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Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 8:42 am
by Juan F. Ramirez
EXTRA!!!, EXTRA!!!

Microhobby Cassette issue 3 is OUT NOW!!!

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This month we'll review a text adventure (YES, A NEW TEXT ADVENTURE!), a cards game, a maze one, plattform, olympics, a utility program (no idea what it's about, manage M/C routines or so, you know, useless stuff!) and a new adventure of Cosme, the star in issue 2 that I'm sure will be the star in this issue as well!

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Stay tuned in your pathetic fave SC thread!!!

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 9:36 am
by PeterJ
Yipppeee!

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2019 11:53 am
by Juan F. Ramirez
Hechizo (Spell)

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Great loading screen!

The first game of the issue is a text adventure in which you must control a princess , confined in an enchanted castle. It gets the first 'Seal of Approval'. You'll guess why.

The aim is find the prince, free him and escape both from the castle carrying as many objects as you can (it seems both suffers from kleptomania! - Ed). The prince is confined inside an ark (?), so you must find it and call on the magic words 'ALABI' or 'ALABA'.

The castle consists of two floors with some rooms in each one, containing doors and windows (if you try to exit a room through a window in the second floor you'll die).

Objects you can pick up (and can help you or not!):

Llaves (keys)
Espada (sword)
Pergamino (parchment)
Arca (ark)
Ataud (coffin)
Fantasma (ghost)
enano (midget)
Corona (crown)


Verbs to use are:
Coger (pick up)
Dejar (leave)
Mirar (watch)

And use the verb IR (go) with the directions:

Norte
Sur
Este
Oeste (west)
Arriba (up)
abajo (down)

The program will always ask you 'What should the princess do?'. Press 6 in the starting menu to start the game.

If any other question about the program, please, use Google translator!

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Picking up the sword

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2019 11:17 pm
by Juan F. Ramirez
Hormiguero Maldito (The Damned Ant's Nest)

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A colony of ants were living happily collecting food for winter when an evil band of plant louses invaded their ant's nest. So you must guide a group of surviving four ants through five screens collecting five pieces of food and reaching the upper zone of each screen to pass to the next one, avoiding the evil baddies.

O - left
P - right
Q - up

The ants have a secret weapon: formic acid that paralyses the louses by pressing the A key.

Press the two first intro screens with the 0 key to start.

A good plattform with an original plot. The graphics of the ants are very well done. Good level of difficulty. Enough reasons to get the 'Seal of Approval' award.

Two games, two seals of approval. This thread will be epic!... well, don't get your hopes up! :mrgreen:

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 12:17 am
by Ivanzx
Madre mía, Juan, qué recuerdos :shock: :shock: :shock:

It is like going back to my uncle´s house with my cousin, when I was 6!

By the way, I have to give another chance to Hechizo.

I also think that Hormiguero maldito is actually a game from a british covertape, I will have to look for it.

Thanks for this!

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 1:04 am
by jpnz
Ivanzx wrote: Sun Nov 24, 2019 12:17 am ...I also think that Hormiguero maldito is actually a game from a british covertape, I will have to look for it...
You're right, it's one of the Benny Bunny games - Litterbugs

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 1:10 am
by Ivanzx
jpnz wrote: Sun Nov 24, 2019 1:04 am
Ivanzx wrote: Sun Nov 24, 2019 12:17 am ...I also think that Hormiguero maldito is actually a game from a british covertape, I will have to look for it...
You're right, it's one of the Benny Bunny games - Litterbugs
That´s it! thanks jpnz! I was looking for "Rabbit" but it was Bunny :)

I remember playing this game as I was 6 and 7 years old a lot! At some point there was no exit in one of the levels, as far as I remember :roll:

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 9:38 am
by Juan F. Ramirez
The 'Seal of Approval' awards, among other things, the originality... so we're facing a case of... erm...

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Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 9:45 am
by Juan F. Ramirez
Seriously, I think it should be included in the original game entry as 'released as El Hormiguero Maldito in MH Cassette issue 3', or so.

A sort of link between the two games. Don't you think, [mention]druellan[/mention]?

There was a similar case in last thread (issue 2). I'm afraid we'd open a 'Pandora's Box'! :lol:

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 9:50 am
by djnzx48
Should any of these games be classified as mods?

I recall there was an earlier thread about this: viewtopic.php?f=32&t=1251

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 10:40 am
by druellan
Juan F. Ramirez wrote: Sun Nov 24, 2019 9:45 am Seriously, I think it should be included in the original game entry as 'released as El Hormiguero Maldito in MH Cassette issue 3', or so.
A sort of link between the two games. Don't you think, @druellan?
Yes! There are several cases of, *cof*, "inspiration" on the Microhobby that perhaps worth to be noted on the comments. About this one, if I remember correctly is not a direct copy but kind of a MOD, the map does not match.
✓ Reviewed

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 2:07 pm
by Morkin
Juan F. Ramirez wrote: Sun Nov 24, 2019 9:38 am The 'Seal of Approval' awards, among other things, the originality... so we're facing a case of... erm...
There's practically a whole colony of seals round here... :lol:

Nice loading screen on the vampire game.

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2019 3:29 pm
by druellan
druellan wrote: Sun Nov 24, 2019 10:40 am
Juan F. Ramirez wrote: Sun Nov 24, 2019 9:45 am Seriously, I think it should be included in the original game entry as 'released as El Hormiguero Maldito in MH Cassette issue 3', or so.
A sort of link between the two games. Don't you think, @druellan?
Yes! There are several cases of, *cof*, "inspiration" on the Microhobby that perhaps worth to be noted on the comments. About this one, if I remember correctly is not a direct copy but kind of a MOD, the map does not match.
Just checked, and yes, the level design seems the same, but with some changes here and there. Worth mentioning it is a MOD of the original :)

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 7:01 am
by Juan F. Ramirez
Cargador (Loader)

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A machine code utility. The instructions brochure claims it's a M/C monitor that let us 'write, correct, list and save bytes both in decimal or in hexadecimal'. So after loading the game, a menu (see above pic) appears with the next options:

1 - write hexadecimal routine
2 - write decimal routine
3 - correct hexadecimal routine
4 - correct decimal routine
5 - hexadecimal list
6 - decimal list
7 - save routine
8 - load routine
9 - exit program (recommended for only-gamers)

I dared to write something and ended up this way: :oops:

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Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 7:35 am
by Juan F. Ramirez
Olympia (aka Hiper olimpic)

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100-metres event

Now we have a cute 4-olympic-events game (100 metres, crowl swimming, vault & weight-lifting).

Only two keys are needed: BREAK/SPACE to run and ENTER to jump. An arrow points which athlete you are and "CLASIF" indicates the mark you must reach/surpass.

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50-metres crowl

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Vault. If anyone can do something in this event, please tell!!!

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Weight-lifting

Simply to play. Good GDU graphics. The vault event is almost impossible to pass (I can't event mount at it!!!). At the end there's an epic final ceremony with the national anthem included.

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 1:38 pm
by Morkin
Now I quite fancy drinking a cola, not sure why...

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 1:50 pm
by Juan F. Ramirez
:lol:

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2019 12:09 pm
by Juan F. Ramirez
Gomoku by L. E. Juan

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The Spectrum beat me!

The last game of side A is based on the ancient japanese game, as good as many commercial board games for the Spectrum. Coded in BASIC and M/C, it basically consists of a 5-in-a-row game. you (J, white) play against the computer (S, black). You'll be asked who starts the game, either J or S.

The board is a grid of A to J rows and 0 to 9 columns. To put a piece in the board, write (row, column) when in INPUT.

As I said before, a enjoyable board game that deserves a 'Seal of Approval' award.

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2019 7:14 am
by Juan F. Ramirez
Solitario (Patience/Solitaire)
By Jolu Morgon
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The first game in the B side is this time a card one. The five-columns variant.

Once the cards are shuffled, you can use the keys:

M: Deck (move a card from deck to well)
P: Move a card from the well to a column ('P' and then number of column)
1 to 5: Move cards between columns
A: Well/Solution of game

Slow and boring game. I prefer the Windows 95 version (as retro as this one! ;) ).

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Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 4:30 pm
by Juan F. Ramirez
Aterrizaje en Saturno (Landing on Saturn)
by A. Mateos

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A game that uses M/C routines to move the different asteroids, rocks, alien ships etc that try to avoid our ship (the little purple square in the middle of the pic above) landing on the moving plattform. As you can guess, it's almost impossible to reach the goal. There's an urban myth that says that once you make a landing, next screen is more difficult as the enemy objects move faster.

But it's just a myth, as nobody's reached it...

When the game is loaded, after a very long pause (loading the M/C stuff) you'll be asked for the controls (T=keyboard, J=joystick).

You only need O and P to play. At the end you'll be asked for another game (S/N).

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Crashed with the very landing plattform, ggrrrrr!

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Thu Nov 28, 2019 11:16 pm
by Morkin
This game is slick..! Pixel movement, very smooth, but just ONE LIFE..?? Jeez....

Managed to get land a couple of times, but can't seem to do two screens in a row.

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I sense a 'Rally Driver' twitch style challenge... Can anyone make it to Fase 3???

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2019 7:49 am
by Juan F. Ramirez
Aha!

So you were the guy of the urban myth, [mention]Morkin[/mention] !

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Fri Nov 29, 2019 7:50 am
by Juan F. Ramirez
As to make something similar to Rally Driver, seems a good idea!

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2019 7:18 am
by Juan F. Ramirez
I've tried it several times but I can't land on the plattform... it gets on my nerves... ggrrr!

I'm passing to the next game!

Uve-Atac (aka Cosme y los Alienígenas)
By Paco Martín

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Loading screen

The alien invasion has begun!

Our well-known friend Cosme works as a guard in a reservoir, whose precious liquid, the water, is the aim of the aliens, who try to steal it to control the planet.

With the keys O, P and SPACE/M as fire (or Kempston joystick as alternate option) we must shoot the aliens to avoid the water being stolen, whose level is indicated on the left side of the screen. When the level reaches the upper point of the column, the game is over. The aliens has stolen all the water in the reservoir and any hope is lost.

But we have a secret weapon to fight them: a dust from scrushed bricks made by a machine to the right of the screen. We must push it and it builts some amount of dust whose level is indicated to the left of the screen. When the level reaches the maximum point, we'd have enough dust to put in a ballon and throw it to the atmosphere to exterminate the aliens (we see here clear influences by the 'V' TV show). The aliens will try to stop you with paralyzing rays.

Exasperating at times, as the level of dust we need is too high and we must spend too much time. Graphically is good. The effect of the reservoir leaking out slowly is very original.

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The aliens want to steal the water!

Re: Microhobby Cassette #3 (April '85)

Posted: Mon Dec 02, 2019 4:59 pm
by Morkin
...Help...! My cheese is leaking...!