MRM Software "archive"

[sa_scott]

"BACKUP COPYS!"

Backups of a possibly MIA game that seems to have been intended for publication in Let's Compute magazine.


BACKB.SSD



1.png


IMG_0337.jpg

That screenshot is very similar to this game Happy Puppy - http://bbcmicro.co.uk//game.php?id=1163

In any case, some of this looks like the game creating series which did feature in the first 4 issues of Let's Compute!

This is quite possibly the disc containing all the code necessary to cover the whole series.

For reference, you can find those first 4 issues, along with all the others, right here - http://8bs.com/letscomputemag.htm

[lurkio]

That screenshot is very similar to this game Happy Puppy - http://bbcmicro.co.uk//game.php?id=1163

Well spotted! The two BASIC programs look quite similar too.

[lurkio]

"DUCKIT"/"BANDIT"

A one-armed bandit (fruit machine / slot machine) program, and some weird animations.

DUCK.SSD

(200 KiB) Downloaded 64 times

[lurkio]

"SPARE/CLOCK"

A (test?) program that looks like Roobix Timepiece, a copy of Starspell, and other graphics/games test programs.

CLOCK.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 69 times

[Pernod]

I haven't really delved into this collection yet but there are certainly some nice finds and oddities amongst them

I've seen Let's Compute! being mentioned a few times now, do we know what the connection is with MRM?

[lurkio]

A different version of the Let's Compute game-writing article series disc (earlier) -- including the in-magazine game, the one-armed bandit program, etc.

GAME4A.SSD

(200 KiB) Downloaded 70 times

[lurkio]

I've seen Let's Compute! being mentioned a few times now, do we know what the connection is with MRM?

The link is Mike Goldberg:

Looks like it's [head of MRM] Mike Goldberg's development disc for his series of articles on writing games in Let's Compute magazine.

[lurkio]

"MODE 5 Definers"

Sprite designers, and misc. game development programs.

DEFS.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 61 times

[lurkio]

CLOCK2

Another program/demo that looks like Roobix Timepiece. Plus a copy of the QUEST database program from AUCBE.


[Disc-image removed, pending review of possible personal data.]

[lurkio]

"CLOCK" again.

More files for the game that looks like Roobix Timepiece.

CLOCK3.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 61 times

[lurkio]

"BANJO".

A program for writing the score for banjo music, plus some music data files, and misc. graphics programs.

BANJO.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 56 times

[lurkio]

Half-finished hangman game programs:

HANG.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 54 times

Some very rude one-armed bandit (slot machine / fruit machine) programs (NOT SAFE FOR WORK!):

REELS.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 77 times

[lurkio]

"Successul scrolling".

Graphics test programs.

SCROLL.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 54 times

[lurkio]

More graphics tests and sort-of demos:

FISH.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 51 times

LEAX.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 50 times

Animations, some rude (NOT SAFE FOR WORK!):

COR.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 59 times

[lurkio]

"5ALIVE / SKULLS / BIRDBASHER"

"MIKES WHY DO I DO IT GAMES 88", containing versions of 5 Alive and Skulls and several versions of Birdbasher.

5ALIVE.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 63 times

[lurkio]

Game development test files:

GARAGE.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 59 times

PUSECAT.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 52 times

5 Alive game research programs:

5ALIVER.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 52 times

[lurkio]

"FLYZ / AUTOFLY / TETRIS"

Game test programs.

AUTOFLY.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 60 times

[lurkio]

"MODE 5 DISC"

Graphics test/development programs.

MODE5.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 38 times

[lurkio]

"PIRATE1"

A game, Roadsweepers; a version of Pirate's Gold; and a Blockbusters framework (without question data).

PIRATE1.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 61 times

[lurkio]

"ARTIST / XWORD 2 / MEERY CHRITMAS"

Art/drawing program, car racetrack test, crossword creator, Christmas animation, and some sort of disc sector patcher.

ARTIST.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 56 times

[lurkio]

"KNIT2 / DICK2 / BOXGAME"

A knitting pattern program, the inevitable NSFW animation (NOT SAFE FOR WORK!), and a possibly unfinished game.

KNIT2.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 53 times

[lurkio]

"TETRIS / FIT-EM-IN / DAN10 / KEY MAN"

Tetris, an "ELITE FILE", and a version of Key Man.

TETRIS.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 51 times

[lurkio]

"Fill routine / PUSSYCAT"

A shape colour-fill program, a bee cartoon, a diary of sorts, and a cat game.

PUSS.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 52 times

[lurkio]

"CAR RACE (TOM!) / SEA-WOLF / SCRABBLE SCORE"

A car racing game, a version of Sea Wolf, and a Scrabble scoring program.

CARRACE.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 48 times

[lurkio]

"C2DATA / 3DI / BIRDBASHER"

Another car game, an army shooter game, and two versions of Birdbasher.

C2DATA.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 52 times

[lurkio]

"KEY MAN / SUMS / IDEA / FASTDEF / AUTOFLY"

Versions of Keyman; a simple maths test program; and various graphics tests.

KEYMAN.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 53 times

[lurkio]

"IMAGE MASTER FILE / + Buggles / + FRENCH / + FLASH"

IMAGEfile database, a copy of what might be French Mistress, and yet another dodgy animation (NOT SAFE FOR WORK!).

IMGMAST.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 57 times

[lurkio]

"TOM / BLOON / QUEENS / GRIM REAPER / WORD-GENERATOR"

Hot-air balloon animation, "TOM", Queens on a chessboard, grim reaper picture, song lyric generator.

BLOON.SSD

(100 KiB) Downloaded 66 times

[scarybeasts]

"TOM / BLOON / QUEENS / GRIM REAPER / WORD-GENERATOR"

Hot-air balloon animation, "TOM", Queens on a chessboard, grim reaper picture, song lyric generator.

This is some pretty awesome digital archaeology going on lurkio!!

[lurkio]

This is some pretty awesome digital archaeology going on lurkio!!

Thanks! I’m lucky and amazed that these discs haven’t been too tricky to archive (though I’ve already had to clean the disc drive heads a couple of times). But there are some other discs that I’ve just had to skip over because they’re too damaged: e.g. one of them is totally stuck and won’t even rotate inside its jacket at all — not even a tiny bit! These awkward customers may well be winging their way to you or Phil or someone, eventually..?!

But yes, it’s been a fascinating (and sometimes faintly alarming) voyage of discovery so far. And there’s more to come…

Btw, re the dodgy and unpredictable 40/80 switch on my disc drive, I’ve found that if I first toggle the switch to 40T and then do a *AFORM 40 0 (with the ADT ROM) when there isn’t a disc in the drive, it seems to “kick” the drive into 40T mode for some reason!