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Personal Computing on the VIC-20 (US)
Commodore International, 1981

Download all programs from this book on one disk:

4 programs

Appendix G: 20 Sound Effects For The VIC-20

Program	Author	Requirements	Files	Info
Sound Effects Pages 135-138.	?	Unexpanded	sound effects.t64 Screenshot	A collection of 20 subroutines to produce the following sound effects: Scales, Computer Mania, Explosion, Bombs Away, Red Alert, Laser Beam, High-Low Siren, Busy Signal, Phone Ringing, Birds Chirping, Wind, Ocean Waves, Vanishing UFO, UFO Landing, UFO Shooting, Wolf Whistle, Running Feet, Tick-Tock, Door Opening, Blips. Controls: None.

Appendix M: VIC Programs To Try

Program	Author	Requirements	Files	Info
Tank-v-Ufo Pages 153-156.	Duane Later	Unexpanded	tank-v-ufo.prg Screenshot	Shoot the UFO with your tank. Controls: Z (left), C (right), B (fire).
Killer Comet Pages 156-157.	Duane Later	Unexpanded	killer comet.prg Screenshot	Destroy the meteor before it hits your moon base. Controls: Any (fire).
Rocket Command Pages 158-159.	Duane Later	Unexpanded	rocket command.prg Screenshot	Launch your rockets at the UFO. Controls: Any (fire).

Notes

Additional information:
1. The VIC-20 manual was mainly written by Michael Tomczyk, Neil Harris and Andy Finkel. They initially started with a translation of the Japanese VIC-1001 manual, and this version was apparently distributed with early orders to some Commodore dealers. Michael Tomczyk asked Neil Harris and Andy Finkel to write an improved manual, working in collaboration with an external company. Duane Later contributed the three type-in games: Tank-v-UFO, Killer Comet, and Rocket Command.
2. Several editions of the manual were released, and little has been documented about the differences between them. For example, Commodore - The Microcomputer Magazine (Oct 1981, p. 6) describes a mistake on page 68 [a program that asks you to enter a voice & pitch, and then plays a tone], which was fixed in subsequent editions. Some editions have slightly different listings for Duane Later's games. For example, lines 134-135 of Tank-v-UFO are different in the 1981 and 1982 (5th edition) versions.
3. Duane Later wrote several programs in the early-mid 1980s including A Flight of Fancy (Commodore Interface, Feb 1981), Chute (Commodore Interface, Feb 1981) and Monster Shootout (Commodore Interface, May 1981) for the Commdore PET; the three games listed above plus Blue Meanies From Outer Space (Commodore, 1981) and Space Math (Commodore, 1981) [co-written with Neil Harris] for the Commodore VIC-20; Fly Wars (Sirius Software, 1982) and Rainbow Zone (High Powered Games, 1982) for the Apple II; Urban Warrior (High Powered Games, 1985) for the Apple Mac. It is difficult to find any further information about Duane Later. When Neil Harris was interviewed for VIC-20 Interview Archive (1997), he said "I haven't heard anything about Duane in years."
There are alternative/modified versions of the following programs:
1. Tank-v-Ufo (p. 153-156) : Tank Attack (Commodore Computing International, Nov 1982), Tank-v-Ufo (VIC Games, 1983), Ufo-Jagd (Happy Computer, Dec 1983), Invasion (Commander, Feb 1984), Save The City! (Big K, Apr 1984).
2. Rocket Command (p. 158-159) : Rocket Command (VIC! Vol 6), UFO Target (Commodore Computing International, Aug 1983), Rocket! (Big K, Apr 1984).

With thanks to DLH's Commodore Archive for making this book available in PDF format.

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VIC-20 Listings <http://www.vic20listings.freeolamail.com/>
Copyright (C) R.M. Smedley 2024, All Rights Reserved.
This page was last updated 10-Feb-2024.