Commodore 64. We can't help but return to this computer, right? From a certain point of view, it had everything: it was affordable, easy to use and maintain, with a gigantic software catalog, multiple accessories, and plenty of room for mods. It also had a video game development kit, courtesy of the geniuses at Sensible Software. It was called Shoot 'Em Up Construction Kit, and you didn't need to learn code to use it.
Developing Games Without Code on the C64
What else can be said about the Commodore 64? It changed the lives of entire generations. It has proven incredibly resilient, both in extreme environments and in repetitive jobs.
We've reproduced it endlessly with emulators and imitation shells. Its advanced prototypes are coveted, and some enthusiasts have paid a fortune for them. And the games... the games.
Giana Sisters, Microprose Soccer, Impossible Mission, Bubble Bobble, Bombjack, California Games, Turrican, Paradroid, every graphic adventure of the era... the only thing that could surpass those games was creating them.
That's where Sensible Software stepped in, the minds behind Parallax and Wizball. In 1987 they released the Shoot 'Em Up Construction Kit, a development kit with which we can create Commodore 64 games by modifying sprites and entire levels.
Shoot 'Em Up Construction Kit or SEUCK allows us to edit sprites, objects, levels, level backgrounds, sound effects, character limits (lives, access to certain areas, etc.), attack waves, and the frontend that serves as presentation, with animations included.
We can start from scratch, but it's more convenient to adopt one of the preloaded models and work on it until we get the desired design.
The Shoot 'Em Up Construction Kit has two very positive aspects. First, all its code can be stored on a cassette, so using a 1541 is not mandatory, and second, you don't have to write a single line of BASIC.
As its official box indicates, the input device in SEUCK is the joystick. A bit tedious in long sessions, but very intuitive.
And the story doesn't end there. The SEUCK received extensions and modifications. It also arrived on the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST, but not many know that there is a kind of remake compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.
The Shoot 'Em Up Construction Kit wasn't the only one of its kind (we must mention alternatives like Garry Kitchen's GameMaker, Arcade Game Construction Kit, Adventure Construction Set, and Pinball Construction Set), but it is indeed one of the most appreciated, given its 'pedigree'. More info? Here you have another complete video.
More info: Click here
SEUCK remake: Click here
Images and manuals: Click here
