Featured Articles
Taskset
- By TCZ webmaster
- Published 08/23/2006
- Taskset
- Rating:
In the history of home computing there are numerous examples of innovative and technically impressive companies appearing and then suddenly disappearing without trace, usually because of financial reasons. One of these companies was Andy Walker's Taskset, with the obscure slogan ‘Taskset – the bugs stops here!” – a company that was way ahead of its time which developed highly original, technically sophisticated software for the Commodore 64 computer, way beyond what other companies were producing at the time.
Speech Box
- By TCZ webmaster
- Published 08/20/2006
- Electronic Speech Systems
- Rating:
With the huge success of computer games in the early 80’s a company which started in the 1970's suddenly appeared on the Commodore 64 scene called Electronic Speech Systems (ESS). This amazing and innovative company enabled a Commodore 64 to speak using software code and did not require any special hardware.
David Crane
- By TCZ webmaster
- Published 08/28/2006
- David Crane
- Rating:
Activision were one of the greatest software houses in the 80’s during the home computer boom. They developed games for all the major 8-bit computer formats. One of the advantages that they had was employing the game programmer and designer David Crane – an innovative, clever guy, who created some of the best games to grace a home computer. David was behind some of the best selling computer games of all time – including the tremendously successful Pitfall, Ghostbusters and Little Computer People.
C64 Game
- By TCZ webmaster
- Published 12/24/2006
- Databases
- Unrated
Game database for the Commodore 64. Featuring information on popular C64 games mentioned throughout the TCZ website, database currently contains around 1050 games. Visitors can rate, comment and search game information in the database.
Jeff Minter
- By TCZ webmaster
- Published 11/11/2007
- Jeff Minter
- Unrated
What can be said about this gaming genius that has not been said before. Jeff Minter was a huge hit in the early years of the Commodore 64. The main reason for his success was that he had original ideas combined with a wild and vivid imagination. In fact, it's fair to say that his creations are probably among the most novel computer games ever produced. Who else could dream up “Attack of the Mutant Camels”or “Sheep in Space” !
The other feature that set Jeff's games apart from his competitors was playability. The games tended to have great game play and could be very addictive. Although Jeff’s games were not technically as impressive as some other games at the time, originality and playability were the key to his success. The music for his games, like Hover Bovver and Revenge of the Mutant Camels, were composed by a college friend James Lisney, who was a pianist.
The other feature that set Jeff's games apart from his competitors was playability. The games tended to have great game play and could be very addictive. Although Jeff’s games were not technically as impressive as some other games at the time, originality and playability were the key to his success. The music for his games, like Hover Bovver and Revenge of the Mutant Camels, were composed by a college friend James Lisney, who was a pianist.
Recent Articles
The Biggest Computer Game In The World
- By Tony Takoushi
- Published 12/9/2007
- Taskset
- Unrated
It is called CAD CAM WARRIOR, by TaskSet, and it boasts eight thousand different screens. Yes, you heard right-eight thousand, is this the standard of the New Epic? TONY TAKOUSHI reports... A BIG K EXCLUSIVE.
Software Superstars
- By Tony Takoushi
- Published 12/5/2007
- Programmers
- Unrated
"Who" (we asked ourselves) " knows more about games, game writing and computers than anybody else in the known universe". "Easy" (we told ourselves), "the guys who write the hits. In person. All at once." So we sent for TONY TAKOUSHI, he got on the case, and on a day in December, Four of the Best came south, to BIG K. Without further ado, therefore, we present... Tony Crowther, Matthew Smith, Jeff Minter and Andy Walker.
Minter Mania
- By Jeff Minter
- Published 12/4/2007
- Jeff Minter
- Unrated
The world's hairiest programmer turns his back on children's comics and starts a series for Commodore Horizons magazine... anything could happen!
Confessions of a Compunet Junkie... I've had a modem for quite a while now, and up until the Commodore show I didn't really use it much, but I logged on the week after the show and... well... I haven't been to bed before Net shutdown at 3am since!
YakZappin'... Well I got my copy of Elite and sure it's zarjaz but it's just not Star Raiders... Seriously though, it's well put together; if you liked it on the Beeb then you'll love it on the C64, the docking sequence is hyper-hyper, especially if you've a Docking Computer and you put that ace '2001' music on: the computer docks at breakneck speed to the accompaniment of the Blue Danube waltz...
Confessions of a Compunet Junkie... I've had a modem for quite a while now, and up until the Commodore show I didn't really use it much, but I logged on the week after the show and... well... I haven't been to bed before Net shutdown at 3am since!
YakZappin'... Well I got my copy of Elite and sure it's zarjaz but it's just not Star Raiders... Seriously though, it's well put together; if you liked it on the Beeb then you'll love it on the C64, the docking sequence is hyper-hyper, especially if you've a Docking Computer and you put that ace '2001' music on: the computer docks at breakneck speed to the accompaniment of the Blue Danube waltz...