A Series Of Raster Effects by smfx

Lovely Rasters

You may remember that I posted a rather cool racer called Rally II back in December? This was unique because it contained no actual bitmap graphics, as it was done using palette swapping. That sounds weird, right? And it is! But it's quite remarkable, fast, and in overscan too. I really enjoyed playing it.

This demo uses the same idea to produce quite possibly one of the best presentations I've ever seen. Yep, I said that. For me, it's up there with classics like We Were @, Virtual Escape, Sea of Colour, Midnight Sun, and many others. However, please watch using real hardware and make sure that you read the documentation within the download. Don't worry, it's not that long, but a great read, especially for non-techies like me.

What's been achieved here is astounding. I can't begin to explain just how mind-boggling this production is, and much of what you witness is in maximum overscan, too. Throughout, the aesthetics are stunning with lovely colours and music. I'm no programmer, but the calculation that must have gone into the coding to bring everything together blows me away. For me, this is one of the best demos ever.

Screenshots do it no justice, but here are a few anyhow. Again, make sure you use a real ST...

Credits and download

• 505 - Music
• Exocet - Graphics
• mOdmate - Graphics, Music
• spkr - Code
• Tat - Code (Minimyser music playback code and tooling)
• Tom - Code
• Evil - Video Recording
• Grab the download from Demozoo, and check out smfx's page. 
• Don't miss out on playing PHF Rally 2 <<- read more!
• The other mentioned demos can be found using the search at the top ↗️

Cool logo, guys!

Yeah!!

Wow, I loved this "simple" effect of a city skyline.

Screenshots aren't great, as demonstrated here... sorry!

Ahh, I bet that will make a great wallpaper!!!

I think this was my favourite effect. I loved the speed, too!

Indeed.

Discord

Internet Hangouts

Whilst "assisting" the guys at Retro Blitter Team, I somehow convinced myself that what the world needed was yet another Discord server. Why? No clue. I'm mad. Still, there may well be an AtariCrypt purpose lurking there? Well, it's now live, vaguely organised, but open to all, so feel free to pop in anytime.

Maybe it’ll work, maybe it’ll bomb like my other bright ideas, but you’re all welcome regardless.

• https://discord.gg/ZBJszaZX5

Bug Hunter

Don’t judge by the graphics

Inspired by the original Acorn release, Bug Hunter is a homebrew conversion created in STOS by 'Zork'. We control a rather odd-looking character tasked with clearing a house infested with bugs. Each room is separate, and the only way to deal with the pests is by cunningly dropping objects on them.

Movement appears simple at first - left, right, and jump, but the real surprise lies in how you navigate through each room. Think about the control mechanics in Spider-Man, as almost every surface can be walked on: tables, walls, staircases, and ceilings, often leaving you moving sideways or even upside down. The catch is that you can only jump while standing upright. These abilities are a clever mechanic that completely changes the feel of the game and adds far more depth than the (ahem) modest visuals might first suggest.

One touch from a bug costs a life, but with no time limit, you’re free to study the layout and plan your actions rather than rushing in and making stupid mistakes. As you progress through the house, the rooms become harder, but the difficulty curve feels just right. Ahh, no timer and great design. Lovely.

Don’t be fooled by these screenshots; this is a genuine hidden gem that I imagine many of us haven’t played. I certainly hadn't. While the original was a commercial release, this ST adaptation is a superb homebrew effort. I tip my virtual hat to whoever Zork is, as I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Bug Hunter. A fantastic puzzler.

• Grab the disk from Atarimania or AtariUpToDate.
• If you get stuck, there is a wedge of YouTube videos for both games.
• Continue scrolling to view the first ten rooms...

The first room is easy, climb the table and grab the fruit to drop on the bug's head.

The next room is a little harder with two bugs. Don't get too close!

This room had me completely stumped for ages, but (groan) it's so obvious!

The fourth offers a fresh perspective, encouraging thinking ahead. Take that hint...

Weirdly, this is the easiest of all the rooms I've seen. Not obvious, but dead easy.

Some objects are fragile, so think before you make a daft decision!

The moment you move, so does the cute bee. It's all a matter of perfect timing!

This is a similar room to the previous one. Again, it's all a matter of timing with that buzzy bee!

The mechanics change yet again with this room. Be quick and jump!

This one is very challenging. Don't bother asking me if I've completed it or not...

Attention to detail

Busting with detail

We know that cool aesthetics don’t make a great game. However, let’s be honest, we all love games with spanky effects, lush colours, and great sound. Over the years, I’ve met many talented ST peeps and interviewed some pixel artists. It’s amazing to see what they achieved with the limited 8/16-bit hardware of the time. This includes titles like The Addams Family, Magic Boy, Chaos Engine, Rubicon, Black Lamp, Voodoo Nightmare, Deathbringer, Alien World, Skull & Crossbones, Mystical, 9 Lives, Ghost Battle, Mega Twins, and many others.

Anyways, the above animation is from my first play of Times of Lore. I like details, and this game comes with a couple of charmers. With that out of the way, I’ll keep you updated on X with any progress I make.

Until next time...