Sunday, June 25, 2017

Sinister Developments



Cheap & nasty shareware!

Sinister Developments were one of the best shareware groups in the 90s and released five fantastic arcade games. Each was their own take on the classic original and it was obvious that a lot of love went into their creation. Fantastic graphics, audio and ultra-smooth gameplay which felt authentic yet somehow regenerated and fresh.

Only recently I stumbled upon the Sinister Developments website and was surprised they still had their Atari ST software featured. That was both a shock and a pleasure to see such Fuji wonders listed on a website (that also looked like it hadn't been updated in a generation). Sadly, the download links didn't work so I decided to send them an email and kept my fingers crossed. After all, I did not expect to receive any reply from such an old website...

Surprisingly, I got a reply straight away from Gordon Gibson who not only fixed the broken links but he also kindly supplied the full (registered) version of each title. Yep, all for free without any strings attached (is it my birthday?). Yeah, how cool are Atari ST folk? For reference, the incredible Atari Mania has each game featured within its archives.

Okay, you've probably watched the Space Invaders video and been blown away! Well, check out Galaxians...





The Sinister archive!
  • Centipede - Gordon said they wanted a mix between Centipede and Millipede which worked out well. I found a few bugs but nothing to stop the fun as this is a frantically zany and frenzied version of the classic. A superb conversion. (To bypass the shareware message just press "ESC" key on the language screen).
  • Painter - I personally thought this was the weakest of the bunch but it's still enjoyable and very difficult with killer AI (literally). There is also funky stereo music on the Atari STe - yeah!!
  • Asteroids - This begins with a familiar intro supporting stereo playback for the Atari STe. Inintially, I found it difficult but, after a few tips from the man himself, I got to grips with it. I still suck at it, but at least I'm "better"!! (To bypass the shareware message just press "F10" key on the language screen).
  • Space Invaders - This is my favourite of the bunch. It's a beauty and feels perfectly authentic it screams brilliance. Yet again, the Atari STe features DMA music with stereo sound effects too. (To bypass the shareware message just type in "PEPSI MAX" on the language screen).
  • Galaxians - I've always been rubbish at this gamr but it's such a great conversion. I think that Sinister have created one of pure gold and it had me feeling that I'm back in the 1980s. (To bypass the shareware message just press "INSERT" key on the language screen).


The CryptO'pinion?

Sinister Developments' history proves their talent and each game is a brilliant arcade conversion in its own right. What's even more impressive is the use of various Atari STe enhancements, which is always cool. Oh, did I mention that all these games are now free? :) Come on, that is incredibly generous. Do you feel that Atari-love in the air?

Five outstanding arcade games which I know every Atari ST/e player is gonna love. Which is your favourite??

To safeguard this precious archive of Atari ST gaming history, I have also stored them in my Dropbox. So, what are you waiting for? Get these Atari ST/e games downloaded right now? I'm sure you're gonna love 'em all!! :-)

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