#IRIDIS ALPHA

[retrocgads]

UK 1987

[everygame]

Iridis Alpha (C64)

Developed/Published by: Llamasoft Released: 1986 Completed: n/a Completion: Played it so, so much and still only managed a measly score of 8740.

The thing that strikes me most about Jeff Minter after, by this point, playing nearly every game that he released until 1987, his most prolific period, is his contradictions. His games have wacky narratives and comical graphics, but also have complex designs. Then despite those complex designs, they lack strict rules to game feel, and can feel not just sloppy and frustrating but almost unfinished in some cases–like half-formed ideas, untested by anyone but Minter himself. And Minter would be quick to attack on being accused of this–clapping back in his newsletters, in a public spat with Zzap 64–but by all accounts otherwise an incredibly gracious person with a ton of time for his fans.

With that in mind, it’s kind of hard, frankly, to not be frustrated with Minter’s progress in this period. To not question if there’s some sort of unconscious self-sabotage in his releases from the high point of Ancipital, with Mama Llama and Batalyx simply incomprehensible. It feels like there’s a chip on Minter’s shoulder; that in his mind he’s showing that games are more than just action adventures where you pick up objects and take them to another room or shooters where you shoot everything you can see, but his designs are so uncompromising that no one can follow him where he’s going. And yet where he’s going often seems led by whim rather than reason.

Which brings us to Iridis Alpha. A second attempt at an overhaul of the Defender-a-like after Sheep In Space, which has all of the issues discussed above, Iridis Alpha pushes things even further than Mama Llama in terms of complexity, but is actually controllable at all, so it’s at least got that.

You play a pair of “gilbys” which are robots that either whizz around like the ship from Defender or which walk back on forth on land shooting bullets in the air like a popcorn popper if you land. Your goal is, ultimately, to survive all the waves of enemies on a level and then move to the next one.

However.

After the first 3-wave level, you’re doing this with both Gilbys at the same time, one on the top screen, one on the bottom, and you switch between them by flying through warp holes left by the enemies you kill. You have to switch between each ship regularly because if you don’t, you build up entropy in the side you’re not controlling, which leads to a death.

In addition to this, you can’t just blast wildly. Every enemy you kill gains health, which is good, because as usual you die if you take too many hits. However it’s also bad, because if you gain too much health, you also die. Meaning that you either have to take some hits or land on the ground so your Gilby can discharge some of their power (which eventually leads to a mini-game where you can gain extra lives.)

There also is an extremely complex level map that I will simply express to you now that I do not understand.

The thing that strikes any player of Iridis Alpha is that it honestly feels very good to play. Your gilby stays locked in the center of the screen; acceleration and speed feels good, the auto-fire is rewarding, and while it’s a little annoying trying to take off from the ground when you’ve landed, it’s not insurmountable. Within the first waves you’re only controlling a single Gilby, so you start to pick up the energy managing mechanics. You think–adding entropy to this won’t be too hard. I can do this.

Anyway then the next thing that happens is that the third wave features ships, "lickers", that stick to you and drain your health until you explode, and they seem to do this immediately, unfailingly and be nearly impossible to shake off so you lose all your lives and have to start again.

It is the closest, it feels, that Minter has come to straight up telling the player to fuck off.

The lickers appear. This person's game is already over, they just don't know it yet.

A game like Mama Llama is simply idiosyncratic; Hell Gate is simply pushing intensity as far as it can go. But this is naked contempt. Minter has created a hard game that requires optimum concentration, but he won’t actually even let you play it to the fullest unless you can beat a truly cruel difficulty spike that isn’t even fun in the name of making it brutally clear that he’s making a “thinking man’s shooter.”

You see, the trick here is that it’s a harsh lesson in that you can’t just use auto-fire the whole time. In order to survive this wave, you have to learn to manoeuvrer your gilby at the maximum speed you can manage, avoid the ships in front of you, and quickly turn and fire briefly to spawn lickers, who begin to track you, but die if they don’t touch you within a second. Fire constantly, you spawn them in front and too many. Don’t go fast enough, they get you. Go too fast and they fly off screen before they die.

It’s probably the worst brick wall I’ve ever faced in a video game. This isn’t, say, an exacting jump in The Lost Levels; this is having to track several things at once while having complete mastery of controls. Managing it with one gilby is a nightmare and I certainly haven’t reached the point where I can do it with two–once you unlock the “full” game they show up with regularity and you have to beat the third wave licker gauntlet for a second time upside down, providing a second difficulty spike and by that point, honestly, the game feels to chaotically unfair to want to push through.

It is astonishingly frustrating, because otherwise the game has an interesting design and feels good! You start to wonder if there’s some kind of unpleasant gatekeeping here; notably the number of enemies left in a level is listed in hexadecimal so it’d be gibberish to anyone except another programmer.

The message is clear: you aren’t part of the club. The question is how much you want to try to be.

Will I ever play it again? For me, there's a limit. The lickers are it.

Final Thought: Unusually, there actually sort of is a club for Iridis Alpha, unlike, say, Mama Llama, and the very few members seem invested in having you join it. You can read an entire book that goes over the assembly code of the game–I would argue possibly the least commercial book ever published–and there’s even a YouTube video from someone laboriously trying to explain how to play it that seems to be narrated by Jerry Springer (though he doesn’t make a point of explaining how to get past the licker ships, absurdly.) There’s even an unlisted video I found that’s another play guide too! 

I appreciate this kind of thing, but seeing a rare few putting this kind of effort to express the artistry of Iridis Alpha only makes me more disappointed in what it is, a game that no human past 1987, who hasn’t just stumped up £12.95 saved up from their paper round, is going to put their time in to get past the third wave in. Christ I played it for days on end and I can’t do it consistently and using rewind feels like a cheat.

There are more missed opportunities in Minter’s career, but this might be the most insane own goal. 

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[gertlushgaming]

Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story Review (PlayStation 5)

Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story Review, 42 of the weirdest, trippiest, sheepiest games ever created. Enter the mind of Jeff Minter, the legendary creator of Attack of the Mutant Camels, Gridrunner, and Tempest 2000, in this interactive documentary from Digital Eclipse.

Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story Review Pros:

- Graphics are from every generation. - 3.97GB download size. - Platinum trophy. - You get the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5 versions of the game. - Interactive documentary gameplay. - You work your way along the timeline of events. - Videos can be fast-forwarded, rewound, and paused. - Subtitles can be turned on and off with a button press. - High-quality video. - Simple controls. - You can turn menu music on and off. - Clear crisp and clean menu system that is just so good to look at. - An excellent time capsule. - If you have played the Atari 50 The Anniversary Celebration you get that again but for the one game. - Thumbnails for the games show the original box art and original scans of the floppy discs. - There are four chapters to the documentary and each has a completion percentage. - Original scans of paperwork, notes, concept art, letters, and more. - All images can be zoomed in and out and pan around. - Attack the documentary in any order you like. - Such high production value. - Full games list - - Sinclair ZX81 - 3D3D - Centipede Commodore VIC-20 - Abductor - Andes Attack - Deflex V - Gridrunner - Hellgate - Laser Zone - Matrix: Gridrunner 2 - Metagalactic Llamas Battle at the Edge of Time - Ratman Commodore 64 - Ancipital - Attack of the Mutant Camels - Batalyx - Gridrunner - Hellgate - Hover Bovver - Iridis Alpha - Laser Zone - Mama Llama - Matrix: Gridrunner 2 - Metagalactic Llamas Battle at the Edge of Time - Psychedelia - Revenge of the Mutant Camels - Revenge of the Mutant Camels II - Rox 64 - Sheep In Space - Voidrunner Sinclair Spectrum - City Bomb - Headbangers Heaven - Rox III - Superdeflex Atari 8-bit - Attack of the Mutant Camels - Colourspace - Gridrunner - Hover Bovver - Turboflex Konix Multi-System - Attack of the Mutant Camels '89 Atari ST - Llamatron: 2112 - Revenge of the Mutant Camels - Super Gridrunner Atari Jaguar - Tempest 2000 Reimagined - Gridrunner Remastered - A real joy to experience. - It's such a fun amazing insightful trip into the mind of one of Britain's most popular and famous Developers. - You get a glimpse into how the British gaming scene was in the early days like events and the art of selling. - Play all original and concept games. - High-scan images of the cassettes and box art with all of them in 3D. - Each timeline has an explored percentage and makes a noise to say you've done it. - Handy just play the games option. - 43 games to play including the different versions of the same game. - You can launch games from the timeline. - An excellent mix of games and mini-documentaries laceEvery game has a fast save/load feature. - Each game has a screen mode, filter, and border settings. - Stick settings can be adjusted – Invert the axis and sensitivity sliders. - You can reset games. - All games can be quit and returned to the main menu. - This shows again why Digital Eclipse is the team to deliver these exceptional museum pieces. - You get to see how devs used to show off and introduce their games to the public. - Full history of the Llama obsession? - Shows how the game used to be whacky, fun, a bit out there and dare I say experimental. - Gameography shows each game in a list. Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story Review Cons: - No cheats or adjustments are built into any of the games. - Doesn’t have any online leaderboards. - Uninspiring trophy list with nearly half of them being for one game. - The background music is not great. - Timelines in this one seem a bit more subdued with a lot of images and only a few videos per chapter. - Doesn't include the newer games like PSVR games and Atari branded games. (more an FYI) - Needs a physical release. Related Post: Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft Review (PlayStation 5) Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story: Official website. Developer: Digital Eclipse Publisher: Digital Eclipse Store Links - PlayStation Read the full article

[indieretronews]

(via Iridis Alpha - Hokuto Force cracked and fixed Jeff Minter's Terrifying Twitch Shooter )

[demonicfloweret]

N «Aconite dice che ho sempre avuto un debole per l'autodifesa» e sposta gli occhi su di lei «tu sai spiegarmela questa frase perché io non l'ho capita. » 

S «la tua difesa psicologica è molto alta» snocciola rapidamente, rispondendo con serietà «ciò mi porta a pensare che saresti molto bravo come occlumante» gli occhi su Nathaniel «ciò ti penalizza a livello fisico, però. Ti chiudi e non hai l’impulsività sufficiente a reagire ad un attacco fisico, se viene da una minaccia esterna che non sia io» smettendo di guardare Nathaniel, per dirigersi verso Aconite, per poi «la tua risposta quale sarebbe? » la fissa. 

A Le iridi tornano repentine su Sebastian quando la incalza, guadagnandosi nulla più che una fulminata d'astio nello sguardo, per poi lei abbassarsi a gettare il mantello su un braccio e imbracciare l'altro nella tracolla. Si volta e , con totale disinvoltura, raggiunge il bancone con passo svelto. Mostra il libro al proprietario, andando a pescare nella tasca del cardigan i galeoni necessari e lasciarglieli senza dire una parola. Lei, si volterebbe per imboccare senza fiatare l'uscita.

 S «Non ti permetto di guardarmi così» alzerebbe la voce alle sue spalle. «Non ti ho fatto niente per meritarmelo! »Ed estrarrebbe la bacchetta, puntando dinnanzi a sé e ad Aconite. Un impedimenta non verbale per tentare di bloccarla lì, quantomeno per parlarci.

 A Si blocca esattamente quando sta strattonando la maniglia dell'ingresso verso di se e, vuoi per lo sbotto altrui o per il suo incantesimo di blocco -difficile a dirsi, tanto è breve il tempo che vi intercorre- la richiude violentemente con un colpo che fa trillare il campanello sopra lo stipite e pendere il suo corpo verso la porta stessa. E' con un sussulto che balza di nuovo all'interno e in direzione di Sebastian, la mano ancora premuta contro la maniglia e la testa incassata fra spalle ritte e schiena arcuata appena verso il basso. «AH SI? E CHE MI FAI, MI CRUCI? MI RADDOPPI IL PREZZO DELLE LEZIONI?? »Strilla come non l'avrà mai udita, mai vista così palese in quell'espressione di fronte aggrottata e narici vibranti che rilasciano respiri affannosi irregolarmente. «NO, INFATTI NON SEI L'ENNESIMO MASCHIO ALPHA CHE PRETENDE DI SAPERE COSA E' MEGLIO PER ME, COME SE FOSSI UNA RINCOGLIONITA TOTALE A CUI FARE LA BENEFICENZA» Non tenta neanche di nascondere la vibrazione delle spalle e il respiro pesante, il calore che avvampa le gote rendendole di un magenta destinata a intensificarsi violentemente a breve. «E NON SEI DI CERTO TE CHE SEI ANDATO A CHIEDERE INFORMAZIONI SULLA MELA A UN RAGAZZINO PERMETTENDO CHE FINISSE QUASI AMMAZZATO PER CONTO DI QUELLA CA**O DI LEGA, BRAVO, SI VEDE COME SEI BRAVO A FARE IL TUO LAVORO» Gli occhi sono definitivamente lucidi e la voce incrinata, ma non desiste e continua a rivolgergli lo sguardo più ostile che ha, prendendo appena fiato con un mezzo singhiozzo prima di proferire. «E bravo pure a fare il padre che secondo te non ho, f**titi in un fosso, me**a» Nome che si affievolisce quando le si tronca definitivamente la voce, ridotta a uno sfiato che le vibra contro il dorso della mano quando se la stropiccia frettolosamente sulla guancia per liberarsi di un lacrimone. Incurante che l'altro mantenga ancora in azione l'incanto, darebbe al duo le spalle per tirare violentemente la maniglia verso di se

 S «Scusami. Per qualsiasi cosa possa averti fatto. » ma non la fermerebbe, nel caso. Resta semplicemente immobile — ad interrogarsi sulle sue molteplici colpe.

 N « Aco» il tono piatto, la mascella ancora un po' irrigidita. «Che diamine succede? » duro nel tono. Non importa quanto appena sia stato detto e quanto forse abbia potuto comprendere, forse vuole dell'altro. A «NON L'HAI FATTA A ME QUESTA COSA»L'iniziale intenzione di defilarsela svanisce non appena scoppia in quell'esclamazione a poco fiato, nel mentre che sobbalza e si ritrova a rivolgere il volto di tre quarti al duo. Gli occhi bagnati da assottigliati si aprono giusto per mostrare lo sconvolgimento e la sclera rossa, le labbra costrette in una smorfia di schifo. «E NON FARCI IL TONTO MARTIRE, CHE SE LA TUA CA**O DI LEGA AVESSE FATTO QUALCOSA LUI» Il braccio carico del mantello scatta dritto a puntarsi contro Nathaniel, bellamente ignorato durante la prima parte della sfuriata. «NON L'AVREBBERO IMPERIATO E IO NON AVREI PROVATO AD AMMAZZARLO» Il grido risuona strozzato, bloccato dal singhiozzo finale che fa crollare lacrime direttamente all'altezza della bocca contrita, lucide sul volto completamente paonazzo. [...] -°Folgoràmus°- Qualora riuscisse, sfrutterebbe il momento di dolore altrui per fuggire via, qualcosa non riuscisse, strattonerebbe in avanti in modo da ottenere lo stesso risultato, permettendo che la porta si richiuda alle proprie spalle con un gran baccano.

 S Punterebbe il catalizzatore contro i suoi piedi in movimento, eseguendo un piccolo nodo e ruotando il polso destro, in un “Incarceràmus” non verbale che vorrebbe evocare delle corde per legarle le caviglie in modo tale da farla cadere e poterla raggiungere nel tentativo di ritirarla su, prendendola semplicemente per i polsi e tentando di bloccarla, stringendoglieli e tirandola verso di sé. Se fosse riuscito nell’intento, ovviamente. «Non sei tu. Devi dirmi cosa hai fatto negli ultimi giorni »sempre se fosse riuscito a bloccarla. Chissà cosa sembra dall’esterno (…). 

N « Sebastian. »il tono duro, secco. «Slegala. »

[powerofkings]

let's talk about axnoct babies. :3 {saxhamsurvivor}

send me a pair name and I’ll tell you what I think it would be like if they had a child.

Name: Iridis Auroran (I could have gone with a child for one of our like a/b/o verses. Buuuut I got the idea for a demigod girl for them in one of the Noct is the Auroran verses)

Gender: Female (Alpha)

General Appearance: Long black hair, pale near luminescent skin, white blue eyes

Personality: She’s focused and independent, but playful. Both her parents can be terribly sad at times, so she took it as a mission when she was young to cheer them up. She also knows she’s very likely to outlive her half siblings. And they still aren’t sure what will happen with Axis himself. So she delved into magitek. She wants to make the world better for her sibling’s children, and grandchildren. She wants to be part of building the world for them and maintaining it. She’s thought in very long terms since she was a child.

Special Talents: She doesn’t need to eat as long as she gets regular sunlight, and her presence tends to nourish plants. She accidentally hovers sometimes, feet not quite touching the ground. She has a knack for designing magitek, though. Particularly that which can run off solar power of some sort.

Who they like better: Axis. At least in part cause she may very well have much less time with him, she’s devoted less time to Noctis. Also she can feel his presence in the light around her and so very rarely feels without his company.

Who they take after more: Noctis, a bit.

Personal Head canon: Her siblings often have to remind her to do things for her. Both of her parents have a tendency to be either selfless or give everything to their family, and she got the trait in spades.

Face Claim:

@saxhamsurvivor​

[historyhellyeah]

Basic Politics

There are 20 countries on the continent of Iridi:

Ocelaric: A democratic nation of water/swamp spirits with great environmental concerns (as many as you can have in a medieval/early modern times setting)

Miriennor: A military dictatorship ruling over the spirits of dead soldiers (they are very much torn between loving and hating war, causing many societal conflicts)

Galeibaen: A kingdom of vengeance spirits (they either hunt down criminals or protect the vulnerable from unfair attacks)

Frurd: A land inhabited by wyvern (they prefer being alone and do not form a society in a human sense; ergo no rulers/social structures)

Aardolin: A kingdom of shape shifters (they are mischievious and prone to rioting against rulers they don't like, which leads to a high turnover rate and demands for democratic elections)

Aciamma: A queendom of Naga (structured, controlling, cold but also loving, kind, nurturing; it depends on how you approach them)

Kaaleida: Multiple tribes of various nature spirits such as dryads, fairies etc. (great food and very good at healing; mostly peaceful [may god have mercy on your soul if you manage to piss them off])

Adranna: A kingdom of death spirits (they guide the lost human souls over to the afterlife they believed in and make sure they find peace; very calm and collected but also very joyful and happy)

Glarecia: A theology of dragons (they are wise and helpful, but also stuck in their ways/inspired by eastern dragons)

Umendabeth: The kingdom of dwarves (open-minded and kind, but also hard-headed and stubborn, I mean, they are dwarves)

Qiraweth: A herd of skeleton horses (lead by their queen, aggressive and territorial)

Kaiared: A kingdom of skeletons (efficient and strict, diplomatic and kind to visitors, very prejudiced against humans)

Cadeang: A pack of werewolves (they are lead by the alpha couple, very kind and compassionate but easy to anger and protective/territorial)

Jerucia: Vampire territory, divided into multiple smaller dukedoms (solitary creatures with an aversion to sunlight, love for history and science and good skin care)

Ederithien: the land of the unicorns (protected by the nightmare inducing shades they are a center of wisdom, compassion and diplomacy)

Girathiel: the kingdom of the pegasus (they are fierce warriors and guard the border to the human world with dedication; patient, loyal)

Aekath: the flock of griffin, lead by their king (stubborn, merciless and hateful towards humans)

Nilia: the martriachal society of sirens and mermaids (main defense of the coastal area; mostly peaceful and curious)

Thade: kingdom of the nightdemons (central and most powerful kingdom, The Watchers, keep peace and are a mostly diplomatic nation)

Aepuquirin: the kingdom of the kelpies (situated in the biggest lake in Iridi, they keep watch over Thade and enforce the non-aggression pact all cocuntries signed)

[glitchlight]

a fun idea for a pokemon region: space colony

I’ve been batting around an idea for a little while now about a “region” in a pokemon game where the region is actually an enormous space colony instead of a physical place! It’s been a really intriguing idea because space and pokemon are two of my special interests. So... here’s some ideas about that: 

The Iridi Region (from Iridium, a rare metal found in meteorites) is an active research and recreational space colony that orbits the pokemon world. The “core” of the colony is an asymmetrical, hollowed out asteroid, with areas ranging from small tunnels to huge caves hollowed out inside. There are six “towers”, four of which extend out from the core’s equator (deemed North, South, East, and West) and two for the polar regions (Up and Down). If you’re having a problem making a mental image, think of a plus sign (+) lying on a table, then put another line through the middle and a rock in the center of that. That’s the basic shape. 

The Iridi region being completely artificial means that areas are stocked with specific pokemon, some of them endangered or rare, and maintained to be appealing for tourists as well. The end effect of this is that many “sectors” are stocked with specific types. Since I’ve been just sort of playing with the ideas as well, I also figured I’d add in Cosmic and Sound, which are two types I personally think GF is going to add someday. Here are some ideas for areas in the Iridi region:

Sector Alpha: Home to your classic “Route 1″ pokemon, as well as some other field pokemon such as the Nidoran.  

Sector Beta: This area is closer to the surface of the asteroid, and is permanently nocturnal, with windows showing the stars outside; this place would be home to nocturnal pokemon and Cosmic types

Sector Beta (External): The player would have a chance to explore the outside surface of the core asteroid, and walk above the windows into Sector Beta. This area would be stocked with Steel and Rock types (such as Magnemite, Geodude, etc), as well as maintenance personal. 

Freefall Tower: A large area nearer to the core, this area is home to many Flying-types. The area has microgravity with soft platforms bouncing around on the inside. Sky Trainers love practicing battles here, but Ground-types are not fond of it. 

Mirror Mansion: A haunted house designed for tourists arriving near the North Tower. Locals tend to go here only for the Ghost types that love playing pranks, though rumors constantly surround it regardless. 

Sector Zeta: An area which suffered depressurization some years ago. It’s being rebuilt as an area for Fighting-types, but while it’s still under construction, Steel-types have claimed the area. 

Northern Pinnacle: A town that is at the end of the North Tower. It is primarily focused on shipping supplies. 

Bottom Tower: A restricted area. This area is home to endangered Water-types at the base, with Ice-types closer to Antarctic Station, the town at the end of the tower. Antarctic Station is home to many scientists and astronomers who study the recently discovered Cosmic-type. 

Acou Village: A settlement deep in the core. Sound-type lovers and pokemon flock to the area, which has interesting acoustics due to the way the tunnels in the area were carved. 

Arcade Paradise: A gamer’s heaven carved out by the Eastern Tower, full of all kinds of games and constant competition. While Electric-types are known to be fond of the area, rumors say Ghost-types flit about between the dimly lit cabinets, looking for their next scare. 

why?

cause it’s fun... 

you can really play with a lot of the conventions of the series while also putting a new spin on them; you can have a tropical route right next to a polar route, with a gatehouse as an airlock between them. 

You can have it be a way for rare pokemon to have a habitat where their habitat on the pokemon world has been destroyed

Alternatively, you can have fun setpieces and intentionally weird things as tourist attractions

Badges/Crystals/Stamps etc can serve as a way to prove that you (the player) are capable of handling more difficult areas, since everything’s artificial anyways. 

you can bring back team rocket and/or team galactic, both of which would have reasons to be there. 

how?

Boring nerd stuff alert

the pokemon world has a couple of things that make building space colonies not only possible, but downright easy. 

instant matter to energy conversion: aka, how pokemon fit in balls. This means a lot though when you’re talking about getting supplies into orbit; just shove them in pokeballs and turn them back when you get to the other side. 

teleportation: Not just for psychics either, but Ultra Wormholes and the Link Cable reference in the Delta episode give you a lot of ways to teleport things technologically on a massive scale. 

pretty much everything to do with pcs: PCs are able to digitally store Pokemon in a perfect state and transfer them between two locations without loss or corruption; this implies that digitization and transmission are mastered at this point, which, incidentally, is another form of de-facto teleportation. 

you don’t have to use an asteroid, it’s just a little easier. You could make everything artificial if you wanted to, which, again, in pokemon world terms, would probably not be that difficult. 

[insidetgame]

Ritorna THE C64

Un classico senza tempo, il THEC64, è pronto a tornare a grandezza naturale! Sviluppato da Retro Games Ltd. e distribuito da Koch Media, THEC64 è una rivisitazione completamente autorizzata dell’home computer più venduto degli anni ’80. Dopo il suo lancio nel 1982, il C64 ha dominato la scena degli home computer per tutti gli anni ’80. Milioni di unità sono state vendute in tutto il mondo e…

[gaminggadgets]

Der Vorgänger des Commodore 64 bekommt jetzt auch einen Nachbau mit zig legendären Spielen der 1980er Jahre. Das bietet der TheVIC20.

Die Macher des TheC64 Mini und des TheC64 bringen mit dem TheVIC20 einen weiteren Nachbau eines Commodore-Heimrechners in den Handel. Bereits im Oktober soll die Replik des C64-Vorläufers erscheinen.

Das bietet der TheVIC20

Hersteller Retro Games bringt den ursprünglich 1981 veröffentlichten Vic-20 noch einmal in den Handel. Bis 1984 wurde der Heimcomputer hergestellt, stolze 2,5 Millionen Mal wurde dieser bis 1985 verkauft. Der C64 knüpfte mit verbesserter Hardware an die Erfolge des Vic-20 an.

Das “Remake” besitzt die originalen Ausmaße des Computer-Urgesteins, im Inneren steckt allerdings zeitgemäße Technik. Das heißt: Ihr könnt das Gerät problemlos über HDMI an euren Fernseher anschließen. Nostalgiker schalten via Software einen CRT-Filter ein. Die Tastatur ist voll funktionsfähig, ihr könnt also auch regulär im Basic des TheVIC20 programmieren. Das Vic-20-Basic ist vorinstalliert.

Der Joystick. (Foto: Retro Games)

Mit schöner Verpackung. (Foto: Retro Games)

Die Tastatur ist voll funktionsfähig. (Foto: Retro Games)

Das Auswahl-Menü. (Foto: Retro Games)

Hier wählt ihr passende Spielmodi aus. (Foto: Retro Games)

Aber: TheVIC20 emuliert den Vic-20, genauso übrigens den Commodore 64. Denn ihr könnt auch auf das C64-Basic sowie vorinstallierte Spiele vom Vic-20 (28) und C64 (36) zugreifen. Zusätzlich lassen sich eigene Spiele via USB-Stick nutzen. An drei weiteren USB-Ports schließt ihr weitere Joysticks und Gamepads an. Für Multiplayer-Action ist also gesorgt.

Zocken wie damals

Interessant: Ein an einen Competition Pro erinnernder Joystick liegt dem Lieferumfang bei. Der kommt bei den zahlreichen Games zum Einsatz, genau genommen diese:

Vic-20-Spiele des TheVIC20

Abductor

Andes Attack

Arcadia

Bewitched

Blitzkrieg

Brainstorm

Catcha Snatcha

Connect 4

Encounter

Frantic

Frog Chase

Gridrunner

Harvester

Headbanger’s Heaven

Hell Gate

Laser Zone

Martians

Matrix

Mega Vault

Metagalactic Llamas Battle at the Edge of Time

Psychedelia

Snake

Starquest

Subspace Striker

Tank Battle

Traxx

Wacky Waiters

Zor

Commodore 64 auf dem TheVIC20

Alleykat

Bear Bovver

Boulder Dash

California Games

Chips Challenge

Cyberdyne Warrior

Cybernoid II

Destroyer

Firelord

Galencia Mini

Gribbly’s Day Out

Heartland

Impossible Mission

IO

Iridis Alpha

Jumpman

Mega Apocalypse

Nebulus

Netherworld

Paradroid

Pitstop II

Planet of Death

Robin of the Wood

Speedball 2

Spindizzy

Street Sports Baseball

Street Sports Basketball

Summer Games II

Super Cycle

Sword of Fargoal

Temple of Apshai Trilogy

The Arc of Yesod

Uridium

Winter Games

World Games

Zynaps

Wer braucht den TheVIC20?

Zugegeben: Wenn ihr bereits einen TheC64 besitzt, stellt sich schon die Frage, wieso ihr euch noch einen TheVIC20 zulegen solltet. Vermutlich richtet sich der Computer an Retro-Liebhaber, die damals mit dem VIC-20 aufgewachsen sind. Qualitativ besser dürften dennoch die C64-Spiele sein, mich persönlich reizen die VIC-20-Games eher in Maßen.

Seht ihr das anders: Für rund 120 Euro soll das gute Stück verkauft werden. Eine Vorbestellung ist derzeit nur für Briten auf Amazon UK möglich. Ob es der TheVIC20 nach Deutschland schafft? Das wird sich zeigen. Die Frage, die ich mir derzeit viel dringender stelle ist: Wann kommt endlich ein TheAmiga500 oder ein TheAmiga1200?

Der Vorgänger des legendären Commodore 64 bekommt eine Neuauflage. Das bietet der TheVIC20. #thevic20 Der Vorgänger des Commodore 64 bekommt jetzt auch einen Nachbau mit zig legendären Spielen der 1980er Jahre.

[kinduci]

THE WONDER COMPUTER OF THE 1980s RETURNS!

Another timeless classic is being given a new lease of life with the launch of a full-sized version of the VIC-20. Developed by Retro Games Ltd. and distributed by Koch Media, THEVIC20 is a fully licensed reimagining of the 80’s bestselling home computer.

Following its launch in 1981, the original VIC-20 home computer went on to become the first computer of any kind to sell one million units, and even now still holds a special place in the hearts of its former owners. Almost 40 years later and it’s back again!

The full sized THEVIC20 has a full working keyboard, comes with an updated micro switched classic joystick which plugs into one of the four USB ports, and connects to any modern TV via HDMI. It features three switchable modes – boot straight into original VIC-20 BASIC , C64 BASIC or switch to the Games Carousel and play one of the 64 built in games in 50Hz or 60Hz, with optional CRT Filters/Screen modes.

As well as the classic VIC-20 and C64 BASIC modes, the pre-installed 64 games include such VIC-20 and C64 classics as - Arcadia and Laser Zone (VIC-20), California Games, Paradroid and Boulder Dash (C64); plus all new additions like Metagalactic Llamas, Subspace Striker, Mega Vault and Gridrunner (VIC-20); topped off with the recently released shoot ‘em up Galencia (C64) and classic text adventure Planet of Death (C64) to let you relive the glory days of true keyboard gaming! You can even load and save your own VIC-20 and C64 games via USB flash drive as well as access multi-disc titles.

“We are really excited to be working with Koch Media once more to bring you even more of the most loved retro games ever on two of the most iconic home computers of all time combined in this latest incarnation of THEC64 range, this time with full working keyboard and a classic VIC-20 style”, said Paul Andrews, Retro Games’ Managing Director.

THEVIC20 variant of the THEC64 will hit the shops on October 23rd 2020 with a suggested retail price of £109.99/€119.99.   NOTES TO EDITORS Included in the box with THEVIC20 is a 1.5m (5 foot) wired USB micro switch classic joystick (with added function keys for game specific modes), a USB charging cable and USB AC power adapter, and an HDMI cable (both 1.2m (4 foot) in length) allowing full compatibility with all modern TVs. Other features include a save game function, selectable 50Hz or 60Hz screen refresh and pixel filter options such as pixel perfect, CRT and scanline emulation. Also upload your own files, games and firmware revisions via USB flash drive.

THEVIC20 INCLUDED GAMES LIST

VIC-20

Abductor, Andes Attack, Arcadia, Bewitched, Blitzkrieg, Brainstorm, Catcha Snatcha, Connect 4, Encounter, Frantic, Frog Chase, Gridrunner, Harvester, Headbanger’s Heaven, Hell Gate, Laser Zone, Martians, Matrix, Mega Vault, Metagalactic Llamas Battle at the Edge of Time, Psychedelia, Snake, Starquest, Subspace Striker, Tank Battle, Traxx, Wacky Waiters, Zor

C64

Alleykat, Bear Bovver, Boulder Dash, California Games, Chips Challenge, Cyberdyne Warrior, Cybernoid II, Destroyer, Firelord, Galencia Mini, Gribbly’s Day Out, Heartland, Impossible Mission, IO, Iridis Alpha, Jumpman, Mega Apocalypse, Nebulus, Netherworld, Paradroid, Pitstop II, Planet of Death, Robin of the Wood, Speedball 2, Spindizzy, Street Sports Baseball, Street Sports Basketball, Summer Games II, Super Cycle, Sword of Fargoal, Temple of Apshai Trilogy, The Arc of Yesod, Uridium, Winter Games, World Games, Zynaps

[bxdwolfie-blog]

~ Strada vicino alla base dei lupi mannari - 9.00 p.m. - #VenusRPG ~

❛ Eri pronto a massacrarli quando pensavi si trattasse di cinque uomini disarmati ❜

- Quelli non sono uomini e non sono disarmati. Richiama i tuoi amici lupi o dovrò risolvere la cosa diversamente -

Derek era determinato a risolvere quel problema su cui gli avevano detto di indagare. Troppe morti strane e il tutto portava a quella tana di lupi, che fin ora non sembrava avessero dato problemi. Stava già per scoppiare una lite con ben poche parole, ma era intervenuto Alexander, e stava cercando di capire la situazione. Ma con Derek alterato non era proprio facile mantenere la calma. ———————————————————— non che alexander amasse interporsi fra l'irruenza & la labilità di circostanze sconosciute ━ ostili, eppure faticava a frenare la rovinosa sete d'adrenalina che prendeva ad invaderlo repentinamente & priva di riguardi, coraggio che si tramutava in sonora sconsideratezza. aveva captato il pungente odore di problemi nella pesante aria circostante, aveva tallonato i suoi istinti & s'era lasciato trasportare, giungendo nei pressi d'un luogo piuttosto familiare per il licantropo. era, infatti, presso la base della propria razza che l'aveva scorto; l'individuo era intrinso in distruttiva collera &, nonostante alexander non fosse del tutto certo di ciò che si stesse palesando innanzi alle cerule iridi penetranti, aveva compiuto un passo in avanti ━ il mero tentativo di risolvere l'alterco in modo più indolore possibile. le parole dell'americano erano risuonate pungenti & congelate, s'erano stagliate contro la compostezza di una notte qualunque ━ contro un cielo privo d'argentee compagne. il primo quarto di luna, d'altro canto, era fissato nella sua tipica postazione & lo osservava beffardo, ricordandogli che presto sarebbe arrivato il momento della sua totale pienezza. in quell'esatto istante, l'uomo tentò di scacciare quell'ardente consapevolezza, prestando attenzione allo sconosciuto che ━ era piuttosto palese ━ fosse uno shadowhunters. ❛ prima di tutto, è piuttosto offensivo credere che ogni lupo si conosca in modo approfondito━━oserei dire anche a tratti razzista. in secondo luogo, abbassa le armi & sono certo che faranno lo stesso. non ho alcun potere su di essi, nonostante possa apparire come un individuo alquanto persuasivo. ❜ il tono era annegato in puro & accattivante sarcasmo, un tiepido riso dipinto sul volto ben costituito. non era sua intenzione provocare il ragazzo ( il quale appariva già particolarmente collerico ) tuttavia era impossibile mantere una facciata diplomatica in quelle situazioni. ———————————————————— "Abbassa le armi e sono certo che faranno lo stesso", ma per chi mi hai preso? per un coglione? - Ribatte immediatamente Derek, piuttosto infastidito da quella situazione. Era chiaro che il tipo di fronte a lui non fosse un Alpha, ne tanto meno uno in grado di risolvere la situazione, ma era l'unico che ancora non si era trasformato, e l'unico che sembrava fosse in grado di parlare. - Conosco bene il mondo dei lupi, e conosco le gerarchie. Essendoci relativamente pochi branchi a Edimburgo, ed avendo ognuno il suo territorio, pensavo fossi parte di questo. Ho sentito che in questa zona ci son stati non pochi danni a causa dei lupi. Fai in modo di informare gli Alpha di questa zona, se ci tieni a non rivedermi qui - ———————————————————— ❛ dovresti tranquillizzarti. non ti fa bene agitarti così tanto——sei ancora troppo giovane, è un peccato.❜ il ghigno di sonora provocazione dipinto sul volto d’alexander non pareva voler dileguarsi, il sarcasmo nelle sue suadenti parole piuttosto semplice da cogliere. si sarebbe ricomposto repentinamente, comunque, conscio della gravità della situazione. era consapevole dell’attrito tra shadowhunters & licantropi — non che lui si schierasse in prima linea per blandire i dissapori, tuttavia. alexander persisteva un’esistenza solitaria, nonostante i rapporti col branco locale fossero più che positivi. non era in grado di unirsi attivamente ad esso, comunque. non ora. il timore alimentato dai crudeli fantasmi del passato. ❛ penso tu stia correndo un po’ troppo con le tue supposizioni. conosco questa zona & i lupi non attaccano se non provocati. forse dovresti essere tu a parlare con i tuoi superiori. ( . . . . ) vogliamo entrambi la stessa cosa, vivere tranquilli.❜ la s'era fatta, improvvisamente, più seria, lo sguardo fisso sullo sconosciuto.

[gaminggadgets]

Schon wieder eine Neuauflage des Commodore 64? Im Dezember 2019 erscheint mit TheC64 der nächste Brotkasten – und ausnahmsweise mal nicht als Mini-Variante, sondern in originaler Größe.

Geht’s nach allerlei Herstellern, sollen wir uns noch mehr Retro-Hardware ins Wohnzimmer stellen. Unter anderem SEGA Mega Drive Mini, Capcom Home Arcade, Atari Mini Arcade oder PC Engine Core GrafX Mini erscheinen alleine dieses Jahr. Für 2019 ist auch TheC64 geplant, der wie eine Fortsetzung des TheC64 Mini klingt. Immerhin gibt’s ein paar Änderungen.

Das bietet der TheC64

Zwar ist der Platz vor dem Fernseher aufgrund der zahllosen Mini-Spielkonsolen ziemlich begrenzt, doch Retro Games Ltd plant bei TheC64 die originale Größe des ursprünglichen Brotkastens. Warum? Das lässt sich nicht so recht erklären. Vielleicht möchten die Verantwortlichen ja die hartgesottenen Fans begeistern? Die bekommen trotzdem „nur“ Hardware, die den Kultrechner der 1980er Jahre emuliert.

The C64. (Foto: KochMedia)

Der bessere Joystick. (Foto: KochMedia)

TheC64. (Foto: KochMedia)

TheC64. (Foto: KochMedia)

Interessant am TheC64 ist sicherlich auch, dass drei Modi vorgesehen sind. Wählt vor dem Start aus, ob ihr das echte C64 Basic, den VIC20-Basic-Startvorgäng oder das sogenannte Spiel-Karussell wünscht. Letztgenannte Variante gibt euch Zugriff auf die 64 vorinstallierten Spiele, die ihr in 50 oder 60 Hz und mit einem optionalen CRT-Filter erleben könnt. Gezockt wird mit einem verbesserten Micro-Switch-Classic-Joystick.

Neue und alte Spiele

Was auch schön am TheC64 ist: Die Tastatur ist voll funktionsfähig. An den vier USB-Ports könnt ihr mittels USB-Stick weitere C64-Spiele hinzufügen. Sollten euch Klassiker wie „California Games“, „Paradroid“ oder „Boulder Dash“ nicht genügen. Neu hinzugekommen sind übrigens Titel wie „Attack of the Mutant Camels“, „Hover Bovver“, „Iridis Alpha“ und „Gridrunner“. Und es gibt sogar komplett neu entwickelte Games, genauer „Galencia“ und das Text-Adventure „Planet of Death“.

TheC64 Fullsize ist also mehr als nur ein C64-Reboot, sondern kann auch den VIC20 abbilden und als vollwertiger Nostalgie-Rechner genutzt werden. Pünktlich zum Weihnachtsgeschäft am 5. Dezember kommt das gute Stück für unverbindliche 119,99 Euro in den Handel. Kein Schnäppchen, würde ich meinen. Vorbestellen könnt ihr den C64 bereits bei Amazon.

Und schon wieder ein neuer C64? Ja, aber TheC64 hat einiges zu bieten... Schon wieder eine Neuauflage des Commodore 64? Im Dezember 2019 erscheint mit TheC64 der nächste Brotkasten – und ausnahmsweise mal nicht als Mini-Variante, sondern in originaler Größe.