BASIC Interpreter
- Overview
- Games
(View for All Systems)
BASIC Interpreter is part of the category Additional Requirements.
For games that were written in the BASIC programming language but were not compiled into a stand-alone executable program, a BASIC interpreter was required in order to run the program. While some games that were written in BASIC included the interpreter, others did not; in this case, a user would need to provide their own BASIC interpreter. In some cases, a BASIC interpreter was either bundled with the system or available in ROM while in other cases it needed to be obtained seperately.
IBM and compatible computers:
On early
IBM computers such as the IBM PC and XT,
Cassette BASIC was included in ROM. BASIC interpreters were also typically included with DOS; depending on the version
of PC-DOS or MS-DOS being used, either Disk BASIC, Advanced BASIC, or GW-BASIC was included. On the IBM PCjr., Cartridge BASIC was
typically needed to run games. Depending on the requirements of a particular game, not all versions of BASIC that
were available could be used; some games utilized more advanced features that weren't found in the simpler versions
such as Cassette BASIC or relied on hardware support not found in all versions.
Amiga computers:
On the Amiga, AmigaBASIC (which was shipped with Amiga OS versions 1.1 through 1.3) or equivalent was required.
Atari ST computers:
The version of BASIC bundled with the system by Atari, ST BASIC, or a compatible alternative is required.
TI-99/4 and TI-99/4A computers:
On the TI-99/4 or TI-99/4A, either the built in BASIC interpreter or
the TI Extended BASIC module could be used.
Pictures
Click on a picture below to view a larger version.| IBM PCjr Cartridge BASIC |
| GW-BASIC for Tandy 1000 |
