Getting Started On Your Commodore VIC 20 (GB)
Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw
Futura, 1983

Download all programs from this book on one disk:

Getting Started.d64

36 programs

Chapter 5: Round and round we go

Program	Author	Requirements	Files	Info
Codebreaker Pages 38-45.	Adam Bennett & Tim Summers	Unexpanded	codebreaker.t64 Screenshot	Mastermind game. The computer chooses a random number between 0000 and 9999. Can you work out the number? Black means a correct digit in the correct position, white means a correct digit in the wrong position. There are two versions of the game, the second uses multi-statement lines. Controls: Enter your guess (0000-9999).

Chapter 7: Getting into the music business

Program	Author	Requirements	Files	Info
Sound Routine Pages 55-56.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	sound routine.prg Screenshot	Subroutine for generating sounds. This version plays a single note. Controls: None.
Three Notes Page 56.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	three notes.prg Screenshot	Use the sound routine to play three notes that fade away. Controls: None.
Sound Advice Pages 56-59.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	sound advice.prg Screenshot	Number guessing game. The computer picks a random number from 1-50. Can you work out what it is? Controls: Enter your guess (1-50).

Chapter 8: Making comparisons

Program	Author	Requirements	Files	Info
Brickbat Pages 60-63.	Graham Charlton	Unexpanded	brickbat.prg Screenshot	Breakout game. Try to destroy all the bricks using your bat & ball. Controls: Z (left), M (right).

Chapter 9: Two games and a speed test

Program	Author	Requirements	Files	Info
Solitaire Pages 64-67.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	solitaire.prg Screenshot	Peg solitaire game. Try to remove all the pegs and finish with the last peg in the central position. Pegs are removed by jumping over them and landing in an empty space. Controls: Type the 'from' and 'to' position for each move. Enter numbers in YX format.
Reaction Test Pages 67-70.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	reaction test.prg Screenshot	Reaction time game. When the message appears, press the Z key as quickly as possible. Controls: Press Z when the message appears.
Hasami Shogi Pages 70-78.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	hasami shogi.prg Screenshot	Japanese board game played against the computer. Each player has 18 stones. The computer controls the square stones, and the player controls the round stones. Each player can move horizontally or vertically, and can jump over either player's stones. Pieces are captured by putting one of your stones on either side of an opponent's stone. The aim is to capture 7 of your opponent's pieces. Controls: Type the 'from' and 'to' position for each move. Enter numbers in YX format (a letter followed by a number).

Chapter 10: Stringing along

Program	Author	Requirements	Files	Info
Character Set Pages 79-91.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	character set.t64 Screenshot	Two programs that display the character set, all ASCII codes from 32 to 191. The second program has a better screen layout. Controls: Press Return for the next page.
Keyboard Instructor Pages 91-92.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	key instructor.prg Screenshot	Typing game. A letter is shown on the screen, and you must hit that key as quickly as possible. Controls: Press the key shown.
Cutting Them Up Pages 92-93.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	cutting up.prg Screenshot	Programming demo, showing how to manipulate strings. Controls: None.
Putting Them Back Together Pages 93-94.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	putting back.prg Screenshot	Programming demo, showing how to concatenate strings. Controls: None.
Name Pyramid Pages 94-96.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	name pyramid.prg Screenshot	Programming demo, demonstrates string slicing by displaying a name as a pyramid. Controls: Enter your name.
Echo Gulch Pages 96-99.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	echo gulch.prg Screenshot	Typing game. A letter is briefly shown on the screen. After it has disappeared, you have a limited amount of time to press that key. Controls: Press the key shown.

Chapter 11: Reading data

Program	Author	Requirements	Files	Info
Read Data Pages 100-102.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	read data.t64 Screenshot	Programming demo. Five short programs showing how to use the READ, DATA and RESTORE commands. Controls: None.
Galactic Grocer Pages 102-109.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	galactic grocer.prg Screenshot	Trading game. Try to make a profit from buying & selling goods like coal dust, chipped mugs, and toe nails. Controls: Follow on-screen prompts. Press Return (without typing anything) to skip over any deals that do not interest you.

Chapter 12: Wonders of the VIC chip

Program	Author	Requirements	Files	Info
Fast Food With Colour Page 119.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	fast food col.prg Screenshot	Programming demo, showing how to use random coloured text. It displays a random fast food order. Controls: Enter any number to seed the random number generator.
Text and Background Page 120.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	text backgnd.t64 Screenshot	Programming demo. Two programs showing how to set the text, background and border colours. Controls: Enter the desired colour values (0-7).
Random Painting Page 121.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	random painting.prg Screenshot	Programming demo, displays random combinations of colours. Controls: None.
Poking the Screen Pages 121-122.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	poking screen.prg Screenshot	Programming demo, use the POKE command to fill the screen with red circles. Controls: None.
Duck Shoot Pages 122-137.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	duck shoot.t64 Screenshot	Shoot as many ducks as you can with 15 bullets. There are five different versions of the game, showing how it developed from a simple idea into having sound & hi-res graphics etc. Controls: None.

Chapter 13: Getting listed

Program	Author	Requirements	Files	Info
Arrays Pages 138-141.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	arrays.t64 Screenshot	Programming demo, four programs showing how to use arrays. Controls: None.
Dragon's Lair Pages 141-142.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	dragons lair.prg Screenshot	A dragon is lost in the murky marsh. He moves randomly and will be free is he reaches the right or bottom edge. This program demonstrates Brownian motion. Controls: None.
Full Fathom Fifty Pages 143-145.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	full fthm fifty.prg Screenshot	Dice game played against the computer. Each player rolls two dice, and if they get a double then their score is increased by three times the value of dice #1. The first player to reach 50 points wins. Controls: R (roll dice).

Chapter 14: Let the good graphics roll

Program	Author	Requirements	Files	Info
Fred the Invader Pages 148-154.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	fred invader.t64 Screenshot	Programming demo, five programs showing how to use user-defined graphics. They display a moving green space invader. Controls: None.
Multi-Colour Mode Pages 151-153.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	multi-colour.prg Screenshot	Programming demo, showing how to use multi-colour user-defined graphics. It displays a message with cycling colours. Controls: None.
High Resolution Graphics Pages 154-158.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	hires graphics.t64 Screenshot	Programming demo, two programs showing how to draw high resolution graphics. One draws a parabolic curve, the other draws circles & ovals. Controls: None.

Chapter 15: More great games

Program	Author	Requirements	Files	Info
Bagatelle Pages 159-163.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	bagatelle.prg Screenshot	Simplified pinball game. Drop a ball from one of nine positions, and score points for each obstacle you hit. You lose points for hitting the sides or bouncing on the bottom. Controls: Enter a drop position (1-9).
Snake Pages 163-166.	Paul Toland	Unexpanded	snake.prg Screenshot	Snake game. Eat the pound signs but beware, if you take too long they turn into poisonous dollar signs. Controls: W (up), X (down), A (left), D (right).
Stars and Stripes Pages 166-168.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	stars stripes.prg Screenshot	Noughts and Crosses game played against the computer. Try to get three in a row. Controls: 1-9 (location of next move).
Draughts Pages 168-173.	Graham Charlton	Unexpanded	draughts.prg Screenshot	Board game (aka checkers). Move diagonally and remove your opponents pieces. Controls: Type the XY coordinates (two letters) for the from & to position of each move.
Simon Pages 173-176.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	simon.prg Screenshot	Simon game. A sequence of numbers are shown on the screen. You must repeat them without making any mistakes. Try to get three in a row. Controls: 1-4 (number shown).
Ecological Disaster Pages 176-178.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	eco disaster.prg Screenshot	Strategy game. You must populate a lake with fish and eels, which are natural enemies. How many weeks will the lake survive? Try to last more than 10 weeks if you can. Controls: Enter the starting number of eels and fish.
Mine-Field Pages 178-181.	Paul Toland	Unexpanded	mine-field.prg Screenshot	Twenty injured men are stranded in the minefield. You must take them one at a time to the hospital (the cross at the top of the screen). Do not touch the mines or electrified fence, and do not overload the wheelchair. Controls: W (up), X (down), A (left), D (right).
Slalom Pages 181-186.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	slalom.prg Screenshot	Downhill skiing game. You gain points for passing through the flags, and lose points for hitting the ice. Dodge the trees and pass through the finish gate. Controls: Z (left), M (right), C (faster), B (slower).
Operation Desperation Pages 186-191.	Tim Hartnell & Mark Ramshaw	Unexpanded	op desperation.prg Screenshot	Blitz game. Your engine has stalled while flying over a large city. You must drop bombs and flatten the buildings to land your plane safely. Controls: F (drop bomb).