Game Covers - Ghettoblaster (Commodore 64)

At last Rockin' Rodney's big break.  He's finally got a job as a messenger for a record company!  He has to deliver 10 demo tapes to Interdisc's head office on Funky Street before the end of the day.  It's also part of Rockin' Rodney's job to turn the locals on to the sounds and get them dancing as he finds his way through Funky Town.  His Ghettoblaster is a prototype of the ultimate in powerful playback.  Each note is so beautifully reproduced that most people fall into a Dance Trance as soon as they hear it.

• First rock musical written for computer!
• Funkiest music yet on the VBM 64
• 12 completely original tracks of rockin' rhythms
• Street level view of the entire town in lively, colourful 3D
• Meet the gang of cleverly animated inhabitants

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Game Covers - Skiing (Philips G7000)

This Videopac offers three competitive skiing events: Slalom, Giant Slalom and a Down Hill Race. The names of these events appear at the bottom of the screen, one after the other. Make your choice by pulling the joystick of your handset (either one will do) when the name of the chosen event shows on the screen.

Slalom

You follow a twisting course, marked out by posts. The route is indicated in the following way; you pass between two identical coloured posts when they are in a horizontal line, moving down towards the bottom of the screen. When the posts are in a single vertical line you pass between them from side to side, continuing down towards the finishing line. The computer keeps track of the time for both skiers. The time is recorded when the skier passes the finishing line.

When you make an error by missing one of the posts, your time-keeping will stop. Instead there will be a record of the number of errors you have made.

In the bottom centre of the screen you see some question marks. This is where the computer will register the best time made by a competitor (without making any errors of course) during a series of events.

You steer your skier with the joystick of your handset. He will only start when you pull the joystick towards you. You may also stop during the race. This can be done by pushing the joystick away from you.  It does mean that you are losing valuable time however!

When you press the action button, he will accelerate so there is the possibility to make up for lost time. 

Giant Slalom

This game follows the same rules as the Slalom, but the course is longer, and the posts are farther apart.

Down Hill

Again the same basic rules apply. The number of obstacles is the same (55) but the arrangement is different to allow a faster descent. 

Competition starts

Once you have made your choice, the computer will confirm that choice with a sound signal.  A second sound signal tells you that the count-down has started. Both skiers automatically assume their starting position. When the count-down is completed, you will hear a starting shot and the race begins. Do remember, that your skier will only start when you pull the joystick towards you.

When the race is over, it is followed automatically by a second one.  This will actually continue until you press the RESET button.

Alpine Events

You may also organise a complete Alpine event by competing in a combination of several events, each over one or more races.

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Game Covers - Take the Money and Run (Philips G7000)

You and your opponent are trapped in a maze populated by robots which represent the economic factors of life. You are given start money of $ 500,000, and have to turn it into a million by chasing income, rewards and investments and escaping from thieves, taxes, inflation and expenses.

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Now That's What I Call Stuart's Favourite Music 86 - Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride

There was a time when hearing this song was an extremely rare occurrence.  Now, it seems you can hear it everywhere, especially during television adverts.  

Break My Stride is probably Matthew Wilder's most famous track and was released as the lead single from his debut album "I Don't Speak the Language" on the 14th January 1984 (oooh, I was 7 years and 2 days old), entering the UK charts at 79.  It managed to peak at number 4 four weeks later.

Useless fact - Back in the late 90s, it seemed the only way to listen to this song was to find a dodgy MP3 on Napster, or whatever other dodgy website that was available at the time.  I remember feeling really chuffed with myself when I found a decent copy of it.  Mind you, it took me several hours to download it on my slow dial-up connection.  Essex FM used to broadcast a weekly 80s show every Sunday and one week I emailed them asking if they could play it. Not expecting they would, I was pleasantly surprised when a few weeks later they actually did play it.  It was probably the first time I had heard it played on the radio since the 80s.

Now, it's everywhere,  and can currently be heard during an advertisement for Screwfix of all things!

Anyway, I love it, so here it is on my list.

Game Covers - Golf (Philips G7000)

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Game Covers - Tenpin Bowling and Basketball (Philips G7000)

Tenpin Bowling

Key 1 selects league night. Key 2 selects faster tournament play. Try to knock down all the pins (it's not just a matter of hitting them head-on). A strike (no pins standing after first bowl) scores 30. A spare (no pins standing after second bowl) scores 15. Otherwise, you score the number of pins knocked down per FRAME (each FRAME consists of 2 bowls unless you get a strike). Scores appear after each frame. The player with the most points after 10 frames wins.

Basketball

Gain possession of the ball and shoot into your opponent's basket, but you'll have to escape his close marking first. Each score gains 2 points. If you hold the ball for too long, or shoot when your opponent is touching the ball, you give away possession. When the 5 minutes are up (time = 00:00), the player with most points wins.

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