Mr.Amiga500

Thanks to the extreme generosity of davidcalgary29, this one is mine: 72R DA 14944 213 davidcalgary29 Taiwan 14944 1983 21 23-May-83 29-May-83 (I've had it for over a year now, actually. Thanks David!) I've always loved the brown & cream colour scheme of the XL series. I think it's possible that the XL series was inspired - a bit, at least - by the DEC VT-100. I just bought a DEC VT-100 keyboard. See how similar it looks. (ignoring the unusual, non-standard colours)

I'm the only one voting for Pole Position? Damn it! Donkey Kong? Donkey Kong can kiss my ass. I'd like to recommend Aquatron for a future competition. (...and what the hell happened to my Ballblazer suggestion? You guys don't like blazing balls or something?)

(why, you son of a...) No, Droid 2 is not just a second play. Theoretically, it's supposed to be a more difficult opponent (I think it's just the same player, but slightly less spastic). I've actually only played Droid 1 & 2 in Ballblazer, but in the Amiga version - MegaBlazer - each Droid is harder than the last, and Droid 7 is a real bastard to beat. I assume Droid 7 in the Atari version is equally... bastardidious. That's no miracle. I'm there because of my incredible skill and impressive abilities. (...and because I wasted my valuable time playing that "Best of BASIC" crap)

I don't like any of these games. Someday, can we have a Ballblazer competition? We can start playing against the computer at Droid 1 and if you win, you go to Droid 2 - and so on. Time should be set at 3:00. You take a screenshot, showing the final score at the highest level you got to. If multiple people win on the final level, place will be determined by the time that you won. (higher time gets higher place) Of course, it's possible for cheaters (I'm looking at you, bountybob! just kidding ) to set the time above 3:00, but we'll just have to rely on honesty. (yeah, right) What do you think?

Before you suspect that I might be a total moron... yes, the switch on the SDrive is on read-write and the tab on the SD card is not on "Lock". This is a 512Mb SD card (not SDHC) and I am able to write to it using any other computer (including Amiga). I first noticed this problem when I typed a long document using "The Last Word" and "saved" it. Later, I went to open the document and noticed (with much disgust) that it wasn't there. I then tried copying a file (using The Last Word) and the copy was successful. When I refreshed the directory, it was gone. I then tried deleting a file. It shows successfully deleted, but when refreshed, the file is back. (...just like a zombie - kill it and it keeps coming back) I didn't have problems with a 2Gb SD card I was using before. (but that card is now used for something else - 2Gb was overkill for Atari) Anybody have any ideas why this card is read-only on the SDrive?

I love that.

Fascinating. What about some kind of terminal software on the PC that redirects terminal output? (to anywhere you want to type) That way you could connect any old computer to use as a PC keyboard. I've connected many old computers (Kaypro, TRS-80) to my Amiga using terminal to type text which I then cut & pasted into posts. It would be much neater if I could just redirect that text to the browser's text box to type directly. I'm sure there's a way to easily do that sort of thing.

Thanks very much! I never thought I'd see Sinistar on the Atari - and it's not as bad as I expected. It's very playable and has some of the arcade feel. The only things that let it down are the jerky movement and the deaths - especially when Sinistar gets you. It isn't scary like the arcade version. People who like Sinistar and have an Amiga should check out Xenostar. It's a very nice Sinistar clone that is surprisingly unknown.

Well, you can see in the last three pages of this thread I keep going on about how I like the icons and I keep trying to convince him to keep them, then you come along and "piss on my parade" (...so to speak), saying to "leave the damn icons", calling it "crap" and "bloat" and implying I'm not a "serious power user". Your wording certainly seemed hostile to me. That's your opinion. In my opinion, they make it look more professional. I don't know why you'd think they look out of place when they're not even visible unless you press escape. I try to use the Atari for real world tasks too. I also like to demonstrate to kids & people who have never seen an old computer before what the old computers could do. If I show them the wordprocessor and tell them to press escape for the icons, they'll be able to figure out the features without me having to tell them, "OK, now press Control + [whatever]+ [whatever else]". (kids give up quickly when they can't easily figure something out) I can understand not wanting icons in a wordprocessor/editor. I use microgolded on the Amiga and I removed the default icon bar and have text only. The icon bar on The Last Word is different though, because it is hidden and doesn't require clicking with a mouse. Anyway, even arguing about this seems pretty pathetic when you think about it. We're arguing about wordprocessor on a 30-year-old computer which was designed mainly to play games. Using the words "professional" and "power user" is a bit of a joke. Icons.... no icons... I've decided I don't really care. Whatever.

Give me a friggin break. "Serious power users" wouldn't use a damn Atari 8-bit in the first place. And yes, I DO know Atari is not a "GUI" based system to begin with. I like the icons and don't give a shit if they're "out of place" compared to other Atari applications. It takes 800 bytes - hardly much "added bloat or waste". Adding more features that nobody will use is what I consider bloat. You really need to cut back on caffeine.

What? I like the icons and I don't have a 128K+ machine. I thought you said "Icons it shall be for LW 3.11." Yep. I was right. That's what you said. You don't want to be called a liar, now would you?

No, I got a bit busy and couldn't spare the 37 straight hours I'd have to play to beat atariski's level 42. If the guy had just looped it once, I certainly would have sent in another score. But no - he had to go berserk (..not to be confused with the game Berzerk) and loop it twice! I was pretty sure even if I looped it three times, he'd go for four. I could tell that he wanted the win badly, so I kindly let him have it. (...not only that, but I wanted to avoid the dreaded question I'd be sure to get if I played for 37 straight hours: "Why are you always playing video games?"... you know... the kind of silly questions wives like to ask )

There is no yellow key. Those are white keys. It just appears slightly yellow on that screen for some reason. I've perfected getting that key and I can get it without getting killed nearly every time. Just get the key and jump at the "chain thing" (or "gate thingy", whatever) about half a second after it starts (maybe quarter of a second... I've never actually timed it). It should disappear by the time you get to it. Those keys should only be a last resort anyway. There are plenty of white keys. I once finished a level carrying 3 white keys.

Some random tips: 1. For atariski's "double spider fire pit room" - that one is a bit tricky when coming from the right. I usually jump one spider, then jump back, then jump the second spider and jump back - so I don't have to land on the bridge. Then I wait for the spiders to go halfway over the bridge. That way, I have room to get the bridge timing right and avoid the spiders. 2. The room with one skull, bridge over the fire pit and one "chain" - never attempt to pass that one from the left. From the right, it's no problem, but it's nearly impossible to do it the other way. One time, I lost 10 guys there just attempting it. 3. Completely avoid the "fast double skull, mini fire pit room area". There's nothing down there but pain and frustration. You'll lose a white key too. 4. Try to go for the "three sword, three jewel room" past the "double spider, mini fire pit, chain room" (like my descriptions?) - and kill the spiders. Spiders get more points than skulls. 5. Why the hell am I giving tips? (I should be giving false "tips" to screw everybody up) Let me guess... the skull got you when you came in the room, right? Man, what a time to die - just when you see the torch.

Ah.... I know that room well... (said as my mind drifts back to painful memories, much like a Vietnam vet... remembering in slow motion... the screaming, the yelling, the swearing....) Whew, I drifted a bit there. But I'm OK now.

Believe me, I am worried (...just not about you ). I'm not just strutting down the street with a cocky attitude with my big-collared shirt unbuttoned while leaning at a crazy 105° angle with a "shit-eating grin" on my face. No way. I thought at least three people here would be able to loop the counter. The game's not that hard. It only gets tricky when you can't see.

Thanks for that, but I can count you know. I learned counting in university. (First year, we just learned the numbers, but in second year we could count all the way up to 20. By third year, I was adding two numbers... as long as they were integers and the sum stayed under 20. )

Hey! You got second and sixth?? That's just not fair.

That's strange... I don't remember a room with a ladder that says "Mute" on it. Don't make me loop the counter, because I will if I have to. On top of that, I'll complete a level carrying all four torches... just to teach you a lesson... some kind of lesson... OK, not really a lesson... but it'll be something. Has anybody ever gone to the next level without sliding down those sliders? I did it a few times - on both sides - landing on the platform and conveyor belt without touching anything else. (I was hoping to miss the platform and die, but I just wasn't lucky enough)

I hope you realise that by posting that map, you've allowed me to think of a new strategy... which will get me even more points.

Ahhh! Those are C64 screenshots! My eyes bleed with rage. (sort of like this guy here: ... no, that's not the guy! Where's that smiley with the red, angry eyes?? What kind of forum doesn't have a smiley with eyes boodshot with rage?) my eyes do I think Mr.A. should play through the Utopia version or play this one with an actual blindfold and see how far he can get... release the bats Nooooo! Not the Utopia version! That's like my Kryptonite. "...losing strength...can't... continue... playing..." (until Miss Teschmacher removes the cartridge from around my neck and forces me to save her mother in Hackensack NJ... long story) The score loops after 999,999 by the way - not 999,990 (...see, after 0 comes 1 and...). I looped the score once, but I was playing on an Atari emulator on the Amiga... and I don't count scores done on emulators. Edit: No, I'm wrong... the score loops after 999,950. The lowest score increment is 50 points.

Here are some pictures for "show & tell": 1. The beginning of level 9 (actually level 10 - level 9 just repeats) - notice how it starts dark 2. Psyche! No torches! I found out the hard way that all torches disappear on level 9. Soon after that, I died 11 times in a row in a place I usually easily pass... when I can see! Luckily I had something like 21 lives. 3. After my fifth time on level 9 (that's level 13 to you mathematicians out there), I started to get tired of wandering in the dark and I started making silly mistakes. I ended up in the flames. Still... 710400 isn't bad.

Page 6 AMULETS is wot they iz After my (failed) efforts to describe how to play Zone Ranger using snacks and popular breakfast cereals I thought I'd see how you got on Amulets... pfft! Those don't look like amulets to me. Amulets are things that go on necklaces - jewels, and crap like that. I utterly refuse to call them "amulets". I will continue to call them "snake charmers". (...even though they also "charm" spiders and skulls... but I couldn't very well call them "skull charmers", now could I? Of course not. That would sound silly.)

Must I explain everything? There is only one type of torch. The other "pole thing" is not a torch. It just temporarily prevents enemies from killing you. (I always think of it as a snake charmer.) Take a look at the bug-fixed picture I posted. The torch is at the far left. The other two things are the "snake charmers". (...they have a name, but I just can't think of it at the moment) Believe me, you really need both of those things for that room - especially in later levels when "chain things" are added. Once you've got the torch (real torch, I mean), you can't get rid of it until you end the level.