Home Version Similarities: Except those in <> all home versions have: introduction with the Olympic Anthem; a practice mode for all 10 events (scores & times/distances shown); a choice of 1 to 4 players; simultaneous gameplay for 2 players in all running events <2600>; displays “first”, “second” and “third attempt” at each field event; official Olympic Decathlon points scoring system is used for each event – faster, farther or higher, means more points scored; the decathlete with the most cumulative points is the overall Decathlon Gold medal winner; after each attempt/event, there is a delay of ~15 seconds to see your current results, points and then cumulative points; you are then prompted for the next attempt/event, but given an unlimited pause/wait <Atari 8 bit, 5200, CV> until you are ready (move joystick when ready); a speed/power gauge is used for all events, and for running events there is one for both runners, plus a real-time clock; distance readouts for each field event attempt; a musical tribute when you reach or exceed 1,000 points; scrolling action of the background (stadium, fans, light towers) on every event; and finally, back in the day, you could send Activision a photograph of your high score which could earn you an Activision Decathlon patch of an Olympic medal. Scoring 8,600 to 8,999 would earn a Bronze, 9,000 to 9,999 a Silver, and over 10,000 a Gold medal patch. All Addictiveness scores were increased +1 for these patches. To me, the patches are still as effective a means to pursue higher scores as saving world records on disk – even today you can still strive to reach those goals, knowing what they represent.

What is not included in the Activision Decathlon is a lot of fanfare, sound effects or music. The background scrolls while the torchbearer runs through the stadium, but that is all. There is no pressure or urgency to be ready for the next event - but after all this is a home game . . . so there’s no line behind you and no quarter eating machine at hand. None of the action continues until you are ready. There are no false starts, and thus you miss out on the anticipation of that starting gun.

Decathlon Events
Here are descriptions of the original Atari 2600 version, with other versions to follow. The events are simple in appearance, but have great playability. Each event has the exact same stadium (side) view where the running track is the consistent ingredient throughout. The running events have hash marks or hurdles, and a finish line. The field events use the track as the runway or approach but or a high bar, pole vault bar or the fault line marks the transition to the pit or the throw field. The background scrolls with the runner, or follows the projectile until it lands. There are no 3-D effects other than the shadow of each competitor. The high bars and pits are 2-D.

Have Nots: Atari 5200 (37)
My first reaction is that this is identical to the Atari 8 bit computer version – in theory. All the preliminary menu activity, the looks, and sound are all the same. One version was first, the other was simply a port with the usual mods to the user interface/controls. All the same comments & scores apply to Gameplay (10), Addictiveness (8), Graphics (9) and Sound (6), but not Controls. First, the pause button has been purposefully disabled. Next the Masterplay Interface does not appear to work correctly. The Wico controllers are pitiful. This leaves you with standard 5200 analog sticks to somehow get an incredibly fast rhythm going at will. Needless to say Controls are weak (4) as you are never really able to get anything consistently going. You may get lucky at times and find that rhythm for a few seconds, but what is the point. Just give it up and play the computer version with a real stick.

Have Nots: Atari 2600 (41)
My first reaction was disappointment that this is another of those Activision carts that doesn’t fit well in the slot – no penalty, just a caution to players. Using a different controller for different players/events may in practice yield better performance (it does for me), but be careful - as one slight bump will wipe out your game. Gameplay is awesome (10), with all 10 events, none are too easy, none are too hard, all are well-done. In running, there is no “ready, set, go” or gun. Instead, once you move the stick, the Real Time clocks begins. The power/speed bar is very important feedback to the player and the practice mode lets you learn, practice & enjoy every aspect of the gameplay. Addictiveness is enjoyable (8) with the built in pause between all events/attempts. Missing here is a chance to race (run) simultaneously – added to later versions. Graphics are pretty good (7), with just enough color, animation and event details to enjoy. The shadowing effects and scrolling are well done. Sound is good enough (6) to give you some audio feedback. The best parts are the opening score (the Olympic Anthem) and the short jingle - “Charge!” when you exceed 1,000 points. The only other sound effects are your footfalls. Controls are perfect (10), and the special “Track & Field” or most any other controllers will work on all systems.

Bronze Medal: Atari 8 bit (43)
My first reaction was excited to see a step up from the 2600 by adding simultaneous running, improved graphics (more realism, animation & detail added to all field events), but not much else improved over the original. Gameplay is awesome (10) with everything in place, plus a unique scrolling menu to select the # of players and events. Selecting each player’s three digit initials are unique here, but do not add much in the long run. There’s a scrolling message about the games, quoting Pierre De Coubertin “ . . . not to win, but to take part”. In running events, instead of the usual “ready, set go“, there’s just a gun. But then there is no way to false start, which makes the starting gun almost useless. Addictiveness is very fun (8), enhanced by adding simultaneous running by two players – and when playing solo, a computer opponent is supplied. But then David Crane’s clever built-in pause/wait from the 2600 was dropped here - meaning once the game begins, you must be ready to continue all the way through. To make matters worse, there is no pause button if you need it. Fortunately, this only applies to running events, as the field events still wait for you to begin moving the stick. If playing via disk (Atari or Commodore), the entire game is placed into memory in one load - so there are no subsequent delays on any version – and no penalty to the score. Graphics are remarkable, the best (9) on this version. The stands are farther away, but more effective with a very small but colorful crowd. Neither the color nor the animation is the best, but the detail is good and the realism of each event is by far what makes the difference to me. The approach areas, foul lines, 3-D pits and infields are well done. For example, the Shot Put has a circular start zone with a cone shaped infield, complete with hash marks along and across it. Everything is displayed with some 3-D perspective. The only place this backfires is the High Jump, as you cannot tell exactly where you are relative to the bar – but practice will help. The Pole Vault has the same 3-D look, but a planting box was added, so you can more easily tell when to lower the pole. Note that the Pole Vault mechanics are different from all other versions - and there’s no manual online. Quickly move L/R as usual for speed, then stop L/R motion as you press the fire button to plant the pole. Keep the fire button pressed until you want to release from the pole. Finally, the biggest difference is that all scores, times and information are displayed above the crowd, making it look like a gigantic scoreboard. Sound is OK (6) but essentially the same as the 2600. A starting gun sound and footfalls are the extent of the effects. There is the 1,000 point chime, but no crowd cheer. No “dinks”, “bumps” or “thuds” were added. Controls are excellent (10), and swapping in/out different controllers is no problem. This game is found on both floppy disk and cart.

Gold Medal: Commodore 64 & Colecovision (44)
These are more similar to each other than the Atari, but after all, they were coded by the same team. Like the Atari, for all running events there are 2 simultaneous runners. There’s a countdown “on your marks, get set, go” or “ready, set, go” then a gun fires - but once again there is no way to false start – you can move L/R as early and often as you want. After the chime for scoring 1,000 points, the crowd will now applaud, but remains motionless. There’s no need to continuously wiggle the stick on the Pole Vault. Once planted, you maintain power and just press again to release. The 3-D of the PV is bad on both versions, in fact the pole will hit the bar when it is not even close – bad sprite collision detection, so plan your push-off earlier than it appears visually. If you hit a bar you’ll hear “dink”, hit a hurdle “bump”, throw and object or when you jump “woomp”, followed by the landing “thud”. The 100 m dash, Long Jump etc have hash marks every 10 m. Once you begin an event, the action continues at a minimal power level, even if you do nothing.

Commodore 64
My first reaction is this version is the hardest to score points on, but it is pretty balanced and fair. The Gameplay is all there and nearly flawless (10). Addictiveness is fantastic (9). Just like the 2600, there is a built in delay between all actions (press fire button to move on). Plus once you start running, you can pause using the <R/S> key, and resume play by <R/S> or moving the stick again - excellent! Graphics are beautiful (8) with the most detail and animation, but also have the same simple “everything looks the same” look of the 2600. Sound is effective (7) with the crowd cheer and several effects. Controls are perfect (10). Available on cart and disk.

Colecovision
My first reaction was this version plays a bit too easy. You can approach or clear 1100 points on several events - atypical of the usually hardest to play systems, the CV. Gameplay is magnificent (10) and complete with all options. Only a minor loss in allowing only 1 or 2 players, not 3 or 4. The keypad is well-done here and regardless if there are 1 or 2 players, both keypads function all the time - <*> moves the selection to the next event; <#> begins the event or Decathlon; and <0> will toggle the pause. Like the C64, you also return to action by simply moving the joystick. Thus you can let one player use a non-CV controller and still be able to pause. This is important, because like the Atari 8 bit version, once the Decathlon starts, it keeps on going – with no breaks in the running events. Addictiveness is outstanding (9) – having a pause, and at the same time getting perfect (10) Controls. Graphics are very nice (8) with a variety of color, but are still simplified and unrealistic. The athletes are larger in size, helping to improve the animation, but the Atari has loads more realism and the C64 much finer detail. Still close enough to match the C64 score. The 400 m & 1500 m, have hash marks every 10m which is a bit of an overkill. The Pole Vault is missing the planting box. Sound is very good (7).

Yet another tie, and neither Gold Medal winner is significantly better than the Atari in any area. The CV only allows 2 players, but is easier to play and has the most controller choices. So I’m sure fans of either system can argue victory for their favorite. Regardless, all 5 versions could have been improved a bit, but let’s face it, the race was on to get these out the door to capture that 1984 Olympic Fever.

A cool Activision advert. Did you know there was a “Decathlon” glove?

Notes & Thanks:
This is the first review since RT #70 where all games are found on cartridges. No disk-only games this month. Thanks for long ago help when Steve Knox got me the Atari 8 bit disk version & Tom Zjaba saved and traded me the CV cart. Recently (Philly Classic 2004), thanks to Jarett Waite of www.packratvg.com for holding the Atari 8 bit Decathlon cart. Finally, thanks to reader, Cameron Christison who tells me that the original Apple II “Track & Field” package included the standard T&F controller plus an adapter cable that hooks in between. But alas, no pictures yet, and this baby was not Apple II C compatible.

Come back next month, where we make our very first 25th anniversary tribute – reviewing the Many Faces of “Galaxian” (1979 arcade hit) on the Apple ][, Colecovision, C64, Atari 2600, Atari 5200 & 8 bit computers, Vic 20 - and if time permits - a quick look at the unofficial Bally Astrocade version.

Samantha (7) & Timmy (4) helped their daddy to play test Decathlon during the Olympic TV ads. Contact: Hewston95@NOSPAMstratos.net Also visit the “Many Faces of” site: http://my.stratos.net/~hewston95/RT/ManyFacesHome.htm.

	Collecting in Australia - AUSTRALIA'S UNIQUE VIDEO GAME SYSTEMS
by Tonks

Being tucked away down under and reasonably isolated has made Australia a very unique country. We have some of the most unique and weird wild life you are ever likely to find, such as Kangaroos, Koalas, Echidnas, Platypus and Steve Erwin. When it comes to classic video game consoles Australia's uniqueness continues. I don't believe that there has ever been a console actually invented or manufactured here, but a few companies have taken the initiative to "re-badge" consoles and sell them and the games as their "own". The following are just a few of these consoles.

DICK SMITH WIZZARD
Dick Smith is an Australian millionaire entrepreneur. Back in the 80's he owned a large chain of electronic stores. As a part of this electronic business Disk Smith started importing and putting his own name on a number of components, including the Dick Smith Wizzard. In other countries the Wizzard is known as the Creativision, the Funvision or the Rameses.

The Wizzard looks a lot like a Colecovision. Released in Australia in 1982, it was met with only moderate success. Not many games were released and those that were available seemed to be average rip-offs of popular games such as Space Invaders, Frogger and Pacman. Graphically I would say the Wizzard is on par with the Intellivision.

What makes the Wizard stand out from the crowd is the amount of add-ons that were available. Dick Smith released a keyboard, a cassette unit and a 16k memory expansion. Other planned accessories included a printer, a disk drive and even a modem. All these put together upgraded your basic game console to a fully programmable computer.

VZ 200 / 300
Here we have another machine from Dick Smith. This time however it is a home computer rather than a video game console. The VZ 200 was released in 1983. It was a very basic machine with 8k RAM, 9 colours and a very blocky resolution of only 128 x 64. The VZ 300 came out in 1985. This was a much improved upgrade of the VZ 200 and featured a proper keyboard, 16k RAM and increased resolution.

The initial attraction of the VZ 200 was its low price. It retailed for only $199. I can remember it later being offered at only $99 for a limited time. This was much cheaper than anything else on the market. At the time the Vic 20 was priced at $299 and an Atari 2600 was about $250.

At the risk of offending any fans of the VZ 200 or 300, this would have to be the worst of any classic system I have ever seen. A number of games were released on cassette. Unfortunately I wouldn't say any of them are very playable at all. Collectors of classic computers would find the VZ 200 / 300 desirable due to their rarity, but gamers would find very little of interest.

The VZ200 / 300 was released in Europe as the Laser 210 / 310 and in the US as the Texet TX8000 .

JOHN SANDS SC3000
Basically what you have here is a renamed SEGA SC3000 released in Australia by the greeting card company John Sands. The SC3000 had some success early on, but like many other computer systems, it was soundly beaten into submission by the mighty Commodore 64.

The SC3000 had 16k RAM, 16 colour graphics and a screen resolution of 256 x 192. Each of the 16 colours also had 16 intensities, giving a possible 256 colour palette. This all meant the SC3000 could produce some impressive graphics, almost on par with the C64.

Being a SEGA machine, some very good games were released for the SC3000. Games were released on either cassette or cartridge. Many very good arcade conversions, particularly of SEGA games, were released. Some of these include Hang On, Zaxxon, Wonderboy, Galaga, Monaco GP, Elevator Action, Bomb Jack and HERO.

As far as I can tell, the SC3000 was only released in Japan, Australia and New Zealand, meaning this is a very rare machine. SEGA collectors may have to pay good money to add this one to their collections, so check out ebay.com.au and keep your fingers crossed.

PHILLIPS G7000 VIDEOPAC
American gamers would know this machine as the Odyssey2. Phillips was the parent company of Magnavox. When the Odyssey 2 was starting to sell well in the US, Phillips started to look at where else the console would sell. So Australia and Europe were introduced to the G7000 Videopac.

This is one console I do not own, therefore my knowledge is very limited. I haven't even been able to find out a lot from the internet, particularly information how the G7000 Videopac may differ to the Odyssey 2. So if there are any collectors out there with more information about the Phillips G7000 Videopac, then please email me.

Here's the updated lineup:
A.P.B., Arch Rivals, Championship Sprint, Cyberball 2072, Gauntlet 2, Hard Drivin’, Kozmik Kroozr’, Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat II, NARC, Pit Fighter, Primal Rage, Rampage World Tour, Spy Hunter 2, STUN Runner, Timber, Total Carnage, Wizard of Wor, Xenophobe, Xybots, and Wacko.

Don't forget that along with the games you also get bonuses like interview videos with the designers, or machine artwork, or a biography of the game itself. The game is currently scheduled to be released October 12 for the XBox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube, and will go for $20. Be warned, though, it has been rated M for Mature.
Credit: Gamespot (www.gamespot.com)

For more information, visit the Radica Games website at (www.radicagames.com)

We once again visit the ongoing debate between the Nintendo and Sega systems. School is just about starting for all the young'uns out there, so I'd though I'd revisit an old tradition: the paperboy. Not too long ago kids made their income by delivering newspapers to their neighbors. In late 1984 Atari Games decided to make an arcade title based on that very profession. It was a slightly unusual cabinet because you controlled the action with a set of handlebars, since you're riding a bike in the game. The title was a moderate success and spawned several different ports on several game systems, and even had an updated edition released on the Nintendo 64. Of course this column is talking about the Nintendo and Sega versions, both of which were released in the US.

In Paperboy, you assume the role of..well, a paperboy. Your job is to deliver papers to the subscribers along your route each day from Monday to Sunday. Before you begin each level you get a map showing you the customers and non-customers. You have to throw papers at the suscriber's houses (usually blue, white and yellow), either at their door or in their mailboxes. You get points for every successful delivery, and a little more if you chuck the paper into their mailboxes. Sounds simple, right? Thing is this isn't your ordinary neighborhood. There are obstacles out to keep you from compleitng your rounds. These range from skateboarders, cars, dogs, angry old women brandishing rolling pins, all the way up to tornados and even the Grim Reaper! Also look out for non-subscriber houses, which are either red (NES) or black (Sega). You can do some destruction to the houses by breaking windows and knocking over items with your papers for points. However you have a limited supply of papers, so be sure to pick up extra bundles you find along the way, or you'll run out. You lose a life every time you collide with an obstacle. If you make it to the end of the street, you get to go through an obstacle course for bonus points. After each day, you revisit the map to see your daily result. If a customer does not receive a paper, or if you vandalized their house by accident, they may cancel their subscription. On the other hand, if you do a perfect job, you just might get a new suscriber. The game continues until you make it to Sunday, you lose all your lives, or if all your subscribers become non-subscribers.

Paperboy NES (1988 Mindscape)
The old gray box gets a good translation here. The graphics aren't the best. Many of the sprites and houses are lacking detail, but they do their job. The sounds fare somewhat better. This game has a slightly-muted but still good rendition of the arcade theme, and the sound effects are great as well, with plenty of crashing sounds. The controls work really well so you shouldn't have too much trouble, though it often takes practice to avoid some of the obstacles and snag extra papers. This game pak is the easier of the two version. The game moves along slowly, and you can easily throw a paper at whatever target you're aiming for. That's not to say this game is a pushover; you'll still get a good challenge. It may not have the best graphics, but the gameplay is there, and that's what counts.

Paperboy SMS (1990 Sega/US Gold)
Sega's version has some advantages over the NES port, but also has some major minuses as well. The graphics are excellent; this game almost looks exactly like the arcade port, with lots of detail and is tons more colorful. You even get the word balloons that appear when you run into something. However this game takes a bit hit in the audio and gameplay departments. A bad rendition of the theme plays almost non-stop, and the bonus stage theme isn't any better. The gameplay is the weakest point. The controls work okay but they seemed squirreliy at times(please note I used a Genesis control pad to play this). This pak is also incosistent when it comes to what you can hit. You can hit mailboxes and doormats easy, but you have to lead the paper when trying to nail windows and certain moving obstacles. Other items such as trash cans and break-dancers, which can be nailed in the arcade and NES versions, can't be hit at all, but they can hit you back. This version is overall more difficult, and can be a frustrating ride downt he neighborhood.

Analysis
Suffice it to say I just enjoyed the NES version more. Sega had the arcade graphics down pat, but it's gameplay that counts, and the NES reigns supreme once again.

Winner: NES

Today we will sit in on a session between Dr. I.M. Sane and Pauline, former girlfriend of Mario. Let us listen in.

Dr. Sane - Tell me about your past relationship with Mario.

Pauline - We were dating and everything was going great. Then I got kidnapped by a giant ape named Donkey Kong. Mario saved me and then he was thrusted into the spotlight and suddenly I never heard from him anymore. He did not return my calls or anything. Then before I knew it, I see he him dating some chick named Princess Peach. Can you believe that I got dumped for some woman named Princess Peach? Why kind of stupid name is that?

Dr. Sane - Why do you think that Mario broke up with you? Was there an incident that happened? Maybe an arguement or something?

Pauline - Nothing that I can think of. He was all lovey dovey when he saved me from that stinking ape, but soon after that he became famous and in came Donkey Kong Junior and out with Pauline. I tried and tried to contact Mario, but his people never gave him my messages. Then that Princess Peach came around and I was yesterday's news. I doubt she really is a princess, has anyone checked her credentials. I think she is a big fraud, that is what I think.

Dr. Sane - You are very hostile, have you considered anger management?

Pauline - Have you ever been kidnapped by a giant, smelly gorilla? Were you ever dumped by one of the most popular people in the world? I don't think so. I have a right to be angry, got it?

Dr. Sane- I see that this is going to take longer than I first thought. We will need to up the sessions from once a week to twice a week.

Pauline - Yeah and just send my bill to that no good plumber and let him pay it. If I ever get my hands on that.....

Tom Zjaba (Who hopes to contribute an article a month for RTM. Glad to see that Adam and Alan are doing a great job of keeping the legacy alive as well as create their own vision.)

Once again we revisit the magical place known as Commercial Land. This month we actually have a pair of ads from a company that's not named Atari, Activision, or Mattel. I know I rarely spotlight other companies, but that's due to a) not having the ads from other companies, and b) the "Big 3" just advertised more. Recently the fine folks at Digital Press unearthed a quartet of very rarely-seen ads from CBS Electronics and posted them at their website. I'm going to talk about two of them here.

Anyway if you remember CBS Electronics was one of the larger third-party companies during the 2600's run. They published several coin-op translations, including good versions of Wizard of Wor and Solar Fox, as well as other original titles. They also published games for the Atari 5200 and the 8-bit line. Here we find two ads that showed off Solar Fox and Tunnel Runner. This isn't exactly Osacr-winning material here, but let's face it: we've seen worse.

Don't forget you can download both these ads at the Digital Press website at www.digitpress.com.

Solar Fox
Our first ad is definetly an 80s spot. Here we have our hero, Solar Fox, driving a spaceship into a field of colored squares, and he's accompanied by a blonde stereotype who does nothing but panic and cheer on her man. We also get some boppy music and animated graphics demonstrating the game. Yep, it's an 80s ad alright.

PICTURES:

"The trouble must be in that mulitcolored tower"	Does she do anything besides freak out and use Valley slang?	"You really need to lay off the caffine, miss."
Further into the field of squares.	"Whatever I did to deserve this, I'M SORRY!"

You have to feel sorry for that guy, who's only friend is a Madonna-wannabe.

Tunnel Runner
In this spot we find a game player who somehow became trapped in the Tunnel Runnel game on his TV. He basically tries to find his way out, dodging the monsters while searching for the exit. Just when he thinks he finds it, he goes through only to appear in the next level.

PLAYER: "They think I'm trapped, but I'll escape."
NARRATOR: "Tunner Runner. The new vide game where you don't look down on the maze, you're in it."
PLAYER: "Monster! He's smart, I gotta outsmart him! Ooh! He's fast, I gotta be faster!"
NARRATOR: "Tuner Runner with RAM-PLUS to megacharge your VCS for three times the excitement!"
PLAYER: "Right? Left? Better check the map. It's the EXIT...to another maze!"
NARRATOR: "Tunner Runner, from CBS Electronics, where the excitement never ends."
PLAYER: "I'm not trapped. I'm not trapped!"

PICTURES:

"I know I should be on the other side of the screen."	"EEEK! An evil Pac-Man!"	"Must run blindly through the maze."
"I can't naviagate without the YOU ARE HERE arrow."	"Surely this is the exit from this crazy game."	"I may still be stuck here, but I'm not trapped!"

Dude, face it: you're trapped. Just be a man and accept it.

Don't forget you can find a collection of Nintendo ads at my website, NES Times (come.to/nestimes) Also I'm still selling copies of the Retrogaming Commercial Vault CD-ROM, but for a limited time. If you are still interested in obtaining a copy, e-mail me at Hal_3000@rocketmail.com for all the details. Hurry because soon I am going to stop selling them.

This is a listing of upcoming shows and their web address where you can find more information, iuncluding times, locations, and admission.

One of the fun things about the old Atari VCS were the paddle games. I bet most of you have fond memories of playing Warlords and Circus Atari. When Jakks Pacific released their Atari 10-in-1 joystick earlier this years, many were disappointed that Pong, Circus Atari, and Breakout were included, despite usign the paddle originally. Now Jakks has more than made up for it. They recently released the Atari Paddle TV Games system, and it is definlety a must-buy.

Like the others in the series, the Paddle TV games is a self-contained game system. You simply pop in two AA batteries and plug into the A/V ports of your TV to use. The first thing you'll notice is the system looks almost exactly like an Atari paddle, except that it's larger to accomodate the system. It'll feel different but you'll get used to it. Jakks releases a 1 player and 2 player version, which has a second paddle connected to it. Thirteen games are included on this paddle, 11 of which are form the 2600: Breakout, Canyon Bomber, Casino, Circus Atari, Demons to Diamonds, Night Driver, Steeplechase, Street Racer, Super Breakout, Video Olympics, and Warlords. You get the arcade version of Warlords and Pong to round out the package. During each game the MENU button allows you the choose the options found in the 2600 versions. You have to choose which options you want with the paddle, but it's no trouble, and you can change games when you feel like it. Be aware that in the 1-klayer paddle, the 2-player options have been removed.

The emulation of each of the titles is almost flawless; every game plays just like the original, with much of the fun intact. The graphics are simply spot on. Some of the sound effects seem a little off, but not too much. The interface is easy to use and you can set your options without much hassle. The only real negative to this package is one game they could have included: Activision's Kaboom, which gets included in all the emulation packages yet they can't get the paddle controls right. Keep in mind that Jakks also released an Activison 10-in-1, so they probably could have worked out a deal where they can included Kaboom in this package. That way we can finally play that game with a paddle again. Oh well. That minor quibble aside, the Atari Paddle Games system is an excellent package for all classic gaming enthusiasts. Each game still holds that additive gameplay from many moons ago, and this will wash away the bad taste of the Atari 10-in-1. If you want to play Breakout and Warlords without hunting down a 2600, this is a fine choice you can't pass up.

The 1-player version retails for $19.99-$24.99, with the 2-player version going for $25-$30. The 2-player version is more recommended, so you can enjoy the head-to-head gameplay of Warlords and Demons to Diamonds with a friend, like you should.

To most gamers today, Jeff Minter is known as the guy who programmed Tempest 2000 or who is working on that rather weird sounding Unity. But to those whose earliest gaming memories go back to the early 1980's, Jeff Minter is regarded as the most respected and most well known Vic 20 programmer. His games are among the most playable and they certainly pushed the humble Vic 20 further than many thought possible.

The Vic 20 was the first proper computer Jeff Minter owned. He would set up his Vic on his parent's TV and literally program his first games laying on his parent's lounge room floor. Jeff quickly learned to program simple games, but found the built in basic too restrictive. So Jeff taught himself machine code, and the rest so they say is history.

Jeff's first commercial game was "Andes Attack". In Jeff's own words, "Andes Attack was a pretty poor and buggy game, but it was written in machine code and not BASIC like 99 percent of the crap on the market at that time." Andes Attack caught the eye of HES, and thus started a partnership that carried on successfully for a number of years. Jeff's games were sold in two ways. Llamasoft distributed games on tape or disk while HES distributed games on cartridge.

Jeff's big break came with "Gridrunner". At one point it was in the top 10 best seller list for both the Vic 20 and the Commodore 64 at the very same time. Gridrunner, is about alien Droids in the year 2190 who are stealing electricity from Earth's orbiting power station, the "Grid. " To stop them, a combat ship patrols the Grid. In the game, the Grid is a large lattice on the screen, and Earth's combat ship moves along the lower portion, firing on segmented Droids, dodging the X/Y Zappers, and eliminating mutating yellow pods which sometimes lodge in the lattice. Gridrunner has been described as Centipede on steroids.

And that has always been Jeff Minter's strong point, to take an established game and "super-charge" it with some of the most frantic and demanding gameplay you will ever find. Jeff's main influences and favourite games probably come as no surprise. Eugine Jarvis, the creator of the classics Defender and Robotron, is one of Jeff's biggest heroes. Star Wars Arcade and Tempest are two of his other favourite games.

The Vic 20 has a real special place in Jeff Minter's heart. He's sees it as the machine that helped launch Llamasoft, and effectively his career as a programmer. He still owns his first Vic 20 and claims he will never throw it out.

Jeff says that the biggest challenge he had to face with the Vic 20 was "NO MEMORY! The only way around that was just to come up with clever designs and code 'em tight." But that discipline learnt long ago on the Vic 20 has helped Jeff remain a tight and efficient programmer. In some recent interviews Jeff admitted to writing a version of Gridrunner on the PC in less than 5k, just to see if he could still do it.

Jeff Minter is simply a legend when it comes to the Vic 20, and his legend certainly continued with the Commodore 64, the Atari ST and even later on the Jaguar. Thanks to his generosity we can continue to enjoy Jeff's classic games on emulation. He has often said in interviews that he is happy for people to have and distribute copies of his old games. "So as far as I am concerned, as long as they are freely distributed and not sold for profit, all old Llamasoft game images for use on emulators can be freely uploaded on any site anywhere, with my full permission. I hate it when you go to download an emu and there are no games because everyone is so scared of getting busted by some selfish old dinosaur."

The following are the games written by Jeff Minter for the Vic 20.
Andes Attack
Aggressor
Metagalactic Llamas Battle at the Edge of Time
Gridrunner
Abductor
Traxx
Matrix
Laser Zone
Hell Gate
Deflex

Now that the TRS-80 Color Computer has exhausted itself running a very limited “Many Faces Of” race pitting its licensed titles against the competition, it’s time for the equivalent of a steroid-enhancing boost.

Limited sales, licensing issues and other factors are responsible for the scarcity of official titles, but plenty of programmers wrote unofficial versions that generally rank among the best CoCo programs available. The same happened for many other machines, of course, so treat this like you would a Casino Night fund raiser at the local elementary school: a strictly for fun substitute for the real thing. None of the results officially count.

To keep things relatively fair, a CoCo title isn’t considered unless it tries to imitate virtually every aspect of the arcade original. There are dozens of Pac-Man variations, for example, but all wander too far from the real thing in terms of maze design, game rules and other factors. Minor differences, such as being able to kill the Hulk ‘bots in the unofficial CoCo version of Robotron, are allowed as part of the limitations and quirks that inevitably make it into all home conversions.

The “official” games are listed first, followed in parenthesis by the actual CoCo title. Descriptions and grades are largely from my CoCo Game Reviews site (cocoreviews.net), along with a rough guess about how they would fare in the “Many Faces Of” competition (in general I’ve played most of these titles on at least a few other platforms).

For those who find limited appeal in playing yet another Asteroids or Centipede clone, especially if it’s less than gold medal quality, take heart: Next I’ll be taking a look at the best of the unique titles for the CoCo, most of which are well worth any retrogamer’s time (after that maybe I’ll do some of the worst, as a warning for those browsing through all the titles available, plus a fun way to come up with new ways to say “awful” as many times as possible).

Qbert (Cubix)
This is one of better conversions for the CoCo, but still falls well short of feeling like the real thing. But a number of small touches help it score well related to other titles on the machine.