BASIC Computer Games
Encyclopedia
BASIC Computer Games is a compilation of type-in
computer games in the BASIC
programming language collected by David H. Ahl
. Some of the games were written or modified by Ahl as well. It was the first million-selling computer book.
The first edition of the book, released in 1973, contained 101 games that had been collected from a newsletter Ahl wrote for DEC
's education department. Many of these games had originally been written on different platforms and then ported to DEC machines. These were easy enough to port to other popular platforms of the era, and many of the games re-appeared on other popular systems like the Data General Nova
and HP 2100
series.
Copies of the original collection were still widely available when the first hobbyist microcomputers started appearing in 1975, and it became quite popular with these owners. The release of the "1977 Trinity" machines (Apple II
, Commodore PET
and TRS-80
) resulted in millions of new platforms appearing almost overnight, and demand for the book led to a second edition in 1978. Sales remained strong for years, and spawned similar collections in More Basic Computer Games (1979), and Big Computer Games (1984) and Basic Computer Adventures (1984).
The BASIC Computer Games are playable under the new Microsoft Small Basic Development Environment for Kids. Computer Science for Kids has released a 2010 Small Basic Edition of the classic Basic Computer Games book called Basic Computers Games: Small Basic Edition.
The programs can also be run on a modern Microsoft Windows
machine by downloading the GW-BASIC
interpreter.
Type-in program
A type-in program, or just type-in, is a computer program listing printed in a computer magazine or book, meant to be typed in by the reader in order to run the program on a computer....
computer games in the BASIC
BASIC
BASIC is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages whose design philosophy emphasizes ease of use - the name is an acronym from Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code....
programming language collected by David H. Ahl
David H. Ahl
David H. Ahl is the founder of Creative Computing magazine. He is also the author of many how-to books, including BASIC Computer Games, the first million-selling computer book....
. Some of the games were written or modified by Ahl as well. It was the first million-selling computer book.
The first edition of the book, released in 1973, contained 101 games that had been collected from a newsletter Ahl wrote for DEC
Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s...
's education department. Many of these games had originally been written on different platforms and then ported to DEC machines. These were easy enough to port to other popular platforms of the era, and many of the games re-appeared on other popular systems like the Data General Nova
Data General Nova
The Data General Nova was a popular 16-bit minicomputer built by the American company Data General starting in 1969. The Nova was packaged into a single rack mount case and had enough power to do most simple computing tasks. The Nova became popular in science laboratories around the world, and...
and HP 2100
HP 2100
The HP 2100 was a series of minicomputers produced by Hewlett-Packard from the mid-1960s to early 1990s. The 2100 was also a specific model in this series. The series was renamed HP 1000 by the 1970s and sold as real-time computers, complementing the more complex IT-oriented HP 3000, and would be...
series.
Copies of the original collection were still widely available when the first hobbyist microcomputers started appearing in 1975, and it became quite popular with these owners. The release of the "1977 Trinity" machines (Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
, Commodore PET
Commodore PET
The Commodore PET was a home/personal computer produced from 1977 by Commodore International...
and TRS-80
TRS-80
TRS-80 was Tandy Corporation's desktop microcomputer model line, sold through Tandy's Radio Shack stores in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The first units, ordered unseen, were delivered in November 1977, and rolled out to the stores the third week of December. The line won popularity with...
) resulted in millions of new platforms appearing almost overnight, and demand for the book led to a second edition in 1978. Sales remained strong for years, and spawned similar collections in More Basic Computer Games (1979), and Big Computer Games (1984) and Basic Computer Adventures (1984).
The BASIC Computer Games are playable under the new Microsoft Small Basic Development Environment for Kids. Computer Science for Kids has released a 2010 Small Basic Edition of the classic Basic Computer Games book called Basic Computers Games: Small Basic Edition.
The programs can also be run on a modern Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
machine by downloading the GW-BASIC
GW-BASIC
GW-BASIC was a dialect of the programming language BASIC developed by Microsoft from BASICA, originally for Compaq. It is compatible with Microsoft/IBM BASICA, but was disk based and did not need the ROM BASIC. It was bundled with MS-DOS operating systems on IBM PC compatibles by Microsoft...
interpreter.
Games
- ChompChompChomp is a 2-player game of strategy played on a rectangular "chocolate bar" made up of smaller square blocks . The players take it in turns to choose one block and "eat it" , together with those that are below it and to its right...
- HexapawnHexapawnHexapawn is a deterministic two-player game invented by Martin Gardner. It is played on a rectangular board of variable size, for example on a 3×3 board or on a chessboard. On a board of size n×m, each player begins with m pawns, one for each square in the row closest to them...
- HamurabiHamurabiHamurabi is a text-based game of land and resource management and is one of the earliest computer games. Its name is a shortening of Hammurabi, reduced to fit an eight-character limit.-History:...
(David H. Ahl, based on The Sumer Game by Richard MerrillRichard MerrillRichard Merrill was a Digital Equipment Corporation employee who invented the FOCAL programming language and programmed the first two interpreters for the language in 1968 and 1969, for the PDP-8...
) - NimNimNim is a mathematical game of strategy in which two players take turns removing objects from distinct heaps. On each turn, a player must remove at least one object, and may remove any number of objects provided they all come from the same heap....
- Pawn duelPawn duelPawn duel is a logical chess game. Two players are taking part, each one has three pawns, placed in opposite to each other on controversial ending lanes. First move belongs to the player controlling the white pawns. Each move means changing the position of a single pawn of your color...
- Super Star TrekStar Trek (text game)Star Trek is a text-based computer game that puts the player in command of the USS Enterprise on a mission to hunt down and destroy an invading fleet of Klingon warships...
- Floppers