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Datamost Games
Datamost was a computer book publisher and computer game company founded by David Gordon and based in Chatsworth, California. Datamost operated in the early 1980s producing games and other software mainly for the Apple II, Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit family, with some for the IBM PC. It also published educational and reference materials related to computers and computer programming Computer programming is the process of performing a particular computation (or more generally, accomplishing a specific computing result), usually by designing and building an executable computer program. Programming involves tasks such as ana .... Software Publications * ''How to Program the Apple II Using 6502 Assembly Language'' (1981Using 6502 Assembly Language by Randy Hyde , PDFby Randy Hyde * ''The Elementary Commodore-64'' (1982) by William B. Sanders, Ph.D. * ''How to Write an Apple Program'' (1982) by Ed Faulk * ''Designing Apple Games with Pizazz'' (1983) by Greg Minter and Joh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
West Coast Computer Faire
The West Coast Computer Faire was an annual computer industry conference and exposition most often associated with San Francisco, its first and most frequent venue. The first fair was held in 1977 and was organized by Jim Warren (computer specialist), Jim Warren and Bob Reiling. At the time, it was the biggest computer show in the world, intended to popularize the personal computer in the home. The West Coast PC Faire was formed to provide a more specialized show. However, Apple Inc. stopped exhibiting at the West Coast Computer Faire, refusing to exhibit at any show other than COMDEX that also had PC-based exhibits. In 1983, Warren sold the rights to the Faire for US$3 million to Prentice Hall, who later sold it to Sheldon Adelson, the owner of Interface Group and COMDEX. In total, sixteen shows were held, with the last in 1991. After Warren sold the show, it had a few more good years, and then declined rapidly. History The first fair took place on April 16–17, 1977, in San ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Money Munchers
''Money Munchers'' (appearing on the title screen as ''Money Muncher'') is an Apple II maze game published by Datamost in 1982. It was written by Bob Bishop after he retired from Apple Computer in 1981. Gameplay In ''Money Munchers'', the player guides a small figure through a randomly generated maze, picking up the dollar signs and avoiding the deadly "Money Munchers": creatures that attempt devour the money before you can collect it. The goal is to clear each level of money to advance to the next. The second level adds deadly spiders, while the third adds snakes. Reception ''Creative Computing ''Creative Computing'' was one of the earliest magazines covering the microcomputer revolution. Published from October 1974 until December 1985, the magazine covered the spectrum of hobbyist/home/personal computing in a more accessible format th ...'' wrote, "When we first got ''Money munchers'', some of us were heard to mutter, 'Not another maze game.' When the mutterers went away, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monster Smash
''Monster Smash'' (stylized in-game as ''Monster Smash!'') is an action game written by Dave Eisler and published by Datamost in 1983 for the Apple II and Atari 8-bit family. A Commodore 64 port followed in 1984. The Atari version features music written by Gary Gilbertson that was praised by reviewers. An earlier version of the game was published by The Software Farm in 1982 as ''Monster Mash''. Gameplay The aim of ''Monster Smash'' is to capture all the monsters that are roaming around a local graveyard. The player must trap the monsters by opening and closing various gates and then smash them using the gravestones. If any monster reaches the right side of the screen it escapes, and if the player lets too many of them escape, as shown by a meter, the game ends. Once a certain number of monsters have been captured the player moves to the next level. In higher levels human visitors are introduced and the player must allow them to safely pass through a graveyard, while busy smash ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cosmic Tunnels
''Cosmic Tunnels'' is a space-themed action game written by Tim Ferris and published by Datamost in 1983 for the Atari 8-bit family and in 1984 for the Commodore 64. Datamost also sold the game with '' Cohen's Towers'' as a "twin pack". It was re-released in 1986 by Databyte in the United Kingdom. Gameplay The object of the game is to collect energy bars from four different asteroids. To do this the player needs to complete four different stages. The first stage expects the player to maneuver his spacecraft from its home base to one of the four gates at the top of the screen, while avoiding falling meteors. Once through the gate, the ship enters a space warp, where the player is confronted with mines that must be shot, or they will drain the ship's energy. This stage of the game lasts 25 seconds, with the mines progressively moving faster. After leaving the tunnel, the player must successfully land on the asteroid's landing platform, while avoiding missiles fired by the enemy b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Conquering Worlds
''Conquering Worlds'' is a 1983 video game published by Datamost. Gameplay ''Conquering Worlds'' is a game in which the player is the Supreme Commander who takes control of enemy planets in the star system. Reception James A. McPherson reviewed the game for ''Computer Gaming World'', and stated that "The scenario for ''Conquering Worlds'' is not new, and only slightly different in overall concept from other games. It is similar to ''Galactic Attack'' and ''Titan Empire''. If you own either of the two games, you will find ''Conquering Worlds'' to be similar." References {{reflist External linksReviewin ''Softalk''1984 Software Encyclopediafrom ''Electronic Games''Reviewin ''Electronic Fun with Computers & Games ''Electronic Fun with Computers & Games'' was a video game magazine published in the United States from November 1982 to May 1984. For the last two issues it was renamed ''ComputerFun''. Content The magazine was split up into the following sect ...'' 1983 video ga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cohen's Towers
''Cohen's Towers'' is a platform game written by Frank Cohen and released by Datamost in 1983 for the Atari 8-bit family, Atari 8-bit and Commodore 64 home computers. It was re-released in 1986 by Databyte in the United Kingdom. Gameplay In ''Cohen's Towers'' the player plays the part of Allen, starting his new job as a mail boy. He has to collect mail parcels one at the time from different floors and deliver them to any of the three available 'mail drops'. To move up and down between the floors the player can use different elevators, but if he stays on one for too long a falling plant pot will knock him off. The player's work is also hindered by a dog pursuing him on most of the floors, or a sleepwalker. Once the player collected and deposited all the parcels in the building, the Boss shows up and takes him to the next one. There are three different buildings in the game – Fanda, Datamost, and Cohen's Tower – each one harder to complete. Music The game's music is one of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cavern Creatures
''Cavern Creatures'' is a vertically scrolling shooter for the Apple II, written by Paul Lowrance and published by Datamost in 1983. The title screen is by Art Huff. The game is similar to ''Caverns of Mars'' for the Atari 8-bit family. Description The player controls a small craft, navigating it through a series of winding caverns and tunnels while shooting or avoiding obstacles. The caverns scroll from the bottom of the screen to the top at a fixed speed, so the player must always move forward. The obstacles filling the tunnels are mostly the eponymous "creatures" and appear as simple icons like smiley faces, floppy diskettes, birds, eyes, apples, bunches of grapes, ''Pac-Man'' ghosts, baseball hats, turrets, etc. Many of these objects are animated, but they do not actually move about. The player's craft fires bolts of energy simultaneously in three directions (left, right and forward) that destroy the creatures but consume the ship's energy, tracked by a green bar at the b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anteater (video Game)
''Anteater'' (''The Anteater'' in Britain, ''Ameisenbär'' in Germany) is an arcade video game designed by Chris Oberth and released in 1982 by Tago Electronics. The player steers the tongue of the eponymous creature through a maze, retracting it when dangers approach. Though the arcade game was not a hit, it spawned a number of direct clones for home computers; Sierra's '' Oils Well'' became better known than the original. Oberth wrote an Apple II version of his own game for Datamost using a different title. Gameplay left, Arcade gameplay The player controls an anteater that elongates its tongue through a maze-like ant colony in search of ants. Only the tip of the tongue can eat an ant. If an ant touches any other part of the tongue, then the player loses a life. Pressing the second button quickly retracts the anteater's tongue. Worms can only be eaten from behind. Eating queen ants at the very bottom of the nest temporarily removes all ants and worms from the screen. Once the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
WizPlus
''Wizardry'' is a series of role-playing video games, developed by Sir-Tech, that were highly influential in the evolution of modern role-playing video games. The original ''Wizardry'' was a significant influence on early console role-playing games such as ''Final Fantasy'' and ''Dragon Quest''. Originally made for the Apple II, the games were later ported to other platforms. The last game in the original series by Sir-Tech was ''Wizardry 8'', released in 2001. There have since been various spin-off titles developed for the Japanese market. Development ''Wizardry'' began as a simple dungeon crawl by Andrew C. Greenberg and Robert Woodhead. It was written when they were students at Cornell University and published by Sir-Tech. The game was influenced by earlier games from the PLATO system, most notably ''Oubliette''. The earliest installments of ''Wizardry'' were very successful, as they were the first graphically-rich incarnations of ''Dungeons & Dragons''-type gameplay for ho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tubeway
''Tubeway'' (also known as ''Tubeway ] ') is game for the Apple II series, Apple II programmed by David Arthur Van Brink and published by thumb.html" ;"title="image:Tubeway.png.html" ;"title="Tempest_(video_game).html" "title="Datamost in 1983. It is similar to the 1981 Atari arcade game ''Tempest''. _Gameplay image:Tubeway.png">thumb">The_third_level ''Tubeway''_is_a_tube_shooter_in_which_the_player_uses_paddle_(game_controller).html" "title="Tempest (video game)">Tempest''. Gameplay image:Tubeway.png">thumb">The third level ''Tubeway'' is a tube shooter in which the player uses paddle (game controller)">paddles to move a small white crosshair around the top of a "tube" or wall while firing down at the computer-controlled opponents attempting to scale their way up it. The opponents, known as the Tubeway Army (one of several references to Gary Numan in the game), consist of triangular green ''homers'' (100 points) and triangular blue ''seekers'' (200 points), both of which c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tharolian Tunnels
''Tharolian Tunnels'' is a fixed shooter for the Apple II family of computers programmed by Rod Nelsen and published by Datamost in 1982. The game is similar to ''Space Invaders''. Premise ''Softdisk'' magazine, issue 76, gives this brief description of game's premise: "Free the planet Tharolia from rule by maniacal machines." Similar in style to ''Space Invaders'' and Datamost's ''Cavern Creatures ''Cavern Creatures'' is a vertically scrolling shooter for the Apple II, written by Paul Lowrance and published by Datamost in 1983. The title screen is by Art Huff. The game is similar to ''Caverns of Mars'' for the Atari 8-bit family. Descripti ...'', the game puts you in control of a single armed spacecraft pitted against numerous waves of attacking aliens. Gameplay The player first selects from three levels of difficulty—1) Pilot, 2) Captain, or 3) Commander—and then faces the first challenge, an attack by a slowly descending formation of aliens. This level closely paral ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Swashbuckler (video Game)
''Swashbuckler'' is a fighting game created by Paul Stephenson for the Apple II and published by Datamost in 1982. The player controls a sword-wielding swashbuckler who must fight and dispatch various attackers. Combat occurs in a wooden-beamed ship's hold littered with skeletons and cobwebs, which the player views from the side. The game was translated into Bulgarian under the name "Авантюрист" (Adventurer). Gameplay The fighter's actions are controlled with the keyboard, and include moving left or right (A and D), turning (S) and swinging the sword high (I), low (M), or lunging straight (L). The first opponent is a large, lumbering man with a spiked club; once defeated, the second opponent appears, a smaller man armed with a hatchet and a dagger. After defeating him, both return and attack together. As play progresses, more opponents are added to the fray, including enormous rats and venomous snakes. Eventually the swashbuckler progresses out of the hold to the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
