DUEL (aka COMPUTER DUEL)
by Andy Sanders
from Games Computing, June 1984 - pages 46 to 47.

If you want to play a game that will really make sparts fly Duel is the one for you.

It is a great maze game with four sheets of arcade action. Sheet One consistes of a maze which contains sparks of deadly electricity. Your character (the one which you control) appears in the bottom left hand corner, and your task is to collect the sparks as you travel around the maze. But it's not an easy job to do - there is an alien scampering around the maze which follows you along the maze paths trying to get you.

In Sheet Two of Duel you see a different maze, a different alien and more sparks to collect. For each spark collected 10 points are awarded and added to your score which is shown at the next period between sheets.

Now for something slightly different. You must catch loads of falling objetcs descending from the top of the screen. They appear at random positions and fall in a straight line. Every time you let one past your character you lose one point, but if you catch him one point is added to the marker. If this score marker reaches '0' a life is lost, if it reaches 16 the sheet is complete, the marker starts with a value of eight. On completion of the sheet 200 points are awarded. Bonus points can be gained by crashing into the side of a falling object. Ten points per object but the value of the marker does not alter.

And in sheet four, you'll come up against another obstacle. This time it takes the form of a random line which is drawn from a point at the middle, top part of the screen. If you walk into this line you lose a life. You must collect the spark which appears on the screen three times before the sheet is completed and then you return to the beginning of the game again. After you have collected the spark your character is automatically returned to the bottom left side of the screen.


SHEET DESCRIPTIONS

Sheet One	collect sparks from a maze
and Two:	while avoiding the alien.
Sheet Three:	collect the falling objects
Sheet Four:	collect th spark four times
		while avoiding the bolf of
		electricity.

Keys to control your character are:
Z = Left
X = Right
O = Up
L = Down


VARIABLES USED

X,Y		Co-ordinates of alien
A,B		Co-ordinates of your character
LN		Line number for alien movement routines
SC		Score
SHEET		Sheet number
PA		Number of objects collected
E		Number of objects that have to be collected
V		Column of falling object
K		Line of falling object
N,M		Co-ordinates for DRAW statement.
MEN		Number of lives remaining
E$		Enemy.


RUNDOWN

Lines		Action

1-100		Variable and graphics. POKE in line 55 sets Caps Lock key.
100-200		Check for sheet value and also if a key has been pressed.
200-700		Your character's movement routines.
700-900		Alter sheets, check for objects collected, check for number of men left.
900-1000	Alien movement for sheets one and two.
1000-1250	Set up flashing border.
1250-1500	Pause between sheets.
2900-3000	Alien movement for sheet three.
3100-3200	Drawing of random line on sheet four.


CONVERSION CLUES

The main problem with conversion will be in checking for collisions. The Spectrum does this by using the ATTR function which scans for certain colours and brightness.

Here follows a list of the attribute values for each character used in the game:
Spark: 59
Alien: 56
Maze: 57
Outer flashing wall: 170 and 149.

So players, take the controls of your Spectrum and see how long you can survive this treacherous game!



------------------------------------


DOCKED IN SPACE
by ???
from Games Computing, June 1984 - pages 90 to 93.


You start off with three lives at the top of the screen in your mother ship. Press any key and you're off. Gravity is pulling you downwards and you only have a limited amount of fuel. But that's the least of your problems as all ariund you are dangerous aliens and deadly asteroids.

If you can land in the centre of the pod then you must try to dock with your mothership next. A new set of nasties appear this time, giant meteors and UFOs. Dock in the middle of the mother ship and return to the start again.

If you crash into the sides of the pod or the sides of the mother ship you lose all three lives. Controls are the arrow keys because they fit my joystick, but you can change them to anything you like.


RUNDOWN

LINE		ACTION

1-3		Starts the game.
5		GOSUBs graphics.
10		Sets PAPER and INK colours, clears the screen.
20		Sets up variables.
30-39		Sets up screen one.
40-70		PRINTs and moves mother ship.
80-200		Play loop one. Updats score and fuel display.
1000-1030	Check for crash.
1035		Makes a noise.
1040		Checks for a safe landing.
1050		RETURNs to play loop.
1100-1120	Blanks out old asteroids.
1130-1155	Changes asteroid variables.
1160-1180	PRINTs new asteroids.
1190		Blanks out old alien.
1200-1230	Changes alien variables.
1240		PRINTs new alien.
1250		RETUNS to play loop.
1300		Blanks out old lander.
1310-1320	Changes lander variables.
1330-1340	Changes fuel.
1350		PRINTs new lander.
1360		RETURNs to play loop.
5000-5190	Play loop two updates, fuel and score display.
5200-5215	Blanks out old meteors.
5220-5235	Changes meteor variables.
5240-5245	PRINTs new meteors.
5260		Blanks out old lander.
5270-5280	Changes lander variables.
5290		Plays tune if lander docks.
5292-5295	Changes fuel.
5297		Increases score and makes a noise.
5399		PRINTs a new lander.
5310		RETURNs to play loop.
5350-5390	Checks for crash.
5395		RETURNS to play loop.
5420-5415	Blanks out old alien shapes and changes their variables.
5420-5425	PRINTs new alien ships.
5430		RETURNs to play loop.
9000-9007	Checks for end of game.
9010		RETURNs to play loop.
9020-9050	Offer a new game.
9100-9197	Graphic DATA.

Variables used

sc		Score
men		Number of men left
mms		Moves mother ship
fuel		Fuel left
basepos		Position of base
landsafe	Safe landing position
vpl		Vertical position of lander
hpl		Horizontal position of lander
aa, ab, ac	Asteroids positions.
vpa, hpa	Position of alien.
alien		Alien ship position.
alienb		Second alien ship position.
vma		Vertical position of meteor A.
hma		Horizontal position of meteor A.
vmb		Vertical position of meteor B.
hmb		Horizontal position of meteor B.


This text info was created by (C) 2021, Neil Parsons