The Phantom Demo was released by Amiga/PC crew, Arkham who (for me) seemed to appear on the ST out of nowhere, only to disappear once again. This demo is actually two different party releases from 1993/4 bundled together. They feature super-duper visual effects and fantastic chiptunes by Kane Wood. Can you tell that I enjoyed this a bunch!!
The two videos are incomplete but a good idea of how fantastic it is. This was deliberate as I didn't want to spoil the fun - the demo is best viewed using a real Atari ST computer. If you can, please do!! The download is available on AtariMania with more of Kane's music on Demozoo. Enjoy what is nothing less than blummin' immaculate :)
Top Banana is a vertically scrolling platformer similar to Magic Boy or Rainbow Islands. Ignoring the stupid eco storyline, this has an unusual mix of weirdness but begins with a tripped-out acid-style intro that reminds me of Grotesque and Aciid Burn (Whattaheck). Well, a little, and it's in stereo so worth watching.
The gameplay is simple, we start at the bottom of the screen and leap upwards using the platforms, avoiding the rising water levels. Along the way are nasties but our weapon appears to be "love" as we deliver a fatal kiss of death to anything in our way. So take no prisoners and enjoy killing loving everything!!
Considering this is full of eco-preservation, it contradicts itself by killing animals. Anyhow, you win when you reach the top, then the screen falls and you can collect lots of doughnuts and other items before starting the next stage. Nothing new or mind-blowing but I quite enjoyed this incredibly cr4p platformer!
Before we go any further, let's take a peep at the first screenshot (which is taken from the ST version)
Top Banana played on the Atari ST (the oldest model without a Blitter Chip)
Aesthetics
That's right, this is one of the few games taking advantage of both computers, so kudos to Hex for going that extra mile. However, the ST version is rather lacking with an empty feel. Weirdly, the STe is the complete opposite with a crazy, over-the-top display of graphical mess! Still, the STe scrolls using parallax-scrolling even though my eyes bleed and my head hurts... I think I'm going to die if I play for much longer!! lol
Top Banana is incredibly unique. Never have I seen a game with such an abstract style. At first, I hated it because it's cluttered so I would struggle to see the dangers ahead in time. After a few games, I eventually overcame that eye-burst feeling. Well, I must applaud the artists for daring to be different.
The audio isn't worth mentioning when played on the ST but the STe fairs differently. Hex uses the DMA hardware with lots of samples. It's crazy, it's insane, and they will drive you mad. I never expected that the audio would be as absurd as the visuals. Never have I heard a game that was obviously designed to inflict pain.
Okay, you've witnessed the ST (above) so here it is on the Atari STe...
Top Banana on the Atari STe. Eye-bursting visuals albeit with parallel scrolling.
The CryptO'pinion?
Top Banana is unusual and offers a weird challenge. It's like a nightmare version of Rainbow Islands!! Regardless, I've nothing but respect for Hex for supporting both Atari computers. In fact, Atari STe owners should take out health insurance because their ears might burst with the incredibly annoying DMA samples. Mix that in with the visuals - bloated parallax-scrolling that will give you a headache or a brain tumour. Be warned.
I do wonder what Hex was thinking when they made this bizarre game. It's one that I fear people will ignore, which is a shame. Why? Well, I ended up liking it (on the STe) and that scares me!!
The D-Bug boys have a hard drive version and Stonish has two floppy disk options you need to try:
1) Fuzion #151 (a one-disk download without the intro)
2) Pure Energy #6A and #6B (with the silly intro but it comes on two disks)
Glutton for Punishment Mike, of The New Retro Show, has released the second part of our Ironman Challenge. As you may remember, I gave him a list of Atari ST games which I thought would help push him over the edge. Well, he's still with us, so let's see what torture he endured for the final part of this challenge (above).
This new video features Fire And Brimstone, Crash Time Plumber and R0x. If you missed the first video from this Ironman Challenge then clickety-click to watch that video of Mike's torment! Get the popcorn - enjoy :)
Crackman was released for the Atari STe by Teenage [Pung] and has one of the most idiotic storylines I've ever heard - make sure you read the docs. Okay, I'm sure you've already guessed, Crackman is a PacMan clone but is also one of the most challenging I have ever played. Well, that's an understatement actually...
The maps are huge with a crafty design but it's the ghosts that cannot fail to impress with insanely intelligent AI. This dictates practice before considering matching wits as their AI isn't like previously seen, it's more like Lode Runner. My first game almost ended in tears - I needed many more attempts before recording a video.
Along with the crazy storyline are a few surprises like mines, hidden walls and power pad support. I love the ghosts and our little pill-popper has a full set of teeth but my favourite is when he dies and turns into a puddle of gore. The Atari STe produces silky smooth 50fps hardware scrolling and superb DMA audio.
Everyone knows Pac-Man but if you thought it was boring then take a look at this - I dare you!! Is it better than Crapman? I don't know... but what I do know is that we have yet another excellent Pac-Man game!!
This demo was released at Silly Venture 2013 by Genesis Project and is amazing. No, it's outstanding and I love ElefantaSTic because it breaks from the norm with unique and stunning styles. Plus the artwork is superb with beautiful effects and a perfectly apt chiptune. This is one of my personal favourites and is downloadable from Demozoo.
I've always had a spark of curiosity for Rogue but also wondered why I should bother with a "roguelike" when I could crawl within the realms of Dungeon Master. Of course, I'm being silly as players crawled long before; spending their lunch breaks in a text-based dungeon looking for the Amulet of Yendor! Epyx released our sexy conversion back in 1986 and it's essentially the same venture through the Dungeons of Doom but we have fantastic graphics to replace the original text (no complaints from me! lol).
The dungeons may look primitive but suit the atmosphere and I love it!! For me, it's the monsters that look the best as these are superbly drawn - I love the Ice Monster the most. And the Zombie looks like he's about to get down and boogie. Pressing the Enter key will zoom out to display and the entire map - viewed full screen. This is probably favourable to the purist using a more traditional oldskool view of the dungeon? Monsters are then represented by letters, ie: B for Bat, R for Rattlesnake, Z for Zombie, etc...
Which visual display style is best for you? Let's take a look at both in these screenshots...
Carefully explore all unique locations and zoom out to see the map...
This is great and allows you to see the entire map.
Let the adventure begin!
From the start, we're introduced to the adventure schematics that allow us to explore in relative safety with only minor baddies to contend with. This is a good learning curve because a novice adventurer (ie, me) appreciates it. However, having said that take a look at my screenshot from a recent game. Wow, quite an incredible gang of nasties, I'm sure you'll agree? But this is also a testament to the game's ability to randomly generate interesting scenarios with each attempt. So, Rogue will always feel different each time you decide to boot it up.
Directional control of our little explorer is done using the ST's keypad which can be used in combo with the mouse. I prefer to use the keyboard for everything. There are other useful functions such as ALT/click to identify objects/creatures. Pressing F1 duplicates your last action with other shortcuts like 0 to rest and '.' to search (repeated searches give the best results). Try it keyboard only and I'm sure you'll agree.
Rogue is an ARPG meant to be enjoyed from the start to death/victory. Once you've been beaten, you are buried and this is permanent. You can save your progress but, coming back to continue is only allowed once (as that file is deleted). Hence, permadeath - it may sound unfair but works well to suit the original.
Hey, do you fancy a couple more Rogue screenshots? What? Really? I knew you did...
There's so much to this old dungeon crawler.
Looks like I'm carrying a lot. Fancy a chomp on my food?
Beware, you're not alone!
The enemies are a wild bunch; from traditional beasts like Snakes, Zombies and Bats to fantasy spooks like Ice Monsters, Hobgoblins and even Emus. Yes, there are emus down there! It's worth noting that not every character is immediately aggressive so it's advisable to try and tiptoe around a Leprechaun, a Nymph or a Centaur. I only wish Trolls and Wraiths had that relaxed temperament as they are mean - how good is your defence?
Fight using swords, axes and more but there are also magical scrolls and potions which perform a variety of uses like illuminating the dungeons, increasing health, weapon strength, and much more. However, not all are good so you may wish to empower yourself with the ability to identify any obscure items you may be carrying. After all, you might mistakingly conjure a demon or leave yourself blind in the darkness.
Like the dungeon, both enemies and objects are randomly generated so you never get to perform the same battle twice or know the location of items. This is one of the many things that makes Rogue special.
Let's put the reading on pause whilst you gander at a couple more screenshots...
Some kind soul has left food and it's not rotten.
Oh no, a Centaur appears and he's not happy!
Tricks and traps
Rogue has many hidden traps. So if something doesn't feel right, remember to search and you might just uncover a hidden passage. Watch out for teleporters that will zap you to another part of the map or maybe even drop you down a level. Gas sends you to sleep and bear traps are dangerous and require a few turns to escape their clutch. Avoid the temptation of a Nymph who might sneak something from your inventory - and I laughed when battling a Leprechaun as he actually managed to rob me of my gold. O_o
Rogue has aspects which are traditional yet amusing like being caught by cursed clothing which is impossible to remove without using the right spell to counteract it. I travelled for five levels before being able to remove a nasty piece of cursed chainmail. Cursed clothing, who'd have thunk it? Irritating but humorous too.
Finally, remember to look after yourself and watch those stats. Food is sparse down in the dungeons, so collect everything and only stop for a bite when it's absolutely needed. The action is lurking around every corner but a careful adventurer will find tactical exploring to be both enjoyable and rewarding. Think before you act.
Can you tell that I'm enjoying Rogue? This game is hot stuff and it's now screenshot time...
Carefully, I sneak by the old bat (insert mother-in-law joke)
Beware of leprechauns on level 7... $$$
Aesthetics?
Nobody loads up Rogue to be blown away by dazzling visuals but this is actually better than I imagined. I love how the dungeons look; bright, colourful and quite bare. It looks the business and feels like a graphical upgrade on the original but without ruining it. As I said earlier, the best parts are the sprites and those little iddy-biddy monsters lurking in the dungeon is fantastic. They are updated yet faithful to the theme.
The Sound effects are authentic to the original, ie there aren't any! Well, little beyond the default clicks & dings we're all used to as ST owners, which is perfectly fine and natural to what Rogue is all about. However, I'd have liked an option to turn off the clicks without having to resort to using something like XControl.
I had an idea for my video recording - that's at the top of this page - so scroll back up. I wanted to replace the silence with something eerie using the Atari STe ACCessory: STe Background Audio Player. This plays samples using the DMA coprocessor and works tremendously well without any slowdown. Let me know what you guys think?
We're almost at the end of this gripping review so here are the last screenshots...
Use this view for a bigger image of your dungeon and keep stock of the inventory.
The fun didn't last long ... I only reached level 7. Yikes!
The CryptO'pinion?
As I write, I've reached level 14 which is an outstanding feat for me! However, Rogue has cranked up the difficulty a lot since level 9 and I'm struggling. I'm low on supplies and suffered heavily when fighting a Wraith and a Troll. I need to rest and hope nothing creeps up while I'm vulnerable. Hang on, I've just found a healing potion and a spell to confuse the monsters. There is so much to this fascinating game!!
Yes, Rogue is easy to get into and extremely rewarding. I'm still learning the ropes of this immense dungeon crawler and have only scratched the surface. Rogue thrills and excites this old gamer and I am loving every minute of my tremendous adventure. This is quite possibly one of the best Atari ST games I've played.
That's right, this is an adventurer's masterpiece. Absolutely wonderful and highly recommended!!
