PsL Monthly 1994 January/PSL Monthly Shareware CD-ROM (Public Software Library) (January 1994).iso/games/dos/ascii_ga.txt

Text File | 1993-12-09 | 13.3 KB | 307 lines

ASCII Games

These are games written to use ASCII character graphics instead of true
graphics. They are not as good looking as true graphics programs, but will
play on all (DOS-based) machines and are still fun to play.


-----Space "Trek" Games:

[BEGIN]
Begin (Clockwork Software; $10-$15) is a non-graphic, complex, space-trek
type game. You can choose to be the good guys or bad guys, as well as
choose how many and what kind of ships accompany your ship and the enemy's
ship. Then the purpose becomes to wipe out the bad guys.

[SUPRTREK]
SuperTrek is a souped-up trek game.

[TOM_TREK]
Tommy's Trek (Tommy's Toys; $?) is a space trek type game with music and
real-time animation, as well as a complex autopilot which runs the ship for
you if desired.


-----ASCII Arcade Games:

[ACQB]
ACQB is the ArmChair QuarterBack program. It is similar to the commercial
NFL Challenge program, but much simpler than Cunning Football. CF lets you
control the actual play, while ACQB only lets you select a play (against
the computer) and then tells you the result.

[ADMAZE]
Mission Maze 1.0 (Soleau, William; $12) is a maze/adventure game. There are
a total of 6 levels and 12 items which must be located to complete the
entire game.

[AIRTRAX]
Airtrax is an air traffic control game. You guide planes in without any
crashes and your salary goes up. Object of the game is to get a high
salary.

[ALLEY]
Alley (Claypool, Stephen; $7) is a plain looking, but entertaining race car
game. Although the "cars" and other objects are just ASCII block
characters, the play of the game is well designed and fast paced. You have
to avoid junk in the road, pick up fuel, and get around slower drivers.

[ALLSLOT]
AllSlot is a program with three different types of slot machine
simulations. It uses ASCII characters, so it will run on any machine, but
that means it isn't as slick as if it used true graphics.

[ATC]
Air Traffic Controller 1.0 (Cascoly Software ASP; $24) is a simulation of
the duties of a sector air traffic controller. The object is to guide
twenty planes safely through your sectors. You have control of landing,
taking off and changing altitudes with twenty levels of difficulty.

[AXTRONS]
Axtrons (Gunn, Christopher G.; $?) is a simple arena style game which pits
you against dim-witted but diligent intergalactic opponents. You can
destroy your enemy with direct combat or by setting traps and barbs.

[BERSERK]
Berserk (Graham, Keith P.; $0) is an arcade game. BASIC source included.

[BLINDMZ]
Blind Maze 2.0
(Soleau, William; $15)
is a maze game in which you blast walls, find maps and time bombs, and avoid
the Evil Spirits. Each floor is a different, complex maze of which you can see
only a little piece at a time. A different "mission" is given to you for each
level. Try to complete the mission and advance to the next level before you
run out of oxygen. Graphics NOT required.

[BOMBRUN]
Bomb Run 2.1 (PC Solutions; $15) As your plane crosses over the enemy's
territory, you must bomb the targets below. If you hit all the targets, you
keep advancing to new screens.

[BUGS]
Bugs (Ouye, M.; $?) is similar to the arcade game centipede. Fast paced and
challenging.

[CHASE]
Chase 1.0 (Wilson, John; $0) See how long you can elude the large number of
different kinds of creatures that are after you as you dig through the
ground. You get a head start to dig some false tunnels or to do anything
else you can think of to slow down the opponents, so make good use of the
time at the start of the game.

[CONECT4]
Connect4 2.07 (Harper, Jeff; $5) lets you play the computer in this popular
strategy game that takes tic-tac-toe to a higher level.

[CPOKEMAN]
CPokeman ($0) is similar to PacMan. It is not as slick, but it works well
and does not require graphics. Slow-down required. Uses ASCII characters.

[DEPTHCH]
Depthchg Your ship goes across the top of the screen while subs cross below
it at varying depths. You try to blow up the subs. BASIC required.

[DANGER]
Islands of Danger 3.2 (Carr, Richard; $9) is an excellent shoot-em-up
arcade game. You must clear seven islands (on a scrolling playing field) of
missile launchers to save your friend who has been captured by the Mad
Emperor.

[DIAMAZE]
DiaMaze 1.0 (Herringbone Software; $6) Explore and blast your way through a
mine to find as many diamonds as you can before your lamp fuel runs out.

[DICE]
Dice is the game of Craps. Basic required.

[ECOMSTR]
EcoMaster 2.03 (Cascoly Software ASP; $20) is an ecology simulation in
which you try to predict how animals will survive in a series of different
environments or biomes. Each round, players bid for animals, using
ecopoints that they have earned. This is a game of skill and chance. Some
of the areas where skill comes in include learning which animals perform
best in various biomes. The program uses ASCII characters for graphics, so
it will run on any machine.

[FALLZON]
Fall Zone-II 1.2 (PC Solutions; $12) requires fast thinking and reflexes as
you pick up items in a cave as it crumbles around you.

[GBALLS]
GBalls (Tommy's Toys; $0) you are on a constantly shrinking pool table and
you must try to avoid running into any of the increasing number of balls. A
good hand-eye coordination game for children. No graphics required.

[GOPHER]
Gopher's Garden (Gunn, Christopher G.; $?) Your garden has become overrun
with pesky gophers. Your job is to trounce the little rodents before they
can do any more damage. You can pull up weeds along the way for bonus
points.

[HOVER]
Hover Craft 1.01 (Carr Software; $?) is a game in which you are the
commander and have six hover crafts with which to destroy all of the enemy
missile launchers on the island.

[KURSK]
Battle Of Kursk (Kowalski, Matthew; $0) is a strategy/simulation game of
World War II tank warfare. The strategy comes in proper positioning of your
tank to blast your opponent. The tanks are intended to be historically
accurate in their make-up, despite the fact that only ASCII characters are
used. Frankly, we found this to be a little simplistic (dull), but we've
seen it get rave reviews elsewhere, so that may just be a matter of
personal taste.

[LAWN]
Lawn Mower 2.0 (LAWN) (Orr, Christopher D.; $0) challenges you to cut a
lawn in the least amount of time without running over, through or into
objects and without using up all your spare blades. Finish one yard and
different ones come up.

[MADMAZE]
MadMaze (Soleau, William; $10-$15) is a maze/adventure game. You must find
your way through a maze, blast through walls and find the treasure before
you run out of time.

[MINELAY]
Minelayer 1.2 (Carr Software; $12) is a fast-scrolling color arcade game.
Your high-speed minelayer can move in eight directions across a 24 screen
ocean. You must destroy enemy bases while laying mines for the enemy rammer
ships that are out to get you. If it seems too easy at first, adjust the
parameters as suggested and try again. Works on any kind of video, although
color is helpful.

[NVPOKER]
NVPoker (Niese, Mike; $10) is a video poker machine game. Unlike 2-Bit
Poker, NVPoker doesn't use graphics. Unfortunately, it uses a constant
beeping and tunes. You'll never convince your spouse that you are working
on your taxes in the den. The best feature of this game is that it gives
you hints on strategy on each play, making this a good way to prepare for
the next Las Vegas Comdex.

[PACWORM]
Pacworm The point is to guide a worm around the screen and gobble up things
as they pop up. Each time the worm eats something, it grows longer. If the
head of the worm bumps into a wall or into itself, it dies.

[PCCASINO]
PC-Casino (Fallen, David L.; $10) includes three casino games, all done in
text-graphics that will work on any video system. PC-POKER is a video poker
machine game. Since it does not use true graphics, it is not as good
looking as 2-Bit Poker (#882), but it works well. PC-SLOT is the best
looking text-graphics slot machine game we have seen and the sound effects
are above average too. However, it seems to us that it pays off far too
often compared to real machines. The last game is PC-KENO, a video Keno
machine.

[PCSTUD]
PCStud 1.5 is a video poker game using ASCII graphics.

[PITFALL]
Pitfall You have to guide your jet through an endless pit, avoiding the
curving walls and other dangers.

[PLUNDER]
Plunder 1.0 (Herringbone Software; $6) you must use your skills as an
archaeologist to uncover ancient ruins from Scotland to Iraq. As you dig
trenches and pits in your search for long lost treasure, you must watch
your budget. You can either get rich quick or go bankrupt just as quickly.

[PODWARS]
PodWars (Updyke, Merwin and George, John; $15) is a maze/adventure game.
After running PODWARS.EXE, use the Load option to load TUNL-000. This will
put you in the space ship armory. After you stock up on energy cells and
weapons, you will teleport down into the middle of a lot of rock. Press the
space bar to bring up the weapons menu, select Laser, press Enter (the menu
disappears). Notice at the top of the screen it now says "Lasr". Press an
arrow key in the direction you want to fire and part of the rock is blown
away. Now the top of the screen says "Move", so move into the new space.
Reload the Laser and keep chipping away and moving until you get out of the
rock and into clear tunnel. There is a LOT more to the game. Read the doc
file carefully for what little help there is if you expect to get anywhere.

[PYRO]
Pyro II 2.2.2 (O'Brien, Michael; $0) is a game in which you are a
pyromaniac burning down buildings. As you move from floor to floor, you
earn points for the amount of damage you do without getting trapped in the
flames. (No, the program doesn't have any redeeming social values, but
then, neither does Die Hard(er).) Although the program uses ASCII
characters for graphics, the graphics are very well done and the sound
effects are even better.

[RACECAR]
Racecar 1.2 (Soleau, William; $0) Guide a car down a race track, avoiding
obstacles and oil slicks, following curves in the road and hitting ramps to
jump over gullies. The clever use of ASCII graphics means that the program
should work on any video setup.

[SCIFLYP]
SciFlyPC 2.1 (Berg, Bob; $0) is a very good version of Space Invaders for
those without graphics cards. Its ASCII graphics well done that you won't
miss having true graphics.

[SHAFT]
Shaft 1.0 (Herringbone Software; $6) you must explore the high-rise Fenton
Building trying to defuse anarchist time bombs. The elevator comes in
handy, but the open shaft can be a killer.

[SLOTMAC]
SlotMach is a video slot machine. BASIC source code is included, but BASIC
is not required.

[SNAKES]
Snakes lets you compete against the computer or a friend. As you move
around the screen, you are leaving a "wall" behind you. The goal is to cut
down your opponents space so that he will crash into a wall before you do.

[SPACEIN]
Space Investors 1.1 (SPACEIN) (Pinnacle Software; $0) is a space invaders
type game. Pascal source code is included.

[SUPERPAK]
Super Game Pak (Apogee Software; $various) is an entertaining set of seven
games of arcade action, adventure, and trivia: Block Five ($0) is an
ancient strategy game in which you try to place five markers in a row while
blocking the computer from doing the same. Raiders of the Lost Mine ($0) is
an arcade game in which you dig for gold while trying to avoid the deadly
Skull. Asteroid Rescue ($0) is an ASCII arcade game in which you guide your
ship through asteroids as you save astronauts from being crushed. Use
missiles to blast away rocks, and collect fuel and shields to aid your
ship. Rogue Runner ($0) is an arcade/maze type game with some deadly
creatures thrown in. Shrine of Kroz ($8) is part of the Kroz
ASCII-arcade/maze series. You are an archaeologist with a whip exploring a
vast underground kingdom searching for a Crown. Word Whiz Volume ($4) is a
word challenge game that will rate your ability with lesser known words.

[TOMHYPR]
Tommy's Hyperdrive #32 (TOMHYPR) (Tommy's Toys; $6) You have to guide your
ship through a constantly changing maze. When you reach the exit, your ship
goes through a loud, flashy hyperspace to get to the next level. ASCII
graphics work on any video. Good for younger children.

[TRAP]
Trap 2.0 (Brandt, Bruce; $5) is an unusual and interesting game in which
you try to move doors to trap the "monsters" in the least amount of time.

[VIPER]
Viper (Kemmetmueller, Robert; $0) is a shoot-em-up space arcade game that
makes such good use of graphics that you will swear it is using true
graphics.

[YAHTZEE]
Yahtzee is the game of Yahtzee in uncompiled BASIC, for those who like to
study/modify the source code.

[ZZT]
ZZT 3.2 (Potomac Computer Systems, ASP; $15) is an exploration and
adventure arcade game. It's use of ASCII characters for "graphics" means
that the program will run on any kind of video. The game comes with 43
screens (rooms, or whatever) in which you try to get to keys that open
doors you must get through while solving clever puzzles that block your
progress. You must also avoid deadly creatures that could harm you. If the
43 screens are not enough for you, a game editor lets you create your own
game worlds. This is a very well designed game, and includes on-line
instructions and a hint file.