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F0Ξ05: [ BDEHI%} VY8 B V  @  /DE `E:D8:DUP.SYSERROR-SAVING USER MEMORY ON DISKTYPE Y TO &}STILL RUN DOS B;DE J  (` 9 V⪍ ઍ  -'}LLu ÝDEHILV 9 .l 9 .l  `` s$B BH(}I|DE V BLV nB,DE JLV B V BLVDEIʩ BꭝLu }W=AB=!"`<0<M !"` XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"UNEM:D"NUR D1 THRU D8ufbcDXPICXYZRVBRSSRRRBBBTBSBTTEXTPTFRERRPEKRTRCAHLHHHTBg`A+}A9@d@@@ ,}@ -}!"#$@%&@'()*+,-.//.} #@!-A6Af%"+/ RR72,138,72,174,11,212,142,10,212,189,80,128,141,22,208,189,176,128,141,23,208/}**189,16,129,141,24,208,104,170,104,64 9@e'AY9A@#g +@#@A0}1B7tACAYW-AAcg (I6-Bg`#%@A7-@1}@E%AAI -9Bhd@e'BheAR9BhfAC2AdAU'Bgd92}BgeAK@]@AoAYz@@@D:T*.PIC7A3}P@'ARAQ9ASAKAV@#]AW@y6-?:C:hhhLV,<@,@4}BoA@'BB9AKA@]BBAoAY@bF F:B2y5},"@AP@w @pda +BB1AACAAUBB6}@da%D:MENU2D:MENU @pda +BB1AACAAUBB# XAy'U +@A1B7tACA@UAY@4 8}@@D:C*.FNTFAP@XARjAS@d|AVAW@ 9}*6-?:C:hhhLV,<@,*@|Bq@q'Bt@9AAKA @]A :}oA@Tu(}AR@@?-?(% EXCEL#2 SIDE#1 ;}堠r(r(g 1 EDITORIAL & GOSSIP - The latest news and developments in the small world of the Atari XL/XE. <}m(m(b 2 COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE - Reviews of a selection of old and new software for the Atari.(ss(k 3 =}COMPETITION - Fancy getting some free games? Enter this little quiz and try your luck.(jj(b 4 PUBL >}IC DOMAIN - This article looks at a few of the best PD disks which are available.(bb(Z 5 SURVEY - Answer t ?}hese questions and you could win lots of great demo disks!L((( CHOOSE FILE NUMBER:AV@d @}LAY@bp F:Ad,"@1A` q F:Ad,"@0A`!r F:Ad,"@&A`"s F: A}Ad,"@$A`#t F:Ad,"@)A`$z@w A` +% D:ED*.BAS + B}% D:SOFT*.BAS +% D:COMP.BAS +% D:PD*.BAS +% D:SURV*.BASD:MENU2 + u@&h}tAY@dAo #@!-A6AS%"+/ o96,98,100,102,104,106,108,110,110,E}108,106,104,102,100,98,96,0AAY#@3-A6AX7"=A WW72,138,72,162,0,189,100,6,1F}41,10,212,141,26,208,232,224,17,208,242,104,170,104,64oBhA('BA(9BBKAG}]A@oBBA 9B7tA'@A9A@ @'AH}9A @KA]AR@oAVAu(}-/6-A I} @/AY@bV"F:Ad,"@*A06-&A6(}H-L V @V"F:AJ}d,"@*A06-%A6(}H-L V @T"F:Ad,"@*"A.6-A4(K}}F-J T @T"F:Ad,"@*"A.6-A4(}F-J T @"L}F:B2y,"@" @@@w @(gAY+1BBCAAM}UAAgBB@d2%D:MENU2PB-@!B((----------------------------------------QL-N}@"L( -NEXT -LAST -'A -MENUUAdAU$d)&( EXCEL #2 EDITO}ORIAL )(fTT(L Welcome to the second issue of Excel. This is the first monthly issue; thehUU(Mnext edition will be outP} on the last dayof June, and subsequent issues on thejRR(Jlast day of every month. I have includeda small survey in this iQ}ssue in anlZW(Oattempt to find out exactly what Atari users want to see every month on Excel.Z(nWW(O The main criticiR}sm levelled at Excel #1was the lack of reading material, so wepTT(Lhave did a little experiment with this issue; one sideS} full of text and onerSS(Kside full of graphics based programs, i.e. games and demos. Please answertVV(Nthe survey soT} that we can find out what your preferances are. Just answervEE(=the questions and you may win a great set of PD deU}mo disks!x$)&( EXCEL #2 EDITORIAL )(UU(M Also on this issue are a few good PD games, one of which wV}as put in at theWW(Olast minute (Triad) to replace a game which we have been working on but couldUU(Mnot finish in W}time for this issue. With a bit of luck, 'Gunstar' (a new shootVV(N'em up) will appear in issue three. Alsoon side two isX} an excellent demo whichUU(Mwas sent to us by the High Tech Team who liked the first issue and promiseFC(;to put tY}he 'Colorfont' program to good use in their demos!F(WW(O A big thank you to Frankenstein, Prizm,The Exterminator, SolarZ}systems, The DDTVV(NCrew and Steve Zipp for the demo and forstaying with the Atari XL/XE. The guysPP(Halso have a new[} mega-demo in production at the moment called 'Platinum'.$,)&( EXCEL #2 EDITORIAL )(.UU(M Watch out fo\}r new stuff from the High Tech Team, as it is all good quality.0SS(KMaybe they will consider putting this talent to bet]}ter use and write some2(%(games for the Atari sometime.((4XX(P Unfortunately, the lack of new softwareis continuing w^}ith HI TEC being the only6SS(Kcompany bringing out new games at the moment. Even Zeppelin seem to have8SS(Kdeserted _}the Atari. I've noticed that Ian Copeland, the author of most of:WW(OZeppelin's Atari games, has been doing Commo`}dore 64 games lately. A real<UU(Mdedicated Atari user is Ian! Of course, there is more money to be made out of>WW(Othe a}C64, as it is a much more popular computer. But we are only interested in?//('two computers; the Atari XL & Atari XE!@b}$)&( EXCEL #2 EDITORIAL )(SS(K It's good to see Byte Back Software are re-releasing more quality Atac}riXX(Pgames. Lets hope they can get a lot moresoftware to release; maybe those elusiveWW(OAmerican games that never d}made it to Britain originally. They've got off toWW(Oa good start with the release of JetbootJack, Laser Hawk, Fightere} Pilot, Little*'(Devil, Nightmares and Tomahawk.*(RR(J Two of the best games in the range are the new releases Cosmf}ic Pirate andTT(LExploding Wall. Both are of a high standard, particularly Cosmic PirateXX(Pwhich has made greatg} use of the Atari's sprites. I would recommend both of theseUU(Mgames, plus the six mentioned above. There are also ah} few to avoid; Space--(%Lobsters, Astro Droid and Space Wars.$)&( EXCEL #2 EDITORIAL )(QQ(I Spaci}e Wars is utterly outdated and so repetitive; Astro Droid and SpaceVV(NLobsters are graphically great but are practicalj}ly unplayable. The difficultyWT(Lis far too high in both games. Some of the meanies are just unavoidable.W(SS(K k}Congratulations to Les & Sandy Ellingham as PAGE 6 has reached itsWW(Ofiftieth issue! Well done, and long may it l}continue. Thanks also to Les for theUU(Mvery nice review of Excel #1 in the lastissue of Page 6. A pity we didn't getTm}T(Lthe first issue to Page 6 in time for a full review. Still, we are releasingWW(Osome programs on cassette, so these mn}ay be reviewed in Page 6 next month (#51).$X)&( EXCEL #2 EDITORIAL )(ZXX(P Finally, a big thank you too} all of you who ordered Excel #1. I hope you enjoyed\XX(Pit! Hi to Brian & Penny Sheldon and to Linda Naysmith! You werep} the very first^VS(Kto order issue #1 (Didn't waste a momentdid you?) Thanks again to everyone.V(`TT(L Before I go, a q}word to people who are ordering anything from Excel using abVV(NPostal Order. Please make the order payable to R.STUAr}RT, as it says in thedVV(Nadverts in Page 6's New Atari User. Also,do not write anything on the linefUU(Mwhich sayss}, 'AT WHICH OFFICE'. Filling in a postal order is easy. Just writehWW(Othe name of the payee, and nothing else!Yes, I've t}had some weird postal orders!l$)&( EXCEL #2 EDITORIAL )(UU(M By the way, the same goes for cheques; mu}ake them payable to R.Stuart, not toWW(OExcel. Thank you! Now, I don't think there is anything else I've got to moanv}UU(Mabout except for the fact that Page 6's New Atari User is again going to be aTT(Lmail-order only magazine. Make surw}e you all subscribe and keep Page 6 going!SS(KWithout Page 6 the Atari XL/XE computerswould probably have died out a longx}IF(>time ago. We've all got to do our bit tosupport the Atari now.I(UU(M Well, happy computing, enjoy this issuy}e and please send me your answersPM(Eto the competition and survey as soon aspossible. See you next month!P())(! z} Robert Stuart, Excel Editor$ D:EDITOR.BASion and survey as soon aspossible. See you next month!P())(! 8 1s-sPAGAAY@d((ŠӠǠ٠Үԛ((Ԡ٠Ү|}ԠĠ٠a #@!-A6AR%"+/ a176,178,180,182,184,186,188,190,190,188,186,184182,1}}80,178,176,0AAY#@3-A6AX7"=A WW72,138,72,162,0,189,100,6,141,10,212,141,2~}6,208,232,224,17,208,242,104,170,104,64oBhA('BA(9BBKA]A}@oBBA 9B7tA'@A9A@ @'A9}A @KA]AR@oAVAu(}-/6-A  @/}AY@bV"F:Ad,"@*A06-&A6(}H-L V @V"F:Ad,"@*}A506-%A6(}H-L V @T"F:Ad,"@*"A5.6-A4(}F-}J T @T"F:Ad,"@*"A.6-A54(}F-J T @ F:B2y,"@}@@@w @(a +BB1AACAAUBB@d}a%D:MENU2PB-@!B((----------------------------------------QL-@"L( -NEXT -LAST }-'A -MENUUAdAU$dS$( SOFTWARE REVIEWSP(' Program & Text by R.Stuart &} A.StevelyS(fWW(O These reviews are of commercial games software some of which are available onhVV(Ncassette and some} on disk. They can be bought by mail order from MILES BETTERjRO(GSOFTWARE and directly from PAGE 6. The addresses are gi}ven on page 35.R(lVV(N Also reviewed here is Transdisk IV which is a great tape-to-disk utility.nTT(LPlease give t}hese companies as much support as possible, as they are thepWW(Olast remaining sources of Atari XL/XE mail order sof}tware. It would be tragicr.+(#if they were to go out of business..(tSS(K We have reviewed some new games as wellas som}e golden oldies, so hopefullyv((( there is something for everyone.x$V'( RUFF & REDDY by HI TECS(' Tape }2.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTWAREV(SS(K Ruff and Reddy's Space Adventure is thefirst in a series of games based onUU(}Mfamous Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters.Judging by this first release, HI TECWW(Oare onto a winner with this series! Th}isgame is set on an alien planet, and youTT(Lcontrol the character Reddy (a nicely animated cat!), who must look around}TT(Ldifferent areas of the planet to find the little aliens (Lilli-punies; whoVS(Kthinks up these names?) which wil}l help to set free your canine buddy Ruff.V(XX(P The graphics are excellent; level one'sscreens are drawn in different s}hades ofVV(Nblue, although the cassette inlay card shows much more colourful screenshots&&(from the Commodore 64 v}ersion.$,V'( RUFF & REDDY by HI TECS(' Tape 2.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTWAREV(.XX(P Of course, the At}ari doesn't have a colour memory map like the C64, so blame/QQ(Ithe Atari hardware, not the programmer. (Are you liste}ning, Paul Rixon!)0XX(PHaving said that, a little more colour could have been added, but generally the2VV(Ngraphics a}re superbly designed. The movement of the various characters is4UR(Jexcellent, with good animation and no characters} rubbing each other out.U(6TT(L Unlike many other budget priced games, this one has a good quality piece of8TT(Lmusic }accompanying the action, and the gameplay matches the high quality of:WW(Othe graphics and sound. This game is definit}ely 'just one more go' material!@$V'( RUFF & REDDY by HI TECS(' Tape 2.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTWAREV(}UU(M Although based on a children's cartoon,Ruff and Reddy is probably not reallyUU(Msuitable for very young gamesters}, as the difficulty rating is pretty high!XX(PSome of Reddy's jumps have to be timed to purr-fection (groan!), but the} game'sTT(Lcharacters don't jerk around in 'Jetset Willy' fashion, so it isn't half asXX(Pfrustrating as that game. }Your three available lives don't tend to last long!SS(K With superb graphics, sound and playability, Ruff and R}eddy's SpaceQQ(IAdventure is the best platform game to be released on the Atari for someUU(Mconsiderable time. Congr}atulations are in order to programmer Russell Knight//('and to HI TEC for supporting the Atari.$Y*(" YOGI'S} GREAT ESCAPE by HI TECV(' Tape 2.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTWAREY(XX(P This is the second in HI TEC's series of cart}oon based games, and the first ofXX(Ptwo games starring Yogi Bear. The story behind this escapade is that JellystoneV}V(NPark is to be closed down, and rather than stay in a zoo for the rest of hisWW(Onatural, Yogi decides to make a qui}ck getaway before Ranger Smith comes alongXU(Mand takes him for an even quicker getaway in the back of a transit }van.X(RR(J The game is of the horizontally scrolling platform variety not tooTT(Ldifferent from Super Mario B}rothers in the arcades. There are six differentVV(Nlevels to get through as Yogi makes his way through a forest, the wil}d west, a..(&fairground, a marsh and New York City.$XY*(" YOGI'S GREAT ESCAPE by HI TECV(' Tape 2.99 from} MILES BETTER SOFTWAREY(ZTT(L The first level is Jellystone Park, which is shaded in murky browns. The\TT(Lgraphics} are not bad, but the chosen colours are awful. I had to turn the^WW(Obrightness up on my TV as the colours are all t}oo dark. The main character of`WW(OYogi Bear is very well drawn and is alsonicely animated. The scrolling is a tadbWW(O}jerky but doesn't really interfere with gameplay. Unfortunately, there is not adVS(Ksingle note of music in the game, but } there are some decent spot effects.V(fSS(K During his escape, Yogi can collect thevarious edible items (he just can'th}VV(Nresist those picnic baskets!) which are scattered around for extra points.l$Y*(" YOGI'S GREAT ESCAPE by} HI TECV(' Tape 2.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTWAREY(UU(M Collecting all of the various parts of Yogi's car brings a hug}e points bonusTT(Lbut getting at them involves taking a few extra risks! There are also some=:(2invisible items lyi}ng around if you can find them!=(PP(H Yogi's Great Escape is very addictive indeed, but like Ruff and Reddy,VV(Nreq}uires almost pixel-perfect jumping skills. I expect the game will provideXX(Pmany weeks (months?) of enjoyment. The pl}ayability is marred only by the multi-VV(Nload cassette system; each level has to be loaded individually from the tape!}QQ(IThe six levels are on side two of the cassette. Overall this is another00((excellent new game from HI TEC Softwa}re.$ `0((YOGI BEAR & FRIENDS IN THE GREED MONSTER](( Tape 2.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTWARE`("WW(O This is the} latest release in HI TEC's series of cartoon games. This one is an$TT(Larcade adventure in which five of Yogi'spals have }been captured by the Greed&UU(Mmonster who has also stolen all of the toys in the world. Being smarter than(WW(Othe av}erage bear, it's up to Yogi to free them all, and collect all the toys*WT(Lplus eighteen blue and white coins whichare }scattered over the many screens.W(,UU(M Yogi only has one 'life', but at the bottom of the screen there is a white.WW}(Obar which represents Yogi's food supply.When this runs out, the game ends. Yogi0UU(Mcan replenish his energy by eating }the various sweets which are picked up on2$$(his travels around the maze.4$`0((YOGI BEAR & FRIENDS IN THE GREED }MONSTER](( Tape 2.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTWARE`(WW(O The different sweets also have some amazing properties; so}me give temporaryVV(Nextra speed or invisibility, and others can be fired at the nasties inhabitingVV(Nthe area, but }they are only killed temp-orarily. Re-enter the screen, and theyUU(Mare back from the dead! You must avoid contact with }these creatures, as theyZW(Osap Yogi's food supply. Watch out for the light bulbs; they are invulnerable!Z(WW(O So}me rooms are protected by a locked door, so the appropriately numbered keyWW(Omust be used to open it. This involves a} lot of running back and forth, as theXX(Pkeys are only obtained from certain screens, and Yogi can only carry one ke}y( at a time! $`0((YOGI BEAR & FRIENDS IN THE GREED MONSTER](( Tape 2.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTWARE`(}TT(L The key being carried, Yogi's food, thescore and the characters rescued areA>(6all shown on the panel at the botto}m of the screen.A(SS(K The graphics are quite good, especiallythe Yogi character who is very wellUU(Mdrawn and an}imated. Like the other gamesin the series, the colour scheme is aVV(Nbit of a let-down, but it is certainly an improveme}nt on Yogi's Great Escape!VV(NSound effects are good, but again there is no music at all. The playability isUU(Mfine,} but it must be said that the game is not tremendously difficult (unlikeRR(Jthe others in the series!) I managed to compl}ete it the same day I got it.$L`0((YOGI BEAR & FRIENDS IN THE GREED MONSTER](( Tape 2.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTW}ARE`(NTT(L I think this game will be more popular with the younger gamesters; my sevenPSS(Kyear old twin nephews love }it! This is another good piece of software fromRVV(Nthe prolific keyboard of Russell Knight and I hope he will continue c}onvertingTVV(Nthese cartoon games for HI TEC. I've seen Hong Kong Phooey, Atom Ant, WackyVUU(MRaces, and Quick Draw }McGraw for the Spectrum computer, so let's hope thatXUU(MHI TEC plan to release these for the Atari as well! So far,} the series hasZUU(Mprovided three excellent games, all totally different in style, so if you\RR(Jbuy (or have boug}ht) any of these, then write to HI TEC and show them your^--(%appreciation. Keep 'em coming HI TEC!`$].(& INTERNA}TIONAL KARATE by SYSTEM THREEZ(' Disk 6.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTWARE](XX(P Although five years old, International K}arate remains one of the best pieces ofWW(Osoftware ever produced for the Atari. The game was written by Archer McLean},VV(Nwho also provided us with the classic shoot 'em up 'Dropzone'. UnfortunatelyVV(Nhe defected to the C64 and the}n the ST and Amiga, but his two games are stillTQ(Iamong the classiest programs ever to appear on our favourite compu}ter.T(TT(L Karate is brilliantly presented; there is a choice of one or two players, aSS(Kdemo mode, four different }speeds of playand eight different backdrops (diskVV(Nversion only) drawn in very colourful hi-res graphics. The fighter}s are well--(%defined and incredibly well animated.$].(& INTERNATIONAL KARATE by SYSTEM THREEZ(' Disk 6.99 }from MILES BETTER SOFTWARE](VV(N There are several nice touches as well,i.e. a clubbed fighter often has starsVV(Nci}rcling his head, or if the computer judges you to have made a particularlyKH(@impressive move, the fighter wipes his h}and on his karate suit!K(WW(O The music composed by Rob Hubbard (who has also deserted all eight bit micros)WW(Ois o}ne of the best pieces of music ever to be played by a Pokey chip. It really UU(Mis great! The bone-crunching sound ef}fects are also worthy of a mention,"UU(Mmainly because they are in fact much better than the ST version, as is the$WW}(Omusic! If you leave the tune playing for a while, it actually gets better as&''(it goes along. Brilliant stuff!(}$x].(& INTERNATIONAL KARATE by SYSTEM THREEZ(' Disk 6.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTWARE](zXX(P The computer opponent} is difficult to beat (but not impossible) and provides a|WW(Oworthwhile challenge, but the game is most fun in two pl}ayer mode. There are~VV(Nsixteen moves available, which are achieved by combinations of moving theQQ(Ijoystick an}d pressing the fire button. Mastering the moves is a lot lessWW(Odifficult than you would think! In two player mode, th}e loser gets put out andWW(Othe winner continues fighting against increasingly crafty computer controlledTT(Loppone}nts. In between rounds (which are thirty seconds long) there are bonusTT(Lpoints to be won by dodging shurrikins, spears }and daggers, and head-butting**("large quantities of slates! Ouch!!$].(& INTERNATIONAL KARATE by SYSTEM THREEZ}(' Disk 6.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTWARE](VV(N All in all, International Karate is a masterpiece of Atari programming}, withUU(Msuperb graphics, amazing animation, brilliant music and sound effects,andXX(Pincredible playability and} addictive qualities. This is one of the best gamesVV(Nwritten during the Atari's twelve year history; if you've nev}er seen it, buyTT(Lit while you have the chance! Every Atari owner should have this game inYV(Ntheir collection. }It is better than ChopSuey, Karateka and Ninja put together!Y(WW(O It is software of this calibre that proves just wh}at can be achieved on theUU(MAtari XL/XE when a competent programmer does a good job. This game has got to++(#be seen} (and heard) to be believed!$@X*(" SIDEWINDER II by MASTERTRONICU(& Tape 2.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTWAREX(B}UU(M Sidewinder II is the sequel, not to Zeppelin/Futureware's Sidewinder, butDWW(Oto an ST/AMIGA game which never mad}e it onto the Atari XL/XE. Upon loading, youFWW(Oare greeted with a colourful text title page accompanied with a remixed v}ersionHZW(Oof the Zybex theme music, which is better than no music at all, I suppose!Z(JRR(J Press fire on your t}rusty joystick, andyour ship appears against a starryLWW(Obackdrop. The ship is rather poorly defined, but when the ba}ckground to theNXX(Pfirst level scrolls onto the screen, thegraphics are seen to be rather good. ThePQQ(Iscenery is sh}aded in greys and looks quite similar to the ST version.T$X*(" SIDEWINDER II by MASTERTRONICU(& Tape 2.99 f}rom MILES BETTER SOFTWAREX(WW(O Most time is spent destroying laser guns and gates, but the occasional waveVV(Nof} alien ships come down to relieve the monotony. Several power-up weapons canSS(Kbe picked up to provide extra blasting p}ower, but there seems to be littleUU(Mdifference in the firing capabilities ofyour ship no matter what you pick up!WT(}LThe most useful add-on is probably the shield, which gives invulnerability.W(XX(P Moving your ship to the bottom of t}he screen stops the screen scrolling, whichYY(Qenables you to concentrate your fire- power on a particular target. Wh}en levelUU(Mone is completed, you go straight to level two; there are no end-of-level(meanies in this game!}$X*(" SIDEWINDER II by MASTERTRONICU(& Tape 2.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTWAREX( VV(N The different levels all }look very similar, which makes the game stagnate VV(Nrather too quickly. There is nothing new to hold the player's }interest, andWT(Lnot much desire to get onto the next level, which makes playability poor.W(WW(O Sidewinder II is} a typical Mastertronic'quickie' conversion job, and is almostXX(Pas bad (but not quite) as their other recent efforts,} Protector & Bomb Fusion.VV(NCome on Mastertronic, what happened to the classic games like Henry's House,UU(MKiksta}rt and Spellbound. The programmersRussell Knight and Anthony Wilson canTT(Lconvert better games to the Atari than these.} Just look at Speedhawk, Tiger,,($Attack, Ruff and Reddy or Astromeda.$l].(& HEAD OVER HEELS by HIT SQUAD (OCEAN})Z(' Tape 2.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTWARE](nTT(L It is no exaggeration to say that this game is probably one of the g}reatestpVV(Ngames ever written for any computer. It was written in 1987 to be a full pricerVV(Ngame but was finally rel}eased in 1990 as a budget game. This is definitely atKH(@case of better late than never! Head Over Heels is a classic}!K(vVV(N The game is an arcade adventure using three dimensional graphics, which havexUU(Mbeen designed using the hig}hest possiblescreen resolution for maximum detail,zTT(Lso the graphics are amazing. The animation is also superb, a}s are the|UU(Msound and musical effects. There are plenty of options to muck around with~(as well.$].(& } HEAD OVER HEELS by HIT SQUAD (OCEAN)Z(' Tape 2.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTWARE](XX(P The plot involves two characters}' (Head and Heels) who have been seperatedWW(Oand imprisoned in the castle of the Blacktooth Empire. They must }escape toVV(Nthe marketplace where they can join together again. Each character has hisXX(Pown skills; for exampl}e Head can fire doughnuts from his hooter, and Heels canWW(Ocarry objects around in his bag. But, the hooter, bag, a}nd doughnuts have to(be found first!(VV(N When the two join together, all of their skills get combined, and }only atSS(Kthe market can they teleport to MoonbaseHQ, which will enable them to reachJJ(Bthe other slave planets to }search for the lost crown of Freedom.$4].(& HEAD OVER HEELS by HIT SQUAD (OCEAN)Z(' Tape 2.99 from MILES BETTE}R SOFTWARE](6TT(L To begin the game, each character is given eight lives (not a lot in this8TT(Lgame!) but more can  }be obtained by collecting white rabbits, which give:WW(Oeither extra lives, invulnerability, extra speed, or bigge }r jumps, depending<QQ(Ion which character(s) pick them up. There is also a creature called a>WW(Ore-incarnation fis }h, which when taken, enables you to restart the game at this@WW(Opoint when you get killed off, but you will only have t }he number of lives thatBRR(Jyou had at this point previously. Make sure the fish is alive (wriggling)DTT(Lbefore picki }ng it up, as dead ones tend to decompose quickly and will poisonF( you if eaten!H$].(& HEAD OVER HEELS by HIT S}QUAD (OCEAN)Z(' Tape 2.99 from MILES BETTER SOFTWARE](RR(J Some of the screens are easy enough, but others require} a great deal ofWW(Othought (and trial and error!) to get through. In all, there are five planetsTT(Lto explore, Sa}fari, Bookworld, Egyptus, Blacktooth and Penitentiary plus theVV(Ndifferent sections of Moonbase HQ, so there are almos}t three hundred screensVV(Nto negotiate. The game will take a lot of playing to complete and should give(%(many mon}ths of entertainment.((VV(N Head Over Heels is a feature packed masterpiece of games programming whichUU(Mshould }be in every Atari owners' collection. Buy this game, it will go$$(down as an all time classic!$]0((MR.RO}BOT & HIS ROBOT FACTORY by DATABYTEZ(% Tape or Disk 1.99 from PAGE 6](XX(P Now this is what you call a bargain!} Mr. Robot was originally published about VV(Nsix years ago when Bounty Bob mania was in full swing and the Atari XL an}d XE UU(Mwere getting as many games cloned as theother machines. You could call this a VV(NBounty Bob clone as it is a }very similar game (without any bugs, unlike SS(KBounty Bob!) in many respects. The idea is for Mr. Robot to collect} all the WW(Opower pills from each of the twenty two levels, while avoiding the usual killer SS(Kmutants which wander a}round the screens looking for something better to do. SS(KHowever, the programmer has added some ingenious ideas to the g}ame and the ==(5result is one of the best platform gamesever created! $` ]0((MR.ROBOT & HIS ROBOT FACTORY by DATABYT}EZ(% Tape or Disk 1.99 from PAGE 6](b WW(O Like most games of this type, the firstfew screens are pretty straight}forward.d TT(LJust avoid the nasties and find out how far you can fall and jump. Then,f UU(Mthings start to get a bit} tricky! There are platforms made out of bombs whichh UU(Mexplode a few seconds after you walk on them, so you have to p}lan out yourj TT(Lroute carefully or you'll run out of platforms! Even worse, you might getl !(accidentally blown up}!!(n WW(O Other screens contain trampolines whichmust be bounced on to reach other areasp VV(Nof the screen. There are a }lso teleports,magnets, and poles which you can slider II(Adown but not up! There are many great features on most screens.!}t $ ]0((MR.ROBOT & HIS ROBOT FACTORY by DATABYTEZ(% Tape or Disk 1.99 from PAGE 6]( QQ(I Extra lives are a"}vailable on certain screens, but they are few and far UU(Mbetween! You also have to complete each level before your Robo#}t's energy runs SP(Hdown. I don't think I need to tell you what happens if it reaches zero!S( UU(M The graphics are v$}ery colourful indeed and the movement of the characters is UU(Mfast and smooth, which makes for a very slick and professio%}nal game. There is UU(Malso a great title tune and good sound effects, plus a special bonus as part VV(Nof the program&}; a 'Robot Factory' which enables you to design your own screens XX(Pvery easily. You can use ladders, bombs,teleports, tr'}ampolines and all the other )&(features in your own screens.)( )&(features in your own screens.)( $( ]0((MR(}.ROBOT & HIS ROBOT FACTORY by DATABYTEZ(% Tape or Disk 1.99 from PAGE 6](* VV(N Another nice feature is the abili)}ty to begin on any screen at any time,so you, SS(Kdon't have to trudge through all the easy levels that you can do in yo*}ur. EB(:sleep when attempting to master the moredifficult screens!E(0 UU(M To sum up, Mr. Robot is a cracker of a game w+}hich was originally on sale for2 UU(M9.99 on cassette and 14.99 on disk. Most Atari owners would have found it4 UU(Mt,}o be good value at that price, so now that it is available for 1.99, it is6 RR(Jsimply an unmissable piece of software. I-}f you don't buy this game at this8 VV(Nprice, you must be a raving loony! Buy it; this is the bargain of the decade!: ==(.}5result is one of the best platform gamesever created!< $ N'( TRANSDISK IV by DIGICOMMK( Disk 19.99 /}from PAGE 6N( TT(L This program has been available for a few years now, but has recently been VV(Nadded to Page 6's g0}rowing range of software. The program enables the user WW(Oto transfer cassette based commercial (or otherwise) gam1}es onto disk for much VV(Nfaster loading. If you're reading this review then you'll know how fast Atari YV(Ndisks load2}, and no doubt you all know how slow the Atari cassette system is!Y( --(% Once loaded you are presented with a TT(Ls3}creen full of options, all operated by pressing the appropriate letter. The SS(Koptions include drive directories, in4}itialise a disk with one of three >>(6menus, and standard or non-standard cassette load. $ N'( TRANSDISK5} IV by DIGICOMMK( Disk 19.99 from PAGE 6N( WW(O The menu usually used for shorter gamesis the XT menu, but gam6}es requiring the WW(Ofull 64K of memory must use the XL menu or XE menu (130XE only, not the 65XE). XX(PSome games req7}uire so much memory (remember Transdisk is always in memory) SS(Kthat they must be copied in more than one stage 8}(if possible); the extra XX(Pstages can be stuck together using the 'Append' option on the menu. There are a XX(Pfew 9}games though which cannot be loaded in stages, which means that they cannot WW(Obe copied using Transdisk! These games ar:}e usually very long loaders with only VV(None or two stages; usually the first stage is tiny and the next is too long;} (to load in one go. )&(features in your own screens.)( $T N'( TRANSDISK IV by DIGICOMMK( Dis<}k 19.99 from PAGE 6N(V SS(K However, if you own a 130XE computer, you won't have this problem, as theX WW(Oprogram us=}es the extra memory of the 128K machine (or expanded 800XL models)Z WW(Oto load in extremely long loaders. In fact if >}you have a 130XE you will never\ WW(Oneed to use the 'Append' function, as a whole tape can be loaded into memory in^ /,(?}$one go with plenty of room to spare!/(` UU(M The program allows you to record many files on each side of a disk; in most@}b VV(Ncases you will get between three and sixgames on one side of a disk; dependingd TT(Lon the game's size. With the loA}ng loaders on the 130XE, two games willf $$(usually fill up a disk side.h $ N'( TRANSDISK IV by DIGICOMB}MK( Disk 19.99 from PAGE 6N( UU(M The copied programs are saved in a special format so that they will onlyC} TT(Lload from the Transdisk menus, so any files saved using Transdisk will not VV(Nbinary load from the DOS menu. AlD}l of the menus will boot up on a 130XE, but WW(Oprograms saved using an XE menu will give a boot error if an attempt E}is made -*("to boot the disk on a 64K machine.-( XX(P The 'Standard' tape load option works for most games, but some F}software houses UU(Mchoose to save their cassettes in a short or long gap format, which is a TT(Lbit trickier to dG}eal with! A bit of trial and error must be used to find EE(=the proper settings to load these 'Non standard' load gamH}es. $ N'( TRANSDISK IV by DIGICOMMK( Disk 19.99 from PAGE 6N( SS(K Given that most new games relI}eases these days are cassette only budget WW(Otitles, Transdisk IV is a very handy utility for disk owners who do nJ}ot want" UU(Mto put up with the huge loading times of most Atari tapes. The price is not$ XX(Pcheap, but it is really aK}n essential buyif you spend a lot of time playing games& WW(Oon your Atari, as in the long run it will save you hours (L}maybe even days!)( (of loading time.(* XX(P I have been using Transdisk for four years and have found it to be oneM} of the, XX(Pbest utilities I've ever bought. As well as machine code games, it can also. <<(4transfer Basic programN}s or games onto a menu disk.: $ N'( TRANSDISK IV by DIGICOMMK( Disk 19.99 from PAGE 6N( UU(M MaO}chine code games must be saved using the .OBJ extender, and Basic programs SS(Khave to have a .BOB extender or the proP}grams won't run. Remember not to VS(Khold the 'Option' key when loading the .BOB files from the Transdisk menu!V( UU(Q}M When initialising a disk, Transdisk detects which drive you have and will TT(Lautomatically format in enhanced densitR}yif you own a 1050 drive. True double SS(Kdensity drives (or modified 1050's) are also supported, so you will get the XXS}(Pminimum possible wasted storage space. All in all, Transdisk IV is an excellent WW(Outility which will transform yourT} collection of budget (and full price!) ( games tapes. $ N'( TRANSDISK IV by DIGICOMMK( DisU}k 19.99 from PAGE 6N( SS(K Here are some of the tapes which I havecopied to disk using Transdisk on a XX(Pstandard 8V}00XL; Henry's House, Ruff and Reddy, Yogi and the Greed Monster, Swat, WW(ODropzone, International Karate, 180, BouldeW}rdash II, Warhawk, Attack of the TT(LMutant Camels, Spellbound, Ninja, Kikstart, Blinky's Scary School, BMX VV(NSX}imulator, Rampage, Revenge II, Zorro, Laser Hawk, Decathlon, Rebound, Druid, XX(PExploding Wall, Twilight World, Polar Y}Pierre, The Extirpator, Crack Up, Zorro, SS(KGhost Chaser, Alley Cat, Joe Blade II, Little Devil, Montezuma's Revenge,Z} -*("Steve Davis Snooker and many more.-( TT(L And all, I'm proud to say, were taped from the original cassette version[}s. $H S$( SOFTWARE REVIEWSP(' Program & Text by R.Stuart & A.StevelyS(J SS(K We hope you have enjoyed \}reading these commercial software reviews, and weL TT(Lwould like you to write and tell us if this should be a regular fea]}ture. WeN UU(Mneed to know what you want to see on EXCEL every month, so do not hesitateP SS(Kto write to us with any ^}ideas, requests,criticism or comments. This monthlyR WW(Odisk will continue as long as you want it to continue, and we aim_} to please asT XX(Pmany Atari users as possible. The bulk of this side (1) of EXCEL #2 is taken upV TT(Lwith text revie`}ws; is this what you would like to see on future issues?X SS(KWrite now and let us know! We will try to accomodate a va}ariety of featuresZ II(Athat will interest as many Atari users as possible. Bye for now!f $ J$( SOFTWAREb} REVIEWSG( SUPPLIERS' ADDRESSESJ( (MILES BETTER SOFTWARE (219/221, Cannock Road, (Chadsmoor, Cc}annock, "(Staffordshire, WS11 2DD"( (GRALIN INTERNATIONAL (11, Shillito Road, (Parkstone, Poole, d}(Dorset, BH12 2BN( (PAGE 6 ( P.O. Box 54, ( Stafford, (ST16 1DR $D:SOFTREVS.BASe, v 1``PAG%%àΠӠ%%Ԡ͠٠Үf}Ԡe #@!-A6AR%"+/ e48,50,52,54,56,58,60,62,62,60,58,56,54,52,50,48,0,0AAYg}#@3-A6AX7"=A WW72,138,72,162,0,189,100,6,141,10,212,141,26,208,232,224,17,208,242,q} B%DOS SYSB)AUTORUN SYSB *MENU B 7MENU2 B7DEDITOR BASB{SOFTREVSBASBePDREVS BASB%3SURVEY BASBXCOMP BASB#CCOMP PICB COMP TXTB COMPUTERFNTBREV OBJB#TITLE PIC104,170,104,64oBhA('BA(9BBKA]A@oBBAr} 9B7tA'@A9A@ @'A9A @KAs}]AR@oAVAu(}-/6-A  @/AY@bV"F:At}d,"@*A06-&A6(}H-L V @V"F:Ad,"@*A006-%A6u}(}H-L V @T"F:Ad,"@*"A0.6-A4(}F-J T @T"v}F:Ad,"@*"A.6-A04(}F-J T @ F:B2y,"@@@@ww} @(a +BB1AACAAUBB@da%D:MENU2PB-x}@!B((----------------------------------------QL-@"L( -NEXT -LAST -'A y}-MENUUAdAU$d++(# PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE REVIEWSf(%( by Robert Stuart ((hVV(N Thez}se programs are all available from the EXCEL Public Domain library exceptjPP(HTurbo Basic which is available from the{} PAGE 6 Public Domain libraryl;8(0complete with the printed instruction booklet.;(nYV(N To the best of our knowledge|}, these programs are all in the Public Domain.Y(pWW(OThe disks reviewed represent many types of software; games, demo}}s, and utilityrVV(Nprograms. These items are among the bestPD software available for the Atari XLtTT(Land XE computers,~} and we hope that if you feel left out by the lack of newvVV(Ncommercial software that you will try some of this high }quality PD software.x$I#( DRAG by KE-SOFTF( Disk 3.95 from EXCELI(VV(N This game is writ}ten in Turbo Basic, has been compiled for extra speed, andXX(Plooks and plays like a commercial game. It originates fro}m Germany and must rateWW(Oas one of the best pieces of Public Domain software written for the Atari.VV(NBasical}ly, Drag is a Boulderdash clone, although it is actually much more likeWW(ODarg, the old STV / B.Ware game, though it has} much better graphics, sound, andUU(Mpresentation. The game is played on single screens, as opposed to several/,(}$scrolling screens as in Boulderdash./(UU(M Drag is a little frog-like creature whoburrows around underground collecting}..(&gems, while avoiding falling rocks and""(other underground hazards.$,I#( DRAG by KE-SOFTF(} Disk 3.95 from EXCELI(.LL(D Srategically placed bombs must be used to blast a path to otherwise0RR(Junreach}able gems, but you must take careas it is not too difficult to blow2( yourself up!(4UU(M There are fifty levels to }get through, which will be no pushover, as some of6RR(Jthe puzzles are pretty tough! To make life even more difficult ea}ch cave8VV(Nmust be completed before Drag's air supply runs out, but fortunately there:TT(Lare extra air cannisters} lying around some of the caves. All of the levels<WW(Oare loaded seperately from disk, but this takes only a few sec}onds, so there>(is no problem there.@$I#( DRAG by KE-SOFTF( Disk 3.95 from EXCELI(S}S(K A code number system is used to gain access to the higher levels. If youRR(Jsomehow manage to get through all fift}y levels then you can use the screenTT(Ldesigner on the other side of the disk to create your own caves, which is a# }(very nice bonus feature!#(VV(N With top notch graphics, good music andsound effects, incredible playability,SS(Ka}nd the added bonus of a screen designerthis is a superb piece of software.PP(HWith Public Domain software as good as thi}s appearing on the scene, whoTT(Lneeds pathetic Spectrum conversions from the commercial software houses?%%(This} game is one of the best!$K$( SOGON by KE-SOFTH( Disk 3.95 from EXCELK(TT(L Sogon is a}nother compiled Turbo Basic game from the author of Drag, and isXX(Pequally good, although this one is an outright str}ategy game. With Drag, thereUU(Mare several ways to complete each screenbut here there may be only one, so a,)(!sing}le error can cost you a life!,(VV(N The object of the game is to move a given number of boxes onto a specifiedRR(}Jarea of the screen using a little bulldozer. It sounds easy, but theUU(Mboxes usually have to be moved in the co}rrect sequence or you may find thatVV(Nyou get stuck! A box pushed against a wall cannot be moved back out again soB}B(:you really have to concentrate when playing this game!$XK$( SOGON by KE-SOFTH( Disk 3}.95 from EXCELK(ZXX(P There is a certain time limit for each screen so quick thinking is necessary or\XX(Pyou'll soo}n be back to the start again. The game is tremendously addictive, but^UU(Mit must be said that it can get very frustrat}ing as well! If you think you`WW(Oare good at solving puzzles, you will probably love this game, but be warned,b1.(&i}t could seriously damage your sanity!1(dVV(N The graphics are simple but effective, the sound and music are good, and lik}efVV(NDrag there are fifty levels, code numbers, the ability to save your highhOL(Dscores to disk, and a bonus sc}reen editor. Great stuff. Buy it!O(l$W+(# TURBO BASIC by FRANK OSTROWSKIT($ Disk & Manual 3.95 from }PAGE 6W(VV(N If you are even remotely interested in programming your Atari, or if you knowXX(Pquite a bit about Atar}i Basic but have been disheartened by the lack of certainYY(Qcommands then this language is a good choice for your ne}xt step. Not only doesYY(Qthe disk include an entirely new Basic language, but also a compiler which willWW(Oenabl}e you to speed up existing Atari Basic programs by ten to fifteen times>;(3and Turbo Basic programs by three to five} times.>(TT(L Turbo Basic was written to replace the standard Atari Basic which now looksLL(Dvery dated beside some }computers' more advanced Basic instructions.$ W+(# TURBO BASIC by FRANK OSTROWSKIT($ Disk & Manual 3.95 f}rom PAGE 6W("PP(H The language is claimed to be one hundred per cent compatible with$UU(Mprograms written in Atar}i Basic, but if you have programs which poke directly&WW(Ointo the display list or screen memory, these will not work as T}urbo Basic puts(UU(Mthe display further up in memory than normal Atari Basic. Turbo leaves more*UU(Mfree RAM workspac}e than usual, but booting DOS will require the language,TT(Lto be reloaded although I think there is a way to get a}round this. Most of.WW(ODOS's important functions are built intoTurbo Basic anyway, including directory0WW(Oreading, bi}nary loading, locking, unlocking, deleting and renaming files.4$W+(# TURBO BASIC by FRANK OSTROWSKIT($ } Disk & Manual 3.95 from PAGE 6W(TT(L For those who have used 'structured' programming on, for example, the BBCUU}(MMicro, there are plenty of new commands,including REPEAT-UNTIL and WHILE-WENDVV(Nloops. Also available are many new } commands to make the languauge as userOO(Gfriendly as possible. These include hex to decimal (and decimal to hex)VV}(Nconversion, new arithmetic functions, and instructions to move around blocks;8(0of memory, and at last a renumbering} command!;(WW(O You can even type in your programs in a choice of upper or lower case lettersXX(Pwithout gettin}g an error message! Thereare also some slightly modified versions**("of some old Atari Basic commands.$W+(# } TURBO BASIC by FRANK OSTROWSKIT($ Disk & Manual 3.95 from PAGE 6W(PP(H For budding artists there are some veryim}pressive new graphics commandsUU(Mincluding paint commands to fill objectswith colour, and the ability to print,)(!te}xt onto a graphics mode screen.,(RR(J One of the best features of Turbo Basicis the printing on screen of errorXX(Pm}essages in English, so instead of just giving you the error number (as in AtariXX(PBasic), you get a description of what} the problem is, which should be a greatUU(Mhelp to beginners when trying to find out why a particular program fails }to(work properly.$LW+(# TURBO BASIC by FRANK OSTROWSKIT($ Disk & Manual 3.95 from PAGE 6W(NTT(L} The disk comes with a printed manual ina nice A5 plastic wallet. The manualPTT(Llists all of the new commands with a d}escription of what the command doesRSS(Kand how to use it. Also included are instructions on how to compile yourTSS(}KTurbo Basic and Atari Basic programs so that they will run at a much fasterVVV(Nspeed. Many programs which have been p}reviously written in Atari Basic willXTT(Lneed to be slowed down as compiling can speed up a game so much that it willZ}(become unplayable!(\VV(N This language is very easy to use, has many excellent features, and if you do^MM(Enot al}ready have a copy, buy it! It is a truly brilliant product!`$T,($ DOT MAGIC! by THE CRYPTIC WIZARDQ( } 2 DISKS 5.95 from EXCELT(SS(K If you own an Epson compatible printer and have used Daisy Dot in the pastOO(Gthen t}his program will be quite familiaras it is a brilliantly modifiedWW(Oversion of Daisy Dot II. If you own an Epson compat}ible printer and have neverXX(Pused Daisy Dot or Dot Magic! then pay close attention;this could be one of the-*("b}est programs you could ever buy!-(VV(N The purpose of Dot Magic! is to provideletter quality printed documents usingQ}Q(Ithe excellent fonts on the disk. There is also the facility to print outXX(Pgraphics anywhere in your document. Any }fonts from Daisy Dot II can also be usedXX(Pwith Dot Magic! including those you havecreated with the Daisy Dot font edit}or.$T,($ DOT MAGIC! by THE CRYPTIC WIZARDQ( 2 DISKS 5.95 from EXCELT(QQ(I Unlike Daisy Dot II, Do}t Magic has a menu with four options available:WW(OPrint a text file, Print a picture, Typewriter mode, and the lab}el printer.UU(MYou can go to and from these modules at will. The label printer allows thirtyVV(Ntwo characters on eac}h of the five lineson a standard one by three inch label.XX(PEach line in the text window represents a line on the label.} If you want to know YY(Qwhat the results are like just look at the labels on EXCEL disks; these are all"YY(Qprinted} using the Dot Magic! label printing module. Great, aren't they? The$YY(Qtypewriter mode is identical to the lab}el printer except that the five lines&AA(9in the text window are printed as one continuous line.($xT,($ DOT M}AGIC! by THE CRYPTIC WIZARDQ( 2 DISKS 5.95 from EXCELT(zVV(N At first glance the typewriter mode seems to b}e pretty useless, but I have|WW(Osince discovered that it is invaluable for experimenting with different fonts,~XX(Pde}nsities and spacings, something which could not be done with Daisy Dot II! TheYY(Qpicture printer prints out any sixty t}wosector micropainter or compressed micro-[X(Pillustrator file. These take a few minutes but the quality is pretty }good![(TT(L The first thing you should do with Dot Magic! is print out the instructionsRR(Jwhich are on the first di}sk as a six page document explaining the basicGG(?knowledge required to print out text files with the program.}$T,($ DOT MAGIC! by THE CRYPTIC WIZARDQ( 2 DISKS 5.95 from EXCELT(RR(J On the second disk is the expan}ded documentation which goes into muchRR(Jgreater detail. This document totals twenty two pages, so don't plan on}NK(Cprinting it out during the commercial break in Coronation Street!N(XX(P The main module on Dot Magic! is the }text file printer, but before using thisWW(Ooption, you must first get your text file onto a disk. A saved text file }isXX(Pnot in the correct format for Dot Magic!so files must be 'printed' to disk usingYY(Qa word processor like Atar}iwriter or Paperclip. Once you have typed your fileRR(Jinto a word processor and 'printed' it to disk, you are ready} to rumble!$@T,($ DOT MAGIC! by THE CRYPTIC WIZARDQ( 2 DISKS 5.95 from EXCELT(BTT(L Dot Magic! will} make beautiful copies of your ordinary text files, but theDWW(Oreally amazing thing about this program is that it can un}derstand and execute aFSP(Hnumber of special commands which can be contained within your text file.S(HXX(P These inclu}de loading new fonts at any time during printing; the ability to putJYY(Qpictures (in different sizes, blocked left, ri}ght or centered) anywhere in theLTT(Ldocument; bold, centered, or underlined text (or any combination of these);NXX(Pj}ustified text, and a choice of four text densities and ten different spacingPVV(Nvalues. All of these can be combined }in one text file to produce a stunninglyR(attractive document.T$T,($ DOT MAGIC! by THE CRYPTIC WIZARDQ( } 2 DISKS 5.95 from EXCELT(VV(N Just print out the instructions on the disk and you will see immediately whatVV(}Nthis remarkable program can achieve. I would never have believed my 800XL andTT(LPanasonic printer could produce such } brilliance unless I had witnessed itVS(Kwith my own eyes! It is easily the best looking PD document I've ever seen!V(}UU(M All of the commands understood by Dot Magic! begin with a simple period (.)UU(Mfollowed by the appropriate lett}er or letters. For example, if you want theUU(Mfirst line of text in your document to be bold and centered, you merely} typeXX(P.bc. in front of the text and when Dot Magic! prints it out, it will be in bold(type and centered!}$T,($ DOT MAGIC! by THE CRYPTIC WIZARDQ( 2 DISKS 5.95 from EXCELT( VV(N The second period indicates the} end of the command. If missed out, Dot Magic! TT(Lwould print all of the text bold and centered until instructed other}wise.VV(NTo load a font, the command .f/D:OLDE would load the font with filename OLDEUU(Mand continue printing in t}his font untilanother font is loaded. Any number ofUU(Mfonts can be used in a document if the commands to load them are }included in(your text file.(QQ(I To print a graphics screen as part of your document, the .pic/TITLE.PICGG(}?command would print out a picture with the filename TITLE.PIC.$lT,($ DOT MAGIC! by THE CRYPTIC WIZARDQ( } 2 DISKS 5.95 from EXCELT(nUU(M Of course, once you have printed your text file to disk, you must also copypWW(Oany} fonts or picture files required by your text file onto that same disk. If,rWW(Ofor example your text file tried to loadt}he font OLDE and it was not present ont.+(#the disk then an error would occur..(vSS(K If you have two disk drives, and} are going to print out a document whichxWW(Orequires several fonts, then you could load the fonts from a disk in drive} twozXX(Pand this would eliminate the need to copy the fonts onto your text file disk.$T,($ DOT MAGIC! by T}HE CRYPTIC WIZARDQ( 2 DISKS 5.95 from EXCELT(XX(P The two disks include the main program,many beautiful fonts}, full documentationVV(Nand an excellent collection of Turbo Basic utilities which will enable youWW(Oto do a few} more tricks with your Atari and printer. But remember the utilitiesUU(Mwill only run with Turbo Basic loaded, so you wi}ll need this language to use(the utilities.(SS(K If you have spent a lot of money on an Epson compatible printer} then spendTT(Lanother few quid on Dot Magic! and get the absolute best from your machine.UU(MThis program really is} amazing; it is undoubtedly one of the best utilitiesXX(Pever written for the Atari and is true commercial quality. An} all time classic!$4M&( EXCEL DEMO DISK #6 J( Disk 3.95 from EXCELM(6TT(L This is the thi}rd, and according to thefirst scrolling message on the disk,8WW(Oprobably the last, part of The Top Demo from those talent}ed Polish programmers,:RR(Jthe World Federation of Mad Hackers. Unfortunately for us, they are now<UU(Malmost exclus}ively working on the Amiga these days, so this may be their last>UU(MXL/XE demo, which is a shame, as they have created }possibly the finest demo@30((yet seen on our favourite home computer.3(BWW(O Like the other parts of The Top Demo, t}he Shift key is used to load the nextDTT(Lsection of the demo. Each part loads in seperately and is decompacted beforeFO}O(Grunning, which enables the programmers to get more data onto the disk.H$M&( EXCEL DEMO DISK #6 J( } Disk 3.95 from EXCELM(UU(M The first part of this demo contains a large revolving WFMH logo which looksXX(}Psuperb, together with a big scrolling message and some quality music. PressingVV(NShift loads the next part which tak}es the form of a Christmas card completeVV(Nwith falling snow. OK, we got the disk afew months late! This is the only d}emoEB(:on the disk which has no music playing in the background.E(WW(O Next up is a set of four horizontally scrol}ling messages which are very, veryWW(Ocolourful and rotate like the logo on the first screen. These change speed atS}S(Kshort intervals, and a good tune plays as you go mad trying to follow four,,($scrolling messages at the same time!}$M&( EXCEL DEMO DISK #6 J( Disk 3.95 from EXCELM(VV(N This is followed by a relatively si}mplesolo demo by 'Brainsoft', which is his TT(Lfirst ever demo, so lets hope he does some more as most of his buddies ar}e !(abandoning the Atari. !( VV(N Next up is possibly the star of the entire disk; a demo which contains 432 UU}(MKilobytes of digitized pictures, 6K of font data, 3K of music and 3K of code WW(Oall compacted into 128K of memory for} use on the 130XE. But don't despair, it UU(Mwill run on the 800XL, but will have some frames of animation missing. T}he TT(L800XL version still looks brilliant, so don't worry about missing out if you PP(Hdo not have a 130XE or expanded} 800XL. The demo is just as good in 64K. $` M&( EXCEL DEMO DISK #6 J( Disk 3.95 from EXCELM(}b UU(M The demo has the animated silhouette ofa dancing girl, which uses many, manyd TT(Lframes of animation and looks sim}ply amazing. The movement of her hair isf WW(Oparticularly good. This demo uses two scrolling messages; one vertical ( }usingh XX(Psprites) and one horizontal, which uses perhaps the best character set I've everj NK(Cseen on an eight bit co }mputer. Both of the fonts are pretty huge.N(l WW(O The silhouette is drawn in grey on a black background, using high re }solutionn VV(N(320x192) pixels for maximum detail. The title page for this animation demop SS(Kinstructs you to press  }Option to begin, but this doesn't do anything; pressr &&(Shift again to begin the demo.t $ M&( EXCEL DEMO } DISK #6 J( Disk 3.95 from EXCELM( XX(P The name of the next part of The Top Demo is 'Video Worm', a nice }little demo UU(Mwhich uses high resolution sprites, something I've been trying to do for VV(Nmonths. A nicely anim}ated little worm slithers past some excellent scrolling TT(Lgraphics (from an uncompleted game, according to the scr}olling message). UU(MThere is another good piece of music on this demo from 'Zur-soft', who is the [X(PWFMH's main musi}c man, I imagine. He does most of the tunes in The Top Demos.[( WW(O The next demo is apparently called, forsome stra}nge reason, 'Atari Trash' and UU(Mfeatures, amongst other things, some excellent scrolling effects using the %%(sta}ndard Atari character set. $( M&( EXCEL DEMO DISK #6 J( Disk 3.95 from EXCELM(* VV(N The nex}t section again features a combination of horizontal and vertical, WW(Oscrollers, using more excellent big fonts (}one of which has been taken from. WW(Oa Commodore 64 demo). The vertical sprite-scroller on this demo features a0 SS(}Kgreat reflection effect. Also on this screen is a great bouncing message,2 =:(2which comes down the screen a few words }at a time.=(4 SS(K The final demo on the disk is really amazing, and is rather difficult to6 UU(Mdescribe! It starts o}ff ordinarily with a scrolling message using yet another8 UU(Mlarge well-shaded font, but then ten balls appear and star}t zooming around: //('the screen, leaving trails behind them.< $ M&( EXCEL DEMO DISK #6 J( Disk} 3.95 from EXCELM( XX(P The balls weave in and out each other symetrically, forming dozens of patterns WW(Owhich a}re almost hypnotic. You can use the console keys to change the colours WW(Oand patterns or even repeat a pattern over a}gain. The effect is amazing! This XX(Pis one of the best demos on the disk, and is a great way to end the Top series C}@(8with a spectacular finale. It really hasgot to be seen!C( WW(O There is one final part to the demo, which is a col}ourful vertical scrolling XX(Pscreen detailing the programmers of all the various parts of The Top Demos. This TT(Llit}tle demo uses dozens of vertically scrolling colours, which isn't seen (too often on the Atari. $ M&(  } EXCEL DEMO DISK #6 J( Disk 3.95 from EXCELM( SS(K This is easily one of the best demos ever seen on the!} Atari, with a huge SS(Kvariety of excellent visual effects, superb animation, a lot of original YV(Nmusic, and some"} of the best multicolour fonts ever seen. It really is The Top!Y( WW(O Side two of this PD demo disk contains two excelle#}nt pieces of digitized music SS(Kwhich have been designed for use on the 130XE, but will load and run on the WW(O800XL $}with, of course, some of the soundmissing. This disk contains some of the SS(Kbest demos ever seen or heard by XL/XE owne%}rs, but is recorded in Enhanced OO(GDensity and will only work on 1050, XF551, or Indus GT disk drives. $T M&( &} EXCEL DEMO DISK #6 J( Disk 3.95 from EXCELM(V VV(N If you own a 130XE computer, this disk is not to'} be missed, but remember thatX SS(Kall of the demos will run on the 800XL. The program examines the computer'sZ WW(Omemor(}y and loads in extra data if there is room in memory for it. The demos are\ ,)(!just as good on the 64K machines.,(^ TT()}L We hope you have enjoyed reading about these superb pieces of Public Domain` RR(Jsoftware and will consider buying some, *}as the quality of all the disks isb WW(Oabsolutely excellent. All of these programs are better than many pieces ofd V+}V(Ncommercial software, and we would highlyrecommend them all without hesitation.h $ .+(# PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE R,}EVIEWS.( UU(M Please let us know if you have enjoyed this article and if you would like us SS(Kto have a regular month-}ly look at PublicDomain software. New titles will be XX(Padded to the library every month, but we have strict rules rega.}rding the entry XX(Pof PD software into our library. Only the highest quality items will be added (to our collect/}ion.( UU(M If you have any PD games, demos, or utilities that are not in our library XX(Pand are of sufficiently g0}ood quality, we will gladly exchange a copy of any of RR(Jour disks for a copy of yours. Our intention is to build1} up the best XX(Pcollection of Public Domain software available for the Atari XL and XE. Well, ))(!bye for now. See2} you next month! $ D:PDREVS.BASmain software available for the Atari XL and XE. Well, ))(!bye for now. See+s #@!-A6AS%"+/ s128,130,132,134,136,138,140,142,144}2,140,138,136,134,132,130,128,0AAY#@3-A6AX7"=A WW72,138,72,162,0,189,1005},6,141,10,212,141,26,208,232,224,17,208,242,104,170,104,64oBhA('BA(9BBKA6}]A@oBBA 9B7tA'@A9A@ @'7}A9A @KA]AR@oAVAu(}-/6-A8}  @/AY@bV"F:Ad,"@*A06-&A6(}H-L V @V"9}F:Ad,"@*A06-%A6(}H-L V @T"F:Ad,"@*"A.6-A:}4(}F-J T @T"F:Ad,"@*"A.6-A4(}F-J T @;} F:B2y,"@@@@w @(a +BB1AACAA<}UBB@da%D:MENU2PB-@!B((----------------------------------------QL-@"L(=} -NEXT -LAST -'A -MENUUAdAU$d*'( EXCEL READERS SURVEY*(hWW(O >}This questionnaire will hopefully give us a good idea of what Atari usersjVV(Nwant to see on Excel every month. Pleas?}ewrite your answers down (or print themlUU(Mout using your Atari & printer!) and send them to the editorial address as@}nTT(Lsoon as possible. The Atari XL/XE is at this moment going through one of thepSS(Ktoughest times in its long historyA} and we do not intend to sit idly by andrUU(Mwatch it fade away. New software is getting more and more scarce and eveB}ntQQ(Iolder stuff is getting harder to find due to the recent closing down ofvXX(Pseveral mail-order suppliers. We shC}all be producing some new Atari games in thewPP(Hnear future, so let us know what kind of games you would like to see.D}x$*'( EXCEL READERS SURVEY*(@=(51) What was your favourite feature on Excel #1 ?@(@=(52) WhE}at was your favourite feature on Excel #2 ?@(C@(83) What was your least favourite feature on Excel #1 ?C(C@(F}84) What was your least favourite feature on Excel #2 ?C(@=(55) Do you like to see demos on your computer ?@(G}00((6) Do you like looking at computer art ?-*("7) Did you prefer Excel #1 or #2 ?-($,*'( EXCEL REH}ADERS SURVEY*(.YY(Q 8) List these types of game in order of preferance: Arcade, Puzzle, Strategy,0+((  AdventurI}e, or Trivia Games.+(2OL(D 9) What are your ten favourite Atari games ever ? (Any type.)O(4UR(J10) What are youJ}r ten least favourite Atari games ever ? (Any type.)U(6UU(M11) Which games would you most like to see converteK}d to the Atari? (i.e.8B?(7 games from the Arcades or other computers.)B(@$*'( EXCEL READERSL} SURVEY*(>;(312) Do you do any programming on your Atari ?>(<9(113) Which programming language(s) do you uM}se ?<(PM(E14) Are there any programming languages you would like to learn ?P(DA(915) Do you type in listings frN}om 'New Atari User' ?D(KH(@16) Would you like to see programming tutorials on Excel ?K($*'( O} EXCEL READERS SURVEY*(A>(617) Do you want to see more competitions on Excel ?A(SP(H18) Are there any other P}features you would like to see on Excel ?S(TT(L19) Are you in favour of the format of one side of text and oQ}ne side of(%( graphics based programs ?((@@(820) Which model computer and disk drive do you own ?$X*'R}( EXCEL READERS SURVEY*(ZXX(P So there are the twenty questions. Please answer these as soon as possible.S}\YY(QAll the replies will be put into a hat (if I can find a hat) and the first name^WW(Odrawn out at random will wiT}n a set of six Excel PD demo disks. These include`TT(Lsome of the best demos ever seen on the Atari from Poland, GermanyU}, Holland,bJG(?America and Great Britain. All in all, a brilliant collection.J(dVV(N We look forward to recieving allV} your replies so that we can make Excel evenfTT(Lbetter for you dedicated Atari users. We want to provide the best possW}iblehVS(Kservice and keep the old Atari 8 bit alive for a good few years to come.V(l$ D:SURVEY.BASest possucdDXPICXYZRVBRSSRRRBBBTBSBTTEXTPTFRERRPEKRTRCAHLHHHTBg`A"Y}A7@@@ "Z}@ "[}!"#$@%&@'()*+,-./0"\}9@e'AY9A@@4@@D:C*.FNTFAP"]}@XARjAS@d|AVAW@*6-?:C:hhhLV,<@,*@5"^}@5@@ D:REV.OBJAP@'AR9AS@KAV"_}]AW@y6-?:C:hhhLV,<@,@9ARA'ASA)9AU@&#q +@"`}+@#)@A;B7tAMAYa-AAmq (I6-Bg`#%@"a}A7-@AE%AAI -oBha@'Bhb9BhcAKBhd@e"b}]BheARoBhfAC2Bgd'BgeA9@K@A]AY"c}h@@@ D:COMP.PIC7AP@'ARAQ9ASAKAV@#"d}]AW@y6-?:C:hhhLV,<@,@<6@6@@ D:COMP.TXT>AP"e}@'AR9ASAKAV]AW@y6-?:C:hhhLV,<@,@B"f}A@'AV@d9BBKAA]A@oAH@dAI@"g}Z9A A'BBA9AY@bd A D:COMP.BASoAH@dAI@ Z&i}iejUUZ???9&j}UU5\UW5_5\YVU5\UW5W\UY[pU5\U5U\:YUj&k}U\U5Uu\)fkڬU\U5UU\UZ*U\U5UU\i떯&l}UUU\U5UU\ejUUU\U5UU\UjUUU\U5]U\ fUZf&m}UUU\U5_U\:fjU_U\UW5_\9UfejU_U\UW5\\eVŰ&n}??ꖚUYfUVUV 0&o}cUi0 e0Yf&p}jj0Y ꎪj0&q}ꪪ@:PUUUUUUUUUUUUU:QPUUUUUUUUUUUUT@z&r}/PTUUUUUUUUUUUQ@zꪪUATEUUUUUUUUUUUE@z:UETP@ꮃꪎ&s}UTR@<@UTR@UUTR@UꪼUT&t}R@ꪰ?UPR((((@UꪯUUPR((*(((*@UꪫUP?UU@R&u}((((*@WUTUUR((*(((*@VUUUUTR((*((*@WUUUUUTR((&v}(((@QUUU?UUPR@WꪪUUU<UU@R@UT~UUU0UUR((((*&w}@UTWUUUUUUR((((*(*@TUWUUUTR(((((*@QUQTPTUUPR((((*@&x}@QP@@UU@jR((((*(*@A@UUU@R*((*@@UUUR@@&y}PUUTR@UUUPR((((**@UUP R((****@}&z}UU@R(**@@UU*R((****@@UTjR((****@UT&{}R(((((*@UPR@ _U@R@ U&|}R@ U R@ WTP@*P*E&}}UUUUUUUUUUUE@@*UUUUUUUUUUUQ@W@UUUUUUUUUUUUT@ )_UUUUUU&~}UUUUUUU * *W *@&} * * *&} * * *&} * * * *&} + ( ,&} &}&}&}&}&}ꨨ26:62&}26:62$K26:6226:62$K7%,#/-%4/4(%&)234%8#%,#/-0%4)4)/. ).7()#(4(%&)23402):%)34(%*}&!.4!34)#'!-%(%!$/6%2(%%,30,5347/%8#%,05",)#$/-!).$)3+3/&9/52#(/)#%3%#/.$02):%)34(%'!-%25&&!.$2%$$9*}0,53!05",)#$/-!).$)3+ !.$4()2$02):%)3!.%8#%,05",)#$/-!).$)3+4(%15%34)/.3!2%!3&/,,/73 (/7-!.9$)&&%*}2%.4#/-0!4)",%!4!2)")4#/-054%2-/$%,3(!6%4(%2%"%%. .!-%&)6%!4!2)'!-%37()#(53%39.4(%3)3%$30%%#( .!-*}%&)6%!4!2)'!-%37()#(!2%"!3%$/.!#).%-!&),- .!-%4(2%%!4!2)'!-%37()#(!2%%.$/23%$"94/030/2430%23/.!,)4)*}%3 .!-%4(2%%!4!2)'!-%37()#((!6%34!22%$!#/-)#"//+350%2(%2/7%,, 7(!4!"5.#(/&%!3915%34)/.3 $/.49/54*}().+3%.$).9/52!.37%23"%&/2%4(%,!34$!9/&*5.%!.$2%-%-"%24/054$/7.47/05",)#$/-!).$)3+3).#!3%9/57).7%7*}),,,)344(%7)..%23).)335%/&%8#%,7()#(7),,"%/54/.4(%,!34$!9/&*5,97%3(!,,"%')6).'!7!93/-%-/2%'!-%3*}.%84)335%7%!2%34),,,//+).'&/2#/.42)"54)/.3&/2&5452%)335%3 3/0,%!3%3%.$!.94().'7()#(9/54().+-!9"%35)4!",*}%7%!2%0!24)#5,!2,9).4%2%34%$).-53)#72)44%.)."!3)#/2-!#().%,!.'5!'% 3/)&9/5(!6%!.90,%!3%'%4).4/5#()&9*}/57/5,$,)+%4/4294/7).!(!.$&5,/&%8#%,05",)#$/-!).$)3+3 4(%.3%.$).4(%!.37%234//523526%9!,/.'7)4(9/52#/*}-0%4)4)/.!.37%237%,, 7%2%25..).'/54/&3#2/,,).'-%33!'%./7 3/"9%"9%'//$,5#+7)4(4(%#/-0%4)4)/.*}.'/54/&3#2/,,).'-%33!'%./7 3/"9%"9%'//$,5#+7)4(4(%#/-0%4)4)/.($88DDffff>`<|fl0fF68of;888>x|f<>>``~ppppw``|l`cc>66wwcc<<<<<<<<<<<0 0 ~~`0 0`c.}cooo`?33sss~ffgggg`cc~ffwww``pp``pppc`oggssssss n~fflggg000ppp~gwggggwoggg.}ccgggccpppccggg~ffwww`ssggggggggggo>gggogsss>ggggggfl7g@`0 xx6.}c6>8pp8?.}ww<~~~<x`x`~<~~<.}0~0 ~ <~~<>~v~```~fn~>20:>~fv~~f~p~>~fv~~```~fvv ~006|vwf.}kc|fvvv~fvv~~fv~``~fn~>0888> >~~ffnn~fnn>ck>6f>>nfff~~~6~<~~<.}~x|nf8x8~fn~>0888> >~~ffnn~fnn>ck>6f>>nfff~~~6~<~~<,˥ˍ`ˍ`j`d` LbHH Ԏ ԽPнн2}hh@2}0>@ *UUUT B**UUUT 6}P*UUUT T **T T* **T T6} * **T T *T UT* *UUUT 0UU * 6}*UUUT UUB* *UUUT UUP *UUUT T *6} T * ** T* ** T **6}T UUUT"*UUUT?UUUU**UUUTUUUUB *6}UUUTTP?UP6}U@PPU@TU6}?UT**?UUP**U@*** *6}U*****U**U@*UUP6}UT?TU?PU@6}**U@P( UP * *TP( 6} ? 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