101 BASIC Computer Games Series

Note, Creative Computing published digital games and game compilations in boxes, in their own magazine, in other magazines, and in their 101 BASIC book series. Individual games can exist in more than one media. David H. Ahl likewise created some games that were not associated with Creative Computing. The published books tended to be filled with code that was extremely platform independent unless obviously noted otherwise by the title; where as the magazine games and especially boxed games were mostly platform specific.

After porting Hamurabi & Lunar Lander from FOCAL to BASIC (both for the DEC PDP-8), David H. Ahl published them in DEC's Educational Newsletter (EDU) & requested submissions for additional BASIC games. The nature of the PDP-8 platform and the EDU newsletter meant that DEC held the defacto rights to these games (but did not own the code). This publication sparked many original games and ports to and from the DEC platform that were submitted to EDU and published. Ahl then left DEC to found Creative Computing magazine. He acquired book rights concerning the games (but not the software rights, at least not right away). Several home computers kits and the Altair 8800 were released and had versions of Microsoft BASIC for them (or came with them). The Altair 8800 specifically sold 10,000 copies that year. There were more than 30,000 computers that could run BASIC. This is when 101 BASIC Computer Games was published. The 1977 Trinity (Apple II, Commodore PET and TRS-80) happened and a second edition of the book was released in 1978 that included [minimal] platform specific code variants of each game for these machines and some others that had also hit the market. Atari, Commodore Vic-20, Commodore 64, Texas Instruments, IBM, and still more home computers entered the market and the book was updated and there was a sequel More Basic Computer Games in 1979. This was to be followed by updated editions, and new Big Computer Games, and another new (1984) Basic Computer Adventures. The latest edition is Basic Computer Games: Small Basic Edition (2010) that updates the code to be compatible with MicroSoft Small Basic.

Systems covered:
101 BASIC Computer Games Microcomputer Edition
Each book (except for platform dependent editions) listed a set of standard rules to follow for each BASIC statement to ensure that what the reader types will function on the widest possible set of computers. "P.", "P", "?", "PRINT" all mean the BASIC command, "PRINT", (using a question mark is an extremely common abbreviation). But not all systems accept abbreviations so the reader was told to type "PRINT", which all BASIC variants definitely recognize. And then there are a few rules specifically for each platform. Such as 'use Level 1 BASIC on a TRS-80, not Level 2 for most programs' and when Level 1 does not work, 'Convert all INPUT to numeric (1 for YES, 0 for NO, etc.)', or 'for Level 2 BASIC, change RND(1) to RND(0) and function definitions cannot be compacted'. However, many platform rules read simulator to: 'IMSAI BASIC is the same as PET BASIC' (note, this is only true within the scope of the programs in the books). So even though there are more than 104 platforms covered specifically by the books, there are only about 12 rules between them in each book.

Ai Electronics ABC series
Altair 8800 (8080 CPU, Altair BASIC 4.0) All games tested on Altair with 16K
Action Computer Enterprises ACE-1000
Actrix Computer Corp. Actrix
Advanced Digital Corporation Super Six
Allen Bradley Advisor
Alphatronic P series
Altos 580
Amada Aries 200 series
Amstrad CPC 464
Amstrad CPC 664
Amstrad CPC 6128 series
Amstrad PCW series
Amust Executive 816
Apple ][ series
Apple ///
Apple Macintosh
Aster CT-80
Atari 8-bit (a variety of expansion cards or adapters will add this capability)
Atari ST
Atari Transputer
AT&T 6300
BBC Micro (Z80 expansions required)
Beehive Topper II
Bigboard
BMC IF800
Bondwell
BT Merlin M4000
Camputers Lynx
Casio FP1000 FL
CIP04
CoBra
Coleco Adam
Comart Communicator
Comart C-Frame
Comart K-Frame
Comart Workstation
Comart Quad
Commodore 64 (expansion cartridge required)
Commodore 128
Compaq Portable
Compis
Compupro
Cub-Z
Commodore PET
Cromemco S-100 cards with 16K Extended BASIC
DEC platforms
Datamax UV-1R
Data Soft PCS80 series
Data Technology Industries Associate
DEC Rainbow-100 series
DEC VT180
DEC Robin
Datanet-30
Digital Group DG1
Epson Geneva
Epson PX series
Epson QX series
Exidy Sorcerer
Eagle Series
ELWRO 800 Junior Polish
Enterprise 128
Ferguson Big Board
FK-1
Franklin ACE 1000 (Z-80 expansion required)
Franklin Ace 1200
General Processor GPS5
General Processor Model T
GE-235
GE DN-30
Grundy NewBrain
Genie II/III Series
Goupil G3
G.Z.E. UNIMOR Bosman 8
Gemini 801
Gemini Galaxy
HBN Computer (Le) Guépard
HC-88
HC-2000
Heath H89/Heathkit H89
Heath H90
Hewlett-Packard HP-80 series
Hewlett-Packard HP-120 series
Hobbit
Holborn 6100
Holborn 9100
Husky Computers Hunter series
Husky Computers Hawk series
Ibex computers
Ibex 7150
ICL PC Quattro
IMSAI 8080
Intertec Superbrain
Iotec
Iskra Delta Partner
Ivel Ultra
JET-80
Juku E5101–E5104
Kaypro series
KC 85/2-4
Labtam
Link 480Z
LNW-80
LOBO Max-80
Logica Kennett
Logica VTS Kennet
LOS 25
Luxor ABC series
Korvet (Корвет)
M68MX
MCP 128K
MCP Z80
MCP S-100
Applied Technology MicroBee
Megatel Quark
Memotech MTX series
Micromation M/System
Micromation Mariner
Micromation MiSystem
Micromint SB180 (HD64180 expansion)
Morrow Designs MD series
MSX
Mycron 3
N8VEM
Nabu Network PC
Nascom 1
Nascom 2
NCR Decision mate V
NEC APC
NEC PC-8801/MK2
Nelma Persona
NIMBUS PC series
NorthStar Advantage
NorthStar Horizon
Nokia MikroMikko 1
NYLAC Computers NYLAC
Ohio Scientific Challenger 3 series
Ohio Scientific Challenger series
OpenVMS
OpenVMS Alpha
OpenVMS Integrity
OKI IF-800
Olivetti ETV300
Olivetti M20
Osborne 1
Osborne Executive
Osborne Vixen
Otrona Attache
Otrona Attaché 8:16
PDP-11
Polymorphic Poly-88
Polymorphic System 8813RSTS-11
P112
Philips P2000T
Philips 3003/3004
Piccolo
Piccoline
Pied Piper
Polymorphic Systems 8813
Processor Technology Sol-20
Quasar Data Products QDP-300
RSTS/E
RSX-11
Rainbow 100
RAIR "Black Box"
Rex Computer Company REX 1
RM 280Z
RM 380Z
Robotron A 5120
Robotron KC 85/1
Robotron KC 87
Robotron PC 1715
Royal Business Machines 7000 "Friday"
Royal (TA) Alphatronic
Sol-20
SWTCP (6800 BASIC)
SAGE II
SAGE IV
SAM Coupé
Samsung SPC-1000
Sanyo MBC MBC-1150
SBS 8000
Scandis
Seequa Chameleon
Sharp MZ
Sirius 1
Software Publisher's ATR8000
Sony SMC-70
Sord series
Spectravideo SV series
Stride 400
Tandy TRS-80 I/III/4
Tandy TRS-80 Coco 1/2/3
TDL ZAPPLE
Technical Design Labs XITAN
TeleData
Telenova Compis
Teleputer III
Televideo TS-80x
TIM-011
Timex FDD3000
Toshiba T100
Triumph-Adler Royal AlphaTronic PC
Tycom Microframe
Unitron 8000
VAX
VAX Mini
Vector-06C
Vector Graphic series
Victor 9000
Visual Technology 1000 series
WaveMate Bullet
Welect 80.2
Xerox 820
Xerox Sunrise 1800 series
Yodobashi Formula-1
Zenith Data Systems Z89
Zenith Data Systems Z-100
Zenith H90
Zenith H89
Zenith Z100
Zorba
ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum 128

Copyright status is fully intact but 101 BASIC Computer Games Microcomputer Edition can be freely shared between libraries so go check it out (LCCN 78050028, Dewey class 794, Call# GV1469.2.O52 1978, ). Also, Atari Archives has permission to post this book, so one can look at it there.

The text of More BASIC Computer Games makes it clear that all the material in the book is proprietary and is only authorized for personal use of the reader. It also specifically forbids non-profit copies. None of this is a mere "licensing agreement" (aka: a suggestion that retains the manufacture's warranty), rather, this is a fully legal and enforceable copyright statement. This also applies to the other books in the series because that was and is the default state of copyrighted materials. So, the copyright statement in More BASIC Computer Games is just a reminder.