1. Video Games

Twilight Treasures

Twilight Treasures was the original name I gave to this little game I wrote with my friend Rob. When Nibble decided to buy it and publish in 1988 it they renamed it, I guessing, to be more direct and to the point. They ruined my alliterative masterpiece and so when I later ported the game in 1989 to the PC for Softdisk I gave it its rightful name.

The play mechanic in the game is real fun and simple - avoid everything and get the treasure then return back to your boat. It's similar to Pac-Man. But if I had only tweaked the idea a bit I could have ended up with the sensation that became Insaniquarium (17 years later, though).
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  • I love it when someone paints something really cool to represent my games - I liked this cover the best of the Nibble covers I had.

    I love it when someone paints something really cool to represent my games - I liked this cover the best of the Nibble covers I had.

  • Here's the table of contents from the issue.  I think it's great to see my friend's name in there with mine.  Also cool was the fact that one of my mentors, Roger Wagner, was answering reader's questions - I learned 6502 Assembly Language from him!

    Here's the table of contents from the issue. I think it's great to see my friend's name in there with mine. Also cool was the fact that one of my mentors, Roger Wagner, was answering reader's questions - I learned 6502 Assembly Language from him!

  • Yes, I wrote the article.  I love how it basically says you're a bad person doing illegal things.  So it's not so bad when a shark bites your head off, eh?

You'll notice the address at the bottom - I was living at my friend Rob's house for a couple months and wrote this game while I was there.

    Yes, I wrote the article. I love how it basically says you're a bad person doing illegal things. So it's not so bad when a shark bites your head off, eh? You'll notice the address at the bottom - I was living at my friend Rob's house for a couple months and wrote this game while I was there.

  • Here I explain the code which is one of the driving factors for magazines to print program listings.  This game is actually pretty fun when you use a joystick to play.

The secret to getting my games published was to combine a short BASIC program with a 6502 portion (which was the game code).  Overall the listing is much shorter by using BASIC for the "back office" work and the asm for the real game code.  All 6502 and the listing would be too long.  All BASIC and the game would be slow and suck.

    Here I explain the code which is one of the driving factors for magazines to print program listings. This game is actually pretty fun when you use a joystick to play. The secret to getting my games published was to combine a short BASIC program with a 6502 portion (which was the game code). Overall the listing is much shorter by using BASIC for the "back office" work and the asm for the real game code. All 6502 and the listing would be too long. All BASIC and the game would be slow and suck.

  • Here you get to see the first half of the BASIC program listing.

    Here you get to see the first half of the BASIC program listing.

  • This is the last half of the listing and the start of the shape data.

    This is the last half of the listing and the start of the shape data.

  • The end of the shape data and the start of the 6502 assembly language.  Readers could either type in this code or skip past it and enter the machine code directly into memory.

I'm glad they printed my program comments - it's one of the major  reasons readers like to see the listing.....so they can learn.

    The end of the shape data and the start of the 6502 assembly language. Readers could either type in this code or skip past it and enter the machine code directly into memory. I'm glad they printed my program comments - it's one of the major reasons readers like to see the listing.....so they can learn.

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  • I love reading these old ads.  They are overwhelmingly lameass.

    I love reading these old ads. They are overwhelmingly lameass.

  • How many people do you really think would cut out half a page of a magazine and send it in?  DUMB.

    How many people do you really think would cut out half a page of a magazine and send it in? DUMB.

  • Here's a little drawing I made of the game as I was hoping to create it.

    Here's a little drawing I made of the game as I was hoping to create it.

  • This page was on the left-hand side of the first page of the article.  But I messed with it and made it nice enough for a desktop image (centered on 1600x1200).

    This page was on the left-hand side of the first page of the article. But I messed with it and made it nice enough for a desktop image (centered on 1600x1200).

  • This is the postcard I received from Nibble when I submitted the game to them a few weeks before my 19th birthday.

    This is the postcard I received from Nibble when I submitted the game to them a few weeks before my 19th birthday.

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    This page was on the left-hand side of the first page of the article.  But I messed with it and made it nice enough for a desktop image (centered on 1600x1200).
    This is the postcard I received from Nibble when I submitted the game to them a few weeks before my 19th birthday.