Fire And Brimstone

Tough as nails!

It's a well-known fact that games were harder back in the day. Perhaps our generation was made of tougher stuff, and today's kids are wimps? That sounds right, and we have a game to prove it. Hey, before we begin, did you know that I've fully mapped this game? No? Well, click the "Game Maps" link to your right...

Fire and Brimstone was released in 1990 by Firebird and is one of the most visually stunning platformers I have seen. The adventure takes place in a fantasy world of Norse mythology, as the mighty Thor must battle the forces of Hel. She has escaped and spread her lust for evil over the Nordic lands with her minions, creating havoc! So, wait for it, it's up to us to clean up this hellish infestation and get home in time for tea.

Check out these gorgeous screenshots with the first immediate puzzle (that makes no sense, ironically)...

This game blows you away from the start with an oddly puzzling demon who always wakes up!

Look out for witches with their rapid spells. Who are also tough to kill!

We are the mighty Thor!

There are five worlds (including Hel) to beat - Alfheim, Anaheim, Nidavellir, Muspell, and Nilfheim. Each screen is a puzzle in itself that requires careful thought before you attempt to foolishly maraud through. Even the first screen can confuse, and its solution makes little sense - get used to this trickery!

Each level’s objective is to find key parts and complete them. Only after all fragments are discovered can you finish the levels (along with a boss to defeat, of course). Therefore, every screen should be thoroughly searched for hidden objects to avoid being punished for laziness and sent back to revisit previous screens!

Thor doesn't only carry an axe but two individual weapons, which he flips between, including bombs and fire. Some power-ups will help improve our abilities against the hordes of baddies who come in all shapes and sizes - each possesses a cunning yet humorous personality. Everyone is often really difficult to kill, from magic-throwing witches to goblins, old bats, and things hiding in trees. It's impossible not to love this game's awesome charisma - I especially love the funky ghosts and creepy witches who fly by on their broomsticks.

Let's view another ghostly and witchy screenshot from this tough platformer...

Watch out for all kinds of freaky monsters. Oh, look, it's the mother-in-law on her broom!

We're in the creepy woods, which are full of ghosts. And HIM too! Runnnnn!!!

Aesthetics

Fire and Brimstone offers an exceptional visual treat by Chris Sorrell. Astounding attention to detail, using an artistic flair that perfectly complements the medieval and hellish atmosphere. The characters look fantastic and are superbly animated with scenic settings that are always beautiful. Jaw-dropping 16-bit pixel art.

Warning: there’s no scrolling. For an Amiga user, this likely translates to their usual complaints about Atari ST ports. However, Fire and Brimstone wasn’t designed to scroll and is perfectly suited as a flick-screen platformer. In fact, I'm pretty sure scrolling wouldn't have had the same effect at all.

David Whittaker’s thumping sample tune serves as the title music, and while brilliant, I must admit I prefer his chiptunes. Don't get me wrong, it's excellent, but just my personal taste. The in-game sound effects are superb for all the usual effects, but clearly can’t match the majestic quality of the lush and detailed graphics.

It sure looks and sounds the business, alright, so let's see another couple of screenshots...

See that guy in red, I wonder what's his story?

Oh, each level has a secret room. Don't miss it otherwise, you'll be sent back!

The CryptO'pinion?

Fire and Brimstone is the most challenging platformer I’ve ever played, with its unforgiving mechanics. However, with patience, you’ll learn how each screen functions and make progress. Even then, it remains incredibly difficult, so I’d rate it as one of the most frustrating games. Hardly a glowing review, right?

Ignoring my painful progress (with a trainer), this game is incredibly entertaining and potentially rewarding for a determined player. I love how each screen offers its own mini-adventure, which naturally extends its lifespan due to its design. Despite its flaws demanding a trainer, I absolutely love it.

However, I fear only the foolish bravest should venture into this world of torment. Enjoy!

Download for floppy or hard drive.

Teserae

I love sausages!

Teserae was developed by The Albanian Sausage Corporation - the funniest name ever! It is a Tetris clone if you hadn't guessed, but this is different and pushes the Atari ST with fantastic aesthetics that no version of Tetris has ever seen. I'm talking about the whackiest & jazziest graphics with a cool wobbly logo, zooming backgrounds, a text scroller, and gorgeous music. Plus, everything runs at a smooooth 50fps. Flashy and slick.

Regardless, it wouldn't be worth its salt if the gameplay were rubbish. Fear not, because it not only looks incredible but plays just as well. Once you have got over the shock of what is a visual carnival, there is actually a challenging version of the classic game here. I'm not exactly a Tetris fan, but I adored Teserae a bunch!!

I recommend you wear sunglasses before you hit AtariMania for the download.

Lights, Camera, Action! (take 2)

Update: I've long since lost these videos. Has anyone got copies to share?

Following on from a previous posting, here are the remaining videos being played using a program called ST Video Player. Just like last time, these are running on a stock 8MHz Atari STe w/ a hard drive, of course.

Chariots Of Wrath

Whilst fighting for King and Country, an evil Baron kidnaps the beautiful Princess Arthena. So jump into your chariot and rescue her. Actually, this really means playing lots of different arcade-style games, which surely can't be a bad day at the local war zone, right?

Released in 1989 by Impressions, Chariots Of Wrath isn't just one particular game but instead is a half-dozen bundle of retro gaming oldies. If there was ever a mixed-goody bag of various games (thrown together), then this is it. Each range in style, from a Breakout clone to a pretty nice shoot 'em up, and each must be played in order before you can advance to the next.

Of course, each and every game will become progressively harder the further you venture. Initially, I didn't care for the "Operation Wolf" clone because it's far too easy and a little boring, but later on, I admit to liking this as it became a lot harder and thus more challenging. But would you play it compared to Op.Wolf?

The breakout game is awesome and comes with a number of power-ups to increase the excitement. I found it enjoyable, but I'm sure the Arkanoid fanboys won't be quaking in their boots! The platformer looks nice, but the controls feel wooden, and it has an incredibly frustrating and extremely unforgiving time limit. Asteroids also make an appearance and play very well with some nifty new touches that I really liked. Finally, I really enjoy the vertically scrolling shoot 'em up, which is both loud and exciting. Sadly, it suffers from amateur mechanics and a little slowdown, but it is still great fun, and I did enjoy it with its BOOM BOOM sound effects!

The graphics are good throughout, with smooth scrolling and lots of colours. So overall, my ears and eyes had little to complain about. However, in terms of playability, Chariots of Wrath almost has a homebrew feel, and with a little spit and polish. We could have had a unique release, as the potential is there with this jack of all trades. However, I fear it falls short, and there are better individual games out for the Atari ST.

• Play off a hard drive, which is best - thanks to 8BitChip!
• Need the floppy disks, then look no further than Atari Legend.
• Check out the superb video recording by CaptainD from Indie Game News.

Destruction Imminent

Who needs a PC?

Destruction Imminent was released in 1996 by Cunning & Devious Games for the Atari ST/e and is a first-person shooter, similar to a typical Wolfenstein clone. In fact, it's incredibly reminiscent of that early 90s era, thanks to its familiar look and gameplay style - which probably has your mouth watering about now?

Our adventure takes place in a comparable environment, gloomy corridors filled with evil hordes of enemies waiting to eat you alive! Oh, and we have a range of familiar weaponry. Okay, let's say this game was (ahem) inspired? Before you begin, watch the intro play through. It's very cool and accompanied by gorgeous music as it introduces the monsters we will soon encounter. These are a scary bunch and pretty freaky!!

It's time to stop reading and look at a couple of screenshots of the robots and rock monster...

The robots can be really tough opponents at times.

Rock monster? Hmm, I'll say no more...

Enter the dungeon!

From the start, the atmosphere is predictable, with each level plagued by strange creatures - not to worry, because we have weapons ranging from pistols to machine guns, rocket launchers, and plasma rifles. Some of these monsters are oddballs - the Rock Monster is like a crude Daroou from Dungeon Master. He's oddly cute and looks like he's made from gingerbread! Anyhow, kill him and free your monitor from that pixel art.

The controls are superb: cursor keys are used for walking, CTRL fires weapons, and SHIFT allows you to run away like a cowardly chicken. Also, side-stepping is possible, which is always needed. There isn't a key to open doors, just walk up and nudge them with your nose. This is where the engine is at its weakest because it's often a pain to align yourself properly. But then again, Wolfenstein has the same issue (for me).

Additionally, the Function Keys are used to flip between weapons/health. It's a bit awkward, but you will eventually get used to this. Sadly, the mouse isn't supported, but the wooden movement from a keyboard is responsive and just like Wolf3D. Remember, this isn't Doom, so it isn't that game!

Wanna see some more of the enemies you'll be up against? Of course, you do...

Things are getting creepy with bugs!

There are also bats. Surely, you're not scared? Come back...!!

Aesthetics

Surely the 8MHz Atari ST isn't powerful enough to run a first-person shooter? You need at least a 25MHz PC, right? Ignoring its drab user interface, the visuals are remarkable, using a 3D engine that won't fail to impress. This makes use of texture mapping, light-sourced sprites, and a decent framerate. Power without the price. The only niggle I have is that the weapon is perhaps too large, as it obscures close enemies!

As for the audio, it's equally impressive, using sound effects and great music. Everything is even better on the Atari STe thanks to the stereo DMA coprocessor. This game is awesome, so colour me impressed!

It looks and sounds excellent, which is always nice, so let's check out the last two monsters...

Mutants? Nah, they're not scary! In fact, they look like me on a Monday morning!

Gotta love the pixel artwork - minimalistic yet stunning!

The CryptO'pinion?

As you can probably tell, I've enjoyed blasting my way through this game! The weapons are great, and exploring demon-infested worlds is engaging. I have very few complaints (already mentioned), so I cannot take anything away from what is an extraordinary first-person shooter. Plus, it's an example of what the Atari ST/e is capable of knocking out in the hands of talented people who care about their product. No lame port!

Preferably, play on an Atari STe to enjoy what is nothing short of a brilliant first-person shooter.

Destruction Imminent

[ download from my Dropbox ]

Tiger Road

The arcade comes home

Tiger Road was released in 1989 by US Gold, but I felt it didn't do justice to the awesome original, so I thought I'd give it another go. From the very beginning, you're thrown into an instant hack & slash scene battling a constant horde of stupid bad guys, so pick up your axe and thrash your way to victory.

Well, that's easier said than done because the enemies won't give you a moment's rest, and the larger baddies are a pain in the rear end - so difficult to kill those guys! Which is made worse by little visual feedback to help show if you're doing any damage. Argh, sometimes it feels like I'm hitting at thin air!

Overall, this is a good conversion in terms of how it looks and sounds, but the gameplay is better. And that's all that matters. So pick up your joystick and hack away at the bad guys. Highly recommended.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Update: I've long since lost these videos. Has anyone got them to share? Thx

ST Video Player is one of those programs that will drop your mouth wide open with amazement. You just won't believe that your humble 512kb 8Mhz Atari STE (with a hard drive) can produce such amazing high-colour movies.

This piece of magic was written by Cyg of BlaBla (the creators of some of the best Atari ST/e demos that I've ever seen). Movies come in the format of .CAV files so just drag & drop one onto the program and prepare to be amazed. I hope to see more videos released for the Atari STe - very soon! Download from Demozoo and Pouet.

Atari ST magazines

( my virtual Atari Falcon w/ MiNT and three PDF magazines being displayed using zView )

An era long gone

The Atari ST had some of the best magazines the world has ever seen, and I still find it helpful in referring back to old issues for their features, reviews, and other information. Thankfully, many websites have scans of this golden era covering ST Action, ST Format, Atari World, ST User, The One, etc...

So enjoy the 16-bit reading, and cover disks!!

Grab a magazine from the rack...

AtariMania is always a great resource, as they have a fantastic magazine section.

A wonderful website dedicated to Atari ST Review, including their coverdisks.

Kiwis World seems to have bucketloads of Atari ST magazines.

Exxos has a page for ST Format and Atari World with coverdisks.

The Zogging Hell website has a great collection of various magazine coverdisks.

Of course, there's always the newest Atari ST magazine on the block - AtariCrypt!!