Fanwor – The Legend of Gemda

Link plays Atari

Fanwor is a brave attempt to recreate the commercial NES game "The Legend of Zelda" and works on all Atari computers. Thomas Huth took on the challenge of Fanwor a quarter of a century ago for the MagiC Game Contest. However, unless you have an upgraded ST/STe, this is a game for the TT and Falcon.

The storyline is unique, so concentrate - Princess Gemda ruled over the peaceful land of Fanwor protected by eight "Gems of Power" (I imagine these were created by Sam Tramiel). Monsters stole the gems and buried them in dungeons. Let's take a wild stab at what we've got to do to restore peace and prosperity.

So, who's up for helping Princess Zelda's sister and going on a gem hunt...

You begin your noble quest here. Don't bother going into the cave, he's not there!

Triforce of Wisdom

The original is an action/role-playing game with outdoor locations full of monsters. There are secret locations, interactions, weapon upgrades, and pick-ups for health/etc. Sadly, the Atari game is stripped down somewhat, but the map and (most) of the monsters are present while you hunt down the stolen gems.

Fans of the original will instantly notice the difference; ours runs in GEM. On the first screen, we begin armed, so there is no need to enter the cave - which is void of that helpful dude. As you explore, you will notice that there are no secret passages (that I found), no character interactions, no extra weapons, and no pickups for health/etc. I imagine implementing the extra parts would have been a massive undertaking.

Thankfully, almost all locations are near-exact replications, which is surprising considering how many there are. A few are slightly different because of their missing content, but not enough to warrant any kind of criticism. Even without the role-playing elements, we have a tremendous explorational action-adventure.

A cynic will say it's now a different game, but I'll halt that topic for a screenshot...

The spiders bounce around their location in an annoyingly accurate manner!

Explore & Kill

So, with these differences out of the way, what is left? Fanwor is old school, and keeps the objective simple for a damn fine game of exploration and monster killing. The objective, the game map, and the enemies remain much the same (any slain monsters will respawn if you go back to any given screen). However, the gameplay is now completely centred on exploring and killing monsters as you look for the eight gems.

Link can move in all four directions, and hitting the fire, thrusts his sword. You can use the keyboard, joystick, or JagPad, but I preferred the keyboard. Monsters can be killed with one hit, but the further you venture, the tougher they become. These enemies aren't merely sitting idle as they roam in random patterns. The spiders and flies are different and bounce around wildly, making them difficult to hit without losing HP.

Without the pickups from the original game, health is quite hard to replenish. You begin with 20HP and have three methods to stay alive 1) find a fairy to fully regenerate health. 2) find one of the eight gems, which also increases your max HP by 10. 3) don't fight every battle, and learn to be evasive.

The third option is good advice, which is a trait you should employ. Fanwor is well-balanced, and although 20HP is low, finding the gems is not impossible. Soon, I had 40HP and repeatedly used the fairies to keep me alive. Using this process, I completed Fanwor without cheating. A commendable attribute of any game.

It's got to that point where I stop waffling and show a couple of screenshots...

One of the few lakes with a magical fairy who's only too willing to help you out.

Aesthetics

Even if you've played the NES game, the graphics won't impress. It's crude and too yellow much of the time, but this is a game from 1986, and I think it looks like retrogaming gold, something I never expected. Thankfully, Thomas didn't use push scrolling and opted for flick-screen, which is easily the best choice and suits the style. Overall, our ST conversion closely follows the original, and its authenticity is commendable.

Sadly, I've no idea why the performance is so poor. On an ST (without Blitter), it's too sluggish to be playable. The STs with a Blitter handle gameplay better with faster controls and smoother visuals. However, even on these computers, it's still too slow (especially if you have played the original). So, unless you have an upgraded ST/e or own a Mega STe/TT/Falcon, you are forced to use emulation, opting for a speedy config.

The quirky fun doesn't stop there - the audio is well-supported with chip and DMA sounds. These play alongside stunning tracker music by Malcolm Grant. There is an option to use your preferred ACC player (BackTrack, Paula, etc). Sadly, the music is a hit to performance and is best left to the faster computers!

This is one of the rare times real hardware loses out. Unless you're rich! Screenshot time...

Gone is the yellow desert for a murky graveyard (and a chasing ghost!)

CryptO'pinion

For all its ridiculous hardware demands and missing gameplay elements, I have still thoroughly enjoyed Fanwor. It's simple, without much depth, and reminded me of Sword of Kadash in some respects. Sure, it's far too slow, so I used my 16MHz Mega STe - consider that the minimum spec, but obviously, all upgraded STs will be fine. With this in mind, I have had a blast exploring, mapping, and completing the game.

So if you enjoy exploring and blindly killing hundreds of monsters, you're gonna enjoy this walk down memory lane. For those who turned up their noses when they saw the screenshots, well, they've already left and will miss an opportunity to play something quirky, pointless, and mind-numbingly enjoyable.

One for the eccentric odd-bod gamer with enough time on their hands for something different. :]

• Atarimania has the floppies https://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-st-fanwor...
• 8BitChip has a version ready for hard drives https://atari.8bitchip.info/SCRSH/fanwor.html
• There is a newer v1.03 with "updated" graphics https://demozoo.org/productions/135316/
• Reservoir Gods have something cool for Falcon owners! https://www.atarimania.com/g...
• Here is a list of loads more STe enhanced games https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/enhanced...
• I've mapped many other Atari ST games https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/maps...

There might be no secrets, but we still need to find the gems. Look inside the cave!

This is how the later versions look, but I preferred the older games myself.

Now that I've finished Fanwor, I was thinking about Fantastic World(s). A good idea?

The Maps

Right then, you've scrolled this far and are still here. I'm impressed! Continue to scroll a little more for a thumbnail of the map. Wait, it's a small thumbnail picture and not a high-resolution map!!

To download the high-resolution images, just click here. Within this download is the map for the HUGE outdoor area. Also included are the keys to each of the eight dungeons (also fully mapped).

I hope my maps are enough to lure you into playing this game. Enjoy...

Are you wondering why it's small? You clicked it, right? Doh!! Read the text above!!

Magicland Dizzy

I'm so dizzy, my head is spinning

To celebrate the Easter holidays, I thought I should do something a little eggy (no, not that!). Yep, I've gone and mapped another game for my ever-increasing collection that I hope you check out. Magicland Dizzy can be found mapped elsewhere on the internet, but I wanted to make an official Atari ST version!

Originally released by Code Masters in 1991, it was developed by Derek Leigh-Gilchrist with graphics by Leigh Christian and music by Matthew Simmonds. Now, being a bit of an odd bod, I've never taken much time to properly play the ST's Dizzy games. So, I figured I should choose Magicland Dizzy because I started playing it a few years ago, but never finished. Not even close! So, here we are, and it's also fully mapped.

So what’s the story then? Well, Magicland’s fallen under the spell of a nasty evil wizard who’s gone and captured several of our deliciously nutritious friends - who are at serious risk of being fried, poached, and scrambled (well, they would be if I had anything to do with it lol!). But wait - the wizard clearly didn’t count on Dizzy’s puzzle-solving talents, because our little egg-on-legs hero plans to save the day!

This sounds like a cracking game. Well, let's see a helpful screenshot before we carry on...

The game has a fantastic intro showing off the basics of exploration and puzzle solving.

Eggciting gameplay?

As you would expect, explore Magicland and tackle loads of ridiculous puzzles - some are straightforward, while others are irritatingly vague. Cracking these will help us rescue each of our friends and, in turn, take down the wizard himself. Let’s just hope Dizzy’s up to the task - especially with me in charge of the joystick.

Talking of joysticks, the controls are spot-on perfect as you wander around each screen looking for anything helpful. However, the only places this isn't so are the ones that had me leaping over water. One slight blunder and Dizzy is plunged into an immediate death (with a precious life lost). These parts are so finicky and annoying compared to all other rooms, which are perfectly designed. Yes, I ended up using a trainer!

Guiding our Easter egg through a charming fantasy world filled with quirky characters and oddball items is pretty brilliant. Well, to start with. You will soon find yourself scratching your head over most items; some are pretty obvious, as the game breaks you in gently, like using a key to unlock the castle door. Others are harder, like helping the witch and finding the dagger to free Denzil. Factor in having only three lives and (replenishable) energy drainage by touching anything nasty, and it soon becomes a tough challenge.

Sadly, many puzzles don’t make much logical sense (at least not to me!). Some problems are bizarre, and that situation worsens the further you venture. Magicland Dizzy goes beyond trial-and-error problem-solving and into the lands of guesswork and pure luck. Honestly, I would have never cracked the game without online help. That's something I'm not happy about, but impossible without. Especially when wanting to make a map!

I'm egghausted now! We need a little screenshot break...

I had to capture this screenshot simply because of its name!

The CryptO'pinion

I enjoyed Magicland Dizzy, but I struggle a lot - maybe I don’t get the logic behind each problem? Possibly, as I had a similar experience with Slightly Magic. Though to be fair, that game felt more straightforward, with puzzles that actually followed some level of common sense. At the end of the day, Spikey in Transylvania still stands out as the best of the bunch (at least from the ones here on AtariCrypt). It managed to strike the right balance, offering puzzles that were not only clever but also genuinely fun and satisfying to solve.

Okay, I might be giving a negative opinion here? Well, I'm not saying Magicland Dizzy is a bad game. It's not. It's got loads of cool screens with silly puzzles that expert Dizzy fans will appreciate. The graphics are beautifully cartoon-like, and the audio features stunning chip music. However, what puts me off rating Magicland Dizzy as high as Spikey In Transylvania is the puzzles, which is the game when you think about it. I found many made little sense, and I would never have sussed 'em out without resorting to help.

Magicland Dizzy reminds me of my 8-bit days playing Stormbringer, which brought back many happy memories. Sadly, I had more fun playing the previously mentioned games than this one. Don't get me wrong; it's a good game, but there are better Dizzy-esque games. So I rate this an overcooked, hard-boiled 60%.

Not the result I was hoping for, but it's hardly a rotten egg. I hope you download and use the map. This game deserves your playtesting, so let me know what you guys think. Have a blessed Easter †

• Clickety Click to download the map in glorious hi-res https://www.dropbox.com/Magicland...
• D-Bug has a great version of Magicland Dizzy http://d-bug.mooo.com/mldizzy.zip
• Atari Legend has several floppies to choose from https://www.atarilegend.com/magicland-dizzy

An angry monkey is sitting in the trees, throwing rocks!

Falling down the well too soon is deadly, but check out the artwork for the mouse!

The areas around the witch have tricky jumps. I hated seeing that "Whoops" message!

The closing moments of the game, but who asked me to cast Zak's ring into the flames?

Oh dear, trust the devil to try and ruin our Easter fun! And we're helping him O_o

After defeating Zak, peace and harmony reign over the lands once again. And we are in love!

Dizzy gets to spend time with his freed family, and they all make a yummy omelette together.

This is a thumbnail of the game's map. The download link is above!!

Sleuth (mapped)

Inspector Clouseau

Many moons ago when the Crypt was young I stumbled upon a Berzerk game called Sleuth. It's by Larry Scholz and originally came on an ST Review cover disk. It sucked compared to the Dave Munsie conversion but I still liked it. In fact, I liked it enough to warrant spending many hours over Christmas mapping it.

However, without a trainer, I had to save my progress each time I entered a new room. It was a tedious process, and I desperately needed a better solution. That’s when Mug UK came to the rescue, kindly creating a hack for extra lives. Remarkably, the change only required 4 bytes. Not that I'd understand the jargon:

"I disassembled it using EasyRider4. Then converted the huge source file using Stew's Convert program to make it smaller.

Using Notepad++, I search for all occurrences of '5' being moved into a value. I then worked out which address the lives were (at a guess) being stored in, then looked elsewhere in the code for that same address.

Found a SUBQ.W #1, address and removed it using 2 x NOPS (4E71 twice, hence 4 bytes). Tested it and it worked the first time 🙂 "

This was a game-changer. It's remarkable how such a small change made a big difference - I could suddenly map Sleuth a hundred times faster so it wasn't long before the entire game was fully mapped - complete with all the extra details: key locations, locked doors, and bonus lives. I might be the only person left on Earth to play this quirky Berzerker, but I hope my map sparks curiosity and inspires someone else to try it.

And you should download it because Mug UK went the extra mile - Sleuth now boots up with a trainer option screen before the game begins. So I’ve created a floppy disk image (which you can optionally copy to your Ultrasatan or hard drive). Of course, it’s free to download and exclusively available first here on AtariCrypt. Now, the big question: what should I name this new disk? Arghh, surely not SleuthCrypt you cry? O_o

All credit goes to Mike Mee ~~> aka Mug UK <~~ for his fantastic hacking skills. My sincere gratitude as I doubt I would have made it past the first locked door without the extra lives (not without spending several months of my life). Okay, I imagine somebody out there is eager to play the Crypt version of Sleuth?

I sure hope so; keeping my fingers crossed. Here are all the links...

• SleuthCrypt: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/d1djl0biy8twqm030e4b4/SleuthCrypt...
• The map: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/on5on2sewc895oekjlyr3/Sleuth-map...
• Atari Legend: https://www.atarilegend.com/games/sleuth-majicsoft
• Mug UK: https://demozoo.org/sceners/2542/
• Mike's website: https://mug-uk.co.uk
• More ST game maps: https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/game-maps.html
• Even more ST productions by me: https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/MySTstuff/

I would never have seen the final room without a trainer. Flashy place, uh?

Can you beat me? Will anyone ever play this game again?

It was only after completing the game I noticed it was on "Novice".
I replayed on "Expert", the controls seem quicker but everything else is the same?

Yep, I have fully mapped the game and the download link is above!

Slightly Magic

Heavy on the Magick

Almost all ST users have played one of the Dizzy games. Code Masters had this type of puzzler nailed! Not all their games featured an egg and, like our favourite viking, this game also follows the same premise of collecting useful items to solve puzzles. This time we are a character called Slightly. What an odd name, eh?

Slightly Magic was developed by Colin Jones, a name you should remember from Rock Star Ate My Hamster? As storylines go, this one is weak but, long story short, Bigwiz is a wizard who unwittingly left us in charge. The goal is to rescue Princess Croak from a sunburnt dragon using magical spells scattered about the lands waiting to be found. Yep, you heard correctly, a dragon that's been in the sun for too long.

What medication was Colin on? Anyhow, let's have a peep at a couple of troubling screenshots...

When I first played, I struggled to jump onto the middle platform. So practice!

You will never get the metal pin from that side of the screen. Hey, don't get burnt...

Rescuing Princess Croak

Fans of Dizzy will instantly feel at home. Slightly can explore the rooms looking for helpful items the game's characters demand. That often grants passage to a different part of the map with more similar puzzles. Interestingly, some items are merged together to create spells - like a hearing spell for the deaf guards. Others scare ghosts, grant safe passage underwater, and enable us to fly like a wibbly-wobbly bird.

Getting around each room is a cinch albeit initially awkward because Slightly moves quickly. This made it difficult to master jumping which became apparent on the second screen. The room features a wide gap to leap, which I struggled with. Heed my advice and practice jumping here before continuing on.

Multiple items can be collected and hitting the fire button displays our inventory unless you're close to an item. The puzzles start easy; providing dragons with the correct buckets of water. Once their thirst is quenched, the game opens up with some rather obvious dilemmas to solve. For example, scissors to cut the string of a yoyo. A magnet that attracts a metal pin. It's hardly rocket science and kept me intrigued to the end.

Leap with joy because there are no time limits to ruin the experience. Also, the monsters will not instantly kill you. However, there is an energy meter that drains if you come into contact with them. Once depleted, you lose a life. It's now that you shall notice stars in most rooms. Collect them to replenish the energy.

In terms of places to explore, this game isn't very large. The puzzles give the illusion of a larger world, as you'll constantly experiment to figure out what works. There is much guesswork and lots of backtracking before you gather what goes where. An obvious mechanic for a game like this and I enjoyed it a lot.

However, there are some niggles with the map layout. It often makes no sense with many screens looping around without reason. I also noticed several rooms that lay on each other (the first is near the deaf guards). These abnormalities didn't make sense and caused me problems. So, I decided to map the game before I kicked the ST's monitor through the window!! You heard me, just keep scrolling to download that.

How about an image of a giant's bald head? Yeah, some puzzles make little sense, like this one...

An angry giant (with no body)? Well, I'd be angry being a bald severed head!

I never did figure out how to crawl and collect that star. Maybe a bug? Maybe it's me!

Aesthetics

Graphically, this game is gorgeous using cartoon styles any Dizzy fan will adore. The intro is fantastic with dancing dragons that you meet later. Each room features a comical theme I found joyful and cutesy, especially on the underwater stage. Slightly has a peculiar walk that looks odd but his movement is smooth and graceful. The enemy's motions are also ultra-smooth with humorous detail; I liked the sinister Cheshire Cat, the menacing ghosts, and the wibbly Octopuses. However, the two guards are my personal favourite!

It’s safe to say that Keith Ross created exceptional artwork but some areas left me wondering what drugs he could have been on. For example, the giant's head doesn't fit the rest of the game and feels like a late addition. The ugliest graphic is ironically on the most beautiful level - a witch that looks like I drew her!

Thankfully, the audio follows a constant level of awesomeness. There are no effects but wonderful chip music by Allister Brimble plays throughout. It's a lovely tune that blends into the background perfectly.

Let's take one final break before the gripping conclusion I know you're eager to read...

Ghosts'n Goblins vibes with a sinister cat lurking in the trees. Lovely graphics!

Absolutely killer artwork. Animated too. I loved this amazing logo.

CryptO'pinion

Slightly Magic will appeal to fans of the genre. I had a bunch of fun - feeding water to dragons, exploring a spooky forest, and rescuing the princess from the sunburnt dragon. Who thinks of these stories?

Unfortunately, many of the puzzles lack consistency, being either too easy or overly obscure. Other parts are rubbish, like riding tiny bubbles to reach higher platforms - quite difficult and badly conceived. Of course, I got through all these troublesome areas because I was having fun with the adventure.

I can't say it's Code Masters' best effort but I enjoyed it (nearly) as much as Spikey in Transylvania. A challenging puzzler without the refinement of Dizzy but worth playing. My rating is a respectable 70%.

+ Great floppy disk options at Atari Legend https://www.atarilegend.com/games/slightly-magic

+ 8BitChip has adapted a cool version for hard drives https://atari.8bitchip.info/ASTGA/S/slightm.php

+ Gears Of Games has a good channel but wasn't quite as impressed ;) https://youtu.be/...

As always, this image is a thumbnail so click here to download the high-res original.

Axel's Magic Hammer

Baby Thor is back!

Hands up who saw this coming? Yeah, I'm getting predictable, right? Well, I was about three or four rooms into this game before I realised two things. One, I was having a blast with what I knew would be a great platformer. Two, I quickly restarted because I knew I needed to map the Atari ST version (what else?)

If you're wondering what I'm going on about, that means you missed my ultra-sexy review! How could you? Well, breathe a sigh of relief - your life isn't a total failure as you can read it by clicking here.

Seriously, this is a belting game, and definitely one you should add to your playlist. I loved the controls and the easy exploration, albeit by a linear design. I know it didn't break the mould but I thoroughly enjoyed playing this game. I can't imagine anyone struggling to get deep into this one. Just take your time and use those block-bashing skills as best you can. They often give access to a different route and hidden areas.

Btw - if you're interested in other ST game maps then take a gander on my new page!

As always, the images here are thumbnails. Click me to download the hi-res versions. Enjoy my maps...

Level one is tremendous fun and plays great at introducing the game mechanics.

Level two and things look a little familiar. This is another great level.

Another great level but it's getting boring hearing this yet again?

This level feels familiar! The tree parts are seriously awkward.

I called this level 'boring' but that's not really right. It's quite tough, however.

I thoroughly enjoyed this level, quite traditional albeit with a couple of nasty rooms!

Looking familiar, yet again. But the gameplay is spot-on!

I wouldn't say it's tougher than the rest, however, those final lava rooms are insane!!!!

Within the end room is a stationary Dragon - who has your girlfriend. Kill it!!

Killing Impact

Glad?

Imagine a fantastic sci-fi future where we are a member of an exciting explorational team called X-Plorer. Deep space is scary and, you guessed it, something went wrong! But something always goes wrong, right? Yep, we end up stranded on an alien planet light years from home. Of course, it's an unfriendly world of vicious creatures that need killing before we can escape home. Or is it just a Joust ripoff set in the wilderness?

Killing Impact is based on the Falcon030 original by David Fournier of Rebel Vision, who appears to have only produced this one game. The idea is simple, and if you've played Joust, you will already know what to expect in terms of basic gameplay. Unlike the original, Glad takes place over dozens of jungle screens on an alien planet. Its wilderness is crammed with enormous plant life and crazy critters that don't like your presence. The objective is straightforward: travel the terrain, killing everything whilst making your way to the exit.

Sadly, that's not possible for the unlucky ST protagonist because our conversion appears somewhat unfinished with only two levels complete. Not only that but when/if you reach the end, you're left trapped in the final room. Regardless, we still have a huge game with dozens of screens!

As a version of Joust, the controls ought to be spot-on. I'm grateful they are just that and implement the standard jousting practice - defeat the enemies by lancing them from a higher position. There are optional weapons like bombs, but these are impossible to use. In stark contrast to the main controls, they are awful and demand a combination of holding a direction whilst hitting fire - in midair!! That doesn't work.

Being Joust, this doesn't need to be a solo mission as Killing Impact supports two players. This is quite special and adds tremendous value, especially when one player can lure the enemy into the open for the other to strike. The expected restrictions apply ie, both players remain on the screen at the same time.

That's about it to Glad Killing Impact; flip-flap through every screen,     killing anything nasty. Forget the weaponry and concentrate on the (excellent) jousting to defeat your foe. Ultimately, you will reach a boss, and these guys are always tough nuts - so beware!! This leaves only one question: what is this "Glad" thing about?

Okay, let's pause the boring reading for a couple of sexy screenshots...

Watch out for the dragonflies, which are deceitfully cunning creatures.

Oh no, a dragon!! These chase well but aren't quick, so easy prey.

Aesthetics

As you can see from the screenshots, the visuals are exquisite. If I had one, I'd tip my hat to Frédéric Fournier and Christian Rey for their gorgeous jungle and underwater artwork. Equally, the sprites are a variety of nasty creatures, superbly detailed and with excellent animation - I love the jellyfish and dragonflies.

The hardware scrolling/Blitter isn't used so we're disappointly stuck with single screen push-scrolling. Thankfully, it's implemented well for good effect and maintains a fluent update on each screen. Sadly, this isn't perfect and can be irritating whenever you're inconveniently near the screen's edge.

The audio is a different story with passable spot effects used for movement, killing, and other oddities like the underwater bubbles. There needed to be more, but perhaps the near-silence is a good thing so you can hear the jouster's flip-flap? Hey, at least the title screen has a decent (non-DMA) digital tune - is it Quartet?

As conversions go, it looks better than it sounds. Let's view some more screenshots...

Later on, level one takes us underwater and is very nice.

This is just one insanely difficult screen from level two. Ugh, so tough!!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Bear in mind, I haven't played the original Falcon game, somehow the ST version feels "rushed" and certainly incomplete. Don't get me wrong the basics are ported well with great graphics and jousting controls. Level one is massive, incredibly well-designed, and a bucket load of fun. This is why I decided to map the game!!

However, the second level is incredibly difficult to be anything other than terrible because it's cramped with too many enemies. Additionally, the weaponry is overcomplicated, so something I never bothered with.

Based on the first level, a thoroughly excellent Jouster, I heartily recommend. My rating is 85%

The final room. I defeated the boss, but then nothing happened...

Can you beat my high score?

Maps & Downloads

There are two recommended downloads, a 2-disk floppy by Elite and PP's hard drive version.

As always, the images you see are simply thumbnails and you can download the hi-res originals by clicking here. Additionally, I've mapped many other Atari ST games which you can access by clicking here!! I hope my maps persuade you to play all these great games yourself? Hey, let me know in the comments below.

The first part of level one is incredibly playable.

With a couple of new monsters and a change of style. Well, it's more of the same.

The third part is mostly underwater and a great way to complete the level one journey.

This is level two and is impossible - without cheating. It's a barstool of a level!!