Favourite System 80 Games (in order of fondness)
Not quite up to today's X-box standard but these
game were, and still are, fun. All the ones below can be found on the
"Favourites" disk available from the Disk
Image Archive, or downloaded separately in the Cassette
Image Archive.
Along with the below, check out these
screen capture videos! Then consider downloading an emulator to sample
them for yourselves, even if it is just to experience the low-res graphics
and general cheesiness. There is only so much you can do in 16 kilobytes
of RAM after all!
Although the graphics are crude and the sound lame, the
gameplay in some of the TRS-80 (hence System 80) software was excellent.
There wasn't much eye candy to hold people, so the gameplay itself had
to do it.
This is a classic '80 game and my all-time favourite.
The idea is to rescue the little astronauts (block-men) by landing on
the platform while dodging the asteroids. Very addictive.
A simple but very playable early TRS-80
arcade game. The object of the game was to collect power packs while avoiding
or shooting the "slizards", the latter becoming faster as the
game progressed. No built-in sound but the intro. screen on this game
advised the player to place a radio near the computer and so hear the
"sound effects!!!" No wonder the US FCC banned the Model 1!
(the System 80 transmitted very nicely too BTW.)
I LOVED these adventure games. These kept
me up all night and caused heads to turn at restaurants when discussing
with friends what to do with the "camel jerky" or the "starving
rats".
Savage Island was my favourite. Clever,
crafty, well-thought out.
Similar to Penetrator described below
but underwater! There are a few more parameters to consider with this
one though (like oxygen supply). Good fun, and, like penetrator, a reward
at the end.
This basic version of Star Trek (there
were many) was one of the first computer games I acquired. After the initial
wonder of having the computer actually giving me back my own name after
I entered it (I quote.. "Star Trek..the computer game. Starring Terry
as Captain Kirk!") it was on to kill as many klingons as possible.
Simple, clean uncomplicated fun!
This arcade game let you fly above a scrolling
landscape and deliver the final knockout blow with a bomb down a very
narrow (and missable) tube (shades of Star Wars). Good sound effects and
good fun. The arrow keys took a thumping on this one.
The manual can be downloaded
here.
This was a BASIC trading game, where you
could make (and loose) lots of cash (and your head) shipping goods to
various Oriental ports. I enjoyed playing this game. Humour, and elements
of both skill and luck involved.
Another TRS-80 arcade classic. While not
played as much as Meteor Mission, this space invaders derivative was still
a favourite. Came complete with computer synthesized voices.
A pac-man clone. Fast and furious. Another
favourite
Click
here to get the manual.
A machine language chess game from an
Australian author. Different levels could be selected. I could sometimes
beat it at level 1!
I loved the sound effects with this one.
Challenging to play too. A sort of humorous "lunar lander".
Early arcade game with voices and a Star
Wars like beginning. The idea was to shoot the rogue robots.
Ok, but I liked Swamp Wars better.
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