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Thread: Need Help Identifying and Finding a Few Apple II Games

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    Alex (Level 15) InsaneDavid's Avatar
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    Default Need Help Identifying and Finding a Few Apple II Games

    I've been filling in my Apple II disk archives over the past few days and have yet to come across a couple titles I remember by name and a few others that I just can't seem to place the titles of. Any help where I can find disk images of the games, help with the titles, or anyone that has a copy I can dump and upload for archival would be great. Hopefully impossible to find Apple II edutainment software isn't a grey area, if it is please simply lock the thread.

    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

    I'll start with the games I know by name...

    Rocket Factory - In this game you designed rockets with different parts and then launched them to see how they performed. I remember one mode of play had either a plane go by trailing a banner behind or there was a line of clouds, and then you had to try to design a rocket that would reach apogee at the level of the banner or clouds. I've come up totally empty handed with this one, any leads would be great. FOUND! It's over at Asimov as MECC-A308 Rocket Factory.dsk in ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple...cational/mecc/

    Microzine - These were diskmags sold by Scholastic that were full of interviews, stories and some great games. The only information I can find is some old eBay listings. There were a ton of these put out but nothing out there currently it seems. What I keep kicking myself for is I had a bunch of them (as well as a ton of boxed complete games) years ago when I got an Apple IIe setup for free in the mid 1990's. It was all given away when I got my first PC, which I still kick myself for letting happen.

    Special Delivery (Pizza To Go) - Now, I'm not sure this was the name of the game but the information I've come across points to it. In this game you had to deliver pizza to various aliens and other creatures using simple machines to pass beyond obstacles. Again, I've been able to find nothing but the name and a small description. EDIT: I was incorrect with the title, this is actually called Pizza To Go. FOUND! It's over at Asimov as MECC-A333Z Pizza to Go 1.0.dsk in ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple...cational/mecc/

    Bluegrass Bluff - This was an MECC title, where there was a big hill that you were digging into. You moved a square around the different parts and then excavated to see what was beneath the soil. It seemed to be different each time and on occasion you'd find human remains. It's not Fossil Hunter. FOUND! It's over at Asimov as MECC-A256 Bluegrass Bluff.dsk in ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple...cational/mecc/

    The Factory - One I was thinking of as a mystery game but had yet to post. You're given an object and then asked to set up an assembly line of machines to make it. You can do things like rotate the sheet, punch holes, draw stripes, etc. - FOUND! It's over at Asimov as Factory.dsk in /images/educational/

    The Incredible Laboratory - In this game you were in an alchemy lab using various ingredients to make monsters. That's all I remember.

    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

    And now the games I don't remember the names of...

    Mystery Game #1 - SOLVED, The Incredible Laboratory.

    Mystery Game #2 - First person adventure game, set in medieval times where first you had to get into a castle or something. What I remember most is at the end the main objective was to get a jeweled chalice. It wasn't some huge expansive game (as few of these are) and it was aimed at the grade school age set. SOLVED / FOUND - Thanks to Jorpho, "Chalice of Mostania." It can be found at http://gue.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/i...=10&id=2&key=0

    Mystery Game #3 - This game featured a behind a catapult perspective. A target would be positioned along with wind direction, then you'd input the settings and aiming and attempt to hit the target. This could have been a game that was part of an edutainment title that would come up after doing math problems or something similar - I just don't remember. SOLVED / FOUND - Thanks to Jorpho, "Catapult Capers" from MECC's Conquering Ratios and Proportions. Listed as MECC-A209 Conquering Ratios and Proportions.dsk in ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple...cational/mecc/

    Mystery Game #4 - There's a maze as seen room by room in an overhead perspective (think Berzerk). You have to navigate your way through it, using a number of different items to mark your trail (footprints, ball of yarn, etc.). SOLVED / FOUND - Thanks to Jorpho, "Mazes of Rodentia", a component of MECC's Mind Puzzles. Listed as MECC-A780 Mind Puzzles 1.3.dsk in ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple...cational/mecc/

    Mystery Game #5 - You're in a car and have to provide directions to get to (if I'm remember this right) your grandmother's house. My memory of this is fuzzy except that the perspective was from inside a car and you had a gas gauge that was basically your remaining moves. It wasn't a driving game, more like a screen to screen adventure. - FOUND! It's called Jenny's Journeys and is over at Asimov as MECC-A161-Jenny's Journeys (v1.0-64K-1986).DSK in /images/educational/mecc

    =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

    I'll post more information as it comes to me, maybe also about a couple other games. I've looked these up at the usual suspects (the Asimov Apple II mirror and Virtual Apple 2 - which is a GREAT software resource) with no success. In a world where all the Munchers games and even Odell Lake have become archived one would think it would all be out there. Perhaps it is and I just have the titles wrong. Any help would be great.
    Last edited by InsaneDavid; 01-08-2017 at 02:36 PM.

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    I have a copy of Microzine #24 - that's the only one I have. I also have ADTPro and it works with my Laser 128...I will try to make a disk image of it. As long as there isn't any copy protection, it should work.

    Have you tried contacting Scholastic to see if they have some of those on disk image? They're the ones who published it.

    http://www.atarimagazines.com/comput..._Computers.php

    I thought that the guys from id software had worked on Microzine, but it looks like they worked at Softdisk.
    You are startled by a grim snarl. Before you, you see 1 Red dragon. Will your stalwart band choose to (F)ight or (R)un?

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    Thanks for the reply! I actually contacted Scholastic in the mid 1990's to see if I could order more of them, NOS that they may have had. Honestly they didn't seem to give two damns about any of it. On the contrary I wrote Apple and they sent me back a letter listing software companies and vendors that still sold Apple II products or had backlogs. That was the one moment I ever thought Apple actually cared about a consumer. I don't have it anymore and can't recall the person who replied but I remember it was hand signed.

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    I remember those Microzine disks as well, I used to have a few of them also, but they are long gone, who knows where they went! As far as the mystery titles for the games you are searching for, I would recommend placing a post on the forums at www.vintage-computer.com -- the forum members over there are really helpful too and might be able to assist you. Good luck!

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    Man, good luck finding Rocket Factory - I hadn't even thought about that game since probably the 4th or 5th grade. Too much fun.

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    While we're on the subject, does this game ring any bells?
    "There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge." --Bertrand Russel (attributed)

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    Alex (Level 15) InsaneDavid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jorpho View Post
    While we're on the subject, does this game ring any bells?
    No, but I've been trying to remember that one too, with the ball of yarn and all that.
    Last edited by InsaneDavid; 09-24-2008 at 12:20 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by InsaneDavid View Post
    Microzine - These were diskmags sold by Scholastic that were full of interviews, stories and some great games. The only information I can find is some old eBay listings. There were a ton of these put out but nothing out there currently it seems. What I keep kicking myself for is I had a bunch of them (as well as a ton of boxed complete games) years ago when I got an Apple IIe setup for free in the mid 1990's. It was all given away when I got my first PC, which I still kick myself for letting happen. If anyone has working Microzine disks THEY NEED TO BE ARCHIVED.
    I have several of these, very early "issues" too. I think most of them are still working too. If you could return the originals to me after dumping, I'm up for loaning them out.

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    Alex (Level 15) InsaneDavid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phosphor Dot Fossils View Post
    I have several of these, very early "issues" too. I think most of them are still working too. If you could return the originals to me after dumping, I'm up for loaning them out.
    Unfortunately I don't currently have the capacity to create disk images. However if someone elese could possibly step up and offer their services that would be awesome.

    Also I did some extensive poking around at Asimov last night and found an image of Microzine #21. However I believe the image is corrupt as it doesn't boot. Side B says to insert Side A (if I recall all my Microzine issues said to do the opposite) but Side A never does anything, it just sits there and reads.

    I've also updated the first post with some additional games / details.

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    I should have the ability to create Apple ][ images and would be glad to help. But let me test it first with the current Microzine I have to make sure it works before we go risking sending valuable artifacts around.
    You are startled by a grim snarl. Before you, you see 1 Red dragon. Will your stalwart band choose to (F)ight or (R)un?

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    Quote Originally Posted by [B
    Mystery Game #4[/B] - There's a maze as seen room by room in an overhead perspective (think Berzerk). You have to navigate your way through it, using a number of different items to mark your trail (footprints, ball of yarn, etc.).
    I remember playing this game. It was on a disk my Dad brought home from his school that was labeled "Apple presents Apple." I don't know if that helps.
    Bacon, Bacon, Bacon, IT'S BACON!!!!

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    I remember Jenny's Journeys. It's pretty difficult without the printed map, though, and I can't imagine that a scan of that is easy to come by anymore.
    "There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge." --Bertrand Russel (attributed)

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    get
    Super Bunny!

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    Alex (Level 15) InsaneDavid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jorpho View Post
    I remember Jenny's Journeys. It's pretty difficult without the printed map, though, and I can't imagine that a scan of that is easy to come by anymore.
    Back in elementary school we never had any of the documentation but I do remember making street maps with pencil and paper.

    Quote Originally Posted by Xian042 View Post
    get Super Bunny!
    Easy to find both over at Asimov and Virtual Apple 2. Interesting rework of Frogger though.
    Last edited by InsaneDavid; 09-25-2008 at 12:39 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by InsaneDavid View Post
    Bluegrass Bluff - This was an MECC title, where there was a big hill that you were digging into. You moved a square around the different parts and then excavated to see what was beneath the soil. It seemed to be different each time and on occasion you'd find human remains. It's not Fossil Hunter.
    Here is an iPac entry with additional information on "Bluegrass Bluff".

    According to this 2004 Usenet posting, Dick Sisco worked on "Bluegrass Bluff".
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    *Nevermind*

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    Alright - Microzine #24 has some sort of copy protection on it. A straight-up ADTPro read won't work in the emulator.

    A quick Google search points out that this may have "Softkey" copy protection, and it looks like there's a page that talks about how to crack it:

    http://victa.jamtronix.com/display/page/2769

    Of course, they're talking about Microzine #23, not #24, but I'm guessing there's a good chance that, from one issue to the next, they didn't change their methods.

    However - not being big into the Apple ][ hardware scene (I was in it for the games, man), I'm not exactly sure a) what steps they're talking about, and b) whether the CALL functions they're referencing will work on a LASER 128. Anybody have any ideas? I think this is do-able, but I want to make sure about this - don't want to lose the Microzine disk in some sort of bad mistake.

    So I figure it's better to ask and get more clarification before proceeding...
    You are startled by a grim snarl. Before you, you see 1 Red dragon. Will your stalwart band choose to (F)ight or (R)un?

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    Lightbulb

    Did some screen grabs and video of one of my Microzine disks; I'll keep going through them to make sure they still work. I'll post the video at a later date!



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    Here be another one for the Classic Computing forum.

    Quote Originally Posted by InsaneDavid View Post
    Mystery Game #1 - In this game you were in an alchemy lab using various ingredients to make monsters. That's all I remember.
    So I was just reading this thread which led me to this page of reviews which identifies the game in question as the incredibly generic-sounding The Incredible Laboratory.

    Now to delve into what other secrets may dwell under the flag of Sunburst Communications!
    "There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge." --Bertrand Russel (attributed)

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    Alex (Level 15) InsaneDavid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jorpho View Post
    Here be another one for the Classic Computing forum.

    So I was just reading this thread which led me to this page of reviews which identifies the game in question as the incredibly generic-sounding The Incredible Laboratory.

    Now to delve into what other secrets may dwell under the flag of Sunburst Communications!
    THANK YOU!!

    Updating the first post right now, I totally forgot about this thread. I've got my Enhanced IIe working 100% again with ADTPro so if anyone has a diskette with any of the above games on it, shoot me a PM! I'd be interested in purchasing a duplicate of it and making a disk image for archival.

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