Winglord

Survival of the Fittest

I don't mind admitting it, but Joust is one of those games that I am absolutely terrible at. In fact, I could end this right now because I really am that bad - it really is quite humiliating! However, I also have much affection for flappy jousting, no matter the quality of my skills. Joust is something uniquely entertaining and something that thrills as much as it infuriates (me). So, it was a pleasure to discover that the Atari ST/e has another jousting competitor.

Winglord was originally a shareware game by Victor Bruhn who has since kindly released it as freeware a few years ago. Now, first things first, Winglord can run on either the Atari ST or its sexy sister, the STe. However, Victor intended it for the Atari STe as he utilises the Blitter Chip and DMA Audio. Older STFM's can still play but, won't get to hear the samples and might even suffer some visual anomalies due to the lack of a Blitter that handles the silky-smooth 50Hz display.

I think we need to stop reading and take a gander at the first screenshot. Well, here ya go then...

I struggle to fly whilst the computer cleans up. Yup, another drubbing by my faithful Atari ST...

README.TXT

Nobody ever reads the manual. Well, that's mainly a guy thing but, in this case, it's worthwhile taking a look. Not only are there lots of handy tips but also a great storyline that is fun to read. Come on, there are nasty wizards, medieval castles and winged unicorns which is all great stuff!! For those that still won't read it, here's my take on it:

Guardian Castle is above the villages in the valley below. They're under attack by the wizards of the Northlands whos minions have found a way into the tunnels under the mountain atop which it sits.

They have gained control of most of the caverns and passages that run through the ground underneath the castle, as well as a very large portion of the castle itself. Sinister beings now roam through these areas and have crushed all resistance offered by the sentries and the castle's contingent of soldiers. Evil creatures, some mounted by riders, continue to advance into the halls of the castle and through the caverns in a seemingly unstoppable march! (It's not sounding too good, is it?)

Thankfully, teleporting into the skies above the castle are WingLords who are ready to do battle with the invaders. Mounted upon winged unicorns whose beauty is matched only by their quickness and power, they descend into the depths of Guardian Castle and intercept a group of creatures. Two more riders enter the room and an airborne jousting battle begins between the adversaries.

Their powerful Fire Lances easily destroy the enemy riders, while providing their wielders with a shield against the enemy. The enemy is defeated and the Winglord's unicorn steeds use their natural teleportation ability and leave the battlefield to have their lances re-charged.

Now the WingLords wait for another onslaught, ready to do battle with the fire-spitting Yellow Jackets. The Dark Riders are also armed with fire-spitting lances. The Wing Masters, deadly flyers who are immune to missile weapons, and must be jousted against. This war is far from won!

Sounds cool, right? Of course, it does so let's take a break from reading and check out another screenshot... 

The Apprentice knights are a little slow but a lot harder than you might think.

Winged unicorns?

Winglord will instantly feel familiar to seasoned jousters. One or two players can compete, at the same time, controlled by either the computer or another humanoid that you may have lying about your house. Of course, each level is of a similar design with platforms that can/will prove to be of strategic use. As with the original, the screens feature a wrap-around design when reaching the edge. However, the eggs are gone and there are ceiling vents.

Yes, there are some alternative changes and also some that are peculiar ones. Gone are the lanky ostriches for unicorns - and unicorns don't lay eggs. But these majestic beasts love to strut their stuff - just watch them walk. So cool. Battling against enemy knights follows the same format but they now feature some unexpected traits and there are even buzzy bees too. Best of all, some medieval knights are expert jousters with exceptional skills. Beware!

Once again, let's stop reading my nonsense chit-chat and take another gander at a screenshot...

This isn't good, I'm about to be pounced on or stung to death at any moment!

Know your enemy

Any level can feature four different enemies each with its own strengths, control, style and armament:

The Apprentice - these guys are armed with only a lance. You might be fooled into thinking he's going to be an easy opponent. Don't kid yourself, he's crafty and has some nice flying skills. Also, he's immune to your missile attacks. Hang on, a moment... did I just say missile?!!

Yellow Jackets - this is a buzzy bee with suicidal tendancies, which means they're quite tough to safely defeat. These can, and will sworm, so watch out. Okay, they're a little dumb but, as a nest, they are a fanominal force. Perhaps a missile in its face is a good idea to teach them who's boss?

Dark Riders - this guy carries both a lance and a pack of missiles. He's fast, he's brutal and he's a damn tough lancer. Basically, he's gonna kick your ass!! Excellent fighters.

Wing Masters - Winglord shows its true colours when this guy enters the arena. These are jousting geniuses and tough cookies with ferocious combat skills. Be warned!! Hey, it's time for another sexy screenshot...

I tried my best to get a screenshot of a missile hitting a bee! Quite impossible lol.

Controls

Joystick controls feel much like they do with ST Joust, which was a massive relief because I was dreading any disastrous changes. Both flight and control are perfect, even if you are as unskilled as me. However, there is an option to choose your preferred 'flap power' that will alter the effect of the vertical force which is applied with each press of the button. Choosing high will gain greater altitude whereas low offers better control. It's best to experiment with what feels right for you.

Pushing downwards will fire a missile. Yep, a missile. It's one of the most unexpected treats I could have imagined. I must admit though, at first it felts a little weird but it sure comes in handy against those dopy Yellow Jackets! And who doesn't love blasting rockets? Note, these work against the Dark Riders and the bees - and can only be used during flight.

Hey, come back!! I know that you're dying to play this game but we're not done yet - it's screenshot time...

Mummy, I wanna go home now!

Big Tips!

1) Don't panic.

2) Playtest with the different flap rates to see what suits you the best.
3) Disable the second player, he can be distracting I found.
4) Disable the second player anyhow as he's far too skilled!!
5) Judge your entrance for a well-timed drop onto your unsuspecting opponent.
6) Don't bang down on the joystick too quickly, unless you enjoy hearing the sounds.
7) Those platforms can make for good defence.
8) Bonus rounds are a great way to earn extra points.
9) Why you listening to me? I suck at jousting!
10) For those with skills like mine, hit the Up/Down arrows on the main menu!!

So, there's a swarm of nasties coming and my unicorn decides to strut his stuff and look cool. Sheesh!

Aesthetics

Visually, it's more or less, Joust and a damn good take on that original format I might add. However, being similar to Joust means it's also hardly something to gawk at in wonder and the levels appear to have less detail compared to the official ST conversion. Having said that, it looks nice and the animations are quite beautiful. I love watching my unicorn walk between the levels just for fun. He just loves to strut his stuff!!

It would be a crime to end it there without mentioning the framerate. It is smooth. Very, very smooth. In fact, it's smoother than Kojak's bald head drenched in baby oil. I believe this is thanks to the Blitter lurking inside the Atari STe. It's a great thing to see a developer that obviously enjoyed going that extra mile.

The sound effects are made up of a neat selection of samples. All are crystal clear, thanks to the DMA hardware that Victor is using. I only wish he would have recorded more for extra pizazz. Sadly, older ST's suffer minimal sounds but Winglord was developed on (and intended for) the Atari STe. So stop moaning and upgrade!

Jousting is excellent fun but can you handle the heat when it's 6 against 1 like in this final screenshot...

Hang on, I've lasted longer than the computer? Time to shoot and beat his score, for once!

The CryptO'pinion?

Joust is one of the best arcade conversions for the Atari ST. With that in mind, Winglord really needed to deliver the goods and guess what, it did. The cosmetic changes are nice and I love the option to use missiles. Also, tinkering with the flap-power attribute is a superb idea and the option for a second player is just dandy, even if the computer outperforms me each and every time. The change of theme worked well as did other changes like the regular use of bonus rounds.

Winglord cannot replace Joust, that's impossible but, I don't think it was ever meant to. As it stands, it's a fine alternative and something that doesn't disappoint in the slightest. This game is so much fun and I would have liked nothing better than to show you more of it (in my video) but that was never gonna happen with skills like mine. Sorry :p

Personally, I think this game is a fantastic "clone" of the original and the differences work great. Best of all, the Atari ST/e has another version of Joust and that's never a bad thing in my opinion. Winglord is absolutely excellent. Play it!!

- Download from AtariMania -

Techno Cop

I Am The Law!

Have you ever booted up something that instantly felt cheap and tacky yet you spent hours playing and never once considered hitting the reset button? Think Club Drive for the Atari Jaguar... Well, here is a game by Gremlin Graphics that tries to blend together two genres: car racing and a quiet walk through rough neighbourhoods.

If you hadn't already guessed, we're one of the heroes in blue but, no ordinary policeman. No, we're a Techno Cop who is under orders to take down various members of the DOA - Death On Arrival. This is a huge gang of thugs who enjoy driving fast cars, live in abandoned buildings and look like extras from a Death Wish movie!

Actually, being a Techno Cop must be cool because they get to drive a VMAX Turbo Interceptor sports car and use a Magnum to kill anyone they don't like the look of. That's about as technical as it gets and I love that simplicity so, ignoring first impressions, I soon started to enjoy what is nothing less than crude and violent.

Sounds like my kinda game then!! Shall we take a gander at the racing part first of all...

It's hardly Crazy Cars 3 or Vroom, but this is a fun section of an insane game!

All In A Day's Work

For each stage (scene of a crime), we begin behind the wheel of a fancy sports car on the way to a troubled hotspot. The roads are cluttered with DOA agents but our VMAX is fitted with a cannon to blast those suckers into smithereens. The dashboard shows speed, revs and even a damage meter that worsens with each roadside skirmish. Also displayed is the distance to a crime hotspot - so put the pedal to the metal!

Upon arriving, we get out for a stretch of the legs as the game flips into a scrolling shoot 'em up quite similar to Thunder Jaws or Rolling Thunder. These rundown apartment blocks are full of trash, graffiti, thugs, hookers and even rats that nibble your toes. The thugs are relentless; carrying chains, whips, baseball bats, knives and more. It's now that you should use the magnum and blast 'em into a gloopy mess of blood and gore. More, later...

Mission objectives detail how you uphold the law; be it a hostage situation, a mugging in progress, a boss to eliminate, etc. It would be impossible to follow out these orders without using your wrist gadget that shows lives, score, and jumping energy - plus you can even swap the magnum for a net, used to capture rather than kill. Importantly, it also features a radar to help locate each boss. Beware, this isn't a direct route so you may need to use the elevators to avoid a dead-end. Completing a mission grants points and promotion through the twelve ranks:

1 Grunt... 2 Rookie... 3 Flat Foot... 4 Patrol Man... 5 Cop... 6 Officer...
7 Sergeant... 8 Enforcer... 9 Commander... 10 Top Cop... 11 Chief... 12 Technocop

Okay, now that you have an idea of this whacky game, let's take a look at the next screenshot...

Hey, have I got the time? Erm, no I don't so let's just move on searching for bad guys!

Gimme That Joystick!

The VMAX handles like a wooden wedge and is very unrealistic. Okay, this is an arcade racer and nothing serious but, even so, it's lagging way behind something like Crazy Cars 3, Test Drive, Lotus 2 or Buggy Boy. And by a mile. Sadly, it's all too easy to crank up the damage by smashing into the roadside objects when preoccupied with shooting enemy cars. Plus, I didn't care for the initially sluggish rate of fire. Road Blasters, this stage is not!!

I learnt that it's good practice to simply rush to the next crime hotspot, ignoring the DOA cars the best you can. This is not only quicker but saves lots of potential damage so your game should last longer too. Plus, quick racers are awarded upgrades such as a turbo boost and (much needed) faster firing.

The crime stages are best where we can walk, crouch, leap and run through (yet another) condemned building with ease. The leaping is ace, allows you to explore quicker, and is best when surrounded by henchmen. The radar is a huge help and I doubt it would be possible to complete any mission without using it. And learning the map.

Gun love is why we're here and Techno Cop is superb. In fact, there are times I forget I'm a policeman and behave more like an escaped psychopath because it's easy to ignore the plan and go about killing everyone. Yep, everyone! Even the odd innocent kid stupidly runs by or when playing outside. The death of all victims is bloody and violent as they scream and explode into a pile of gloop. Gloop with eyes stuck on top. Brilliantly brutal and I love it.

You won't believe how cool that is. Argh, go on then, here is a screenshot to prove it...

Come on, how cool is that? Play the game and enjoy the effect for yourself lol

Aesthetics 80s-Style!

The driving scenes are quite bland with little scenery and average framerates. Though I did like the mountains and the palette choices/changes. Weirdly, the DOA cars are cumbersome beasts and the road changes far too quickly to be driven well. The fuzzy sampled sound effects are great... Okay, it's not Turbo Cup but I enjoyed them.

The scrolling-crime parts are excellent!! Each building is packed with incredible attention to detail: litter, traps, graffiti, broken plaster, damaged floors, dead bodies, loot and traps. It's basically the perfect environment for the Michael Winner movies!! Enemy sprites are nicely animated and detailed, even down to their spikey punk hair. Okay, the scrolling could have been better but at least the developers didn't wimp out with push/flick.

Audio is made using crunchy samples which are nice and add to the violent atmosphere although I don't understand why our Techno Cop makes a silly "meow" when he jumps! Anyhow, the best sound effect from the entire game is the screaming explosions when killing a criminal - your gun can turn a human into a horrendous pile of slop! It's brilliant and makes Techno Cop one of the most hilarious killers you could imagine. Fan-freaking-tastic!!

It's fun, fun, fun and looks/sounds the part. So, one more screenshot of me getting promoted...

Promotion leads to better gameplay with many more baddies all too willing to challenge me!

The CryptO'pinion?

You can't go wrong with fast cars and big guns. This game has what it takes but there are a few more niggles that bugged me: the driving stage feels like a clunky afterthought but the power-ups are a neat touch. The missions are pretty much the same, thus quite repetitive and later tasks certainly require extra time.

However, Techno Cop still scores very highly because of its arcade styles, and killing scumbags is quite simply brilliant. Okay, it could have been better in parts but blasting baddies into a pile of mush is bliss. I loved it.

Download for floppy or hard drive.

Robotz

Chicken, fight like a robot!

Robotz is a game I got on a cover disk and it was developed by P Fox of ProjectX. It feels somewhat like a tactical version of the Berzerk genre. Once again, we find ourselves in deep space on board a ship that has been invaded - by robots. As the last surviving crew member, we must eliminate them before they fully take over the ship.

This won't be easy because each room has electrified walls for instant death! Each room is different and populated by randomly placed robots who follow your movements in their own specific order (use that to your advantage). We are armed with a one-shot gun but the robots are protected by a shield your shots cannot penetrate. However, it will stun them for a few seconds. If only their shield had a generator we could blast into smithereens?

For a homebrew game, I must say I adore the visuals that personally remind me of a cross between Xenon and Leavin' Teramis. The palette is gorgeously metallic and I love the shadows which add so much depth to the scenario. All sprites are simple but nicely detailed with good animation and I always giggle at our protagonist's legs as he walks. Yeah, it's funny but nowhere near as entertaining as his "ouch" scream when losing a life! Why didn't he wear rubber gloves?

I think this is a cracking example of the Atari ST's public domain library. A stunning game with bundles of stress and tension. A simple idea beautifully executed. Yeah, Robotz is cruel and tremendously addictive. Highly recommended.

Each level has a design that demands lots of time to master the tighter areas.

Those robots are indestructible! Surely there's a way to kill them?

Some levels have more freedom to move, but that doesn't mean they're easy!

This level is extremely tricky. When I say tricky, I mean agonisingly difficult!!

Hmm, this appears easy? One generator... but... three droids!

Oh no, this level features TWO generators to destroy BEFORE the robots are killable.

Custodian

Help! What do I do? Everything wants to kill me!!

I've been going through my old videos and found this frantic 8-way shooter by legends, Hewson. Programmed by Chris Hinsley, who also made the awesome Onslaught and Verminator, it features stunningly fast visuals which whiz across your screen like lightning. It's crazy and these are all by Nigel Brownjohn who was behind one of my fave platformers, Beyond the Ice Palace. The audio is gorgeous, all thanks to the magic of Dave Whittaker.

We are a "custodian" of a massive tomb which has been infested by alien parasites. Obviously, we've gotta clean up this place which means killing everything! The best part is that we not only look like something from the demoscene [cough] but are also equipped with an armed jetpack. Zooming about this place is exciting stuff but the aliens are relentless and the basic mechanics just don't work well together, so it soon becomes a demented slog!

Chris sure knew how to program the Atari ST but I feel he has missed the mark here. There's just too much going on with gameplay that is confusing and relentless. But, perhaps I'm wrong? If you're feeling brave then Custodian can be run from a floppy or hard drive. Get ready and brace yourself for a rough journey!! Let me know what you think...

Attack!! Attack!! Attack!! Attack!! Attack!! Attack!! ARGHHHH!! Help me, somebody!!

Too much!! Too much!! What's going on? Everything wants me dead... Oh, I died!

Sleuth

I've been searching for more...

Yep, after the jaw-dropping Berzerk, I went searching for other variants of the genre to see what might be lurking inside the ST's archives. Eventually, I found Sleuth a PD release by Larry Scholz of MajicSoft in 1993. The year is 2525 and man's existence is threatened by evil cybernetic organisms (yup, robots!) which Dr Spirit has so kindly butchered and made evil. Okay, it's not exactly what you would call an authentic clone (ahem) but the premise is there!

We are Inspector Sleuth and are about to infiltrate the doctor's lair to show these clumps of metal who's in charge! Gone are the randomly generated screens, replaced with a map that is populated by six different models of the doctor's robots. These range from the Hemroid which is a low-level (wait for it) "pain in the butt" to the Hopperoids and their warp technology, so don't get too close. Come on, you must love the humour in this whacky style?

Well, defend yourself using an armour-piercing gun that features a nuclear charge to incinerate all robots from the inside out. You still need to stay clear of the electrified walls and if you hang about for too long then something freaky appears and chases you across the screen. Now we're back on the familiar ground lol.

Overall, is it better than Berzerk? Not on your nelly! Sleuth feels like a tacky ripoff with rubbery controls, dodgy graphics and sounds. However, it's a good game in its own right, and my 8-year-old daughter loved it. I must admit, so did I.

IGNORE the graphics!! Remember, gameplay counts the most. It always does.

Shoot anything that looks... well... weird. Don't think, just shoot!! Enjoy :D

Mudpies

Time for a Food Fight!

Mud Pies is one of the oldest Atari ST games and stars Arnold, a kid who loves the circus. Until it came to his town, so he threw a pie at one of the clowns. Unfortunately, these clowns aren't known for having a sense of humour and chased after him! There's only one thing left to do... No, we aren't running off to tell Mum - we're gonna throw more pies!!

Each screen represents a tent from the circus and has an invading army of clowns - who look more like jelly monsters dressed up as Ronald McDonald! They're insane and wander waving their arms and chucking juggling pins. This invasion will last forever but the pies won't so look for an open door to another tent full of mud pies - and more clowns.

Throwing a mud pie at a clown will see them flying off the screen. If you hit more than then that will score extra points for you. However, try not to get yourself trapped in a corner otherwise, you might receive a juggling pin knockout blow!

I can imagine this is starting to sound insane, right? Well, check out the 1985 graphics and try not to laugh...

Just imagine the look on today's kids if you show 'em this 1985 game. Will they "get it"?

Simple, yet brilliant!

Challenge rooms are a bit different from the standard tents because they have no mud pies but instead, lots of clowns to avoid whilst grabbing the prizes - for 1000 points. Every 20,000 points, a secret door will appear for the chance to enter into a Mudslinging Round where you have 30secs to throw pies at wandering clowns!!

Don't clown about too much! Getting hit isn't good for your health and dying shows your body being carried away on a stretcher to the first aid tent. That can happen only three times before it's game over. Talented pie chuckers will be delighted that freebie lives are awarded every 10,000 points, which is a nice bonus.

Keep an eye on the health meter displayed top/left of the screen. This is split into three segments with the middle one enabling you to run very fast. However, this speed is reduced if you become too hungry or if you've over-faced on burgers and fries. The trick is to keep your health a nice happy medium throughout for maximum agility...

Always frantic, always fun and so addictive. This game is eternal!!

Aesthetics

Graphically, this isn't exactly stressing the Atari ST in the slightest. But remember that it was developed and released back in 1985 before programmers knew how to push our computer. Having said that, it's got a certain Charley Chuck charm to it and, as a gamer since the early 1980s, I love its retro look. No, I absolutely love it!!

Spot-sound effects are fine, but it is best to leave the music on if I'm honest. Again, this isn't anything near the quality we are used to hearing but it's still surprisingly enjoyable. No complaints, it's an old game remember.

Come on guys, how a game looks and sounds never really matters. Mudpies certainly proves this!

Oh, just take a look at the high-score table!! Can ya' beat me??? ;-)

The CryptO'pinion?

It's impressive to think that MichTron (Philip McKenzie and Jeffrey Sorenson) knocked this out for a computer that was practically unknown back in 1985. I can't imagine how exciting that was - and daunting too. But when Mudpies came along it must have been a breath of fresh air to all those rich people that could afford an ST!

You know, think what you will, but Mudpies is a terribly entertaining take on the Food Fight theme with silly gameplay that transports you back to your youth. Abusing clowns is never boring and I cannot imagine a better way to spend an afternoon other than slinging mud pies at them - this is so much FUN!! And that's what matters most. Play it.

Grab a piece of this old skool action for either floppy or hard drive. Enjoy!!

Motor Massacre

Mad Max with choppy graphics?

Motor Massacre was released by Gremlin Graphics and feels like a wicked blend of a number of my favourite games. The action takes place in a grim post-apocalyptic future where each city is suffering from the devastation of war and resembles a Mad Max movie! All food stores were destroyed in the holocaust so people were starving until Doctor A. Noid came up with a substitute called "SLU" to help the waning populous. This all sounds great, right?

Why are these masterminds almost always qualified doctors? Anyhow, it was all a trick because SLU tastes like poo and turns people into zombies! So it's up to you to rescue the city from its psychotic drivers, explore buildings, and then battle in a demolition derby event to ultimately find the doctor and end this misery. See, it's basically Mad Max in game form :)

Pandy's Pork Palace sounds a lot better than it actually is!

It's Carmageddon out there!

Yes, this is more than one single game: the cities are explored from the comfort of an ATV - top/down similar to Chicago 90 but when inside buildings, it changes to something like Time Bandit or Gauntlet.

Driving around the city is tremendous fun because you are completely free to roam the streets and that also means blasting at anyone who might get in your way. All other drivers are out for blood and want you dead by any means and their road rage antics are vicious - so defend yourself using the cannon fitted to your vehicle.

Use this to blast the suckers into oblivion but also watch out for hazards such as oil spills and explosives carelessly left lying in the road. Do note the gun turrets which line many streets and are annoyingly highly accurate.

It's demolition derby time when we can shove other cars into dark oblivion.

Explore and have fun!

An interesting "mechanic" is how your vehicle's appearance alters the more damage it endures, so I'm grateful the holocaust didn't destroy the repair shops which also offer a wide range of other services like fuel, weapons, and ammo. The mechanic working here scares me, but I like his T-shirt! There are some more places and these offer a good opportunity to collect goods like weapons and health, so look out for their location using the road markings (Pandy's Pork Palace is available right from the start and contains a handy ATV upgrade).

You soon discover that these various places are thriving with ghouls and other creatures lurking in the shadows. Nowhere is safe, but you're armed with a pistol so shoot first and ask questions later! Keep searching these areas and you should find an arena pass to the demolition derby. This event is pure Carmageddon and nothing beats pushing your opponents into a chasm! Success here, grants you access to the next city.

The mechanic is freaky. It's almost on a Chucky level here... (shudder)

Aesthetics?

Visually, this is a basic affair with crudely-drawn graphics and jerky scrolling to boot. However, I must admit being mightily impressed with the animation of the running men which reminded me of Impossible Mission.

Sadly, the sound effects are probably worse than the visuals. Truly terrible.

However, we need him because the roads in the future are just terrible.

The CryptO'pinion?

Motor Massacre has been a nice surprise. Sure, it's about as glam as a dog turd but I enjoyed the mix of arcade-style action with levels of adventure lurking below the surface. Also, being able to enter buildings adds that extra dynamic which I loved - and there's always something stupid waiting for you! So don't take it seriously and have fun.

I have enjoyed zipping around the city looking for my next victim. It's crude but fantastic and really enjoyable!!

Mel Gibson wannabes can download the floppies
Tear up the roads like Mad Max!

Dragon Lord

Have you ever spent time trying to learn a game only walk away completely baffled and wondering why you bothered? Well, here is Dragon Lord, an extremely unusual multi-screen platformer released in 1990 by 16-32 Diffusion. We are playing the part of a huge dragon who appears to be living in a whole wide world of weird! The objective is to become the new dragon lord which means plundering through over a hundred screens looking for artefacts, killing some fascinating creatures and ultimately battling an evil guardian.

Gameplay is simplistic thus easy to pick-up and it's fun breathing fire onto a scorched enemy. I found the map design a little laborious and would often end up getting lost so I would instead spend my time burning down the bad guys!! However, the control a clumsy because we are a massive dragon sprite moving around tight environments.

The visuals are quite (ahem) unique. Pretty amateur artwork that looks like it was coloured in by somebody suffering from colour-blindness. Ignoring this graphical nightmare because Dragon Lord’s sprites are massive and also of a great and humorous variety! Sadly the sound effects are pretty much a joke and the less said the better!

Overall, I was quite disappointed because I can see the potential but it doesn’t gel together very well. Dragon Lord's poor mechanics and eye-bleeding graphics spoil what could have been an interesting game. Having said all that, I did find myself having “just one more go” yet I cannot for the life of me think why. Perhaps I'm going mad?

The Untouchables

I need a cold beer!

When I first started playing this game, I thought it was a damn fine platform/shooter with some pretty cool graphics that scroll across the screen very smoothly. The gameplay isn't easy, it's frantic and never lets up so is very challenging. But it's all downhill after this stage because the other levels feel rushed and I never did enjoy "shooting gallery" games outside of the arcades. The Untouchables might be showing off its diversity but sometimes enough is enough.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment is the final level which I hoped would share some similarities with Alien Syndrome or Gauntlet. Sadly this wasn't the case and I think the developers are truly sadistic!! An irritating level. So, the first level is brilliant because it's all about killing people but, the other levels? Hmm, not so much.

I feel bad writing this as Ocean are gaming gods with quality Atari ST games within their library. Heck, I remember Ocean when they were called Spectrum Software, but every company made some stinkers, right?

A game of many genres doesn't work. In fact, it fails because it becomes a jack of all trades rather than a master. So, I would rate level one around 90% because it's great fun. However, as an overall rating, The Untouchables be around 60%

Cheats for the floppy game -

1. Pause the game first with F10 key and then :
2. Level 1 - type in BRIDGE ROLLS to begin level 2
3. Level 2 - type in MAC N ALLEY to begin level 3
4. Level 3 - type in KID ZAPPING to begin level 4
5. Level 4 - type in A NIT IN TIME to begin level 5

Cheats for the hard drive game -

1. Pause with F10
2. then press N N (twice) to skip to the next level.

Yeah, I own this game!! :o)