It’s 1933 and the party’s almost over. Prohibition is gasping its last breath, but the mobsters aren’t going down without a fight.
They’re flooding the streets with one last tidal wave of illegal hooch, raking in blood money while they still can. And right in the middle of it all stands Eliot Ness and his Untouchables, outgunned, outnumbered, and running out of time.
You are one of those Untouchables. The badge means nothing. The law means less. All that matters is who draws first and who walks away. Every shadow hides a tommy gun. Every corner could be your last. So load both holsters, keep your head down, and pray your trigger finger’s faster than theirs. Because in this city, justice comes in .45 caliber packages.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Commodore VIC-20 with 24K RAM expansion
Joystick (port 2)
Nerves of steel
LOADING INSTRUCTIONS
DISK: Load “”,8,1 + RETURN
TAPE: Load “”,1,1 + RETURN
Then type: RUN + RETURN
Then duck.
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Pacific Air War
The Pacific is burning. Wave after wave of enemy aircraft darken the sky, and somewhere out there, the fate of the entire campaign rests on your wings. You are the squadron leader of a secret twin-engined super fighter, the kind of machine that only exists in the darkest corners of military black projects. Your orders are simple: inflict maximum damage and clear the way for the Naval expeditionary forces to seize the island chains, one by one.
But this is no ordinary dogfight. You’ll launch from aircraft carrier to aircraft carrier, battling relentless waves of enemy fighters, dodging squadrons of heavy bombers, weaving past experimental missiles that turn the sky into a death trap, and hunting down the super weapon bombers that could change the course of the war. You have three aircraft in your squadron, and if your aim is true and your reflexes sharp, a fourth may join the fight. Keep your eyes peeled for the upgrade pellets scattered throughout the levels. Catch them and your firing rate doubles, turning your machine guns into a storm of lead. And when the bullets close in, pull back on the stick and throw your fighter into a loop. You’ll get three seconds of invulnerability, just enough time to turn the tables. You can pull three loops per aircraft, so use them wisely.
Good luck, Captain. You’re going to need it.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Commodore VIC-20 with 24K RAM expansion
Joystick (port 2)
Steady hands and a sharp eye
CONTROLS
Joystick Left / Right – Maneuver fighter
Joystick Down – Perform loop (3 seconds invulnerability, 3 loops per aircraft)
Fire Button – Machine guns
LOADING INSTRUCTIONS
DISK: Insert disk, type LOAD “*”,8,1 + RETURN. After loading, type RUN + RETURN.
TAPE: Insert tape, type LOAD + RETURN. After loading, type RUN + RETURN.
Fly safe, Captain. The Pacific is waiting.
####################
Elite
The year is 1984. A game was born that would redefine what a video game could be. It was called Elite, and it gave you an entire galaxy to explore, trade, fight, and survive in. Now, forty years later, that same galaxy has been squeezed into the VIC-20. And against all odds, it works.
You are a lone commander in a Cobra Mk III, a ship that’s equal parts cargo hauler and gunship. The galaxy is yours to carve a path through. Buy low, sell high. Hunt pirates. Run blockades. Dodge lasers and missiles. Trade your way to fortune or fight your way to glory. The choice is yours, but the galaxy waits for no one. Every system you jump to holds new opportunities and new dangers. The economy is alive, shifting with every trade, every battle, every decision you make. This is not a game that holds your hand. This is a game that hands you the keys to a starship and wishes you luck.
The VIC-20 version of Elite is built from the C-64 source code, but make no mistake, this is no simple port. The graphics, text, keyboard and joystick input, and sound routines have all been rewritten from scratch to fit the VIC-20’s unique architecture. And while the full enhanced Elite couldn’t possibly fit within the VIC’s limited memory, what remains is arguably bigger and better than the original BBC Cassette and Acorn Electron versions. Those versions had only eleven to thirteen ships. This one has thirty. Twenty-seven of them are unique designs. Both Coriolis and Dodo Space Stations are present. Even the suns are here, burning bright and slowing things down just a little, as they should.
What’s been left out? Extended planet descriptions, planetary details like craters and meridians, and the missions that appear later in the game. The pause mode options are gone, and the Find Planet option in the Galactic Chart has been removed, useful only during missions anyway. Three ship blueprints were cut, the Moray, the Constrictor, and the Cougar. One never spawned due to a bug, one only appeared in a mission, and one was so rare you’d be lucky to see it once in a lifetime. Ships that appear as both pirates and traders share blueprints to save space, a clever compromise that keeps the galaxy feeling alive and dangerous.
This port would not exist without Mark Moxon’s incredible digital archaeology project on Elite across various 8-bit platforms. His work laid the foundation, and this VIC-20 version stands as a tribute to both the original game and the dedication of the retro community.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Commodore VIC-20 with 32K + 3K RAM expansion
1541 or SD2IEC for saving game progress
Joystick optional, keyboard supported
LOADING INSTRUCTIONS
DISK: Insert disk, type LOAD “*”,8,1 + RETURN. After loading, type RUN + RETURN.
TAPE: Insert tape, type LOAD + RETURN. After loading, type RUN + RETURN.
The galaxy is waiting, Commander. Plot your course and jump.
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Formula V20
The grid is set. The engines are screaming. The year is 1981 and the world of Formula One is faster, deadlier, and more unforgiving than ever. You’re behind the wheel of a machine that’s equal parts precision engineering and controlled chaos, and the only thing standing between you and victory is the clock, the track, and a pack of rival drivers who’d rather see you in the wall than on the podium.
Formula V20 ’81 throws you into eight heart-pounding tracks across the globe. The goal is simple, beat the clock. But simple doesn’t mean easy. Every corner hides a new threat. Competitor racing cars swarm the track, blocking your line and daring you to make a move. Tunnels swallow you in darkness, your headlights cutting through the black just inches ahead of disaster. And then there’s the ice. Sections of the track slick with sleet and frost, turning your car into a spinning missile with no brakes and no mercy. One wrong twitch of the joystick and you’re trading paint with the barrier. But keep your nerve and your eyes peeled, because floating somewhere along the track are precious clocks, extensions that buy you precious seconds to reach the finish line. Miss them and your race is over.
This is the prequel to Formula V20 ’85, a game that knows exactly what it is, an unapologetic slice of early 1980s arcade racing. No simulation, no pit stops, no strategy. Just you, your reflexes, and the open road. It’s fast, it’s brutal, and it demands everything you’ve got.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Commodore VIC-20 with 16K RAM expansion
Joystick (port 2)
Lightning reflexes and a heavy foot
CONTROLS
Joystick – Steer your racing machine
Fire Button – Not used (focus on the road)
LOADING INSTRUCTIONS
DISK: Insert disk, type LOAD “*”,8,1 + RETURN. After loading, type RUN + RETURN.
TAPE: Insert tape, type LOAD + RETURN. After loading, type RUN + RETURN.
The checkered flag is waiting. Keep it between the lines and watch the clock.
