Category Archives: BASIC

BBS and beyond

Posted on June 22, 2024 by admin

On Monday, June 30, 1986, we launched Comm-Link BBS for the Gosford Commodore User Group (based in Gosford, NSW). Over the past six months, I had worked on designing, programming, and conducting extensive testing to reach the point where users … Continue reading →

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SNAKE – VIC 20

Posted on October 4, 2022 by admin

Had a few nights free recently so was inspired to create a simple game for the unexpanded Commodore VIC – 20 using BASIC v2.0. For those who have programmed the VIC 20 in BASIC realise that you only have 3.5KB … Continue reading →

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Vital Message

Posted on August 25, 2020 by admin

My second BASIC to C conversion using the classic Usborne 1980s computer books which helped many of today’s tech professionals were inspired by the Usborne computing books they read as children. The books included program listings for such iconic computers as the … Continue reading →

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Robot Missile

Posted on August 24, 2020 by admin

Usborne 1980s computer books helped many of today’s tech professionals were inspired by the Usborne computing books they read as children. The books included program listings for such iconic computers as the ZX Spectrum, the BBC Micro and the Commodore 64, … Continue reading →

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Retro Computer Kit

Posted on June 27, 2020 by admin

Early in September 2019 while on holidays in London I had a couple of free days available and decided to head north to Cambridge to visit the Centre for Computing History which was having an event day. Hidden away in … Continue reading →

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Adding commands to BASIC using a wedge

Posted on May 27, 2020 by admin

This Commodore 64 source code (6510 assembly language, Kick Assembler format) adds four new commands to the standard Commodore BASIC v2 and will give you an idea of how to add your own commands to the BASIC via a wedge. … Continue reading →

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VIC 20 Adventures

Posted on May 25, 2020 by admin

Between 1983 and 1984 I was consumed by the mission to write my own text adventures for the Commodore VIC 20 Home Computer. During this time I completed two adventures, and partially completed another four. #1 – Pirate House -> released#2 … Continue reading →

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Sunken Treasure source

Posted on May 13, 2020 by admin

I’ve been exploring an old box of paperwork, handwritten notes, maps and source code from back in the early 1980s. Initially, I went looking for my old VIC 20 text adventures and found much more material that I’d forgotten about … Continue reading →

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Map found for Pirate House

Posted on May 13, 2020 by admin

Well as I mentioned in my last post that if I found some time, I would re-create Pirate House for the Commodore VIC 20.  I was rummaging through another old box of paperwork the other night, and I located my original notes, … Continue reading →

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An adventure in 3583 bytes

Posted on April 1, 2020 by admin

Towards the end of 1983, I wrote several text adventure games for the Commodore VIC 20. Inspired by the classic Commodore released cartridge-based text adventures by Scott Adams, especially AdventureLand and Pirate Cove, I started programming my series. I had … Continue reading →

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