This “open source” simulator was writen around 1972 and published in 1977 - long before open source movement came to existance and a little bit before it’s author got his first computer. And it runs (flies?) on a scientific calculator with a segment-display.
Paul Lutus has become a legend among computer enthusiasts thanks to his brilliant career from a self-taught electronics technician to a NASA engineer. He is also a programmer who was the first one to work remotely in the 1970s.
I recently moved out and left behind my D&D books and a large collection of Magic The Gathering cards. So for several weeks I was looking for an interesting computer RPG. Ideally, set in the D&D world and one in which battles would be played in a mode similar to Final Fantasy Tactics. The obvious prerequisite for this was that it was an eight or 16 bit era game so that I could run it on my retro gaming gear.
M.U.L.E. is an economic strategy you must have. Many consider it to be the best game ever made for eight-bit computers. I think I agree with that. One of the game’s breakthroughs is the availability of multi-player for up to four players.
We start with choosing a colour. The computer displays the next colours, the player can reserve a colour for himself by pressing the fire-button. Then we go to the choice of one of eight available races: Mechtron, Bonzoid, Flapper, Gollumer, Leggite, Packer, Spheroid or Humanoid.
Palace situation turns grim
crowds chant “go away”
If I were a dictator, I would take everything valuable and run away. This is exactly what you need to do in the game Overthrown for the Commodore VIC-20.
Some of us remember the times when eight-bit computers were every teenager’s dream. Slightly younger ones may remember the classic versions of GTA games, those with simple graphics and a top-down view. Later, 3D graphics almost completely dominated the gaming world.
The world has come to an end, the sun is gone, the earth has turned into an ice desert. In an attempt to save the world from the Greenhouse effect, scientists detonated nuclear charges at both poles of the planet. By doing so, they created a vapour layer in the atmosphere that, instead of cooling the planet down, led to eternal winter. The nightmare of scientists and environmentalists has become a fact.
Have you ever thought about minimizing your game collection, so you would have only titles which you absolutely love? It may be an interesting idea if you think about it. Here is my „Top 5” but order does not matter, since every game is different and unique.
DR. MARIO
A highly addictive game (like drugs). This, published in 1990, tetris-like title will keep you hooked for hours and hours. Gameplay requires a little bit of creative thinking, but first and foremost – I find it very relaxing.
The ZX81 was one of the first 8-bit computers, in its basic version it had only 1KB of RAM. Nevertheless, it has thousands of games and programs in the form of both listings and applications distributed on tapes. The machine could be expanded with modules extending the available memory up to 64 KB. From today’s perspective, it is fascinating how much could be squeezed out of the basic 1KB version.
