Pacman On E's

Pac-Man? Again? Yawn... boring!!

Yes, there are already lots of cracking Pacman games for the best 16-Bit computer on the planet, so how does Pacman On E's differ? Well, it's been developed specifically for the enhanced Atari STe and, unlike so many lost shareware titles, this is actually the registered version that comes with lots of cool gameplay/aesthetic extras which will impress!

The Pacman game is timeless but this version takes the familiar genre to a whole new level thanks to its furious speeds. There are 100 levels, zany visuals, funky music and a range of stereo sound effects: like the Road Runner's "meep meep" and the buzzer from Family Fortunes. Digital Dreams has made use of the STe's extra colours, Blitter and DMA Audio. Interestingly, the Function Keys can be used to change the bass, treble and volume (and more).

Credit:

Stuart Innes - Programming/Graphics

Robert Thompson - Graphics/Sfx

Alasdair Macmillan - Graphics

Come on, play the game

PacMan On E's can be enjoyed solo and you'll find it to be the most hilariously-challenging take on the original concept. It's tripped out and stuffed with colourful visuals and a bucket load of whacky sound effects. The action and fast and exciting so never gets boring, which is kinda how the original does get after a while...

Best of all is the simultaneous two-player support especially when everyone is hunting for the power-ups. These offer a wide variety of silly effects and my video recording shows both myself and my daughter playing it together in coop. Absolutely superb fun - but - when she died she decided to cheat by covering my eyes with her hands. Hmm!

Download me!

You can grab this belting Pac-Man game from most ST websites but Peter, aka 8BitChip, has adapted the registered version which you can download from my Dropbox (whilst his website is currently offline as I type). My personal greetings to Stuart Innes, Robert Thomson and Alasdair Macmillan for this wonderful game - awesome work fellas!!

Central Cavern

Welcome to the caverns!

This is a short video of the Atari ST emulating the ZX Spectrum and running Matthew Smith's classic platformer. Please note, that this emulator struggles on a stock 8MHz ST when it comes to audio and scrolling the screen. Of course, this game doesn't scroll but the background tune sure pushes its luck, so I turned it off for better performance - it's almost at the real speed of the original. You can find out more about Speccy Emulator by clicking here. Enjoy the video recording :)

Manic Miner

(This teaser image was designed by Peter Jørgensen)

ST Review seemed to be pretty confident that Manic Miner was released for the Atari ST??
Sadly, I can find no evidence of this game being released. Can anybody help with information?

Virus

My computer has caught a cold

When playing with fractals the other week, I somehow got thinking of David Braben's Virus. This a complex game I've not played since the computer shops stocked Atari ST games on their shelves! Now, the original will always be best, but that's like comparing the STFM to a Falcon - so we should stop right there because our version is a 16-bit classic.

Going for a test flight over its chequered landscape (trying not to smash into anything) is an incredible experience. The mouse controls are intuitive yet tough to master so that will take time - but stick with it because once you've got the feel of how it handles, there's an amazing game waiting to be enjoyed. Check out my animation above, I did quite well ;)

Visually, this game is a gem with an excellent style using fast and smooth 3D which is much better than the Amiga. There are lots of neat touches and I've gotta say, I love the ship's exhaust as it spurts out those lovely particles of thrusting power. The audio is great with crisp sound effects that are refreshing thanks to the YM2149 doing us proud.

Virus is a fantastic 16-bit conversion of the original 32-bit masterpiece. Sure, it has a cruel learning curve (so be prepared for that) but, after beating that, you've found yourself a killer game that's gonna eat away the hours. This game rocks and I found it really enjoyable, if very challenging. An infectious shooter that provided me with hours of fun. Love it to bits!

- Download Virus -

Disk 15

Yeah, it's time for more box art!

Okay, I recently bought this curiosity from "Cassette 50" legends, Cascade Games. It's called Disk 15 and shockingly contains 15 Atari ST games - which you can now download from AtariMania to instantly begin enjoying this wicked collection of mind-blowing "next-gen" games. Each one has the ability to blow your socks off!! So brace yourself because too much fun could cause your Atari ST to explode... you have been warned.

What? You don't believe me, uh? Well, here are some cool screenshots courtesy of AtariMania...

Fullscreen Construction Kit

I've always had a thing for overscan!

The Atari ST/e might not officially support overscan but that hasn't stopped many games, demos, programs and more from making use of it. There's a lot out there with many already featured here on AtariCrypt not to mention the ability to activate overscan within GEM. Yep, the Atari ST is a versatile machine and often underrated.

Anyhow, Fullscreen Construction Kit is a cool utility program developed by FMC Connexion to display high-resolution pictures using this same overscan technique. It works by piecing together four Degas images which ultimately join up to generate the finishing picture. This image can be viewed on your ST using the program provided.

The process is simple but I had difficulties with the palettes because I'm not gifted when it comes to art!! Hence the reason Milla is in greyscale and the dog is red instead of brown. Also, it's worth noting that I found it easier to create the blocks using my Mac and there are online tools available to split images.

Six test images are already on the floppy plus you also have the ability to create your own. This set of image blocks [by Killer D] should give you an understanding of what's expected from budding artists? But even those without any skills (me!!) should be fine, so why not give this program a playtest to see what overscan goodies you can create?

This is a belting program and I've enjoyed dabbling! Let me know what you think of it in the comments below.

Michigan Mike And The Lost City Of Zorog

Michigan Mike is a scrolling platformer developed using GFA Basic by Gordon Storey. It features an Indiana Jones wannabe who's got himself into a spot of bother and now desperately needs our help to escape.

As you would expect from any platformer, each level has poisonous critters and many traps like crumbling rocks, acid pools and spikes. However, Mike's energy levels are slowly depleting, which is really annoying because this forces you to rush. Of course, touching any of the nasties only helps to increase that energy loss - so collect food to replenish him. Having said that, it's worth watching him die just to enjoy the explosive graphics!

Michigan Mike And The Lost City Of Zorog is a no-frills platformer with great joystick controls that make it very playable. Okay, he may have big feet and freaky eyes but I've actually enjoyed this. My only gripe is the energy meter because this goes down far too quickly. Not a great platformer but far from being a bad one. Give it a try!

Death Trap

My first ever Anco game!

Anco's Death Trap was released in 1990 and reminds me of a variety of platformers, like Horror Zombies From The Crypt with a hint of Prince Of Persia and Ricky Dangerous. The gruesome cover is nothing short of tremendous so deserves its place in the AtariCrypt BoxArt hall of fame. Also known as my personal collection!

We begin our adventure in a labyrinth of horror and encounter traps, like falling blocks, poisonous chests, spikes and much more. Each map is incredible but it's easy to lose your bearing so I doodled myself a basic route which helped a bunch. Puzzles are simple, like flipping a switch to unlock a door but this might mean backtracking and sometimes you're even required to walk the long way around, which isn't easy when under constant attack.

It's all about the killing!

Yes, evil creatures inhabit this place and can annoyingly appear at the most inconvenient times. Watch out for ghosts who materialise from out of thin air, jumping frogs, bats that swoop in and drop rocks, Egyptian wizards, and many others. I must say, I love the stripy grabbing-hands before the culprit appears to chases you!!

Controls are responsive and keep up with the demands of our adventurer. However, the tighter jumps can be a difficult as you need to tiptoe right to the very end of a platform, which is difficult when constantly chased by creatures! Oddly, our direction cannot be altered during the jump, which can be awkward.

We're armed with a pathetic blade but this can be upgraded with potions - I love the fireball that grants the ability to kill something before it gets close. These potions can be used to conjure spells, recover health, etc.

The CryptO'pinion?

Technically speaking, this spooky adventure impressed me with agile scrolling, beautifully animated sprites, great controls and sampled sound effects (I missed a background chiptune). However, Death Trap is very tough; the maps are huge and I often got wiery of the enemy's constant onslaught which can feel annoyingly unfair.

Well, I suppose you could use a trainer to fudge that but surely that's not right? [Don't Call Me Shirley!!]

- DOWNLOADS -

Back when AtariCrypt was just a baby I recorded this gameplay video.

 Stonish has a great floppy disk and the hard disk version is available thanks to 8BitChip.

 If doodling ain't your thing then Hall of Light has every level mapped.

Sleuth

I've been searching for more...

Yep, after the jaw-dropping Berzerk, I went searching for other variants of the genre to see what might be lurking inside the ST's archives. Eventually, I found Sleuth a PD release by Larry Scholz of MajicSoft in 1993. The year is 2525 and man's existence is threatened by evil cybernetic organisms (yup, robots!) which Dr Spirit has so kindly butchered and made evil. Okay, it's not exactly what you would call an authentic clone (ahem) but the premise is there!

We are Inspector Sleuth and are about to infiltrate the doctor's lair to show these clumps of metal who's in charge! Gone is the randomly generated screens, replaced with a map that is populated by six different models of the doctor's robots. These range from the Hemroid which is a low-level (wait for it) "pain in the butt" to the Hopperoids and their warp technology, so don't get too close. Come on, you must love the humour in this whacky style?

Well, defend yourself using an armour-piercing gun which features a nuclear charge to incinerate all robots from the inside out. You still need to stay clear of the electrified walls and if you hang about for too long then something freaky appears and chases you across the screen. Now we're back on the familiar ground lol.

Overall, is it better than Berzerk? Not on your nelly! Sleuth feels like a tacky ripoff with rubbery controls, dodgy graphics and sounds. However, it's a good game in its own right, and my 8-year-old daughter loved it. I must admit, so did I.

IGNORE the graphics!! Remember, gameplay counts the most. It always does.

Shoot anything that looks... well... weird. Don't think, just shoot!! Enjoy :D

Bombs And Bugs

Another lost soul has been rescued!

Bombs And Bugs is a multiplayer Bomberman clone developed by Stefan Eilert of Awkward Software. Sadly, the full version was never released but, as of today, it has been found and is downloadable from the AtariMania website. Supporting two or three players, superb power-ups and lots of the jazziest graphics ever seen!

I missed an option for single-player if I'm honest but it's such a brilliant multiplayer. The video shows gameplay by me and our 8-year-old daughter - we both loved it!! It's fun, freaky and always silly. We loved it and so will you guys!

Atari ST games I HATE!!

My ST love is DEAD!!

Today, I decided it might be 'fun' to play a handful of games I have always hated. Good idea, right? Well, as it turns out, there are lots of games I absolutely hate and there are far more games I am really bad at too. Hmm, I think it's a skill of mine to find these games? Well, here is just a handful of games I hate for these reasons:

First up is Lemmings, a game everybody went crazy for but I couldn't find any joy in herding those docile and idiotic critters. A few screens in, I would soon discover that I had no tolerance for their stupidity and thus, found it irritating. Instead, I would deliberately watch them plummet to their death or explode. Now, that was fun!!

Next is a great conversion of the monster arcade hit, Hard Drivin'. This sure looks the part with its fancy polygons and whacky stunts enticing you to try your luck. However, it never goes to plan for me as I cannot steer the car in anything that resembles a straight line. In fact, I drive and corner worse than a drunk Stevie Wonder.

Next is Strider, a game I saw in ST Format and it looked amazing. They gave it a glowing review so I went out and spent all my pennies. Well, I certainly won't be giving it a glowing review because I cannot stand this platformer for more than a few minutes - without throwing down the joystick!! A terrible Tiertex port. (UPDATE) < < < < <

Yolanda is another platformer and one I've always thought was curiously interesting. The sprites are superb and it has a funny title screen so I've often wondered if it played as well as it looked? Well, this is my experience:

Start the game... Wonder what to do. Die. Start the game again... Run left. Die. Start the game once again... Run right. Die. Start the game one more time... Panic. Die. Reboot the Atari ST. And that's about all there is to it.

  

  

The CryptO'pinion?

In case you're wondering, this post was just for a bit of fun. Well, except for the part about Lemmings which I personally consider to be another lame Amiga port by Psygnosis. Yes, I'm no fan of a software house that had no commitment or dedication to the Atari ST. Ignoring the odd game like Blood Money and Anarchy, they sucked with their rushed ports. My apologies to their fans throughout the world. Sorry, not sorry.

I hope you enjoyed this little article? What ST games do you hate? Let me know in the comments below...

Racer 2

Dune race onto the Falcon!!

I thought it was time to introduce more 32-Bit games to AtariCrypt, especially as AtariMania's Marko Latvanen has promised to give me his Falcon - Muahahahaha!! (he's since denied that conversation!). Anyhow, I'm happy with Hatari as it appears to emulate that powerful bird pretty well (even on my old Mac). So, what better than to begin with Dune's Racer 2 which was released at Silly Venture 2014 for the stock 16MHz Falcon and just 4MB Ram in 320x240 true colour.

For me, a driving game needs to be an interesting road trip with thrills and excitement to keep me coming back. Yes, my fingers are crossed... Anyhow, Racer provides its motor fun with three types of gameplay: championship, challenge and the good old arcade mode. Each can be played using three levels of difficulty from the beginner to an ace driver.

Wanna see a couple of colourful and (Mmm) absolutely gorgeous Falcon screenshots...

Creepy!! So keep the pedal to the metal when things get too spooky for you to handle.


Hey, I saw that you naughty boy. Don't stop to look at the pretty beach girls!!

Let's race!!

This feels like Crazy Cars 3 or Lotus 2 with its arcade styles and car handling. It works well using either a manual or automatic gearbox so it wasn't long before I was whizzing around the tight corners thanks to the effortless controls. They're dead easy and you can choose either the keyboard, joystick or a JagPad - absolutely brilliant!!

Championship events are tough and definitely put this gamer through his paces so don't expect to complete it on your first attempt. Both arcade and challenge modes offer a great way to quickly practice the laps with also the potential to further yourself by unlocking numerous extra tracks. I probably enjoyed Challenge mode the most if I'm honest.

Optional bonus items can be collected for a myriad of effects: freezing the timer, increasing speed, ejecting your closest opponent, flattening the opponent's tyres, etc. However, joystick players might find reaching for the keyboard each time too much hassle? Perhaps I should try my Jagpad? Oh wait, I've no Falcon... Marko help!! (hmm, he's a rotter!!)

Right then, it's screenshot time and here are a couple of beauties. Well, they're still colourful...

Perhaps I'm boring but I turned off the Bonus feature...


New Race Unlocked? Oh yeah, I love it when that happens!!

32-Bit Aesthetics?

It was the graphics that originally enticed me to play this game - they are knockout and easily on par with other machines in the mid-90s. So many different environments and each is accompanied by its own unique styles, drivers and background tunes. Framerates are constantly superb and can be increased further by disabling the lovely textures. If I had to be picky, the point of view is a tad low and it's also a shame that so few frames are used for when the car is cornering.

The audio is... well... it's an Atari Falcon so it's gonna be nothing less than stunning. The selection of music is incredibly varied and suits each track's style. All sound effects are made using awesome samples so, whether you're skidding, bumping or tearing up the road, it's ear-blasting and always amazing. Love it all, especially the smooth engine noise.

Looks and sounds incredible? Well, isn't that nice? Wanna see a couple more screenshots? Of course, you do...

Some tracks are weirdly different from what I expected...


...whereas others look more "traditional". Don't worry, all are great!

The CryptO'pinion?

What a freakishly awesome race this is!! In fact, I could end my review right now but let's waffle on for a little longer - to say that I've enjoyed this game is an understatement. However, it isn't without faults: slamming into roadside objects can stop you dead - even if that object is a spectator! Starting off from zero feels lethargic, almost as if you're behind the wheel of a Kia. The strangest thing is when the countdown timer begins before the green light appears...

However, let's stop nitpicking because Racer 2 is a stonker with great graphics, roaring sounds, unique tracks, and superb controls. This is one utterly addictive experience and one of the best arcade games I've played. It certainly proves the power of the Falcon and to think this isn't even commercial. An extraordinary racer I highly recommend, even in emulation!!

Falcon peeps should download Racer 2 right now!

Supa Zazai Da!

Super... what?

Supa Zazai Da is another Gamopat conversion by Templeton, the same genius who graced us with the stupendous Crash Time Plumber. So I couldn't wait to get my grubby mitts on his latest work after reading the superb review by ST Graveyard on Atari Legend. Sadly, I admit to being more than a little disappointed with it because I failed to play more than a handful of - frustrating - games before rebooting my Atari STe with a massive portion of disappointment.

Now, I'll never knock anything powered by Maria Whittaker (yeah!) but this is rock solid and felt too difficult!! And having only one life certainly didn't help, especially when the enemy could fill the entire screen with bullets! Yep, this is a wolf in sheep's clothing and seemed like a bad joke. Dang, I was incredibly bad at it and also genuinely gutted too.

I know, I know, first impressions of a weak gamer. Yes, I think you better read on...

Trust me, this game will destroy you and all your expectations for success!

Don't judge a book by its cover

I later returned and anxiously grabbed my creaky old joystick, determined, but expecting the battle of my life. After many embarrassing failures, I eventually beat the first hoard of cute nasties and somehow even gained extra points thanks to the green particles. But, how I managed to dodge the enemy's bullets, well, it felt like a personal achievement!! The clue is how you navigate through the cloud of bullets, it's easier than you might think (watch the video).

Nevertheless, the scary boss instantly gave me a good drubbing and I was again greeted with the Game Over screen. I defeated him on my next nerve-racking attempt so was close to tears with ecstatic joy!! Once the second level begins you realise there's a familiar and repetitive pattern so I hammered it home and battled my way onto the third and fourth levels, with relative ease. The lesson is to stick with it as it can be conquered and enjoyed!!

Talk about a massive learning curve. Or at least for me? Wow, this game is so rewarding...

However, nobody said those bosses would be easy. Especially when they can fire so much!!

Pixels and Sonics

The visuals scroll along at an ultra-smooth 50fps but it's the outrageously cute sprites, from a wide variety of games, which everyone will adore. Your computer will require a Blitter coprocessor, which is not a problem for the Atari STe and Falcon, but the original ST models might be outta luck (unless you have a later revision or a Mega ST).

Musically, Supa Zazai is fantastic but also very different depending on your hardware: an unnerving chip rattles ST players, whereas the STe gets exhilarating streamed audio (both different and brilliant). As instructed, pump up the volume!

It looks and sounds fantastic is what I'm trying to say about this Blitter-boosted game...

50fps action through and just look at that huge sprite. Impressive, to say the least!!

The CryptO'pinion?

What a journey!! And nothing like I imagined yet it has lived up to all my expectations. Arcade fans are going to drool over their keyboards when playing this - it's fast, fun, thrilling and addictive. Quite simply, Supa Zazai Da is an exhilarating shooter with gorgeous aesthetics and I hope Templeton has many more Atari STe games in the pipeline, I really do.

It's zany, it's crazy, it's insane and I love everything about Supa Zazai Da. An excellent shooter. Please, play it!!

Download Supa Zazai Da! via AtariMania.

Mario's Quest

Mario's Quest was released in 1993 by Dean Sharples of Silly Software and is basically a Hunchback clone. However, this time we're an unofficial clone of that ridiculous Italian plumber but the gameplay remains pretty much the same. The screens feature lots of tricky jumps, pesky platforms or annoying arrows trying to kill you.

I adore the humble visuals which use a cool 8-Bit design and the music is superb too. However, the controls are far too sensitive so judging exactly where a platform ends - without falling to your death - is nigh on impossible.

Sadly, Mario's Quest is one of the most frustrating games I have played. An infuriating platformer!

Fractal Landscape Generator

It's time to be creative!

Fractal Landscape Generator was developed by David Billington who gave us an opportunity to develop mountainous worlds. Now, it's worth stopping to read the doc file on the disk before you do anything else - because there is an excellent mini-guide included. I know, I know, nobody reads the manual... but you should this time!

Making a brand new rugged landscape is extremely easy thanks to the fantastic user interface. Not only that, but results can be produced and viewed very quickly, even on an 8MHz computer. Thankfully, the program made great use of my 16MHz Mega STe which is superb and the versatile speeds of Hatari will be a huge bonus!

The 3D part was initially difficult to grasp but don't give up - keep on tinkering and you'll grasp it. Once you're happy, you can then add light-shading, alter various colour parameters, and increase the detail level. Heck, you can even animate a fly-by through your newly created world.

Dabbling in 16-Bit creation was fun and it's impressive to see what wonders I could knock out and to think I found it by chance: Floppyshop ART-3647. It's a nice feeling to find something "new" and this is a great program to get started in fractal landscaping. Give it a go and let me know what you think in the comments below! Enjoy...

- My Own MEGA STE Creations -

Astro Marine Corps

Creepy ass monsters are coming to get you!

Sometimes a game doesn't need a longwinded storyline, cunning puzzles or life-sucking RPG elements. Sometimes all you want is a huge mother of a weapon (with unlimited ammo of course) and lots of baddies in need of urgent annihilation. Be happy because Dinamic's AMC fits the bill with lots of gratifyingly brutal violence!

This multi-level scrolling shoot 'em up involves nothing more than walking grim alien landscapes to hammer down the fire button and kill everything in sight. Upgradeable weapons use a directional-firing technique and our marine can also crouch and leap high into the air with wiggly legs. We are also equipped with powerful bombs, which are needed when the main gun isn't effective... Hmm, perhaps you should drop a few into the crater?

The aliens are an obscene bunch of misfits ranging from man-eating plants to mechanoids that even Robocop would run away from. Don't get too close to the unassuming caterpillars, these will suddenly grow in size - and teeth!! I think AMC has some of the best enemies ever and the monstrously huge Guardian proves it.

Technically, AMC could have been better. I got a whiff of a rushed port: the scrolling could have been more energetic, and the landscapes look unfinished, but the joystick controls are excellent. However, it is awkward reaching for the keyboard to throw a bomb - especially when mechanoids are chasing. Sigh, with a bit of spit and polish...

Overall, AMC is crude and predictable but it's also thoroughly entertaining with great baddies, crunchy sound effects and tons of action. I loved being an Astro Marine because it's fantastic killing alien scumbags. Superb!!


Waste no more time and install AMG onto your hard drive or grab the floppies.

Stonish has a couple of great Menu disks: Dodgysoft #81 and Flame Of Finland #25.

Even the plant life is out to get you in this crazy game so watch out where you walk!!

Awe look everyone it's a strange little worm... No... Wait... ARGHHH it's growing!!

This thingamabob is absolutely superb. Look at the detail in his eyes and teeth. Love it!!

AMG has some huge monsters but the bosses are even bigger. This beast is ginormous!!

Verminator

Put on your sunglasses!

Jake is a rather odd-looking fella who exterminates bugs in a fantastic fantasy world of weirdness. However, this is as much as I currently know - because I've never played this game before! Verminator is here because of it's pixel art - which is jaw-dropping. So it wasn't long into the first game that I wanted to make this post for our PixelArt section.

Actually, Verminator is granted VIP access because of Nigel Brownjohn's outstanding artistry. He used incredibly bold and rich colours with fine attention to detail for the sprites and backgrounds. This has to be one of the most gorgeous 16-bit games ever created? So perhaps I take time to play it? Yes, I think so too... Watch this space!

8BitChip has the hard drive version and Old Games Finder has the floppies.

Trusteft recorded a video and seemed pretty much impressed by this beautiful game.

Verminator took my breath away when I first booted it up. Ohhh, look at the sexy colours!


Ignoring the detail and colour, this reminds me of the Wally games on my Spectrum.


Hang on, is that a hammer? Let's beat the enemy like a psycho!!


Nigel Brownjohn knew how to use the palette to get the most from low-res. Impressive.