Classic Computer Magazine Archive ANTIC VOL. 3, NO. 9 / JANUARY 1985

game of the month

QT

By BRIAN McWILLIAMS

Q.T is an inventive arcade game boasting three different screens, each with six increasingly nerve-wracking levels of difficulty.  The BASIC program runs on all Atari computers with 24K memory for cassette or 32K for disk.  Antic Disk subscribers, RUN "D:QTBAS"

Meet Q.T., a cute little bird who lives inside a dangerous arcade game.  If you care about wildlife preservation, you'll help Q.T. survive six increasingly difficult levels of game play on three different screens.
   The first screen is crowded with ice cubes as Q.T. races the timer to put four corner blocks in their assigned positions.  Q.T. gets points for eating cubes, or kicking them against the side walls with the joystick button.  If the timer runs out before the (inedible) corner blocks are all correctly placed, "Bye bye, Q.T." There's less time at each higher level.
   Your score is displayed in the upper left corner, the number of remaining lives is at the upper right.  Displayed at the lower right are all bonus objects collected.  High score also remains displayed until the computer is turned off.
   A bonus object waits on a platform at the right of the second screen, while a deadly snapping jaw threatens from the left.  Q.T. stands at the bottom of the playfield and can only move left or right- while catching objects falling from the top.  Every missed object brings the snapping jaw closer; every object caught brings the bonus object nearer Oh yes, Q.T. must dodge some of the falling objects-birdie-crushing I-beams.
   Q.T. takes to the air in the third screen, trying to pop as many balloons as possible.  Each balloon carries an item worth points.  Q.T. moves left or right with the joystick.  Pressing the fire button causes Q.T. to flap.  Without flapping, QT glides down.  Balloons move faster in the higher levels.
   Q.T. can die by gliding off the screen, or by getting crushed with a falling object.  If all six levels of the game are survived, Q.T. will be safe at last on the "You Win!" screen.
   Type in the Q.T. listing, check it with TYPO II, SAVE a back-up copy and RUN the game.  Your screen will go blank for about 10 seconds and then display the title screen.  Press the joystick button to start.  And be sure to press [RESET] before re-running the game.

Brian McWilliams is 17 and a senior at Alpena High School in Michigan, where he's able to take quite a few computer classes.  He's currently working on an action game called "Droids."

Q.T. PROGRAM TAKE-APART

10           Dimension variables
20           Get high score
50-90        Title page
100-160      Main module
200-650      lst board
800-1030     2nd board
1050-1630    3rd board
1600-1630    Death routine on 3rd board
1640-1710    Q.T. introduces  new bonus item
1800-1840    "You Win!" routine
7000-7310    Subroutines
7020         Erase screen
7100         Display score
7110-7120    Display lives
7130         Display time
7190-7260    Death routine
7270         Poke high score into memory
7300-7310    Takes care of timer
10000-10060  Changes character set
10070-10075  Data for USR call
10080-10180  Character set Data

Q.T. VARIABLE LIST

A$           Holds value of high score before POKEing it into memory
MOVE$        Holds ML subroutine for moving the character set
A            Reads stick position, loop variable, and other various uses
B,X,Y        Loop variable and other various uses
BC           Bird color
BI           Bonus item color
BIC          Bonus item counter
BLL          Balloon color
BLLY         Balloon Y-position
BONUS        Bonus accumulator
BRD          Board counter
C            Used to check an object's path for obstacles
C1           Use instead of "l"
CC           Check corner blocks' path for obstacles
CHANGE       Reads Data for new character set
FR           Failing rate and rising rate for objects or balloons
HI           Holds high score
IC           Item color for object to fall or item attached to balloon
INSET        Internal character code for character to be changed
IP           Object or balloon X-position
IV           Item value
JUNK         Variable used for USR call
LIVES        Number of lives left
LL,LR,UL,UR  Checks corners on first board
NH           Number of objects caught
NM           Number of objects missed
O            Used instead of "0"
OFF          Used instead of "7290"
SCORE        Current score
TIME         Time remaning
XP           X-position of Q.T.
XX           Loop variable
YP           Y-position of Q.T.
Z            Value of bonus item

Listing 1: QT.BAS Download