|  | Rachy's new project is ripe for public introduction: Preic is a tool that makes cross-developing Commodore BASIC programs a lot easier. For the details have a look at the link! | [ comments ] |
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|  Nukewar Plus/4: "A Strange Game..." | | Posted by Luca on 2024-12-09 |
 NukeWar – this was its first title, with capital W – is a real classic among the strategy games, developed by Gary Bedrosian in 1978 on a North Star computer, and then ported on several other machines; nominated in 1980 as "Best Computer Game" at CSR Award.
Probably, that's the reason why somebody did take it into the Plus/4 scene. Unfortunately, Nukewar looks quite weird about its interface, and once played, it proves to be buggy. And you know why? Well, Nukewar actually is the untouched C64 version, spread among the users simply because it apparently ran with no immediate error to show... Until the SID registers and the hardware sprites begin to touch their memory locations!
So that's the deal: would you like to see it running on a Plus/4? Good, you need to convert it. Nukewar Plus/4 is the porting of the C64 version, originally coded by Winchell Chung and released by the Microcomputer Games division of Avalon Hill, publisher of well known wargames, board and role-play games, miniatures and so on. It still represents an old little game written in BASIC, which plays like a cross between a strategic game and the classic "battleships". Luca/FIRE did only add sparse LM codes here and there, in order to have TED/SID optional audio by autodetect, and move few software sprites where needed.
A single session on Nukewar Plus/4 only takes 5-10 minutes to be played from beginning to the end, and it uses very few commands, but the sensation is that the simple but precise algorithms which run the game, hide more than the player actually manages to fully realise. Build up your arsenal and spy what your opponent is doing on his country, during the Cold War phase. Balance the use of your warfare resources, and decide defensive and offensive tactics, during the real conflict phase. Declare war at the most strategic moment, and negotiate peace in the most favorable position.
Every game session is different, every ending is equally regrettable. "A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess?". Give it a try: you can play it in its original BASIC, or run a faster compiled version. |
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| | Make Ten Or 50! | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-11-15 |
 Ko-Ko just released a new puzzle game called "Make Ten or 50". You clear numbers from a grid by selecting groups that add up to either 10 or 50 (depending on the game mode). Try to achieve the highest score within the time limit!
The game features new music by Jammer. Check it out! |
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| | Hungarian Plus/4 Game Development Compo! | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-11-11 |
The Hungarian Plus/4 Game Development Compo ("Commodore Plus/4 játékfejlesztői verseny") is back for a 3rd year! 2022 had [ 6 ] entries, while last year there were [ 9 ].
The deadline for this round is 2025-03-31.
The compo also has a new dedicated homepage now at https://plus4gamedev.hu/ (at the moment only in Hungarian). Check it out! |
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| | CONNEX! | | Posted by orac81 on 2024-10-31 |
 CONNEX is a version of the well known "4-in-a-line" game (Connect-4), for any Commodore computer (C64, C16, PET, VIC, etc).
The game is quite simple. Two players (White and Black) takes turns to drop a piece down a column on a 7x6 board. The first player that makes 4 in a line horizontally, vertically or diagonally wins.
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| | Football Manager Plus/4 Enhanced! | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-10-20 |
 Football Manager on the C=64 by Kevin Toms is fondly remembered as an enjoyable management game, a great release for its time. Unfortunately (but not unsurprisingly), the C16 release we had was a pared down version. JimmyCoupe is back to rectify this with Football Manager Plus/4 Enhanced!
- All new UI and game flow
- Full team editor, with ability to edit player names
- Teams increased from 32 to 64, season league games increased from 14 to 30
- Access the transfer market, squad from the menu
- Extra training feature added
- F.A. Cup victory screen added
and many, many more improvements. If you enjoy these type of management games, definitely give this one a try! |
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| | Time Cristal 1 - What Could Have Been? | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-10-09 |
 From KiCHY's archives another surprise has been recovered: Time Cristal 1. The name may immediately sound familiar to folks who remember 90's homebrew games from Hungary: Reddi did release Time Cristal, which, as it turns out, was coded by KiCHY.
What we have here are four level prototypes. The first level is the - now already familiar - long tunnel; the player have to shoot and navigate through it. The second level is Starbase Tau Ceti - a large maze swarming with aliens. The third level is a huge boss fight; try to shoot down a massive ship through a moving gate, while avoiding the obstacles. The fourth level sees our hero on the ground: we can run around, jump and shoot with a weapon. This level has definite "Turrican" vibes.
The game is certainly unfinished - levels will freeze when all lives are lost, have blank screens, and so on. Nevertheless, it's definitely worth checking out... and wondering what could have been... |
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| | Aster Has Been Found! | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-10-07 |
 Aster is an elusive game from '93, written by KiCHY. References to it in contemporary diskmags are hard to find, and we only learned of its existence in 2015, when we added it to our database as a piece of Missing Software. However, thanks to BSZ digging around on some old disks, this game has been miraculously found! Therefore it will be a "new release" for most sceners.
In the game, the introductory text paints a grim picture: you're up against none other than the destroyer of the galaxy. You must guide your loincloth-wearing hero across 5 levels in a fantasy world. Avoid all enemies, don't examine the fire - it is hot (as the game helpfully points out), and touch shiny vases to open doors and make progress. Will the hero save the galaxy? That's up to you! (How will he save it? That's something to ponder, but rest assured that reaching the end of the 5th level does the job.)
This game is definitely a '93 release. Most of the graphics have been converted from C64, and so was the music. The in-game text could have used some proofreading, and the controls are downright difficult. Nevertheless, we're ecstatic to have this game in the collection, definitely give it a try! Kudos for KiCHY for this game (real programmers ship) and big thanks to BSZ for finding it! |
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| | Firewood Better Burns In PETSCII | | Posted by Luca on 2024-09-27 |
 Summer has gone this year too, and the cold season begins to show small signs of its impending presence. To avoid being surprised by the colder temperatures, it's time to stock up on firewood for the winter!
PETSCII Lumberjack is the new "from-game-to-PETSCII" reinterpretation by Ko-Ko: cut branches to make firewood as quickly as possible and without losing the required frantic pace. It features both PvE and PvP modes: n PvE mode, you will face off against the computer in a race to chop down trees as fast as possible; in PvP mode, two players compete head-to-head to see who can chop down more trees within the time limit. Precision and timing are key, and mistakes can slow you down. Can you out-chop your opponent or beat the computer’s speed?
PETSCII Lumberjack is the last reinterpretation of a series of C64 lumberjack-themed games which basically show a similar gameplay, and this specific one has been inspired by the BASIC driven implementation created by the BASIC games' master coder István "Steveboy" Maros. Its original C64 counterpart has joined the Game development mixed compo at QBParty 2024, getting ranked fourth out of five.
Winter is coming! Wood got requesting! Show us your scoring! |
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| | IRQ Turbo! | | Posted by Ulysses777 on 2024-08-25 |
 IRQ Turbo is a new turbo tape mastering program, which allows for the playing of music, animations, or even simple games while the main program loads in the background.
The package includes a conversion of the C64 loader game 'Invade-A-Load' as a demonstration of the turbo's capability.
Instructions are provided for creating your own Invade-A-Load tapes and the rest of the turbo functions, so try it out! |
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| | Osotos! | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-08-24 |
 Inufuto is back with another multi-platform release: Osotos! In this new platformer you collect stars to clear levels while avoiding the baddies. But there's a twist: the game also includes a block pushing and stacking mechanic. You can push blocks to kill enemies, and you can stack them to build new platforms to reach previously unreachable places. Combined with the limited time, it's not an easy task! Check it out and enjoy! |
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| | Have you ever wondered what went into programming a game like Giana Sisters? Now you can find out: TCFS generously released the ~24000 line long source code! | [ comment ] |
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| | Some Creative Cheats (Part 2) | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-07-14 |
 In January, we posted the first part of this small series; where we looked at cheats for 3 of TCFS's games. Yesterday, TCFS maestro revealed the built-in cheat on YouTube for Prince of Persia, therefore now is the perfect time to go over all his games.
Be warned, spoilers ahead! |
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| | Sire Fire! | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-06-28 |
 And the fourth night's the charm! Today marks the release of Sire Fire, the 4th ZX Spectrum conversion by Carmine Migliaccio (TSM), which should also be the last one, closing a completed series. This adventure game was originally written by Gian Battista Aicardi and Tony Aicardi, featured in Load'n'Run 36 back in March 1987.
The original is Italian only, thanks to TSM, Plus/4 owners however have the advantage of playing this game in English. This time, the author has spent his well known skills as chiptune composer by adding a couple of TED tunes, which are both basically covers of the ripped ones he used in the C64 version of the same adventure game.
Sire Fire is populated with several homages and citations of the ZX Spectrum's gameing scene. Are you able to spot all the included references? Anyway, the game is on the shorter side, it's worth checking out for the graphics alone. Enjoy! |
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| | Good Things Come in Three...Houses: La Casa | | Posted by Luca on 2024-06-05 |
 Carmine Migliaccio, your friendly neighborhood TSM, is now back on the converting scene for the third time, once again under the assent of the whole crew working at Ready64.
La Casa is the third in the row, continuing the series of text adventures converted from ZX Spectrum which were created by Gian Battista Aicardi. This one was first released in the 47th issue of Load'n Run magazine, which was published in March 1988, and for us Plus/4 adventurers it follows Bronx and Excalibur. So you already know the deal: hires, slightly animated graphics, an 80-column character set, and is available in both Italian and English. "La Casa" (translated: "The House") calls back the Italian title of the (in?)famous movie series Evil Dead signed by Sam Raimi. Considering that there hadn't been some sort of inspiration from it, would sound like quite an unlikely assertion!
TSM has finally revealed his work plan: although the adventures written by Gian Battista Aicardi can be counted in 17, he's aiming to convert the best selection of four games overall. Now that three are out, we only have to wait for the fourth and last. Which will be? Which would you prefer? |
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| | Two More Bölcsek Köve Cracks! | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-06-02 |
 Having seen our call to action on the forum, Lacus dug into his archive... and emerged with some treasures: two more cracks of Bölcsek Köve have been found.
For those who are still not familiar with the original saga: this game had a very devious copy protection. If not correctly cracked, the game will crash, but only at the point when the player first attempts to turn from human into a fish. It takes a long time to get there!
The first one is from April of 1988, cracked by Mr. Gregory. This crack is also faulty, and it has an optional "unlimited oxygen" cheat. The second crack is from a few months later, December 1988, and it comes from Callisto. It features a new intro, including some music from Ern0, and a massively vertically extended screen. The best part: this is a correctly cracked copy of the game! This also has an optional cheat.
These are awesome finds, big thanks to Lacus for these! We are still on the lookout for Rachy's version however, let's hope it's not lost forever. |
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| | Better Late Than Never! | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-05-30 |
 Bölcsek Köve is a unique Hungarian arcade/adventure game from the late 80s. We do have the original TAP file archived, but the only known crack (released by PPCS) was unfortunately buggy. The game had a devious copy-protection routine, which (deviously) only manifests in a crash many minutes into the game.
Gaia is back with Bölcsek Köve 3+, aka the "Better Late Than Never Edition" to rectify this. Not only this is the first working PRG version, it's also fully NTSC compatible, and has three optional cheats. If you ever wanted to play a game in which you can morph into a fish, a lava monster, and an angel... now it's the time :-)
Enjoy! |
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| | HVTC Update May 2024 | | Posted by Luca on 2024-05-20 |
It's that day of the season! The High Voltage TED Collection – global compendium of the Commodore 264 music – gets updated.
57 new single file is a sort of record, and again the largest slice of the cake comes from the hyper prolific Csabo. This takes the total counting of the archive up to 988 files!
Many files have been changed, in order to meet the need to have a sort of autoplay as default, both to encourage listeners who use emulated players and to meet the needs of the various BOT accounts that publish music extracted from HVTC on various social networks (Mastodon above all).
More particulars can be directly read in the whatsnew.txt available, but let us to highlight one in particular: after 38 long years, now we have the correct Speed King tune, found in the rare copies with the game fixed.
Don't forget to completely delete the whole previous collection (that's the way to do at any new update!), then download/unzip the new one!
This is the straight link to the ZIP file. |
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| | Excalibur, Now It Gets Serial! | | Posted by Luca on 2024-05-18 |
 In the end, Carmine Migliaccio also known as TSM has kept his promise, and it has taken three weeks only to jump back to a new release: it is now a series of games, just as promised by both he and the guys behind Ready64.
Excalibur is a new text adventure from ZX Spectrum, originally made by Gian Battista Aicardi and published in the 43rd issue of Load'n Run magazine, in November 1987. Just like the previously released Bronx, the game features hires, slightly animated graphics, an 80-column character set, and is available in both Italian and English.
We now count two, and it's a well known fact that there are more of them. Hence, given that we're talking about Italian prods, the classic proverb in Italy is: there's no two without three. It's only a matter of time... |
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| | Is It That Day of the Year Already? MayThe4s! | | Posted by Luca on 2024-05-07 |
 The Ancient Order of Plus/4 Jedi out there shows a tiny but graceful sign of life, on the day that celebrates the successful Star Wars saga.
The pretty little demo MayThe4s in fact bears the signature of Synergy, the German backbone of the golden era. Yes, there are signs of Synergy's existence in 2024, and we think it's fantastic! 5tarbuck here provides a themed brand new music too, which accompanies the code and graphics put down by Haegar.
Go give it a run, and as it always has been and always will be: may the Commodore Force be with you! |
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| | Italian Adventures From ZX Spectrum: Bronx | | Posted by Luca on 2024-04-24 |
 A very appreciated present from our friends at Ready64, the Commodore 64 games repository mainly dedicated to unearthing and preserving Italian productions, both as software and as paper publications.
Bronx is a text adventure for ZX Spectrum originally made by Gian Battista Aicardi and published in January 1988, more precisely in Load'n Run magazine issue 45. Today Bronx arrives on Commodore 64 too – as Bronx64 – thanks to the faithful conversion made by Carmine Migliaccio also known as TSM, and it can be played both in the original Italian language and translated into English. It features hires, slightly animated, bitmap graphics, and 80-column charset.
The author has promised more of these releases in the future, so let's wait for further adventures from Carmine! |
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| | New Covers from Crown | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-04-11 |
   Wow, it has been a while: the last time we posted a similar news item was back in 2007. Crown is back, expanding the cover scan collection at Plus/4 World. A few recent highlights: Compute Mit Sonderheft SA 2/88, Emésztőrendszer, Lawn Tennis, and many more.
In case you haven't heard, members can now keep track of their collection right here on the site. So look through those disks and cassettes, maybe you'll find something that we're missing! |
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| | AntiAir! | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-04-07 |
 Inufuto has been hard at work once again. (For anyone not familiar with him, he's a prolific Japanese developer who writes games using his own C compiler and Assember for many platforms.) His new game is called "AntiAir", and since March 20th, his webpage has been filling up with system after system... And finally, system number #48 on his list is the Commodore 16, that is our time to finally enjoy this game!
The gameplay is familiar and simple: each level is cleared by annihilating all UFOs while avoiding falling bombs and blocks. Blocks cannot be destroyed by bullets but will disappear if hit by enemy bombs.
Let's get playing! |
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| | If you enjoy old-school Plus/4 demos, take a trip down memory lane with SCF's Sinus For Everyone - a demo that (until today) was missing from all Plus/4 archives. | [ comment ] |
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| | Game Dev Compo Wrap | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-03-31 |
 The extended deadline for the Hungarian Game Development Compo has passed, and we now have the final list of entries, which includes some last-minute new additions.
Bombtank by Haeger and Flappy Fly by FeCO have been updated to their final(?) versions.
FeCO submitted two more games: SimonSaid1L is a Simon-like guessing game in only one BASIC line! Patt is the full version of PattB10L, it's an action game where you control a bouncing ball.
Last but not least, we have the unexpected but welcome return of Zsolt Prievara, who wrote a new game based on 2048: Magic Dices!
It's fantastic to see such a turnout for the compo. Check out the games and be sure to congratulate the authors on their achievements! |
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| | Kondi Krush! | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-03-29 |
 Katch the latest kreation on Kommodore Plus/4 - Kondi Krush! Krafted with kare and keenness, this kaptivating game promises hours of krazy fun. Kome and konquer the kolorful world of Kondi Krush today! |
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| | Mad Pod Race! | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-03-29 |
 LBM is back (after a slight 31-year break) with a brand new game: Mad Pod Race! Up to three players can play this Star Wars-themed racing game. You get a top-down view of the race track, and you must reach the checkpoints as fast as possible while avoiding crashing into your opponents.
There are 15 levels to play. 3... 2... 1... Go! |
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| | Binary Battle! | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-03-15 |
 Haplo (the newest member of Plus/4 World, and author of Toop, Tenebra and Tenebra 2) is back with a new game. No, the name doesn't start with "T", instead we have Binary Battle, a roguelike with a twist:
Bravely battle baddies, beware overheating, buy boons, bring back the source code!
Enjoy! |
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| | A little, half baked, multiplatform Space Invaders clone, has been released after 10 years: FREAX. | [ comments ] |
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| | Giana Sisters! | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-03-03 |
 The Great Giana Sisters is a beloved classic on C64: a platformer heavily inspired by the "Italian plumber" series (that shall not be named). The game has incredible staying power: over 100 cracks of it exist (with new ones being released even this year), there's a PETSCII version, multiple level editors, a 30th-anniversary edition with lots of extras, tributes, the list goes on. Its soundtrack by Chris Hülsbeck is one of the most popular video game soundtracks of all time.
But wait a minute, why should we, lowly Plus/4 users care about all this C64 hoopla? Simple: thanks to TCFS, the game is now available on our platform as well!
Enemies to dodge, power-ups to collect, boss fights to overcome, hidden warps to find, and 30+ levels to complete: it's all waiting for you! |
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| | Mastertronic Sales Totals - C16 and Plus/4 | | Posted by Waz on 2024-03-01 |
Have you ever wondered how many copies of a Mastertronic game were sold for the Commodore 16 and Plus/4? And can you guess the highest and lowest sellers?
You can now find out with this handy check list of games (including those released on Americana, Bulldog, MAD and Ricochet labels) with sales figures from Anthony Guter of Mastertronic and presented on the Mastertronic Collectors Archive:
Mastertronic Collectors Archive - Commodore 16 Checklist |
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| | Some Creative Cheats (Part 1) | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-01-24 |
 TCFS brought us some excellent conversions of classic C64 games. When Cauldron II starts up for example, the player is immediately greeted with a cheat menu. (That was probably warranted, as the game is very hard.) But what if you wanted to make progress in some of his other titles?
Today we will look at two games Impossible Mission +4 and Bruce Lee Anniversary Edition. Be warned, spoilers ahead! |
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| | Turbo Outrun! | | Posted by Csabo on 2024-01-14 |
 The wait is over! TCFS pulls off the impossible once again, the highly anticipated conversion of the classic arcade game Turbo Outrun makes its debut on the Commodore Plus/4!
Turbo Outrun, originally developed and published by Sega in 1989, has captivated players with its fast-paced gameplay and thrilling races. For the first time, Commodore Plus/4 owners will have the opportunity to rev their engines and leave the other cars on the road in the dust. Watch out for those pesky cops though! Can you drive fast enough to make sure your girlfriend Norma doesn't leave you?
It's no hyperbole that Turbo Outrun is the best racing simulator on our system: great gameplay, awesome graphics with a great sound track. All this can be yours for the price of... absolutely free! What are you waiting for, go download it now! Also check out the companion demo: Turbo Outrun Music Box.
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| | Terror News is back with a new issue! | | Posted by Murphy on 2024-01-04 |
 The Terror News +4 series, which ended in 1992, has returned after almost 32 years with Terror News 32! The magazine contains 53 kilobytes of text content, in a pure scene spirit, nostalgic style, with beautiful graphics by Unreal and Jeva, and melodious music by 5tarbuck & SquareWave.
This time, it is available in both Hungarian and English versions. |
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