Jungle Hero

Take cover fast!

I remember those episodes of classic 80s TV shows like The A-Team, where they would trek through a jungle in some third-world country to rescue hostages held by the cartel. It was so cheesy and totally unrealistic, yet always entertaining. I really miss the 1980s, especially the TV shows and the music!

Anyway, let's not dwell too much because Jungle Hero takes us back to those days. It’s a straightforward game created in STOS for the Atari ST (not the STe) by Jason Holliday in 1989. There are just four screens, but the objective is simple - on the first screen, there’s a sleeping guard. Sneak up and take him out, but watch out for three twigs precariously lying on the ground. Breaking them will alert the guard.

The second and third screens are about ducking and dodging until you get close enough to take the shot. Unfortunately, I failed, so I jumped through and exploited an obvious bug in the code. The final screen’s a breeze - just shoot the boss holding the (invisible) hostage. Then, it's back to the beginning to repeat the whole thing, like an endless nightmare lol. I managed to rescue one prisoner, but that was as far as I got.

I think it's clear by now - this game is an absolute disaster. It’s awful beyond words. The controls are so finicky that even the smallest mistake gets you shot. The basic mechanics make no sense, and you just die over and over again. It's a constant cycle of frustration. Also, the graphics look like something I would have drawn, and the animations are a joke. Honestly, it’s probably the tackiest game I’ve ever played.

So why on God's green earth am I featuring Jungle Hero?

Easy. Because this is a brilliant game. It's ridiculous, makes no sense, and is mind-numbingly pointless. However, I kept on playing. I couldn't stop. Not only that but the death scenes are incredible, packed with 'gore'. There might only be four badly designed and senseless screens, but trust me, you’ve got to give this a go.

Jungle Hero is so bad it's great! No, it's actually terrible but I absolutely loved it.

• AtariUpToDate https://www.atariuptodate.de/en/5899/jungle-hero
• Atarimania https://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-st-jungle-hero_39132.html
• Hang Loose http://ftp.pigwa.net/collections/AtariSTarchive/HangLoose/JungleHero/...

He's fast asleep but too far away. Tread carefully and shoot him when close enough.

You're supposed to be able to duck from his firing but I found that impossible.

This giant won't even shoot if you hop towards him like Bugs Bunny!

One final shot rescues the hostage. Not them all, just one...

ZOG

Grab your joystick!

During my time away (wow, that made me sound like a criminal) I was enjoying videos by many YouTubers - ugh, I hate that expression. Anyhow, people like Trusty, PJ Neiland and those Vertical Blankers have released several amazing Atari ST videos. Go on, click those links and take a look for yourselves - but remember to come back here afterwards.

Earlier in February, Into The Vertical Blank released a massive video about many different ST shooters. One of which was called Zog by Chris Lloyd who designed it using SEUCK by Palace Software - and this acronym stands for Shoot 'Em Up Construction Kit. Now, one thing I did pick up from their video was his American pronunciation of SEUCK. I can't speak for all ST nutters over here in Blighty, but everyone I knew pronounced it as a human sound effect: Schhhhuck!

Ah... Okay, so it was just a few of us crazy fools over here then? Damn, let's move on quick...

Frantically bashing the fire-button like a madman hoping not to die!

Am I getting old and slow?

Chris released Zog in 1990 and it appears to be his one and only shooter 'em up (at least for the Atari ST). The gameplay is typically simple; a vertical-scrolling shooter with nothing flashy or fancy as you might imagine - but this is homebrew stuff we're talking about. The docs are pretty thin on the ground but perfectly explain the gameplay: shoot everything that moves. Even shoot the stuff that doesn't move. And that sums up this perky little shooter very nicely.

As with any similar game, we are positioned near the bottom of the screen with the nasties coming into view at the top. Shoot, dodge and blast everything you can whilst trying not to die. Points are awarded for successfully killing the enemies but you only get three lives - which isn't nearly enough. Thankfully, an extra ship can be earned every 10,000 points.

If... you... survive... long... enough!!

Our ship(s) manoeuvre very spritely, but that doesn't mean avoiding the bullet hell is easy. Well, certainly not for me thanks to my old man's reactions. Fortunately, Zog supports two-player mode which is absolutely superb!! Another cool thing is the use of autofire. Yep, no need to hysterically bash the button and I loved this little 'cheat' a lot if I'm honest.

Right then, it's got to that point where I stop waffling on and show yet another screenshot...

With two gamers playing at the same time things improve drastically!!

Aesthetics

Visually, this is a pretty neat game considering that it isn't commercial and also reminds me somewhat of Frenetic. I've played a few games developed with SEUCK and none will blow you away. However, it looks pretty good and the scrolling is smooth(ish) albeit with a slightly reduced screen size. Enemy sprites move predictably, making their way across your screen briskly as the landscape scrolls - a positive testament to the ability of this underrated development tool.

Sadly, there is no title music and all in-game sound effects are the traditional zaps and zings you've heard before. These YM effects are good but a decent background chiptune would have been a miles better option.

Steve, stop complaining because this is public domain! Sheesh, that idiot fella? Hey, it's screenshot time...

A message you see a lot. Argh, if only the gameplay was better optimised...

The CryptO'pinion?

Let's be honest, I doubt anyone will bother downloading this game any time soon. There are already many ace ST shooters like Lethal Xcess, Flying Shark, SWIV, Goldrunner, or Xenon. Heck, maybe even Chopper X. Well, maybe! ;)

However, Zog was released as public domain, so, with that in mind, I enjoyed it. Embarrassingly, I have to admit that didn't get very far! This is one tough cookie and I would have loved any kind of optimisation to its insane design. No matter how I try to avoid the stray enemy bullets, I always end up dying quickly. Which is hardly entertaining, is it?

Having said all that, it's a totally different story as a two-player shooter. With a friend, the hoard-blasting gameplay is fantastic. In fact, I'd go as far as saying this shooter feels like it was meant to be played this way.

So, how should I rate Zog? That's right, a slight improvement to the "CryptO'pinion" as I shall now provide a score (let me know whether you think this is a good idea). Firstly, my greetings to the Fulton boys for their enthusiasm by (wickedly) bringing this game to my attention. It's never a dull moment finding something new and I had lots of fun!

I'm gonna rate it a respectable 65% for dual-gaming. Knock off 10% if you're hammering that fire button alone.

What, you disagree with me? Then get it downloaded from Atarimania and let me know what you think in the comments below? Finally, go and check out Atarilegand for a ton of other SEUCK games listed.

Frantick

Munsie power!!

I remember playing Frantick years ago so it's about time I gave this another shot. Well, after today's attempt, I still suck eggs but this is a cracking game. Released in 1994 by the legend that is Dave Munsie, Frantick is a shooter like a 2D Tempest! The documentation states that your reflexes and dexterity will be tested.

It's not wrong! This game is challenging so features two extra game modes to help train you: Easy and Droid. Personally, I preferred the help from my trusty droid who seemed to enjoy sacrificing itself to compensate for my sluggish reactions. I suggest playing in either mode for several games of practice, you'll need it.

Our spaceship is situated within a horizontal stripe along the middle of the screen. We can't escape this area but can move along it and fire up/downwards at the enemies. These blighters ascend on your position, so be quick and kill them before they reach you. One touch and you're brown bread, but there are power-ups to help and bonuses. If things get too crazy then whack the spacebar to activate a limited supply of nukes.

Graphically, things are pretty simple but using freakishly psychedelic styles! There are different aliens and everything comes alive with colour. Heck, there is even an epilepsy warning! The sound effects are superb and STe owners, with enough RAM, can listen to streamed DMA music in-game which I really enjoyed!!

As with Anarchy, this is one of those games that is too fast for old Stevie. Frantick bemuses and overwhelms me with its furious action but it's such a thrill. But boy, what a ride. This is what you'd call a great example of arcade-style gaming. Just make sure you wear cheap sunglasses and drink lots of coffee first!

I've thoroughly enjoyed Frantick; it's nothing less than a ridiculous shoot 'em up!!

Download at AtariMania (registered game).

 [ Install to hdd/ultrasatan for best results ] 

Yomo

Yomo is an oldskool-styled shoot 'em up by Aaron Fothergill for Mandarin Software. It was runner-up in The 1989 Games Writer Of The Year Award competition which is pretty cool. I've had this on my bucket list for a while because I always admired its 8-bit feel which reminded me of games I played as a youngster back in the early 80s.

The world is viewed two-dimensionally with a landscape populated by many destructible buildings and whacky vehicles which use the most frustrating mechanics. Our character is a tiny stickman who's on a mission to recover a dodgy nuke dropped behind enemy lines. However, this won't be easy because the baddies are constantly attacking so why not fire off a few heat-seeking missiles before jumping inside something probably stolen from the 1960s? On foot isn't fun, but if you see other stickmen wobbling across your screen then hit fire and gun 'em down!!

Visually speaking, you better not have high hopes because this ain't no glamourous Bitmap Brothers product: the graphics are lame with titchy sprites and ugly scrolling that had my Atari STe crying out in agony. However, I must admit that the sounds aren't bad thanks to lots of crunchy samples - lightning is oddly my favourite!

Yomo is pants but it's also surprisingly a lot of fun and the ability to jump into any aircraft is genius. However, there isn't enough ammo and collecting extra supplies is laborious and very tricky during the heat of battle. Overall, Yomo is frustrating and overly difficult but if you enjoy blowing stuff up then it's possibly worth downloading.

- DOWNLOAD -

Insecticide

This game is bug-ridden!

This game feels familiar but, this time we're a ladybird who kills insects with her Spit Laser weapon! Yep, Insecticide is a Robotron-inspired shoot 'em up by Peter Hague where each screen is littered with two types of critters for us to destroy: those that move (kill 'em quickly) and the sleepy ones that offer extra points or bonuses. Controls are easy in all four directions plus a diagonal flying manoeuvre for quick motion.

Shooting the moth, which dallies at the top of your screen, gains extra speed - but only for the current level. Weirdly, you shall hear "Nairobi" when you kill it but this makes sense once you've read the docs. I know, who reads the docs? Every eighth level a "parent" turns up for a battle which makes a nice boss fight that isn't too difficult. This doesn't ruin your momentum so you're soon fighting the insect hoard once again.

I seriously doubt that Llamatron fans will be convinced by Insecticide? However, this is a fantastic game in its own right and definitely worth playing. What it lacks in originality it - more than - makes up with great gameplay, jazzy colour cycling and sampled sounds. I've enjoyed this silly alternative to the Robotron theme.

One final word to make you play this fantastic game: Nairobi!!!!!

Download the newly updated version of Insecticide released yesterday :-)

Ironically, it's had many bugs squashed so fine on all computers [thanks PP!!]

Zaptastic

Crazy gaming time!

When I first loaded Zaptastic, I immediately assumed a cheap Robotron ripoff but it's actually based on an old Jeff Minter game called Ancipital. Lee Burrows not only coded this conversion but did all the graphics and sounds. It runs on both models of ST but is intended for the Atari STe as it uses the Blitter for the sprites and DMA effects. Sadly, I couldn't get it to work on my STFM without getting two nasty bombs popping up!

We're in control of a Dolph Lundgren dude with spiky hair and shades who must frantically clear 64 rooms infested by an array of nasties. He gets around using the screen's four sides and can escape the hoard by leaping across to the opposite side - but be careful because your shield won't last forever! Firing is constant and in the direction last used but can be temporally frozen by holding down the fire button <cough> Llamatron.

Visually, things are amateur but it works great with lots of silly sprites filling the screen. The audio is insane thanks to the DMA coprocessor pushing out funky samples to keep everything loud and exciting. Overall, this is one incredibly addictive and psychedelic shoot 'em up and I loved every zany minute of it!!

Zaptastic can be downloaded at ST Format (disk #81)

Sleuth

I've been searching...

After the jaw-dropping Berzerk, I searched what might lurk inside the ST's archives. Eventually, I found Sleuth a PD game released by Larry Scholz of MajicSoft in 1993. The year is 2525 and man's existence is threatened by evil cybernetic organisms (yup, robots!) created by Dr Spirit. A simple storyline for a familiar game. Okay, it's not what you would call an authentic clone (ahem) but the premise is there for another Berzerker!

We are Inspector Sleuth and 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 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 with warp technology, so don't get too close. Come on, you must love Larry's humour?

Movement and firing are performed in all eight directions using the joystick. 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, something freaky appears after a short time to chase you across the screen. Now we're back on the familiar Berzerker ground lol.

So, is it better than Berzerk? Not on your nelly! Sleuth feels like a tacky ripoff with rubbery controls and dodgy graphics. I can imagine that shocks you? Have I just wasted your time writing this mini-review? No. Regardless, Sleuth is a good game in its own right and is nice to play something different. You may have noticed I've not mentioned the audio? The chip fx are good but, the music? Wait and see for yourself!

For what it's worth, my 8-year-old daughter loves this shooter. She played several games badly and never understood why the walls killed her. But, she loved it!! I must admit, so did I. Remember, it's not Berzerk so keep an open mind and give it a fair playtest. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Sleuth can be downloaded over at the legendary Demozoo website.

IGNORE the graphics!! Gameplay counts the most, whether it's perfect or not.

Shoot anything that looks... erm... weird. Don't think, just shoot!!

Berzerk

Let's go way back...

I needed a game that compensated for the horror I just suffered playing Platform Capers). So, Dave Munsie has rushed to my rescue with his adaption of the 8-Bit classic, Berzerk. However, I admit I had my fingers crossed when first loading - hoping it didn't suck compared to the great 2600/5200 games!!

We are the wobbly stickman intruder running through randomly generated rooms killing robots. Interestingly, these robot guys are a mixed bunch - some dumb enough to fry themselves on the electrified walls, whilst others are amazingly accurate shooters. Try to kill them and collect the bonus reward otherwise, you're called a chicken!! Otto is fearless and only too eager to rear his smiley mug and chase you across the screen.

Some (those under 40) might scoff at the boring blocky graphics. I appreciate they aren't spruced up to ST standards but that would have ruined the authenticity. Also, I treasure the speech synthesis which is spot-on perfect and makes me grin like the Cheshire Cat. "Chicken, fight like a robot" -this is fantasticl!!

Berzerk is one of the best 8-bit conversions I have ever played. An easy 10/10 from me!!

What an easy decision it was to award this game with the AtariCrypt SMASH accolade.

Download the floppies @ Atarilegend

Shoot those angry robots before they shoot you!

Then again, some will kill themselves cos they're stoopid!

Starburst

Let's blow up EVERYTHING!!

Starburst is a shareware game by Chris Skellern that grants us a gratifying opportunity to blow stuff up. In fact, we can blow up everything - and I really do mean everything!! This space-shoot 'em up is based on an old Sinclair QL game, which is pretty cool when you think about it. The objective is to travel the screens to find six power bases and decimate them before attempting the ultimate goal of killing the super brain.

That sounds amazing, right? Pilot your spaceship through lots of rocky caverns, destroying everything that you come across. And, when I say everything, I really do mean everything so have yourself some fun!! Directional firing is available using the keypad, which I've demonstrated below with a simple animated GIF.

Aesthetically, this game isn't going to blow your mind with its boring 8-bit visuals. However, that's the era I grew up in so I don't need fancy graphics to enjoy myself. In fact, Starburst reminds me of Harrier Attack - remember that one? The chip music is superb with in-game sampled sound effects that aren't all that bad.

Starburst is dead simple and explosive fun so stop thinking and destroy everything. Yes, everything!!

Floyd The Droid

One of my earliest purchases

Floyd The Droid was developed in 1986 by Paul Lay for Analog Software. We're a droid who loves to explore but this trait got him into trouble so now he's stuck inside a (wait for it) topo-dimensional converter. So you're alone in the void of whatever this existence is and surrounded by weird enemies intent on our death.

This game is simple, shoot everything - robots, spaceships, C64s, etc. We begin each game with 75% health which increases with enemies killed. Sadly, it also decreases if you bump into them or if you shoot an Atari logo. Kill everything and move on to the next level to do it all over again at a faster rate. Don't panic!

Interestingly, you can hit F1-F6 to start on the following stages: 1, 10, 20, 30. 40 and 50. Loved that!!

The graphics are basic but it's all about the sprites which are huge and beautiful in their own weird way. The music is insanely awesome. Insane, because it's so zany and weird yet I leave it playing - I love it. There is also speech which is quite superb for such an early ST game and is excellent. A lot of love went into this.

• I believe there was a hi-res version in the making but was it ever released?
• AtariMania lists Floyd The Droid in their database and also Missing One Droid.
• Atari 8-bit fans may also wanna click here: Floyd the Droid Goes Blastin'.

Overall, it's a little rough around the edges because it's an early title but this is also a piece of Atari ST history. I enjoy frantically blasting a relentless hoard of invading oddities - it never gets old and it's so addictive. This is ancient retro gaming at its best, so hit that fire button and try to last as long as you can!!

I managed to find the original of Missing One Droid and I just had to buy it!!