Bally Alley - The Newsletter for Astrocade Users

L&M Software (Bally BASIC, 300-Baud)

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

3D Tic-Tac-Toe	3D Tic-Tac-Toe. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1981. Tape 12. The first L&M three-dimensional display, with three levels of game boards. Players can win in all three dimensions. This game will amaze you and is for two players.
Air Raid	Air Raid. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1980. Tape 5. You can be a hero and save the people of the village by intercepting the plane that is going to drop the bombs. Play it and see how many lives that you save! Instructions and program listing
Atom Smasher	Atom Smasher. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1981. This is a two player strategy game where each player selectively removes radioactive particles from atoms. The atoms reach critical mass and explode, shooting energy to adjacent atoms, causing a chain reaction. Scores is displayed... Very fascinating and exciting!
Ayatollah Dart Board	Ayatollah Dart Board. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1980. Tape 8. Electronically stick a hola in the Ayatollah. In recent weeks have you felt like you want to punch Khomeini out? Well, here's your chance! Throw the darts and see what happens when you hit the right spot.
Black Lagoon, The	The Black Lagoon. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1981. Tape 2. You are the pilot of a boat, which must reach the dock on the other side of the Black Lagoon by passing through the interconnecting waterways avoiding the monster. Good luck! On September 3, 2005, Paul Thacker archived this program and noted: "We already have this in 2000 baud format, though I've confirmed that the code is different. As you move through the maze, your boat takes on water. When you enter a new area, you can press the trigger to empty the boat, but be sure to move on before the patrol boat catches you. If you take on too much water, you sink. Hint--move diagonally when possible."
Black Lagoon II, The	The Black Lagoon II. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1980. On March 3, 2011, Paul Thacker archived this program and noted: "This also isn't on Mike White's Software List, but was found in with Brett's tape collection. While the code is different from the original, it plays extremely similarly."
Bombardier	Bombardier. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1980. Tape 3. You're flying over mountains in a bomber. The area below contains Russian missile silos. You must bomb the silos, taking into account wind speed and direction. Good luck! Instructions and program listing.
Claim Jumpers	Claim Jumpers. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1981. Tapes 1 and Tape 14. It's just like the pencil and paper game where players take turns drawing lines on a grid and try to complete the most squares. As long as you keep completing squares, you can keep drawing lines. Simple, yet highly addictive. One or two players. Instructions and program listing.
Color Organ/ Light Show Demo	Color Organ/Light Show Demo. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). September 1980. Color Organ/Light Show: Interfaces Bally to your Stereo Amp. Does not affect stereo quality TV. Displays Color & Light in step with music. Complete interface unit with Cassette Demo & Tutorial .. $29.95 (add your own graphics/Art)." The Light Show/Color Organ is something very special. This unit interfaces your Stereo to the Bally which is connected to the TV. With the addition of a program, your TV becomes a viewing screen which is variable in step to the music. The style of the display depends on the nature of the program. We send a Demo tape program with the Light Show, it contains nine separate styles of display which can be chosen quickly from the keypad while the stereo is playing. Further, we include a guide to help you program your own Light Show. The possibilities are limitless! This unit must be seen to be appreciated. On September 3, 2005, Paul Thacker archived this program and noted: "This was designed to work with the L&M interface Unit. According to the FAQ, 'Interface Bally to any stereo amp with audio power 1 watt on up. TV displays in step with your stereo music.' Even without it, it still displays various graphical effects (kind of like a screen saver)."
Coyote-Roadrunner Desert Race	Coyote-Roadrunner Desert Race. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). October 1981. Tape 10. This is a two player game with all of the excitement and thrill that a race can generate. The race takes place over three screens or zones. All of the hand control functions are used on this one. In 2011, Paul Thacker notes: "I'm not sure this is really working correctly, though it appeared to archive without errors. It's a two player game, and is supposed to have three screens. On the first screen, each player can race (extremely slowly) to clear out what look like maybe piles of birdseed. Pull the trigger and the program will check to see if you've eaten everything, then go off the right side to reach the second screen. This has cacti instead of birdseed, but pulling the trigger no longer does anything, and I couldn't progress to the third screen even after clearing everything."
Crazy Ball	Crazy Ball. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1980. Two games in one program! Catch 22 and Blockade involve a crazy little ball that is constantly bouncing off the wall. An action/skill game that challenges eye-to-hand coordination. Instructions and program listing.
Fox and the Hare	Fox and the Hare. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). December 1980. Tape 13. The Fox is chasing the Hare through a field containing rabbit holes that are two levels deep. The Fox must guess in which hole and at what level the Hare is hiding. On September 3, 2005, Paul Thacker archived this program and noted: "It's a two player game in which the hare tries to hide from the fox. I wish this had come with instructions; as it is only an examination of the source code revealed how it controlled. First, choose between 1 and 75 tries. Then, a series of 40 numbers, randomly chosen from 1 to 60, are displayed. The hare can hide on either the top or bottom of any of these numbers. Look at the available hiding places, then hit GO. Press 2 or 3 to choose between top or bottom, when enter the number to hide in and hit GO. Vertical blanking is used to hide the number you input. Then the fox chooses where to look, using controller 1. Hit up or down on the joystick to look at the top or bottom, then twist the knob and pull the trigger to select the number to look in. If the fox picks the right hiding place, it wins. If not, the hare hides again. Either do the same thing, or hit 0 to stay in the same hiding place. The hare cannot hide in areas the fox has already looked. Repeat this until either the fox finds the hare or uses up all of its tries."
Galactic War 2002	Galactic War 2002. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1980. Tape 9. From your starship you must destroy the Klingon space stations, by firing your missiles and at the same time avoiding the megaton blaster and space debris. Good luck!
Kill the Vulcan	Kill the Vulcan. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). September 1980. Protect the earth from being destroyed by intercepting the land rover being used by the Vulcans, who are from another space outpost. Earth is depending on you! On September 3, 2005, Paul Thacker archived this program and noted: "Try to kill the attacking "allien" before you're "vulcanized." You have artillery on the left of the screen. Adjust your aim with the knob and pull the trigger to fire. Smaller angles go further. The enemy tank keeps moving closer, and when it gets close enough its shots will hit you."
Light Show Demo	Light Show Demo. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1980. On March 3, 2011, Paul Thacker archived this program and noted: "Another program simply labeled 'Light Show Demo' is quite similar to 'Color Organ/Light Show Demo,' but the menu has a few different effects."
Light Show Program #2	Light Show Program #2. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). August 1981. This is another program designed for the L&M Interface Unit.
Meteoroid	Meteoroid. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1981. Tape 3. Meteoroid was inspired by a well-known game. We have put Bally's excellent graphic commands to use and went one better. Instead of one location to shoot from, you have a second one. This, coupled with the special sound effects and colors, makes this a fast action game, one you won't want to stop playing. Instructions and program listing.
Mission Impossible	Mission Impossible. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1980. Tape 12. If you take on this mission, you must successfully reach the end of the corridor containing rooms filled with gas and deadly robots. You have an oxygen allotment and plenty of time to complete your mission. On March 3, 2011, Paul Thacker archived this program and noted about the different versions of the archived tapes: "The ones from atari2600.com and from Mike White are different. I've labeled the one from Mike White as the alternate version."
Multi. Program Format	Multi. Program Format. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1980. On September 3, 2005, Paul Thacker archived this program and noted: "It's simply a template for putting a menu into a BASIC program."
Mummy's Treasure, The	The Mummy's Treasure. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1980. Do you like treasure hunts? If so, then this game will intrigue you. Either you get the treasure or the mummy does, depending on how you play the game! Fun for 1 to 4 players.
Phantom Star Fighters 2003	Phantom Star Fighters 2003. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). June 1981. Tape 7. Phantom Star Fighters is a two player maze game. The star fighters are cloaked to render them invisible, except when they bump into a barrier or when reloading. You have a choice of two types of laser weapons. On September 3, 2005, Paul Thacker archived this program and noted: "A fun game. Two players move through a maze trying to shoot each other, but they're invisible until they fire. If you fire too many times, you have to pause to reload, making you very vulnerable."
Rescue Air Drop	Rescue Air Drop. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). July 1980. Tape 11. This is your chance to defend a village against a warring pack of mongrels. If you use good skill, you can save the people and be their hero forever!" On September 3, 2005, Paul Thacker archived this program and noted: "Save the troops by dropping supplies onto the mountaintop. Pay attention to the wind velocity. Unfortunately, there seems to be no way to dodge the ground forces taking pot shots at you.
River City Gambler	River City Gambler. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1981. Tape 1 (Bally BASIC) and Tape 18 (AstroBASIC). The object of "River City Gambler" is to eliminate as many of the numbers at the top of the screen as you can, by eliminating combinations or single numbers equal to the combination of the two dice rolled. A new roll of the dice is made by "Bally" each time you have used the previous dice combination.
Search and Destroy	Search and Destroy. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). September 1980. Tape 5. The mad Dr. Oppenheimer has stolen a nuclear sub and threatens to destroy the world. Your job is to save the world by using the battleship. On September 3, 2005, Paul Thacker archived this program and noted: "Pick numbers to attack so you can randomly destroy the enemy before it randomly destroys you."
Sink the U-Boat	Sink The U-Boat. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). September 1980. Tape 11. Did you get the opportunity to sink any U-boats during World War II? Probably not, so here's your chance to do battle with a German U-boat. Good luck! Instructions and program listing.
Space Checkers	Space Checkers. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). July 1981. Tape 7. The object of the game is to eliminate your opponent. One point is deducted from a player's score each time one of his men is eliminated. The high score wins the game. The game is over when there are NO adjacent moves left. Elimination of your own man may be your only adjacent move, if so, you must take it. On September 3, 2005, Paul Thacker archived this program and noted: "This is one of my favorite BASIC games. The board is a grid in which the edges have two types of alien head tokens on them, and the center and corners have 'N' tokens on them. The first player places the checker on any of the N spaces, then the players take turns moving it. You can move the checker to any bordering square (including diagonally), but once you've moved onto a square, it's cleared and you can't move there again. Decrease your opponent's score by clearing the matching alien pieces. At some point, the checker will be trapped and the game ends, and whoever has the most alien pieces left wins. (It can be a draw.) There's some serious strategy to this game, though I recommend playing with a real person instead of the computer." Instructions and program listing.
Space Quest 2001	Space Quest 2001. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). November 1980. Tape 6 Your interstellar spacecraft must save a friendly colony, on the planet, from the star plunderer. You must break through the force field and destroy the enemy, using lasers and missiles. On July 5, 2002, Adam Trionfo archived this program and noted: "This is a very bland BASIC game (and it's SLOW)- it's VERY early and should NOT be used as an indicator of how good a BASIC program can be. It's here for historical purposes, and for use as comparison with programs that would come later and show a little more of what BASIC could do."
Space Sleuth	Space Sleuth. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). October 1981. Tape 13. This is a (Who Done It) detective game for 1 to 4 players. You won't believe the amount of features in this 1.8K game of strategy. There are over 75,000 combinations of suspects, clues, and alibis. A unique "Sherlock Eyepiece" is employed to decode secret information displayed to each player in turn... Unusual game of wit and logic." On September 3, 2005, Paul Thacker archived this program and noted: "It's like Clue...in space. And at one point, it draws a neon green symbol on a bright yellow background, which you're supposed to read by wearing special glasses." The manual for "Space Sleuth/Fox & the Hare" By L&M Software is available along with three pages of extras for the game. There is a small page that says "Private Questions," another that's "Rules and Explanations" and there is a stack of sheets that the player would fill out as the game is played. The "Private Questions" sheet has a piece of red cellophane stapled to it. Space Sleuth/Fox & the Hare (Manual) by L&M Software Space Sleuth (Extras) by L&M Software
Star Base 2000	Star Base 2000. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). October 1981. Tape 6. This game puts you in command of Starship Aquila. You must reach the Star Base by navigating through force fields, black holes, and avoid overheating the engines. Can you reach Star Base 2000? On September 3, 2005, Paul Thacker archived this program and noted: "Move your ship through the maze to reach the Star Base. You can cool your engine periodically, but lose points for doing so. And be sure not to fly into the invisible, completely undetectable black holes."
Super Sleuth	Super Sleuth. By L&M Software (Bill Loos and Greg Miller). 1981. Tape 13 (with "The Black Lagoon II"). On March 3, 2011, Paul Thacker archived this program and noted: "This is nearly identical to Space Sleuth." In Michael White's Software FAQ, he refers to this game as "Super (Space) Sleuth."
Target (Trio of Games)	Target (Trio of Games). September 1980. Tape 4. This is a series of three games, Pop-Up, Deck the Duck and Skeet. These games give you a chance to test your skill at shooting and are very enjoyable. On September 3, 2005, Paul Thacker archived this program and noted: "This is a simple but fun game. Score points by firing on blinking boxes, skeet, and a hapless duck. Aim with the knob and fire with the trigger. You have to hit a very precise area on the target." Instructions and program listing.