Commodore User


The Last Vic 20 Book In The World
By Sigma Technical Press
Commodore Vic 20

 
Published in Commodore User #14

The Last Vic 20 Book In The World

A collection of 28 programs that purport to be of interest to all ages. That could well be, as the topic area certainly covers pre-school children, as well as parents. However, granny may have some trouble getting her teeth into this one.

The book includes an essential symbol list, since the programs have been listed on a Commodore printer. There is also a note on troubleshooting, in other words the most likely errors that you might make when entering the programs.

The content includes a few games; such as Galactic Adventure, a strategy game for the unexpanded Vic. Zoo Quest and Indian Ian are the only two that require expansion. In Zoo Quest the player must hunt and capture animals whilst avoiding the keeper. Ten Green Bottles introduces algebra to the accompaniment of the tune of the same name. There's also a game to improve your vocabulary, called Word Find.

Many of the programs are based around addition, subtraction and division, designed for younger children with adult supervision of progress. Indian Ian is worth a mention; it is designed to help young children distinguish between different sounds in pronunciation. It seems to work fairly well although it was not tested using a young child, but instead a very old one, namely yours truly.

All the programs have an educational element and would be very welcome around the home, although perhaps not so welcomed by teachers in the school. A good buy for your child if you happen to have a Vic lying around somewhere. The only criticism is the title, and hopefully this will not be the last book in the world for the Vic!

Kevin Bergin