The Great Giana Sisters was released in 1987 by Rainbow Arts and is a platformer with (umm) more than a hint of Italian plumbing. Anyhow, the ST version played well but suffered flip-screen scrolling that soon became tiresome on the old eyes. Ultimately, it was a lame port that spoiled what should have been an excellent game.
It looks like I wasn't the only person to hate that poor conversion because Samuel (aka Zamuel_a of Pac-Mania fame) decided to convert it to the Atari STe. He makes use of the hardware scrolling so the entire screen now scrolls rather than flipping - and it's smooth, 50fps smooth. To say that this update is jaw-dropping is an understatement and it most certainly beats the pathetic commercial game. Now, just imagine if the industry would have supported the Atari STe properly...
Anyhow, the game itself is the same but it scrolls and that transforms a good product into something else. Samuel has put the Atari STe to great use which proves the power of this wonderful computer. Finally, we can play Giana Sisters as it was meant to be enjoyed so waste no more time and download this wonderful new version (improved by Peter Putnik)
Watch the video and check out these screenshots before deciding whether or not you should download...
It looks basic but it also looks console-cool too. I like it, very NES... to me.
Happily walking along and then something falls on your head! Let's collect the gems.
I really hate that horrendous big bug so let's jump over the sucker and run!
Saboteur 3 was released in 2012 by Shadow Team for the Atari STe and Falcon. I'll start by saying that I was a huge fan of Saboteur 2 on my Spectrum 128 (not so much the first game oddly enough) so I'm excited to see this for my ST and I'm wondering how it will compare. Well, it's obviously an unofficial fan game based upon the original 8-bit games by legends, Durell Software. Incredibly, it was programmed using GFA Basic. Pretty cool.
This third mission takes us into Egypt looking for fragments of a key to unlock a treasure-filled sarcophagus. However, this might not come as much of a shock, but somebody has rigged most rooms with killer spikes and lots of scary creatures like mummies, bats, and scorpions. So don't expect this to be easy!!
Ok, let's begin the mission... Yeah, that means killing Mommies!
Authentic or different?
Controls are very responsive and I'm impressed with the fluency of our actions which help make this game feel authentically enjoyable. Movements are more or less what you would expect with a few changes - down/fire now makes our ninja hit under the belt without using the old kicking mechanic. Each room is great and a pleasure for this oldskool gamer - I liked the design and kicking monsters to death is always fun. Looking at the map, Saboteur 3 is smaller than the previous game on my old ZX Spectrum but the adventure is still superb.
There are some changes to the gameplay mechanics which irk me a little if I'm being honest. Like falling off a ledge for an instant death rather than simply draining you of your replenishable strength - I miss that bar... I also failed to see the point of spikes that pop up impaling you each and every time, even during mid-jump!! However, the most annoying oddity is the ladders because some simply go nowhere and that's just stupid.
As you progress, things get odd and very difficult! Perhaps too difficult?
Aesthetics
It was never going to look just like the 8Bit games but I still love the graphics here in the ST game. They are different in style yet still brilliantly retro and follow the original theme well using a freakishly odd palette. It takes some getting used to! However, each nasty is nicely animated which makes kicking these creatures to death - a joy!
The in-game music is by Dma-Sc and thus a beautiful example of extraordinary chiptune talent. I still would have liked an option for sound effects to play alongside the music. But I'm now being rather picky, I guess?
Sooner or later, I usually end all my games looking this good! ;o)
The CryptO'pinion?
Saboteur 3 is good but far from perfect. Sadly, I feel hardcore fans will enjoy picking at it because many of the expected Saboteur-characteristics are altered or missing. However, this is still a great game in its own right and I think even Clive Townsend would enjoy playing this alternative conversion? Well, I know I did. A lot!!
Come and get the download if you think you're hard enough!
Chronicles Of Omega was released by ARC/Atari in 1990 and is probably the first commercial game to feature support for the enhanced Atari STe by making use of the hardware scrolling and DMA Audio. But that doesn't mean the STfm has been forgotten because this displays gorgeous rasters for the sky which aren't possible on the STe when using hardware scrolling. So each machine has something rather cool up its sleeve!
The lands of Omega have always been peaceful until the day came when a demon captured all of the children from the village. Play as either Alwin or Irma and battle your way through five evil-infested lands, killing everything in your wake, and defeating Demon Champions (aka bosses). Ultimately, be the hero and save the day!
Here's a handy map of Omega which I must admit looks like a lovely place to visit...
This map plots Alwin and Irma's journey through the lands of Omega.
Shoot, Shop and Kill
This is a cute platformer with interesting levels that aren't overly large and filled with many ghouls. Walking from left to right, you'll encounter many different monsters along your journey and they're all stuffed with cash. Kill as many as you can and collect their loot which can be used to purchase power-ups in the Good Witch's shop.
Yep, there's always someone willing to cash in on any noble crusade and she pops up during each level to tempt you with her wares. Her prices aren't cheap so you should try and kill as many monsters as possible instead of running scared. Annoyingly, all purchased power-ups are lost after losing a life, which sucks! End-of-level guardians are rather lame and easily defeated even though they can frustratingly materialise right where you're standing!
First impressions? This is one of those moments when I can see the potential which wasn't taken advantage of in some respects. There are so many awesome ideas (and some ripped) but this is essentially a decent platformer. With a little fine-tuning, Arc could have had something special on their hands.
The Atari ST has more background colours and gorgeous chip music!
Aesthetics?
So let's look at the graphics and audio which are different depending on which ST you use...
Visually, Chronicles Of Omega is a treat with lovely characters and lush landscapes. Both are rich in colour and the Atari STe gets to use its hardware scrolling for a smooth 50fps. The older ST hasn't been forgotten and what it lacks in framerate is compensated by extra background colours. However, the Atari STe wins by far.
For the audio, both computers take advantage of their strengths: the Atari STe uses DMA samples for the music and sound effects. The older ST uses its YM2149 for stunning chipmusic which I must say is a million times better than what the STe pumps out. This is too easy, the older Atari ST wins the audio battle hands down.
My opinion? Well, I'd dump the ST in a flash with its fancy rasters for ultra-smooth hardware scrolling. However, it wins the audio battle because Steve Barrett excelled with the quality of his chiptunes over the blurry samples. We all know the Atari STe is capable of better, so here's the kicker: ARC should have given STe gamers the option to chose between chip or DMA. That would have been perfect.
The Atari STe lacks the background colours but runs at a silky-smooth 50fps.
The CryptO'pinion?
I must admit to being disappointed by this weird enigma. It plays the same on both models of Atari ST but is spoilt by the magic wand's mechanics. This is due to its inability to fire more than twice at any given moment: which means walk...shoot...walk...shoot. If you forget then you're possibly left defenceless in tight situations.
I pushed myself through the fluffy-control pain barrier and (shockingly) found myself starting to enjoy this quirky game. In fact, I managed to reach the final level and I was genuinely having fun albeit with the awkward firing. Kudos to ARC for making use of the Atari STe which certainly makes me wonder why later platformers didn't.
Whatever you're thinking, this isn't a terrible game. Not in the slightest and is definitely worth playing. Okay, there are better ones out there for the Atari ST but give it a shot and let me know what you think in the comments below.
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 :)
I remember the days when the ST was getting on a bit and, ahem, the Falcon didn't quite cut it. Not only that, but all my mates had left behind their Atari STs and Amigas for overly expensive PCs. They were bulky and incredibly ugly but I also remember how gutted I felt when I saw Wolfenstein (I almost died of shock the first time I saw Doom!!).
Anyhow, we still had our moments, and the Atari ST had a decent selection of first-person shooters by the mid-90s. In 1995 along came a company called Unique Development Sweden, who decided that our old 16-bit computer wasn't quite dead yet. They graced us with Substation which was about to change everything we thought possible. Read on...
The story goes that Mitushi Industries has developed a type of new energy that can be extracted from under the seas. All seemed well until communication was lost with their underwater substation base. Oh no... So, they contracted the help of a Multi-Environment Marine from the American government. In case you are wondering - yes, this is you!
Righto, that's the basic storyline that wasn't really needed so let's take a gander at the first screenshot...
The mission update screens are superb with tons of information.
When a 1989 computer blows you away!
Upon starting your first game, it's a good idea to ditch the knife - hit key "2" which switches to a rather effective pistol. Now, collect all the goodies you see lying on the floor and open the door; outside, is access to more goodies but there's also a couple of ghouls lurking! Will you risk a fight or run away scared down that seemingly empty corridor?
Movement is actioned with the keyboard: arrow keys are used to walk/turn around with Insert and Clr Home keys for convenient sidestepping - this works so brilliantly using a real computer!! Control key fires any weapon, the Spacebar opens doors, and punching the TAB key drops a bomb. Don't forget to make use of the map located at the bottom of your screen: this automatically tracks your movements and the keypad can be used to examine the explored areas.
The baddies are an intelligent bunch who won't stupidly head straight for you. Nope, expect some to use evasive tactics as they shoot a few rounds and then run away and take cover! So use that pistol to protect yourself, remembering to sidestep oncoming fire! Other weapons can be found and the chain gun is absolutely amazing - Arnold Schwarzenegger would be proud to carry it. In fact, each of the weapons is superb - I only wish it didn't take so long to find them all.
Tell me you aren't excited to stop reading and play this baby for yourself? Wait, come back I've not finished...
I know what you're thinking and no, there isn't anything wrong with the colour!
16 Colours are enough!
Graphically, I'm both impressed and unimpressed - in equal measure. Firstly, let me say that Substation has a freakish amount of atmosphere! This game is scary with something nasty around most corners. Anxiety levels will be high thanks to its superb design using amazing visual effects - like the use of light-sourced sprites. The frame rate needed to be smooth for a game like this to be playable and the basic 8MHz Atari STe zooms along at 25fps - which is outstanding!!
Sadly, the walls lack texture mapping because UDS opted for Gouraud shading to maintain the smooth framerate. This is understandable but also disappointing because games like Destruction Imminent and Wolfenstein 3D prove the ST is actually capable. I feel UDS missed an opportunity to allow for optional textures on faster computers.
The audio is spot-on perfect. And I do mean perfect. Substation utilises the enhanced hardware so we're able to hear distance and directional effects. This helps to identify where the baddies are lurking surprisingly well. Equally impressive are the tunes played at 25Khz - excellent quality. You're gonna love it so crank up the volume!
LOL I love this screenshot that I managed to take just as he was getting blasted!!
The CryptO'pinion?
Technically speaking this is one of the most impressive games for ye olde Atari STe. Think about it, an 8MHz computer capable of running a first-person engine that maintains a brisk 25fps. Not only that but it features distance and directional stereo sounds! There are 30 on-screen colours, light source sprites, and intelligent enemy AI. Heck, you can even play against others over a network and those with faster Atari computers will support smoother framerates.
Substation is superb - a fantastic shooter with great weapons, challenging AI, and interesting maps. It's not an easy game but each mission is as tough as they are enjoyable. However, if you're expecting Substation to be "our" Doom then you will be disappointed because it's more like Wolfenstein. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a criticism. Just understand that fact.
Oh yeah, this is one seriously awesome first-person shooter so pick up your guns and have yourself some fun!!
ST Format featured a basic preview level on cover disk #72.
They also held a competition and the winning game is on cover disk #75.
Fancy a trainer? ST Format cover disk #76 has all the answers!
[ all ST Format coverdisks can be downloaded off Exxos ]
Substation tips and maps can be found in ST Format issues #74 / #75 / #76 / #77.
We all love cheat codes and to get all weapons just type "PUNK"
"NIRVANA" gets you extra health and "PFLOYD" unlocks doors.
"SKRAPAN" credits extra bombs and "FALUKORV" allows extra time.
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.
Okay, I needed an egg-related game for Easter which usually means Dizzy or perhaps even Chuckie Egg 2 (Nah, I'll never play that terrible game again!). So, here is Heartland released in 1996 by Tony Greenwood of Stosser Software and later improved for the Atari STe by TOS-Crew with 50fps STe-scrolling. Fantastic stuff!!
That's right, the original was good but they supersized it for the Atari STe. Something I always love to hear...
Hey, what's Dizzy doing here in the land of whizzy scrolling!
Eggcellent!
This is a cracking (sorry) platformer but I admit that I struggled to fully grasp it due to the sheer size of its map. This is a big game and something you either play properly or not at all - unless you enjoy running around for a few minutes just to enjoy the smooth 50fps scrolling whilst listening to the DMA sounds burping out through the speakers?
This is a great upgrade and I enjoyed the graphics whizzing across my screen like silk that completes the experience. However, I wasn't so sure about the music as I prefer chip. Okay, let's take a look at the keys:
Move using the cursor key's: left & right
space: jump (or use the joystick or JagPad)
m: map
r: show processor time left rasters
s: toggle sample (STE, Falcon), sound chip, effects and no-sound
Woo, this map is confusing at first. And boy, is this game big. Perhaps too big?
Play it
Okay, it's the same game we all enjoy and aesthetics never matter much to the actual gameplay but, I must admit, they sure are nice to have. TOS-Crew has taken a good game and made it even better with proper scrolling that slides across the monitor like never before. I think this will help you to enjoy Heartland more than ever.
This sure proves the power of the Atari STe which the commercial gaming world chose to ignore. What a wonderful upgrade. In fact, I wish there were more Atari STe upgraded games - congrats @TOS-Crew for going that extra mile!! Grab the floppies or a hard disk installable version and I hope you all have a great Easter †
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.
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.
Xenon 2 is pretty much Marmite - some love it and some appear to hate it. Well, I love it. It's one of my favourite shooters with fantastic power-ups and freaky baddies. Plus, it's a technical masterpiece with outstanding aesthetics that proves the power of the Atari ST - when in the hands of developers with talent and commitment in equal measure. We need no custom chips nor those horrendously lame Amiga ports from the 90s!!
Okay, rant over. Here is a brand new Xenon II upgrade for 1MB+ Atari STe computers with an UltraSatan or decent hard drive. This new version streams 25KHz music, during gameplay, thanks to the DMA Audio hardware. There is no CPU hit whatsoever so everything is as good as it ever was BUT with your choice of music :-)
Just convert any song into: 8-Bit @ 25033Hz using a free program like Audacity. I've a massive selection of rock/metal songs stored and ZZ Top is currently during my games!!
Xenon II just got even better and I hope Peter converts many more games to make use of the DMA co-processor. The possibilities are endless... Hmm, perhaps I should send him a wishlist? LOL he'll block me!!
Yep, Cannon Fodder could have (and should have) been far better for the Atari ST. Alas, it was a rushed lame-ass port. However, cry no more tears for Peter Putnik has upgraded the game to support audio playback of 25KHz digital music - yes, during gameplay. This is making use of the DMA audio hardware lurking inside the Atari STe and (because it's a coprocessor) there is no CPU usage. Thus zero impact on the game's performance whatsoever.
Of course, storage requirements are too much for a floppy! An Ultrasatan or other hard drive device will be needed to store your chosen music - this can be anything and instructions are included in the zip file on how to use convert something from your music library. It's dead easy to do using Audacity. Click on my video, above...
Well, what an incredible upgrade! This is something else having real music blasting out from your Atari STe speakers. I'm only gutted it is the lame-ass Cannon Fodder getting this amazing upgrade. Why? Because it's a pile of rubbish with flick-screen horizontal scrolling. This not only gets you killed but also kills any enjoyment you might have had...
I hope Peter uses this technology again - for other Atari ST games - the possibilities are endless!!!
Pac-Mania was released in 1989 by Grandslam and is based on the arcade classic which was a nice conversion and generally well-received at the time. This new "3D" game saw our pill-popper change from an overhead 2D perspective to a fancy isometric viewpoint and, because the play area was so large - it scrolled. Which is an ace idea I gotta say!
Pacman himself also had an upgrade by having the ability to jump - even though he has no legs! Sadly, the Atari ST version suffered a smaller screen because it lacked hardware scrolling and, as a result, featured a large status panel. Don't get me wrong, something had to give but the game still featured smooth scrolling and definitely wasn't a lame port.
Here is a screenshot of the original ST game (note, I've left in the top/bottom borders for a reason)...
As you can see, it looks great albeit with that overly large status panel taking up a lot of space.
Gee, how would an Atari STe have coped?
Well, I'm glad you asked! Entering into the 16-bit arena is Samuel (aka Zamuel_A) with an upgrade specifically designed to make maximum use of the Atari STe and its lovely enhanced hardware. Firstly, the gameplay now takes place in overscan opening up the gameplay arena in ways you cannot imagine. The entire screen flows along at a silky-smooth 50fps thanks to the hardware scrolling in all four directions (a much under-utilised feature of this computer).
But that's not all, the Blitter handles all the sprites and the DMA audio hardware plays the sampled sound effects with our sweet YM2149 banging out wonderful chiptunes - better than Tracker MODs!! Technically, this is far beyond impressive and I'm sure Samuel has utilised every part of the computer? Well, it certainly provides the wow factor!
Wanna see how it looks compared to the original? Of course, you do so scroll down a little further...
And this is how the same game appears on the Atari STe using overscan and all the other goodies!
The CryptO'pinion?
Okay, the original PacMania was a good game and a decent conversion - I don't want to appear negative about it whatsoever. Having said that, Samuel has completely blown away the original game with his upgrade! It has transformed our yellow friend for the 21st-century retro gamer. It's impossible not to be impressed by Samuel's dedication and hard work.
This is what happens when a talented chap takes a great game and rebuilds it in a way that would never have been possible back in the day. I doubt any software house outside of the mighty Thalion would have been more committed to developing for the Atari STe? Especially when you consider how the boundaries have been pushed in such incredible ways.
This is a fascinating revamp of the old favourite and far more enjoyable than ever. Absolutely superb!!
An early beta of the new R-Type Deluxe has been released at STNICCC by Stephen Jones, aka Bod. It has been designed to make use of the STe hardware - Blitter co-processor, hardware scrolling and of course, DMA effects/music. It plays far better than the original game and the pictures you see here were kindly sent to me by Stephen. Thank you :)
I have really enjoyed playing R-Type Deluxe which has proven the Atari STe to be a formidable computer. The action feels smoother and much better plus the audio has a great affect at making this feel more arcade-like. This is looking to be an impressive project but please remember this is a Work In Progress. (update).
Update July 24th I know this file is already on Atari-Forum but here is my backup of Stephen's precious R-Type Deluxe source code. I'm keeping it safe until another developer attempts to continue his hard work. <download>
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!
