Showing posts with label Platformers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Platformers. Show all posts

Sunday, March 06, 2022

Rodney v KFC



Zinger Burger anyone?

Rodney is a cool chap who loves his Atari ST and meeting up with fellow friends. One day, he was happily on his way to the Dullsville copy party until he had his compact disk collection stolen by KFC Gang. No, not the tasty fried chicken place but a mob calling themselves Klepto Foreign Chickens, which is hilarious. So he went back home determined for justice! Grabbing an anti-chicken gun, he headed to their hideout for revenge - and his floppy disks!

In case you're wondering, they are ST compact disks and not CDs. ;-) Think Automation, Replicants, Fuzion, Pompey Pirates, Elite, Dream Weavers and many, many others that you can find over on Atari Legend.

Okay, the plan is to kill the chickens and reclaim his disk collection. But, he's only got a few minutes before the bus drives off leaving him behind - and he doesn't wanna miss the copy party! Yep, this may sound like a lame 90s dream but we must help Rodney get his collection back so he can meet up with his mates and copy lots of ST games and demos.

Yeah, it's like going back in time alright so let's check out the first couple of screenshots...



Chickens everywhere should be scared of Rodney with his anti-chicken gun!


Those look like the unbranded disks we would all order by the 100s back in college :D


Rodney should have locked his disk box!

As you've guessed, this is a platformer in a similar mould to the likes of Magic Pockets and others. Infiltrating the gang's hideout is easy, to begin with. This place is inhabited by the thieving scumbag birds who robbed all our floppies and then foolishly scattered them about their lair. Thankfully, one shot is all it takes to kill them and, if you see your disks, then grab 'em quick. Walk, jump, shoot, collect disks - that's about as complex as it gets.

Interestingly, Padman coded the game in GFA Basic for all 1MB computers. But it's best when run on an Atari STe thanks to the extra colours, DMA sound effects and gorgeous music. And it is just that, gorrrrgeous!

The controls are superb and very responsive: left/right walks and pushing upwards leaps Rodney - with diagonal support. The fire button blasts a puny gun that sends the chickens to a slaughterhouse - I found it best to press once, instead of repeatably bashing the button. Hey, these cluckers make a funny noise when dying which I love!

However, don't dawdle with idle exploration or listening to the chickens die. Remember that bus we need to catch? Yep, there's a timer and it's immensely restricting without any allowance for mistakes. So, if you need to backtrack after missing a ledge, don't bother. It's best to restart because you'll never make up for the lost time.

Once all disks are collected, and the KFC dead, you can head towards the exit and then catch the bus to see all your ST mates at the copy party. This quest is straightforward: locate the disks and kill the KFC gang members along the way. I won't knock that simplicity because this is fun and the map is huge with a superb design.

Okay, it's that time again. Yep, you've guessed it! Let's take a look at a couple more screenshots...



I love how the chickens have those beady eyes and fall off the screen when shot.

This is possibly the hardest part of the game, one slip and you fall into the fire!!


Aesthetics

Graphically, this game is great with a murky palette that nicely represents KFC's underground hideout. The sprites are few but humorously bright and perfectly drawn - I love those chickens so much! All animations are excellent and I adore how Rodney's quiff flaps as he walks (a ripped sprite from an unreleased Amiga game is what I heard)

The scrolling is smooth in all directions but a little sluggish and could have been better, especially on the Atari STe. Perhaps I'm being harsh because Padman miraculously used GFA Basic so the results are outstanding in one respect. However, the cynic within asks why the Blitter/hardware scrolling wasn't used for a faster movement.

For the audio, we have excellent sampled sounds used for dying chickens, disk pickups and an 'ugh' as we jump. Okay, it's no Death Chase but what we have, I like. However, it's the music that sets this game apart from the crowd thanks to terrific chiptunes. TAO's in-game music (Atari STe) is absolutely phenomenal. Yes, I said that.

Righto, the last screenshots before I give my much-desired opinion that you all crave so badly...



Liking the subtle stamp Padman placed here. Let's turn that chicken into a curry!!


Can you beat my high score? In fact, this was my first-ever attempt. So beat that! :p


The CryptO'pinion?

I've enjoyed (trying) to help Rodney reclaim his Atari ST disk box but there are a few issues that obviously narked me. For one, there is no indication of the outstanding disks left to collect so I felt blinded, wondering where I might have missed. Plus I wanted a better gun and a LOT more chickens. Worst of all, I hated that time limit with a vengeance.

Nevertheless, I don't want to be overly harsh as this isn't commercial and better than some of the dross we've endured from certain companies. Rodney vs KFC is actually incredibly playable and, although it's doubtful I will ever find all the floppy disks, it keeps dragging me back for that "one more go". I love that addictive aspect of this cool platformer. Play it!!

Grab the floppy disk from Atarimania and check out this excellent video by Gears Of Games.

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Jim Power in Mutant Planet



Your name is Power, Jim Power!

Jim Power In Mutant Planet was released by Loriciel in 1992 where we play as a member of the Special Warfare Unit. These are in charge of the President's personal security and (of course) his daughter was kidnapped by evil beings who infest a Mutant Planet. So it is our mission to kill everything, rescue the girl, and save the day!!

I must admit, I don't recall seeing this advertised or reviewed back in the day. Did it ever make it across the channel to UK shores? I find it quite flabbergasting that such a platformer is unheard of back in the day (well, to me). I think the 1992 version of myself would have slobbered an Olympic swimming pool's worth of drool over this?

Ah well, let's crack on and take a gander at a cool screenshot with a skeleton...


Check out that skeleton artwork. This game is a looker alright and never fails to impress me!!


I think I love Mr Power!

We begin in a rather funky environment that reminded me a little of Enchanted Land and Flimbo's Quest. It's a strange world of whacky colours, creepy vegetation and lots of enemies out looking for blood. At first, I thought this was going to be an easy platformer, but it soon picks up the pace to become quite a challenge. Yes, I struggled many times!!

There are a total of five levels with two being shooters and even a few peculiar boss screens:

The platformer parts are easily the best with a cruel design that feature many pitfalls and near-countless enemies like mutated animals, birds, zombies, spiders and even spitting plants. Each level is absolutely huge with mini-bosses halfway through (dead easy to defeat) and then a mega-boss at the end.

The shoot 'em up levels are far weaker by comparison and they basically involve nothing more than trying to stay alive as you dodge or shoot anything that appears in your line of sight. The scrolling is fast, and the enemies are faster but I feel they often took far too many shots to be killed, which meant it felt unbalanced. However, I did enjoy the flappy bird-style part towards the end of level 4 which was a surprise! 

He's gone green! He's angry!! Look out The Hulk for Jim Power is here with another cool screenshot...



Press and hold that fire button to unleash your fury and zap everything on-screen!


Gimme a gun and a spare hour

The controls always feel spritely and suit the game style. I love the way you can easily hop from platforms without ever feeling the uncertainty of plummeting to your death because of stodgy mechanics or a sluggish display. Dying allows you to restart from the nearest checkpoint which is a great idea that grants a few seconds of invincibility - this comes in handy for running past a difficult scene. Trust me, you will love this feature which is needed more than you know!

Thankfully, we're equipped with a gun and that can be upgraded along the way by collecting the power-ups. We also have the limited option of using a smart bomb by pressing down the fire button but these are best left for the bosses or perhaps later trickier scenes that you're struggling with? This smart bomb has a fantastic feature - the ability to carry it. Yes, you can carry what is nothing less than a nuclear weapon and release it at the right moment you choose. A devastating skill.

Along with the power-ups, there are bonuses to collect which help provide a little help. These can be earned by shooting a weird floating object or a hidden part of the background. The clock gives extra time, a shield should be obvious and 1Ups are always a relief to find. Never leave a key behind unless you enjoy the fun of backtracking...

Fancy another screenshot? Of course, you do so here's one that reminds me of Strider...



The first level is varied and full of traps - it really is a dangerous world out there!


Aesthetics

Loriciel mocks the supposed hardware limitations with ease for a smooth-scrolling colour-galore platformer. Each level looks superb with stunning landscapes and super-duper sprites - some reminded me of a Strider-style. Throughout, the gameplay is fast and very smooth so it puts to shame Psygnosis and their lame excuses. The bosses are ginormous beasts, taking up the entire screen, and sometimes more, so it's impressive how well it constantly performs.

Sadly, I'm a bit miffed that the might Loriciel didn't bother to use the Atari STe enhancements :/

The audio will not dishearten thanks to the amazing talents of Chris Hülsbeck who provides a thumping title tune and stunning in-game chip music. There is the option to hear sound effects only, but I really wouldn't bother with that afterthought. I personally thought they weren't anything close to the boppin' chip music!

Okay, that's the unimportant stuff out of the way and we've just enough time for one more screenshot...



The second level's colours might look odd in a screenshot but it's much better when playing!


The CryptO'pinion?

Jim Power is excellent but it's not perfect. Whilst the first level is absolutely fantastic, later levels suffer some infuriating mechanics which make them impossible - without a trainer for extra lives. However, the shoot 'em up stages are a bit rubbish and felt nothing more than a stocking filler. Also, there is no support for the enhanced hardware lurking unused inside the Atari STe which is a shame because this would have been a great opportunity to really shine.

As a platformer, it's quite unoriginal yet a hugely immense bundle of fun. Personally, it blows me away how much effort Loriciel devoted to making this platformer as good as possible - this ain't no lame port. Ultimately, ask yourself this - do you want a platformer that is fast, fun and addictive? Guess what, you've got it right here. And a shooter too ;)

Download for Hard drive or Floppy.

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Kid Gloves II



So, the Kid has hung up his gloves eh?

Kid Gloves II was developed by Dave Semmens and is nothing like its prequel. In fact, it's completely different and more like a Wonderboy or Giana, Mario and the ilk. I believe it was originally called Little Beau but Digital Magic went bust and Millenium stepped in. Anyhow, this is great news for me because I was never a fan of the first.

The background story, you say? Okay, brace yourself... the love of our life has been kidnapped by an evil wizard who now has trapped her in his castle. We want her back! So that means travelling through five islands before reaching his castle lair to rescue our beloved. Hardly original, I'm sure you'll agree, but I'll buy into it.

Kid gets to travel through a number of islands on his way to the castle. Each is split into smaller sections with its own environments of ice, water, fire, sand, and wind. That means they're all slightly different with their own brand of hazards, monsters and the usual types of platforms to leap across. But first, let's take a look at some screenshots...



Ice Island is excellent and nicely introduces you to the gameplay styles.

Water Island has been flooded so bring your swimming costume!

Things are hotting up for the third level with... hmm... warmer visuals!

The fourth level has you walking like an Egyptian...

It's getting windy on the fifth level but things are looking rather samey!


We made it to the castle but only with extra lives and a timer freeze. Oh yeah!!


Nice, but how's it play?

As you can see, the levels look great with the first stage being of ice and is a superb start with snow, melting platforms and so on. Each island follows the same mechanics so is pretty much what you'd expect albeit with the obvious aesthetic differences. However, I found the fifth island tiresome with irritating platforms that were hard and integrated with very long jumps - which meant losing lots of time backtracking!

Getting around most areas is exceptionally easy thanks to responsive controls and helpful arrows guiding you on your merry way. Kid actually walks using a two-fold method: shorter bursts, from a still, are of a slower pace for jumping across the ledges. Whereas a continuous run is faster and great for leaping over those wider gaps.

The monsters may look cute but they need killing with your trusty dagger (upgradable!). When slain, they drop items like coins, energy fruits and others that can empower special abilities - super-high jumps, monster-squashing boots, balloons, critters and fireballs. Ultimately, we're searching each level for the baddie carrying the exit key. Once you are through the stages, the end-of-level guardian is waiting for you - for an easy battle!

Kid Gloves II features a couple of "hidden" features which you might find when exploring the levels. Stumbling upon something that looks like it should be in Vegas provides a chance to earn yourself lots of rewards be it a fruit machine or an arcade game. Use your selection of coins in a slot machine or a horizontally-scrolling shoot 'em up.



Hey, what's that I see? Perhaps I should stop and take a break from the girlfriend's rescue?

Woohoo, I'm back in Vegas baby!! Well, there's a chance this machine might yield big rewards.

Ignore his freaky eyeballs because this shoot 'em up is a lot harder than you might first think.


I want juicy aesthetics!

Well, you've got 'em because graphically, Kid Gloves II is a cutey pie, thanks to the talents of Doug Townsley. I love its 8-bit personality with each stage looking different and always gorgeous. However, it's the sprites that stand out the most for me with awesome attention to detail. The backgrounds are also fantastic but I was a little puzzled on Wind Island as everything looks samey, so some platforms are difficult to see, which is a tad annoying.

Not many know this, but Kid Gloves 2 was the first platformer I booted up when returning to the Atari ST a number of years ago. I instantly fell in love with its cartoon visuals and how smoothly it scrolled - happy days had returned!! Oh, the floppy still works and remains one of my most cherished possessions.

Musically, this is great with a fantastic selection of chirpy chiptunes by Andy Severn and Justin Scharvona and I think they all suit the gameplay style perfectly. However, I didn't find a way to switch off the tunes in favour of sound effects which is odd. But, if I'm honest, I wouldn't have wanted to anyway. Chipmusic will last forever!



Critters are ace because they're as deadly as they are cute!


The CryptO'pinion?

I've absolutely loved playing Kid Gloves 2 but nothing is perfect so what didn't I like? Well, each level kinda feels the same albeit with different visuals and the bosses are far too easy to kill. However, my biggest beef is with the timer which is unnecessary and spoils my chances of ever beating the third island. Yes, I admit to cheating on those later levels and I normally never cheat. Honest. Ahem, anyhow no game should rush the player!

Wow, I sound like a right old moaner? Okay, I apologise because Kid Gloves 2 is a genuinely fantastic platformer packed with fun levels, lots of baddies to kill, great power-ups and the control mechanics are fast and fluent. I also think this is something your kids will enjoy as much as we Dads so it comes highly recommended!!

Download available by D-Bug
Floppies can be found using Stonish.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Thundercats



Today's cartoons are rubbish! #JustSayin

Thundercats was released back in 1988 by Elite and is obviously based on the old kid's TV show. Now, I don't remember the programme myself but YouTube does, which meant I finally got to see what all the fuss was about. An interesting show for the time and the game has many similarities, especially with the characters.

Gameplay is represented as a sideways-scrolling platformer over a number of (torturous) levels. We are Lion-O, a Thundercat with flame-red hair and a huge sword who battles strange animal foes. These baddies are from something called Mumm-Ra who have not only stolen the Thundera jewel but have also kidnapped the other Thundercats. What shall we do?

I think this translates as - we need to save the day! Okay, let's see some screenshots...



The first level breaks you into the mayhem nicely. Look for power-ups and try not to panic.


However, things soon get freaky with loads of enemies attacking from all sides!


Being attacked by so many birds at once isn't my idea of great fun.


The weapons are great but I didn't like that slowwwwww laser gun!


Run...Shoot...Die!!

The terrain is straightforward with monsters, deadly water, disappearing platforms and rocks/etc to leap over - watch out for the bigger baddies who will follow. Random power-ups will appear at regular intervals and will need to be struck before you can collect them (I liked the mushrooms). An extra life is appreciated but I wasn't thrilled about the laser gun which is limited - it doesn't fire far thus annoying when something is out of reach! That doesn't make sense, does it?

The gameplay is regularly broken up by bonus rounds like trying to rescue Tygra, which proved impossible: one touch and you have failed the mission!! Also, the levels are broken up into themes which you can choose between: they are Fire, Water, Air and Earth. Basically, little changes but we do get different visuals and baddies to kill.

Okay, are you ready for more Atari ST screenshots? Of course, you are...



That creepy fella is tough, so repeatedly hit him where it hurts. No, not his wallet!


Don't forget the mushroom power-ups... You will need all the help you can get.


Hang on, what's this? A spaceship? Gun? Plane? Hover car?


Nope, it's a lame spaceship and one that features that silly laser too... Joy!


16-Bit gamers are tough!

The joystick controls are rather easy to learn and also very responsive: left/right walks our flame-haired hero and he can also jump and crouch with ease. I liked these controls which work well and the best part is our huge sword - which puts Conan's to shame!! However, it is oddly used more like a club which is weird, but it works.

Sadly, no matter how responsive the controls are - there are too many baddies to cope with. This is because they appear from both sides of the screen - so you're soon overrun as the hoards gang up. To make matters worse, your weapon can only kill what is directly in front of it so you're constantly jumping, crouching, and turning around... Add that to everything else and it won't be long until you've died - or launched the joystick in frustration! Yikes.

Yes, I think games were a lot harder back in the day and Thundercats certainly proves that!



I love the macabre artwork here. It's a bit crude yet very cool... and his toes are funny!


Graphics & Sounds

Visually, things are rather good I thought. The colours are bold and represent the cartoony-feeling very well plus I also loved the sprites which are superbly detailed. However, what shocks me most is how smooth the scrolling is and with a second parallax layer too. It's always nice to see when developers don't wimp out with flick/push-scrolling.

The in-game sound effects are okay, even if everything sounds all too familiar. However, it's the music I adore. This game ROCKS and the theme tune is pure Rob Hubbard awesomeness! It's brilliant and I love every second!

Check out this artwork and why not listen to the tune. Go on, it's lovely...


I always fail to rescue poor old Tygra!

 Click on the green arrow and enjoy this outstanding Rob Hubbard chiptune. Mmm, I love it!!


The CryptO'pinion?

Thundercats is a good game albeit ridiculously challenging. My red-haired hero was walking, jumping and crouching like a crazed hip-hop'ster on speed yet I still couldn't kill everything - without dying several times!! Even with a trainer, it's still far too hard but at least I got to see the later levels. Those who playtested this game needs their head examined!

I've moaned a lot about this game and yes, it's crammed full of annoying mechanics. However, it's still a game to boot up and play because it looks great, sounds great, and who doesn't enjoy clobbering animals with a huge sword? Personally, I'm more of a He-Man fan but I enjoyed this platformer and I think you will too. Flawed but a lot of fun.

AtariMania has the Super Pack floppy disks and 8BitChip has a hard drive game.

Tuesday, September 03, 2019

Super Stario Land



Blocks? Jumps? Critters? Meh...

I was recently talking to a good friend who loves the NES game, Super Mario Brothers. However, this is something I've not played because I had the ZX Spectrum before moving up to the glorious Atari ST. He swore at me saying it was the best platformer ever made and other rubbish like - I didn't know what I was missing. Thankfully, he has now been sectioned but his silly opinion got me thinking about Super Stario Land which is (cough...cough) similar.

I remember playing this platformer a few years ago but struggled to progress very far. So, sigh, I decided to give it another bash over the weekend and shockingly, my skills had not improved!! So I rebooted my ST after only a few games to enable the trainer option which I hoped would compensate for my poor reactions. In fact, I had the bold intention to record a "longplay" but those darn flying fish put a frustrating end to that idea, which was so disappointing!

Why is it I'm always so bad with every game I love? Anyhow, let's crack on with a couple of screenshots...



Stario left the house without a shotgun!! What a fool...


Now he's gotta squish the nasties from up high!


What? No weapons?

For those living on another planet for the last couple of decades, Super Stario Land is basically a shameless Mario ripoff which doesn't even try to hide that fact at all. Released in 1995 by Top Byte Software, this ranks as one of the last commercial games released for our beloved Atari ST. It was programmed by Adrian Keylock who did an excellent job considering no enhanced hardware was used. Yup, it's as smooth as silk on any Atari ST computer.

Stario can walk, run (hold the fire button) and jump over his blocky 2D landscape. Many of these blocks can be nudged for extra points and sometimes a weird bonus - I love the one that makes you grow twice the size/strength and I will never refuse that much-needed 1UP bonus. The levels are populated by lots of cute critters that can be killed by stomping on their heads, although some require a double jump whilst others are immune. Very original, isn't it?

Your environment is very much a "Mario" clone using the expected bric-a-brac with tube-like structures, water, moving platforms and much more. Everything was intended to feel this "familiar", but what interested me was the levels themselves which follow a particular design using randomly generated stages for larger levels. Sadly, this design will often backfire for a weird Deja Vu feeling as you hopped over the same bit of landscape more than once.

Hey, I shouldn't moan because that feature provides a unique game so let's see some more screenshots...



Watch out for falling rocks!!


Every critter is so cute and detailed, even the flying fish - GRR!!!


How does it look, sound and play?

The graphics are designed by none other than Richard Davey, of the legendary LGD and kind supporter of AtariCrypt. He's certainly taken the time to get that console look just right - everything from the blocks, the landscapes, and those incredibly detailed sprites. Plus, the baddies are really cute, it's almost a shame to squash 'em. Well, almost lol.

Audio can be flipped between the default sound effects and chip music by simply pressing F9 key. The effects are quite good but there's not enough going on so you're left feeling empty and wanting far more pizazz from your old ST. Thankfully, nothing compares to the gorgeous Big Alec tunes which are beautiful. So that's an easy choice!!

The joystick controls are excellent and incredibly responsive without any lag. However, having said that, you should get in a few practice games, to master the enormous level of inertia. I wish I had a pound for every time I slid off the edge of a moving platform to my doom! After a few plays, things will soon become second nature.

It's screenshot time but these are for all those ST nutters in Australia. Don't believe me? Check 'em out...



Enter 'australia' into the high score table and you get a rather unexpected bonus game!!


This is freaky and quite impossible to play but hilarious at the same time.


The CryptO'pinion?

No game is perfect and Super Stario Land has a few niggles which disappoint. For me, those flying fish are the worst because they appear to follow unpredictable patterns so are really annoying (ie, deadly). Getting by them is impossible to judge correctly so it feels like pure luck IF you manage to make it through. Which is a bit rubbish!

Having said that, this platformer is a blast and certainly ranks as one of the best for the ST. However, I'm unsure just HOW to recommend it because if you're a fan of the NES game then you'll probably hate what is a shameless ripoff. Others may not approve of its old 8Bit style compared to traditional 16-bitters like Rolling Ronny, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, etc/etc.

However, Stario is authentically Mario in many aspects which is great for a 1985 computer without the necessary enhanced hardware. It feels original, scrolls great, sounds great, and the controls are simply divine. Overall, I cannot recommend Super Stario enough because it's blummin' great and infuriatingly addictive so enjoy what is nothing short of excellent!!

Super Stario The Mario Wannabe
can be run from floppy or your hard drive.

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Super Wonder Boy in Monster Land



Oh boy, this game looks so bad...

Okay, we're a kid called Tom-Tom who wears a nappy and wields a sword. Hmm, I was hoping for something macho with blood and gore but, there is none! However, Tommy holds his own for his one and only outing on the Atari ST.

Anyhow, Tommy (yes, I've renamed him) lives in a pleasant place called Wonder Land which he apparently protected during the first game. However, don't get too comfy because a dragon has wreaked havoc on Wonder Land by releasing an army of hideous creatures. Not only will most of these beasts aimlessly walk back and forth, in a menacing manner, but they've now managed to turn Tommy's once beautiful home into Monster Land. Oh no, we can't have that!

Okay, let's end that sarcasm because this is where we come in to be a kiddy hero with the demanding task of killing all of the baddies and freeing the land of evil. Wanna turn your Atari ST temporally into a Nintendo and save the day?

I already know the answer so let's begin with some cool screenshots...


Hmm, that looks like a slab of juicy meat floating in the air?

Argh no!! Tell me I don't need to kill this cute, er, thing? Yes, KILL IT!!


Wonder Boy has to deal with some of the silliest monsters - which can be a pain to kill.


Kiddy killer time!

Monster Land starts off very bright and cheery with lovely colours and a cutesy design that I really like. Right from the beginning, you meet with somebody who details your quest and kindly arms you with a sword. Every level has its baddies who get more frequent (and nasty) the deeper you progress through the land. Easy ones are snakes and rabbits but there are many others which are trickier: bats, mud men and grey things that fire arrows (ugh, I hate those).

Currency is a big thing in this game and slain monsters will leave behind gold coins when slaughtered. Also, it's worth jumping up into apparently empty parts of any level because these areas might reveal extra hidden coins. You've just gotta be willing to hop here, there and everywhere - like an idiot! (I'm good at that)

Wanna spend those coins? Well, look for doorways that are often scattered throughout most of the maps. These provide access to various different stores to purchase items, enhancements, or friendly advice. For example, it's a good idea to carry a shield when you come across a grey fella who fires arrows. Other items which you might find useful are shoes for faster movements, weapons (I love the fireballs) or perhaps you're just after some basic help and advice?

Oddly, there's an egg timer displayed in your status bar and I hadn't got the foggiest what it was for. But, when it expires, some of your health is frustrating taken so try to keep it topped up by collecting the tiny egg timers hidden throughout the levels. Yep, they're probably going to be invisible so you better start randomly jumping...

Bosses appear quite frequently I thought, with the first being Death himself. Actually, he's rather slow and moves in a predictable pattern so is quite easy to kill, However, the others aren't defeated so easily so prepare thyself. Once any level boss is dead, you're then able to collect his loot and a key to the exit. Tip: don't dawdle & grab the loot first!

Okay, it's that time when I show some responsible screenshots. Fancy a beer, kid? What...


Oh not again? But boss-eyed helpers, whatever next?


A drink you ask? Beer please, and ignore the nappy I'm wearing. I'm over 18, honest.


Input & Output

Use your joystick to walk, leap and activate power-ups. When Tommy moves, he abides by humble laws of physics with regard to momentum: so he cannot simply stop moving when you release the joystick and will instead slow to a halt. At first, that is rather annoying I gotta say, but it soon becomes second nature. Oddly, the spacebar is used to open shop doors, which can be a little awkward and I would have preferred not to let go of my joystick.

Visually, Monster Land honours the arcade game well, but I doubt it'll blow your socks off: we're not talking Seven Gates Of Jambala or Risky Woods. What we do have is a gorgeous cartoon design with the cutest sprites - I love the snakes but those horrendous Mudmen are the best. Scrolling suits the gameplay perfectly and is smooth and responsive. Sure, they reduced the screen size but at least they didn't wimp out with flick or push scrolling so respect from me!

The audio is good and features chiptunes throughout by David Whittaker which I really liked. They're oldskool style and I doubt they're his finest work but there's still something cool and timeless about chip music and these prove that. Sound effects are nice, nothing more than the expected spot effects for weapons /etc. No complaints.

Okay, let's check out those cool kiddy visuals with the final run of screenshots...


Blue flying rabbit/bat things. Cute and annoyingly deadly!

Aye-up, what's inside here? Treasure, I hope...


And there's always an end-of-level boss just itching for a fight!


The CryptO'pinion?

Considering that I have never liked this style of platformer (yep, including Mario!), I must admit that I have really enjoyed Wonder Boy on the Atari ST. It starts off easy but soon becomes challenging with a massive variety of cute baddies to kill whilst exploring a range of interesting levels. Blummin' excellent game I thoroughly recommend!!

A massive shock for me this - who would have thought a nappy-wearing toddler would have been this fantastic?

Download for floppy or hard drive!

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Rubicon



16-Bit games are tough!

21st Century Entertainment released Rubicon in 1992 and it's something I've enjoyed playing for years. It's simply my kinda game as it's a ludicrous mix of platformer and shoot'em-up genres. However, I admit that I'm rubbish and fail to reach the third level - sometimes I cannot beat the first!! So, I've whacked on the trainer and played through to the end.

Developed by the Fingerbobs who certainly had a grim view of the future - by 2011 there would have been a nuclear accident which transformed the local wildlife into vicious mutations. Apparently, the situation is so bad that Finland and Russia were evacuated. Okay... it's our mission to kill everything before these creatures find a way to blow us all up!!

Hey, wanna see some amazing screenshots? Well, whatever you said, here they are...


Level one introduces us to the unfair mechanics so it's not long before infinite lives is enabled!!


But it's also now that you realise the beautiful artwork too.

I love level two with its enormous enemies and trapdoors which host something silly.


Oi, pick on someone your own size!!


Right, I'm impressed

The first thing that hits you is the tracker music which is stereo on the Atari STe and very nice. Why couldn't other developers go that extra mile? Anyhow, the aesthetics keep on getting better with superb in-game graphics: smooth scrolling across gorgeous landscapes with a wide variety of mutated monsters. The attention to detail is outstanding but animations are hit-and-miss because some are great whilst others are oddly void of any extra frames.

Sadly, slowdown occurs when particular (ie, ginormous) enemies are displayed. I must admit that I'm disappointed they didn't also utilise the Blitter along with the DMA - that would have helped! Curiously, this framerate drop occurs for unanimated sprites like the Ceratopia which is surprising after battling a screen-sized skeleton and a squid!

Anyhow, I can live with a little slowdown so let's check out more outstanding screenshots...


Level three continues the theme but in the snow! That tank driver should have ducked down...


Get out of that tank and fight like a man!

We're Pitfall Harry for level four with sinking stepping stones, spikes and lots of monkeys!


That is gonna hurt...................


I need a big gun!

This game is fun but throughout the seven levels, each is pretty much the same but with different graphics. However, I absolutely loved the last two levels which reminded me of Thunder Jaws and, of course, Aliens. Our hero has access to lots of weapons and the single-shot gun initially does the trick well but it's not long before you need to upgrade to something with a little more muscle because those bigger enemies are nigh on impossible to kill with your peashooter.

Weapons are generally excellent but the laser sucks. Thankfully, there are many other great weapons to choose from like the "Scatter" and "Napalm" (my fave). However, we start with zero ammo for everything other than our basic gun so must instead collect ammo boxes which are periodically dropped in. This isn't too bad but is made awkward because you must first press the required Function Key to choose your desired weapon before making the pickup. I would have preferred random types of ammo dropped which would save us from fumbling for the right key before it frustratingly disappears!!

Nothing makes more sense than a fun and senseless game of killing so let's so more of it now...


Level five is incredible with many obscure enemies so upgrade your weapons!


Check out my flame thrower. Take a closer look!

Level six takes us into deep waters and I dare anyone not to love every second of this.


I'll kill you and eat you for my dinner. Well, no I won't but I sounded macho!


The CryptO'pinion?

Rubicon is great fun but doesn't break the mould and is also stupidly hard at times, especially on levels two and three. Also, the gameplay is pretty much the same regardless of the beautifully designed environments. Having said all that, I really love this quirky platformer with its freakish enemies and huge monsters - levels six and seven are my favourites.

Yup, Rubicon is far from perfect but it's still bucket loads of fun and is definitely worth your time playing.

If you fancy going shirtless and flexing those rippling muscles before taking on the mutated hoard then you have a good choice: grab either the floppies or one of these versions for your hard drive: 8BitChip or D-Bug.


The final level has us battling Aliens, Facehuggers, giant eggs, and even the queen herself!!


Alien queen beast! What?? Yowzers!!

The ending wasn't exactly worth the effort and hmm, where have I heard that line before? ;)