Category: Software

Paul Wasson, a notable figure among the Apple II Software Enthusiasts group on facebook, has once again graced the community with a new and thrilling creation. Following the success of the Apple II-based Double Hi-Res Graphics Toolbox and the ASCII-infused game “Where’s Askey,” Wasson introduces us to his latest masterpiece—ASCII Aliens. The ASCII Alien Invasion “ASCII Aliens” is not your typical alien invader game. Wasson takes a unique approach by utilizing the ASCII character set to deliver a high-speed, text-based…

Brendan Bellina has just dropped the latest bombshell in the form of Script-Central Special Edition v8n1, a treasure trove of scripting wonders that is sure to reignite your passion for classic computing on the Apple IIgs. This release is now available as a free download directly from the Silverwand Software Apple II site. What’s Inside? This release is not your run-of-the-mill release; it’s a 32 MB ProDOS disk image (zipped to 16 MB) packed to the brim with both new…

As Apple II computing continues to evolve, it is the efforts of enthusiasts like Joshua Bell who continue to breathe new life into the classic machines, pushing the real world boundaries of what these vintage computers can achieve. The past few years have introduced the full scope of Joshua’s ongoing development of the Apple II Desktop, which is a testament to this desire to not only push the limits of the Apple II’s capabilities but to make the computer a…

A new alpha release of the Total Replay II gaming platform for the Apple II series computers is now available.  This release addresses an issue with Formula 1 Racer demo which was crashing on the Apple IIgs.  A2_4am, the developer for the Total Replay and Total Replay II platforms announced the release this morning on his Mastodon account. This is volume 2 of Total Replay, with a focus on sports and board games. This release features 47 Apple II games,…

In the latest update to ProDOS Drivers, version 1.6 has been released, introducing significant enhancements to the FujiNet Clock Driver and the addition of a new “jumbo” clock driver, amalgamating various functionalities. This update, marked as a significant milestone, is a testament to the ongoing efforts of Joshua Bell to further the enhancements of the Apple II series computers in the software realm. Download ProDOS Drivers v1.6 FujiNet Clock Driver Refinements: One of the key improvements in this update is…

A2_4am has announced through his Mastodon account that the Apple II gaming platform, Total Replay II: Instant Replay v1.0-alpha.2 has been released.  This platform presents a rich collection of 47 Apple II games, all conveniently accessible from a single bootable 32MB hard disk image.  This release officially marks the arrival of volume 2 of Total Replay, with a particular emphasis on sports and board games. Download Total Replay II v1.0-alpha.2 The release, available for exploration and download on Archive.org, is…

A2_4am just announced some exciting news for Apple II gaming enthusiast! According to his posting on Mastodon, Total Replay v5.0.1 has just been released.  This latest release of the Total Replay platform brings a staggering collection of 484 Apple II games to the platform, including 182 new additions since the previous version. The entire collection is conveniently playable from a single bootable 32MB hard disk image. Download Total Replay v5.0.1 The release, available for exploration and download on Archive.org, is…

CiderPress II, a specialized software tool tailored for managing disk images and file archives related to vintage Apple computers such as the Apple II series and early Macintoshes, is now available in its v0.3.0-dev1 iteration. This application is designed to run seamlessly on contemporary desktop and embedded systems. Key Functionalities: CiderPress II empowers users with a comprehensive suite of file operations for disk images and file archives, including but not limited to: listing, adding, extracting, importing, exporting, copying, renaming, moving,…

Apple II enthusiasts now have the opportunity to relive the thrill of old school high-speed racing with the port of the Commodore 64 classic, Stunt Car Racer. This technical feat, executed by Patai Gergely, brings the adrenaline-pumping action of the original game to the Apple II platform. The machine requirement is any Apple II computer with at least 48K of RAM. Streamlined for Performance Adapting Stunt Car Racer for the Apple II required strategic choices to fit within the hardware…

For Apple II enthusiasts, one of the essential tools in their arsenal just got even better. The Card Cat project, known for its dedication to preserving and recognizing the vast array of Apple II family cards, has released Card Cat version 1.4, bringing a host of improvements and enhancements. Card Cat, which is both free and community-supported Apple II software, continues to pursue the ultimate goal of identifying all Apple II cards for those seeking to identify and understand the…

Colin Leroy-Mira has announced the immediate availability of the latest version of his Apple II series Mastodon client package. The client software will run on any Apple II series computer or compatible Apple II series emulation system with at least 64k of memory. The Apple II series Mastodon client features include the following: Installation instructions and the download of the latest version of the Apple II series Mastodon client are available from the website at:https://www.colino.net/wordpress/en/mastodon-for-apple-ii/

Fabrizio Caruso, author of the CROSS-LIB game library, has released a new multi-platform game for a number of 8-bit computers including the Apple II. Stinger is a Tank attack type game in which the tanks advance down the screen shooting at the player. The player must repel the tanks by shooting them and eventually eliminating them. Avoid the shots, the bombs and collect the crosses and the first aid packs. This is a fast paced game with exciting potential and…

Brandan Bellina has released the Apple II Technical Notes HyperCard stack which is now available for download from the Silverwand Apple II site. The stack includes all June 1992 A2 technical notes and file type notes as well as additional documents. Note that this stack requires Hypercard GS in order to work. You can download the Apple II Technical Notes Hypercard stack and many other Hypercard GS stacks from the Silverwands website at:https://sites.google.com/view/silverwandsoftware/

Back in 1985, Transylvania was a popular adventure game written by Antonio Antiochia and published by Penguin Software.  Henning Stams, a fan of the game, wanted a version in his native German language and created one!   He dubbed the conversion “Transsylvanien: Ein Spannendes High-Resolution-Spiel” (a fascinating high-resolution game). Previously, I wrote about the Transsylvanien 5.25″ disk that I recovered in 2019, courtesy of Mark Pelczarski (Penguin Software president) who gave me a box of his disks to recover.  Some of that…

In the realm of Apple II computing, there are a few enthusiasts like Joshua Bell who continue to breathe new life into the classic machines, pushing the boundaries of what these vintage computers can achieve. Joshua’s ongoing development of the Apple II Desktop is a testament to this desire to push the limits of the Apple II’s capabilities. Today’s release of Apple II Desktop version 1.4 Alpha 1 offers a sneak peek into the future of what is possible with…

Colin Leroy-Mira, a passionate retro computing enthusiast, has made a significant stride in the world of integration of vintage tech and modern tech with the release of his Mastodon client for the Apple II series, including the //c, IIe, and IIgs models. If you’re intrigued by the idea of bringing a piece of the modern internet to these classic machines, Colin’s creation is bound to either make you giggle incessantly at the idea of posting from your Apple II or…

Apple II gaming enthusiasts, brace yourselves for a game-changing release! Anti-M, the ultimate solution for running early Apple II games on any Apple II model, version 2.0 was just released. Developed to provide compatibility across the entire Apple II range, Anti-M allows you to enjoy classic games that were once restricted by overly aggressive copy protection and hardware limitations. Breaking Down Anti-M: What Does It Do? In the early days of Apple II gaming, some titles were notorious for refusing…

In a move that’s sure to delight many Apple II enthusiasts, Mark Percival’s DiskMaker 8 software has been set free as open source! This announcement comes as a result of a collaboration between Mark Percival and David Schmidt, with the goal of preserving and extending the life of this classic 8-bit Apple II utility. The source code for both ORCA/M (8-bit) and ca65-based versions of the software are now available on GitHub. DiskMaker 8, originally inspired by Eric Shepherd’s 16-bit…

A New Apple II Demo from Daniel Henderson is available. The demo, Star Wars Episode 6 – The Empire is Mildly Offended, is a tongue in cheek, satirical look at Star Wars, the main characters and political, societal stances through the low resolution graphics of the Apple II Computer. The look is taken through a visit to each of 6 planets and the occupying main character with a new perspective on line and then once you have gone through each…

If you need a really good run-through of the various Karateka versions and the different platforms it was produced for, Ernst Krogtoft, shared his collection this month with the world. In a wildly extensive posting on the Retro365 Blog at https://retro365.blog/2023/08/05/karateka-a-stellar-debut/, Ernst shares the various boxes as well as a ton of information and tidbits about Jordan Mechner’s extremely popular game.