AtariUser33-Jan88.pdf

A Database Publication

Vol. 3 No. 9 January 1988 E1.25

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DEALER and OVERSEAS Enquiries Welcome

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Contents

News

All the latest from the ever-changing world of 8 bit Atari.

Rouloc

More amazing exploits with our resident Atari adventurer.

Fun with maths

An easy-to-use routine to help the kids with mental arithmetic.

Reviews

Our evaluation team takes a look at the latest software releases.

Vol. 3 No_ 9 January 1988

Managing Editor:

Derek Meakin

Group Editor:

Alan McLachlan

Features Editor:

Peter Davidson

Good old games

We reminisce with classic cartridge software from years gone by.

MicroLink News

More about Britain's nationwide online database for micros.

Production Editor:

Peter Glover

Editorial Assistant:

Neil Fawcett

News Editor:

Mike Cowley

Technical Editor:

Andre Willey

Advertisement Manager:

John Snowdon

Advertising Sales:

Nora Lawton

Tel: 0525 878888 (Editorial)

0625 878888 (Advertising}

0625 879940 (Subscriptions}

Telex : 26571 MONREF G

Quoting Ref. 72:MA0001

Telec om Gold: 72.MA0001

Prestel Mailbox; 614568283

Fax : 0625 879966

Published by:

Databas e Publications Ltd.

Europa House, Adlington Park,

London Road, Adlington,

Macclesﬁ eld, Cheshire SK10 5NP.

Dicer

There's fun for the whole family in this adaptation of Yahtzee.

Mouse Driver

A useful routine to make your joystick simulate a rodent.

Games System

Now the dust has settled: An in-depth review of Atari's XE.

File Converter

Solve the problem of pictures saved under different formats.

Subhunt

Survive the enemy submarines in this fast-action arcade game.

Communications 3 7

Need a modem? To help you choose, we answer all the questions.

Easy Programming 3 9

The start of a new series to help you get to grips with Atari Basic.

1ABC

33.573 Ja n u a ry-Jo n e . 1 9 8 6

Poster Printer

A superb utility to create double-size screen dumps.

Subscription rates for

12 issues, post free:

C15 — UK

C18 — Europe (in& Eire/

£33 — Overseas (Airmail)

ISSN 0266-545X

Five Liners

Prize-winning mini programs sent in by our clever readers.

and articles for publication. Material should

be typed or computer-printed, and pref-

erably double-spaced. Program listings

should be accommpanied by cassette tape

or disc. Please enclose stamped, self-

addressed envelope, otherwise the return

of material cannot be guaranteed. Contrib-

utions accepted for publication by Database

Publications Ltd will be on an all-rights

basis.

43. 1988 Database Publications Ltd. No

material may be reproduced in whole or in

part without writen permission. While every

care is taken, the publishers cannot be held

legally responsible for any errors in articles,

lis tings , or advertisements.

"Atari User" is an independent publication

and Atari Corp (UK) Ltd are not responsible

for any of the articles they contain or for any

of the opinions expressed.

News trade distribution: Europress Sales

and Distribution Limited, Unit 1, Burgess

Road, lvyhouse Lane, Hastings, East Sussex

IN35 4NR. Tel: 0424 430422.

Hints and Tips

Get more fun out of games with help from other users.

Gadgets

Menu control the easy way with this ultra-sonic switch.

Software Solutions

Our resident expert helps to solve your programming problems.

Computers in Action

This routine will add more than punch to your drinks cabinet.

Mailbag

The chance to get your news, views and name in print.

January 1988 Atari User 3

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News

I es systems

Record

turnover

ing well

ATARI has achieved

record results in the third

quarter of its ﬁnancial

year.

Sales were $80.4 million

— a 34 per cent increase

over last year's third quar-

ter when sales totalled

$59.8 million.

Income was $8.3 million i

compared to $4.6 million,

a rise of almost BO per cent

over last year.

Sales for the ﬁrst nine

months stand at $216 mil-

SALES of Atari's VCS 2600

and XE games/computer

systems have been high

despite a TV advertising

campaign setback.

The problem arose when

the Independent Broadcas-

ting Authority objected to an

advert scheduled to be

shown during prime child-

ren's watching time.

One reason given by an

IBA spokesman is that the

advert put forward by Atari

did not comply with its code

of practice. The section that

Atari seems to have been in

breach of states: "Children's

ability to distinguish

between fact and fantasy

will vary according to their

age and individual per-

sonality.

"With this in mind no

unreasonable expectations

of performance of toys and

games must be simulated

by the excess use of imagin-

ary backgrounds or special

effects".

By the time Atari had

produced another advert to

promote its machines for

the Christmas market all

remaining slots had been

sold, leaving the company

well and truly out in the

cold.

Atari spokesman Peter

Walker refused to comment

about the ad content or

problems with the TV cam-

paign. But he did say that

"sales of the games/

computer systems are high

and do not appear to have

been affected by the lack of

advertising".

year's $165 million.

Income has risen 76 per

cent from $25.8 million to

$45.4 million.

Weather

outlook

brighter

The very

devil to

pay over

games

THE service which offers

Atari users an opportunity

to become weather forecas-

ters is being upgraded to a

professional standard.

Thanks to WeatherLink, all

Atari owners will soon be

able to pick up the same

satellite pictures as the Met

Ofﬁce experts.

To achieve this, Weather-

Link — which operates on

the MicroLink system — has

switched satellites from the

older NOAA 9 to the more

advanced Meteosat.

This means that the

weather maps transmitted

from outer space have been

dramatically improved in

quality — offering perfect

clarity and true colour.

"The problem with NOAA

9 was that it relied on infra

red images", said Derek

Meakin, head of MicroLink,

"and this, at times, resulted

in weather maps that lacked

clarity and true colour.

"The far more sophisti-

cated Meteosat satellite

totally eliminates the prob-

lem, enabling Atari owners

to download pictures of a

completely professional

standard".

HUBBLE bubble toil and

trouble for Red Rat Software

games Little Devil and

Nightmares.

They have been banned in

France and Italy because

they are considered to have

occult connotations. A

major UK distributor

refused to handle the games

in this country for similar

reasons.

Red Rat director Harry

Nadler told Atari User: "I

can't understand it, Little

Devil is nothing more than a

harmless arcade game with

no evil intent at all.

"Nightmares contains all

the ingredients of a classic

fairy tale with no harmful

additives or colouring for

people to worry about.

"If the games were

enticing children to start

dabbling with ouija boards

or something like that then

there could be a justiﬁ ed

complaint". Both titles were

reviewed in the December

issue of Atari User.

Niels Reynolds, who

reviewed Little Devil, said:

"I can see nothing evil in the

game at all.

"In fact the opposite situ-

ation exists, with the little

devil doing good by trying

to free lost souls and break

out of hell himself".

Silica Distribution had

originally banned both

games, but has relented in

the case of Nightmares.

Their spokesman John

Hambley told Atari User.'

"We are now handling

Nightmares— but Little Devil

remains on our banned list.

"We consider the title

unsuitable for general dis-

tribution and refuse to stock

it for the same reasons as

we do not stock Lucifer's

Realm, Leather Godesses of

Phobos or Strip Poker".

Says Nadler: "The French

and Italians and Silica Dis-

tribution are all judging the

book by its cover — I doubt if

any of them have played the

games at all".

January 1988 Atari User 5

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