Electronic Games Issue 9

PRIMARY SYSTEMS COVERAGE THIS ISSUE

• Atari VCS - Atari 2600 - Supercharger
• Coleco Total Control 4
• Arcadia 2001
• Vectrex
• Intellivision
• Atari 400 - 800
• Commodore VIC-20
• Radio Shack TRS-80
• PC
• Apple II
• Odyssey2
• Astrocade
• stand-alones
• arcade
• pinball

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(TOC excerpts follow, with (notes) and bullet lists added for clarity)

(With this issue of Electronic Games, regular feature 'Insert Coin Here' expands to include 'How It Plays' sections with arcade game control diagrams, general instructions, and strategies.)

Switch On! - Happy Birthday to us! (editorial by Arnie Katz)

Electronic Games Hotline (news section)

• From Carts To Consoles? (Larry Kaplan leaves Activision to design own console)
• Atari Report (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Swordquest series, Berzerk, Star Raiders, 5200)
• Arcade Tax Rejected In L.A.!
• New Name For Fishy Game (Lochjaw renamed to Shark Attack)
• Ross Wins Tron Tourney (winner Richard Ross)
• The National Vanity Board (high scores)
• Moonbase 10 Contest Begins October 1982
• Mini-Arcades 'Go Gold' (Coleco Pac-Man tabletop sells 1.5 million units)
• E.G. Readers Pick Their Favorite Games (top lists)
• Odyssey Outlook (Official Videogames of Knoxville World's Fair, Sears deal, Kelloggs cereal tie-in)
• Games The Stars Play (Pac-Man popular with Cher, Reggie Jackson)
• The National Arcade Scoreboard (high scores)
• Donkey Kong Is Coin-Op King (most popular games)
• Beefsteak Charlie Gets Gobblin' (restaurant/tavern chain installs coin-ops)
• Students Working Hard To Play (arcade tokens for good grades)

Readers Replay (letters column)

FEATURE - Tron: From Film To Game And Back Again (by Bill Kunkel; making of the Tron arcade game; includes 'The Complete Cast Of Midway's Tron' developer credits sidebar)

King Of The Stand-Alones

GCE's Vectrex revolutionizes tabletop electronic gaming. ('GCE's Vectrex Has Its Own Vector Graphics Monitor' by Steve Davidson; Vectrex programmable stand-alone system commentary; games discussed:)

• Rip-Off
• Solar Quest
• Mind Storm
• Star Trek
• Hyperchase
• Scramble (box art shown)
• Clean Sweep

Programmable Parade

The best - and worst - of videogame cartridges. ('Streak Through the Night on a Rescue Mission' by Bill Kunkel and Arnie Katz; console videogame reviews)

• Planet Patrol (VCS)
• Pirate Chase (Astro)
• Night Stalker (Int)
• Lost Luggage (VCS)
• Megamania (VCS)
• Defender (VCS)
• Pick-Axe Pete (Ody2)
• Star Striker (Int)

SPECIAL SECTION - The Gamers Guide To Microcomputers

EG's magazine-within-a-magazine tackles the best game-playing personal computers.

• Computers: The Ultimate Arcades
   
  • What's A Computer
  • To Program Or Not To Program
  • Glossary

• The VIC-20: Bonanza On A Budget

  • The System
  • Peripherals
  • VIC-20 Software

• The Atari Computers: Two Compatible Systems

  • The 400 System
  • The 800 System
  • Peripherals And Accessories
  • Atari 400/800 Software

• The Apple: Gaming To The Core

  • The System
  • Peripherals And Accessories
  • Apple II Software

• The Radio Shack Color Computer (TRS-80)

• The IBM Personal Computer

• Your Next Step

FEATURE - Goodies for Gamers

Here's a wish book for arcade aces, with just about every gadget and accessory imaginable. ('Products to Increase Your Gaming Pleasure!' by Henry B. Cohen; entertainment centers, storage solutions, tech improvements, etc)

Insert Coin Here

Hard-hitting reviews of the newest coin-op videogames. ('A Look at Tron and Pepper II' by Bill Kunkel; arcade game reviews)

• Tron (includes 'How It Plays' section)
• Pepper II (includes 'How It Plays' section)

Computer Gaming

Our critics evaluate the latest game software for microcomputers. ('Can You Conquer the Dangers Rampaging Through the Ocean?;' computer game reviews)

• Neptune (Apple II disk)
• Rear Guard (TRS80, Apple II, 400, 800, disk)
• Radar Ratrace (VIC20)
• Haunted Hill (400,800 disk)
• Deluxe Invaders (400,800 disk)
• Megalegs (400,800 disk)
• Threshold (400,800)
• Shuffleboard (Apple II)

Dial-A-Game

With Gamemaster, you're only a phone call away from multi-player situations. ('Electronic Fun Is Just a Phonecall Away' by Pat Wadsley; Gamemaster online network overview)

Strategy Session

Improve your skill at Chopper Command, Freedom Fighter (sic) and Space Cavern. ('Defending the Convoy!' by Frank Tetro Jr.; game strategies)

• Chopper Command (VCS)
• Freedom Fighters (Ody2)
• Space Caverns (VCS)

Pinball Palace

Reviews of the latest non-video coin-op electronic games. ('Orbitor Rewrites the Rules of Pinball' by Roger C. Sharpe; pinball reviews)

• Orbitor 1
• Rapid Fire
• Rocky

New Products ('Power Play Computing' magazine)

Test Lab

Two products that will give your Atari VCS a boost. ('Put Muscle into the Atari VCS' by Henry B. Cohen; in-depth look at Arcadia Supercharger add-on system, Wico Command Control controller)

Arcadia 2001: Videogaming's Mighty Mite

Emerson's new programmable videogame packs a lot of power in a small package. ('A Gamer's Evaluation' by Henry Cohen; Emerson Arcadia 2001 system overview; games discussed:)

• 2001 Baseball
• Breakaway
• Cat Trax
• Space Attack
• Capture
• Space Chess

Q&A (by the Game Doctor)

Inside Gaming

A chat with Spracklens, a husband and wife design duo. ('Meet the Couple Behind the Chess Robots' by Joyce Worley; discussion commentary; electronic boardgames Reversi Sensory Challenger and Prestige Challenger (chess) shown)

Mini-Arcade Gallery

Here's the scoop on cartridges for stand-alone programmables. ('Be A Sport With Coleco Control 4' by Joyce Worley; combo review of Basketball, Hockey and Soccer cartridges for Coleco Total Control 4 programmable stand-alone system)

Stand-Alone Scene ('Challenging the new Fidelity Chess Challenge 9' by Joyce Worley)

• Sensory Chess Challenger "9" (electronic chess boardgame, shown)
• Crazy Climber (tabletop stand-alone, shown)
• Sportstime Game Watch (wristwatch; Sports Time, Game Time, and Arcade Time watches shown)

Reader Poll