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TRS-80 Projects
While working for Softape, I created my first games for both Apple and the TRS-80 Model I.
After leaving Software, I created my first computer company called Computer Light and Sound. The first items up were redesigning the Light Pen and creating DEC coding for the Z-80, later know as Object Oriented Code.
TRS-80 Games
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Space Balls
As Aliens marched from side to side (like in space invaders), you bounced your power ball to kill them off. It’s Breakout meets space invaders.
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Galactic Fighter
First Computer Game to use Real Time game play sounds done in software without any hardware support.
Both the Apple and the TRS-80 use "bit-banging" to create sound. To create sound FX, the game would stop while the sound played.
Galactic Fighter use the time to do bits of the work to create the right time delay between flipping the sound output bit. While the sound was not perfect, it had smooth game play.
This game was an original game. It game play was similar to Galaxian that came out a year later.
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Space Balls II
As Aliens marched from side to side (like in space invaders), you bounced your power ball kill them off. It’s breakout meets space invaders.
This version game used the new software sound system to improve game play. Also, the aliens bombs would remove the part of paddle, if they hit it. (Making it a much hard game to play.)
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Galactic Fighter II
With an improved sound system for even better game play, GF II was faster and more space ship trying to home in on you. (Better A.I.)
The game also came with an adapter to plug in an Atari joystick into a TRS-80 Model I. Because the game could be played with the adapter, it was the first game to use hardware copy protection.
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TRS-80 Programs
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Pen Basic
This was an assembly language driver hidden inside one line of BASIC to drive my cost reduced light pen design.
My software was faster and easier to use than the competition. (Cornered the TRS-80 market for Light Pens, while the fad lasted.) I was wise enough to price the my designs so low that there was no reason to use the competition products.)
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SoftMusic
This was an assembly language driver hidden inside one line of BASIC to play two voice music in Basic Programs.
SoftMusic was a giant step for in music. First of all, two voice was unheard of. Second, every note in every octave being on key was a big deal for any software program at the time.
This was Computer Light and Sound's best sellers because everyone what to use the technology in their games and programs.
(And why I stopped write games till the CoCo hit the market.)
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| Copyright 2008 by Steve Bjork, All Rights Reserved |
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CoCo 1-2
TRS-80