Return To Genesis

Dream Team?

Firebird released Return To Genesis the same year I got my Atari ST, and it was developed by the "ST Dream Team": Steve Bak, Pete Lyons, and David Whittaker. Three masters in their fields, who aimed for quality and always pushed our computer without ever resorting to excuses or using a lame Amiga port. #respect

RTG is a spin on Defender, where Mechanauts have forced scientists into slavery. We've gotta rescue each of these guys, which means jumping into a spaceship to skim the surface of 50 psychedelic worlds.

Wanna see the first bunch of screenshots? Then wait no longer because here they are...

Weeeee..... swooooosh..... ZOOOOM......... dead!

Can you see the Mechanauts? Not easy, is it?

I'm getting too old and slow

If you've ever played Defender, then you should be right at home with RTG. It only has a tiny learning curve. Fire and kill everything? But it's worth slowing down to pick up the scientists rather than killing them: once onboard, hit the HELP key to see what power-ups they might provide. These guys are useful and could improve weaponry, shields, invisibility, etc. However, Festus might be less than fun as the master of self-destruction?

A scanner shows the location of each scientist, but this falls short of detailing the level layout. I don't know why, but this doesn't work well for me. Sigh... how many more times must I be rebounded back and forth like a yo-yo? Yes, you're on the edge of your seat for this incredibly FAST shooter. Blink, and you're dead!!

Screenshot time, and here are twelve scary-looking people from the future...

This is an incredible idea that uses who you rescue in a positive way for the next level. It's superb!

Aesthetics

Pete Lyon designed everything you see, but I'd be lying if I said this was his best work (I personally think Zynaps won that accolade). It's pretty gorky, so I often found it difficult to distinguish the aliens against those funky backgrounds. The scrolling is smooth to prove, once again, that the Atari ST needed no custom chips when in the hands of talented people who care about the product they're working on.

Audio is such a treat. Dave Whittaker sure knew how to get the best heard from our computer - proving that "chipmusic" will last forever. Yes, it sounds <cough> familiar, but it suits the gameplay. Heck, our ST talks to us, which is a zillion times better than Gold Runner. Dave certainly gets the YM processor rocking.

It looks, moves, and sounds superb! Definitely a dream team production, so let's see screenshots...

A weapons upgrade. I knew it was better to rescue these guys rather than blasting 'em!

Shall we rescue him or not? Erm, I shall.... try....!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Return to Genesis is one of those games that seems to have it all - brilliant visuals, smooth scrolling, immersive sound effects, and classic chip tunes. However, I’m left feeling unsure if it’s the game itself or just me. I love a good Defender-inspired shooter, but this one’s way too fast. After a few pointless games, I’m exhausted from hitting objects and dying repeatedly. Thankfully, the scientists have some great power-ups. These are a wonderful idea that somewhat alleviates the frustrating gameplay, albeit just a tiny bit.

This sure is an iconic shoot ‘em up for Atari ST gamers, truly representing the ST’s capabilities. Unfortunately, it’s far too fast for me, and I’d much rather play Zynaps or Menace. I wanted to love this game, but it just wasn’t for me. It’s brilliant, but sadly, not for this gamer. I guess I’m just too old and slow?

Grab it for floppy or hard drive.