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Download non-digitally archived Bally Arcade tape programs that will load with Bally BASIC (the BASIC without the built-in tape-interface).

:RUN Maker
:RUN Maker.
By Andy Guevara.
BASIC EXPRESS, THE 3, no. 2 (May/June 1981): 15-16.

The Bally BASIC :RUN command opens the tape input port and throws whatever characters come in into memory starting at address 4000 Hex (16384 Decimal), which is the first byte of screen RAM. As it loads, you can see it making tracks across the top of the screen.

:RUN Maker allows a machine language program, coded in hexadecimal, to be input and stored on tape. Once stored, all you gotta do is :INPUT and run the tape. Your program starts by itself.
  1. :RUN Maker - Documentation and program listing for :RUN Maker and Standard Color Generator (a demonstration program printed along with :RUN Maker to show how to use the machine language entry program).
Alarm Clock
Alarm Clock.
By Mike Peace.
CURSOR 1, no. 4 (April/May 1981): 31.

This clock runs very accurately over a prolonged period of time. The clock runs faster when the hour is a small number, and runs slower when the hour is a large number; these factors tend to equal each other out. The clock counts, hours, minutes and seconds. When the clock reaches the pre-set alarm time, then the alarm rings for one minute.

Arcade Golf
Arcade Golf.
By Mike Maslowski.
CURSOR 1, no. 6 (July 1980): 42-45.

Notes from the Cursor newsletter:

"This is one of the most innovative programs that we have seen written for Ballys' 2K. This game utilizes graphics; allows you to select from 14 clubs, has doglegs, water hazards, sand traps, roughs, wind effect, and penalties. If you play golf, this program is a must! If you don't, this program will turn you into a "hacker" in no time at all.

"Golf is a one to four player game lasting 1-99 holes (selectable). Each hole will be different. Start with just a few holes until you get the hang of it.

"To start the match, enter the number of golfers and number of holes to be played. You will then be asked how hard you want the course layout to be. One (1) is the easiest and ten (10) the most difficult. The higher the number you enter, the higher the probability of sand traps and doglegs. The last question asked is the average wind speed for the day. The harder the wind is blowing, the more it will affect the flight of your shots, particularly on hits. Until you get the hang of the game, it's best to set wind speed to zero (0)."

Archive Note: The ARCADE GOLF archive contains four different programs, but only one program is actually required to run the program in Bally BASIC. The runnable program is called "Arcade Golf (Main Program and Initialization) (1980)(Mike Maslowski)(300-Baud)."

Camel Camel
By Fred Cornett
1980, CURSOR 1, no. 2 (February 1980): 12-13.

     From the newsletter: "The object is to travel 200 miles across the desert. You're being chased by a tribe of "stoned" pygmies. You have one canteen, which will last 6 drinks, it can be refilled by finding an oasis. During your journey, you encounter hazards, i.e., crazed slavers, sand storms, vampire ants, etc." For full instructions:

     Camel Instructions

Translated from original version in MORE BASIC COMPUTERGAMES by David H.Ahl.
Connect Four "Connect Four"
By Robert Leake.
1980.
CURSOR 2, no. 1 (August 1980): 51-54. (Original Printing)
ARCADIAN 6, no. 9 (Jul. 27, 1984): 79-88. (Program Reprint)
Bally BASIC, 300-Baud.

Fred Cornett, the editor of Cursor thought very highly of "Connect Four." In his 1980 editor's note he wrote, "This is the finest board game program we have ever seen written for the 'Bally!' The graphics, color and sound are excellent. The computer makes each move totally cognizant of all the ramifications of his move. Hence, you are forced to play very well indeed in order to win (it beats us 8 out of 10 times). This program alone is well worth the $9.75 subscription price for 'Cursor.' Paul Thacker, when archiving this program in 2013 thought differently, he noted, "The A.I. let me win in four turns."

The object of this game is to get four of your playing pieces in a row (without any of your opponent's pieces in between) vertically, horizontally or diagonally before the computer or your human opponent does.

Pieces drop vertically in the selected column to the lowest unoccupied position. To select a column, move the joystick left or right and squeeze trigger when indicator is over desired column. Joystick 1 always goes first.

The full instructions for this game, as printed in the "Cursor" newsletter, are here:
  1. "Connect Four" Docs - Complete Instructions
Design
Design.
By Mark Ream.
CURSOR 2, no. 2 (September 1980): 60.

"This delightful little program puts up some very nice designs." This is a video art program that creates many different patterns based on input from the user. Three slightly different versions of this program are archived. See the documentation for details on what is different about them.

Diamond
Diamond.
By Richard Sonnenblick.
BASIC EXPRESS, THE 3, no. 1 (April 1981): 7.

This is a Video Art Program. The author, Richard Sonnenblick, is a junior high school student. Congratulations go to Richard for a very excellent program. I hope you adults reading this are sufficiently chagrined.

DMA Graphics: Rocket Loader
DMA Graphics: "Rocket Loader."
By C.J. Anderson.
Cursor 1, no. 4 (April/May 1980): 1-5.

This program loads graphics from a "tape." The graphics displayed are a "more complicated [graphic than the gremlin, a spacechip] "with its launching gantry, two blocks wide by 40 blocks high."

Paul Thacker's February 21, 2022 archive notes for this program say, "Found on unlabeled reverse side of Artillery Duel tape [in the Doug Shaeffer]. From Cursor Volume 1, Issue 4, page 27. This had no changes from the newsletter, but hadn't been digitally archived before. To get the timing correct, I separately processed the loader program and graphic data, then combined them into a single .wav file."

This graphic was expanded into "Explorer I," a "streaming video" animation, by A.R.D. in 1980 that is on the "Graphics Demo" tape.
  • "Explorer I" (300-Baud Program) - An animation for Bally BASIC that features a spaceship that is animated "as follows: the umbilical cord drops away from the nose of the rocket, then the walkways retract into the gantry. The entire gantry then rolls away from the rocket, off the right-hand side of the screen. A countdown begins. At zero, smoke and flames rise from the launch platform and the rocket majestically rises and disappears off the top of the screen."
Galactibattle "Galactibattle"
By Brett W. Lathrope and Fred Cornett.
CURSOR 1, no. 5 (June 1980): 35-36. (Original Bally BASIC Listing)
Archived from Cursor program found in Ken Lill's tape collection.

     From "Cursor" newsletter, "We have seen so many of this type of program (limited graphics) but, we feel this is one of the best non-graphic space programs we have tried!

     You are a Galactica Warrior piloting an outward bound fighter on a critical search and destroy mission! You are the last hope of your civilization and must destroy all the Cylon ships located in your quadrant of the galaxy!

Hex To Decimal Converter
Hex To Decimal Converter.
By Fred Cornett.
CURSOR 1, no. 2 (February 1980): 11.

This program converts 4-digit hexadecimal numbers to their decimal equivalent in BALLY BASIC. Remember to reverse Hex pair order prior to input [see the PEEK 'N POKE manual for details].
Lace Curtain
Lace Curtain.
By Fred Cornett.
Cursor 1, no. 3 (March 1980): 21.

"If you wish to put more than 2 colors onscreen simultaneously (while using Tiny BASIC) without resorting to machine language, it can only be done by formatting the screen."

This brief tutorial explains how to use Port 9 (horizontal blanking register) and Port 10 (vertical blanking register). Included is short example program, Lace Curtain, that displays four colors at once using a complicated-looking, but eye-pleasing, pattern.

Life Synthesis Model
Life Synthesis Model.
By Fred Cornett.
Cursor 1, no. 1 (January 1980): 6-8.

The full documentation, including a complete explanation and breakdown of the program, a "Starter Colony Location Grid" and a "Sample Starter Colony" are available in the Cursor newsletter, here.

"Using the grid supplied, plot the location of your starter colony. Best results are obtained by keeping the cells in one area. After inputting the starter colony, the computer will search the complete field."
Line Resequencer "Line Resequencer"
By Mike Peace
CURSOR 2 no. 5 (January/February 1981): 89.

     (Non-digitally Archived Version)

     A program to renumber your 300-BAUD programs. This program may work under AstroBASIC if retyped or if this version is converted to 2000-Baud format.
  1. Line Resequencer - Instructions
Message from the Lost Tribe
Message from the Lost Tribe.
By Gregg Cattanach.
BASIC Express, The 3, no. 2 (May/June 1981): 14.

"Long, long ago and once upon a time... there lived a tribe on a lost island. The tribe and the island have both disappeared, but they left a message for all mankind live by. Key in this program, found by Gregg in a floating bottle, and read the message for yourself!"

This program prints a series of random letters and punctuation. However, the program uses simple rules that makes the randomness seems almost like a language that might be spoken on this mythical "lost island."

Othello "Othello"
By Brett Bilbrey.
CURSOR 1, no. 5 (June 1980): 38.

This "Cursor" program was found in Ken Lill's tape collection.

Instructions can be viewed here:
  1. Othello - BASIC Listing and Docs in Newletter

Reverse
Reverse.
By Karl H. Wilvert.
CURSOR 2, no. 2 (September 1980): 59-60.

This game was written for the author's seven-year-old daughter. It teaches number relationships by having the player rearrange the list in the proper order. This is done by reversing leading portions of the list. Though this is relatively simple for an adult, it can be a challenge for a child.

The computer will make a list of the numbers 1 through 9 in random order. It will then ask you how many you want to reverse. You then select the number and hit GO. The computer will rearrange the list and ask again. This is done until the list is in ascending order. A siren will sound and the number of moves used will be displayed.

Ring
Ring.
By Albert Paul.
CURSOR, 1, no. 4 (April/May 1980): 31.

Many thanks to Albert Paul of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada for the following program. Note: to make the ring sticker or thinner, change the value of "N" (line 2). To make the ring larger or smaller, change the value of "M" (line 20). "M" must always be larger than "N."

The alternate version of RING has been altered with the suggestions made in CURSOR to allow the thickness and size of the ring to be changed.

Spider Web
Spider Web.
By Albert Paul.
CURSOR 2, no. 2 (September 1980): 58.

This is a Video Art Program. The programs of Albert Paul constitute a classic example of "good things come in small packages!"

Standard Color Generator
Standard Color Generator.
By Andy Guevara.
BASIC EXPRESS, THE 3, no. 2 (May/June 1981): 15-16.

This 68-byte machine language program accompanied :RUN Maker, where it was used as an example of how to enter a self-running machine language program. This program exceeds the maximum 2 colors on-screen at once in BASIC to display a series of eight color bars which can be used to set the colors on your TV set. The source code for this program is available in this archive in a ready-to-assemble format if you want to fiddle with machine language programming.
  1. Standard Color Generator - Documentation and program listing for :RUN Maker and Standard Color Generator (a demonstration program printed along with :RUN Maker to show how to use the machine language entry program).
Tycoon - A Business Simulation
Tycoon - A Business Simulation..
By Alex Morales.
BASIC EXPRESS, THE 3, no. 3 (July/August 1981): 32-33.

In this simulation, you manage a small factory that produces three different kinds of products (P1 - P3). Three different kinds of raw materials (R1 - R3) are required to produce the products. Each product requires exactly two raw materials with a different subscript. For example, to manufacture one unit of P2, you would need a unit of R1 and a unit of R3. To manufacture one unit of P3, you would need a unit each of R1 and R2.

You can manage this factory monthly for up to 36 months in 12 month increments. After your time has expired, the materials and/or products that you have on hand will be automatically sold at the current prices and your profit will be computed.

Wumpus "Wumpus"
By Chris Pruitt and Robert Leake.
CURSOR 1 no. 2 (February 1980): 14,15.

     The Wumpus, a mythical creature which no man has seen before, lives in a cavern of 20 rooms made of a squashed dodecahedron. Each room connects to 3 other rooms.

     Your mission is to deduce which room the Wumpus is sleeping in (it usually sleeps), and shoot it with an arrow. You have 5 arrows. You fire an arrow by inputting "0" when prompted "MOVE TO?". You can then shoot in up to 5 rooms. The rooms must be joined to each other, or you can ricochet and be killed.

     There are other hazards. Two rooms have Bats and 2 have Pits. Also, the Wumpus moves when you wake him, and he may eat you.
  1. Wumpus - Instructions and Program Line Explanation
  2. Wumpus - Room Map (Squashed Dodecahedron Diagram)
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