BSW DCD #020

Blue SoftWare

Whenever I think of a typical menu disk, it had loads of games and was released by one of many different cracker groups. Several others did the same thing but kept it legit by packing demos, intros, freeware games, etc. Germany's Blue Software is one such group and they called them DCD, aka Demo CDs.

Now, you know I love to relive my ST years but I cannot remember seeing more than a handful of Demo CDs by Blue Software. This is odd because I was/am a geek and remember collecting the entire library of The Source, Ripped Off, Serenade, and POV. So I went digging through the Demozoo archives to see what I could find. Incredibly, they were so active, releasing 99 DCDs before migrating to The Chaos Engine.

Okay, I've picked DCD #20 for a few reasons but, mainly for the loading screen! This is a fantastic image of a revamped GEM desktop. The background tune is eerie and captivating, I first assumed it was ripped from Archipelagos. It's not. I know that I've heard it before but can't remember... Can anyone help?

Anyhow, hitting the spacebar takes you to GEM to access twenty intros. Most of these are by Pompey Pirates and cool screens by The Syndicate, Empire, and the Mighty Replicants. I especially liked that full-screen image by Killer D (remember that?). What a great disk; really enjoyed it. I love exploring our hiSTory!!

Demozoo links for BSW DCD [ disk download ] [ group library ]

Blue Software made many productions but it's the DCDs I loved most.

Disk Maggie Intro by The Ultra Crew. What a stunning SINE scroller.

Old school and I love it, this is Contact Foxe by Zodiac.

Delta Force Copy Party Demo-Screen by The Replicants.

Delicious Disk 003 Intro by The Syndicate.

Flying Brains - running in full overscan!!

A Small Intro by The Empire and The Fallen Angels.

Pompey Pirates Menu #059 Intro by Pompey Pirates (check this out).

I have a question

What's your favourite Pompey Pirates disk?

Lately, I've been plodding through a wedge of my Pompey Pirates disks. Such excellent cracks made me fondly remember the chat/information/banter within the scrollers. They gave me access to games I would never have been able to afford. Right or wrong, a service was provided. Of course, the excitement of the postman delivering the latest Pompey disk was brilliant. Sigh, I miss those days... hence my noSTalgic website!

I enjoy asking stupidly impossible questions [1] and [2]. So, with that pointlessness in mind, what would you say is their best release? For me, disk #095 is my favourite because it features three belting games - Hunter, Lotus II, and Head Over Heels. In terms of the menu, that's another tough choice. It's probably disk #048 because of Syd B's fantastic War Of The Worlds picture. Not only that but it features a superb Mad Max tune. You gotta read the scroller for a surreal tale that is suspiciously accurate for today's absurd world.

That's what I love about awesome crackers like these, their scrollers are an unsuspecting time machine. Righto, what is your favourite Pompey Pirate disk? While you ponder over that, here are some links...

Exxos has access to the entire Pompey archive - https://exxosforum.co.uk/atari/...

Atari Legend - Pompey Pirates disk #048 - https://www.atarilegend.com/PP48...

Atari Legend - Pompey Pirates disk #095 - https://www.atarilegend.com/PP95...

Demozoo - a page dedicated to Pompey Pirates - https://demozoo.org/groups/2228/

Atarimania - Pompey Pirates Mega Muzak Demo - https://www.atarimania.com

Matt's archived website - https://www.gingerbeardman.com/archive/pompeypirates/

Persistence Of Vision

POV Menu Disk #099

Persistence Of Vision (aka POV) was one of the best demo-packers for the Atari ST. They made 165 compilation disks, most programmed by Mac Sys Data, with members including Ozymandias, Boris, Gonzo, Aly, and Dr Syne. Numerous disks featured music by Tao, Lotus, An Cool, David Whittaker, Ben Daglish, and more.

I admire POV because they brought multiple productions to users like me. People who couldn't afford to buy (or ... ahem... freely source) everything flooding the ST world back then. Plus their compilations were professionally produced and crammed with loads of extra goodies I would probably never have seen.

I've chosen to record their 99th menu because it's a great screen and marked the end of an era (not the end of the group as they continued). Along with their copier, this floppy disk features four demos: Life's A Bitch by TLB, The New Year Demo by X-Troll, Stuffy's Demo, and TSB/Adrenaline Intro by Kids Ghost Brothers.

This disk isn't the greatest measure of what made the POV menus so appealing - there are better - but I'm sure the infamous sampled soundtrack from Life's A Bitch will put a smile on your face. So funny!!

Credits for Menu #099

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Boris - Code & Graphics
Ozymandias - Graphics

Count Zero - Music

 

Links and a bundle of other POV Menu screenshots

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Persistence Of Vision are on YouTube!
Exxos has a great POV section on his website.

Demozoo has a section dedicated to POV.

If you think this is all, boy, you're so wrong! (geddit??) [AtariCrypt]

   

   

   

   

   

Intro by The Conceptors

Sometimes I need a break from the norm... So, over the last few days, I've been having a 'fumble' through my entire collection of Menu Disks. Whilst I've got the usual run-of-the-mill stuff like Automation, Pompey Pirates, etc... I also found a few disks which I'd never seen before. Or possibly my old man memory had just been forgotten?

Anyhow, here's the menu from one such disk - Menu #01 by The Conceptors. I genuinely haven't heard of this group but I must admit, this is one sexy intro using overscan and the music is outstanding. Oddly, I never hit a key to play any of the games. Which is peculiar for a guy running an Atari ST gaming website lol

YouTube is nice but nothing beats seeing this on a real Atari ST... [Demozoo download]

Credits:
7an - Music
Demon - Code, Graphics (logo)
Slime - Graphics (Font)

ST Collection #8

Ignore the name, this one is cool!

Here's another menu disk that I really like, ST Collection 8 by Typhoon. As you can imagine, it features loads of intros by the likes of Cynix, Fuzion plus also a few other oddities: I love the strangely funny Sonic Demo and Dune's Faith features spectacular artwork, stunning effects, and audio to die for!! MJJ's Trisogames is always great but I must admit it was Pascal Ganaye's Strip Tetris that caught my attention (naughty boy)

As you'd expect, it's just Tetris but we're also treated to a 4-bit glamour girl who removes her clothing the better you perform. Hmm, that didn't come outright, but I'm sure you know what I mean? Gameplay is pretty good and my old man reactions did pretty well in the video recording. This is a nice conversion of the boring old classic!

There's lots of cool stuff on this disk and Demozoo has the credits and download. Check these out:

Automation

Forget Elvira and Maria Whittaker, this is the sexiest screen your Atari ST will display!! :@)

[ Automation CD151 / Antic Cyber Graphics HiSTory ]

Reanimators #6

Reanimators #6 features a few simple effects with a superb chiptune (hmm, it sounds familiar). You know me, I love sine scrollers and this one is a belter and displayed using the full range of lovely rainbow colours. On the disk is Thunderstrike, an incredible 3D shoot 'em up with outstanding graphics - it feels like an early Cybermorph ;-)

Credits

https://demozoo.org/productions/92358/

Criminals In Disguise #22

I love anything with swirling dots & sine scrolling, so this intro by Criminals In Disguise is right up my street. The fx are very nice, with beautiful hum-tastic chip music that I can leave playing all day. My video recording is fine, but (you know what I'm going to say) it's best experienced using a real computer for visual perfection and better sound, especially on the Atari STe, so connect it to your speakers and crank up the volume.

This disk contains Jetpac, an awesome conversion of the Speccy original you should play!

• Grab the disk at Atari Legend https://www.atarilegend.com/menusets/menudisk-701
• Check out Demozoo for their credits/etc https://demozoo.org/groups/34625/

Automation #496

Press 1 for...

Nope, there's none of that with Automation #496 because this intro is based on Rick Dangerous. Well, there's no actual interaction and little to do other than walk and climb ladders. But it's a cool alternative compared to the usual menus we would have seen. Just control Ricky D. with the joystick, and enter a doorway to select a game to play!!

Credits

E.G.B. - Code

Count Zero - Music

https://demozoo.org/productions/65222/

Pure Energy #42

I love this Menu Disk! It was released by Pure Energy early in 1993 and has a gorgeous plasma whilst playing excellent chip music by Crawdaddy. The text might have a simplistic feel but did you notice anything a little different? Look closer... Do you see now?? Oh yea, pretty awesome, right? Anyhow, the disk features Centipede which is an excellent game.

Credits

B.F.G - Text

Crawdaddy - Music

Mick - Code

Fuzion #185

Fuzion #185 is a cool intro that gave us the game Ork, by Psygnosis. I love this intro because it presents itself particularly well with lots of colour and an adaptation of one of the most memorable chiptunes ever created. It also makes use of the Atari STe hardware for even better results, but happily works on either machine just fine.

Credits

Dump - Music

Orion - Code

https://demozoo.org/productions/84067/

Atari ST menu disks

Astonishing!

Menu Disks... I love them for the opportunity they gave us poor folk who couldn't afford to buy many games. I hate them for prematurely killing the Atari ST gaming scene. Whether they did or didn't is an argument that's been going on for years. It's up to you what to think but you cannot deny how great they are with their superb visuals, music, and scrollers. Like it or not, they are an essential part of Atari ST history.

Some disks are incredible, often by a kid in his bedroom who put commercial companies to shame with jaw-dropping effects. Most are by teams of talented hackers, musicians, artists, and distributors. I have many favourites I adore, like Dream Weavers, Automation, Fusion, Elite, Replicants, FOF, Cynix, D-Bug, FOFT, Zulu, Mad Vision, POV, Bad Brew Crew and more. Ahh, the list is almost endless!

Sadly, not many of us kept these floppies they are getting harder to find. Some have disappeared from existence, which is terrible. Thankfully, a website has taken up the challenge to preserve this part of Atari ST's history. It's called Stonish (now incorporated into Atari Legend) and is run by Bruno Mathieu.

I asked Bruno why Stonish and what he hopes to achieve:

"Stonish.net tries to collect all menu disks made on Atari ST. They are mainly games menus, but it will feature tools, demos and mod menus in the next months. The site provides more than 1600 disks at the moment (more to come). All disks have been tested and some of them have been repaired.

The goal is, of course, to provide a safe database for all disks, but not only. Some crews didn't spread very well their disks. A lot of compilations have been lost since the 80's. So we need to fill the gap: any help is welcome ;) This is the first of the website, which will probably evolve in the next months."

Many disks have now been rescued but there is still lots missing. Please, if you find anything lurking in your attic then consider donating. Stonish is a great website, doing great work, I wish them success!

STay Atari.