Big Blue Disk
Encyclopedia
Big Blue Disk was a monthly disk magazine
that was published by Softdisk Publishing
starting in 1986, getting its name from the nickname for IBM
, "Big Blue". It carried various games and applications for DOS
as well as reviews and various extras. Some of them were freeware
or shareware
, or demo versions of commercial programs, but other material was original to the disk magazine. When it began, it was published on 5¼" floppy diskettes, but it was later published on 3½" disks and CD-ROM
s. Sometimes, but not always, the disks were actually blue as the title implied. Notably, it carried some games from Apogee
, including Kingdom of Kroz
and its sequels. It was later changed to On Disk Monthly in 1991 and then again renamed to Softdisk PC before ceasing publication in the mid-1990s. Softdisk for Windows was a spinoff publication for the Microsoft Windows
operating system which outlasted it by several years. Other short-lived spinoff publications included the business-oriented PC BusinessDisk and the recreational Gamer's Edge, the latter of which had on its original staff the people who soon founded id Software
. There was also briefly a separate version for users with CGA
and EGA
graphics adapters, when the main publication (formerly compatible with CGA and even text-only MDA
monochrome systems) moved to a graphical interface that required VGA graphics.
Publishing rights in some countries were licensed by Softdisk to other companies, which released adapted versions including PC Disk Downunder in Australia
and New Zealand
, and El Usuario in Latin America
.
Disk magazine
A disk magazine, colloquially known as a diskmag, is a magazine that is distributed in electronic form to be read using computers. These had some popularity in the 1980s and 1990s as periodicals distributed on floppy disk, hence their name...
that was published by Softdisk Publishing
Softdisk
Softdisk is a software and Internet company based in Shreveport, Louisiana. Founded in 1981, its original products were disk magazines...
starting in 1986, getting its name from the nickname for IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, "Big Blue". It carried various games and applications for DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
as well as reviews and various extras. Some of them were freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
or shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
, or demo versions of commercial programs, but other material was original to the disk magazine. When it began, it was published on 5¼" floppy diskettes, but it was later published on 3½" disks and CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
s. Sometimes, but not always, the disks were actually blue as the title implied. Notably, it carried some games from Apogee
3D Realms
3D Realms is a current video game publisher and former video game developer based in Garland, Texas, United States, established in 1987...
, including Kingdom of Kroz
Kingdom of Kroz
Not to be confused with Zork.The Kroz series is a series of video games created by Scott Miller. The first episode in the series, Kingdom of Kroz, was released in 1987 as Apogee Software's first game. It was also published on Big Blue Disk #20...
and its sequels. It was later changed to On Disk Monthly in 1991 and then again renamed to Softdisk PC before ceasing publication in the mid-1990s. Softdisk for Windows was a spinoff publication for the 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...
operating system which outlasted it by several years. Other short-lived spinoff publications included the business-oriented PC BusinessDisk and the recreational Gamer's Edge, the latter of which had on its original staff the people who soon founded id Software
Id Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
. There was also briefly a separate version for users with CGA
Color Graphics Adapter
The Color Graphics Adapter , originally also called the Color/Graphics Adapter or IBM Color/Graphics Monitor Adapter, introduced in 1981, was IBM's first color graphics card, and the first color computer display standard for the IBM PC....
and EGA
Enhanced Graphics Adapter
The Enhanced Graphics Adapter is the IBM PC computer display standard specification which is between CGA and VGA in terms of color and space resolution. Introduced in October 1984 by IBM shortly after its new PC/AT, EGA produces a display of 16 simultaneous colors from a palette of 64 at a...
graphics adapters, when the main publication (formerly compatible with CGA and even text-only MDA
Monochrome Display Adapter
The Monochrome Display Adapter introduced in 1981 was IBM's standard video display card and computer display standard for the PC. The MDA did not have any pixel-addressable graphics modes...
monochrome systems) moved to a graphical interface that required VGA graphics.
Publishing rights in some countries were licensed by Softdisk to other companies, which released adapted versions including PC Disk Downunder in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and El Usuario in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
.
Games
- Battleship
- Castle of KrozKingdom of KrozNot to be confused with Zork.The Kroz series is a series of video games created by Scott Miller. The first episode in the series, Kingdom of Kroz, was released in 1987 as Apogee Software's first game. It was also published on Big Blue Disk #20...
- Catacomb
- Caverns of KrozKingdom of KrozNot to be confused with Zork.The Kroz series is a series of video games created by Scott Miller. The first episode in the series, Kingdom of Kroz, was released in 1987 as Apogee Software's first game. It was also published on Big Blue Disk #20...
- ChagunitzuChagunitzuChagunitzu is a tile-based, CGA/EGA computer game created by Keith Schuler and published by Softdisk in June, 1990 on Big Blue Disk #44. It is followed by Paganitzu. The game is a 2D puzzle game comparable to Chip's Challenge...
- Color War
- Conflagration
- Dark Designs
- Dark Designs II
- Dinosorceror
- Dungeons of KrozKingdom of KrozNot to be confused with Zork.The Kroz series is a series of video games created by Scott Miller. The first episode in the series, Kingdom of Kroz, was released in 1987 as Apogee Software's first game. It was also published on Big Blue Disk #20...
- Galactic Battle
- Kingdom of KrozKingdom of KrozNot to be confused with Zork.The Kroz series is a series of video games created by Scott Miller. The first episode in the series, Kingdom of Kroz, was released in 1987 as Apogee Software's first game. It was also published on Big Blue Disk #20...
- Legends of Murder
- Legends of Murder II: Gray Haven
- Magic Boxes
- Moraff's RevengeMoraff's RevengeMoraff's Revenge is a role-playing game which provides a 3D first-person perspective for its players.The objective of the game is to create a character to explore a series of dungeons in order to destroy monsters, gain experience, find treasures, and reach the Fountain of Youth...
- Murder in the Museum - An InfocomInfocomInfocom was a software company, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that produced numerous works of interactive fiction. They also produced one notable business application, a relational database called Cornerstone....
-style interactive fictionInteractive fictionInteractive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
game with a murder mystery theme - One that flew over the Cuckoo's Nest - (text adventure style similar to Murder in the Museum, bout a house with gems and drunken partying sailors)
- Pyramids of Egypt
- Relix
- The Lost Crown of Queen AnneThe Lost Crown of Queen Anne-Summary:This video game is available for the Commodore 64 and DOS and is a part of the Classic Adventure Series. It was also carried on Big Blue Disk #28 and Loadstar #57....
- Twilight Treasures
- Willy the Worm
- Zappa Roidz
Entertainment
- Adventures of AlfredoAdventures of AlfredoAdventures of Alfredo, or Alfredo's Arduous Adventures was the original non-interactive computer animation series that featured a lovable trial-ridden stick-figure named Alfredo. Alfredo is something of a cross between Mr. Bill and Wile E. Coyote in that he suffers greatly in each episode but...
- Alfredo's Lost Cause, (Softdisk 36, Softdisk 96, Big Blue Disk 7)
- Alfredo's Transport Troubles, (Softdisk 43, Big Blue Disk 8)
- Alfredo's Laser Lament, (Softdisk 44, Big Blue Disk 9)
- Alfredo's Digestive Dilemma, (Softdisk 45, Big Blue Disk 10)
- Alfredo's Crushing Curiosity, (Softdisk 46, Big Blue Disk 11)
- Alfredo's Whopping Wattage, (Softdisk 47, Big Blue Disk 12)
- Alfredo's Fiery Fiasco, (Softdisk 48, Big Blue Disk 16)
- Alfredo's Hulking Hubris, (Softdisk 49, Big Blue Disk 17)
- Alfredo's Nuclear Nuisance, (Softdisk 51, Big Blue Disk 25)
- Alfredo's Moriferous Mortality/Mentality, (Softdisk 53, Big Blue Disk 32)
- Alfredo's Faulty Finale, (Softdisk 55, Big Blue Disk 34)
- Alfredo's Miserable Moniker, (Softdisk 71, Softdisk 96, Big Blue Disk)
- Alfredo's Stupendous Surprise, (Softdisk 98, Big Blue Disk)
Utilities
- Conversion Tables
- DOS Manager
- Tidbits System Utilities ODM Issue #64