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Site news (year 2014)

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 6:09 pm
by MADrigal
25th February, 2014
Sit down and relax because there are lots of good news today. I have gathered lots of stuff to add to almost every section of the website!

Articles: I got scans from old magazines from the 80's published in Germany and Finland, plus a few scans I did myself. They include rare BASIC program listings and promotional articles not to miss. Thanks go to my good friends Jens Brinkmann, Jarkko Pitajamaki and Thomas Gutmeier for sending all the scans! The articles are:
- Die richtige Wahl (Mein Home Computer 12/84)
- Pelihimoisille (Tekniikan Maailma 20/84)
- Salora Manager Luokkaa ylempana (MikroBitti 4/84)
- Spiel mit Basic (Funkschau 15/83)
- Tekstinkasittely (MikroBitti 3/87)
- Tietokone jouluahjaksi (MikroBitti 4/84)
- Tukialus (MikroBitti 6-7/85)

Flyers: I got scans from a stunningly rare brochure which was issued by VTech for the U.S. market in 1983 mentioning hardware, software and "vaporware" for the CreatiVision system. It was given to U.S. businesses at the CES exhibition in summer 1983 and it proves that VTech was looking for a distributor for their consoles in the U.S.A. The file is named "Price List Order Form - January 1983".
In addition, I got scans from a rare Finnish flyer for the Salora Manager, named "Salora Manager - Mikroihme luokassaan".
Lastly, I uploaded a better version of the gorgeous flyer "The serious computer you've been waiting for".
Thanks go to Scott Stilphen, Leonard Herman, Jarkko Pitajamaki and Michael Obsieger.

Releases/Hardware: New scans available listed below:
- CreatiVision (Zanussi GMU 160): newly discovered manual (V1, earlier)
- Funvision (VTech): manual re-scan
- Parallel I/O interface (Dick Smith): manual re-scan at correct aspect ratio

Releases/Software: New scans available listed below:
- Auto Chase (CreatiVision, Italian): box, manual and catalogue no.
- Auto Chase (CreatiVision, Swedish): manual re-scan
- Police Jump (CreatiVision, Japanese): box re-scan
- Tennis (CreatiVision, Japanese): box re-scan
Thanks go to Cristian Alberti, Cyril Denis, Ian Baronofsky and Rikard Ljungkvist for providing the rare stuff!

Emulators: I released a new version (V1.10) of the CreatiVe-UI interface, now identifying the newly released ROMs listed below.

ROM Programs: fixed versions of the Deep Sea Adventure and Planet Defender game ROMs. Graphic glitches displayed in the background were removed. Thanks to Michael Obsieger and @username@ for the great job!

Lastly, don't miss to check the Forum for updates on several forthcoming homebrew games and peripherals such as the promising CSL Cart - changing a CreatiVision into an enhanced Laser 2001/Salora Manager computer!

Re: Site news (year 2014)

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2014 3:42 pm
by MADrigal
17th July, 2014
A whole ton of updates - again! This time I'm adding lots of stuff concerning the Laser 2001 and Salora Manager home computers, and a couple of incredible findings which appear to be obscure prototypes: a NTSC CreatiVision coming from Venezuela, and the 16Kb Expansion Module for the D.S. Wizzard - wow!
I hope you enjoy the new additions, which I'm listing below.

Articles: Games listings and articles on the Laser 2001 and Salora Manager BASIC, which were originally published on German and Finnish magazines. Thanks to Jarkko Pitajamaki and Thomas Gutmeier for sending all the scans. The BASIC listings are:
- Andromeda (Computronic 8/84)
- Cave Man (Computronic 10/84)
- Clipper Flipper (Homecomputer 1/85)
- Crazy Cake (Computronic 9/84)
- Pipeline (Homecomputer 2/85)
- Yksikatinen Rosvo (One-Armed Bandit) (MikroBitti 9/86)
And the article is:
- Laser 2001 - Ein neuer Stern... (Computronic 10/84)

Flyers: I got scans of a very rare Italian catalogue from my good old friend Mauro Spadazzi:
- Zanussi and Rex flyer/catalogue (Italy, 1983)

Releases/Hardware: New entries, pictures and scans of the following items - partly from me, and partly from Dieter Koenig, Megan Potts, Thomas Gutmeier, Tim Venn, Joni Valtanen and Joaquin Coelho:
- CreatiVision NTSC console, early prototype(?) from Venezuela (pictures pack)
- CreatiVision console from South Africa (box)
- Dick Smith Wizzard console, rare variant with yellow sticker (box)
- Dick Smith Wizzard console, rare X-1600 variant (pictures pack)
- Dick Smith Wizzard 16Kb expansion (pictures pack)
- Hanimex Rameses console (additional instructions manual, new pictures pack)
- Salora Manager computer (box, instructions manual, BASIC manual)
- Salora Manager floppy disk drive FD-100A (pictures pack)
- Salora Manager joysticks JS-20 (instructions manual)
- Salora Fellow/Manager datassette (instructions manual)
I'm also adding two beautiful pieces of homebrew hardware to the database:
- CreatiVision Datassette Interface (made by Thomas Gutmeier)
- Laser 2001 16K Expansion Module (replica homebrew by CSL team)

Releases/Software: New entries, pictures and scans of the following items - partly from me, and partly from David Gschmeidler and Joni Valtanen:
- Tennis, CreatiVision version (variant of the English manual, printed in 1982)
- Auto Chase, Salora Manager version (manual, cartridge)
- Chopper Rescue, Salora Manager version (cartridge at higher resolution)

BASIC Programs: added the text versions of the BASIC listings for Laser 2001 which are also available in PDF format in the Articles section. The text files are good for use with actual or emulated Laser 2001 and Salora Manager.

I also invite you to join the Forum to discover homebrew hardware and games, watch videos and download ROMs. Among all, I suggest you ordering a copy of Block by Michael Obsieger, which is about to be released. A very few copies are still available for pre-order.

Last but not least, I wish to thank Nino Porcino and Agostino Martino of the former Laser Computer Club for providing scans of a few issues of the rare Laser magazine.
Full scans of the magazines are available on Mauro Corbetta's website, Retroedicola Videoludica, containing a huge collection of scans of computers and videogames magazines.

Re: Site news (year 2014)

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 9:28 pm
by MADrigal
1st October, 2014
More and more obscure and rare stuff surfaced this month, and a brand new homebrew cartridge! Today I'm adding pictures, scans and information on South African pressings, Salora Manager and Fellow peripherals, newly discovered articles from old magazines, and much more...
This is the list of news:

I'm happy to announce that the guys at Treviso RC have finally released their long-awaited multicart, named Multirom. It's a cartridge featuring 31 ROM programs that's the full set of official games plus hacks, homebrew programs, diagnostics and demos.
Please read te full story and pre-order your copy on the Multirom page!

The new files were also added:

Articles: A generalist Italian magazine named Video featuring a nice article on videogames. Thanks to Mauro Spadazzi for sending the scans:
- I Videogiochi (Video, Annuario'84)

Releases/Hardware: New entries, pictures and scans of the following items. Thanks go to Manu Parssinen, Dieter Koenig and Jarkko Pitajamaki:
- Cassette Storage Module, CreatiVision version (Italian box, new pictures pack)
- 16Kb expansion module, Dick Smith Wizzard version (manual, new pictures pack)
- Colecovision module, Salora Manager version (box, manual, new pictures pack)
- Floppy disk controller, Salora Manager version (pictures pack)
- Datassette, Salora Fellow/Manager version (pictures pack)

Releases/Software: New pictures and scans got by generous old and new contributors - Anders Carlsson, Sprazzi, Jarkko Pitajamaki and Gary Petzer:
- Air/Sea Attack, CreatiVision version (South African box)
- Auto Chase, CreatiVision version (South African box and manual)
- Chopper Rescue, Laser 2001 version (cartridge)
- Crazy Chicky, CreatiVision version (South African box)
- Crazy Chicky, CreatiVision version (Italian 8-pages manual)
- Planet Defender, CreatiVision version (South African box)
- Planet Defender, Laser 2001 version (cartridge)
- Police Jump, CreatiVision version (South African box)
- Police Jump, Laser 2001 version (cartridge)
- Sonic Invader, CreatiVision version (South African box)
- Tank Attack, CreatiVision version (South African box)
- Tennis, CreatiVision version (South African box)
- Tennis, Laser 2001 version (cartridge)
I am also adding a very nice finding on cassette tape:
- Demo Tape, CreatiVision version (South African box, tape and recording to WAV)

Last but not least, I wish to thank Kevin Gallery for providing very high quality scans of the console datasheets, which are now available for download in a brand new area: Datasheets.

Site news (year 2014)

Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 11:39 am
by MADrigal
15th November, 2014
G'day everybody! This is my very first post from my new house in Canberra, Australia! Right before leaving Italy I have set up a few very nice updates to the archive section, which I'm publishing now! Please read the list below.

Releases/Hardware:
- CreatiVision console, South African version (box variant, manual, new pictures pack)

Releases/Software:
- Mouse Puzzle cartridge, Laser 2001 version (box, manual and cartridge)
- Planet Defender cartridge, CreatiVision version (English manual)
- Air/Sea Attack cassette, Salora Manager version (WAV file recording)

Thanks go to my long time friend Jarkko Pitajamaki from Finland, who provided scans of several items listed above!