Iceblox Plus

Yet Another New Game?

Okay, I might be a couple of years late but here is Iceblox Plus, a brand new Pengo remake by Karl Hornell for Côté Gamers. It's based on the recent Commodore 64 conversion - which is actually based on the old mobile phone original. Phew, that is some history and it's actually strange to think it was something I could have played on my old Nokia!

Anyhow, the game introduces us to Pete the Penguin and explains the gameplay basics which are crushing blocks as the method used to eliminate our enemies. As in Pengo, there are 16 icy screens with blocks to shove or smash; some you wanna break whereas others can be used to slide into the baddies for an instant kill (flames and burning wheels). A few blocks will contain hidden coins and it's these that we should break open to complete each level.

Sounds cute and cuddly doesn't it? Well, let's check out the first screenshot of our chubby fella...

Wee-SMASH!! This image fails to display my joy at sliding a block for a kill. Points awarded too!

Gaming like it's 1982

Iceblox breaks you in gently with just the one flame lurking about the first level but things soon heat up with the next level having two flames chasing after you. By the fourth level, three flames are chasing which is pretty frantic. However, I personally found the difficulty drastically increasing from level 6 which is all thanks to those dreaded burning wheels! These do a magnificent job of tracking down poor old Pete for a terrible death by fire. He prefers it cold!

It's interesting how the levels become progressively harder; thanks to their unassuming design and those firey enemies who appear in a variety of combinations (up to) four at once. Both have great chasing techniques that feel somewhat like H-Mec II but killing them results in many bonus points. Plus a much-needed short breather, before they respawn!

You won't last long without a few practice games, trust me. This next screenshot was a killer...

Run Pete, RUN!!! (He's got no chance because I was controlling him <insert evil laugh>)

Fancy some tips?

Oh heck, I only managed to reach level 12 which isn't bad at all (for me). So I hope this helps you guys:

1) Don't just run around like an idiot - think before you make your move! 

2) Use the blocks to extinguish those dreaded enemies for a burst freedom albeit only for a second or so. Hey, don't knock it, every second counts.

3) Each nasty provides a high degree of cunning chase, rather than blindly heading to your location. However, the wheels can be infuriating so take them out as quickly as possible.

4) Use the maze design by hiding behind static blocks for cover (see below).

5) Don't panic. I know, it's easier said than done, but panicking only gets Pete killed quicker!

Pete is a penguin and NOT a chicken. Ahem, you can't hide forever...

Graphics & Sounds

Okay, this is no Gods or Magic Boy but I doubt any version of Pengo would drop your jaw to the floor? Well, Iceblox is actually strikingly 8-bit with a bold design using colourful and beautifully animated sprites - I love how Pete wibbles as he walks! Plus he actually turns into a skeleton when dying, which is kinda sad but also funny. It looks old yet sorta new?

The audio is just as cute as the visuals with jingles and chip music by M.D. Smit. Everything has a simplicity I adore - it's not trying to produce the greatest ST music but it's humorously apt for the task at hand. Love it!!

So, it looks and sounds like the 8-Bit era should have done all along? Yup, and it's screenshot time too...

Oh no, things are hotting up (sorry) with both a flame and a burning wheel chasing you!

The CryptO'pinion?

I don't think I've played a version of Pengo since the 80s and that was probably on my ZX Spectrum. Iceblox Plus is a great twist on the original theme and, rather than a straight conversion, it comes with bells and whistles that I like. My only real gripe is the limited play area using a grid layout of 12x10 which I thought was a little claustrophobic.

I really enjoy how Iceblox Plus transported me back in time and those of us old enough to remember the original (or the 8-bit conversions) will appreciate the balance of both authentic and updated styles. Although I panic like a big girl's blouse from level six onwards, I'm completely smitten by the exhilarating oldskool gameplay. Iceblox is a great game!

AtariMania has the download and there is a boxed version by Cote Gamers (now sold out).
Has anyone got Iceblox Plus for sale? I would love to own this game... thanks! 

MANIC MINER

We're going back to 1983

It gives me the greatest of pleasure to present Manic Miner for the Atari ST!!! This has been InDev by my mate Peter Jørgensen throughout the year. It's a brand-new remake with redesigned graphics and incredibly funky music (sound effects are yet to be completed). Each, and every one, of the twenty screens is included but there will also be a few surprising extras which I'm excited about. However, we are wickedly keeping these under wraps for the time being!

Those who have played the original on their old 8-bit computers like ZX Spectrum or MSX will instantly be at home with this new Atari ST platformer. The basic game control mechanics and physics are perfectly replicated. This means it feels just like it should with authentic gameplay that hasn't been altered (or spoilt, like we saw with Chuckie Egg II).

Please note, this is still a WIP as there are a few niggles to be ironed out. Each level faithfully follows the same playable mechanics of the original but, don't for a second think this means we have a boring ripoff. Willy's adventure has received a cool makeover with beautiful YMT audio and each screen has been designed with painstaking accuracy.

Peter has kept the keys familiar and included extra keys for a few additional features...

• During the title intro, press 1, 2, 3 to change the music.
• Pressing R will display a CPU usage raster for the geeks.
• In-game, use the cursor keys to walk and he jumps by slapping the spacebar.
• You can quit and kill poor Willy anytime by hitting the K key.
• Need a wee? Just pause the game by hitting the P key.
• Crazy fools who don't love the gorgeous thumping tunes can hit M to mute.

Without cheating, I have reached level 14 - Skylab Landing Bay. However, I have never beaten this terrible screen in 40 years - either on my ZX Spectrum or Atari ST. It's a killer room that blows my mind. Let me know how you do!

Keeping this project quiet from everyone has been tough - months of beta testing have been an absolute joy. It's impressive how development progressed into a fully playable game. The final version is near completion, so you know where to come when it's ready. Genuinely, this is one of the most exciting Atari ST games released in recent years.

I'd like to take a moment to thank Peter for creating this Atari ST version of Manic Miner. It originally started as a joke, a playful teaser, but it wasn't long before he began programming a playable demo. From there, we created and tested what was nothing less than a crisp clone of the original - with spanky new aesthetics. To think that we now have a (near) complete version of Manic Miner is mindblowing. So, I'd like to thank Peter for all his hard work and kindness. This is something I'll always appreciate beyond words.

Okay, the latest version is now available to download via the Demozoo website. Go on, grab it now!!

A few words by Peter...

I wrote Manic Miner because I have a friend that was very sad that this platformer didn’t exist for the ST. So I thought that I would make him happy and began drawing the title picture which soon lead me onto designing the intro screen - but I only wanted to make a prant screenshot for April 1st. Sadly, I did not finish in time. But then the idea started to continue on with the programming to see what happens. However, I’ve not made a game in decades because life always got in the way but I wanted to do this remake just to stop my friend from crying.

So you could say that this is a Manic Miner AtariCrypt Edition! (I love that -Steve)

My goal was to make the gameplay feel as close to the original as I could but still take advanced of the Atari ST's hardware. Thus, this is a remake rather than a conversion because I have not used a single piece of the original code. I have spent many hours analysing each level, and I’ve used the original sprites and recoloured them but some needed minor changes to work. The map graphics were changed in a big way, to what I think was the idea was behind each level. I played the MSX version so I could see how the game acts and I also think this is close to the Speccy original.

Overall, I'm quite pleased with the results and I hope people enjoy playing Manic Miner :-)

Atari ST Music and Game Map

The famous menu screen with its funky music. It's also (kinda) used in the final level.

The first room everyone knows so well and brilliantly reconstructed for the ST!

A confusing level which is actually easier than you think.

Perhaps my favourite level in the entire game. And I've no idea why!

This is the erm, I forget... Oh yes, the 16th level :o)

You cannot tell, but what Peter did with this final screen is legendary!!

This is the level to prove how authentic the game is. Faithfully reconstructed!!

An iconic room and so much fun without being overly difficult.

He's back and dying to be slaughtered once again!

I could never complete this screen as a kid but it is doable!

Ugh, what is this??? It's a map of our Atari ST game which you can now download :)

Hibernated 1 - This Place is Death

WooHoo a new Atari ST game!

Hibernated 1: This Place is Death is a sci-fi text adventure by Stefan Vogt and released for a variety of different platforms along with our beautiful Atari ST. We are Olivia Lund onboard the intergalactic spaceship, Polaris-7 who has awoken from stasis. The ship appears abandoned and has been caught by an alien tractor beam.

You know, text adventures aren't often my cuppa tea - the brain needs to be fed visual wonders before I wander off dazed... But, I have gotta say, I've really enjoyed myself with this rather splendid adventure which has a fantastic sense of humour. The parser is easy to use with a two-word command system using Examine, Get, Open, Search, Move, etc. There are also shortcuts: I for Inventory and R to re-describe the current location. Medium resolution is supported but oddly not monochrome... The docs advised making a map and that is a very good idea!!

Hibernated 1 is possibly the first of a new trilogy that can be downloaded and bought right now. Name your own price - which I think is a wonderful idea - thus play before you pay. Are any text adventurers lurking out there?

UPDATE: You can now purchase a physical boxed release! :-)

This adventure has a great personality with cheeky remarks using buckets of humour!

A droid is punching me and I try to examine it. What was I thinking? A nice response though!!

Yikes, what is on that computer? The last thing we need is to be quarantined for four weeks!

Escape 2042

Fancy playing a slick and exciting new game?

Escape 2042 has just been released for the Atari STe by Cedric Bourse (yes, he of Yopaz IceStar). It's a platformer that can be downloaded - for only a few pounds - which is insane value for money I'm sure you'll agree? Your purchase will get you both the floppy and hard disk versions - the only requirement being an Atari STe with 1MB of Ram (2MB for HDD installation). Also, a boxed release is planned for later in the year for all those interested!! (I hope to buy this)

The story goes like this: In the year 2042, a socialist government is in power, but nobody had foreseen progressive dictatorship that settled in. The elites of the government hid behind a sham democracy, disconnected from the life the people were leading and acted solely in their own interests.

The regime considered the dissidents as conspiracy theorists, treated them like terrorists and locked them away in highly-secured prisons, to prevent them from telling the people the truth about the manipulating medias accomplice of the government power.

You are Shun, a computer engineer and member of the Truth Defenders coalition.

After a clandestine operation to inform the people, you are locked away in the highly-secured prison Bulor 24. But your knowledge of security systems will enable you to escape.

Your turn now to escape as fast as you can from this place!

The Atari STe is looking good with detailed visuals and ultra-smooth scrolling.


Watch out for those cameras flipping between two points of view. Time those tricky jumps!!

Portal To Xenithor

Another STosser!

Portal To Xenithor is a brand new flick-screen platformer currently under development by Michael Keenleyside. The adventure begins with us having survived a crash landing on a monster-infested moon colony. Our job is to kill the nasties and search for a replacement spaceship before piloting it through to a victorious escape.

It's early days, but the storyline and map designs are nicely taking shape with end-of-level cutscenes also planned to be used as the adventure unfolds. The visual style is dark and moody and soon to be enhanced by eerie music. Michael is about six months into his project and is making nice progress with the possibility of using another engine for other parts of the game. And these will use the hardware scrolling and DMA Audio of the Atari STe.

Michael is nuts about STOS Game Creator and wishes to pay homage to Francois Lionet so all development will be done using this and Missing Link/Maestro. The estimated requirements are a 4MB Atari ST with support for hard disk installation. Personally, I'm reminded of Stryx and Baal so cannot wait to see this completed!

Update: Michael has started a STOS Coders group with Francois Lionet

Supa Zazai Da!

Super... what?

Supa Zazai Da is another Gamopat conversion by Templeton, the same genius who graced us with the stupendous Crash Time Plumber. So I couldn't wait to get my grubby mitts on his latest work after reading the superb review by ST Graveyard on Atari Legend. Sadly, I admit to being more than a little disappointed with it. I initially failed to play more than a handful of - frustrating - games before rebooting my Atari STe with a massive portion of disappointment.

Now, I'll never knock anything powered by Maria Whittaker (yeah!) but this is rock solid and felt too difficult!! And having only one life certainly didn't help, especially when the enemy could fill the entire screen with bullets! Yep, this is a wolf in sheep's clothing and seemed like a bad joke. Dang, I was incredibly bad at it and genuinely gutted too.

I know, I know, those first impressions of a weak gamer. Sigh, but, I think you better read on...

Trust me, this game will destroy you and all any expectations for success!

Don't judge a book by its cover

I later returned and anxiously grabbed my creaky old joystick, determined, but expecting the battle of my life. After many embarrassing failures, I eventually beat the first hoard of cute nasties and somehow even gained extra points thanks to the green particles. But, how I managed to dodge the enemy's bullets, well, it felt like a personal achievement!! The clue is how you navigate through the cloud of bullets, it's easier than you might think (watch the video).

Nevertheless, the scary boss instantly gave me a good drubbing and I was again greeted with the Game Over screen. I defeated him on my next nerve-racking attempt so was close to tears with ecstatic joy!! Once the second level begins you realise there's a familiar and repetitive pattern so I hammered it home and battled my way onto the third and fourth levels, with relative ease. The lesson is to stick with it as it can be conquered and enjoyed!!

Talk about a massive learning curve. Or at least for me? Wow, this game is so rewarding...

However, nobody said those bosses would be easy. Especially when they can fire so much!!

Pixels and Sonics

The visuals scroll along at an ultra-smooth 50fps but it's the outrageously cute sprites, from a wide variety of games, which everyone will adore. Your computer will require a Blitter coprocessor, which is not a problem for the Atari STe and Falcon, but the original ST models might be outta luck (unless you have a later revision or a Mega ST).

Musically, Supa Zazai is fantastic but also very different depending on your hardware: an unnerving chip rattles ST players, whereas the STe gets exhilarating streamed audio (both different and brilliant). As instructed, pump up the volume!

It looks and sounds fantastic is what I'm trying to say about this Blitter-boosted game...

50fps action through and just look at that huge sprite. Impressive, to say the least!!

The CryptO'pinion?

What a journey!! Nothing like I imagined yet, it lived up to all my expectations. Arcade fans are going to drool over their keyboards when playing this - it's fast, fun, thrilling and addictive. Quite simply, Supa Zazai Da is an exhilarating shooter with gorgeous aesthetics and I hope Templeton has many more Atari STe games in the pipeline, I really do.

It's zany, it's crazy, it's insane and I love everything about Supa Zazai Da. An amazing shooter. Please, play this!!

Download Supa Zazai Da! via AtariMania.

Anarcho Ride

Carmageddon!!!

Anarcho Ride is a new "racer" for the Atari STe by the ever-zealous Thomas Ilg of Laser Ball fame. Well, ignoring what the screenshots show, this isn't actually a racer as such. Sure, it looks the part but it's more of a smash 'n grab - think Carmageddon where head-on collisions get you the points needed to go further and play extra levels.

This is fun but, at first, I actually found it difficult because it's natural to avoid the other cars. Don't. When you're behind the wheel, the aim is to smash into every car you can - and why not shoot the ones you have missed using a missile. That sounds about right! Yes, it's silly and stupid but it's also pure mechanical violence! Totally insane gaming!!

The graphics are weirdly 80s in their style, reminds me of Crazy Cars and others from that era. Of course, the Atari STe produces a decent framerate and is very smooth. The only negative is that the car has no shadow so it appears to "hover". The audio is outstanding with DMA sound effects alongside stunning chip music by xFalcon.

Ignore the screenshots if you're looking for a new racing game. Look elsewhere, this isn't a racer. This is a crash 'em up, I guess you might say? Smashing stuff up is always excellent fun and Anarcho Ride proves that perfectly.

Download Anarcho Ride (+ expansions)

We're out for a nice quiet drive in the desert. Let's hope there's nobody on the road...

Looks like we're in the salt flats and, oh no, there's a safe driver up ahead!!

Now we're smashing through the lush landscape of what could only be England. Death on the roads!