If you thought that no-one could fit a games designer program into 3.5K, then you'd be wrong! There again, you'd also be right. Galactic Software has produced a games designer package which runs on the unexpanded Vic. However, because of memory limitations, the program is in about half a dozen parts, each of which is loaded and run in sequence.

The two most important parts are the game base and the game formulator. The game base is used whenever you want to play one of the masterpieces you've created. You first load the data for the game as saved by another part of the designer program. Then you load the game base and it will interpret the data, and run the program.

Your first load in the graphics editor. This holds 30 characters which you define as aliens, players, objects and so on. The characters must be defined four times each, to show what they look like when pointing up, down, left and right.

Once you've created the obligatory player and target character (the one you must reach to finish the game), there are sixteen other characters to use as and when you like.

When you're happy, you load the screen editor. This lets you place the characters you've just defined in their positions in the game. You can put in any obstacles or scenery by first defining the characters and then placing them using the screen editor.

Once the screen layout is complete, you choose the colour of the player and where he will start from. Then it's time to load the tune editor.

You can create a tune of up to 50 notes which will play continually during the game. As well as the tune, you can also have separate sound effects for aliens being blasted or players being blown to bits. For this, you'll need the sound generator which is yet another program to load.

Finally comes the game formulator which is really a long question and answer program. It asks you for the name of the game, what words are to be printed on the top score line, how fast the aliens travel in relation to the player and many other questions as well, including which keys will control the action.

If the three free demo games which accompany the program are anything to go by, then it seems that Galactic Software has a potential winner on its hands.