Frontier: Elite II

The End Of An Era...

After a worrying delay, Frontier Elite II was released in early 1994 by Gametek. It was unlike most other games due to its sheer size taking place amongst creation. Yep, that's right a whole universe of near-countless stars to explore which basically meant long gaming nights are ahead (over the decades and through to present day!)

Commander Jameson has sadly left this realm and you came along just in the nick of time to reap the benefits of his will reading. Being his favourite grandson, he left you 100 credits with strict instructions to stay clear of Vegas. He also left you his pride and joy, an Eagle Long Range Fighter - careful, don't scratch it. You now have the means and opportunity to explore the heavens so jump into your spaceship and begin the journey of a lifetime! And I mean that quite literally.

Sounds immense and it was/is so let's check out a couple of screenshots...

There are two basic starting positions and faster computers can even crank up the graphical details.

The Universe Is Yours!

After watching the awesome intro, various menu options are available to begin your first adventure and I advise selecting Option 1 which places you safely in the Ross 154 System. Or more precisely, at the Sirocco starport on the planet Merlin. You have 100 credits and a rather funky piece of 3D called your spaceship so starting at Sirocco is a great place to learn the ropes of the GUI and basic trading skills along with brushing up on your piloting skills.

Frontier is an open-world (space!) sandbox game that doesn't restrict in any traditional sense as you are free to travel almost anywhere and do almost anything you like. However, even gaming folklore doesn't come for free and this style of living costs money. So use the spaceship to provide yourself with a good living by means of job contracts and trading because everyone needs something. This is where you come in to make your hard-earned cash.

It's always about cash but don't let it become the love of money. Chill, and check out some more screenshots...

First things first, let's check out the cool spaceships and find dodgy jobs on the bulletin boards.

Trouble at t'mill?

Frontier's universe has two major factions, and this is the Trekkie part, for me. Firstly, we have the Federation which is based in the Sol system and then we have The Empire which is based within the Achenar system. Both offer a haven to live and trade but aren't exactly the best of friends. Also, outside the safety of their territory, you run the risk of running into pirates who want your precious cargo - and your life!! Who said life was gonna be easy?

These dogfights are difficult to master and possibly the hardest part of the entire game. Gone are the arcade-style controls in favour of realistic Newtonian physics which will affect the control of your spacecraft. So, momentum will first need to be compensated in order for you to slow down, stop or change direction. Perhaps it's now that I should advise saving your game at regular intervals? Learn physics because the pirates are tough cookies.

Do the pirates spoil it? I'll let you decide whilst you view a couple more screenshots...

Check out your local solar system and then see what goods are best to trade in...

Trade, Respect, Fight!

Ultimately, Frontier is all about trade and trying to earn yourself the means for a lucrative lifestyle through the adventures of space and exploring the heavens. Use your galactic map to explore a 3D perspective of creation to plan a route, dig for information to find out what they need, and then buy in bulk to earn lots of cash.

Enjoy your journey but prepare thyself because nothing beats making your first hyperspace jump - very exciting!! This automatically ends once you are within the vicinity of your destination, but the distance to travel is still huge, so don't forget to use the Stardreamer buttons to pass the time quicker! Auto-docking is finally supported and, once you've boarded, get details of goods sold to reap the biggest profits. Also, before you begin looking for another trade route, remember to refuel your ship otherwise you won't be able to make another hyperspace jump!

It's completely up to you how to live but these two screenshots were entirely my doing...

I love is exploring the universe. Hang on, what's that dot? Zoomed in... and saw this beauty!!

But Is It Any Good?

Stick with it and, after earning lots of money, you should consider checking out the Bulletin Board. It's here you can upgrade your ship or search for jobs like transporting passengers, helping to find a missing person, mining, military work or information. Heck, there is even a black market for those without a conscience where you can trade slaves, weapons, narcotics, or even be an assassin. However, this dark lifestyle will definitely take you into dangerous waters so will almost certainly attract the attention of the law. Are you ready for that kinda heat, bad boy?

Frontier is one heck of a game and one with immense potential and I'm hoping this feature will regenerate your interest to play. Frontier is all about progression and making the right choices to build up your own empire. Don't expect to jump into the pilot's seat and see the entire universe in one sitting because will take time, money and commitment. Frontier: Elite II is jaw-dropping and quite literally one of the best games, ever.

Grab yourself a slice of creation and play this immense game which you can find on either floppy or your hard drive. The manual is available on AtariMania and you can catch a glimpse of the 16-bit universe right now......

Winglord

>>> Update: click here for the new Winglord article <<<

Great news!

Victor Bruhn has recently posted on Atari-Forum and kindly donated the full/registered version of his 1994 Atari STe shareware game, Winglord. This is based on the awesome Joust arcade game, of course, and features support for one or two players - either human or computer - and a few other neat features you aren't expecting.

Everyone knows Joust and Winglord is very similar in gameplay. The jousters will now enter the arena via sliding ceiling doors so it's a good idea to remain high and use Mister Ed to best your opponent. We are now equipped with missiles and the Atari STe is utilised for fast Blitted graphics and DMA sound effects.

Make sure you read the documentation because it includes handy tips along with instructions for adjusting flap power to finetune control and handling to your own preference.

Winglord might not look as pretty as Joust but the gameplay is furiously frantic and comes with a few nice "STe" bells and whistles to set it aside from the original, whilst remaining as faithful as it possibly can be. It's hard to believe this was once shareware and not commercial because Winglord is downright fantastic. Top marks!!

I also have a backup copy on my own Dropbox. Yup, I take no chances with quality ST games :)

Storm 94

Storm 94 is a shoot 'em up developed in STOS by Marcus Platt / Fugitive Freelancers in 1994 for the Atari STe. It's based on the familiar alien theme with a style reminiscent of Alien Blast and Alien Thing and was originally released by LAPD.

Like other similarly inspired games, we are exploring a spaceship whilst suffering a constant onslaught from the ravenous alien baddies. These are relentless, so shoot first and never bother asking silly questions! Ammo, health and security keys are littered throughout the levels but if you find yourself needing extra then these can all be purchased from the computer terminals. Our job is to find key cards to operate the airlock and allow us to escape.

My only quibble is the time limit which is way too short and if you notice the screen turning red, you're near death!! For me, it didn't need a timer whatsoever and umm spoils the game somewhat. I hope PP gets a hold of this game and adapts/removes this timer. Then I might be able to see more of the game lol. Sorry, not sorry.

I liked Storm '94 because of the strategic elements mixed with furiously fun gameplay. This is a great game.

Crime Wave

Well, I tried...

You know me, I love the Atari STe so am always on the hunt for games, demos and programs that make use of its enhanced hardware. Well, I was flicking through ST Format #58 and noticed a review of a game called Crime Wave, by Dillon Agoma from 1994. It appears quite similar to Super Cars and makes use of hardware scrolling! However, the reviewer didn't seem too pleased with the controls so perhaps it was a work in progress?

This is a tough one to research because its name is the same as a commercial US Gold game and no PD library stocked it because Crime Wave was only available directly from the author. I've searched online but sadly found no downloads or information... But I have written and posted a letter so let's hope he is still living in the same house!

Update: I've managed to contact Dillon and these are the latest pieces of information...

June 2016: This is the date I originally posted the letter!

Feb 2017: Sadly, I never received a reply to my letter. (I later found out that he had moved!)

July 2017: I managed to contact Dillon online and he thinks his disks are still in storage :-)

Oct 2017: Nothing turned up there, but he now hopes that those disks are in his attic.

April 2019: I've sent Dillion another message but sadly I've heard nothing back. I hope he's okay but I'm now starting to think this piece of ST history is now lost forever. Perhaps I should give up? I am gutted :(

Stardust

Meh, another Asteroids?

Stardust was released late in the ST's life by Bloodhouse in 1994 and it's not only one of the last commercial games ever released but is actually an STe-only product. Developed by several famous names from our great demoscene (and thank you Aggression) these guys managed to deliver a wicked twist on the original Asteroids genre.

The game not only plays similarly to that old arcade favourite but also features modern content for extra zest. Such as ludicrously awesome aesthetics which are quite stunning complementing the fantastic gameplay action.

Wanna see the war plan? It translates to "kill everything and don't die!". Check this out...

Bam! Bam! Bam! Blast the rocks!

There are a total of five levels with each containing six missions. All are host to a variety of rocks along with the expected dangerous baddies. After each level is completed, you must travel through a wormhole-like tunnel onto the next part of the galaxy like something from Buck Rogers or Starwars!! These tunnels are filled to the brim with oncoming rocks for you to dodge or destroy - which is definitely no easy task. But it's a thrilling moment I never expected to enjoy!

Bonus levels pop up regularly and feel similar to a particular Thrust clone... Now, these are optional but you will be daft to ignore the fun. So don't be daft!! Of course, it wouldn't be right without End-Of-Level Bosses and each mission has them. Beware, these guys are tough! Much perseverance will be required during these enjoyable romps.

Okay, it's time to see some more pixels so let's take a peep at another screenshot...

Enhanced gaming!!

Stardust is something else. It's on another level with gritty, fast-paced gameplay. However, the basic mechanics are pretty much what you would expect so it also feels more-or-less as you would expect. This is actually very awesome because you can jump straight in and begin playing without much of a learning curve. Heck, it's all about dodging and shooting.

The controls are also familiar: left and right will manoeuvre your spacecraft around. Pushing upwards will thrust you forward into hell. Don't worry, we have a shield that can aid you during those sticky moments. Finally, our ship's main weapon is more than capable - perfect for gratifying rock-blasting!! Nothing wrong here, folks. This is all super-spacey-gun-fun!

This next screenshot does itself no justice. Seriously cool stage with mind-blowing fx...

Enhanced Aesthetics

Graphically, Stardust is utterly glorious. Everything is bold and colourful with stunningly smooth animations. The rocks are also something else with jaw-dropping 3D renditions that look beautiful. I've not finished yet - everything is running in overscan!! Yep, not only does it look HOT but it's in overscan which means lots of extra pixels to blast.

Equally impressive is the audio with beautiful examples of thumping stereo tunes, accompanied by BAM!! BAM!! BAM!! DMA sound effects. This is one game that's gonna blow your socks off. If I can offer one piece of advice: crank up the volume!! I guarantee you will love everything Stardust delivers so turn it up high. No, even higher! :-)

Oh yeah, this is one of the best-looking/sounding Atari STe games ever released...

The CryptO'pinion?

This is a spectacular showcase of what the Atari STe is capable of when in the hands of people with talent and commitment. These guys didn't simply rehash an old idea or produce a weak Amiga port. No, they unleashed a product that feels fresh and exciting. The effort that went into the gameplay, visuals and audio is commendable.

Stardust is a joyride of rock-blasting thrills and a perfect shoot 'em-up. One of the best games I have played.

Download for floppy or your hard drive.

Operation: Zero-5

To boldly go...

I recently met Andrew Gisby, the creator of a uniquely distinctive shoot 'em up for the Atari STe (and Falcon) that takes place in the darkness of space. It's called Zero 5, released in 1995 by Caspian Software and is certainly a rare gem! So it wasn't long before I came up with the notion of an interview. (which you can read if you carry on scrolling).

Set in the year 2044 with a silly fictional storyline of aliens who are about to invade Earth. Unsurprisingly, we are the only hope to save mankind so jump inside your spaceship and head out into the heavens because humanity is depending on you. Being a gamer, I kinda get tired of saving the day but, sigh, I went on ahead anyhow. What a hero I am!

The first thing that struck me about Zero-5 was its style and this screenshot does the animation no justice...

Come on, that warping effect is so stunning. Love it!!

There are always aliens. Kill them!

Zero 5 is a first-person 3D shoot 'em up which feels like an artful mix of Star Wars, Starglider and some elements of Frontier. Taking place amongst the countless stars, with many missions played out in space or upon the surface of remote planets. Our spaceship is a cool slab of old skool 3D called Perseus which must be piloted through these missions. That might involve attacking an alien strike force, defending allied ships, and lots more exciting stuff.

Control is performed with the mouse (or a JagPad if you have one) and is precise, responsive and feels very natural. The realistic effect of momentum provides a necessary learning curve but you'll soon get the hang of it very quickly. What's probably the hardest to learn, is the GUI with the instruments that provide a wealth of mind-boggling information.

At its heart, yes, this is simply a shoot 'em-up taking place in space, or on the surface of unknown remote planets - which is so amazing. Each location is very different along with the task at hand and no mission is too easy to make this game a pushover. Take your time, learn the controls and always complete the task for a great gaming reward. If you can!

Hey, wanna see another screenshot that does no justice to how this great game looks and moves...

This game has some impressive 3D polygons which will take advantage of faster computers.

Aesthetics

Graphically, Zero 5 is a gorgeous 16-bit bombshell you will adore. The number of on-screen colours has been increased whilst also making use of the Blitter co-processor - which helps produce those cool 3D visuals. Faster computers are supported, so anyone lucky enough to own a Mega STe or Falcon will enjoy smoother frame rates.

Audio is outstanding, for both music and effects, all of which use the DMA hardware ticking over at a sweet 25KHz. The effects during warp and other scenes are Frontier-beating. This is one of those games I wish would have come on CD as I wonder how limited Andrew was by floppy disks. Folks, this is one sexy-sounding Atari STe shooter.

Sigh, the Atari STe was 5 years old in 1994. Just imagine if more software houses had Caspian's commitment...

Oh no, incoming enemies are identified and locked. Only one thing left to do - kill 'em!!!

The CryptO'pinion?

It's a tough cookie but I have always enjoyed playing this space shooter because it's fast and thrilling with such a varied and wide range of interesting missions. Its style and presentation using cool menus are unique and I enjoy the range of missions which is the best part of all. Love the graphics and the booming sound effects are fantastic.

Overall, a slick shoot 'em up incorporating many astonishing technical achievements to put most game developers to shame. It's great on the Atari STe and even better on faster computers like the Mega STe and Falcon. Love it.

Zero 5 is scattered all over the internet but I think Atari Legend has the best floppies thanks to Supremacy disks #61 and #62. Installing to hard drive/Ultrasatan is better and 8BitChip has a funky download that I recommend.

THE INTERVIEW - ZERO 5 CREATOR - ANDREW GISBY

Zero 5 has a wonderful next-gen feel yet is often unknown to many people returning to the scene. Tell us about your game and what it means to you.

I had been trying to get published in one way shape or form for several years. Back in the day, I lived the life of the Indie / hobby / night owl developer. Holding down a job during the waking hours and coming home to hack away on my much loved (at the time) Atari’s.

I remember buying my Atari 512STFm in the late 80’s. I spent hours teaching myself to program in 68K Assembler. Bulletin boards, books, magazines & chance discussions at shows to pick up game dev knowledge. I’m no mathematician, but a series of articles in (I think) ST World on transformations and 3D math gave me so much. I could finally make the leap into 3D.

Everything had to be done in assembler to keep up the speed and finally reading something that explained techniques to turn formulas into assembler was a revelation. To this day, I still keep a pocket “Signetics S68000 User’s Guide” - It was my Bible for machine code programming. An awful lot was learnt the hard way through trial and error (no instant online answers).

I used to look at the latest effects in games (and film) and try to do something similar. So I think Zero-5 marked a highpoint for me. The peak of understanding of what I could personally do with (by then) the STe to make a game. I had built up a large library of routines & techniques to achieve some of the visual and audio effects.

So, in summary, Zero-5 was the realisation of a couple of dreams:

• I really wanted to see a game I had written myself published.
• My fascination of 3D sim & bring to life things you can only dream about.

Was Zero 5 inspired by anything else from your gaming history?

Everything I had developed was an inspiration for the game. A cheap answer, but my whole gaming exploits (to this day) are a sequence of inspirations. However, if I was to list a few things that inspired the game.

• Elite (who wasn’t). But for me, I learnt programming on an Acorn Electron and playing Elite planted the seed for wanting to understand game writing and 3D.
• Carrier Command (an amazing game with a level of automation and sophistication that I was just in awe of)
• Captain Blood (The art, galactic expanse and imagination was just brilliant)

Sci-fi films and TV programs had a lot of influence. I’m a bit of a science fiction addict. But to list a few that helped inspire ideas in the game:

• The Last Starfighter (I recall a sequence when the hero ship flies through a swarm of enemy ships ... That was the start of Zero-5).
• Forbidden Planet (big influence for me, generally)
• U.F.O. (Fundamentally, I used the same threat mechanic in the game)

What was your background prior to working for Caspian?

See above ... Self taught hobby game dev trying to get published!

Most commercial companies had left the Atari ST by 1994 so what inspired you to carry on during those dark days?

At the time, I thought the Atari Falcon030 and Jaguar was going to save the day. I only knew how to make games on the Atari’s and thought that if Zero-5 was a success, I’d move on to these platforms properly. The Falcon030 enhancements in Zero-5 were done in the last few months. I didn’t really do it justice (but the extra CPU speed helped push the content level up).

Zero-5 really was a labour of love and I was under my first proper gamedev contract - Inspiration enough right !?!

Did Zero 5 live up to your expectations?

Technical Stretch: Yes (I used every chip/trick I knew in the STE!)

Creative Achievement: Yes

Critical Acclaim: Yes (at the time)

Commercial Success: No

I put so much effort and creativity into the game. The landfall sequences were a personal triumph. Turning a bitmap (height map) into a 3D landscape on an STe ... yes!) - One of those 3D simulation dreams realised.

The lack of commercial success was tough to take - We had lot of trouble with piracy (it was rife by then). I spoke to a lot of people that had played the game and loved it. As you say though, the sun was setting on Atari home computers - a shame for me at the time. Thinking back, I think the sheer effort involved did burn me out a bit.

Looking back, would you do anything different?

Launch the game 2-3 years earlier?

What happened after Zero 5 and how come you didn't continue on after Caspian's demise? (freelance, etc)

Newly married, we started a family soon after Zero-5. I couldn’t commit to working on the Jaguar version of the game (my daytime job in IT paid the bills). Creatively, the console wasn’t a copy of the original other than souped-up manic fighting sequences (arguably something I was trying to do when I first started developing the STe version). I was involved on a consultation basis but the Jag was new and it was a steep learning curve for the guys at Caspian. It was pretty exciting to be working with Atari though.

How long did it take you to code this game, what tools did you use, and was it on an actual Atari?

1 - 2 years to develop. I pulled in a lot of previously developed libraries and routines. Interesting memory about this. I used one of the first routines I’d ever dev’ed in assembler to simulate a 3d starfield. Development of the game went to the wire. I had this intermittent bug where the machine was (every so often) crashing! What felt like a few hours (day or so I think) before the game went to press, I found the cause ... That starfield routine (Randomly, I was managing to plot the odd star just outside memory reserved for the screen - d’oh!).

I used a 1Mb STe and laterly Falcon030 to develop the game. I got an HDD sometime through the project that saved doing the floppy / ram disk shuffle (speeded up game dev no end).

I recall using the blitter chip and new audio chip enhancements to great effect. Certainly without them, there was no way I could have thrown so many things around on screen and in your ears. Although it makes me chuckle at what we thought was a reasonable frame rate back then! Recalling the game audio engine I developed as part of Zero-5 - It give me multiple stereo Left / Right channels and a scripted approach to sound effect generation. The upshot was I could chain, stretch, compress and generally mess around with samples without eating too much precious CPU. 8bit samples of course, so sound pretty harsh nowadays.   

Main tools I used:

• Devpac (I think that was it’s name) for Assembler dev
• TCB Tracker (although I didn’t do the music in the end)   
• Degas Elite (Graphics)
• A sound sample editing programme (can’t recall name)

Were you active in the ST scene elsewhere or was it just Caspian / Zero 5?

No, not really, I had a brief flirtation with demoscene but game dev was always my interest.

After our chats on Twitter, I'm aware you now see an Atari ST scene which is still very much alive and kicking. What do you think about this and will rejoin in some capacity or have you left forever?

Never say never. Honestly though - I’m well into Unity 3D and what spare time I have goes into that.

Do you still own an Atari computer? What is it and how often are you using it / what for?

I still have an Atari STe and Falcon030 tucked away alongside a massive trunk of floppy disks (Oh and a back catalogue of ST World). I haven’t really used them since the 90’s. I had a gamedev break late 90s till the 00’s really.

Tell us about your future plans and what you're working on today?

I’d like to bring something made with Unity to the masses. My current project is a game called “Konjitto”. With my family more or less grown up, I’m now steadily been drawn back to game dev more and more. A dream would be to give up the day job and spend my days writing games! I get a kick out of doing the coding, graphics, sound and music (although this is my weakest area).  

Anyone can keep an eye on my game dev twitter feed or youtube channel to see what is on the boil.

https://twitter.com/duckocide

https://www.youtube.com/user/duckocide

Thanks for getting in touch, it has been fun reminiscing. Seeing people still appreciate those efforts back in the day is wonderful. Certainly made me and the family smile! Keep up the good work on the site.

Answering the questions has been pleasure!

Thanks

Andy

Well 'Ard

Wanna be a thug?

Well, today is your lucky day because we are a rather fiercely-looking dude who loves to jump on all kinds of nasties. This violent act kills and splatters the baddies and they fall off the screen dead. Sound familiar?

Released in 1994 by Cybernation Software, it was developed by Simon Scott and is a platformer created using GFA Basic. Well Ard is a cracking game and to think it was developed in GFA Basic is quite incredible. Earlier levels are quite easy but it certainly becomes challenging later on - some of those jumps are insanely tricky!

The scrolling is smooth, with fast action and lots of large sprites - I love the snowman. Controls are accurate and responsive with lots of tight jumps on interesting levels. Strangely, there are no optional methods to kill the enemy, so no weapons. Instead, reap violence only by leaping and using our red booties. Yep, it's weird but who cares?

This is definitely one of the most enjoyable platformers I've played in a long time. Addictive gameplay that has you coming back for more so put on your red boots and play it. Downloads can be found for floppy or hard disk.

Here are some more screenshots to whet your appetite...

Look at those teeth. This guy is a beast so don't mess with him!!


Jump up and down until they're all dead - not violent at all. Honest.


Well 'Ard features some odd critters but don't waste time looking - squash them.

N.o.B.I. - Racing

Knob Racing??

N.o.B.I Racing was released by Joytrick (1994) and is a 'snake' clone where we guide 'Alfred' through a series of mazes. Always hungry, and always on the move, Alfred needs our assistance as he munches everything in his path. However, every time he eats, he grows a little longer and this can become quite embarrassing, especially if he bites into himself. So our task is to help Alfred through the mazes without bumping into his own tale.

Two types of bonus levels appear at frequent intervals, feature two-player gaming, DMA audio, and it even supports multiple resolutions. Simple stuff for dexterous players but soon becomes incredibly fast on later levels - and against the clock too!! NoBI Racing is very old school and that means it's extremely addictive and a bucket load of fun!!

- Download from AtariMania -

Carlos

It's FATMAN!

Les Adventures de Carlos was released in 1994 by Microids and we are in control of a bearded fat man wearing a rather odd costume! This might sound strange but our best friend appears to be a parrot who tries to help you out a little. Anyhow, this is a platformer with each level stuffed with lots of baddies, however, we have no gun and need to use your enormous weight to squish everyone! You can even use some of that blubber when falling farther as this creates a miniature earthquake thus killing anything nearby. It's hardly original when you think about it but, whatever works, right?

Aesthetically, Carlos looks and sounds really nice with stunning colours and beautiful sprites. However, the gameplay was designed to have scrollable levels and the ST suffers from a lame port. Sadly, we must endure push-scrolling - and in all directions. What this means is that the gameplay stops while the screen is pushed along. This becomes extremely irritating, especially during a diagonal jump which may require the screen to scroll in two separate directions.

This game could have been great but it's most certainly not. The end result is something that looks good but plays terribly. In fact, I found it quite agonising because of the constant pauses as the game scrolls in different directions. The Atari ST has a wealth of decent platformers so we don't need rubbish like this garbage. Stay clear of this one!!

I do not recommend Carlos but masochists can download it for floppy and hard drive.

Level codes: Level 2 = BONGO / Level 3 = GALET / Level 4 = PATAU / Level 5 = SIRTA

Team

Jumpers For Goalposts

Team is a soccer game released late in the day by a dedicated company called Impact Software in 1995. Specifically developed by Ralph Lovesy for the Atari STe, it makes full use of the enhanced hardware often ignored by commercial companies: extra colours, 50fps hardware scrolling, Blitter and DMA audio. Wow!! O_o

If I'm honest, I feel unqualified to review Team as I'm not a soccer fan. However, from what I have played, I was impressed. I'm hardly a convert but I did enjoy running around the pitch and having a good kick about! But not knowing the game's technicalities stopped me from progressing further. Interestingly, there is a friendly mode that displays much of the game's styles and playability, like passing, tactics, tackles... Hmm, sounds fun?

Well, it is and I've really enjoyed playing this pointless game of runaround. The tactics and strategy elements are limited with little beyond picking your team and whether you'd like it muddy and windy. But who would wanna play any kind of Football Manager? Erm, forget I said that! Anyhow, as an arcade/sports game, it's ace. Really enjoyable with fast, responsive and accurate action. If you're a footy fan, then I'm sure you'll love it. I know I did.

Check out this video record dear soccer fans of the world!

Graphics!

Check out these two images, below, which cunningly displays just what Team has hidden up its sleeve? Yep, overscan is used to drastically increase the playable area massively. Oddly, the footballer's sprites are quite small but their movements are fast and the screen is fluently moving at a smooth 50fps. But, from what I've seen of most other footy games, this is pretty normal. I suppose it wouldn't work very well if they had giants on the pitch!

Animations are fine and the pitch colours are deep and strong. Plus there's both a great and subtle use of colour and style throughout the menus which works really well. But, come on, all the gameplay is in overscan... Amazing. Once again, the Atari STe proves itself. Kudos to the skill and commitment of Ralph Lovesy.

  

The left image is captured at the standard resolution of 320x200 whereas the game is played in overscan!

Plink Plonk Sounds?

Sound effects are good - when you hear them. Perhaps that's the norm in these types of games, but I found the stadiums eerily lacking in atmosphere and ambience. It's annoyingly silent for most of the game. Okay, there are kicking effects and the odd Ref whistle blow but it's pretty lame and a lot more was needed. Like the roar of the crowd being played more frequently. I don't know, but it's the weakest part of the game which is a shame.

Thankfully, the music is excellent with cheesy MOD music throughout the menus. It's tacky but in stereo with the tracker routines developed by a familiar name from the Atari ST demoscene - GRIFF. Excellent!!

The front cover was... different... and the back of the box isn't much better ;-)

The CryptO'pinion?

Overall, I had lots of fun which shocked me because I hate soccer! Whether it's better than Kick Off or Sensible Soccer or even Speedball, I really couldn't say. But, I will say this, as a hater of this boring game, Team was seriously entertaining so take it for a kickabout and try it for yourself. If I can enjoy footy then I reckon anyone can...

Take it for a kickabout and I'm sure you'll enjoy it so let me know what you think in the comments below.

Download from 8bitchip which has been adapted for HDD!

Old Games Finder has access to floppy disk images.

Team's author, Ralph Lovesy, was interviewed for Maggie #16.

Overscan Invaders

Overscan Invaders was released in 1994 by Janet Dean under the esteemed Budgie UK licenceware label. Obviously, this is a Space Invaders clone but one with a rather unexpected twist not normally exploited. Yes, I think you've guessed it? It's running in overscan so uses lots of extra pixels and also breaks the 16-colour limit.

This is a great twist on the original Space Invaders which plays as good as I'd have hoped and is really addictive. Ironically, it's the sound effects which I love the most - yes, even more than the overscan! They are superb and so authentic. Just listen in the video recording for all those childhood memories to come flooding back.

Overscan Invaders is definitely one of the better clones and I’m sure any Invader fan will love it. I did.

The Curse Of Bolda

The Curse Of Bolda is a scrolling platformer by Ben Pritchard for FloppyShop's platinum range. Once again, Kevin is the star who's got five levels to explore. They're split into three segments, the first two are free-roaming worlds collecting jewels, shooting monsters and solving puzzles like locked doors and operating platforms. Tools can be collected and (using the function keys) can provide a variety of uses - like a jetpack!! The third stage is an automated arena where Kevin must manoeuver through the hazards until he reaches the scary rock demon, Bolda!

This is a fantastic platformer and you can now download the full registered version :)

Obsession

As a kid, I never really understood the whole pinball thang - but that never stopped me from buying the latest version for the Atari STe back in the mid 90s - as an adult. Obsession was released in 1994 for the (wait for it) Atari STe by Unique Development Sweden. Yes, I said the Atari STe for once - rather than its older brother!

There are many games to choose from and UDS has made magnificent use of the computer's enhanced hardware. Hardware scrolling scrolls the entire screen at 50fps for an ultra-smooth feeling. Heck, it's even utilising overscan too! The audio is a blast thanks to the DMA stereo - so crank up the volume!! This game is FUN :D

It's loud, it's fun and it's one of the best "arcade" games I've ever played. Marvellous!!

Starball

It's all flippers and balls!

I've always liked Pinball but I doubt you'd ever call me an addict of the game. Something about spending cash just to bounce a ball around a jazzy glass box never really grabbed my attention for very long... But, the ST seemed to receive a number of Pinball games and some were possibly better than the real thing? Perhaps that's because I'm tight with money or I just love to see how much the Atari ST/e could impress me!

Starball is different from the competition because it was made by a couple of Lancashire lads who probably had desires to become bedroom millionaires. Now, I doubt that ever happened as many ST gamers had given up following the homebrew scene by 1994, which is a shame because this is blummin' brilliant.

I love Starball, it's not got the polish of a certain commercial offering, which is understandable. But it's still got its own style and oozes its own brand of character with such different tables. The graphics and sounds are gorgeous and everything scrolls down your SC1224 fast. Okay, I'm a little unsure about the physics behind all the glam because sometimes things don't seem to go as expected, but it's shareware so I must give it a break.

If you love Pinball, this is worth downloading and I'm sure you'll love it to bits. Too think £5 was the asking price back then - shockingly good value. What a superb "PD" game and possibly one of the Atari ST's best.

  
I love the dark tones and each table is different from what I expected with many cool fx.

  
Check out these awesome graphics and whoever expected to see those guys in pinball?!!

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