Axel's Magic Hammer

The son of Thor!

Axel is a young boy with a hammer. No, he's not a raging lunatic but a young lad on a mission. His girlfriend, Lucy, has been kidnapped and is held in the dungeon of Mystic Castle. How did this tragedy happen I hear you cry. Well, a nasty green dragon called Nilmerg is the villain responsible. To rescue Lucy, he must be slain. Of course, Nilmerg is far away; we must cross several large continents before reaching his castle.

This journey is going to be long and treacherous. It begins in an old Roman village before climbing the "cliff section" to reach the ice caps that lead to a tropical jungle. The Egyptian Pyramids are next and preceded a rather interesting industrial stage. The penultimate level is within caves and woodlands before eventually reaching the castle. Could Alex have simply travelled in a straight line? Who knows lol

Anyhow, every level is crammed with nasties so Axel must defend himself with his hammer. But that's not all we can do as each screen has many destroyable areas. Those can help gain rewards or access to other regions. I love platformers and this one sounds rather interesting, especially being able to break stuff!

Let's pause my blabbering for some nifty screenshots from the earlier levels...

Each level has a secret or two to discover. These are often places with high rewards.

The second level takes us underground. Hey, they look quite familiar!

Things get chilly for the third level so bring a heavy coat and scarf.

Let's play!

Axel walks, leaps, and bashes critters (and blocks) throughout the levels. Anything can be killed if you hit it enough times like an insane serial killer. Only ghosts are immune to your clobbering but are rare until later. The status bar displays the score, items collected, and two bars for energy and a timer. Yes, a timer...

Getting around each screen is a breeze with responsive joystick controls. However, jumping diagonally is (initially) annoying because it's something you cannot do mid-jump. That needs to be initiated from the start to make the intended jump. Yeah, that might sound awkward but you easily get used to it.

Each screen offers the same troubles - monsters, obstacles, and destroyable blocks. The addition of smashing blocks is a fantastic feature that reveals many different power-up bonuses. Most of these provide extra points but you can also find weapon upgrades and energy/timer replenishment. Also, keys are scattered throughout which will unlock restricted areas with loads more bonuses. Yes, this game certainly loves bonuses!

I enjoy most platformers because of their mix of adventure, dexterity, and exploration - run, leap, fight, and explore new screens. That's it. I'm happy that Axel has this in abundance thanks to its great design, which is interesting and engaging. The added mechanic of block bashing isn't only for fun or power-ups - this can carve a different path to climb further in the room, collect (even more) bonuses, or uncover hidden places.

Let's take another pause for some rather sexy screenshots...

Jumping straight to level 5, we find ourselves in a place Daniel Jackson would love.

This is the entrance of an industrial complex which I enjoyed a bunch.

Finally, I'm at the castle. It's spooky and difficult near the end. Very difficult!

Aesthetics

From the moment, I saw the loading screen I thought this game was gonna suck big time. I'm not exactly a fan of its crude and childish artwork. Perhaps I'm being harsh there? Anyhow, the game itself is much better; all eight levels are attractive and diverse using a Kid Gloves/Mega Twins style I found most appealing.

There is no scrolling as the push effect is used to move from "room to room". If this was a Mario/Giana clone, it would fail miserably. But it's not. So, each screen has its own distinct mini-adventure and plays as such. Ignore what you might have heard, there is no need for scrolling whatsoever.

Disregarding the Egyptian level, all of the other levels are incredibly beautiful. Terry Lloyd designed gorgeous scenarios that are high in detail. I liked the sprites the most, as the creatures are cute, cunning, and well-drawn. You might even see some similarities with those from Rick Dangerous, for the obvious reason.

Musically, things are less impressive with one main theme tune by Ben Daglish. It's a good chiptune and suits the "young theme" but, hardly his best work. There are no in-game tunes but the sound effects are superb with many silly samples that work well. Like the graphics, you might hear the odd familiar sound effect.

Right then, I've got one more batch of screenshots to share before the gripping conclusion...

This is your big chance to slay the beast and grab the girl!

Of course, I did it and got a kiss too!! All without a trainer... ahem...

The map proves walking in a straight line would have been much quicker ;)
Hey, can you beat my score? Nah, I bet you can't.

CryptO'pinion

I'm sure you can tell how much I've enjoyed playing Axel's Magic Hammer? It's a straightforward platformer with great controls and interesting levels, and we've been given a hammer to bash animals with. Not only that but this tool is also utilised to reach difficult parts of the screen, uncover bonuses, and hidden rooms. This adds so much depth to almost every room you visit. Yes, I have thoroughly enjoyed being young Axel.

As you might expect, nothing in this life is perfect and I have one of two niggles. Along with the weird diagonal jump, which takes some getting used to, I found a few rooms rather troublesome as their difficulty was suddenly harder than the rest of the game. Also, there is a completely unnecessary timer - whhhhhhhy!!

Axel is a humble platformer without many distinctive qualities but that doesn't stop it from being interesting and damn good fun. I have enjoyed hopping and bashing my way through the levels. It's playable and addictive, not to mention we have a hammer. I rate this a respectable 80% and highly recommend you have a bash!

Floppies can be nabbed via Atari Legend and 8BitChip has the hard drive version.

Sam Nasty

A nasty new game!

It's a pleasure to see a new in development for our beloved Atari ST but Sam Nasty is different. This puzzle-based platformer was developed back in the early 1990s using STOS by Jerome Mahieux. Oddly, he never released it but found the floppy disk so here we are in 2019, playing the game. How cool is that!!

Upon loading, we're greeted with a title screen for help and other options to disable the sound effects/music. The game itself is a static-screen platformer and, for each level, we find ourselves trapped inside a prison and must find a way to escape. This might sound familiar but it's also got some rather unique features.

But first, let's check out a couple of screenshots with some rather cute & dodgy characters...

The coppa is seeing stars like in a cartoon. I love that!!



Talk about antagonising the enemy by sticking out your tongue! lol ace!!!

The Great Escape!

As you might imagine, the earlier screens are quite humble to break you in gently. So escaping is easy whilst you learn the basics. But it's not long before Sam finds himself inside prisons that must put Alcatraz to shame. There are always a variety of cunning pitfalls to avoid, so look out for things like laser beams that will zap you into an early grave! Also, there are patrolling coppers and some are even armed...

It's a good job our thug has the ability to punch. The screenshots prove how entertaining that is!!

Escaping is always going to be different for each of the levels. So look for anything that might help, like a switch for example. Today, my gaming skills excelled and I reached the fourth prison - not bad at all for a fella with terrible gaming skills (sometimes I wonder why I bother running a gaming website lol). Yep, a joyous occasion that sadly didn't last all that long, as you will see in my YouTube video recording.

Let's pause the reading and check out a couple more screenshots...

It's a tight fit there, so get down and crawl in silence.



Stars and tongues! That's this game to a tea and I love it!!

Aesthetics

The graphics are nothing like I expected and I mean that in a good way. Tiny design but, with superb attention to detail for each of the prisons. However, it's the sprites that I love the most: the laughing policeman, Sam sticking out his tongue, and those punched faces with their broken teeth. Fantastic pixel art and something that will make even the most miserable gamer smile with joy. Throughout, you will be impressed by the humour.

The music is chip and nice but Sam Nasty has the ability to disable that. So I did. Now, just listen to the sound effects and tell me you're not reminded of countless ZX Spectrum platformers!! Anyhow, I enjoyed the music but I absolutely loved the amazing sound effects. Seriously, just get this game and listen for yourself!!

This is something else! I love how it looks and sounds so let's see some more screenshots...

Okay, things are getting tough now and that copper has a gun!



The death scene is great and a little Rick Dangerous too... Can you see me?

The CryptO'pinion?

I'm impressed by the demo and, never in a million years, would I have imagined breaking out of prison could have been fun. Sure, there are a few bugs (that Jerome is in the process of fixing). Plus a few niggles that I'd like tweaked - like overly sensitive joystick controls and the desperate need for more lives. (WIP)

Sam Nasty is a fantastic concept and I'm gobsmacked he didn't release this back in the day. I'm sure it would have gone down a storm! So please take time to download the demo, have a play, and consider sending him your feedback and support. A thoroughly enjoyable and addictive game and well worth buying for pennies!!

2 euros for the full game - support Jerome & the ST scene!

https://en.tipeee.com/sam-nasty

Another World

Delphine Desires!

Another World was released by Delphine Software back in 1991 and is nothing less than a legendary 16-bit game. In fact, it's groundbreaking and something everyone fondly remembers? The gameplay feels like a cross between Prince Of Persia with dollops of Dragon's Lair thrown in. This creation is a unique combination that Eric Chahi should be proud of.

Everyone already knows this game so well. I have wanted to feature Another World for ages but, it's kinda like trying to review Dungeon Master or Captain Blood. What's the point? So I figured I would base this feature on its aesthetics to, hopefully, persuade you ST Nutters to replay it all over again :)

Our adventure begins with an intro depicting how our unfortunate hero, Lester Chaykin, managed to find himself in such a strange new world. Okay, the intro is good but we're not talking Race Drivin' standards - as the elevator scene is boring! However, it's definitely worth watching. I also like the sound effects, especially on the Atari STe. Nice!!

Okay, let's check out a few photos to prove why you should consider replaying this classic...

We start in deep waters so hurry!! Before something reaches up to get you!

You made it!! Hang on, what's that in the background?



You know you're in for a great adventure the moment this beast appears!!

We didn't last long before getting captured and banged up with another fella. I hope he's friendly!!

B-movie aesthetics

Eric created incredible backgrounds for each and every area. The abstract artistry is outstanding using a bleak, futuristic style, for an eerie environment. Characters use chunky polygons which are superbly animated - watch Lester run and jump. However, he's a gullible chap, so I dare you not to smile as he holds up his hand at the end of the first stage!!

Its attention to detail like this is so impressive. Like on the first screen with that ugly beast on a distant ledge. It's rather ominous - especially when it sees you and turns around. Scary stuff!! Also, watching the prisoners working in the background when you're trapped in jail is amazing. And what about when Lester flops to the ground after a slug slashes his leg? Brilliant stuff that proves Another World is one of the best animated games of the era?

Consider the lower resolution and limitations of older computers. Now check out the talented artwork...

Sadly, there is no obvious way to escape. Or is there...

Okay, we're out and I've lost my hands! What's going on?

Another World is full of frustrating traps so watch where you walk - and how you jump.

Gunfights are fun but tough to master. It took me a while to beat this lug, easier than it looks!

CryptO'pinion

This is such a classic adventure that I have loved and hated in equal measure. Sure, I marvel at the aesthetics but it's always the gameplay that matters. It's cruel and unforgiving, making you scream out loud, at the monitor. I mean something as simple as the droopy slugs on the first level - yet they killed me so many times. Furiously addictive!!

However, there can be no denial of the position of this game in the Hall of Fame. I hope you enjoyed this short recap and (fingers crossed) I've put a thought in your head to boot it up again? A truly wonderful game in every respect.

Grab some of Eric Chahi's cartoon-style adventure on a floppy disk or for your hard drive.

AtariMania has a great walk-through which is very helpful to frustrated games (like me!)

Switchblade

Looks like Ricky D. has a new bandana?

Switchblade was released in 1989 by Gremlin Graphics and programmed by Simon Phipps. Yes, he of the Atari ST classic Rick Dangerous. Okay, we are a little dude called Hiro who wears a bandana and can kick hard. He must explore the UnderCity to locate sixteen broken fragments of the Fireblade to reap revenge on today's evil entity - Havoc! This beast has been on a savage rampage, after being dormant for 10,000 years. So it's time for us to save the day... again!

I'm always worried when a big name makes something that is along similar lines to what they're famous for. After all, this is another platformer so, will we get another carbon copy of Rick Dangerous or will it be different?

Hmm, I worry too much so let's begin with a couple of cool screenshots...

Wow, that is in-your-face aggression alright!

Hmm, looks easy enough. Just gotta drop down a couple of levels. Hang on, what's that?

Get ready for a great adventure

We begin on the planet's surface before taking the leap (fall) into the orientally inspired UnderCity. This labyrinth is made up of lots of individual rooms and exploring each is fascinating and enjoyable. Tread with caution because you never know what baddies might materialise from out of thin air. Your route is completely "free-roaming", which I love.

Look out for dodgy blocks that might crack with a single kick: these can unveil health and weapon power-ups or may even lead you on into hidden rooms of even more goodies. Boss characters appear regularly, the first is easy to kill whereas later ones can be quite frustrating and beaten only with patience and lots of well-timed jumping. The only negative is the immense size of the map which isn't - visually - diverse so I often needed to backtrack after getting lost.

The controls are superb with the usual movements like running, jumping and climbing ladders but there are also three kinds of attack. Tapping firing allows you to punch like a weak Arnold Schwarzenegger but you should notice a white combat meter along the bottom right? This helps with two kicks: holding the fire button for a mere second (so the meter isn't at full strength) will perform a high kick Jean Claude Van Damme would be proud of. Holding it down indefinitely performs a powerful Chuck Norris sweeping kick. Master these moves before you begin exploring!

Stop drooling!! Yes, I can see you. Okay, let's view a couple more screenshots...

Wake up, there's something creeping up on you mister!



Tighten that bandana, Rambo. Now, go and kick his monster ass!

NESthetics!

Visually, I doubt Hiro will blow your socks off but it's clean and well-designed with a great 8-bit Nintendo style I thought. Underneath its unassuming graphics is a rather functional design with mysterious rooms. The characters are excellent with nice details that I adored. Also, the game self-maps in a similar fashion to Ranarama or even Rogue.

Switchblade has killer audio with brilliant chiptune from none other than Ben Daglish. Or you could decide to hear sampled sound effects? I love both and couldn't decide which I preferred in the end (a good predicament to be in?)

In most respects, Switchblade looks and sounds different and superb. Love it. Screenshot time...

Yes, there's a Ricky D. vibe plus a dollop of Saboteur and NES thrown in for good measure.

The level guardians are either daft or just plain awkward to hit - I wish they would keep still!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Switchblade is awesome. It's got a great adventure element that blends well with the action. Plus the lack of a linear structure is perfect for an explorer like me who is eager to see what's around the next corner. Thus it keeps you enthralled throughout. This is one of the few games I've completed and I will definitely come back to it again (and again).

As with Rick Dangerous, this is certainly one of the best platformers available for the Atari ST.

Fancy picking up the gauntlet to help Hiro find the scattered fragments?

It will involve deep exploration, fighting lots of silly monsters and several freaky boss dudes?

Grab the floppy or hard disk installable games right away and enjoy this incredible game.

Tip: you might find these maps useful to properly enjoy this beautiful platformer.

Frankenstein

Fronkensteen!

I wonder how many got that? Anyhow, let's kick off the new year with awesome box art from my collection. I bought Frankenstein for only a couple of quid and instantly fell in love with the comical artwork that reminds me of (you guessed it) Young Frankenstein. Plus I don't own anything else by Zeppelin so it's a sweet addition to my collection.

< Update: I have fully mapped this game. Check it out!! >

This platformer was released in 1992 and is, of course, horror-themed and feels like it's taken ideas from a selection of games, like Warlock and Horror Zombies. We're a slave to the bad-tempered doctor who needs several chilling items that should help him regenerate life into a dead corpse. A good twist on the expected storyline I'm sure you'll agree?

The cover is obviously excellent, let's now take a look at the back of the back and the box contents...

Nice style around the back too, I thought.

Here's the floppy disk. Exciting stuff, right?

And finally, the manual. It's more of a pamphlet that opens out. Not bad I guess for a budget game...

Egor - Half man... Half creature... All idiot!

Yes, we are Egor. A fella who, not only has a hump the size of Texas but is also the doctor's unappreciated lackey. He suffers his demand to find several gruesome items and to complete this he needs several oddities ranging from a pillow to a hanged man's body which is left abandoned in the woods. Absolutely brilliant stuff and very B-movie too - love it!!

This is a game all about following orders. Your orders come from the doctor who needs different parts for his ... experiment. You're nothing more than a number, so follow his orders and seek out everything he needs. Easy, right?

The play area is huge and you begin in the mad doctor's castle but we are free to explore wherever we choose. That includes the dungeons or going outside into a spooky forest and into the local village with its creepy morgue. There are many creatures along the way like spiders, skulls, wolfmen, ghosts, rats and even animated body parts.

Here is a little animation I made a while back that should give an idea of how the game plays...

Climb trees, dodge bats, spiders, zombies and more. A fantastic night out!

Things that go bump in the night

Egor isn't exactly the bravest guy and hates creepy things, believe it or not! There is a fright-o-meter that displays his current state of mind. This ranges from "okay" to "panic" and will degrade each time he touches something nasty. Once he's a blithering wreck, Egor will drop whatever he's carrying to rush back to the Doctor. He loses a life by getting a 5-ton weight dropped on him whilst suffering verbal abuse. And then he gets punched in the face! What a life, uh?

Yes, it's a harsh life being the servant of the insane Doctor Frankenstein. However, it's rumoured that a young serving wench is the one kind soul who may help to reduce his anxiety issues... hmm saying nothing...

No platformer is worth its salt unless the control mechanics are smooth, precise and responsive. It always saddens me when a potentially great platformer has been ruined by controls that don't feel quite right - just look at Chuckie Egg II right here on AtariCrypt as a cruel example of how to spoil an 8-bit classic! Thankfully, Egor's walking speed is just right and he also jumps with such effortless ease. What a joy! Spot-on perfect joystick controls, I say.

Just look at that iron maiden and the broken arm hanging in the chains. Superb!

Big tips

This is a simple game at heart, it really is just a case of finding items scattered about many rooms. So, why not have a dry run and explore the entire map first, rather than jumping straight in? I would also recommend making notes of all item locations too. So, as you stumble upon something that can be carried, make a note of the location.

For those with even more spare time on their hands, I would recommend the above BUT also go a step further. Because of a nasty time limit (I hate timers!!) why not collect as many items as possible that are located only in the most distant places? Bring them over to the doctor's castle and leave as many as you can here. This will save a lot of time.

However, all this depends on you having lots of spare time. If not, maybe play something else? ;)

Fancy a cheat? Hmm, it will ruin the game but if you're sick and tired of getting scared then enter this code as an high-score “J4Z”. Now start a new game and you will never get scared again! (sadly, the timer remains unaffected)

Watch yourself out there, you're no hero so keep an eye on the fright-o-meter.

Aesthetics

Graphically, this is a mixed bag for me. Don't get me wrong, each screen has an extraordinary cartoon-like style, especially in the 'Spooky Forest' with scary trees, ghosts, bats, and funny zombie-like men. I am constantly amazed by the attention to detail and throughout we have excellent animations for all. Hey, I love that pitchfork guy!

The game uses a push-scrolling technique which is a little too slow and I feel flick-screen would have been a much better option. It's the only quibble I have because push feels unnecessarily too sluggish.

Sound effects are good but limited to collecting items, bumping into monsters and strange lightning weather. This lightning will get more frequent as you progress through the game collecting items. Towards the end, it's really sinister!

Well, here is my hi-score for a game using no cheats. No sir. Honest... (Can you beat it?)

The CryptO'pinion?

This is a cracking platformer with progressively challenging gameplay as you go on the hunt each time. I adore its spooky theme and each screen is incredibly detailed without ever becoming impossibly hard to conquer. I can spend hours exploring its huge map which constantly reminds me of my 8-Bit days playing games like Chiller, Chuckie Egg 2, etc.

A positively simple platformer that doesn't technically push the Atari ST nor does it need to. The gameplay is on top form and great fun which is what matters. Give it the time it deserves as this is one of the best platformers and I love it!!

If this gives you the hump then grab it on floppy or hard disk!

Magicland Dizzy

I'm so dizzy, my head is spinning...

Being a bit of an odd bod, I've never taken much time to play any of the Dizzy games so figured I should choose one from this hugely popular series and see where it takes me. I've decided on Magicland Dizzy, probably because I was reminded of Stormbringer from my Spectrum 128 days. Amusingly, I've gone and picked one which wasn't designed by the Oliver Twins but by Neal Vincent and programmed by Derek Leigh-Gilchrist of Captain Dynamo fame.

Magicland has been infected by an evil wizard. Yes, another evil wizard but he's not banked on Dizzy who plans on saving the day. Dizzy must explore Magicland and rescue six of his friends being held captive. To do this he must solve many puzzles, trade items and talk to the natives. Basically, what you'd expect following the same format.

Wanna see a scary screenshot? Well, it's not that scary but there is a hungry ghost...

Okay, the first demoed puzzle is easy. This scary dude is hungry so, feed him something nice!

Oi! egg head O_o

The graphics are beautiful with cartoon artwork by Leigh Christian (Magic Boy) which includes lots of neat animations and effects. Just look at that mean-looking troll in the animation above - it's better than watching Nick Jr. Thankfully, the audio hasn't been forgotten with stunning chip music to enjoy throughout. It's YM-tastic and I loved it!!

I love mapping ST games but I didn't make this one which you can check out right here...

I found this map on a Russian Dizzy website. Click twice - it's pretty BIG!!

So far so good?

Well, having only played for a short while today, I can honestly say I'm shocked at just how superb this is. The controls are spot-on perfect and (thankfully) I'm getting the distinct impression that my old brain won't be frustrated by any stupid puzzles. From what I've seen, each character will need something, so it's a case of finding out what and where that might be located. Simple, but always interesting without the irritation that this lazy adventurer initially expected!

Fantastic gaming and something I highly recommend. Have a blessed Easter everyone †

- DOWNLOADS -

Hard Disk or Floppy Disk.

Prince Of Persia

A 16-bit classic gets updated!

Prince Of Persia is incredible but today receives an audio upgrade which uses the DMA coprocessor to play the effects better. They sound a lot cleaner and without any slowdown because the DMA is a coprocessor, working independently of the main CPU. This means that the gameplay is actually smoother than the original release. Which is pretty cool :)

Download right now. Yes, now!!

Chubby Gristle

Oi Fatso!!

This is a story of a fat, obnoxious parking attendant who loves to eat food - a pillar of the community! Chubby Gristle is always hungry and will roam each room looking for grub to nosh on for Grandslam Entertainment's 1988 platformer. This is a platformer and initially feels like many games I played on my ZX Spectrum. Never a bad thing.

Each screen is designed in a similar fashion to Monty Mole however, Chubby Gristle is incredibly tough and perhaps too difficult for the average gamer? As with all platformers, each screen has ledges, moving platforms, ropes, and the expected angry sprites zipping back n' forth which are often awkward to avoid (without losing a precious life).

Visually, it's perfectly 8-bit with 16-bit enhancements. And I mean that in a good way because it happily blasted me back into the 1980s. The sprites move smoothly and are animated using a style I adore - Peter Harrap would be proud. However, I am disappointed with the audio which plays the same tune over (and over). It's great, but we really needed a varied selection and I oddly, found no way to replace that with the sound effects?

Chubby Gristle could have been a hit but the basic mechanics fail due to a difficulty that is off the scale. There's so much going on and it's all too easy for the fat man to bump into something or fall flat on his face. I feel many extra lives are needed to balance things out. There are some great screens but you won't get to see them without cheating...

This is a game that loves to see you suffer. Whoever playtested this should be shot!!

* Klaz' Hideaway who has the floppy and a hard drive installable game (with lives cheat).
* I've recorded a video of my dispare, dare you view it?

* Cheating is never good but Chubby needs extra lives like no other game on the planet. To enable infinite lives, type "buuurrp" on the title screen. You will hear a burp that confirms success. (untested by me) 

Saboteur III - The Egyptian Mission

Durell on the Atari ST?

Saboteur 3 was released in 2012 by Shadow Team for the Atari STe and Falcon (STfm if you have a Blitter and TOS 1.04). Okay, I'll start by saying I'm a huge fan of Saboteur 2: Avenging Angel on the ZX Spectrum. It's a game I played to death and mapped - so I'm excited to see this release. Although I'm anxious and wondering how it will compare.

It's obviously an unofficial fan game based on the original games by legends Durell Software. Incredibly, it was programmed using GFA Basic. I know nothing of programming but it seems the perfect tool for developers - to this day!

Saboteur III The Egyptian Mission takes us into an ancient world looking for fragments of a key to unlock a treasure-filled sarcophagus. However, (this might not be much of a shock), but somebody has rigged most rooms with traps! Beware of killer spikes and scary creatures like mummies, bats, and scorpions. So don't expect this quest to be easy!!

Let's pause the read for a screenshot...

Ok, let's begin the mission... Yeah, that means killing Mommies!

Authentic or worse?

Each room is a pleasure for this oldskool gamer - it's like looking at a surreal retake of the original. I like the design layout employed by most rooms and there's always something that needs to be kicked to death using my ninja skillset. Looking at the map, Saboteur 3 is smaller than the previous games on the ZX Spectrum but who cares about that.

Movements are more or less what you expect with a few changes - down/fire makes our ninja hit under the belt without using the kicking mechanic. A slight change, yet not damageable to the playability. In fact, the joystick controls are responsive and I'm impressed with the fluency of our actions, helping make it feel authentically pleasing.

I expected differences but some changes to the gameplay mechanics irk me - like falling off a ledge. That is instant death rather than simply draining you of (replenishable) strength. Yes, I miss that bar and wonder why it was dropped. Also, I fail to see the point of those large spikes that pop up to impale you each and every time. And even during mid-jump!! However, the most annoying oddity is the ladders because too many go nowhere and that's just absurd.

Quite harsh there, eh? Better calm down a bit and view another screenshot...

As you progress, things get odd and very difficult! Perhaps too difficult?

Aesthetics

Visually, it's superb albeit overly colourful with too much yellow? Or is that how Egypt looks! However, I'm glad they didn't try replicating the original look and style (can you imagine the horror of mostly monochrome graphics?). The characters and their animations are great which makes kicking the baddies to death - an absolute joy!

The in-game music is by Dma-Sc and thus a beautiful example of his extraordinary chiptune talent. I still would have liked an option for (DMA) sound effects to play alongside the music. But I'm now being rather picky I guess?

I think we've got time for one more screenshot? How about one of me, dead...

Sooner or later, I usually end all my games looking this good! ;o)

The CryptO'pinion?

Saboteur 3 is a good platformer beat 'em up but, far from perfect. Sadly, I fear hardcore fans will enjoy picking at it as many official Saboteur characteristics are altered or missing. However, this is still a great game in its own right and I think that even Clive Townsend would enjoy playing this alternative take on his classic Saboteur. I sure did!!

A highly challenging platformer; admiringly recommended for both Saboteur fans and new Ninja wannabees.

Grab the download if you think you're tough enough!

Creatures

Cute & Cuddly Gaming

Somewhere in the far reaches of the universe is a planet called Blot. Much like early Eden, this is a wonderful place; everything is perfect and everyone is happy. The inhabitants are little creatures called the Blotians. However, for some peculiar reason, these guys got bored with their paradise and wanted something better so came up with the daft notion of a brand new identity - on a different planet. They're now called Fuzzy Wuzzies!!

Creatures was released in 1992 by Thalamus and programmed by Philip Watts of WJS Design. Yes, he of Leander and Ork, two decent scrolling games you should check out.

What these sad creatures didn't realise was that evil demons already lived on this new planet. And are a very bad-tempered bunch too! Needless to say, they should have been happy where they were because everyone has been captured and awaited a cruel and bloody fate. You are Clyde Radcliffe, your breath stinks terribly but it is your job to rescue all of your simple-minded friends from these vicious fiends! So good luck - you'll need it.

This sounds simply insane and I love that!! So let's view an authentic screenshot taken with my phone...

Actually, this is quite sadistic!

Clyde is the cutest thing and is equipped with a rapid-firing weapon, which is handy because many of the baddies annoyingly take numerous. Power-ups are available, I love the 'wriggler' effect the most but there are many others to choose from. However, your superpower is the funniest weapon of all, press and hold the fire button to breathe bad breath over anything that gets too close. A bad-breathed hero must surely be a first?

A good tip for Creatures is to not rush it. The enemies can take more than a few hits which is a little weird and can often feel a little OTT. Try to kill what's already on the screen before moving on and being overrun by evil cute critters. Okay, that's a simple and obvious tip, but there ya' go. Take it or leave it!

Controlling Clyde is a cinch thanks to great joystick controls and fantastic level designs which are fun to navigate. The monsters come in all sorts and always manage to bring a smile to this ugly mug of mine thanks to great attention to detail and cruel personalities. End-of-level scenes are particularly cruel (but funny) but employ a harsh time limit before a fellow Fuzzy Wuzzy meets their bloody death at the hands of a sadistic demon!

Wait! It's not screenshot time. Oh, no let's jazz this up with a video recording...

Sexy Pixels & Smooth Audio?

I love the lush aesthetics with beautiful colours and stunning artwork - the attention to detail is amazing. Wow, the sprites are as cute as they are evil, this game looks the part alright and never fails to impress. However, everything might look nice, but is spoiled by rubbish push-scrolling! Sure, that method works fine for games like Rick Dangerous, but not here.

The audio is excellent with a cool theme tune that has you bobbing away to its funky beats. I love it. Also, the sound effects are making use of the DMA hardware - if you're lucky enough to own an Atari STe? If so, they are ace!!!

Righto, let's break up the silence! The shock of that push scrolling means we have another screenshot...

The CryptO'pinion?

Creatures is very enjoyable with well-balanced gameplay and a fantastic (and sadistic) sense of humour. However, it was originally designed as a scrolling platformer and a scrolling platformer needs to SCROLL. So, it sadly falls short of the mark compared to other versions as it's hampered by what appears a rushed port. Maybe I'm too fussy? Tell me!

Don't get me wrong, Creatures is worth downloading because it is a good game with a superb theme, humour, controls and audio. However, it's a massive shame they didn't make full use of the Atari STe or even push the STfm like so many other companies did with their platformers already out by 1992. The list is near endless so what was stopping Thalamus?

Help Clyde now and grab it on floppy & hard drive.