Category Archives: Commodore

VIC-20 Adventures: The Return Journey

An Update Five Years in the Making Back in May 2020, I wrote about a collection of text adventures I’d created for the Commodore VIC-20 between 1983 and 1984. At the time, I reflected on those six games—two released, four … Continue reading

Posted in Commodore, Commodore, Uncategorized | Comments Off on VIC-20 Adventures: The Return Journey

River Software Down Under: Bringing British Adventures to Australia

1991. The home computer industry was moving fast — CD-ROMs were looming on the horizon, console gaming was muscling in on the market, and the golden age of the text adventure was flickering like a candle in a storm. I was … Continue reading

Posted in Commodore, Retro | Comments Off on River Software Down Under: Bringing British Adventures to Australia

The Night the Modem Answered: How We Built a BBS from Scratch in 1986

Monday, June 30, 1986. The cursor blinked. The modem crackled. And then — it happened. A phone line in Umina, NSW, rang in the dead of night, and a Commodore 64 answered it. That was the moment everything changed. After six months … Continue reading

Posted in 8 Bit Computer, BASIC, Commodore, Programming, Retro | Comments Off on The Night the Modem Answered: How We Built a BBS from Scratch in 1986

Relics from the Past: Rescuing a Lost Adventure, 39 Years Later

2020. The world had stopped. Locked down, grounded, and suddenly confronted with more time than I knew what to do with, I did what any self-respecting hoarder of computing history would do: I dragged out the boxes. Dozens of them. … Continue reading

Posted in Commodore, Programming, Software | Comments Off on Relics from the Past: Rescuing a Lost Adventure, 39 Years Later

SNAKE – VIC 20

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

Posted in BASIC, Commodore, Programming | Comments Off on SNAKE – VIC 20

Discover a utility from the past

I’ve been continuing to clean up old documents, backup, and take the time to sort these out. Unsurprisingly, after 40 years of working with, programming and running various computer/software-related businesses, I would gather so much stuff. I’m slowly putting it … Continue reading

Posted in Commodore, Software | Comments Off on Discover a utility from the past

Vital Message

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

Posted in BASIC, C, Commodore, Programming, Retro, Software | Comments Off on Vital Message

Robot Missile

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

Posted in BASIC, C, Commodore, Programming, Retro | Comments Off on Robot Missile

Adding commands to BASIC using a wedge

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

Posted in BASIC, Commodore, Programming, Software | Comments Off on Adding commands to BASIC using a wedge

VIC 20 Adventures

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

Posted in BASIC, Commodore, Programming, Software | Comments Off on VIC 20 Adventures