You can check out the current list of games in the entire Evercade library with my master list, found here. There are 553 titles on cartridge, not counting unlockables, with dozens more built into the various hardware. You can check out my IGN review of the recent Alpha Mega Man and Alpha Street Fighter bartops here.

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The same is of course true of those who don’t actively write, but want to. I know I’ve certainly seen and commented on my fair share of statements from hopeful individuals who want to write on an old computer like the original IBM PC (I too love tactile, clicky keyboards, with this being one of my more recent acquisitions) or even on a typewriter (or a converted typewriter), so they might somehow feel more connected to the written word. Of course, knowing a thing or two about how the modern publishing world operates and having experienced my fair share of typewriters and vintage word processing in my 42 years on this planet, I’m quick to point out that eventually you have to get your output onto a modern system, are introducing quite a few extra steps into an already labor intensive process, and are opening yourself up to multiple points of failure. In short, for all their foibles, modern computers and their related software environments are far more stable and easier to safeguard against disaster despite the fact that past greats like Hemingway, Murrow, or even Asimov never got to use them.

The Tandy 100 from 1983. This was a jouralist’s best friend throughout the 1980s and part of the 1990s. Though less ambitious, the Hemingwrite is definitely a spiritual successor. (Source: Wikipedia via NapoliRoma)

That’s of course not to say that I  haven’t personally fallen prey to the allure of the “perfect” writing environment. I have an impressive wake of hardware, software, and tools to prove that indeed I have. In general, experience usually does eventually show you the reality of what it really takes to get something done. With writing, it’s no different. You not only have to constantly write to get better, you also have to experiment to know what works best. Eventually you should reach the point where it doesn’t matter where you are or what you have to write with in spite of, not because of, whatever personal quirks happen to influence you at any given moment.

The Hemingwrite in action, straight from the Kickstarter page.

So, with the above in mind, while the Hemingwrite is not the cure for your potential writing woes, it does appear – if it delivers as promised of course – that it might prove a useful tool under the right circumstances, much like other “minimal” software and hardware. In my case, my portable workhorse is the delightful Surface Pro 3, but I must say, having a rugged, extreme battery life writing-specific device with modern wireless transfer capabilities might be a nice companion for those situations where an ultrabook-type computer is either not convenient or particularly necessary.

I do think that a device like the Hemingwrite is probably not something you want to use for writing that requires any type of connected reference or research since you’d need a secondary device, like a smartphone, for that function, which would take away a lot of the point of ignoring the most distracting elements of modern technology in lieu of this. However, if what you wish to write requires little-to-no-research or can be researched and refined on something else at a later date (fiction might be the best example), it just might be a good way to knock out a quick draft for those who don’t need essay help online by native writers. It’s also something I’d feel comfortable recommending to those hopeless romantics who fantasize about banging away on a typewriter, since your work is easy to get off it and into a modern, usable format on another platform.

Clicky keys and switches? What type of unholy fusion of hipster and steampunk sensibilities is this? (Source: Kickstarter)

That’s not to say I don’t have some concerns about the Hemingwrite. There’s no way to know how good the visibility of the screen will be at arm’s length, since this is more or less the same type of screen found on eReaders designed to all but be smooshed up against your face. I’m also lukewarm on the lack of a front-lit screen or back-lit keyboard keys. The former creates more versatile usage in poorly lit settings, and the latter seems to help my aging eyes stay less strained and fatigued in lower light settings. Of course, I do agree that feature creep can present quite a few issues, so even if the device were to end up simply as presently envisioned, I think I’m still OK with that.

If you can find a use case for the Hemingwrite, I say go for it. If you think the Hemingwrite will help you get your writing going or help you to take it to another level, I’d strongly recommend thinking again. The only thing that will do that is actually writing, and doing as much of it you can as each day, refining your technique as you go. That shouldn’t require any further augmentation beyond the very device you’re reading my blog post with. As that tired corporate slogan states, JUST DO IT.

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• MSX platform: Uridium (an incredible port of the Commodore 64 technical tour de force), Jawbreaker II (a port of the TI-99/4a version of the maze game classic), and Monster Sound FM Paq Cartridge (an MSX MUSIC / FM PAC 100% compatible sound cartridge). My colleague, Mark Vergeer, provided a first look video at this MSX port of Uridium.

• Coleco ColecoVision: Nibbli: Son of Nibbler (a port of the “closet classic” arcade game).

• Mattel Intellivision: Space Raid (inspired by Sega’s arcade classic, Zaxxon).

• CreatiVision: A new multi-cart, Multirom v1.0 for the CreatiVision. Note that I have several Dick Smith Wizzard variants of the original CreatiVision, including the one pictured, which has a composite output modification. It’s quite difficult getting this Australian-based computer working here in the US, including not only converting the power supply, but also getting a display on the right TV. At the moment, I only have it working on a Sharp world TV, the CRT-based model you see pictured. The mess is due to making sure everything worked, which was quite hit or miss regardless of the console I used.

• Dragon: This “Dragon DriveWire” is a nicely cased Tano Dragon/Dragon 32/64 version of the popular Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer DriveWire that  lets you use your modern computer as a file server to the classic computer, among other features.

• NEC Turbo-Grafx/16, Intellivision Flashback: To the right of the original 2.5″ LCD screen NEC TurboExpress is a modded TurboExpress. The modded unit has a modern 3.5″ LCD that all but eliminates motion blur and greatly increases battery life. Other mods include a controller port and A/V out to use an external display. The two controller adapters pictured allow you to use the new Intellivision Flashback controllers on systems like the Intellivision II.

• GCE Vectrex: The overdrive controller that works on games like Hyperchase.

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Soulless title screen

Over the past several years, there has been a renaissance of sorts in the Commodore 64 homebrew community, with regular releases of commercial quality games on cartridge. Whether it’s with graphics, like with C64anabalt (2011, Paul Koller), which looks nearly as good as the modern mobile and Flash game, Canabalt (2009, Adam Saltsman), which it’s officially converted from, or with audio, like the haunting soundtrack in Fairy Well (2012, Wide Pixel Games), which proves the enduring timeliness of the Commodore 64’s SID Programmable Sound Generator chip as a unique instrument, these new homebrews easily equal the production quality of the best releases during the platform’s commercial prime in the mid-1980s.

One of the more high profile of this new batch of releases is Soulless, a “Metroidvania” (in the style of Metroid and Castlevania) adventure platformer, though its actual inspirations are Impossible Mission (1984, Epyx) and Draconus (1988, Zeppelin Games). It’s from the former game that Soulless gets its mostly non-violent, somewhat puzzle-centric gameplay, while from the latter it gets its aesthetics.

Soulless cutscene

Soulless opens powerfully enough, with a story told through animated cutscenes backed by a dramatic musical score. The premise is that a powerful warrior king, Rizek, brings peace to his land, which does not sit well with his generals. The generals enlist the aid of an evil wizard who curses the king, stealing his soul and twisting his image into that of a beast. The cursed king is locked away for a thousand years as unending war ravages the land. Finally, one day, a great quake shakes the land and smashes Rizek’s tomb. Now free, you take control of the cursed king as you attempt to reclaim his soul and once again bring peace to the land.

It’s a suitable premise for a game, with the graphics and music of the cutscenes well rendered. Unfortunately, there are a few typos in the text, along with some missing punctuation. While certainly not a deal breaker, between that and the same types of issues in the printed materials, slightly disappointing in the context of an otherwise stellar homebrew package.

The object of the game is simple, collect 12 randomly dispersed spirit stones and place them in the correct order in the Soul Chamber. You accomplish this task by exploring dozens of lushly illustrated temple rooms to the beat of continuous background music and sparse, but effective sound effects.

Soulless in-game

With the joystick plugged into port 2 on the Commodore 64, the fire button jumps, pulling down crouches and activates spawn points, which also heal you, and pushing up searches an object. While Rizek has no offensive moves, he can uncover helpful items, including gold and rubies for points, magic that either destroys all enemies (red), slows down enemies (green), or freezes enemies (blue), potions that heal, and stone amulets that provide temporary invincibility. Finally, certain doors require finding keys to open.

Besides environmental hazards, like falling stones, Soulless is filled with a wide variety of flying, floating, running, crawling, and shooting enemies that all must be avoided. Each screen has no lack of challenge. Because Rizek’s jump distance is always a fixed length, Soulless forces you to get creative when landing on certain platforms. Unfortunately, it’s this fixed jump mechanic and sometimes all-too-specific landing spots that lead to the greatest frustration with the game. For greater accuracy, a soft touch and a joystick with a shorter throw distance works better for jumping than a looser joystick does. This jump mechanic also plays a role in getting past certain obstacles, sometimes requiring alternate plans of attack, and is a puzzle element of its own. If you’re not careful, you can even fall through to a previous screen. Those easily frustrated need not apply!

Soulless is available in a wide range of formats, including 5.25” floppy disk, cassette tape, cartridge, and digital download. Most formats are also available bundled with a companion CD-ROM and combination poster and map, as well as other paper work, though these are also available for purchase separately. For those who own the companion CD-ROM, the digital download files and copies of the printed material are all included, which makes playing in your emulator of choice trivial.

Soulless in-game

Soulless is both NTSC and PAL compatible, and its joystick-only control means that it’s even playable on the Commodore 64 GS console. The version reviewed came with an internally LED illuminated purple transparent cartridge shell, three printed spirit stone sheets, which are helpful for jotting down the order of the stones, the combination map and poster, stickers, and a companion CD containing 600MB of  bonus material. The CD’s jewel case also contains a combination 16 page comic and instruction booklet. Needless to say, it’s quite the formidable retail package.

Soulless goodies (various bundles)

While the commercial versions of Soulless are well worth checking out, it’s notable that the game has now been made free to download for use in your favorite Commodore 64 emulator. Soulless was tested on a British (PAL) Commodore 64c and an American (NTSC) Commodore 128DCR, as well as in the C64 Forever Plus Edition (2013, Cloanto) emulator package, which was used to capture this review’s screenshots. There were no notable performance variations on any of the test platforms.

If you don’t mind Rizek’s lack of offensive capabilities, the finicky jump mechanic, and puzzle-centric nature of the gameplay, there’s little not to recommend about this polished production. It’s an incredibly challenging action-adventure game that makes a fine addition to the Commodore 64’s immense library.

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