Cannon Fodder [WIP]

Fodder Reborn

When Cannon Fodder hit the shelves in 1993, it wasn’t just another game - it was an instant cult classic. Rightly so, it's a cool mix of action, strategy, and a dollop of dark humour thrown in for good measure. I loved the game, and even had the Atari Jaguar version, which played better than I imagined it would using the pad.

The game has us commanding a tiny squadron of soldiers, leading them through jungles, deserts, and snowfields, looking for enemies to blast to smithereens. We could use machine guns and grenades, blowing up little huts and generally running around like the A-Team, killing everything. So much fun!

I was thrilled when Cannon Fodder eventually arrived on the ST. However, this joy was short-lived as it became evident that we had been saddled with a lazy port without proper horizontal scrolling. For me, this has always been a bitter pill to swallow for over three decades. I’m not interested in excuses; a bad workman always blames his tools. Confusingly, this was the same person who gave us Sensible Soccer. Wow!

Fast forward three+ decades, and we finally have a proper Cannon Fodder with horizontal scrolling thanks to Krzysztof (kTz) Jarzyna of Retro Blitter Team (you need an Atari STe or an ST w/Blitter). No need to rub your eyes in disbelief, as it's true - no more jarring screen flips! Now, the battlefield scrolls as your squad advances. So, Cannon Fodder is fully playable without the need to look over our shoulders at the Amiga fanboys. Not only that, but Hospes will soon improve the intro's graphics and feature background music!!

I'd like to tip my (virtual) hat at Krzysztof as he's obviously worked hard hacking away at the code to find ways to improve it. It's still a WIP, but after all these years, we have a fully playable game. That makes me very happy!! So gear up, as we’re finally entering battle in a version the Atari always deserved!!

Here are loads of links to the new game, along with loads of other cool stuff...

• Retro Blitter Team's Cannon Fodder is available for download (*WIP*).
• This ultra-sexy new version has been added to my list of Enhanced Games. Check it out.
• Fancy something different from war? How about skiing with Whipper Snapper Race?
• I couldn't finish without mentioning this classic Golden Dawn intro!!
• kTz and Hospes are featured on Demozoo.

I made a little video, just to show the horizontal scrolling.

If in doubt, lob a grenade as quickly as possible!!

Finally, after decades, I'm actually playing through Cannon Fodder!

Shall I risk wading across the water or look for a better route?

The desert proves tough with hidden traps, so don't get blown up!

The Dukes of Hazzard comes to the world of Cannon Fodder!!

Very tough now, especially with guys off-screen accurately firing at me!

ST Cheaters Unite

AtariCrypt Magazine #2

I’m not quite sure about that, but carry on reading as "I've done a thing". Back in the day, ST Action was superb and my favourite for games. A dedicated game magazine free from the negativity and lack of enthusiasm found in other publications. I’ve collected almost every issue and many of their fantastic cover disks.

Issue #53 came with a cover disk containing over 2000 hints, cheats, and level codes. It's only a couple of (large) text files, so I copied them to my Mac and wondered if there was a better way to view the contents rather than searching or manually scrolling through. So, I compiled them into a magazine-style PDF. It’s nothing flashy, as I don’t have the design skills of Darren Doyle, but I’m pleased with the result.

Happy reading/cheating/gaming...

• Click here to download the PDF and get it printed (gimme some feedback!)
• Talking of magazines, have you seen AtariCrypt Magazine?
• I've made loads of other ST disks; click here to be blown away. Maybe!
• All credit to ST Action for this compilation (thx Atarimania).
• Yes, I used AI for the magazine cover (with a wonky ST), as I cannot draw for peanuts!

Titan

Bouncing to Glory

Titan is a clever twist of the Breakout formula released in 1989 by Titus. Use the ball to blast away the bricks, but instead of a paddle moving horizontally at the bottom of the screen, we are now viewing the action overhead. So, rather than controlling this paddle independently from the blocks, in a separate part of the screen, we're within a scrollable arena twice the size of your typical screen (scrolls in all four directions).

We navigate a block around the screen (across both X/Y axes) using the mouse or joystick (press F2 during the game for the much-superior mouse). The walls, obstacles, and blocks are around us - rather than distantly placed. This also means the ball isn't knocked out of play, and will bounce around the screen waiting for your help to redirect it to the location of the remaining blocks. The goal is the same - break every block to win. Later levels have power-ups and enemies, but I've played the first three levels and didn't see 'em!!

At first glance, Titan looks plain, but clear and uncluttered, making it easy to keep track of the ball. And if the tone doesn't suit, hit F4 and cycle through a variety of alternative palettes. Where Titan really struts its stuff is in the scrolling, which is buttery-smooth on either computer: older STf models have a slightly smaller playfield thanks to a chunky (but excellent) status panel, while the STe goes full show-off with its hardware scrolling. Either way, everything glides along at a rock-solid framerate - yes, on both computers.

The sound effects are rather basic, so brace yourself for a lot of "dink-dink" as the ball pings about the screen like a toolbox during an earthquake. The STe gets DMA music on the title, something I never expected for 1989. Okay, it's not the best quality you'll hear, but I appreciate the effort Titus put into this.

I'm not exactly a huge Breakout fan, but I still quite enjoyed it. Technically, Titus has transformed the game with some interesting mechanics and technical achievements, but sadly, it hasn't fully worked. There is no feeling of skill, as our task is to merely get in the way, so hitting the ball correctly felt like pure luck. That innocent thrill of "just one more go" isn't here, so by the third level, my interest had waned.

Sadly, I'm rating this a disheartening 65%. Am I right? Let me know in the comments below.

• Atari Legend has access to various (floppy) menu disks.
• Installing onto the hard drive is provided by 8BitChip.
• Don't leave without checking out other Enhanced Games for the Atari STe.
• There are better Breakout games listed in this section.

Cool loading screen with DMA music too!

The first level is dead easy. I like "dead easy"!

The second level is a long slog...

The third level is better, and we need to break the blocks so the ball to get through!

Hit F4 anytime you like for a range of alternative palettes!

Bacon

Something to whet your appetite

If ever there was a short intro, this is it. Bacon (yum!) by Blind Io of Vulkteamet, released for Sommarhack 2015. It has lovely chip music and a fantastic plasma effect. In fact, it’s probably the shortest intro ever, but it contains some of the most profound poetry... You were a pig. Now you're bacon. That's pretty deep stuff, right?

YouTube is okay, but it's best to download and play it on a real ST. Enjoy this tiny intro...

Moomin Slaughter

Beware of Hattifatteners

The UK version of The Moomins was a children's TV show that ran right through the 1980s. It had a gentle pace, whimsical storytelling, with characters like Moomintroll, Moominmama, Moominpapa, and their quirky friends. Quite a captivating TV show; the kind that today’s kids sadly won’t have the pleasure of seeing!

With that in mind, here is a crosshair shooter where we get to kill all of the little bleeders!! Moomin Slaughter was released in 1994 by Scotty and has only one screen where each of the characters appears, like a rather lame Operation Wolf clone. Using the mouse, move the crosshair around the screen, picking off Moomins as they appear, climbing down buildings, escaping through windows, or wandering about. The mouse makes killing these childhood memories rather snappy and surprisingly precise (best with a real ST/e).

The game works on the ST, but is "best" played on the STe, thanks to the DMA audio being put to fine use for the Moomins’ hilarious squeals as they’re being killed. Also, if the realism option is enabled, the Moomins appear only for a short while - and when they're dead, it's game over. So, it's best to disable that realism option to cure the problem. Then the screen is filled with the blighters just waiting to be shot down. Sadly, this is when you discover the annoying slowdown, which is odd considering there's not much to push your Atari ST.

This is a quick blaster and definitely good fun for a few minutes, but nothing more than that, really.

• Fancy 5 minutes killing Moomins, then grab the download at Atarimania.
• Look here for a few more crosshair shooters: "PD" and commercial.
• It uses the DMA audio, so this game is added to our list of enhanced STe games.

You can access this menu at any time by hitting the Spacebar.

Peace reigns through the land... How can I change that?

Kill 'em all, and be quick as they're trying to escape out the windows!!

Destructible scenery and all the Moomins are dead. I'm happy lol.

Ditching realism leads to an endless supply of Moomins for a blood bath!!