I often receive requests for game reviews or demos to record, usually from someone and today, I was asked by STS to make a video of Time Slices by Defence Force for his awesome demoscene blog. Check that out!
Anyhow, this is a monochrome demo for the Atari STe that was released at STNICCC 2015. However, emulation (and my old Mac) play a good part in destroying the quality so I apologise for that. The lesson here is real hardware is always best. Thankfully, after a few minor adjustments, the sound improved and the darn thing stopped flickering long enough to give you guys an idea of how cool this demo actually is. Especially for something Commodore-themed!! ;-)
It's a pleasure to see a new in development for our beloved Atari ST but Sam Nasty is different. This puzzle-based platformer was developed back in the early 1990s using STOS by Jerome Mahieux. Oddly, he never released it but found the floppy disk so here we are in 2019, playing the game. How cool is that!!
Upon loading, we're greeted with a title screen for help and other options to disable the sound effects/music. The game itself is a static-screen platformer and, for each level, we find ourselves trapped inside a prison and must find a way to escape. This might sound familiar but it's also got some rather unique features.
But first, let's check out a couple of screenshots with some rather cute & dodgy characters...
The coppa is seeing stars like in a cartoon. I love that!!
Talk about antagonising the enemy by sticking out your tongue! lol ace!!!
The Great Escape!
As you might imagine, the earlier screens are quite humble to break you in gently. So escaping is easy whilst you learn the basics. But it's not long before Sam finds himself inside prisons that must put Alcatraz to shame. There are always a variety of cunning pitfalls to avoid, so look out for things like laser beams that will zap you into an early grave! Also, there are patrolling coppers and some are even armed...
It's a good job our thug has the ability to punch. The screenshots prove how entertaining that is!!
Escaping is always going to be different for each of the levels. So look for anything that might help, like a switch for example. Today, my gaming skills excelled and I reached the fourth prison - not bad at all for a fella with terrible gaming skills (sometimes I wonder why I bother running a gaming website lol). Yep, a joyous occasion that sadly didn't last all that long, as you will see in my YouTube video recording.
Let's pause the reading and check out a couple more screenshots...
It's a tight fit there, so get down and crawl in silence.
Stars and tongues! That's this game to a tea and I love it!!
Aesthetics
The graphics are nothing like I expected and I mean that in a good way. Tiny design but, with superb attention to detail for each of the prisons. However, it's the sprites that I love the most: the laughing policeman, Sam sticking out his tongue, and those punched faces with their broken teeth. Fantastic pixel art and something that will make even the most miserable gamer smile with joy. Throughout, you will be impressed by the humour.
The music is chip and nice but Sam Nasty has the ability to disable that. So I did. Now, just listen to the sound effects and tell me you're not reminded of countless ZX Spectrum platformers!! Anyhow, I enjoyed the music but I absolutely loved the amazing sound effects. Seriously, just get this game and listen for yourself!!
This is something else! I love how it looks and sounds so let's see some more screenshots...
Okay, things are getting tough now and that copper has a gun!
The death scene is great and a little Rick Dangerous too... Can you see me?
The CryptO'pinion?
I'm impressed by the demo and, never in a million years, would I have imagined breaking out of prison could have been fun. Sure, there are a few bugs (that Jerome is in the process of fixing). Plus a few niggles that I'd like tweaked - like overly sensitive joystick controls and the desperate need for more lives. (WIP)
Sam Nasty is a fantastic concept and I'm gobsmacked he didn't release this back in the day. I'm sure it would have gone down a storm! So please take time to download the demo, have a play, and consider sending him your feedback and support. A thoroughly enjoyable and addictive game and well worth buying for pennies!!
2 euros for the full game - support Jerome & the ST scene!
