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Volker Becker compilation

Volker Becker compilation

by hamlet on 09-07-2020, 18:57
Topic: Software
Tags: Arcade, compilation, game, German, Homebrew, Magazines, BASIC, DIY
Languages:

Volker Becker was one of Germans top programmer in the mid 80's homebrew scene. Games like Miraculus, Exodus and Moon Race has been published in magazines back in the days and brought some arcade like action on printed listings to your living room.

In our download section you now will find a compilation of his games which he send us to share with you.
It contains:

  • Alien Attack (7 KB)
    Start: RUN "alien.bas"
    Fight against angry aliens.
  • Break Out (4 KB)
    Start: RUN "breakout.bas"
    Break Out Classsic.
  • Enemy Trap (5 KB)
    Start:BLOAD "enemy",R
    Trap your enemies.
  • Exodus (6 KB)
    Start: RUN "exodus.bas"
    Good old "Cosmic Arch" conversion.
  • Frogger (5 KB)
    Start: RUN "frogger.bas"
    Street, river, repeat.
  • Super Memory (7 KB)
    Start: RUN "memory.bas"
    I forgot...
  • Miraculus (6 KB)
    Start: RUN "miracul.bas"
    Arcade Centipede classic.
  • Monkey (6 KB)
    Start: RUN "monkey.bas"
    Monkey throw nuts. watch ou!
  • Moon Race (6 KB)
    Start: RUN "moonrace.bas"
    Parallax scrolling on moon's surface.
  • Pac Man (6 KB)
    Start: RUN "pacman.bas"
    Lives in dark caverns and eats pills. reminds me on my first techno party.
  • Pipeline (6 KB)
    Start: RUN "pipeline.bas"
    Connect the pipelines.
  • Pongo (8 KB)
    Start: BLOAD "pongo",R
    This time the ape is a bear.
  • Rabbit Walk (6 KB)
    Start: RUN "rabbit.bas"
    Chase Rudi Rabbit.
  • Flying Rescue (9 KB)
    Start: RUN "rescue.bas"
    Well done, Hero!
  • Solaris (8 KB)
    Start: RUN "solaris.bas"
    Remember Buck? Sleeping a hundred years only to wake up and fight?
  • Star Fight (7 KB)
    Start: RUN "star.bas"
    Volkers first MSX attempt in 3D.
  • Wheels (7 KB)
    Start: RUN "wheels.bas"
    Racing simulation in 3D.
  • Zirkus (6 KB)
    Start: RUN "zirkus.bas"
    Save the Clowns!

Relevant link:
Download the compilation from MRCs DDB.

Comments (11)

By Briqunullus

Paladin (760)

Briqunullus's picture

09-07-2020, 19:31

Nice. I immediately recognized one of the games: Monkey. I remember typing this listing over from a few loose pages my father got me. No idea where he got them, no idea where those are now. I will definitely check out others!

By tfh

Prophet (3425)

tfh's picture

09-07-2020, 19:41

Hmmm, no pacman in the archive? Smile

By hamlet

Scribe (4106)

hamlet's picture

09-07-2020, 20:01

I attached a collection with the games in single folders which contains PM, too.

By tfh

Prophet (3425)

tfh's picture

09-07-2020, 20:28

hamlet wrote:

I attached a collection with the games in single folders which contains PM, too.

Well I just re-downloaded the archive, but this is what I see:

/edit/
Aha... You have attached another file in the mean time :)

By ray2day

Paladin (752)

ray2day's picture

09-07-2020, 23:49

Really cool Cool Volker Becker’s games -especially for those days- are a big example to me how MSX BASIC have to be made. Super! -> LOTS OF RESPECT!!

By defdanny

Scribe (391)

defdanny's picture

10-07-2020, 08:53

Very nice move, hamlet!
The name "Volker Becker" rang a bell... after a quick googling, I knew why:
The game Miraculus (or a previous version?) was printed as a listing in the MSX Revue, and in hours of work I had typed it up. I can still remember the large number of "DATA" lines, probably because the game partly contained assembler routines... For a "typing" game it was outstandingly good (and fast) anyway! :D
Fun Fact: He created a game with the name of "Alien Attack", the same name my 2020 game project has... well, not a unique name of course.
Sad Fact: In the 80s Volker lived in the same city as me, Oberursel, only a few streets away. Unfortunately I never got to know him personally. Even though I was looking for other MSX users so much, among all the Commodore heads around me!

So, lets start playing some Assembler powered BASIC games!

By Manuel

Ascended (19677)

Manuel's picture

11-07-2020, 00:04

Wow, Volker Becker. I also once typed in the Miraculus game. He must be the most famous German MSX game programmer from the 80s!

And defdanny: that is indeed sad! But fun to read now though Smile

By gdx

Enlighted (6429)

gdx's picture

11-07-2020, 11:31

Nice games!

Not long ago I reported other nice Basic programs that have been adapted for MSX by MSX Tensei Kobo.

By MarMSX

Resident (40)

MarMSX's picture

13-07-2020, 05:11

Thanks to Volker Becker. His games are really cool and a good opportunity to learn some tricks on game development, specially the game Monkey, which has nice graphics and animation.
Congrats.

By hamlet

Scribe (4106)

hamlet's picture

16-07-2020, 20:14

Some time ago I asked Volker Becker for permission to add his programs here in our database. He was surprised that there are still people who are interested in his programs and that there is still a scene around the MSX. I used the opportunity to give him some loose sticking out. In this Thread you can read his response.

By Manuel

Ascended (19677)

Manuel's picture

24-03-2021, 23:11

I just played "FLYING RESCUE" for the first time, after finding it in the magazine "SONDER Ausgabe Computronic Software für Heimcomputer". And to my big surprise, the level layout seems to be identical to those of FLYING HERO, as published in MSX-Gids X2 (by Michel R. Janssen). The programs don't look similar, so, I guess Michel borrowed the level design from Volker...