Stunt Car Racer

Cunning STunts

Stonish are having a fantastic year with tons of new additions to their database. I downloaded a few of these cracking disks (see what I did there?) and ended up loving the goods on Supremacy #7: James Pond, a Steve Bak classic. Action Fighter, hey this is good. The Mystic Well, one for geeks! But it was Stunt Car Racer that had me hooked. So, here we are!

I remembered friends telling me about this 3D racer by Geoff Crammond - I was told a mix of Evel Knievel and (a playable version of) Hard Drivin'. However, I simply couldn't control my buggy for love nor money and failed to see what the attraction was. I placed it in the same category as the above or even Powerdrome. Yep, nice ideas but impossible to control.

With that in mind, two things become apparent. 1) how wrong I can be about so many different things (as the wife often reminds me). 2) Like a fine wine, my gaming skills have bettered with age. 3). Maths ain't my strong point.

Okay, enough! Let's take a peep at all the drivers. A weird bunch although High Flyer looks cute...

Genius track design with incredibly cunning tricks and a motley crew to race against!

30 years later...

Well, thanks to Stonish (now Atarilegend - see link below) for this floppy disk - I booted up Stunt Car Racer and attempted a couple of practice laps like it was 1989 again. To my surprise, I didn't crash or fall off the track!!! So I played another game and even participated in a league challenge - which I won. Now, I began gleaming with pride because this wasn't like me at all. Yup, this success went straight to my head and I started to get very excited - not easy at my age!

So I dared myself on and practised several different tracks, with varying degrees of success. Well, I'm being kind there: The Stepping Stones is a killer which I think everybody should foolishly attempt, Kamikaze style!! The Draw Bridge looks easy but has a nifty trick up its sleeve... and The Big Ramp features a ginormous monster gap which can only be jumped by going over 200mph. There might only be 8 tracks but they are all beauties and this game was proving itself a classic.

Right then, I wanna see some gameplay screenshots. Are you up for that? Of course, you are...

I love the way you are dropped in!

Now the fun begins against a blocky opponent.

I thought I was catching him up...

Sigh, I skidded into the dirt - only to watch him zoom away!

This game is fun fun fun!!

Stunt Car Racer is controlled using the joystick: pushing up accelerates whilst fire enables turbo boost for bucket more speed. Pulling down breaks and can also reverse - which comes in handy after falling off the tracks. Turning left or right isn't overly sensitive but precise and feels perfect - very natural and comfortably realistic. Thus instantly playable and mastering the buggy's controls isn't tedious like so many other similar games. In fact, it's rather rewarding.

Practice mode is great for learning the ropes and mastering those difficult parts of most tracks but I found myself jumping straight into the league to compete against a computer-controlled opponent. These guys are well-balanced - the computer ain't no slouch but nor is it Jimmie Johnson. Additionally, you can compete against friends and even hook up your ST to another glorious Atari computer. Maybe you have an Amiga friend? Nah, I didn't think so but it is an option. ;)

Success will come because this game is playable! A simple trait often overlooked and here I triumphed...

    
You win some, you lose some... Stick with it and you'll be their hero (click 'em)

Aesthetics!

Graphically, this racer lacks the polished flair and pizzazz of Lotus 2 or Crazy Cars 3. Thankfully, that is actually a good thing because the framerate doesn't suffer from unnecessary aesthetics. The graphics may look rather bland but this simplicity is what keeps the motion smooth. I'd rather have that any day compared to nicer aesthetics.

Sadly, the sounds aren't exactly the best I've heard from my ST: there are numerous effects but that engine noise could have been better (I found myself turning the volume down a bit). In fact, I'd love to see this game improved with STe DMA effects just like we've seen in other games over recent years [subtle hint directed at Jon or PP!!]

So it looks & sounds weirdly acceptable but moves like a dream, which matters the most. Screenshot time...

This is always a cool glimpse at the next track which I love.

In fact, I'd go as far as saying that these images are some of the best in the entire game ;)

The CryptO'pinion?

Stunt Car Racer is fast and furious with wonky tracks which are a thrill to compete on. Whether you choose to master the tricky stunts (in Practice mode) or jump straight into a league battle, I guarantee hours of fun. The physics are spot-on perfect and that's something you need to experience. The stunt aspect is very addictive, unlike Hard Drivin. Dear Mr Crammond, you did it again and delivered a racer which is both exciting and bucket loads of fun!!

Overall, this is one of the very best Atari ST racers and is worth nothing less than a glorious rating of 10/10.

I suggest you bob over to Stonish

to download this and lots more ST goodies!!

Super Wonder Boy in Monster Land

Oh boy, this game looks so bad...

Okay, we're a kid called Tom-Tom who wears a nappy and wields a sword. Hmm, I was hoping for something macho with blood and gore but, there is none! However, Tommy holds his own for his one and only outing on the Atari ST.

Anyhow, Tommy (yes, I've renamed him) lives in a pleasant place called Wonder Land which he apparently protected during the first game. However, don't get too comfy because a dragon has wreaked havoc on Wonder Land by releasing an army of hideous creatures. Not only will most of these beasts aimlessly walk back and forth, in a menacing manner, but they've now managed to turn Tommy's once beautiful home into Monster Land. Oh no, we can't have that!

Okay, let's end that sarcasm because this is where we come in to be a kiddy hero with the demanding task of killing all of the baddies and freeing the land of evil. Wanna turn your Atari ST temporally into a Nintendo and save the day?

I already know the answer so let's begin with some cool screenshots...

Hmm, that looks like a slab of juicy meat floating in the air?

Argh no!! Tell me I don't need to kill this cute, er, thing? Yes, KILL IT!!

Wonder Boy has to deal with some of the silliest monsters - which can be a pain to kill.

Kiddy killer time!

Monster Land starts off very bright and cheery with lovely colours and a cutesy design that I really like. Right from the beginning, you meet with somebody who details your quest and kindly arms you with a sword. Every level has its baddies who get more frequent (and nasty) the deeper you progress through the land. Easy ones are snakes and rabbits but there are many others which are trickier: bats, mud men and grey things that fire arrows (ugh, I hate those).

Currency is a big thing in this game and slain monsters will leave behind gold coins when slaughtered. Also, it's worth jumping up into apparently empty parts of any level because these areas might reveal extra hidden coins. You've just gotta be willing to hop here, there and everywhere - like an idiot! (I'm good at that)

Wanna spend those coins? Well, look for doorways that are often scattered throughout most of the maps. These provide access to various different stores to purchase items, enhancements, or friendly advice. For example, it's a good idea to carry a shield when you come across a grey fella who fires arrows. Other items which you might find useful are shoes for faster movements, weapons (I love the fireballs) or perhaps you're just after some basic help and advice?

Oddly, there's an egg timer displayed in your status bar and I hadn't got the foggiest what it was for. But, when it expires, some of your health is frustrating taken so try to keep it topped up by collecting the tiny egg timers hidden throughout the levels. Yep, they're probably going to be invisible so you better start randomly jumping...

Bosses appear quite frequently I thought, with the first being Death himself. Actually, he's rather slow and moves in a predictable pattern so is quite easy to kill, However, the others aren't defeated so easily so prepare thyself. Once any level boss is dead, you're then able to collect his loot and a key to the exit. Tip: don't dawdle & grab the loot first!

Okay, it's that time when I show some responsible screenshots. Fancy a beer, kid? What...

Oh not again? But boss-eyed helpers, whatever next?


A drink you ask? Beer please, and ignore the nappy I'm wearing. I'm over 18, honest.

Input & Output

Use your joystick to walk, leap and activate power-ups. When Tommy moves, he abides by humble laws of physics with regard to momentum: so he cannot simply stop moving when you release the joystick and will instead slow to a halt. At first, that is rather annoying I gotta say, but it soon becomes second nature. Oddly, the spacebar is used to open shop doors, which can be a little awkward and I would have preferred not to let go of my joystick.

Visually, Monster Land honours the arcade game well, but I doubt it'll blow your socks off: we're not talking Seven Gates Of Jambala or Risky Woods. What we do have is a gorgeous cartoon design with the cutest sprites - I love the snakes but those horrendous Mudmen are the best. Scrolling suits the gameplay perfectly and is smooth and responsive. Sure, they reduced the screen size but at least they didn't wimp out with flick or push scrolling so respect from me!

The audio is good and features chiptunes throughout by David Whittaker which I really liked. They're oldskool style and I doubt they're his finest work but there's still something cool and timeless about chip music and these prove that. Sound effects are nice, nothing more than the expected spot effects for weapons /etc. No complaints.

Okay, let's check out those cool kiddy visuals with the final run of screenshots...

Blue flying rabbit/bat things. Cute and annoyingly deadly!

Aye-up, what's inside here? Treasure, I hope...

And there's always an end-of-level boss just itching for a fight!

The CryptO'pinion?

Considering that I have never liked this style of platformer (yep, including Mario!), I must admit that I have really enjoyed Wonder Boy on the Atari ST. It starts off easy but soon becomes challenging with a massive variety of cute baddies to kill whilst exploring a range of interesting levels. Blummin' excellent game I thoroughly recommend!!

A massive shock for me this - who would have thought a nappy-wearing toddler would have been this fantastic?

Download for floppy or hard drive!

The Seven Gates Of Jambala

It's been ages since I posted any box art so let's end this dry run with something from my ST shelf... The Seven Gates Of Jambala was released in 1989 by Grandslam thanks to lots of talented sceners from Thalion. I actually bought this a few years ago and paid handsomely too. Not only is it Thalion, but it was sealed so in pristine condition: opening it was immense especially when I got close and breathed in that trapped 80s air... Mmm!!

There are some big names associated with this platformer, which I'm sure many will recognise from the ST's demo scene. These talented sceners sure knew how to get the most from the ST to prove just what this awesome machine was capable of when programmed by people who didn't make excuses and got this beast to grunt hard!

I must admit, its box design is kinda hit and miss: I like those monsters in the foreground but that freaky idiot inside the archway is lame - so makes me want to reach for my shotgun!! Having said that, the 3D perspective is nice... Well, I finally have a Thalion title in my collection and one which proudly takes its place on my ST shelf.

Sadly, as with Enchanted Land, this is another game which looks and sounds a lot better than it actually plays. Don't get me wrong, the basic mechanics are quite good but there's something off... I've never liked the feel of the momentum and slippy floors, especially when at the edge of a tight platform. Yes, I'm probably being too cruel because, unlike the above-mentioned game, this is better to play and therefore a lot easier to explore to see more of what it offers. What a shame I usually get lost! 

I'll probably make a video for a review at some point? But if you fancy trying it for yourself then I suggest downloading this version by Klaz which runs off either floppy or hard drive and includes a trainer. You'll need that trainer...

- SCREENSHOTS -


We begin in a village but beware the threat of drowning in tiny purple puddles!


Where could these doors possibly take us? Let's knock and find out...

Woo!! It's really creepy down here and there are monsters too. Watch out!


The tunnels reminded me of No Buddies Land! You can find THAT on this website too :o)

Time Soldier

Let's kill people!

The conversion of Time Soldiers was released in 1989 by Electrocoin and is based on the vertically shoot 'em up not too dissimilar to something like Ikari Warriors. The story goes that Gylend has captured a few of our friends who are held captive in different time-periods. So it's up to us to rescue them - gotta say I like the idea of the time zones.

I've not played the arcade game, but I see there is a slight name change - that means we're running solo. This would be understandable but we are given only one life which should make the quest rather difficult - unless the game is rewarding during play. Before beginning, we're given the name and location of our captured warrior - but the teleporter can send us somewhere different. Which is odd and means you gotta plough through to the correct portal.

So initial impressions are a little worrying? Let's take a peep at some screenshots...

I love the colour schemes throughout which nicely represent the original game.


Lots of action and even more death and destruction. I love it!

Shoot. Kill. Kill even more!

Each of the time periods has a change of graphics but basically follows the same format as you might expect. These areas are stuffed full of enemies that need killing, which is most satisfying. Those slain in battle leave goodies that should be collected for a power boost. Health can also be replenished that is needed because every contact drains you dry.

A boss is featured at the end of level and most are rather easy to kill. However, my power-ups sometimes ran out during the lead-up to this fight, which then makes it nigh on impossible to win!

There's nothing mind-blowing about Time Soldier and its gameplay is a cross between something like Wanted or Commando. I wasn't too sure about the scrolling which often left me vulnerable to any baddies off-screen. I was never going to like the one-life aspect too so I'm beginning to pick flaws and I wonder who beta-tested this arcade conversion?

A good game that needed a little extra thought but that won't stop me from pushing some more screenshots...

Even Rambo wouldn't be able to survive this onslaught!


Those higher up have an advantage. But I'm still going to kill them.

Aesthetics

I like the graphics in Time Soldier; from start to end, it's colourful and detailed. The backgrounds are great but we also have some of the silliest sprites. Not so much their appearance but how they attack in waves which means the screen is often cluttered with bullets and explosions- which I loved! It's maddening and frantic and chaotic. Loved it.

Heck, the game is even making use of overscan without any negative impact on the scrolling. Which always remains smooth so I am very impressed with the technical efforts that went into making this action shooter.

The music is well-balanced against the sound effects and suits the gameplay well. Zero complaints.

Hey, one final run of screenshots...

The purple works a treat providing another environment that is unique and fun.


This looks scary and tough. Well, more tough than scary but hey, what more can be said about it?

The CryptO'pinion?

This game was fun to play! However, I had mixed feelings: I wasn't too keen on the scrolling method which can sometimes fail to keep up with the player. Also, having one life is very restricting and forces you down the road of a trainer. Don't get me wrong, it's quite an authentic conversion in many respects but this insane design makes it very difficult.

Having said that, Time Soldier is actually an entertaining shooter in its own right. The levels are always interesting and brimming with lots of meaningless gameplay. This is pure gun love and will provide a few hours of fantastic action. For all its flaws, I enjoyed this peculiar conversion a bunch. Just be prepared to play with a trainer for extra lives!

Time Cops can download for floppy or hard disk.

Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny

Santa has come early!

Atari Legend is playing Father Christmas with a fantastic run-up to Christmas by releasing something special every day throughout December. It wasn't until the 7th when they released an HDD-patched download of Ultima 5 did I become intrigued. I've not played any Ultima before and this looks especially interesting so I had to try it!

The land of Britannia has lost its king, Lord British (cool name dude) and is now ruled by a tyrant called Blackthorn. Okay, it all sounds corny and the visuals might not rock the Bitmap Bros off-top spot (but when did great graphics ever matter to the gameplay?) I mean, just look at Rogue which I found to be a breathtaking experience. Nuff said.

Okay, I take that back, the graphics are really very nice so let's check them out in these screenshots...

Looks like I'm in a pretty cosy place and very glam too.

Okay, let's get out and explore the lush countryside.

Oh no, a two-headed Ettin has found me when walking over the hills...

I'm too weak and need better weapons - I should have run away!

First Impressions

Creating yourself a character is an unusual affair. It's something I didn't expect, but this process eventually got little Stevie configured and straight into the thick of it. Boy, are there a large number of keys to learn for each and every additional action - which basically means the interaction within your world at large. In fact, the world is huge and the battles are very hard so exploring Britannia is going to be lots of fun (or agony?). But, I can take it!!

I am genuinely enjoying my first couple of games: a lovely country walk through grasslands and forests until I found a small bridge - with a Troll. Luckily I made it across without him noticing me but I then ran into some red demons who decided that they wanted a piece of me. You know, those pieces that I need to stay alive... Yep, my first battle didn't go down well if I'm honest - DEAD! But wait, I think I've been resurrected for another bash! Let's hope I can do better?

This is one seriously addictive and immersive RPG. I'm talking months of my life, gone...

Vicious snakes decide to spit venom at our plucky adventurers.

Now I feel Ultima V is finally starting to show its true colours.

What a game and I must say that I adore the graphical style and detail. Amazing!

Hey look, I've just found a map! Time for a drink before leaving...

Have my plans changed?

Yep, they sure have. I now plan on spending the Christmas holidays in the world of Ultima V - which also includes whiskey, turkey butties and mince pies!! I'm really looking forward to learning more about Ultima V and have enjoyed a few interesting attempts (aka failures). So I'm excited to take this game seriously and see how my next adventure plays out.

Thanks to Atari Legend for the daily treats!!

STay Atari. Or die!

Eye Of Horus

Walk like an Egyptian...

I've been trolling through my old videos and found Logotron's Eye Of Horus. I remember this platformer thanks to its confusing labyrinths with many peculiar enemies. I was impressed but oddly, left feeling a little cold too. It's one of those games that looks, sounds and plays great but it has relentless enemies. Kinda like Black Lamp in this respect.

We are the hawk-headed God, Horus, a good fella for the ancient Egyptians. Our task is to explore the labyrinths of Osiris' burial chamber because he was murdered by Set who scattered his body parts everywhere. We need to collect them and rebuild him. It sounds cool and a little bit gross but it's time that I revisited this peculiar platformer for a second go.

So, let's waste no more time talking, and get him rebuilt like the six-million-dollar mummy...

I think Eye Of Horus nails the ancient Egyptian scenario perfectly using awesome visuals.

Hard as nails

The ancient tomb contains many traps and even the decor appears angry, so finding the body parts is not going to be easy. Thankfully, being a demigod means we have the ability to morph into a hawk, even if birds don't have any hands to carry things... Keys and Amulets can be used from operating particular elevators to summon other so-called gods.

I can see why I originally felt overwhelmed: the level design is pretty confusing at times which isn't helped by the repetitive backgrounds. The mechanics behind the elevators/coloured keys are unnecessarily rubbish plus I think that there are far too many amulets. All enemies are unique and it's peculiarly funny when the fixtures and fittings begin wobbling in anger. Well, at least our demigod is armed with a paper gun! No, really we are lol

Okay, Okay, let's keep this civil... but Hall Of Light has awesome maps, which I feel are essential.

Aesthetics

Graphically, this game is gorgeous and reminds me of how a game conversion of Stargate might have looked. It also reminds me of Death Trap and its intro whiffs of Ice Palace. Anyhow, the scrolling is super-smooth with gorgeous animations and the hieroglyphic backgrounds are stunning. This is a beautiful platformer and I can tell a lot of love went into its design.

Sound effects are very zesty and accompanied by gorgeous Whittaker music. Not his best but still superb.

The CryptO'pinion?

This is a cunning platformer with lots to offer. It's different and I loved exploring the tomb but the ability to flip into a hawk is a genius move albeit with its own restrictions. Just have a pen and paper ready to make a map (until the right amulet is found). Overall, I still found it confusing in terms of memorising the map plus the constant onslaught of enemies does not help. The only way you're gonna love this game is if you are willing to put in the hours (pun intended)

Otherwise, don't bother because this fantastic platformer demands your time and respect. I hope you play it.

Budding Daniel Jackson wannabes can download Eye Of Horus for floppy or hard drive.

Strider

Ugh, another lame Amiga port?

I remember reading the review for Strider in ST Format which basically said it was great. And, although the ST version had smaller sprites, the gameplay was faster and better than on the Amiga. I foolishly believed them and wasted my cash on a game I could not play. Boy, this was nothing more than another terrible Tiertex port I thought!! I recently gave it a silly mention and wasn't too kind when I remembered its eye-popping scrolling and ridiculous difficulty.

Since then I've mellowed - and I've also come to realise that my gaming skills suck (well, there's a shocker). So, I figured I should give it another go. And you know what, I think I'm not only older but also a lot wiser. Well, ahem... Anyhow, almost three decades have passed since I last played this game so let's see what I think of Strider today.

Before we begin, here's a screenshot of the opening start to this wonderful arcade platformer...

The first level is unique and kinda Ruskie. This is the place you'll learn the controls and that swoosh!

Me? Wrong? Never!

Well, after several games, I still found it extremely difficult and failed to beat the first boss - a Flash Gordon wannabe. However, eventually, I did it!! But then fire rained down and halted my cries of joy. Thankfully, I beat him on my second attempt and proceeded to a whacky level that I absolutely enjoyed, but was also wishing was larger. Sadly, no matter how much I tried, I couldn't beat the next boss so that was that and I gave up [see the first part of my video recording]

For some odd reason, I felt brave and booted up Strider once again only to enjoy my greatest success. Heck, I even beat the worm thingy and made it onto the following stage - which I've never seen before. This starts off great with big cats that wanted to eat me before a giant mechanical creature thing tried its luck. Banging on the fire button proved profitable and I beat him quite easily but I died later by a circular saw which came outta nowhere. Quite unfair as it's impossible to see it approaching off-screen... [see the second part of my video recording]

Oh, how time flies and can also change the perception of many things. Games being one! Check this out...

That swoosh is absolutely superb as are the enormous monsters. Love it!!

Aesthetics

Graphically, Strider is beautiful. From the very start, it looks the part and I think they did a cracking job of converting the arcade backdrops over to the much-lower-resolution ST. The sprites are just freaking incredible - they all look impressive and some are huge. This is a beautiful game but, of course, something had to give for all that glam and that means we have a slightly reduced play area and the scrolling isn't nearly as smooth as it should be. Don't get me wrong, the scrolling is good and works very well but dies alongside other ST games, like Turrican.

The audio is tremendously entertaining, I love the beautiful tunes which are so apt for this conversion. From the very start, I was hooked, just click on the green arrow below to see what I mean. The effects aren't massive in quantity but who doesn't enjoy swooshing through each level? Yes, I love that swoosh lol. I think they did a great job all-round.

Okay, before I give my opinion this needs to be said: Dear ST Format, I've hated your review for years but today I hold my hands up and apologise for that!! After all these years, you was bang-on correct so please forgive me! You guys rocked and I shall blame my old opinion on my poor skills ;p

The CryptO'pinion?

Strider is absolutely superb so now I'm tempted to whack on the trainer and play through to the end? Okay, the scrolling could have been better but the gameplay is furious and makes the Amiga conversion look dull as dishwater. Strider is sleek and with bucketloads of fun so don't be a fool and load it up right now. More fool me, brilliant game!

Klaz has a spiced-up version for both floppy & hard drives (it includes an option for faster gameplay)

Aaargh!

Aaargh?

Sometimes, I don't want to play a life-sucking adventure or learn the ins and outs of some RPG. Sometimes, I just wanna smash up stuff and then feast on many annoying human beings. Well, today I loaded up Aaargh! by Melbourne House which is basically Rampage and we can be a giant ogre or a fire-breathing dragon.

Destroy buildings, kill attacking critters, eat stupid humans and then collect an egg trophy. Watch out for the angry yocals and various dangerous critters so conserve energy by eating what you find - or those tasty humans!! Once you have the egg, it's time for a (terrible) battle with a beastie opponent before plundering the next village.

The controls are a little clumsy because our beastie must be facing in the right direction to pick up items and perform specific attack moves. Sadly, we can be knocked to the ground far too easily which is very frustrating when waiting for him to get up - and that gives other nasties more than enough time to creep up on you once again...

It's not Rampage, but it's still fun for an hour and who doesn't enjoy burning homes before eating the angry villagers? Aaargh! might be utter rubbish but I actually enjoyed it. Of course, I'm mad but it's great fun being mad!

I found this screen pretty awkward to walk around.


This is a great level and nothing is better than killing the native peasants!!


Oh no, this looks scary. Love that face in the rock!

RVF Honda

Let's be Street Hawk!

It's time for more Atari ST box art from my collection with MicroStyle's RVF Honda. I can't lie and say this is the prettiest box I've featured but the bike is a beauty so let's open it up and take my new Honda for a ride.

First things first, RVF Honda isn't an arcade racer, more a simulator with semi/realistic mechanics like manual gears and opponents that only Barry Sheene could beat. The graphics are barebones but performance is fast and there's an option for 60Hz, which is something all games should have.

This racer is fun albeit with a massive learning curve. I must say, having to push the bike is a neat touch but one that soon wears thin when struggling to master those corners thus slamming into yet another tree... Yep, the learning curve is hell on two wheels which I think is successfully demonstrated in my video recording.

Let's take a look at the back of the box and what's inside along with screenshots and a video...

The back of the box is actually better than the front, which is odd!

The manual is concise and stuff full of information. Make sure you read it...

Hmm, not much for your pennies when you think about it?

Make sure you're in the right gear for the corners otherwise you hit the tarmac!

That then means pushing your bike to get going again. Love it!!

Take time, learn the controls and grasp the feel of the handling.

Oi you, keep off my grass!! Pah, a need to practise more...