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[[Image:419px-Dynamics Dynamic Games for the Amstrad(Interface Publications) Front Coverbook.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Frontpage]]
== Information ==
{|{{Prettytable|width: 700px; font-size: 2em;}}
|Title:|| '''Dynamic Games for the Amstrad'''
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|Authors:|| Clive Gifford
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|PubliserPublisher:|| [[Interface Publications]]
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|Year:|| 1984
|Pages:|| 210
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|ISBN:|| '''ISBN 0-947695-16-8'''
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== Contents Covers == <gallery caption="Dynamic Games for the Amstrad"> Image:Dynamic Games for the Amstrad (Interface Publications) Back Coverbook.jpg|Back CoverImage:Dynamic Games for the Amstrad (Interface Publications) Left Coverbook.jpg|Left CoverImage:Dynamic Games for the Amstrad (Interface Publications) Front Coverbook.jpg|Front Cover </gallery> == Author's Introduction == : The Amstrad CPC464 ('Arnold' to its users) is a fantastic computer that has taken a major place in the computer market alongside the Spectrum, the BBC Micro and the Commodore 64. Its powerful BASIC has excellent sound and graphic features, making it a superb machine for games programmers.<br>: In this book, I have tried to include as wide a range of games for the Amstrad as possible. From the heady heights of playing chess (of a sort!) to the 'Zap 'em up' arcade games, the emphasis has been on making the games interesting and fun. I have tried to include programs that you will not quickly tire of. A number of the games are sufficiently interesting to keep you amused for a long, long while.<br>: I think now is a good time to mention a couple of things concerning the book's layout and style. Before typing in a program from this book, reset the machine. This can be done by holding down the CTRL, the ESC and the SHIFT keys simultaneously. This sets the machine back to its original format, that of MODE 1, blue background and yellow foreground. This will avoid any confusion between graphic colours and sizes.<br>: Secondly, I prefer not to put instructions into programs. It seems a waste of programming space when you can tell the reader in the preceding paragraph how to play the game. It is therefore advisable to read any information on a particular program before you play it.<br>: Finally, I would like to say that these programs are not only for you to enjoy but also to learn from. If you have never written your own games, following how the shorter programs work will tell you a lot. For the intermediate games programmer, there are a number of useful hints and tips to pick up along the way.<br><br>: Clive Gifford,<br>: London, October, 1984 == Out In The Arcade == : Arcade games are probably the most popular form of computer games entertainment. In fact, many people when they talk about a computer game, think about arcade games and nothing else.: The main difficulty with programming playable arcade games is speed. They must be fast, while being exciting. A number of objects must be moving on the screen and the programmer has to be able to coordinate the whole game, while keeping enough speed and variability in its action to make it worth playing again and again.<br>: The games in this section are all very playable. I have avoided slow versions of well-known games. I wrote several others but they were not fast enough to be enjoyable. Several require joystick control but only one joystick, so you don't have to buy the special dual joystick adaptor just to play them.<br>: Type them in, play them and Happy Zapping!<br><br><center>'''PROGRAMS FEATURED IN THIS CHAPTER:'''<br><gallery>Image:Arcade_01_-_Danger_UXB.gif |'''01'''<br>''Danger UXB''Image:Arcade_02_-_Quack_Attack.gif |'''02'''<br>''Quack Attack''Image:Arcade_03_-_Diamond_Thief.gif |'''03'''<br>''Diamond Thief''Image:Arcade_04_-_Bomb_Catch.gif |'''04'''<br>''Bomb Catch''Image:Arcade_05_-_Brick_Out.gif |'''05'''<br>''Brick Out''Image:Arcade_06_-_City_Sacrifice.gif |'''06'''<br>''City Sacrifice''Image:Arcade_07_-_Attack_Of_The_Mutoids.gif |'''07'''<br>''Attack Of The Mutoids''Image:Arcade_08_-_Surround.gif |'''08'''<br>''Surround''Image:Arcade_09_-_Arnold_The_Electrician.gif |'''09'''<br>''Arnold The Electrician''Image:Arcade_10_-_Escape_From_Janus_15.gif |'''10'''<br>''Escape From Janus 15''</gallery></center> == Feeling Adventurous? == : Adventure games have come into their own in the last couple of years. Using new computers with greater and greater memory capacities along with complex graphics and sound, adventure games have been made more ambitious and more interesting. Today, it is rare to thumb through a computer magazine without seeing large numbers of adventure games advertised.<br>: What exactly is an adventure game? Basically, an adventure involves you interacting with an environment created by the adventure programmer and run by the computer. Usually, you have a goal, to rescue a prince, retrieve lost treasure or to kill a vicious monster.<br>: Most adventures have a range of commands which allow you to move around the different places in the adventure and to manipulate the different objects within the adventure.<br>: One of the main reasons for the popularity of adventure games is the way the player can escape reality and be plunged into a different situation to his or her own. Some situations are definitely mythical (though no one can be totally sure that Middle Earth is not inhabited by hobbits and trolls) while others are based on more down-to-earth situations, such as one of the adventures in this chapter, which is based around an office block.<br>: Escaping from our every day lives along with the fun of trying to solve puzzles, lies at the heart of adventure games.<br><br><center>'''PROGRAMS FEATURED IN THIS CHAPTER:'''<br>''City Of Atlantis | The Steinberg Files | Character Generator''</center> == Games Of Strategy And Logic == : All of the games in this section were first played a long time ago, rather than on a computer. The games have been computerised to provide you with an opponent that will play whenever you want to and play well.<br>: I must thank Tim Hartnell, the very well-known computer author, programmer and publisher for providing the basic versions of these programs which were converted to the Amstrad computer. Tim has produced some excellent algorithms and has kept the programs as short as possible while keeping the games as close to the originals and making the computer a tough player to beat.: These games require plenty of thought to play. Touches of Amstrad colour, sound and graphics have been added to liven them up. I'm sure you will find them exciting and worthwhile to play.<br><br><center>'''PROGRAMS FEATURED IN THIS CHAPTER:'''<br>''Chess | Reversi (Othello) | Gomoku | Four In A Row | Checkers/Draughts''</center> == Short But Sweet==
: Here are a few shorter games. They are less complex than most others in this book, but I've added them in for a purpose. Apart from being fun to play, they are games which you can easily extend and improve. One of the best ways to learn to program is to enter other peoples' programs into your computer and then try to add your own features.<prebr>INTRODUCTION:The programs in this chapter are ideal for the purpose. But don't think they are just included here for that reason. Type them in and play them. You will find them all entertaining as they are. However, once you have played them for a while, you can try and add some extra graphics or sound. Add extra features such as high scores.<br><br><center>'''PROGRAMS FEATURED IN THIS CHAPTER:'''<br><gallery>Image:D19_-_Sniper.gif |'''19'''<br>''Sniper''Image:D20_-_Matchstick_Men.gif |'''20'''<br>''Matchstick Men''Image:D21_-_Pitch_'N_Putt.gif |'''21'''<br>''Pitch 'N Putt''Image:D22_-_Needle_In_The_Haystack.gif |'''22'''<br>''Needle In The Haystack''Image:D23_-_ROM_Bug.gif |'''23'''<br>''ROM Bug''</gallery></center>
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