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Computer & Video Games (GB)

Computer & Video Games was a British multi-format magazine published by EMAP. It was the first monthly magazine dedicated to gaming, and it treated games with similar importance to how other magazines treated hardware & technical issues. The magazine was published from Nov 1981 until Oct 2004, then it continued as a website until Feb 2015. During the 1980s it was edited by Terry Pratt (issues 1-27), Tim Metcalfe (issues 28-75), Eugene Lacey (issues 76-91), Graham Taylor (issues 92-93) and Julian Rignall (issues 94-115).

Download all programs from this magazine on two disks:


CAVG1.d64
(1981-83)

CAVG2.d64
(1984-85)

55 programs

Program Author Requirements Files Info
Rainbow Passage

Issue 1 (Nov 1981),
Pages 42-45.
Ivor Stones Unexpanded rainbow passage.prg
Screenshot
Board game. Try to move one of your diamonds to the top of the screen before the computer moves one of its pieces to the bottom. Move your pieces forward either vertically or diagonally. Each player can only move onto squares that are the same colour as those that your opponent is on.

Controls:
Enter the YX coordinates of the piece that you want to move (row followed by column).
Pot Shot

Issue 2 (Dec 1981),
Pages 46-49.
Ivor Stones Unexpanded pot shot.prg
Screenshot
Shoot the beer glasses as they fall off the end of the bar. If you shoot all six glasses then you must hit the handle in subsequent rounds.

Controls:
Space (fire).
Sub Attack

Issue 6 (Apr 1982),
Pages 54-55.
Stuart Hall Unexpanded sub attack.prg
Screenshot
Use your submarine to shoot as many enemy ships as possible within one minute.

Controls:
I (left), P (right), O (fire).
Minotaur

Issue 7 (May 1982),
Pages 62-63.
Mats Oehrman Unexpanded minotaur.prg
Screenshot
Cross a random maze to reach the exit in the bottom-right corner in the shortest possible time.

Controls:
N (left), M (right), J (up), Space (down).
Speedboat

Issue 8 (Jun 1982),
Pages 46-49.
Steven Holliday Unexpanded speedboat.prg
Screenshot
Vertically scrolling boat race. Travel as far down river as you can but don't hit any of the logs. The further you travel, the more narrow the river becomes.

Controls:
Crsr-Down (left), Crsr-Right (right).
Moonshuttle

Issue 9 (Jul 1982),
Pages 54-56.
P.A. Roberts Unexpanded moonshuttle.t64
Screenshot
Lunar Lander game. You must land your ship safely on one of the landing pads. Watch your fuel and don't hit any asteroids.

Controls:
Press any key to launch your ship, then use H (left), J (right), U (up), N (down).
Rocks

Issue 10 (Aug 1982),
Pages 54-55.
Andrew Stanford 3K expansion rocks 3k.prg
Screenshot
Asteroids game. Shoot the rocks but don't let any of them hit you.

Controls:
1 (turn left), 2 (turn right), 8 (move left), 9 (move right), 0 (fire), Space (hyperspace).
Pacman
(Mini-Pack)

Issue 11 (Sep 1982),
Pages 54-55.
David Mack Unexpanded pacman.prg
Screenshot
Pac-Man game. Eat the dots while avoiding the ghost.

Controls:
2 (left), 4 (right), 6 (up), 8 (down).
Brick Blaster

Issue 12 (Oct 1982),
Pages 54-55.
Shaun Southern Unexpanded brick blaster.prg
Screenshot
Drop bombs to demolish the wall that is being built up from the bottom of the screen.

Controls:
F7 (drop bomb).
The Croydon Blag
(Catch the Goods)

Issue 13 (Nov 1982),
Pages 40-43.
Howard Evans Unexpanded croydon blag.prg
Screenshot
You are a bank robber. First catch the money in your van, then you must guess the correct letter (A-Z) to avoid being captured by the police helicopter.

Controls:
Z (left), M (right).
Dogfight

Issue 14 (Dec 1982),
Pages 62-63.
Richard Barton Super Expander+3K dogfight se3k.prg
Screenshot
Shoot as many aircraft as you can in two minutes.

Controls:
Joystick.
Nibblers

Issue 15 (Jan 1983),
Pages 38-41.
Dave Shambrook Unexpanded nibblers.prg
Screenshot
Stop the Nibblers from destroying your dam by launching your ships and dropping bombs on them. A sequel Super Nibblers was published in Issue 22 (Aug 1983).

Controls:
Space (press once to launch, and a second time to drop your bomb).
Fruit Machine

Issue 16 (Feb 1983),
Pages 62-65.
Richard Leyshon Unexpanded fruit machine.prg
Screenshot
Fruit machine game. How much money can you win?

Controls:
I (insert coin), 1-3 (hold reels, if available), F1 (spin reels), F7 (show how much you've won or lost).
Reaction

Issue 16 (Feb 1983),
Book of Games 1 supplement,
Pages 8-9.
J Stanton & J Wilkinson Unexpanded reaction.prg
Screenshot
Test your reaction time by pressing Space as quickly as possible when the dot appears.

Controls:
Space.
Red Alert

Issue 16 (Feb 1983),
Book of Games 1 supplement,
Pages 13-14.
Issue 17 (Mar 1983),
Page 11.
Simon Parker Unexpanded red alert.prg
Screenshot
Scramble game. Fly through the cavern shooting ships and bombing fuel dumps.

Controls:
Joystick or keys P (left), * (right), @ (up), ; (down), Shift (drop bomb), Shift+* (fire missile).
Alpha Attack

Issue 16 (Feb 1983),
Book of Games 1 supplement,
Page 41.
Alex Kiernan Unexpanded alpha attack.prg
Screenshot
Space Invaders game. Shoot the aliens with your base, which has a rotating turret.

Controls:
Z (left), X (right), , (rotate left), . (rotate right), Space (fire).
Logger

Issue 18 (Apr 1983),
Pages 64-67.
Brian Jaikens 3K expansion logger 3k.t64
Screenshot
Donkey Kong platform game with 2 screens. Jump over logs and climb ladders to capture the bird.

Controls:
Z (left), C (right), D (climb ladder), Space (jump).
Doctor Vic

Issue 19 (May 1983),
Pages 48-49.
L Brain Unexpanded doctor vic.prg
Screenshot
Eliza/Smalltalk program. Tell the computer about your problems.

Controls:
Type away!
Protector

Issue 20 (Jun 1983),
Pages 48-51.
L Braine Unexpanded protector.t64
Screenshot
Defender game with a horizontally-scrolling background. Shoot as many aliens as you can in two minutes.

Controls:
Joystick.
Space Dodge

Issue 21 (Jul 1983),
Pages 70-71.
Alan Hall Unexpanded space dodge.prg
Screenshot
Collect as many items as you can and return to your mothership (H) within 35 seconds. Don't hit any of the asteroids (*).

Controls:
Cursor keys (up, down, left, right), A (up-left), S (up-right), Z (down-left), X (down-right), = (hyperspace), Space (smart bomb).
Ghost Trap

Issue 21 (Jul 1983),
Pages 102-103.
Marc Dawson [Marc Wilding] Unexpanded ghost trap.prg
Screenshot
Lure the ghosts into one of the deadly laser traps. Do not touch the traps or ghosts.

Controls:
Z (left), X (right), F1 (up), F3 (down).
Brick-up

Issue 22 (Aug 1983),
Pages 36-37.
Issue 24 (Oct 1983),
Page 123.
Philip Smith Unexpanded brick-up.t64
Screenshot
Capture the alien by pushing the bricks to build a wall that will enclose him.

Controls:
L (left), ; (right), P (up), . (down).
Super Nibblers
(Nibblers Two)

Issue 22 (Aug 1983),
Pages 76-77.
Paul Jay Unexpanded super nibblers.t64
Screenshot
The Nibblers have returned and are attacking your tower from both sides. Stop them by launching your ships and dropping bombs on them. This is the sequel to Nibblers (Issue 15, Jan 1983).

Controls:
Left-arrow (hold to launch left ship, release to fire), F1 (hold to launch right ship, release to fire).
Vic Quest

Issue 23 (Sep 1983),
Pages 84-91.
Steven Lawson Unexpanded vic quest.t64
Screenshot
Vertically scrolling space game with 5 stages. Fly through the tunnels avoiding bombs and other obstacles.

Controls:
Z (left), / (right).
Crash or Crush

Issue 24 (Oct 1983),
Pages 88-90.
Mike Singleton Unexpanded crash or crush.prg
Screenshot
Vertically scrolling space game in 3D, requiring coloured glasses. Use your crusher to capture the triangular ships while dodging the asteroids.

Controls:
Z (left), X (right), ; (in), / (out).
Dodgem

Issue 25 (Nov 1983),
Pages 82-85.
M D Townend Unexpanded dodgem.prg
Screenshot
Drive your car around the roads collecting the dots, but don't hit the other car.

Controls:
A (left), S (right), W (up), Z (down).
Wild West

Issue 26 (Dec 1983),
Pages 162-165.
Stephen Langstaff Super Expander+3K wild west se3k.prg
Screenshot
As the Sheriff you must collect the gold while shooting the Neemees.

Controls:
Joystick.
Pirates & Polyps

Issue 26 (Dec 1983),
Yearbook 1984 supplement,
Pages 52-63
Paul Jay Unexpanded pirates polyps.t64
Screenshot
Use your laser sights to protect the sun polyps from the pirate ships that are trying to steal them.

Controls:
Joystick.
Tracker

Issue 26 (Dec 1983),
Yearbook 1984 supplement,
Pages 112-113.
Richard Barton Unexpanded tracker.prg
Screenshot
Enter a route to direct your tracking robot to the fugitive android, using no more than 18 steps. The slightest mistake will allow the fugitive to escape.

Controls:
L (left), R (right), U (up), D (down).
Turnip Turmoil

Issue 27 (Jan 1984),
Pages 96-97.
Cliff Ashford Unexpanded turnip turmoil.t64
Screenshot
Snake game. Move around the garden eating fruit while avoiding your own tail. Be careful what you eat because some objects make you discard part of your tail, and if the snake gets too short it could have fatal consequences.

Controls:
H (left), J (right), U (up), N (down).
Skier

Issue 28 (Feb 1984),
Pages 112-113.
Mark Vasey Unexpanded skier.prg
Screenshot
Vertically scrolling ski race. Ski as far as you can down the track dodging the trees, spectators and dead skiers. Night falls after 200 metres.

Controls:
Z (left), C (right).
Zombies

Issue 28 (Feb 1984),
Book of Games 2 supplement,
Pages 24-25.
Macer Gifford Unexpanded zombies.prg
Screenshot
Dodge the zombies and lure them into the pits.

Controls:
A (left), D (right), W (up), X (down), Q,E,Z,C (diagonal).
Wumpus Hunt

Issue 28 (Feb 1984),
Book of Games 2 supplement,
Pages 37-42.
Philip Botting 16K expansion wumpus hunt 16k.prg
Screenshot
Text adventure. Explore the maze collecting gold, bows and arrows as you hunt the wumpus, but don't fall into any slime pits.

Controls:
N,S,W,E (move), P (pick up), O (depart through entrance), FN,FS,FW,FE (fire arrow in the chosen direction), H (show map), Q (quit), G (show score).
Minefield

Issue 30 (Apr 1984),
Pages 68-73.
Steven Birch Unexpanded minefield.t64
Screenshot
As the last surviving tank commander it is up to you to halt the enemy invasion. Shoot as many enemy vehicles as you can but don't hit any of the oncoming mines.

Controls:
< (left), > (right), Space (fire).
Krazy Kong

Issue 31 (May 1984),
Pages 88-92.
Keith Priestly 8K expansion krazy kong 8k.prg
Screenshot
Donkey Kong platform game with 4 screens. Leap over barrels and climb ladders to rescue your girlfriend.

Controls:
: (left), = (right), @ (up), / (down), A (jump).
Galactic Space Academy

Issue 32 (Jun 1984),
Pages 68-73.
Mark Manns 3K expansion gal spc acad 3k.t64
Screenshot
First person space shooter. Shoot the alien ships and dodge the asteroids as you try to reach and destroy the alien space station.

Controls:
Joystick with F1 (shield up), Left-arrow (shield down).
Heli-Bomber

Issue 33 (Jul 1984),
Book of Games 3 supplement,
Pages 32-33.
Wayne Lloyd Unexpanded heli-bomber.t64
Screenshot
Blitz game. Bomb all the buildings to clear a runway so you can land your helicopter.

Controls:
Space (drop bomb).
Rox 20

Issue 33 (Jul 1984),
Book of Games 3 supplement,
Pages 42-44.
Paul Kehoe 3K expansion rox20 3k.t64
Screenshot
Shoot the asteroids before they destroy your ship.

Controls:
Joystick.
Tunnel Snatch

Issue 34 (Aug 1984),
Pages 80-81.
Martin Holland Unexpanded tunnel snatch.t64
Screenshot
Collect as many spanners as you can and return to the exit before you run out of time. Do not let the Woodle catch you.

Controls:
< (left), > (right), A (up), Z (down).
Killer Kong

Issue 35 (Sep 1984),
Pages 66-68.
Mark Phillips Unexpanded killer kong.t64
Screenshot
Donkey Kong platform game. Climb the ladders and dodge the barrels to rescue your girlfriend.

Controls:
Z (left), X (right), F1 (up/jump).
Trailer

Issue 35 (Sep 1984),
Pages 74-75.
Michael Booth Unexpanded trailer.t64
Screenshot
Tron game. Collect as many items as you can without touching your own trail.

Controls:
L (left), ; (right), P (up), . (down).
Bouncer Bert

Issue 36 (Oct 1984),
Pages 77-79.
David Bruce Unexpanded bouncer bert.prg
Screenshot
Guide your kangeroo home by jumping through gaps in the constantly-moving trees.

Controls:
H (left), K (right), U (up), A (restart).
Ghosty

Issue 38 (Dec 1984),
Pages 158-160.
Issue 39 (Jan 1985),
Page 157.
? Unexpanded ghosty.prg
Screenshot
Platform game. Avoid the ghosts and navigate through the moving platforms and other hazards to reach the top of the screen.

Controls:
< (left), > (right), X (jump left), C (jump right).
Hunchback

Issue 39 (Jan 1985),
Pages 86-88.
Issue 42 (Apr 1985),
Page 108.
Carl Ball 3K expansion hunchback 3k.prg
Screenshot
Hunchback/Quasimodo game with 3 screens. Dodge arrows and leap over pits to rescue the damsel.

Controls:
X (move right), Z (jump up), . (jump right).
Diver

Issue 40 (Feb 1985),
Book of Games 4 supplement,
Pages 12-13, 39.
Fergal McGirl Unexpanded diver.t64
Screenshot
Collect all the gold from the sea bed and return to your boat, while avoiding the jelly fish.

Controls:
L (left), ; (right), P (up), . (down), D (dive from boat).
Planet Lander

Issue 40 (Feb 1985),
Book of Games 4 supplement,
Pages 14-17.
Issue 41 (Mar 1985),
Page 57.
Andy Roden & Dave Mason Unexpanded planet lander.t64
Screenshot
Land your rocket on the pad so you can refuel and fly to the next planet. Do not hit the stars.

Controls:
Left Arrow (left), 1 (right), F1 (thrust).
Cosmic Pyramid

Issue 40 (Feb 1985),
Book of Games 4 supplement,
Pages 39-41.
Issue 41 (Mar 1985),
Page 57.
Paul Gill Unexpanded cosmic pyramid.prg
Screenshot
Tower of Hanoi puzzle. Stack all the disks, in order, on column 'C'.

Controls:
A,B,C (column to move from/to).
Hero

Issue 41 (Mar 1985),
Pages 65-68.
Issue 44 (Jun 1985),
Page 104.
Paul Gill 8K expansion hero 8k.d64
Screenshot
Hunchback/Quasimodo game with 10 screens. Dodge barrels & spears and leap over pits to rescue the damsel.

Controls:
Z (left), C (right), / (jump).
Starship Victory

Issue 42 (Apr 1985),
Pages 44-45.
Stuart Hanscombe Unexpanded starship victry.t64
Screenshot
Destroy the battlestars but watch out for the enemy ships.

Controls:
< (rotate left), > (rotate right), : (fire), P (thrust), + (hyperspace).
Vic/64 Proofreader

Issue 42 (Apr 1985),
Page 108.
? Unexpanded proofreader.prg
Screenshot
Utility to help find typing errors when entering program listings. A checksum is displayed on the screen each time you enter a BASIC line.

Controls:
None.
Defender

Issue 43 (May 1985),
Pages 90-91.
Shaun Mullins Unexpanded defender.prg
Screenshot
Galaxians game. Shoot the aliens before they land at the bottom of the screen.

Controls:
X (left), V (right), N (fire).
Breakout

Issue 45 (Jul 1985),
Book of Games supplement 5,
Pages 10-11.
Mark Gannon Unexpanded breakout.t64
Screenshot
Breakout game. Destroy all the bricks with your bat-and-ball.

Controls:
, (left), / (right), Shift-Lock (pause).
Timebomb

Issue 45 (Jul 1985),
Book of Games supplement 5,
Pages 20-21.
Kieran O'Donnell Unexpanded timebomb.t64
Screenshot
Gridtrap game. Defuse all the bombs with your pliers before you run out of time. Do not cross your path.

Controls:
F (left), G (right), T (up), V (down).
Dare Devil

Issue 46 (Aug 1985),
Pages 74-75.
Martin Howse Unexpanded dare devil.prg
Screenshot
As a motorcycle stunt rider you must adjust your speed to jump safely over the cars. Do not overshoot the landing ramp.

Controls:
F3 (accelerate), F1 (decelerate).
Truckie

Issue 50 (Dec 1985),
Pages 80-82.
Andrew Philpott Unexpanded truckie.t64
Screenshot
Vertically scrolling car race. Drive your lorry as far as you can down the road, but don't hit any lamp posts or pillar boxes.

Controls:
Z (left), C (right), Space (pause), Return (quit).

Notes

  1. The following programs are missing from this magazine: Salvage One by Mark Manns (Yearbook 1985) [incomplete listing]. If anyone has a working copy then please contact me.
  2. Flexidisc records were included with the following issues:
  3. A modified version of Rainbow Passage (81-11) appears to have been published as Regenbogen (Happy Computer, 83-12).
  4. A modified version of Pot Shot (81-12) appears to have been published as Bar Shooting (Big K, 84-12).
  5. A modified version of Sub Attack (82-04) appears to have beeen published as UFO Attack (Popular Computing Weekly, 84-11-22), with different graphics.
  6. A modified version of Minotaur (82-05) appears to have been published as Minotaur (Your Computer, 83-02).
  7. A slightly different version of Moonshuttle (82-07) was published in Space Adventures for the VIC 20.
  8. A slightly different version of Rocks (82-08) was published as Meteor Shower (Space Adventures for the VIC 20).
  9. Modified versions of Pacman (82-09) appear to have been published as Dot Muncher (VIC Games), Ghostie (Commodore Horizons, 84-05), Fruitbusters! (Big K, 85-02), and Szellemkerülő (Bitvadász, 86-01).
  10. Nibblers (83-01) was originally written by Paul Jay for the Commodore PET (C+VG, 81-11) and won their Games Program of the Year competition (C+VG, 82-12). Dave Shambrook wrote the VIC-20 version that appeared in both Your Computer (82-09) and C+VG (83-01). Paul Jay published a letter in Vic Computing (83-06) where he explained how much effort it had taken to design the game; his sequel Super Nibblers was published in C+VG (83-08).
  11. A slightly different version of Red Alert (83-02) was published in Space Adventures for the VIC 20.
  12. Alpha Attack (83-02) was also published in Pixel (83-10). A slightly different version was published as Invasion (Space Adventures for the VIC 20).
  13. A slightly different version of Protector (83-06) was published in Space Adventures for the VIC 20.
  14. Marc Wilding talks about Ghost Trap (83-07) and his other games in The Story of the Commodore 64 in Pixels by Chris Wilkins, published by Fusion Retro Books.
  15. A modified version of Super Nibblers (83-08) appears to have been published as Nager (Homecomputer, 84-02).
  16. A modified version of VIC Quest (83-09) appears to have been published as Quest (CPU, 84-01).
  17. Vic/64 Proofreader (85-04) appears to be a slightly modified version of The Automatic Proofreader (Compute!'s Second Book of VIC Games).
  18. Breakout (85-07) appears to be a modified version of Breakout (Games For Your VIC20).
  19. Truckie (85-12) appears to be a modified version of Skier (Computer & Video Games, 84-02), with different graphics and other changes.

With thanks to Internet Archive for scanning this magazine.

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