BladeWare Magazine #1

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	     ║ ── │          January 1996           │ v │ ^ ║
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	     ║      ┌──┐  ┌──┐      ┌──┐                    ║
	     ║      │   \ │  │      │  │       The Year of  ║
	     ║      │    \│  │      │  │        MEGAZEUX!   ║
	     ║      │  │\    │      │  │                    ║
	     ║      │  │ \   │ ┌─┐  │  └────┐ ┌─┐           ║
	     ║      └──┘  └──┘ └─┘  └───────┘ └─┘           ║
	     ║     ────────────────────────────────         ║
	     ║                                              ║
	     ║        Volume 3 "Stylin' Profilin"           ║
	     ║                                              ║
	     ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝


ZZT-MZX Newsletter                       Issue 2 (The Unvailing Issue)

Head Of Staff:  E. CyberBRO

THE STAFF: ChrisK2018, DeadPhrog, and Owcp


───────────────────────────


			  ┌───────────────────┐
			  │ PACK-IN'S include │
	╔═════════════════╧═══════════════════╧═══════════════════╗    
        ║  - MZX Link's Chaotic Adventure Preview by =Myself=     ║
	║                                                         ║
	╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

E. CyberBRO: Let's get on with it shall we!! (You know, as far as I know,
this is the most jam-packed NL yet.)


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VACATION DEPT - Well, here I am in Florida, having a kewl time, when I
                realise I gotta write HOTwired!  And here I am with none of
                my templates, so I have to go on memory.  Bear with me
                here!  Anyways, I can still check my mail 'cause I
                brought a hard drive with AOL on it.
JEUXJEUX DEPT - Ah, my MZX clone.  I completely deleted it and started
                over.  Yikes!  It was going to be ANSI, but I decided to
                remodel the style of game.  Now, it's grafix.  Kinda
                like Apocalypse Abyss, but you can edit everything.
                Also, unlike MZX, it will be able to receive multiple
                keypresses, so you can make PLAYABLE 2-player games.
ZZT REVOLUTION- What is this?  A ZZT Revolution?  There's tons of good
                games out there now.  Kewl!  Kewl!  Kewl!

>
>And now...
>
>Yer favorite article and mine:
>
>GJanson says!!
>
Remember all those games in MusicBox, but not on AOL.  GJanson says    
you can get them from him or from the SV Distribution sites.  GJanson
says he doesn't plan on making any more ZZT games, but he will with
MZX.  When asked about the MZX contest, GJanson said three words:
Lack of entries.  And of course, for writing *.MOD files, GJanson
reccomends MOD writing software.  In case you wondered why there's no
more ZZT import support in MZX, it was because "it sucked, and I don't
want any more of the 'sucky zzt game' rehashes."


GAMES TO LOOK OUT FOR:

WORSE ZZT (WORSE.ZZT)

At first, this looked like a great game to flame.  Then I looked at the DL
time.  It was huge for an unzipped ZZT game.  I thought I could give it a
GOOD review, then.  I actually played it and it sucked!  Don't download
this!  It's supposed to be about some comic book characters nobody's ever
heard of and you spend all your time walking around a GREEN NORMAL city 
fighting... !  Oh no - what ever will we do!  Can this guy have
a legal name change?!?!


GAMES TO GET:

DogFight (DOGFIGHT.ZZT)

Just trust me.  This game rules.


See ya.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= pop dx



	     ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════╗
             ║      About Link's Chaotic Adventure       ║
	     ║             by    E. CyberBRO             ║
	     ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════╝

Packed in with this issue is the first 2 levels of Link's Chaotic Adventure
which is still in it's developing stage and the title screen will be remade
since I did this last year.  Keep in mind that I edited the game down to two
levels.  The game will have a total of about 11 levels each 10 boards or over
long (a few have about 3 boards with multiple rooms) and including 2 maps
that I think takes up more than 20 boards.  This game has a similar plot to
Zelda 3 for the SNES.  If you don't know the plot to that you'll find out
when you play it.  You'll even be traveling to a moon base to fight off a
supreme boss in which after you beat him a little cinema with Link
uppercutting him into hot lava and guess what it says?  You'll find out later.
This game was created around February/March last year so don't expect too much
fancy MZX 2.0 stuff.  It may have two endings, a Normal ending and one in
which you find everything and you are rewarded with a code to use somewhere in
the next sequel that comes by.  Oh yea.  There will be music in the released
version. :-)

                                STATUS
                                ======
        Name:                   Boards:                 Size:
        The Preview Packin      21                      94KB
        Current Status 80%      105                    618KB


Welcome to....
        _ _    _
    ZZT| | \  | |
     & | |\ \ | |
    MZX| | \ \| |
       | |  \ | |
       | |   \  |
       |_|    |_|ews Monthly

       Presented By Owcp


Welcome to my first article in the NL. If you dont like it too bad!
But anyway.If you want to know some stuff about the history of people
or of ZZT and MZX games let me know. Well I have some good stuff lined
up. First Some Reviews....


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Reviews=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Who's next to cut down about there game or be praised for it?
Read on.


Castle Of The Aardvarks
Type:MZX
Author:Yapok Jr
Company:Yapok Jr???
Grade B+

Great Game By Yapok Jr. It's the sequel to a part one that was for ZZT.
The ZZT one wasn't great but it was okay. Anyway you are Louis the
Hispid Cotton Rat and you must find some KnickerBockers For the Bee
Fly Pharmagon (I Hope I spelled it right.) Sound Crazy? Trust me it
gets crazier. Very Long hard game that will keep you playing for hours.
The only bad things are the graphics. They could use some work and
sometimes the game is confusing.


Town Of Barlog
Type:ZZT
Author:Rigel Colt
Company:RAG Software
Grade A-

Awesome RPG game for ZZT. Finally a fun game for ZZT. You are a wandering
warrior looking for adventure when you stumble upon the Town Of Barlog
in which the Evil Dictator Barlog is taking over the land with an iron fist.
Download it soon! The Bad thing is no S-Tool-Kit graphics until near the
end. But the graphics are still good.


Code White
Type:MZX
Author:Unknown (I Really Don't Care.)
Company:None
Grade:D

This game is soooo Stupid! It's a copyoff of GJanson's Enigma.
The only thing good about it is the side scrolling engine.
The Graphics bite too!

Well That's the reviews for this month.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Gaming Gossip!

The MZX Encyclopedia Is in the works! It will be a S-Tool-Kit For MZX.
Spider 124 is making a so called Revolutionary Side Scrolling Engine!
The Battle For The MZX/ZZT Forum is still going on. For the moment we
might be winning.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

ADS!!!

I need Ads.
Well here's one by me.

Be prepared for Slyvius an awesome Zelda Type Game and Robot Wars an action
game. Slyvius Demo Avaliable. Demo For ZZT. Registered for MZX.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Interviews.

Send me someone you want me to do an interview on.
It can even be yourself.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Histrories Of ZZT'rs and MZX'rs

Same as Above.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Well that's my article for this issue of the NL.
Send me comments and the other stuff described above.

Later.

Owcp (Dustin Hubbard)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

             ╔════╤═════════════════════════════╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
             ║ NL │    Nl NeWz NuMbEr ThReE     │ _ │ ■ │ X ║
             ╟────┴─────────────────────────────┴───┴───┴───╢
             ║     ┌──┐  ┌──┐      ┌──┐  Like, truely  for  ║
             ║     │   \ │  │      │  │ Windows '95 an'stuff║
	     ║     │    \│  │      │  │                     ║
             ║ JOy!│  │\    │      │  │    Zzt/Mzx reports  ║
	     ║     │  │ \   │ ┌─┐  │  └────┐ ┌─┐            ║
	     ║     └──┘  └──┘ └─┘  └───────┘ └─┘            ║
	     ║   ────────────────────────────────           ║
             ║         NL NeWz                   Like, kewl ║
             ║ By DeadPhrog of                     newz!    ║
             ║ SHATTERED PERSPECTIVES GAMES                 ║
	     ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝
           

Welcome to this month's Nl NeWz!!!  
For a change of pace I'm putting the company updates first.  So here they
are:

Kev Vance's SMARTSOFT update:
Okay, here's whatz up at SmartSoft.  I'm writing a MegaZeux game called
STRANDED.  You're this kewl animated dude and you get lots of items -
offensive and defensive - but mostly offensive.  It has an awesome original
soundtrak and some weird sound FX.  Also, I'm programming a standalone (not
ZZT or MZX, but C++) game HEART OF THE ALLIANCE.  It's a 320x200 game with a
vga palette.  A pretty cool adventure in midevil times.  Me and a few other
programmers from school are also working on a 3D game.  It's just started and
I'm still seeing if I can do height-mapping.  I can't give any other info on
this one.


THKirk's White Tiger Games update:

    White Tiger Games is a small company ( one person ) who's goal is to make
the best MZX games (second only to Gregory Janson's Zeux series).  It's
current project is the Empire Trilogy.  No, this is not some Starwars thing.
Empire takes place in a fantasy, meidevil setting.  However, Empire is not
WT's first game.  The first game (the origianl Empire), is being remade, and
will be released along with the trilogy.  
Future games will be: Omega-D, a Super Metriod look-a-like, and Hyper
Fight, another fighting game.
WTG would like your ideas.  What kind of game do you want,  Let me know.
Write THKirk@aol.com, with your sugestions

DeadPhrog's (that's me!) SHATTERED PERSPECTIVES GAMES update:
Weeeellll, lessee.  SP stuff.  As soon as I finish ZZTorture, (don't expect
anything near the likes of Doom on this one, it's just a quikie) I will begin
work on my masterpeice, Paranoia!  QP7@teleport.com, another member of SP, is
already working on the actors (that's corridor game talk for guys you shoot)
using Corel 6 and Corel Dream.  These are gonna be some awesome visuals, 
people.  We're talking make Doom look like crap.  Unlike most Doom-style 
corridor games, the actors will NOT be digitized.  Two reasons for this:
1. I think digitized guys look crappy, at least when the guys that are 
digitized are parts of the production crew (Rise of The Triad, has these), 
instead of real actors (in the true sense of the word, e.g. actors on a TV
show)  The production crew looks like crap!  The other reason is that I have 
access only to a black and white scanner.  THAT would really look like crap!!
Anyhoo, what the actors will look like is computer generated, (like Myst)
and totaly 3D.  Paranoia will be the ultimate.  I laugh in the face of id!!!!  
Better textures.  Better graphics.  Stuff like that.  The story:  (in a 
nutshell)

You're a guy who thinks the government is hiding stuff about aliens 
abductions and all that.  Your life sudenly is thrown out from underneath 
you.  You lose your job, your wife your kids, etc.  You go off the deep end.  
You decide to storm the NASA Ames Research Center, (conveiniantly located a 
few miles away from me) where you believe the alien remains are being held.  
You visit your neighberhood illegal gun dealers and get yerself a 12 guage 
shotgun.  You drive through the front gate and run over several guards.  
You also crash through the front of the building, get in and kick some butt.  

Lotsa action, but with a story too!  Also, as non-linear as a corridor game 
can get.  Say the cops capture you. (these things will happen)  Instead of 
Doom's way of you getting blown away (easier for the programmers that way)
you will be sent to an asylum.  If you are perceptive enuff you can get out 
of the striaght jacket, and wreak some havoc in the ambulance.  And if you're 
not, you go to the asylum.  At the nut house (gee... there are almost always
nut houses in my games...I wonder...) you have a chance to escape.  Actually,
this game will be more RPG-like, (which is weird for this type of interface,
but it aint been done before, so I'll do it myself.) with traps, smart and
varied enemies, and even spells!  (I have no idea how I'll integrate this 
into the storyline, but I will...)  Anyway, it'll be worth playing.  Also, 
this game will be shareware, (with a shareware version, watered down, less 
levels, and stuff)but I've decided I will give away free registrations to 
all members of the NL provided that you agree to license terms, and fill out 
a registration card.  The way that'll work is that you'll fill out the card,
send it to me, and then I'll send you the registered copy.  I urge everyone
in the NL list to do the same for their games.  Did I mention that Paranoia
is being written in C++?  Anyway, enuff about me.

QP7, another member of SP has created an addicting puzzle game in QuickBasic
4.5.  This game also will be shareware, and if you register, you will be sent
the source code for the game.  (Everyone has Qbasic!!!  Even if SP uses QB4.5
with a compiler, you can still run the source in QBasic!  QB 4.5 has more
keywords, features, etc. than Qbasic, and you can compile!)  Anyway, the 
object of the puzzle game is to retrieve capsules, easier said than done, I 
assure you.  And an added feature is that the game is different every time
you play it, so it's always full of variety!  Also, I am still working on my
MZX game Cronus, as a side project, and will be a very high quality MZX game.

Please everone, send in company updates!!!!!!!!!
And if you do send in updates you will get unlimited space so you can rant on
as long as you want, just like I have!

Come on people, free advertising!!!

And now the newz:

Aint much going on ZZT/MZX-wise, because everyone is still working on their 
masterpeice.  The NL's own E.Cyberbro told me this of his long delayed game:

"...I also said it would be released, May of 95 and delayed it till school 
starts then delayed it again.  This isn't working out that well because I can 
never find time to work on it because of school wise & a little bit of the NL.
Though I got 3 more levels to do, as well as organize the game so it will
work properly, I probably won't have room for multiple endings but I think
I'll have some kind of gauge that tells you if you find everything therefore
giving you some secret code to use in Part 2 or something.  I'll get it done
eventually."
I, myself have said similar things about my own games.  Oh, 
perfection takes quite a while.  (Maybe not true perfection, but MZX 
perfection anyway...)  One thing, Gregory Janson, the creator of MegaZeux,
has asked that we send in some games to his MZX contest.  Please do!!!!!!!!

Also, I was planning on putting an awards thing for best MZX/ZZT of all time,
but there haven't been enough responces yet, so I'll wait 'till next issue.



	     ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════╗
	     ║             The Critic Corner             ║
	     ║             by    E. CyberBRO             ║
	     ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════╝

Oh!  Goodie!  More games!!  >:-|

NAME: Challenge
TYPE: ZZT
COMPANY: ²ware
GAME CORE SIZE: 75K
PACKAGE SIZE: 18K
GRADE: B
THE QUOTE: "The ZZT Challenge World is a *very* challenging ZZT world.  It
contains many levels, where you must fight enemies and solve puzzles in order
to win the game."

What these guys have pretty much said was true.  It's a good download to pass
the time by.  As you progress through the levels the dificulty increaces.
Experienced gamers shouldn't find this too troubling though.


NAME: Puzzle
TYPE: ZZT
COMPANY: ²ware 
GAME CORE SIZE: 49K
PACKAGE SIZE: 16K
GRADE: B

This game has a similar purpose to Challenge only this one's harder.  Again
you can download this game just to let time go by or to improve some skills
you have or something. (I had to use the ZAP command to get one of the cyan
keys in level G.


NAME: X-MEN IV
TYPE: ZZT
AUTHOR: Brutal Hulk
COMPANY: DGGWARE
GAME CORE SIZE: 32K
PACKAGE SIZE: N/A
GRADE: C

It's just some freakin' shoot'em up game.  The only problem is that It hardly
has anything to do with the X-MEN, yea there is a little plot here but not
much, the game needs some improvement.


NAME: E&M PRO Magazine 
TYPE: ZZT
AUTHOR: Artdude2
COMPANY: E&M Productions
GAME CORE SIZE: 43K
PACKAGE SIZE: N/A
GRADE: C+

A magazine that has pretty good graphics and information.  But download it
only for laughs like other magazines.  Actually when you see a magazine online
think of it as a catalog as this magazine is the only TRUE ZZT/MZX Magazine.


NAME: BladeWare Magazine
TYPE: ZZT
AUTHOR: JAM1013
COMPANY: BladeWare
GAME CORE SIZE: 34K
PACKAGE SIZE: N/A
GRADE: D-

 Here I see another Magazine wanna be online.  They have Advertisements,
Reviews, Previews, and Artwork on the same darn game called Demon Attack.
Included is a Demo of their side-scrolling game Mission-X.  Well #1, ZZT
wasn't made to make side-scrolling games so it sucked, #2, Megazeux CAN do
side-scrollers if you know how.  Lazy magazines you can tell want you to send
your reviews.  Where do you think these games in my Critic Corner come from?
Almost from thin air!  And another thing the guy share's some programing tips
about don't make your boarders yellow and to make sure the passages lead to
the right passage.  This is probably another magazine we won't be seeing
again.  By the way, which magazine lasted the longest, that's right the NL
as far as I know started in about December '94.


NAME: Super Zero
TYPE: MZX V2.00
AUTHOR: MZX 96
COMPANY: Visitech
GAME CORE SIZE: 52K
PACKAGE SIZE: Either as is or 223K /W MODS
GRADE: B

MUCH BETTER!  Just like this you see.  This is a pretty interesting game where
you jump and shoot bad guys and avoid lava pits & stuff.  One thing that bugs
me, most side-scrollers I've seen are short or some are just "backround like
Nintendo 8-bit" plain backround.  When I see ones with good backround and
gameplay the games will well on their way to get themselves A's.


NAME: Arena Adventure
TYPE: MZX V2.00
AUTHOR: Owcp
GAME CORE SIZE: 156K
PACKAGE SIZE: 46K
GRADE: B+

Impressive game right here.  Nice character animation (Some parts could have
been rechecked as the animation was a little off. Example: pressing down the
character looks left on the board left to the big forest.) but other than that
the game is pretty good and it is pretty adventurous.

NAME: The World of the Elements *DEMO*
TYPE: MZX V1.00
AUTHOR: Dregs177
GAME CORE SIZE: 50K
PACKAGE SIZE: N/A
GRADE: C

Is it me or is to many people using just about all of Greg Janson's MODS?
I don't think there's anything wrong with that but the music tends to get old
how bout we use some of the good old MODS online right here on AOL.  There
isn't much to tell you about this game except that it needs more work and
color.

Next month we'll have more quotes from the documents that come with the game.
I usually delete these.


Well that's it for this month's NL.  Don't miss next months issue coming in
March.