The bloat is largely because of the runtime libraries that are compiled right into the executable. In C, you hand-pick the resources you need, but most BASIC-style compilers just throw in the whole runtime environment. I remember getting annoyed with AMOS Pro because all of its programs were an absolute minimum of 50k. Same reason.
Blitz Basic for the PC (which is what I use), has about 750k of overhead, no matter how simple your program is. It also runs in a window. A standard I/O interface and CLI are non-existant. You really can't cut down on the bloat.
These languages are intended for beginning programmers, but are much more advanced than AMOS or other BASICs. Blitz Basic, for example, supports includes and datatype structures, something I never thought I'd see in a BASIC compiler! If you're interested in game programming, Dark Basic rules, and Blitz Basic isn't too far behind. For applications, though, both of these languages suck. Blitz Plus allows a standard Windows GUI system, but the engine is pretty poor, overall.
