Whack a Virus!

What, no mallet?

This game really shows how quickly time flies, as it was released in 2020, right in the middle of the global scamdemic. I don't know what's taken me so long to get around to playing this, but we are here now (finally). Well, this is a spin on the classic arcade game ‘Whack-a-Mole’, except here you’re hammering viruses instead of cheeky moles. This is a monochrome-only release for the Atari ST/e, Falcon, and TT by Janez Valant [Swe], featuring superb graphics by Mic and excellent music by Mathieu Stempell [DMA-SC].

Just like in the arcades, it’s simple but manic. The screen is divided into a 3×3 grid, each square mapped to the 1–9 keys on the pad. Viruses pop up randomly, and our job is to hit the right key before they slide back down. Not all squares are active at once, so you’re always adapting to shifting patterns of open spots.

Smacking a virus successfully boosts your energy, but every miss knocks a huge 20% off your bar - so don’t just mash the keys blindly hoping for the best. Thankfully, pills appear from time to time and can really help, sometimes even closing parts of the board so you’ve got fewer squares to worry about at once. Whatever you do, make sure to grab those pills! However, once your energy reaches zero, it’s game over.

This was a perfectly timed release; I can only apologise that it’s taken me ages to feature it. Whack a Virus is good fun, demanding fast reflexes and a sharp eye, especially on the tougher levels. Sure, it can get samey after a while, but as a quick, light-hearted blast, it's superb. I reckon your kids will love it too!!

• You should check out Swe’s excellent Atari Falcon puzzle, CAPY.
• Put your SM124 to great use with even more high-resolution games.
• Thanks to its Blitter and DMA support, this earns a spot on the enhanced gaming list.
• This feature is dedicated to Miesiu for being a massive Crypt fan!!

As the viruses appear, hit the relevant key (key 6 here)

Be quick, they don't hang around these damn bugs (key 2 here)

The high score table screen has many bugs showing up.

The Greetings Screen is pretty darn cool!

Droid Special Edition

Missing: One Droid

Droid was originally developed by MP Lord (he of Hoog fame!!) and was a smash hit that saw a sequel three years later. Sadly, neither of these games supported the enhanced hardware of the Atari STe which meant chip fx, flick-scrolling and a fair bit of slowdown when things got hectic. Not only that, but the joystick controls were finicky - I would accidentally fall off ledges when struggling to precisely time a jump!

I remember (2016) being excited to hear Jamie Hamshere was working on an improved version that would take advantage of the Atari STe hardware. I could only imagine what it would be like to play a scrollable Droid. Jamie even planned to tweak those controls to remove the irritation that threatened each and every jump.

That project was completed late last year yet somehow, I completely missed it. What planet have I been living on? Anyhow, I figured I should boot it up to see how this cult ST shooter played on my Atari STe.

So, without further ado, here is the first sexy screenshot to whet your appetite...

Get out quick, this area is pretty hellish with droids and wall-mounted guns!

An armless Robocop!

Just imagine yourself as a mechanoid armed to the teeth and able to leap huge heights. Somehow, this beast is trapped inside a massive underground cavern and wants to escape to get home for tea. However, the path through isn't as easy as walking in a straight line into the light ahead. That would be too easy!

The caves are a labyrinth and are guarded or patrolled by mechanoids all too willing to blast you into smithereens. This is a hideous maze designed with numerous dead ends that require keys to unlock many doorways. It's an underground hell and is nigh on impossible to escape without making yourself a map to help plot your journey. No, wait we don't need a pen and paper because Jamie has added an auto-mapping tool. That helps navigate, find objects and prevent the frustration of getting lost. An exceptional new feature.

That's not all that's changed, the old (large) status panel has gone and replaced by the tiniest bar so we can enjoy more screen space. This still shows the same information for lives, weapons, energy /etc but we now have far more gaming real estate. The various weaponry you're able to carry is also shown - pressing the ALT key will cycle through what you have available. Don't waste your supplies on the wrong monsters!

Come on, let's view another screenshot? Yeah, let's do it...

Oh no, a different type of droid and this one is throwing bombs!

Mummy, I'm scared!

Droid might be a metallic brute but that doesn't mean he's invincible. Look for droids wandering back and forth protecting their part of the cave. They're a few butties short of a picnic but will shoot on sight. As you progress, you'll see other areas are protected by a variety of strange objects: some shooting out bombs and others like wall-mounted lasers. There are other things to avoid, like fire or falling into the bottomless pit.

Using the map is an absolute must otherwise, you will get lost and probably give up. Keep on looking for the keys and carefully plot a route. Mini-bosses appear throughout the entire journey and the first is like an angry prawn! The armoured truck is excellent - an unexpected boss to find in a cavern. I wonder if it's Jet Man?

This game has always been a tough nut for tough nutters. This still applies as the later rooms are merciless with a cruel design that feels OTT sometimes with lasers, bombs and mechs all ganging up on you at once. Death results in a life loss which unfairly sends you back to the checkpoint. Only a skilled and determined gamer (willing to spend time and effort) is going to succeed. So good luck because I've no chance O_o

Fancy a screenshot that shows a rather weird monster? Don't run away, check this out...

What the heck is that, some kind of sea creature? I hope you saved your better weaponry?

Fancy a few juicy tips?

1. Don't kill everything you see and therefore run out of precious ammo.
2. Collect power-ups for energy and ammo only when you need to!
3. Closely stalking droids is fun plus it's safer and uses no ammo.
4. Learn to use the mapping tool. It's a little odd at first and reminded me of Heartland.
5. Some weapons are best left until you need them for a specific purpose.
6. Learn the controls and enjoy a few practice games before taking on the challenge.
7. Walk away and give up. You're not good enough!! (I'm kidding!!)

Did those tips help? Are you man enough to play? Whatever your reply, here are more screenshots...

Be patient and unlock the doorway barrier only after the droid walks away.

Did you know?

Jame worked with Jonathan Thomas on the recent Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge for the Atari STe. This is an upgrade of the classic racer that brings the game in line with the Amiga version (except for in-game tracker music). Now, I know what those guys will think, but I prefer chip music over a MOD any day. I personally don't see YM Chiptunes by Ben Daglish as a bad thing. Quite the opposite and it's one of the many aspects that makes the ST so cool. In fact, chip music is what defines the ST as an ST. If that makes sense?

To play, all you need is a 1MB Atari ST so check it out, folks because the collaboration between these two has proved fruitful. And the expertise Jamie has for the DMA hardware is jaw-dropping. Lotus has been transformed from a great racer into an awesome racer which - not an easy task. I'm sure you will all love playing it!!

• The original web feature proves why 2021 might not suck after a year of paranoia.
• The current release of #LotusSTE is now available so get it downloaded right now!!

It's an exciting time to be an Atari user. Always was but let's stop talking and view a screenshot...

Another killer area with droids, bombs, guns and fire. RUN!!

Aesthetics

Things appear similar to the original but a keen ST gamer will notice the play area has increased by a huge amount. The colours are better and the Blitter is moving the sprites so that the slowdown has gone. The only thing missing is Droid's minigun from the original. Finally, we have smooth scrolling in all directions compared to the horizontal flick-screen method. Jamie, you've (respectfully) blown the original into pieces!!

The audio has also seen big changes with the addition of in-game music and sampled sound effects thanks to his skills in getting the utmost out of the audio hardware. Check out the funky theme music using his own program: Turbochip to knock out 7-channels using the DMA and YM2149 together for phenomenal results.

It looks and sounds amazing so let's see the game's map right now...

The new map tool. Finally, I won't get lost anymore. He says...

The CryptO'pinion?

Miles did a great job and produced a platformer that was challenging and stuffed full of action. Incredible considering it wasn't commercial so all credit to his talent, commitment, and love for the Atari ST. However, the lack of dedicated hardware had a negative effect on the end product. Plus I found the controls irritating and I would also get myself lost a lot. I guess Jamie felt the same way and wanted to rectify these niggles?

Jamie's project to enhance an already great game was risky but came together well because it's a perfect blend of improved aesthetics and gameplay. And I'm not falling off ledges by failing to make those tricky jumps. As remakes go, it's fascinating to think how much hard work he invested into improving this ST classic.

It's the same shooter but one that has been rolled in glitter so sparkles bright and I love it.

- DOWNLOADS -

AtariMania has a floppy disk download.

Jamie bravely recorded a complete playthrough!

Fancy going Godlike with infinite energy and ammo?

Enter this code on the title: FEELCOSMICALLTHETIME

Athanor II The Legend Of The Birdmen

Another brand new game!!

Somebody once said that the Atari ST died during the 1990s, yet here we are (again) with another new game! Okay, raising the cash to buy this adventure may have taken me a little longer than I originally planned, but I've finally received what is an awesome new Atari ST adventure game - Athanor II The Legend Of The Birdmen by Safar Games. Yes, I am very excited to begin playing this, if you cannot already tell!!

Credits
Design and Programing - Eric Safar
Graphics - Vincent Jambut, François Gutherz, Angel Bautista
Musician - Mathieu Stempell [DMA-SC]

What is it?

Athanor II is a point-and-click adventure sequel to the original 8-bit game. Our adventure continues through four worlds with interactive characters and an abundance of puzzles. All Atari computers are supported with 1MB+ RAM, and the Atari STe will use its extra colours, Blitter Chip and the DMA for clean audio. Excitingly, this is the second title of what will eventually be a trilogy - oh yeah, this is something else to look forward to!!

I believe the elusive TT and Falcon are also supported but, that's something I'm unable to test unless someone fancies donating their hardware to AtariCrypt? Yeah, I thought so... O_o

Design and programming were done using GFA Basic and Devpac by Eric Safar (yes, he of Ranx!!), who was interviewed a couple of years ago by Atari Legend. This is a quality product, and I feel Eric went that extra mile with a product that looks and feels great. The build is strong and well-designed, plus it comes with a bunch of goodies. What more could the big kid within ever desire? One of the best purchases I've made.

The CryptO'pinion?

I'll say it again to get my point across: this is one of the best purchases I have made. Athanor 2 is a quality product. The box art is fantastic, and there are many trinkets inside, along with the disks and manual. It's fun to open up a box to see such goodies, something kids today miss out on with their digital downloads.

I genuinely cannot wait to begin this adventure, and I'm excited to see what wonders lie ahead. I only hope the family gives me enough quiet time to play it properly (I can but hope). Let me know, in the comments, if any of you are playing Athanor II. I'd love to hear about your progress and thoughts on the game. Enjoy!

Athanor II - The Legend Of The Birdmen can be purchased using Eric's website.

Let's take a look at the goodies inside the box...

Look at all the goodies that come inside the box. I absolutely love this!

The hands of Eric and his gleamingly clean Atari ST. I should dust mine more...

Tristam Island

Another Brand New Game?

Yep, that's right and Tristam Island is a text adventure for lots of computers including our Atari ST. It's been developed by Hugo Labrande and costs only a few quid (download link is below). That payment grants access to each and every download available, plus some hints & tips. Heck, there's even a free demo for those eager to evaluate it first.

The adventure begins having crash-landed, only to find ourselves stranded on the beach of a tropical island somewhere in the South Atlantic. Okay, my mind is picturing golden sands, blue skies, juicy coconuts, sexy female natives, and freshly running mineral water that's been magically enhanced with more than a dash of whiskey...

But enough of my silly dreaming! We actually begin hungry, tired and rather soggy. Later on, we realise that the island was once inhabited, which is unexpected, and now I can see an abandoned house up on the hill. Let's go!

I found ST High delivered the usual brilliantly crisp display and was my personal preference.

An ASCII Expedition!

General exploration is very easy using compass directions, of course. All locations offer a detailed description without being overbearing with tons of pointless text. Clues are subtle, as are solutions, so I often found myself backtracking when I realised I had foolishly bypassed something. Those muddy steps were a killer... try fishing without a flower!! O_o

This is a text adventure like the old Infocom adventures and is using the Z-code Interpreter Program which is launched as a TTP program. Don't be scared, it can easily be installed as an application for z3 files. Actually, I'm grateful GEM wasn't used as that might have been sluggish wheras this feels fast and fresh in all three resolutions. The ST's Low Resolution felt too cramped but High is pure perfection, of course, you knew that!

The parser is excellent without any of the irritations I had with Ooze not too long ago. It's straightforward using commands like "n" to walk north, x to examine, l to look, I for inventory and so on. This is true for items & objects: pull rope, open compartment, get a fishing rod, smell flowers, etc/etc. The inventory functions are rather restrained with having only one pair of hands so carrying multiple items, or using large objects, will require thought (very important).

Medium resolution works very well but you might wanna change the colours first?

The CryptO'pinion?

Exploring remote islands is a pleasant surprise but there are a few irritating niggles that hampered my progress. I found some of the puzzles quite bewildering and was baffled by oddities that made no logical sense: like struggling to make a hammock and the fishing task is weird. Plus the inventory is (initially) a pain in the bum (ouch!).

However, the story is interesting and I was soon questioning everything like an insufferable Sherlock Holmes wannabe. Tristam Island will appeal to oldskool adventurers rather than the younger players and is nothing less than a charming and challenging adventure. So, if you haven't downloaded this new adventure, then I hope I've helped persuade you to give it a go? Personally, I hope and expect to lose many hours on this island over the coming Christmas holidays.

Whatever computer you use - this is a belting adventure and worth every penny - just make sure it's an Atari ST though or don't talk to me again! Downloads are available from the Tristam Island web page. A fantastic game!!

Yep, changing the default colours almost makes ST Low worth using so I went a bit silly...

Randomazer

Thomas has been busy again!

It's always exciting to hear of a brand-new game in development for the Atari STe. I have just been given an early playable demo of Randomazer, by Thomas Ilg. That's right, the fella who gave us a fantastic conversion of Frogs. The graphics are designed by none other than STS with sweet tunes by xFalcon. Both are nothing less than top-notch!!

As you have probably guessed, Randomazer features randomly generated isometric mazes. Like those old Christmas presents, we guide colourful baubles around this maze, trying to guide it safely home. That sounds simple, and the idea is, but the gameplay isn't, especially when there are multiple balls! That's when things get frantic!! There are four different game modes, tutorials, buckets of levels, and also cool special actions. These can be used and applied to particular needs - like destroying walls or teleporting elsewhere on the map. Tilt-guide the ball home, can you handle it?

These type of puzzlers aren't really my cuppa tea because I simply haven't got the patience for something like this!! However, I have actually enjoyed playing Randomazer which is something that both Thomas and I are probably shocked to hear!! Why, I hear you scream?

Well, after suffering through Marble Madness, I wasn't initially keen with Randomazer. At first, I struggled and it destroyed what little patience I managed to muster! But the tutorials are helpful so I managed to get a grip of this intriguing puzzler which has elements of Lemmings in some respects. Yep, I still find it infuriating (sorry Thomas!) but it's unique and oddly very addictive!

It's incredible to think a brand new Atari STe game was born from what was a basic maze generator only a couple of months ago. I wish Thomas much success with this but please remember that it is currently a Work-In-Progress. Any feedback, help, or other ideas will be appreciated so click the link and get this baby playtested right now :-)

Update: the game is pretty much finished albeit marked as a beta as I write. You can download it right now from Thomas's website for free with the final release only hours away. Please note, that the boxed version is available to pre-order!! Also, it's worth checking out Stickhead's fantastic new video showcasing the current game. Enjoy!!

* UPDATE *
Buy the BOXED version!

Use those green arrows to safely guide your ball home (the green square)

I never thought I'd see "perfect" when I first started to play this tough game!!

Woo!! Things are getting difficult now and what are those buttons at the bottom? Hmm...

Hang on, I can blow up walls? Let's try that for starters!!! :D

Sardonic

Another brand new game!!

Sardonic is a brand new (well, for the Atari ST) vertically-scrolling shoot 'em up recently released by José Mário. Yep, it's already out on other (lesser) systems so it's fantastic to see it getting a 16-bit Fuji conversion!! Now, I love getting my grubby mitts on anything new for the Atari ST so let's see what the fuss is about.

This game is basically an old skool-styled shooter and the idea is to blast many aliens, use power-ups, kill the end-of-level boss, and repeat. These aliens are constantly invading the screen in waves using various attack patterns - and from three sides of the screen. Our spaceship can only fire upwards but can move in all directions rather than being limited to just left/right, ala Space Invaders. It works brilliantly too I might add!

Righto, let's quit the reading for a few screenshots...

Each type of alien is unique and the power-ups will help to recover lost lives and much more!

Sardonic is an arcade-style shooter so I loved it from the start.

Hey, check out that funky mothership!

Interestingly, our Atari ST conversion has a few enhancements = extra power-ups, different enemies and new attacking styles. This is pretty cool and even more so when you remember than this is Jose's first Atari release!! Hold onto your hat because he's also implemented support for both ST models making use of the Blitter and the STe's hardware scrolling = ultra-smooth 50fps action!

Boy, is this a tough game? At first, I didn't last long and it took a few more attempts before I came close to reaching the first boss! The action feels familiar but it isn't some cheap clone of Space Invaders, Phoenix or even Galaga, but instead feels more like a game of dodgeball - in space! You can only fire a couple of shots at once and the enemy will come at you using some seriously wacky patterns so be prepared to battle hard.

Blasting five of these blighters into smithereens will result in a random bonus for speed, armour, bombs and so on. This will help newcomers and thus I eventually got into the flow and reached the fourth guardian - which you can see in my video recording. Hint: if I was you, I'd save all those bombs for these bosses!

Wimps need not apply. Hey, come back!!! Here are some more screenshots...

After attacking from all directions, their boss shows up for some gun love!

I hate Stealth ships, they're so tough to destroy.

...and then their Mummy Stealth turned up to the fight!

16-Bit Aesthetics?

Well, no. There's not much to see beyond a black background populated with a few stars, so quite disappointing. The enemy sprites make up for that with nice colours and brisk movement and I'm talking 50fps which is gloriously smooth. Love it, I just wish the background had "more" to it other than a few stars.

The title screen is great with funky chiptune music but it's less impressive afterwards. The in-game sound effects are insufficient with the YM chip having only three uses: firing, pickup, and explosions. That is it! I personally think more could have been done to dazzle? Especially, for the Atari STe using DMA samples.

It's hardly another Xenon II in terms of aesthetics but who cares about that...

Can you believe this? I made it to level four WooHoo!!

Until the boss turned up and whooped me...sigh!

So cruel... LOL

The CryptO'pinion?

Sardonic is a good shooter alright. I love how the aliens attack in many different formations and the frequency of power-ups is excellent. It's quite repetitive, but this is a fun arcade blaster and addictive. It's impressive to think that one guy was behind all the development and also supported Atari STe graphical hardware.

A slick shooter and something new that I have really enjoyed. So go and grab Sardonic now!!

https://madaxe-pns.github.io/sardonic/