using TOS, GEM, Geneva, NeoDesk, MagiC, and Ease for Business and Pleasure! .........The latest news from the UFO scene! Errol Bruce-Knapp explores and asks a lot of tough questions! .........The best in-depth series you'll find on setting up a Home Office! CURRENT NOTES SUBSCRIPTIONS: ******** Current Notes Magazine is in its 15th great year! It is ******** published bi-monthly in Toronto Canada, and produced ******** entirely in Calamus SL. ******** U.S. Subscribers - 1 year/$25us 2 year/$46us ******** Canadian Subscribers - 1 year/$35cdn 2 year/$65cdn ******** Foreign Subscribers - 1 year/$48us 2 year/$90us Send your subscription requests along with payment, to: Current Notes Magazine #2-559 Birchmount Rd. Scarborough, ON Canada M1K 1P8 Please make all payments to: 'Current Notes' U.S. & Canadian Subscribers may pay via check, money order or bank draft. Foreign Subscribers should pay via bank money order or bank draft, drawn in U.S. funds. ======================================================= E-mail: hcarson@io.org redfrog@io.org lianne@io.org GEnie : R.Boardman Phone: 416-752-2744 416-261-5997 ======================================================= WE'RE HAVING A NEW SUBSCRIBER'S SUPER PRIZE DRAW!!!! ........We've got one prize only - and it's a great one! On June 1st 1996 some lucky new Current Notes subscriber's name will be drawn from all those who took out a new or renewal subscription postmarked sometime between January 1st 1996 and April 1st 1996. The draw will be completely random, and Current Notes employees, contributors, staff, advertisers and volunteers are not eligible. The Super Prize consists of the following: Outline Art 3, Calamus SL, the entire series of SARA CD-ROM software drivers, SpeedoGDOS 5, tbxCAD, First Graph, K-Spread 4 Lite, 1 year Membership in the Toronto Atari Federation (includes subscription to the Phoenix Newsletter!), Atari Joystick, CyberSculpt, and the Skyline CD (100's of megabytes of Shareware, Freeware, and Public Domain software). It's truly a great lineup of software and hardware - a $700 value! All you have to do is subscribe to Current Notes sometime between January 1st 1996 and April 1st 1996, for a chance to win! We'll be adding more prizes to the 'pot'! LETTERS, PRESS RELEASES, INFORMATION REQUESTS Letters to the Editor ===================== Speak out, let us know what you want and need. Express yourself! got a problem with your computer? Got a problem with your software? Let us know about it! Send e-mail to hcarson@io.org or lianne@io.org, or regular mail to: Current Notes Magazine #2-559 Birchmount Rd. Scarborough, ON Canada M1K 1P8 Press/New Product Releases ========================== New Software? New hardware? Telecommunications, the 'Net, the 'Web, industry developments? We want to know what you're up to, and so do our readers. Send all announcements and information to: dand@io.org Information and Advertising Requests =================================== Send mail to: hcarson@io.org, redfrog@io.org or lianne@io.org or the address above! Phone us! We'll e-mail, fax or mail you our latest Rate Card. GET YOUR SUBSCRIPTION TODAY! Current Notes is the best way to 'keep up'! We make it easy! =================================== If you want to be removed from Current Notes' e-mail list, send the following note as Body Text only (no Subject line please): 'please cancel CN-EM' Send it to: hcarson@io.org =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// In Touch with In-Touch =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Computer Direct and Lorne J. White (Author of In-Touch) are pleased to announce the availability of In-Touch as commercial software. In-Touch is a very powerful and flexible database for organizing and managing all your personal information such as names, addresses, phone numbers, notes and calendar events. In-Touch is very different from most databases. The unique index view makes selecting and manipulating everything from single records to the entire database a simple process. With a touch of the keyboard or mouse you can easily find and select records, search for text and dates, get date reminders and categorize records. In-Touch uses Speedo fonts to print a wide variety of professional looking envelopes, labels, addresses, date books, calendar labels, event calendars and "To Do" lists. Most day timer page formats are supported and In-Touch prints multiple pages per sheet thus saving paper! A calendar window provides a view of any month of any year and provides a listing of all events in that month. A date reminder system keeps you in touch with all upcoming events. You can easily import and export information from other programs, making In- Touch the "Master" database for all your personal information. In-Touch runs on Atari ST, Atari STE, Mega ST, Mega STE, Atari TT030, Falcon030 and all Atari Compatibles as well as Macintosh 030/040 and PPC computers under MagiCMac. In-Touch operates under all versions of TOS and uses full GEM interface. As well, In-Touch may be used under MiNT, MultiTOS, MagiC and Geneva multitasking operating systems. Minimum system requirements are 512K of memory, double sided disk drive and a monitor. In-Touch also runs as a desk accessory. In-Touch is shipped with a professionally produced 44 page manual with Examples and Tutorials on methods to get the most out of your personal information. It is supplied on a 720K disk and is supported,marketed and distributed by Computer Direct. In-Touch is available now for 79.99 Cdn. - 59.99 US. Competitive Upgrades are available for a limited time at 59.99 Cdn. - 44.99 US. Upgrade from CardFile, GEMvelope, Mail Manager or Tracker ST. In-Touch (c) 1995 Lorne J. White Computer Direct Support and Info: 403-496-2488 10338-59 Avenue Toll Free Orders: 800-547-9203 Edmonton, Alberta 24 Hour Fax Line: 403-496-2489 Canada. T6H 1E6 Internet: info@compdirect.com orders@compdirect.com support@compdirect.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// HP & Mustek Scanner Drivers =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= DECEMBER 15, 1995 FOR IMMIDIATE RELEASE- HOMA SYSTEMS HOUSE-OTTAWA, CANADA Homa Systems House is proud to present two new products, HP SCAN JET and MUSTEK Paragon scanner drivers for all range of ATARI computers. Mustek scanners are quality flatbed scanners, at an affordable price. They offer a resolution of upto 1200 dpi, in 24bit color mode. With the above scanner drivers, you have ultimate control over your page. NOVA SCANNER DRIVER specifications: - PRESCAN @90dpi in monochrome, half tone monochrome, 256 grey, 24bit (16.8 Million) color - SCAN: - a minimum area of 1 x 1 (mm) to 356 x 216 mm (Legal size, 8.5"x14") using a Crop frame or direct value input - from 45 dpi to scanners maximum resolution (Mustek paragon 6000cx @ 600 dpi, Mustek paragon 12000cx @ 1200 dpi) - lineArt/text, halftone, 256 grey and 24 bit color - 4 halftone settings (Hardware built in) - 4 gamma correction (Hardware built in) - brightness and contrast control - 3 adjustable scanning speeds - inverted scanning mode - adjustable scaling (50%-400%) - runs as a GDPS driver (Applications such as Pixart 3 will allow direct scanning into program) - runs as a program or accessory, on any ATARI operating system - saves as IMG, uncompressed TIF and ESM - SCSI interface required CND$ US$ MUSTEK PARAGON SCANNER DRIVER (FOR 6000CX & 12000 CX ONLY) 199.00 149.00 HP SCANJET SCANNER DRIVER 199.00 149.00 CMUSTEK 6000CX PRO SCANNER & DRIVER COMBO -CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 849.00 599.00 For more information, please contact Homa Systems House: Homa Systems House P.O.BOX 52127 OTTAWA, ON K1N 5S0 CANADA TEL: (613) 722-0901 FAX: (613) 722-9061 EMAIL genie: NIMA internet: aa414@freenet.carleton.ca =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Afterburner040 & FalconFX =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Afterburner040 is ready for Take Off! After many setbacks and production delays, the 68040 32/64MHz based Afterburner040 accelerator card for the Atari and C-Lab Falcon030 is finally available for shipping. Afterburner040 is a compact card that fits internally into the original Falcon case using the PDS expansion slot. This card contains an expansion port throughput allowing for the use of other expansion cards such as Nova-Graphics cards, Falcon Speed PC Card and Screen Eyes or Expose video capture cards. There are 4 slots for optional Fast RAM expansions up to 128Mb using industry standard SIMM modules. An external case expansion is required for installation of Fast RAM. Speed increases of up to a factor of 14 can be achieved with this card while maintaining full compatibility with existing software including Cubase Audio 16, Neon and other modern Falcon software. The only known Falcon application not currently supported is Apex Media. Titan and Black Scorpion have an Afterburner040 and are currently working out this incompatibility. Afterburner040 is available from Computer Direct now and sells for 1299.99 Canadian including the 32/64MHz MC68LC040 processor. We accept VISA and MasterCard. Installation by a skilled technician is recommended. Computer Direct is also pleased to announce the availability of the new 3 in 1 Falcon expansion card, FX, from BlowUp. FX contains the three most sought after Falcon expansions in one compact card that fits neatly into the internal PDS expansion slot of the Falcon030. FX can be fitted into the original case! FX consists of a Fast RAM module, an accelerator module and a video resolution module. FX allows you to add Fast RAM to your Falcon and break the 14Mb barrier using industry standard 30 pin SIMMS. FX has 4 slots that can be filled independantly with matching pairs of SIMMS. As an example; you can add two 4Mb SIMMS now and two 8Mb SIMMS later, or similar. FX also consists of an accelerator module that increases the speed of your bus as well as CPU, FPU and DSP! Your Falcon can acheive variable speed increases of up to 40MHz bus and processor speed, 50MHz DSP speed and 40MHz FPU speed by using the included CPX. For compatibility issues, this can be selected via software. Benchmark tests have shown that this accelerator is consistently faster than a TT030 with Cattamaran! As an added bonus, Falcons suffering from the CPU clock problems will be fixed by FX! BlowUP has also included the BlowUp Internal Video expansion with FX. Now you can enjoy True Colour display at a resolution of 640 x 480 or 256 colours in resolutions up to 1024 x 768! FX has been tested on numerous Falcons and is compatible with all Falcon software such as Cubase Audio 16 and Apex Media to name just two. Available now from Computer Direct for 349.99 Canadian. A skilled technician is suggested for installation. --------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Direct Toll Free Orders: 800-547-9203 10338-59 Avenue Info and Support: 403-496-2488 Edmonton, Alberta 24 Hour Fax Line: 403-496-2489 Canada. T6H 1E6 On-Line Support: GEnie, Atari RT On Line Orders, send e-mail to: orders@compdirect.com On Line Information, send e-mail to: info@compdirect.com Surf our World Wide Web Site: http://www.compdirect.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= //// Ride the Catherine Wheel =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Dubble Dee Atari PD Library are proud to announce the immanent release of CATHERINE WHEEL. Catherine Wheel is a CD that is specifically aimed at the Atari Falcon 030, but users of other Atari computers will find programmes and files that they can also use - in fact, so will users of most other computer platforms! The CD contains: * 130Meg of Falcon specific programmes, including games, graphic packages, utilities, MOD players, trackers, demos, utilities and application. * 100Meg of ST/STE programmes that are 100% Falcon compatible. This also includes games, graphic packages, utilities, MOD players, trackers, applications and utilities. * 800+ 4 (128Meg) track MOD files * 90+ 8 (or more) track MOD and S3M files * 20Megs of PD book files obtained from the Project Gutenberg data-base. Including greats like War of the Worlds, Around the World in 80 Days, Mars and Tarzan series by E.R. Burroughs and many, many more. * 100 true Type fonts compatible with NVDI 3 and Speedo-Gdos 5 * 120Megs of some of the best GIF graphics you have ever seen. * 120Megs of some of the best FLI animation files you have ever seen. All pictures, animations, fonts and mod files have been tested on a Falcon with TOS 4.01 and 4 Megs of Ram. All S3M files will work with the shareware version of Mega-Player (v1.15). Write today for further info... paul@frisbee.net.au geoffc@campg.mtx.net.au or by snail mail to.... P.O. Box 226, Smithfield, South Australia, Australia, 5114 --==--==--==--==-- ||| ||| Shutdown ........................... Power off, EXIT, BYE, Logoff / | \ ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Internet gateway into GEnie, you can reach us through the Internet also. Append "@genie.com" to any of our GEnie addresses. If you are a regular user of PGP, you can EMail AEO Magazine <aeo.mag@genie.com> using this key: -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Version: 2.6.1 mQCNAzAhx34AAAEEANv2p4vh8J3DHce9GM6SbYEhr1LGTeF37TyP5YFrgbBRLFMC 7qmuFqDuuLKVG4o1Ddzn//mTz1whsnR/dmc3iBtQ4VNeAUON7kcfUhG2q8oE4f/p LlW23JAnxRn2RrhKhyvH3GZL/j8XILADFd0HGf2Dkcq5d72/T/H26/F7JGeJAAUR tCBBRU8gTWFnYXppbmUgPGFlby5tYWdAZ2VuaWUuY29tPg== =2Jq5 -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Until the next issue of AEO, I remain, Your Editor Travis Guy --==--==--==--==-- (This issue printed on recycled photons) --==--==--==--==-- DNFTEC --==--==--==--==-- No Inflation Necessary --==--==--==--==-- Eleven Straight! --==--==--==--==-- Atari Explorer Online Magazine is a monthly 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.com>. No issue of Atari Explorer Online Magazine may be included on any commercial media, nor uploaded or transmitted to any commercial online service, in whole or in part, by any agent or means, without the expressed consent or permission from the Editor or Publisher of Atari Explorer Online Magazine. 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. --==--==--==--==-- 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. --==--==--==--==-- Atari Explorer Online Magazine "Your Source for Atari News" Copyright (c) 1993-1995, Subspace Publishers * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: A E O ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: Volume 4, Issue 9 ATARI EXPLORER ONLINE January 1, 1996 :: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::