Matthew Reed's TRS-80.org


Programming the Z80

Even though Programming the Z80 was not written for the TRS-80, it was one of the more popular TRS-80 programming books. I suspect that this book and TRS-80 Assembly Language Programming by William Barden introduced more TRS-80 programmers to assembly language than any others.

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The Source

The Source was a three volume set containing the complete source code of TRSDOS 6.2 (which was the same as LS-DOS 6.2). Each individual book cost $99.00, so total cost for a complete set was $297.00. Later on, these prices were heavily discounted.

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T80-FS1 Flight Simulator

The T80-FS1 Flight Simulator was a groundbreaking simulation program for the TRS-80, written by Bruce Artwick and released by SubLOGIC in February 1980. It was based on A2-FS1, the original Apple II version of the Flight Simulator, also written by Bruce Artwick and released a few months earlier. From the introduction to the T80-FS1 user’s manual:

The T80-FS1 is the second version of the FS1 program. Feedback from users of our initial Apple II version of FS1 has been used extensively in the TRS-80 version. Selectable downward view, bomb sights, visible enemy gun blasts, and a “simulation reset” command were all added to the FS1 since the introduction of the Apple II FS1. The T80-FS1 also has slightly higher frame projection rate than the Apple version.

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TRSLINK

After the decision by the publishers of 80 Micro magazine to end TRS-80 coverage, there was a demand for new sources of TRS-80 information. TRSLINK was first proposed by Luis M. Garcia-Barrio, sysop of a bulletin board system in Philadelphia. In many ways, the concept resembled the old CLOAD magazine. It was envisioned as an electronic magazine for TRS-80 users, but not as a replacement for existing magazines. Each issue could fit on one 5 1/4" disk (although some later issues required a double-sided disk). Article submissions from users were welcomed, and any advertisements submitted were included for free. Unlike CLOAD, distribution was provided for free via bulletin board systems, FidoNet, Usenet, and GEnie.

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TRSTimes

After learning that 80 Micro was planning to drop TRS-80 support, Lance Wolstrup decided to launch his own magazine which he named TRSTimes. As he stated in the first issue:

“What I wanted was a newsletter whose roots and traditions were firmly planted in the Wayne Green tradition of 80 Micro from 1981 to 1983; one that would be primarily oriented toward the TRS-80 hobbyist.”

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Nukliex

Nukliex was written in 1984 by Dennis Lo, and released through JMG Software International. Although the game’s title screen identifies itself as “Nukliex”, it was always advertised as “Nucliex”.

When you start Nukliex, you can select a difficulty level between 1 and 10. You control a ship located at the bottom of the screen that fires shots toward the top. Asteroids and aliens attack you from above. This is pretty standard for most games of this type. But unlike other games, you can also move your ship not just side to side but also up and down. Your ship also has a shield that will protect it when you press the ENTER key. The shield takes time to regenerate itself, so you need to use it sparingly.

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STICK-80

The first commercial joystick for the TRS-80, the STICK-80, was created by Alpha Products (originally Alpha Product Co.). The first advertisement I can find was in the December 1980 issue of 80 Microcomputing. The STICK-80 package included an Atari joystick and interface and originally cost $29.95.

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Yves Lempereur

Yves Lempereur wrote nine games for the TRS-80, but the five he wrote for Funsoft are his most famous. His games are of very high quality, with a great visual style, and are among the best ever written for the TRS-80.

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Bill Hogue

Bill Hogue is arguably the most famous of the TRS-80 game programmers. The games he wrote for Big Five Software, the company he established with Jeff Konyu, rank among the best ever created for the TRS-80.

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Apple Panic

Apple Panic was based on the arcade game Space Panic, released by Universal in 1980. The original version was written for the Apple II by Ben Serki in 1981 and sold by Brøderbund Software. There were also versions of Apple Panic sold for the Atari 400/800 and the IBM PC (both written by Olaf Lubeck) and for the Commodore VIC-20 (by Creative Software). The TRS-80 version was written by Yves Lempereur in 1982 and published by Funsoft, the fifth of nine games that he wrote for the TRS-80.

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