Game Saved: PLASMA from Aim Software

[ThumpNugget]

Not that the game is worth it

 

I've been working on converting a pile of SoftSide magazine cassettes to get the programs off and saved to disk for the ATRs to go along with the SoftSide magazine PDFs... Anyway after having all sorts of problems with the cassettes I finally figured out that lower volume gets much better results.. I decided to take one of my worst cassettes (noise wise) and try to convert it.. This thing was a PAIN to convert.. I had tried 10-15 times earlier in the week. The tape has places where the recording was really muffled so I did not have high hopes.. I attempted it again after turning the volume down and... Viola! only three tries later one of the worlds crappiest games is brought back to life.

 

Introducing Plasma: somehow even atarimania missed this Gem

 

 

 

As you can see the game is in BASIC (both in design and the language)

 

Many a minute was spent on the title screen:

 

 

And then there is the gameplay: Move your guy, build a wall, the thing-a-ma-bob (some sort of asterisk plasma monster?) can eat through it, but it takes precious time. Don't let it touch you! The fire button makes a perfectly square bomb explosion. Your guy is at the exact center of the explosion so don't worry, he'll be OK!

 

 

I'm not sure what the goal is or even if it is possible to "finish" a screen.. or where the plasma comes in.. and all too soon it is over:

 

 

Here is a cassette image for the game so you can play too! Remember to have BASIC loaded and the OS-A ROM (XL/XE ROMS don't work). Have Fun!

 

PLASMA.zip

Edited August 8, 2009 by ThumpNugget

[atari frank]

Not that the game is worth it

 

I've been working on converting a pile of SoftSide magazine cassettes to get the programs off and saved to disk for the ATRs to go along with the SoftSide magazine PDFs... Anyway after having all sorts of problems with the cassettes I finally figured out that lower volume gets much better results.. I decided to take one of my worst cassettes (noise wise) and try to convert it.. This thing was a PAIN to convert.. I had tried 10-15 times earlier in the week. The tape has places where the recording was really muffled so I did not have high hopes.. I attempted it again after turning the volume down and... Viola! only three tries later one of the worlds crappiest games is brought back to life.

 

Introducing Plasma: somehow even atarimania missed this Gem

 

 

 

As you can see the game is in BASIC (both in design and the language)

 

Many a minute was spent on the title screen:

 

 

And then there is the gameplay: Move your guy, build a wall, the thing-a-ma-bob (some sort of asterisk plasma monster?) can eat through it, but it takes precious time. Don't let it touch you! The fire button makes a perfectly square bomb explosion. Your guy is at the exact center of the explosion so don't worry, he'll be OK!

 

 

I'm not sure what the goal is or even if it is possible to "finish" a screen.. or where the plasma comes in.. and all too soon it is over:

 

 

Here is a cassette image for the game so you can play too! Remember to have BASIC loaded and the OS-A ROM (XL/XE ROMS don't work). Have Fun!

 

PLASMA.zip

[Nukey Shay]

The game isn't even finished!

It's supposed to draw a "treasure" at some point, but that is skipped over. I think the idea was that a random spot is chosen, and the goal is to get the "chaser" to dig until it's uncovered. As it is, the goal is just to see how long you can survive.

Edited August 8, 2009 by Nukey Shay

[www.atarimania.com]

Now in the Atarimania database, many thanks for archiving this program!

 

Are you planning the addition of the SoftSide subscription tapes to the set? They'd be great to have in their original form! I believe I have some magazine disks somewhere as well...

 

Would also love to see cassettes / disks of the Adventure of the Month games but they're impossible to find. At least I believe all the adventures have been preserved and are available in a number of PD collections.

 

--

Atari Frog

http://www.atarimania.com

[ThumpNugget]

Now in the Atarimania database, many thanks for archiving this program!

 

Are you planning the addition of the SoftSide subscription tapes to the set? They'd be great to have in their original form! I believe I have some magazine disks somewhere as well...

 

Would also love to see cassettes / disks of the Adventure of the Month games but they're impossible to find. At least I believe all the adventures have been preserved and are available in a number of PD collections.

 

--

Atari Frog

http://www.atarimania.com

 

Excellent! Great to be a donor to the database

 

I had not planned on adding the SoftSide CAS files to the PDF scans.. Since they were all in BASIC I was just getting them to load and then saving them to an ATR for each issue (for issues where I could not locate a monthly disk). I'll add a directory off of the Atari Programs directory for cassette images for anyone that is crazy enough to want them I was planning on doing a post next week on the SoftSide scans as far as progress and pleas for items that are missing.. Quick plea on the scans side: Every magazine from Vol 1-1 to Vol 7-2 (Feb 1984) is scanned. I know there is a Mar 1984 issue (I won the eBay auction for it then the guy flaked on me) and I know that the magazine ended sometime in 1984 so there can't be too many more.. If anyone has issues after Feb 1984 please get in touch! Anyway I plan on a more detailed post on it in the near future...

 

As far as the adventures of the month club tapes.. I think I have a few at best (the box that had all the original SoftSide I bought had a bunch of cassettes I have not gone through yet, they are still in storage). It would be great if some of these turned up...

Edited August 8, 2009 by ThumpNugget

[www.atarimania.com]

I'll wait for your post to see what you're missing, seems I have a number of disks from various issues of the magazine.

 

Would be fantastic if you could image the original adventures on tape! A number of the programs we have don't have the intro so getting complete and verified versions would be great

 

--

Atari Frog

http://www.atarimania.com

Edited August 9, 2009 by www.atarimania.com

[charliecron]

I just bought this game thinking it might need archiving.. Oddly enough here is a thread about the same company.. so how about it, has this game been archived already?

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=150363078837

 

Charlie

[ThumpNugget]

I just bought this game thinking it might need archiving.. Oddly enough here is a thread about the same company.. so how about it, has this game been archived already?

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=150363078837

 

Charlie

 

Ah! You are the bastard that outbid me! That game has not been archived...

 

There were actually three from this company that went yesterday that have not been archived (at least they are not on atarimania)... I was able to get the other two:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=150363075014

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=150363076494

 

I was hoping whoever got the third one would archive it.... Now you're on the hook

Edited August 9, 2009 by ThumpNugget

[charliecron]

Great... thanks. I'll archive it when I receive it. It's another BASIC game looks like. Were your tapes in good condition, any trouble loading or worked on the first try?

 

Charlie

[ThumpNugget]

Great... thanks. I'll archive it when I receive it. It's another BASIC game looks like. Were your tapes in good condition, any trouble loading or worked on the first try?

 

Charlie

 

 

 

Hey.. The other two Aim software games arrived yesterday.. I plopped in one of them and it copied perfect the first time, no fluctuations at all... "Planet patrol" - wow its as bad as the last one!

Edited August 14, 2009 by ThumpNugget

[charliecron]

Here is Cygnus Senese. Don't think I need to do a cas conversion on this, let me know if you really want one. No loading screen or anything while the tape is running.

 

Charlie

[www.atarimania.com]

That's perfect, I just created a tape image using the emulator and CSAVEd the game

 

Many thanks again and looking forward to seeing the other two titles!

 

--

Atari Frog

http://www.atarimania.com