Wings Of Death

Quick play video

This is one of the classiest games for the ST and is even better when played on the Atari STe with loads more colours, better sounds, and so on. You play as Sagyr, a powerful wizard who’s been cursed by the evil sorceress Xandrilia. To break the spell and defeat her dark magic, you must battle through hordes of enemies across seven dangerous levels - ranging from forests to dungeons within a dark and gothic world.

This isn't a review. I simply wanted a reason to post my gameplay video recordings. Plus, every ST Nutter out there already knows just how cool this shooter is! Am I right? So, here are some of my tips...

It pays to practice as much as possible because this is a challenging shooter. With each wave of enemies killed, bonuses and power-ups are dropped, offering multiple options for new firepower. I would say learn what each one does and "know your weapons". Some are great, whereas some are less effective. Stick with what you like and don't blindly upgrade for the sake of it.

It's often a good idea to stay clear of the skull icons, which annoyingly offer a downgrade - not what you need in the heat of battle. That "HaHa" you hear can become intimidating, so learn the weapons and ignore the skulls. Additionally, perhaps consider abandoning any thoughts of staying in the central part of the screen, as this is a hotspot of activity. Likewise, don't remain along the bottom as the baddies do attack in an array of patterns. Hey, perhaps you can memorise those?

I hope that helps some of you guys. Wings of Death is a standout shooter, combining slick visuals, stunning audio, smooth scrolling, and a brilliant variety of weaponry. It’s tough (very tough) but also kinda fair, and its gameplay holds up incredibly well. Easily one of the Atari ST/STe’s finest arcade-style shooters.

Look, despite my joystick skills, I've recorded another video to complement the one above. Why? Because I love this shooter so much. Yes, even though I'm terrible at it and require the reactions of a 12-year-old!!

Specs (Credit Atarimania)

Supports Blitter

Supports STe DMA sound

Supports 1, 2 or 4Mb of RAM

Supports audio cartridge

Features up to 154 colours on-screen simultaneously (introduction screen)

Features up to 144 colours on-screen simultaneously (options or static screen)

Features up to 26 colours on-screen simultaneously (in-game)

Features digitized title soundtrack at 12.5KHz (stereo) on STe

Features digitized title soundtrack at 12.1KHz on ST

Features partially digitized in-game soundtrack at 6.25KHz on STe

Features partially digitized in-game soundtrack at 6.1KHz on ST

Features digitized sound fx at 6.25KHz on STe

Features digitized sound fx at 6.1KHz on ST

Finally, here are some screenshots to drool over before you click on a download for Wings of Death. Here are the options for either hard drive (D-Bug), hard drive (PP), or a menu disk on floppy (Atari Legend). Enjoy!