| Ski Crazed | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | JAM Software |
| Publisher(s) | Baudville |
| Programmer(s) | |
| Platform(s) | Apple II |
| Release | October 1987 |
| Genre(s) | Sports |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Ski Crazed is a 1987 skiing game video game developed by JAM Software and published by Baudville.
Ski Crazed was the first game developed by JAM Software. [1] [2] [3] It was originally titled Ski Stud and was programmed by Jason Rubin in a weekend. [4] [3] Rubin used the BASIC programming language, but due to low performance, his partner Andy Gavin later rewrote the game in assembly language, which significantly improved its speed. [5]
To create the graphics, Rubin had to work with the imperfect tools of that time. He used the pixel editor from the Pinball Construction Set , which had issues with cursor positioning accuracy. As a result, Rubin had to frequently fix errors and to carefully draw the graphics pixel by pixel. Transferring the created images into the game also was challenging. Pinball Construction Set did not have a function to save graphics, so the developers had to resort to workarounds. They intentionally triggered a reset of the Apple II hardware to gain access to the RAM, where the graphics data was temporarily stored, and then copied it for use in their game. This process had to be repeated multiple times, requiring patience and effort. [5]
Baudville bought the game from JAM Software for US$250. [4] The publisher announced the game for the Apple II in September 1987 as part of its third-quarter release plans. [6] It was shipped in October 1987. [7]
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Computer Entertainer | 3/4 [8] |
Computer Entertainer gave the game a score of 3 out of 4, stating: "There’s nothing serious here, from the funny-looking skier to the messages which your ski instructor indicates to you. Including the construction set gives the game the extra added fun that makes the difference" [8]
The game sold 1,000 copies. [2] and the company made about US$1,500 from the game. [9]
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