ST2VGA Enhanced VGA Adapter

Pixel Sharp

Those of you following my ramblings over the years will remember that I originally had a terrible flat-screen TV. I then bought two really old VGA monitors and used a standard cable. It worked, but produced weird lines on the screen. These looked like scratches that worsened whenever disk access was happening. Later, I bought the UBESWITCH, which is a superb product with a sharp display. Sadly, the scratches remained.

So, after that long-winded background, let's get to the point! Okay, I bought SidecarTridge's enhanced VGA adapter, which is a little more expensive than their other adapter. The ST2VGA Enhanced has an active video processing stage that amplifies the analog signal before it reaches the monitor.

This model draws power via a USB port (I use a nifty dongle in the cartridge port or a free USB slot on my Mac). I've tested this on two different VGA monitors, and it's ultra-sharp without those dreaded scratch marks. I'm sharing this to encourage more ST Nutters to buy this superb bit of kit. Excellent work, Diego!

Here are the links, plus some badly taken photos using my phone (which seemed like a good idea at the time!). You might not be able to see how great the display is, but you shall note the scratches are gone...

• SidecarTridge web page for their enhanced adapter (always worth paying that bit extra!).
• Check out SidecarTridge on X and give Diego a follow.
• Listed down the right side of every page is our Hardware section - check it out.

I thought I'd show this boring screen - completely free of scratches!

Again, a black background without scratches. I'm loving this adapter :)

Then I thought a close-up of the sharp display... Ugh... Trust me, it's sharp.

This one captured well, I thought. Look how nice and clear the text is. Niiiiiice!!

firST year

STuck in the 80s

When I first became an ST user, I was completely unfamiliar with the concept of a demo. Perhaps I might have assumed it meant a game demo, who knows? What I do know is that Grusel and The Union Demo were the first that truly captured my interest in this new world of impressive effects, music, and scrollers.

Grusel was something I stumbled upon while browsing the Page 6 library, along with a bunch of other intriguing things that piqued my curiosity as a new ST guy. Of course, it was The Union Demo that truly ignited this new passion. Weirdly, I discovered it by pure chance through an advert in a magazine. It's an understatement to say I was astounded by the capabilities my Atari ST suddenly possessed overnight.

This marked the beginning of something monumental. I wondered how my 520ST was doing all this, as I walked Charley across the smooth-scrolling landscape to some incredible demos. In fact, to this day, I still regard The Wobbly Screen by the mighty Replicants as one of the best. I couldn’t help but wonder what else was out there, so I began looking! This led to buying disks like Money For Nothing and others. Including the older TEX demos, I had previously not known about. These disks gave birth to my demoscene addiction!

One of the most impressive demos I encountered during this time was the 007 Demo by the ST Squad. It blew me away due to its length and the clarity of the sound. It was incredible what a 512Kb computer with a floppy drive could produce. Since I didn’t have any speakers, I remember it being played through the TV. In fact, I even remember my Dad coming upstairs to ask if I was watching a James Bond movie, haha.

Around this time, many more sample disks were released. It seemed like a popular niche, with artists cramming as much music onto a floppy disk as possible. This could be recorded samples or simply mixing parts to create something longer. Whatever the method, I was hooked and spent hours searching for more.

In short, I’ve been reliving my early days by going through sample disks from around this time. Hearing my ST sing everything from Ghostbusters to Stingray was/is a surreal moment. And it's thanks to The Union boys. Curiously, I wonder how long I might have been unaware of "demos" if it weren’t for them?

Anyway, this is just a small part of my history from my early days when I discovered "demos". What about you guys? Here are links to other 'sample' demos that I remember during those years...

Batdance by Matt Kennedy (Ripped Off #65) - https://demozoo.org/Bat...

Robomix by Electronic Images & Radical Systems (POV #9) - https://demozoo.org/

Ghostbusters by ST Squad (POV #14) - https://demozoo.org/ghosts...

Phantom Of The Opera by Tony Longworth (Ripped Off #2) - https://demozoo.org/daley...

Miami Vice Theme by MJS - https://www.atarimania.com/miami-vice

Stingray by The Poltergeists (The Source #49) - https://demozoo.org/sting...

The Cola Wars by Tom O'Shaughnessy (Mind-blowing) - https://www.atarimania.com/cola-wars

I couldn't leave without a quick show of the Union Demo. What a moment in time!!

No Limit & No Limit II

Tilt Happens

Pinball was massive in the 90s, and the ST got its fair share of digital tables. In 1993, Andreas Kröber released No Limit - if you're wondering why that name, you will soon realise when loading it up (ARGH, my ears lol). This is a good game, but it looks dull as ditchwater without scrolling, and the ball feels more like squidgy rubber than steel. Still, I guess there really were no limits, because a year later, the sequel arrived! This used the hardware scrolling for rapid display and a bigger area. So, it blew away the original.

Flippers are handled by the two SHIFT keys, and when things get hairy, whack that spacebar to tilt the table and hopefully save the ball. Yep, hairy stuff. That's my understanding of Pinball in a nutshell. Of course, the sequel is the one to choose, as it looks better and plays great with nice physics. I love how the smooth scrolling zips up and down the screen! My only quibble is with the odd table with its bizarre snowy theme.

So there you go - play the second game and hit those flippers to bash your ball. Make sure you’re on an STe; otherwise, you’re missing out on the sounds and silky-smooth scrolling. It’s not up there with Obsession, but I would happily put No Limit II alongside Starball as a great alternative on the Atari ST/e.

• Atarimania has both (unregistered) games to download.
• No Limits II can be installed onto a hard drive/Ultrasatan thanks to 8BitChip.
• Check out some of the other Pinball games for the ST/STe.
• Seeing as both games are nicely enhanced, they've made it onto my list!
• Check out some more games that work in high-res mode.

The physics/feel of the ball (ooer) might not be the best, but I enjoyed the game.

Look, it even runs in high-res monochrome!!

I reached 1472, not bad, I guess... ahem...

No Limit II seems to have a snowy feel. It's not the most glamorous of tables, is it!

Yeah, it looks poor, but it plays very well in high resolution.

Oh no, another ball out of play... I reached 42,402 points.

European Champions

Football, great...

You know me, I loathe football, and the only time I've bothered was with Team a few years ago. Ugh, "Soccer" is, for me, as dull as dishwater: hardly any goals, the endless diving, and the drama when players act like they’ve been hit by a sniper, when in reality the only thing that touched them was a blade of grass! ;^)

Ocean released European Champions in 1994 for the Atari STe, with support for one or two players. Wait, did I say STe?? Yes, the DMA audio is used for crowd sounds and other effects. And, unlike Team, there are lots of effects played throughout the match, which really lift the atmosphere of our virtual stadium. Plus, the Blitter chip is working away to keep the frame rates up for the little men bravely charging up and down the pitch. Also, I have to admit, the range of pitches is impressive, and the action replays are excellent.

The joystick controls are everything you’d hope for: fast, responsive, and easy to get into without being too easy. Even I can see two people around their Atari STe enjoying this one! Hey, if I liked football, I’d probably be glued to this game for hours. As it stands, I’m still impressed - despite myself. There’s plenty more, too: you can play friendlies, leagues, cups, and even tweak the referee’s temperament if you fancy.

European Champions is polished, responsive, and stacked with features that make the matches very enjoyable. The highlights are my favourite part. I'm feeling brave enough to rate this 90%. However, I still think footballers are overpaid drama queens - but Ocean’s STe kickabout almost makes me see the appeal. Almost.

I believe this was Ocean's final Atari release? If so, what a way to end. Legends!!

• There are several menus to download at Atari Legend.
• Atarimania has the original disks available from their archive.
• European Champions is proudly added to the Enhanced Gaming List.
• We also have a 'soccer' group, but it's quite lite atm... Any recommendations?

Tension is rising in the box, and things are getting scrappy. Like I'd know...

Score a goal, and it's time for a superb action replay!

Oh dear, a grown man is injured and crying for help. Big girl's blouse!!

Another goal scored, so let's see it again in more detail, please.

What, I actually enjoyed a footy game? Sure did, it's excellent.

Let me know if you agree. Is it better than Sensi Soccer or Kick Off!!