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If your copy a}wasP( not purchased direct from NOSAUGS-(%please consider registering your diskS(!by sending two pounds Sterling orb}))(!three US dollars to this address:]!( ?( NOSAUG ]( PO BOXc} 10001]!( PETERHEAD ?( AB42 6ZN ]( (SCOTLAND) M!( d} M(&(Payable to 'S.J.MURRAY' / cash is OK)T,($You will then receive the next issueT(#of Futura, NOSAUG PD lise}tings, etc.U+(#HELP US TO CONTINUE OUR SUPPORT FORU(%THE XL/XE - REGISTER YOUR DISK TODAY!1(1(% Ӡ٠f}٠ϠŠ AdAU F:Ad,AUA@ A &AdAU(}&%D:MENUg} D:SHARE.SYS;HARE.SYSF:B2y,"@&AdAU(}&%D:MENUSc VEMOTSCSBUFDFDXC1CCCCCDNOPRINCCPCLSBWWC1KPDC25RXPRYYFILEINDATINTRODUi}LFND2M1M2SCPOKMOVINVGPOBRCHSE j} @k}@ !"#$%&'()l}*@+,-./012345678m}mm/   \ 1 REM< ~ 삠  > 1 REM \ Ů̆ /6-A n}d APn! A@ A0! A ؛M6-?:<]6-AY @%-.768,-s}C67,.>:,]6-?:C:,<<<@9<,H@@6-?:C:,,")."@'3= A%@$RU+"@a)"A&t},*!'6-&36-@:7,,?8,KAU A!\!!@2*AUA! fO(-4(!END OF FILu}E -- Press any key...;)E A%O A! p 6-% A! қ` A"(-&%5( v} ;-`( Pause between pages (/)? 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A8}-%& %"@ A9%6-@0 "@ A3: A0 ԛ 9 -)( QUIT: asic eb}oot-9( OS 9 ),@f*@*@h$6 A99$  A`"@f "@h. } "@6-?:B, Λ  8," A $ +6.7$%<$%,8,"%6.('+$ M 6-$ Ab} A`2( Loading the :(8,C(M/LM A5@ \P( BASICRUN >:@4,D:MENU>:@4, to return to} this menu.\-@ ,( program-6(7<,4 ,  1'6.7<, A8&(...-8,1% .}+6-?:C:hji jL,,.% 6.D:67 A8IS B 0}*BEGINA@ &&AAK -&(>:A%, /B67$%<$%,.K68},-B 67$%<$%,.(68,-40NODOX:-B(' 0*END6-%' A@@d6-}-@##(:-@$&B:,@#?(d6-?:<%A !<%A<@#,_6-@P Ab>6-?:<%AY}<%A`<@,[-+@&B:,',$@_("-+&B:,',$@("$ ͛O A` ABD}(Loading DOM menu incarnation #...O%D:MENUgϠϛhA A` AB6(Loading an older menu...}A%D:MENUr'$(This is not a Futura disk!' ԛU6-@6-%6-%'6-%/6-%76-%?6-$I6}-%%U6-AV;@%,;@9,;@Y,;@,;@9,;Av,;A$,;A,;A,}9%,9%,;@,HH;%,;%,;@9,;@9,;,;A@,;,9,;,c16.'hhhhhhh}֑`Q6.hJhhhȑh`Z6-C:,c6-C:,`E6.;hhhXХYhhi(ХiшeЅХih}hIЈ`N6-C:,`6. DOMINFO.DATaa6.Wh@;۩($ ʢ }`pp6.fhhh hh hhhhݩˢߥυ8υۅЦ̩BDEHI V˥߅ -/΅Х}tt67A,.a ΅Ъ ΝЯМޥߝѦͩ BDIEѝH V!ʥޝO,67A},.ΐЭ˅ԩ`;6.>:AU,F67,. O67,.uu67@,.b}uu67@,.b}????uu67A,.b?????}?????? uu67A,.b???????}??????uu67A,.b??????????}?????ii67A,.V????IJKLMNO}PQRSTUVWXPJEAY86-F:@,%F:@,$>+%JAYZa6-F:@,%F:@,$;6-F:A`},%F:Aa,$J6-F:Af,aAfF:Af,%_U#6-?:>> SIDE A <<>> SIDE B <<< I have again chosen to devote all of(} Side B to a single program. Flip the disk, boot with BASIC and you can enjoy an amazing new hypertext system for the Atari (}8-bit: CARDSTAX V2.0. Go beyond the boundaries of text with CardStax! There are two documentation files for CardStax 2.(}0 (on Side B). You can either read them from the Futura Side A menu (remember to flip the disk before making your selection)(} or go to DOS at the CardStax menu and [C]opy CRDSTX20.DOC and CSTECH.DOC to E: (screen) or P: (printer).ing your selection)(jEDITORIALFutura Issue 14THE BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL Yes, the Atari 8-bit racks up another year and continues to move onw,}ards. With Atari Corporation now a distant memory, we, the Atari 8-bit Community, are building towards a bright future for o,}ur computer. As each year comes and goes, the battle for survival gets harder. 1994 was a tough year for the Atari 8-bi,}t. At the very beginning we lost Bellcom - probably the best known Atari 8-bit PDL in the world. More casualties were to fo,}llow. Atari Classics magazine was an ambitious project which deserved success. Unfortunately, it was not to be. We all wis,}h Jim Hood the best of luck with his new version. 1994 also saw the end of Gralin International. Their selection of Atari 8,}-bit goods will be sorely missed in the UK. These continuing casualties will eventually prove fatal UNLESS we rally to s,}upport the remaining Atari 8-bit suppliers. The user / supplier relationship is crucial to the survival of any computer. ,} I believe it is vitally important that our Community supports the remaining user groups and private enthusiasts. Yes, the ,}larger commercial operations must also be supported but remember that the future of the Atari 8-bit lies in the hands of the ,}users and the user groups. It is they who will continue the battle for survival into the next century. Without users and us,}er groups there is no future for the Atari 8-bit! As Atari 8-bit users, our destiny is defined by our dedication. By su,}pporting each other we can win the battle for survival and continue the advancement of the greatest ever computer system. Th,}e battle can be won!Stuart J. Murray, NOSAUG, April 1995.ntinue the advancement of the greatest ever computer system. Th,=ATARI 8-BIT NEWSby Stuart Murray* ATARI CORPORATION FINANCIAL RESULTS Happy days or doom & gloom? Reading Atari's 0}financial reports can be like riding a roller-coaster. Sky high one year and dooooowwwwwnnnn the next! Anyway, the results 0}for the 2nd Quarter of 1994 (April to June) make interesting reading. Net sales for this Quarter were $8.2M. Sounds imp0}ressive? Hmm. Well, when you take into consideration overhead expenses (development, advertising, etc.) Atari made a loss o0}f $3.9M. Ahh, that's better. Nothing like familiar surroundings! When compared to the same period last year, the figur0}es make better reading. Last year, net sales for the 2nd Quarter were $5.7M. There was an operating loss of $4.0M. In othe0}r words, Atari has improved its overall financial performance whilst at the same time operated large development costs (the J0}aguar). The predicted loss for 1994 is about $8M. This is half the loss of the previous year and things are looking up.0} Sega's recent investment in Atari shares will boost the recovery. In fact, as news of the investment broke, Atari share pr0}ices increased by over 20%. It is obvious that much hangs on future Jaguar sales and support from software developers. 0}If the Jaguar goes the way of the Lynx there could be stormy waters ahead. Keep your fingers crossed (just like a top Atari 0}Corp. executive).* TEXTPRO 5.20X Yes, the new versions just keep on coming! Textpro has evolved into a superb wordpr0}ocessor and with each new version it becomes even more powerful. Ronnie Riche, author of Textpro, has recently released 0}version 5.20X. It is shareware with two packages available. The full package, including the source code is priced at $40. 0}However, if you're not bothered about the source code, you can get Textpro 5.20X from Ronnie for $15. You can register w0}ith Ronnie at:1700 Aycock Street,Arabie,LA 70032,USA.That's all the news for now!e for $15. You can register w0[ADDING A MOUSEby Kevin CookePart 3 For this, the third part of my ADDING A MOUSE series, I will be taking a look at 4}one of the oldest games to allow mouse compatability - MISSILE COMMAND. The object of Missile Command is to protect the 4}six buildings either side of you. Your base is at the bottom of the screen with three buildings either side of it. On your 4}base is a number of missiles which you use to shoot down the incoming invaders. After positioning your crosshair at the poin4}t you want to shoot, you simply press the button to launch a missile. This explodes when it gets to the place you aimed for,4} blowing up anything that hits the explosion. The more buildings you have either side of you, the quicker your base is s4}upplied with more missiles to launch when you run out. This makes the game progressively harder when you allow more building4}s to be blown up. I first experienced this game when I'd just got my Atari (sniff, sniff, what lovely memories!). At th4}at time, I loved it, but what is it like now? Well, to be honest, I didn't play Missile command much when I had built up4} my software collection. It seemed to get a little lost when I had so many games with flashy graphics, and I still feel a li4}ttle like this now. The incoming invaders look like bolts of lightning (i.e. simple lines that move from the top of the scre4}en), and better graphics can be found in the public domain. Sound effects are also nothing to get excited about. The ga4}meplay is still pretty good. The attraction of being able to use the mouse with it has helped to get me playing it more recen4}tly. OK, so it's not the best game ever, but if you're looking for something else to use with a mouse, it may not be a 4}bad buy at the right price. If you don't already own Missile Command, I would recommend you buy it, providing it's priced at4} under five pounds. For anything more than that, your money would be better spent on one of the many other games available a4}t that price. Don't expect too much from Missile Command and you should be happy.MOUSE TRIVIA Did you know that w4}hen Microsoft conducted a recent survey to design their latest mouse, they found that very few people rested their whole hand4} over a mouse. It was actually found that many people prefered to move the mouse with their fingers, leaving their hand and 4}arm in the air!End of Part 3.[ED: Missile Command rules OK! Then again, I'm an old (?) trackball spinner from the arcad4}es (grin).]ir!End of Part 3.[ED: Missile Command rules OK! Then again, I'm an old (?) trackball spinner from the arcad4 SOFTWARE SCENEVICKYPublisher: LK AVALON PolandSupplier: ANG, Ridderkerksestraat 60, 3114 RK Schieda8}m, Netherlands.Price: approx. 5 poundsReviewed by Daniel Baverstock alias 'ODI'. Back again after a spate 8}of A-levels and ready to review anything that gets in my way. This time it's another Polish game made available by the boys 8}and girls at Holland based ANG. Vicky, a game thats been around since early 1993, is a large platform wanderer-style gam8}e involving a small Asterix-like Viking armed with an axe. Firstly, the package, as with many from Poland, consists of a9} laser printed envelope with a disk slip inside as well as instructions. Upon loading you are presented with screen after sc9}reen of animated pictures accompanied by the story line in fancy writing. Unfortunately, as with the instructions on the inn9}er sleeve, these are in Polish. As the story progresses from the peaceful village, through a storm at sea, to the shipwr9}eking and evil sorcerer, now and then a well animated wise man is seen turning the pages of a book aided by candle light. 9} A catchy tune plays in the background while you 'space bar' your way through the pictures (and if you're really keen, throu9}gh a Polish dictionary!). A further disk access and decompression away, and the title screen appears, consisting of a pi9}cture of Vicky, credits and some fairly impressive music, using sampled beats, tones and chip music. With a little improveme9}nt in the sample sound quality, this would sound even better. The game itself is, as I mentioned before, in the platform9} wanderer-style, involving rope climbing, walking, rope climbing, hacking, rope climbing and dying! It is very easy to g9 }et lost as the game is a maze of eerie stone walls, ropes, dead ends, the occasional idol and Viking helmet as well as animat9 }ed wizards, lizards, dragons, jellyfish, birds and zombies. The colour scheme is a mixture of pink, green, blue and blac9 }k which adds to the confusion. The creatures materialize out of nowhere and usually close in on you, despite your desper9 }ate axe hacking. The occasional spinning coin is dropped and the number you have is displayed in the lower half of the s9 }creen, along with your lives (starting with 8). Until I get around to buying a Polish dictionary I can only guess that y9}ou either have to collect a certain number of coins, get to the exit, or both. Once dead, a picture of Vicky appears, wi9}th his head bowed as he is welcomed to hell by a devil. An even more catchy tune, again with samples, is played. Overal9}l, the gameplay is hampered by a little too much repetitiveness and a lack of understanding concerning the object of the game9}. On a positive point, the music and animated intro / ending is a great effort. Keep heading in this direction and there co9}uld be some really special games.nd animated intro / ending is a great effort. Keep heading in this direction and there co8#VCS FUTURAby Stuart Murray, NOSAUG.TRIBUTE This issue's VCS Futura is dedicated to Jay Miner, who sadly died in Ju=}ne 1994. Jay was one of the head designers of the chips that went into the Atari VCS. He also helped design the ANTIC, POKE=}Y and GTIA chips that created the basis of the Atari 8-bit. Jay left Atari to make a new machine, which evolved into the Ami=}ga.2600 VCS? The "2600" comes from Atari's model number for the system, CX2600. "VCS" stands for Video Computer Syst=}em.THE VCS RAP Back in the late 1980s, when the VCS was re-released as the 2600 Jr., Atari produced a commercial whic=}h featured a VCS rap. Altogether now... "It's the video system with classics galore from Space Invaders to cars that roa=}r A real hip joystick controls the screen Solaris is hot and Midnight Magic is mean And one more thing, it's got a spec=}ial low price Under fifty bucks Fifty bucks? Yes! Now isn't that nice? The fun is back, oh yes sir-ee It's the twe=}nty-six hundred from Ah-tar-ri" Not exactly KRS-One is it? Let's hope that Atari never set up a record label!HORROR =}CARTS Wizard Video released Halloween and Texas Chainsaw Massacre as VCS cartridges in the USA. Violence on your VCS!=}INSIDE THE VCS The 2600 VCS is an 8-bit machine with a 6507 processor. A 6502 compiler can be used to write software f=}or the VCS. Yes, that's right - with Assembler and an EPROM burner you could write new software for the VCS! Now there's an=} idea!DAVID CRANE Remember that strange looking guy who brought us Pitfall and Decathlon? David Crane originally wor= }ked for Atari (he programmed three cartridges and was on the design team for the Atari 800) but lack of recognition led to a =!}move to Activision. There he programmed many classic titles. In 1987, David left Activision and joined Absolute Entertainme="}nt where he is still writing software today. Here is his role of honour:For the ATARI 2600:ATARI- Outlaw- Slot Machine=#}- Canyon BomberACTIVISION- Dragster- Fishing Derby- Laser Blast- Freeway- Grand Prix- Pitfall- Decathlon- Pitfall =$}II- Ghostbusters (concept only)ABSOLUTE ENTERTAINMENT- Skateboardin'For the C64:ACTIVISION- Ghostbusters- Little Co=%}mputer People- TransformersFor the Atari 7800:ABSOLUTE ENTERTAINMENT- Super Skateboardin'For the NES:ABSOLUTE ENTER=&}TAINMENT- A Boy and his BlobFor the Gameboy:ABSOLUTE ENTERTAINMENT- The Rescue of Princess BlobetteFor the SNES:ABS='}OLUTE ENTERTAINMENT- Amazing TennisFOUR PLAY WITH YOUR VCS! A number of VCS cartridges include 4-player options: Br=(}eakout, Super Breakout, Video Olympics, Street Racer, Casino, Warlords, Summer Games and Winter Games.CARTS OF THE MOMENT=)} My favourite 2600 cart just now is Beamrider (Activision). For the 7800, it has to be Impossible Mission (Epyx / Atari)=*}. You can't beat a true classic!Happy VCSing!Stu.sion). For the 7800, it has to be Impossible Mission (Epyx / Atari)<9ATARI 8-BIT MEMORIESwith Colin Doyle My favourite memories of 8-bit computing are numerous, but one recent memory invA,}olves my daughter Heather and a few of her school friends. Heather's friends have been telling her for years about theirA-} computers (some are just games machines). Her best friend Jessica was always telling Heather about her latest games. Of coA.}urse, Heather said nothing. One day Jessica came to play and she saw our computer, then she started playing the games. She A/}seemed quite put out that we had most (or slight variations) of her games. And we didn't have to pay 25-40 pounds per game.A0} Anyway, Jessica had the big advantage where games were concerned in the form of "Lemmings". Then one day we went to AMSA1}7 and Heather said "What's that game?" Of course it was "Brundles" by KE-Soft - needless to say, I bought it. The next A2}time Jessica came to play, Heather was conveniently playing Brundles. Jessica was quite shocked to see "the best game ever" A3}being played on the "old Atari" and when Heather said "yes, it cost just 15 pounds and has ONE HUNDRED levels", that was the A4}last straw for Jessica. Heather is now convinced that we have the best computer ever invented and no longer is she made A5}to feel that she has a second-rate computer when the other children are talking about their computer games.nger is she made @lHARDWARE WAREHOUSEA CHEAP HOME-MADE PRINTER INTERFACEby Alan Hitchen If you want to use a printer not made by AtariE7} you will need an adaptor to suit the standard Centronics parallel interface. The MicroPrint unit is currently available froE8}m Micro Discount at 28.00 pounds, plus 1.50 p&p. However a cheaper alternative is available if you have the ability to buildE9} it yourself. Following the design of Len Golding, as published in the Atari User magazine of April 1987, a simple interE:}face utilising the joystick ports can be constructed for about 12.00 pounds. The items needed are two Joystick extentionE;} leads and a 36 way Centronics connector. The leads are available from Tandy as item 270-1705 at 3.99 each. If you have themE<}, leads from broken joysticks could be used if the cable is okay. Tandy do sell a connector, but it is an IDC type intenE=}ded for ribbon cable. The correct solder type connector is available from Maplin as item FJ61R for 1.98, plus 1.50 p&p. E>} First of all, cut off the extention lead sockets and prepare the cable ends for soldering. Check which lead connects to wE?}hich pin with a continuity tester, or battery and bulb. Check both leads, as wire colours vary from cable to cable. Having E@}done that, identify the leads as one and two, then solder the wires to the 36 way connector as follows.JOYSTICK PORT EA} CENTRONICS1 2 3 4 5 18-------1 6 7 8 9 36------19JOYSTICK PORT ONE TO CENTRONICSPin 1 to EB} Pin 2 Data 1Pin 2 to Pin 3 Data 2Pin 3 to Pin 4 Data 3Pin 4 to Pin 5 Data 4PiEC}n 6 to Pin 11 BusyPin 8 to Pin 16 GroundJOYSTICK PORT TWO TO CENTRONICSPin 1 to Pin 6 ED}Data 5Pin 2 to Pin 7 Data 6Pin 3 to Pin 8 Data 7Pin 4 to pin 1 StrobePin 6 to EE} Pin 32 FaultPin 8 to Pin 33 Ground Finally link Centronics pin 9 (Data 8) to Pin 27 (Ground). CarefullyEF} tape up the unused wires. Remember that Joystick pin 7 carries +5v and should not be connected. Assemble the Centronics hoEG}using and the project is complete. In order to use the interface, software is needed to divert the print data to the joyEH}stick ports. The software provided creates an autoboot program that inserts a new P: device into the the handler table to doEI} this. Unfortunately this means that most commercial programs can't use this interface. However the program is reset EJ}proof, does not use Page 6 memory, and can handle all printer commands. It can be used by your own programs and others like EK}VIEWDOCS.BAS. You could for example, write your text with any word processor, print the text to disk (or cassette), then booEL}t the interface and VIEWDOCS to print it out. The interface converts the Atari end of line code 155 into ASCII code 13. EM} This will cause a carriage return but no line feed unless you enable the automatic feed option on your printer. The intEN}erface cannot send ASCII codes 128 upwards, as the eighth bit is held low by the link to ground. This was done in order to uEO}se the eighth bit to operate the strobe, which signals data entry. This will prevent the use of some of the features of yourEP} printer, such as italics, special characters and graphics. Maplin's 1995 catalogue is available from W.H.Smiths at 3.45, EQ}or 3.95 by post from.MAPLIN ELECTRONICSPO BOX 3RAYLEIGHESSEXSS6 8LRPhone 0702 552911Tandy's Head Office is at.InER}terTAN U.K. Ltd.Tandy CentreLeamore LaneWalsallWest MidlandsWS2 7PSPhone 0922 710000Tandy's Head Office is at.InD\THE ATARI 8-BIT BOOKSHELFby Stuart J. Murray, NOSAUG. This issue we present Part 4 of The Atari 8-Bit Booklist and moIT}ve on to books beginning with the letters G-L. The booklist is presented as follows:BOOK TITLE IN CAPITAL LETTERSAuthor -IU} Publisher - No. of Pages------------------------------------THE ATARI 8-BIT BOOKLIST (PART 4)Compiled by Stuart J. MurIV}ray, NOSAUG------------------------------------GAMES FOR THE ATARIS. Roberts - Hofacker - 130GAMES FOR YOUR ATARIP.BunIW}n - Virgin Books - 130GAMES FOR YOUR ATARI 600XLVirgin BooksGAMES THE ATARI'S PLAYH. Glicksam & K. Simon - Datamost - 2IX}24GETTING STARTED ON YOUR ATARIFuture PublicationsGETTING STARTED ON THE ATARI 600XLP. Goode - Phoenix PublishingHACKIY}ERBOOK FOR YOUR ATARI COMPUTERH.C. WagnerHANDS ON BASIC FOR ATARIPeckham - McGraw HillHOME COMPUTER BOOKR. Bradbeer - IZ}Duckworth - 196HOME COMPUTER WARSM.F. Tomczyk - Compute! - 310HOMEWORK HELPERM. Potts & H. Kohl - Reston - 150HOW TO I[}EXCEL ON YOUR ATARI 600/800XLT.O. Knight - McGraw Hill - 128HOW TO PROGRAM YOUR ATARI IN 6502 MACHINE LANGUAGEHofackerII\}NSIDE ATARI DOSB. Wilkinson - Compute! - 132INSIDE ATARI BASICB. Carris - Reston - 196ITTY BITTY BYTES OF SPACEC.B. PaI]}ssantino - Reston - 56JET FIGHTER SCHOOLCompute!JET FIGHTER SCHOOL IICompute!KIDS AND THE ATARIE.H. Carlson - DatamoI^}st - 228LEARNING WITH ATARI LOGOMcGraw HillLOST CITY OF ZORKR.W. Bailey - Avon Books - 302End of Part 4on - DatamoHrSOFTWARE SCENESAM DESIGNERPublisher: Power Per PostSupplier: DGSPrice: 6.95 pounds (disk)Reviewed by the legendary OM`}DIalias Dan Baverstock Well, it's about time an application for SAM desktop was made available. There really should beMa} a lot more considering the near 14 pounds price tag, and of course it's great potential. These additional applications shouMb}ld also include a BASIC/OBJ/COM file launcher and a more advanced set of standard DOS functions which are icon based. These Mc}really should have been included in the SAM desktop to begin with. SAM Designer is a very versatile and comprehensive moMd}use controlled icon based art package and in my opinion is what all Atari art programs should be based on. Although onlyMe} a 2 colour Hi-Res GR.8 package, SAM Designer makes up for this with many of the mouse controlled tools that you would expectMf} to see on a PC art package. In addition, it has the ability to easily create schematics such as circuit diagrams (circuit iMg}cons are pre-prepared on the disk). At last no more joystick jerking(!). No more will you have to wait hours for the cuMq}b%DOS SYSb)AUTORUN SYSb +PICLOADRBASb*4TITLE PICb ^SHARE SYSb<hMENU bDOMINFO DATbSUBMENU YAPbSUBMENU JAGb INTRO DOCb CONTENTSDOCbEDITOR DOCbNEWS DOCbMOUSE3 DOCbSOFTWAREDOCbVCS DOCb +MEMORIESDOCb6HARDWAREDOCb SBOOKS DOCbI_SOFT2 DOCb&AMS8 DOCbBLACKREDDOCbJAGNEWS DOCbxDOOM DOCboJAGPLEA DOCb9SLAMMIN3DOCbGHOST SNGbSUBINFO DOCbSEEYA DOCrsor to travel across the screen! Now you can draw free hand those curves you have always wanted and it won't look like someMr}one has been stabbing you in the back while you did so! I can safely say it is much easier to use than SAM Painter and iMs}t has more options added, including a text import option and the ability to load icons designed with SAM's mono character ediMt}tor to create your own schematics as mentioned above. One thing about SAM Painter I don't quite understand is why the prMu}ogrammers didn't base SAM Painter on the same 'on-hand' icon system that SAM Designer uses. Although released long after SAMMv} Painter, SAM Designer was in fact made or devised a few years before. I wonder why SAM Painter didn't develop from this. PMw}ainter is jerky to use and hasn't got nearly as many options as SAM Designer. SAM Designer has a multi-menu icon bar at Mx}the top of the screen that you can call up. This is far more advanced and more convenient than SAM Painter's menu. The bestMy} thing about SAM Designer is it's full compatibility with other mono art packages like R-Draw or Text & Draw, unlike SAM PainMz}ter. Anyway, enough of my peti-drivel. Or would you like more? What do ya mean, "have mercy!"? After loading SAM M{}Designer from SAM'S desktop ACCESS/INFO menu, you are presented with the workspace which at present is free of any childish sM|}cribblings, but not for long! SAM Designer can operate with both mouse and joystick although the latter is practically M}}useless it you want to draw free-hand. Your mouse/joystick controls a very sharp little pointer around the screen, while theM~} Spacebar calls up the icon-menu bar. The Option key allows you to select from the 16 screen colours, although you can't chaM}nge the luminance. The icon-menu bar itself is full of very highly detailed icons, the functions of which I have listed M}below:Free-hand draw, line, lines, rays, box, block, circle, disc, fill, cut & paste, sparycan, unfill, icon paster, screenM} swap, zoom, brush size, and 18 different patterns. Incidently, the patterns can be altered, as can the mouse pointer. M}Again, this involves using SAM'S mono character editor and is a good example of making full use of SAM's present applicationsM} on it's new accessories. Also available is the text importer called T-COM, the icon-plot mode, text mode, a quit to SAMM} desktop, and entrance to an options icon-menu bar. The options available on the option menu are extensive. These incluM}de 3 paste modes, transparent, overpaste, or a mixture of the two. You can load new printer drivers, Epson being the defaultM}, although a 1029 driver is available. You can also load new character fonts, icon fonts, and load text into the buffer M}for latter importing of your text using the T-COM. import function. A reverse screen option allows you to do just that.M} You can set your text to italics, inverse, expanded, high character, as well as type in four different directions. M}Finally, you can set the print mode, the values that your printer reads when processing the data for printing. Four are avaiM}lable for Epson only: Big picture, normal density; Small picture, normal density; Big picture, high density; Small picture, M}high density. The DOS option menu I/O contains the usual fuctions load, save, erase, initialize, and current drive 1-8.M} Funnily enough, the swap screen function is about the closest option to UNDO, since there is no latter. Most of the timM}e you can do without an UNDO option, for a screen is always saved to memory after a function. Only once have I cleared the wM}rong screen in memory. If you make sure you are careful when experimenting with the Swap-screen function, then you don't reaM}lly notice you haven't got a full UNDO facility. The program really is great fun to use as well as being probably the beM}st GR.8 mode drawing tool and schematics designer. The circuit icons are a default load, so you can start to experiment withM} the schematic designer straight away. It is very effective and since you can create your own icons, the designs are unlimitM}ed. SAM Designer is almost like a desktop publisher in someways. As I mentioned earlier, using the joystick is much harM}der, especially freehand, so I highly recommend you buy a mouse. I picked up a fully working ST mouse for a quid(!) and withM} the decline of the ST range you are bound to find cheap mice. With the mouse, it's very easy to draw freehand. The linM}es mode (which is like the 'line' function only the last point you click on is the point from which you take your next line) M}is great for creating precise 3-D objects. The circle and rectangles are really easy to plot as you can see where they are wM}hile you drag them around the screen. One major quibble was that I found that sometimes in circle/disc and square/box moM}des, when trying to plot inside a filled colour, I couldn't see whereabouts my plotting shape was positioned while I dragged M}it around. As the two colours were the same, my plotting shape was invisible. I had to rely on guess work to get it right.M} The fill mode is fairly fast and the range of 18 patterns gives a surprisingly varied number of shades on screen consideM}ring there are only two colours displayed. Again, you can design your own patterns. The spraycan option is quite usefulM}l, although it sprays over quite a large surface and as you can't change it's size, spraying anything smaller in diameter thaM}n the spraycan's diameter can be a problem. The cut & paste option is excellent. Perhaps this function could be improveM}d even further if you could actually cut around a shape rather than being limited to cutting it out in square form (it only aM}llows you to cut square or rectangle parts of the screen). Another function with room for improvement is the zoom. It iM}s fairly hard to see the pixels you are editing on occasions, as the enlarged cursor sometimes obscures your view of the areaM}, and the zoom box in the screen's corner can only offer a small view of the area. The zoom function can be left on through M}all operations, which can be quite useful when performing exact point to point drawings. One final but minor gripe is thM}e text mode. While typing, all the keys on the keyboard bar escape produce a character other than the letter. This includesM} the important cursor and delete keys, essential in any text function. Any mistakes you make while typing have to be erased M}manually by exiting and selecting a brush. It would have been so much easier to have say two modes alternated by the select M}key which switched between characters and the keys' primary functions. Text importing is very easy. It simply involves M}the loading of the text from SAM Texter (SAM desktop's built-in word processor) followed by stretching a box in the desired sM}hape and size for your text. The text then automatically fills up this designated space. A little practise is needed to getM} your text to fill the space in the way you intended. Additional keystroke commands in the imported text allow special charaM}cter styles to be created. This is because imported text doesn't use the text functions selected in the options menu (i.e. iM}talics, etc). Instead you have to place symbols amongst the text to achieve the desired styles. As for hardcopies, the M}printouts are of fairly good quality when using my Panasonic 9-pin. I have not tested it with a 1029 yet. Well, what abM}out the price. At 6.95, and requiring the SAM desktop at 13.95 (the latter price may have changed to my knowledge) it looks M}quite pricey, but well worth it if you want a good designer package. Next step for the SAM accessories should be a top-nM}otch desktop publishing package, perhaps with an option to use upgraded memory capacity. Or a good desktop DOS accessory. IM} would also like to see a really good animation package.o use upgraded memory capacity. Or a good desktop DOS accessory. IL9ALL MICRO SHOW 8 - 12th November 1994A Report by Kevin Cooke AMS time again! Along with my brother, dad and two friQ}ends, we started the long journey up to Stafford. As usual, the trip was thoroughly uncomfortable, mainly due to the fact thQ}at the back seat of our car isn't really meant to take three people over such a long distance! We did decide to stop offQ} at a well-known hamburger chain just before our turn-off from the motorway, but it had to be one of the worst "meals" I've eQ}ver had. Not only would they not except our "buy one - get one free" vouchers, but the meal was lukewarm, in miserable portiQ}ons and tasted pretty bad! The day certainly hadn't started off very well, but at least the best was still to come. We Q}seemed to find the showground much more easily than the year before. OK, this could have been something to do with the fact Q}that we took the wrong turning off of the motorway last year, but I'll refrain from making a judgement! It was raining wQ}hen we got there (as usual) and the only place we could find to park was in a puddle of mud (also as usual!). For a change tQ}hough, we hadn't bought advance tickets, but by the time we got there (11:30am) the queue was virtually non-existent. AnywayQ}, I know you're not interested in my gibberish, so I'll tell you what the actual show was like. Well, just by looking atQ} the show guide, you could see that there were less exhibitors this year. The show guide revealed only five Atari 8-bit exhiQ}bitors waiting for my custom - however, things were a little better than they first appeared. First of all, I visited thQ}e DGS stand. Here, there were a wide range of new and second-hand software for sale, not to mention Dean's Atari 8-bit NewspQ}aper. Richard Gore was also on the stand selling his products, and there were some really good pieces of software to pick-upQ}. I stopped briefly to say "Hello" to Dean and Richard but, unfortunately, I didn't get to stop here for very long. My Q}next stop had to be with the Page 6 stand. Again, there were some real bargains to be had (e.g. cassettes at 50p each) and bQ}ack issues of their magazine, although there didn't seem to be anything too much different from what they normally sell. HowQ}ever, it was still a stand that you couldn't go past without being tempted by something - I couldn't anyway! Next, I notQ}iced a stand for the Atari which wasn't on the show guide - Gralin International (I think that's who they were!). They appeaQ}red to be trying to sell the rest of their stock and seemed to be doing it very well. How does a pack of 4 APX programs for Q}25p strike you? Or how about Desert Falcon on ROM for 2 pounds? Or a Stereo Sound Upgrade for 15 pounds? As you can see, uQ}nbeatable value! Next I was off to Micro Discount (Derek Fern). I had made out a large list of everything I wanted fromQ} them but was shocked when the man serving me told me that they had sold out of most of it! Obviously someone had been doingQ} quite well - I couldn't even get a copy of their new T34-Tank Battle game! Another surprise was that on Derek Fern's stQ}and was none-other than ANG software, all the way from the Netherlands! Again, some absolute bargains were available here. Q}How does any disk for 3 pounds sound? Even the Brundles! Yep, I was one of the people who rushed to buy it last year for 15Q} pounds! This was the stand where I spent the most money - how could I resist such prices? LACE (London Atari Computer Q}Enthusiasts) were also exhibiting at the show. As well as a selection of disks (without packaging and instructins) for 75p eQ}ach, they were also selling many budget cassettes for an equally cheap price. Overall, another excellent stand. FinallyQ} were TWAUG (Tyne and Wear Atari User Group). They not only had an excellent offer on budget cassettes (something like 5 casQ}settes for a ridiculously low price of 1 pound), but they also had PD disks to order and various other programs for sale. TWQ}AUG seemed to be making a very tidy profit and so they deserved to! Value-for-money indeed! Overall, I felt that the dayQ} was a success. There seemed to be more people attending than at AMS7, but I'm sure that they could still do with more, so iQ}f you didn't go this year, you should seriously think about attending next year. The bargains that I found weren't "one-offsQ}" - they were available all over the place if you looked. Add to the Atari-Specific stalls the general computer and electronQ}ic suppliers and you really could save a lot of money. I thought that the day was great and I'll definitely be going nexQ}t year - I hope to see you there as well!ot of money. I thought that the day was great and I'll definitely be going nexP*THE BLACK AND REDA new column for the Atari Jaguar!by Stuart J. Murray, NOSAUG. I had planned to call this column JU}agged Edge but after picking up a recent copy of ST Review I noticed that they had stolen my fire. I thought Jagged Edge wasU} original enough not to be duplicated elsewhere. I was wrong! Such is life. Anyway, the new Futura column devoted to the JU}ag is now called THE BLACK AND RED. Why? Well, what colour is that 64-bit box of tricks? In this first Black and Red cU}olumn you'll find news and information for your Jaguar plus a detailed review of Doom - The Special Edition. Enjoy! If U}you have any news, reviews or tips for the Jaguar then please send them to the usual NOSAUG address.THE JAGUAR - KING OF TU}HE CONSOLES!news, reviews or tips for the Jaguar then please send them to the usual NOSAUG address.THE JAGUAR - KING OF TT THE BLACK AND REDJAGUAR NEWSTHE JAG IN THE UK If you're looking for a good deal on a Jaguar in the UK then check oY}ut Special Reserve. In their current catalogue they are selling the Jaguar (including control pad and Cybermorph) for 179 poY}unds. They also have Jaguar carts from 32.99. Doom is priced at 49.99. Special Reserve is a games club so you'll have Y}to become a member (yearly membership = 7.00 pounds). Contact them at this address:Special Reserve,PO Box 847,Harlow,CMY}21 9PH.Tel: 0279-600204NEW RELEASES Look out for the following new releases for your Jaguar:AIR CAR WARS (imminentY})CANNON FODDER (27th Jan)RISE OF THE ROBOTS (Feb)SENSIBLE SOCCER (Feb)THEME PARK (Feb)TINY TOON ADVENTURES (Feb)VAL D'IY}SERE SKIING (out now)SEGA TITLES With Sega's recent investment in Atari, we can look forward to many Jaguar conversioY}ns of Sega titles. Virtua Racing here we come! Let's hope that the conversions make use of the Jag's capabilities and aren'Y}t just 16-bit rip-offs!WILLIAMS TITLES Look out for more classic Williams titles for your Jaguar soon! Following TemY}pest 2000 will be Battlezone and Defender (by Jeff Minter!).NEWS FROM THE USA[The following news extracts are from "XIO3Y}", the newsletter of the Garden City Atari Computer Enthusiasts (GCACE). For more information on XIO3 contact: GCACE, 1003 AY}mphion Street, Victoria, B.C., CANADA, V8S 4G2. If writing from outside of Canada include 3 IRC's. GCACE membership dues arY}e $25 per family per year.] More big names in software production have signed up for the Jaguar. Among them are 20th CeY}ntury Fox Interactive, JVC Industries, Time Warner Interactive and Electro Brain Corp. A lot of outside developers prefeY}r to use CD ROM disks. Some interactive games have not worked too well with this medium (it is slow compared to cartridges) Y}but techniques are being developed to make better use of CD's and many future Atari games may turn up on disk. Atari is Y}now prepared to ship its CD ROM drive. The drive comes with the Virtual Light Machine cartridge. This turns digital sound oY}n any CD into a video display. At least five CD titles are in development for the Jaguar. These are Battlemorph, Jack NY}iclaus Cyber Golf, Highlander, Creature Shock and Demolition Man. The golf game uses true colour images of Murfield golf couY}rse and needs the capacity of the CD. The MPEG cartridge will be available with the Jaguar CD drive for $150. This alloY}ws full motion video displays through the Jaguar. The Catbox interface for the Jaguar allows almost any connection: svidY}eo, composite, analog RGB, RS232, comlynx, stereo audio and dual headphones ($49.95). Now there is Catbox+ which adds stY}ereo headphone amplification and a differential pair network (?) for $69.95. Catbox is (or will be) made by ICD. HoweveY}r, Tom Harker of ICD says that Catbox is "not quite" available. When Atari releases its driving games, users can use theY} Thrustmaster steering wheel and pedals ($139) to add to the fun.That's all for now!s its driving games, users can use theXWDOOM - THE SPECIAL EDITIONDoomedby Dan ODI Baverstock, 5/1/95.The Intro As his gigantic, heaving, metalic firearm]} smoldered, large demonic creatures were turned from frightening beasts intent on ripping you limb from limb, into small pile]}s of undercooked mince meat! He was a quiet man. Violence wasn't his "cup of tea". He had never owned a gun let alone ]}fired one. This, however, was about to change. Lionel, quietly wandering home after a wild night of bridge with a few c]}lose mates at the O.A.P Community Centre, just happened to be strolling past the gates of hell when all of a sudden his mates]} were horrifically dismembered. Bones crunched, internal organs were hurled about the place. Severed heads stuck on poles a]}nd corpses strung from walls and ceilings. Well, Lionel wasn't going to stand for this! His mates weren't going to die ]}for nothing. After thinking long and hard he decided it was the only thing he could do. He would phone his local MP and com]}plain! After a peaceful nightsleep, Lionel got up bright and early and dialled the number... engaged... Oh well, time to^} fall back on plan B. Grabbing a few items and putting them in the back of his green Morris Minor (to name a few - a rusty o^}ld knuckle duster, a pistol, pump action shotgun, chain-gun, rocket-launcher, plasma-gun, BFG thunder rifle and not forgettin^}g the chainsaw) he hopped in his car and drove to the gates of hell! (Popping into a self-service station to buy a Chicken T^}ikka sandwich on the way.) O.K, so this is all made up, but it's not the intro you were expecting, was it? As far a^}s games go, DOOM is possibily one of the best games ever to come out of a programmer's brain. It oozes action, graphics, atm^}osphere and has an exiting element of puzzle-solving. It also has an exceptional amount of mince meat and tomato ketchup - o^}r to put it another way - GORE!The Review DOOM - THE SPECIAL EDITION is a first-person perspective game. In fact it ^}is the first, first-person perspective game. You control the character, seeing the environment through his eyes in 3D. ^}Originally shareware (you could down load it from any PC BBS), the programmers, ID Software, decided they could do with the l^ }oads of cash Doom would inevitably make. It's now available in the shops. Doom places you, a soldier (not Lionel!), smac^ }k bang in the middle of Hell. Using items scattered around the levels you simply have to survive long enough to figure out t^ }he hidden puzzles, collect keys to open doors and get to the exit. Trouble is, your journey takes you through the domain of ^ }Demonic creatures. Not your average-Joe, 'namby-pamby' demons either! We're talking zombie troops and sergeants, demons, im^ }ps (not small and cute, but rabid versions of Star Wars' Chubakka with spikes), lost souls, cacodemons (great one-eyed globs ^}who like to belch fireballs) and the horrific Barons of Hell. These are giant satanic creatures who will kill you in two blo^}ws with green flame from their claws. They are the most frightening, letting you know of their presence with a mighty below ^}and roar. Strewn about the various locations are weapons, ammo packs, first aid kits, health potions, armour upgrades an^}d the very handy berserk packs (explained later). You can get up to 200% armour by collecting helmets and body vests. Y^}our status panel indicates your ammo supply, health, keys found, armour percentage strength and weapons available. In additi^}on to health percentages, your face is displayed. Depending on how bruised and bloody your face looks gives you an indicatio^}n of how far from dying you are. He also moves his head when hit and looks in the attacking enemies direction. The vari^}ety of weapons totals seven as well as your trusty knuckle duster. "Fat lot of good the latter is against some of these crea^}tures", you may well ask? You'd be surprised! Initially, you always start a level with the one weapon, a pistol, and as^} you venture into your hostile environment you find more powerful weapons. Although the different weapons you find are p^}laced at random, you usually find the next best and bigger weapons are more abundant in the larger and harder levels. This a^}lso depends on the level difficulty setting. Next up is the pump action shotgun. Slow but powerful, this gun fires a sh^}ell that can take out the enemy with one shot, sending them over a wall, or six feet in the air 'Cowboy style'! You even see^} your hand pump the barrel after firing. The revolving chain gun is fast, making the enemy dance, despite eating up load^}s of ammo. The rocket launcher is the second most powerful of all the weapons, firing a self-propelled rocket toward the^} victim(s), and on impact showering most of the internal organs (remember mincemeat and ketchup) in all directions! I love u^}sing this one! The plasma-gun fires blue plasma-bolts very fast and can do a lot of damage in a room full of enemies. ^} Last but not least is the mother of all weapons, aptly named the BFG. Quite slow the first time you hit the trigger until^ } you see what it can do. Here's a step by step guide on how to use it:Step 1 - Take the BFG into a large area, preferably ^!}full of rabid demons of all shapes and sizes (say around 10 of them).Step 2 - Aim the open end of the gun (make sure you ge^"}t this correct) towards the creatures.Step 3 - Squeeze the trigger and wait.Step 4 - After a few seconds an igniting soun^#}d should engage, followed by a green flash. This should grow bigger until you go blind and it leaves the barrel as a huge gr^$}een ball of energy.Step 5 - Wait until the dust clears and observe. You should be seeing, well... a mess! What was once r^%}ather grotesque living tissue should now be a pile of red meat-covered ribs among eye balls and entrails! Each creature'^&}s animation and detail is extremely well done, as are their individual death sequences. Some fall back spitting blood, some ^'}turn inside out, some bounce off the walls and explode, and some collapse into a pile with a blood curdling moan. All act as^(} though they are real 3D creatures in a real environment and are therefore bloody scary! Unlike some games of this type, the^)} demons still keep their detail even when they are up close. If you're really lucky, you can even get demons to fight ag^*}ainst one-another. Most helpful in tight scrapes. The last of the weapons, which strangely isn't documented in the othe^+}rwise helpful manual, is one of the most fun to use. Carving up the Christmas Turkey? Don't use a knife - use a chain-saw! ^,} It's hard to come by, but once in your hands why not carve up an imp or zombieman. Second greatest when fighting in close q^-}uarters. The first is coming up. The most fun you can have with your fists is had with the 'Berserk pack'. It couldn't^.} be a more appropriate name because thats what your fists act like after collecting it. Normally, around 5-8 punches will kn^/}ock out a zombieman or imp. Even then he'll just fall on his back and spit a little blood. With the berserk pack engaged, j^0}ust one punch will turn him inside out and knock his remains back 10 feet! There are many power-ups. Two types of armou^1}red vests are available (green and blue; the blue being the most protective). Radiation suits enable you to walk through the^2} lakes of acid and lava. Backpacks enable you to double or triple your ammo carrying capacity. Soul spheres increase your h^3}ealth percentage by 100% over the usual limit to 200% maximum. Invunerability artifacts allow a limited invunerability again^4}st attack, turning the screen a shade of purple. A map is provided in which the level can be seen. Initially it maps as^5} you progress in the level, so you can only see that which you have mapped. However, you can collect a Computer Map which up^6}dates your automap fully, the grey areas showing parts which you have not yet reached. Simple keypad buttons allow you to zo^7}om in and out of the map and rotate your character to face in the direction you wish to travel. The automap isn't essent^8}ial for completing a lot of the levels as a truly excellent level design allows you to find your way around easily. This is ^9}one of the many advantages of Doom over Alien vs Predator and Wolfenstein 3D. The levels are a work of art, really showi^:}ng off the Jag's capabilities. Walls, ceilings and floors look very realistic and lighting is used to great effect. For exa^;}mple, the sun shines through holes in walls, rooms with more windows look lighter, and tunnels are lit realistically as you m^<}ove through them. The acid and lava pools and lakes that surround much of the level (sometimes marooning you on islands)^=} look very real, the animation giving the effect of them swirling and rippling. Falling in one of these slowly eats away at ^>}you, and if you don't find a way out soon you die with a blood curdling scream! Levels range from stone castles to metal^?}ic strongholds, cobblestoned courtyards, grassy castle gardens, deep dark dungeons and lime green and red stony lairs. Stran^@}ge satanic symbols adorn the walls, and spikes protrude from floors. There is so much variety that you will rarely get bored^A}, with new surroundings to explore around every corner. Every few levels, the environment and atmosphere changes, showin^B}g your descent into the deeper and more deadly levels. These are accompanied with appropriate names like the 'Phobos Lab', '^C}Deimos Anommaly', or 'Unholy Cathedral'. For example, the first few levels depict a metalic bunker and concrete style enviro^D}nment, which shows out onto the castle grounds. Then a sandstone castle with a bright white sky and mountains. Later, the s^E}ky changes to a menacing deep blood red, spiked severed heads and corpses hanging from chains on walls and ceilings. Sometim^F}es only the upper parts of the corpse is left, blood seeping down the walls. Other level details include green, blue and^G} yellow flames, lava fountains, skull sculpures in stone, marble and metal and lion heads on doors. The perspective of t^H}he levels as you move is a joy to see. As you move toward windows or up stairs the view of the mountains or red skies moves ^I}in perspective. Everything moves extremelly fast (even when the screen is full of creatures) and by holding down a conso^J}le button, you can run. Doom allows you to move up and down stairs, in lifts, fall down chasms, and on some levels walk ^K}around the outside of the castle; the mountains and skies panning around as you move. It is a true virtual world in itself. ^L} Instead of only being able to fire at ememies on your own level, you can fire at them on outposts, up and down stairs, ^M}down into courtyards, and from ledges. Keys are essential so they must be found. There are three types: Red, Blue and Y^N}ellow, sometimes in the form of cards, and in the later levels, skulls. Often, to be able to complete a level (or gain a^O}ccess to other parts) you have to visit certain areas to activate switches or trigger light activated mechanisims. Doing so ^P}can do anything from rise a hidden bridge from a lava pit to opening a secret passage in a wall. Discoloured or misplaced lo^Q}oking walls and ones with symbols carved into them often hide secret passages and rooms, so its worth keeping a look out. Ev^R}ery level has a certain number of secrets to be found, which is shown at completion of the level. Transporters are commo^S}n place in later levels and switches can come in all shapes and forms, from the typical pull-down type to skulls and demonic ^T}faces. Barrels of highly explosive chemicals and radioactive substances can be harmful if one explodes near you as a res^U}ult of an ememy's or your own firepower. However, you can use them to you own advantage by hitting one right next to an emem^V}y, with messy results! Sampled sound effects are used to great effect, whether it be your shotgun pumping, the creatures^W} roaring and grunting, the sound of body inards as they fly through the air hitting the floor, or the sound of doors, walls a^X}nd switches moving. The in-between level screens show you the percentage of kills, items and secrets you have achieved a^Y}nd obtained. Music plays between levels, and is fairly good. A few could be improved slightly, but they do convey the m^Z}ood of the levels satisfactorily. There are five difficulty settings that you can choose at the beginning option screen:^[}I'm a wimpNot too roughHurt me plentyUltra-violenceNightmare As you choose, a glowing skull indicates your selecti^\}on. 'I'm a wimp' is still extremely hard, so the other settings are literally a 'Hell' of a lot worse! The harder they ^]}become, increases the number of ememies that are present and the damage they can inflict upon you. The Jaguar version (a^^}n improvement on the PC version, hence DOOM - The Special Edition) has 23 levels. A majority of them are massive, while some^_} are small but with puzzles that make it hard to complete. A special RAM on the cart saves the level you have reached, s^`}o you can choose to start from level 1 up to that level. Of course a fresh start means you only have the pistol, which can b^a}e a tad hard. It takes 100 pistol shots to kill a Baron of Hell! The beauty of the Jaguar version is it's ability to co^b}nnect two Jags together using a special link and have two players unite against the rest of Hell. In Deathmatch mode, connec^c}ting up to 32 Jaguars means you can play against the other player(s). No demons in this mode, just you and the other player(^d}s). Two players will also be able to play and talk to each other over a special voice/modem link that will be made available^e} sometime in 1995. The only other formats that this version of Doom is available on is the SEGA 32X, and in 1996 on the ^f}ULTRA64. The games TV programme 'Bad Influence' rated the Jaguar version of Doom far higher than the 32X version in graphics^g} and speed and also because the Jaguar version has around 8 more levels. Plus the fact that Doom on the Jaguar has a helpful^h} pad overlay card (as with most Jaguar games). It was awarded a score of 5/5. Overall, DOOM - The Special Edition is TH^i}E game on the Jaguar right now. It has had cult followers on the PC and will almost certainly have ones on the Jaguar. ^j}Rumours are that Doom2 is in the pipeline, and Hollywood is even planning on making a Doom movie! You can bet we'll see some^k} pretty messy effects here, and it certainly won't be a U certificate! At 50 pounds mail order, you should definitely sp^l}end your money on Doom before you buy Alien vs Predator or Wolfenstein 3D. It is far better than both of these! Incidentall^m}y, Wolfenstein 3D was also made by ID Software.100% for graphics, action, atmosphere, and puzzles!80% for music!110% f^n}or gore!stein 3D was also made by ID Software.100% for graphics, action, atmosphere, and puzzles!80% for music!110% f\ A PLEA ON BEHALF OF THE JAGUARby Daniel Baverstock Atari seem to be doing it again! Doom - The Special Edition is obp}ne of the few great games on the Jaguar right now. A game that looks as though it's taking advantage of the Jags capabilitiebq}s. Iron Soldier and Alien vs Predator are the only other games that really show what the Jag can do, and they're all the sambr}e type of game! Most of the other current games are let down in one area. Whether it be graphics, gameplay or music, thbs}e games aren't doing the Jaguar any favours. Atari is clearly trying to fill the shelves rather than show off the machine cabt}pabilities. Here's a list of all the recent new releases, with a comment / percentage from a reviewer beside each:-Airbu} cars - Shoot'em'up sim - the graphics look very poor.Burn out - a cycle racing game - the graphics are poor and speed is "bv}slug slow".Troy Aikman NFL Football - the gameplay looks involving - the graphics look crap.Kasumi Ninja - Quite good grabw}phics, with good depth effect in the backgrounds - Abismal gameplay - 38% Ultimate Future Games.Sensible soccer - great gambx}eplay, OK graphics - Some moves are made harder with the "House-brick pad!" (the joypad). Very overpriced at 55 pounds - 88%by} Ultimate Future Games.Double Dragon 5 - THE WORST GAME EVER! - ABSOULUTE CRAP! - 23% Ultimate Future Games.Syndicate - gbz}reat game / many huge levels - slow and difficult to control as Joypad spoils the game control - 68% Ultimate Future Games.b{}Val d'Isere - a snow boarding game - it's very fast and gameplay is OK. Not what you would call 64 bit graphics / not much tb|}o do - 66% Ultimate Future Games. Only a few new look good, including the following (although they are all still in prodb}}uction):Fight for Life - Atari's answer to Virtua Fighter - it looks quite good and moves well - still in production.Hoveb~}r Strike - Like Battlezone. Hovering across a planet in a tank; 3D rendered landscapes; animated 3D enemies - looks quite gob}od - still in production.Rayman - great looking platform - great graphics, animation and sound - nearing completion.Ultrab} Vortex - Kasumi Ninja had very bad reviews - This is another beat-em-up akin to Mortal Kombat, etc. Great backdrops, charactb}ers - still waiting to see what gameplay is like - still in production. I played Tempest 2000 the other day and quite frb}ankly thought the gameplay was crap and repetitive - it certainly DIDN'T deserve the 97% someone gave it, nor the title of 'Gb}ame of the Decade'! However the MUSIC is brilliant(!) and some of the melting effects are quite good. Very few of the cub}rrent games do any justice to the Jaguar's capabilities. Atari have succeeded in cocking it up again so far. If they don't b}act soon then it will be too late, for Sega and Sony will take the upper hand. In my opinion we need the CD-ROM add-on Nb}OW and with some mindblowing games! It has been lumped as a cart machine, when it should be known as a CD-based machine. b} I shall be writing to Atari soon, hopefully with a load of fellow Jag and Atari owners' letters to see if Atari can have sob}me sense kicked into them before it's too late to do anything. Anybody who is interested should write a letter to Atari b}about their feelings toward Atari and the Jaguar and anything that they feel would add weight to my argument that the games ab}ren't using the Jag to it's full potential.Send your letters to:Daniel 'ODI' Baverstock,199 Mackie Avenue,Patcham,Brib}ghton,East SussexBN1 8SE,England....as soon as possible! to:Daniel 'ODI' Baverstock,199 Mackie Avenue,Patcham,Bri`?SLAMMIN' - The SMP Column!by Bryan ZillwoodPart 3 Continuing from last issue's creative endeavours, this time we wilf}l try to construct a complete song. This aspect of SMP is the least well docmented feature in the English instructions pf}rovided. It took me many long hours slaving over a German dictionary to find out how it works properly. After setting uf}p some sounds as described last issue, the next thing to do is to create a pattern. Patterns consist of 32 notes played consf}ecutively. These notes do not have to be of the same instrument, in fact you don't have to have a note played at all. Each f}note silences the previous one played, however more than one sound can be played together by utilising the four channels avaif}lable. Lets start editing. Select EDITIEREN Pattern from the menu bars in the centre of the screen. The active cursor f}is now the one over the "---" next to 00. Now press Q, this will put a C in position 00 in the first channel. The instrumenf}t played will be the one displayed at the top of the screen. To change the instrument selected press < and > but remember thf}at there are two sound curves for each sound, so don't press > only once and wonder why the same instrument is being played.f} You can now, using the cursor keys, position different pitches all over the four patterns. Pressing RETURN will play thf}rough the track until stopped by another key press. For quick reference, listed below are the notes corresponding to whif}ch keys are used to generate them. C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B-------------------------------------1) Z S X Df} C V G B H N J M2) Q 2 W 3 E R 5 T 6 Y 7 U There is another octave which can be accessed by pressingf} SHIFT when using the first set of the keys above (this also includes Q). SMP also contains a drum set, press SHIFT and 1 tof} 9 for this. The spacebar make the note beneath the cursor blank. OK, now you have played aroung with the different souf}nds and pitches, we can alter the volumes of individual notes. In the pattern table, each note looks like this: C-2 00VF, thf}e first letter represents the pitch, the number is the octave, 00 shows which instrument is played, V is a command and F is af} parameter of the command. Each of the commands is dealt with below:The command V is the most common command you will use.f} It is the only command which is applied to single notes and it refers to the volume of the note. The default value of V isf} F, which is the loudest sound. You could, using the cursor keys, move onto the value and overtype it with any hexamdecimal f}number from 0 to F, to change the volume. Alternatively, if you wanted, all or most notes in a pattern can share the same vaf}lue by changing the default value of that pattern. At the top of the screen, just below the titles, you will notice four gref}en and orange triangles each followed by a green vertical bar. This bar represents the default volume of the channel it is of}ver. To move the bar use the left and right cursor keys (whilst holding Control). Any notes which are then played from the f}keyboard will be of the volume set by the green bar. The command Q, and all the rest of the commands, can only be positif}oned where a note doesn't exist. Q is a quit pattern command. This will stop the pattern where it is and continue playing ff}rom the next pattern. The parameter is ignored. U and D refer to up and down. According to the German text, the next hif}ghest (u) or lowest (d) note, should be played in place of the actual ones in the pattern. I don't seem to be able to get thf}is to work, can anyone clear this up? S, C & W are commands for machine code programmers to set up flags in songs. As If} am not knowledgeable in machine code, I'm not able to provide any more information on this. L & H are further distortiof}n commands. These are used to set the (L)ow and (H)igh bytes in the Audio-Control register (whatever that is!) T & M arf}e commands altering the timing of the playback, e.g. T1 and M9 would set a gap of 25/60 seconds between notes (25=a hexidecimf}al 19). The default setting is 7. J & M are jump commands. These are used to set a jump to another track, e.g. J2 and Pf}E jumps to position 2E. The timing and jump commands should be positioned next to each other in a pattern for them to haf}ve the desired effect. The final command is E which, using the parameters, can gives notes a 16-bit quality. E0 turns of}ff any previous E command, but only for that channel. E1 to 4 does not appear to modify the sound. E5 and E9 changes channef}l 1, E6 and EA changes channel 2 and so on. ED increases the octave of a channel by 1, EE by 2 octaves and EF by 3. So f}now you can produce a pattern, or a set of 4 patterns to make a track. You will now want to put the tracks into a tune. Welf}l select the position where you want the track to be and press Shift/Tab (set). Your patterns will then be given numbers andf} placed into a song. Next edit some more tracks and put them into the tune and soon you should have the whole compositition f}finished. What you will notice is that SMP doesn't check to see if any patterns you place have been used before, so it givesf} them a seperate number. Don't worry about this, just select OPTION from the menu, followed by "Speicher Aufraumen", which pf}robably means something like tidy up. Any patterns which are the same will then be given the same number. Magic eh? Juf}st a few more pattern editing features now. Pressing Tab advances you 8 lines. Pressing Control/Esc saves the present pattef}rn to a memory buffer and Control/> restores it. Control/< clears the channel the cursor is on and Shift/Control/< clears thf}e whole pattern. Finally, to recall a pattern from the tune, press Control/Inverse. Now you might have a wonderful mastf}erpiece which you need to save quickly before the electricity board cuts off your power, because you have spent so long compof}sing, you've forgotten to pay your bills. The songs can be saved either compressed or uncompressed. If you don't intend to f}include the tune into some program you're writing, then compression should be on. This is toggled in the OPTION menu, Music f}Packen ein is on and auf is off. To save the tune go to DISK Speichern (save) and you will be prompted with a filename, the f}extension .SNG is put in for you. Well that's about it for how to use SMP. As I have said, I am not able to go into depf}th regarding incorporating tunes into programs, but if you have any queries the please contact me via NOSAUG. I have incf}luded with this article, a short tune I created called GHOST.SNG. Apologies for the quality of the song, I was obviously nevf}er related to Beethoven, but perhaps this will inspire you to create a song or two of your own for future inclusion in Futuraf}. I look forward to hearing your compositions. Til then enjoy your composing.SOUND MONITOR PROFESSIONAL V1.2 is avaf}ilable from the NOSAUG PD Library (Disk U31).. Til then enjoy your composing.SOUND MONITOR PROFESSIONAL V1.2 is avad. 44444444j}HHHH P PH@////////////////////////////////4444444 D@<848