The Micro Kids by Gary Plowman

The Micro Kids by Gary Plowman

It is November 1983 and young Billy Twist and his whiz kid friends are about to discover the exciting new world of microcomputers and gaming.
Billy and his friends start on their journey but run into some obstacles as they try to setup a computer video gaming club.
Billy is a typical kid growing up in the 80s, the age of the microcomputer. An age of wonder for teens and even adults alike. A nostalgic story of ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad and Atari video games.

If I didn't grow up in the 80s I would be jealous of everyone that did - because the 80s rocked

A book for gamers, geeks and classic arcade gaming fans - whether you play new or old video games, it's still the same.

Gary Plowman is a web developer and indie game developer who enjoys retro computers and retrogaming. This book teaches you how to program exciting arcade games in BASIC. The book has also been used by teachers to introduce game coding to students in the classroom. In the 1980s, eager young teens bought computer magazines for their Type-In games in order to fathom the secrets of early microcomputers.

Type-in listings were crucial as a first step in learning a machine's coding language since they allowed children and teenagers to pick up concepts while typing in a game or utility listing. This book seeks to recreate that sensation, but in a more structured and user-friendly way, by breaking down important ideas like game loops, collision detection, game play improvements, and suggestions for improving the games further. Teachers, STEM facilitators, ZX Spectrum lovers, Commodore 64 and Amiga owners have all purchased and used the book.