.IF DSK1.C3 .CE 6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^W-AGE/99 * NEW-AGE/ ^99 *NEW-AGE/99* N ^EW-AGE/99 * NEW-AGE ^/99 *NEW-AGE/99* ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^*by JACK SUGHRUE, Box 459, East Douglas, MA 01516* ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^#12 ^^^^MICKEY REVISITED Last time in NEWAGE I spent lots of time talking about Mickey Schmitt's two books (THE ADVENTURE REFERENCE GUIDE, $9.95 + $2 S+H, from Asgard, Box 10306, Rockville, MD, 20848, and GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR CASSETTE SYSTEM, $9.95 + $2.50 S+H, from the author - Mickey Schmitt, 196 Broadway Avenue, Lower Burrell, PA, 15068). In the interim, I've also written a lengthier article about the new and wonderful ways to use cassettes based upon Mickey's cassette book which appeared in REFLECTIONS. There are a couple of disks available for user groups (or individuals) who have cassettes still active. These two different chock-full disks include all the items referred to by Mickey and many others not yet mentioned by her and can be gotten for a $3 shipping/handling fee each by asking for "Cassette Master Disk" from M.U.N.C.H., 560 Lincoln Street, P.O.^Box 7193, Worcester, MA, 01605-7193; and "TI PD 1205.1 Cassette Utilities" from Tigercub, 156 Collingwood Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43213. Add an extra $1 to Tigercub's disk request and ask for Jim Peterson's PD Catalog, the largest collection of the best of the least expensive treasures in the TI World. If your user group hasn't yet purchased Mickey's cassette book and used it as a fund-raiser, then your group is missing a great opportunity to make some green. Some other things have happened since I wrote that original article. Mickey has formed a new - NEW! - company of all TI stuff. Doesn't that have a nice ring to it? A new TI company. The MS stands for the two partners: Mickey Schmitt and Mike Sealy. They can be reached at MS EXPRESS SOFTWARE, P.O.^Box 498, Richmond, OH 43944. This dynamic duo made their professional debut at the Chicago Fair in November and released a pile of stuff: ADVENTURE HINTS (Series I) by Lynn Gardner, which is unique in help concepts for adventurers. Each hint loads into the console in the same way the Adventure Module disks load. In addition to loading as standalone help, these hints can also be loaded into the specific programs and called up from a running program! These disks include built-in maps AND hardcopy maps. Nice feature. This first series includes some of the adventures written by Mickey and Lynn: OLIVER'S TWIST, RATTLESNAKE BEND, ZOOM FLUME. The same kind of two word (noun/verb) commands are used to ask for help, so there's no need to use all kinds of colored cellophane papers, special invisible ink pens, plastic decoding devices, whatever. Requires Adventure Module or interpreter. GALACTIC EMPERORS by Eric Kepes, an Extended BASIC, multi-player, strategic simulation program. You and one, two, or three others are each trying to thwart opponents by accessing control to all the planets in the galaxy. Shades of the Darth Vader! There are decisions you and your opponents make beforehand (such as the number of planets) before the computer generates (new each time) the playing grid. Although many random events occur during the game play, the game is a mentally challenging activity that can be saved to continue play at a future date. (Both of the above are $9.95 + $1 S+H and require the standard minimum configuration of one SSSD drive and 32K.) Finally from MS EXPRESS, there are SLIDING BLOCK PUZZLES (Series I) and SLIDING BLOCK SOLUTIONS (Series I) each $7.95 + $1 S+H and both by Norman Rokke, the same person who brought you the extraordiary Fairware graphic/text program "1000 WORDS," one of the very best of its kind ever. In this case, Norman has transcended the "normal" sliding block puzzles with which we are so familiar. In the late 1800's Sam Loyd, America's most ingenious puzzle maker at the turn of the century, created the 14-15 sliding block puzzle. There are lots of these out for the TI. The best I've seen is Chris Bobbitt's Public Domain version of many years ago and in all group libraries. These puzzles, however, are considerably more challenging than the originals. There are three on this disk and all can be saved in mid-game, so one doesn't have to begin all over again. The first consists of nine different-colored tiles and supposedly can be solved in 59 moves. Puzzle #2 is made up of 10 blocks and could be completed in 81 moves. The hardest (#3, of course) has 11 tiles to shift and can be solved in 90 moves. A colored monitor or TV to go with your XB, 32K, and minimum disk drive system are required. You need the these puzzles before you get the solutions' disk, which provides the help you need for each puzzle in little pieces so as not to ruin the game for you. Very user-friendly, like all things Norman does. And, of course, ingenuity by him is taken for granted. Now that we have a new company supporting TIers, let's hope the TI Community supports the new company. Your support will encourage even more authors to stay with and write for the 99. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I continue to get letters from cribbage buffs all over the TI World asking about a program I reviewed last year. The program is written by Gene Hitz. He even rewrote it after I gleefully stated how I found a way to cheat on the "Go". He chastised me for cheating our little 99 computer. Now, the computer catches me each time when I try. This program is called "Cutthroat Cribbage" and gives you a muggins if you count incorrectly. It's fun to play and is fast and friendly. The game can be purchased for $7 from ARCADE ACTION, Program Innovators, 412 Glenway, Wawatosa, WI 53222. Actually, for $10 you get a diskful of games, including a nice version of TETRIS and piles of others. If you are a cribbage player, I'd recommend this game highly. If you'd like to learn the game, ask for the longer version (though I think he sends both versions, anyway), because this will give you the option to have the computer count up any combinations to see how things are scored. Then get yourself a HOYLE's from the library and play your TI until you got the game down pat. Excellent midnight companion. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Besides TIGERCUB's $1 catalog of Public Domain disks (truly the BEST BUY in the TI World), everyone should send off for Asgard's newest catalog. Asgard's latest, particularly for Page Pro owners, is a mouth-watering collection of delectable delights. For game players, William Reiss's TOURNAMENT SOLITAIRE (which includes - along with KLONDIKE - PYRAMID, GOLF, COMERS, PILE-UP, CANFIELD, and CALCULATION) is teriffic. But call or write for the free catalog and notice the high level of your droolability. [If you use NEW-AGE/99 please put e on your exchange list.] Հ