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, preceded by 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 destructible 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 they 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 destructible 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 utilized 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 or 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.
• I've since released hi-res game maps of this wonderful platformer.

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 looking for grub to nosh on in Grandslam Entertainment's 1988 platformer. This is a platformer and feels like games I played on my ZX Spectrum. Never a bad thing.

Each screen is designed in a fashion similar to Monty Mole. 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 (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 Peter Harrap would be proud of. Sadly, I'm disappointed with the audio, which plays the same tune over (and over). It's great, but we really needed a varied selection, and I found no way to replace that with the sound effects.

Chubby Gristle could have been a hit, but the joystick controls fail, making it too hard. There's so much going on, and it's too easy for the fat man to bump into something or fall flat on his face. Many extra lives are needed to balance it 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) 

Creatures

Cute & Cuddly Gaming

Somewhere in the far reaches of the universe is a planet called Blot. Much like Eden, this is a wonderful place; everything is perfect, and everyone is happy. The inhabitants are creatures called the Blotians. However, for some peculiar reason, these guys got bored with their paradise and wanted something better, so they came up with the daft notion of a 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 definitely check out.

What these sad creatures didn't realise was that evil demons already lived on this new planet. And they are a bad-tempered bunch, too! Needless to say, they should have been happy where they were because everyone had 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 fiends! Good luck, you'll need it.

What an insane story, 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 hits. Power-ups are available. I love the 'wriggler', 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. The enemies can take more than a few hits, which is a bit weird and often feels a bit OTT. Try to kill what's already on the screen before moving on and being overrun by evil, cute critters. 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. The monsters come in all sorts and 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?

Creatures looks absolutely stunning with lush, vibrant aesthetics, a beautiful colour palette, and intricate, breathtaking details. The sprites are as adorable as they are delightfully evil, and they never fail to impress; every frame feels alive and full of personality. It’s the kind of visual quality that genuinely blows you away, which makes the push-scrolling such a shame. While that technique works perfectly for something like Rick Dangerous, this game really cries out for smooth, proper scrolling. Wow, that lets down the whole experience :(

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

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

The CryptO'pinion?

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

Don’t get me wrong, Creatures is totally worthwhile. It has a humorous theme, good controls and audio. However, it's a 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. I'm rather disappointed in WJS and Thalamus.

Help Clyde and grab this for floppy & hard drive.

A Prehistoric Tale

The Lost Boys!!

If there were ever giants in the Atari ST demoscene, these fellas were it. In 1990, they ventured into the gaming world with A Prehistoric Tale, published by Thalion. So, how does it play, and can a demo group create a good game? We all remember Enchanted Land. Talent doesn’t always translate to great gameplay.

Fans of Chuckie Egg or Panic will feel at home as we’re transported back to a time when dinosaurs roamed and a constant threat of being eaten alive looms. But amidst this danger, we encounter sexy cavewomen who resemble Raquel Welch. Our mission is to collect dinosaur eggs to prevent the extinction of all mammals.

Transport these eggs to the teleport for safekeeping, but be warned, there’s a time limit (ugh, I hate time limits!!), and you can only carry three eggs at a time unless you use an egg basket. To complicate matters further, the teleport changes location after each use, and numerous spiders and other prehistoric creatures constantly appear. Oh, don’t forget to watch out for the swarms of Pterodactyls!

The graphics are reminiscent of the 8-bit era, boasting a lovely 16-bit quality. It feels just like we're playing a demo by The Lost Boys! The audio is equally impressive, thanks to Jochen Hippel. His gorgeous chiptune beats will have you tapping your foot along. To say the audio is fantastic would be an understatement.

A Prehistoric Tale is straightforward, but beneath its humble exterior lies a surprisingly challenging game that keeps you on your toes. Even the most skilled player will find it difficult, but with practice, you’ll love it.

See, the demoscene can make excellent games, and this is nothing less than just that!!

• Downloads are available for floppy, and 8BitChip has an HDD version.
• The Lost Boys archive is stored on Demozoo.

Is that a teleporter, or has he simply eaten all his Ready Brek!

The pixel art animation when dropping off a ledge is hilarious!!

Mouse Trap

Not the board game!

Billed as "old in style but brilliant in design" is Micro-Value's 1987 platformer, Mouse Trap (originally for Acorn Electron). I love platformers, but not the Mario/Sonic kind, the ZX Spectrum kind I grew up with: Chuckie Egg II, Manic Miner, Monty Mole, Saboteur II, etc. As you can imagine, I was eager to give this a go!

We are Marvin the Mouse, who wants to win back the heart of his ex-girlfriend who left him for another. She must be quite the materialistic female, as the plan he's come up with to win her back is mad: scrounge dozens of rooms looking for precious items that are gonna impress her. Women, eh?

This is a cruel and unforgiving platformer: make a mistake, and it's often impossible to go back and try again, which means a life lost. Each screen requires all items to be collected before you can progress. Finishing them is a matter of working out the best route rather than the one that appears quickest.

There is a time limit, so hit the 'F' key to pause - now study the layout to figure out the route.

No, he's not floating but simply in mid-fall. And that aspect took me a while to master...



Wow! Those colours... This game is incredibly different from the norm, and I love that.



Some levels are simple. Not only to look at, but to complete quickly. Like this one!

Input & Outputs

The controls are excellent, but I initially found them fiddly and quite perplexing. For example, if you're facing left and then tap "right" (to turn around), Marvin will not only do that, but also walk a couple of steps in that direction. This frustrating mechanic took me some time to master. But I did, so can you!

Mouse Trap looks like an 8-bit platformer, but with the extra pixels and colours. It's weird and features the oddest sprites: check out the old man with the big nose who appears on level two!! A strange game with sprites that are either excellent or plain crud: like the terrible floating skulls. Yet somehow it always works.

Music is eerily enjoyable, but it will get annoying, so press M to turn it off when your ears ache.

This baffled me at first, but it's a lot easier than you realise. Love the sinking ledges!



Some of the levels are far simpler than you first think. Just take your time...

There is the odd dodgy screen, but then it redeems itself with this blue beauty!

The CryptO'pinion?

Mouse Trap is a charming platformer with an incredible variety of screens. All are as difficult as they are quirky, and you will be drawn back for that one-more-go! The only negative aspect is the lack of passwords or a save-game feature. Baffling, because there are many levels to plunder (IE, you are forced to replay).

I've enjoyed Mouse Trap. It's a blimmin' excellent platformer, so (nearly) top marks from me!!

Download for hard disk or floppy.

Only after a few games, I'm rocking the high-score table. Can you beat me?
No, I didn't think so!! :p

Fire And Brimstone

Tough as nails!

It's a well-known fact that games were harder back in the day. Perhaps our generation was made of tougher stuff, and today's kids are wimps? That sounds right, and we have a game to prove it. Hey, before we begin, did you know that I've fully mapped this game? No? Well, click the "Game Maps" link to your right...

Fire and Brimstone was released in 1990 by Firebird and is one of the most visually stunning platformers I have seen. The adventure takes place in a fantasy world of Norse mythology, as the mighty Thor must battle the forces of Hel. She has escaped and spread her lust for evil over the Nordic lands with her minions, creating havoc! So, wait for it, it's up to us to clean up this hellish infestation and get home in time for tea.

Check out these gorgeous screenshots with the first immediate puzzle (that makes no sense, ironically)...

This game blows you away from the start with an oddly puzzling demon who always wakes up!

Look out for witches with their rapid spells. Who are also tough to kill!

We are the mighty Thor!

There are five worlds (including Hel) to beat - Alfheim, Anaheim, Nidavellir, Muspell, and Nilfheim. Each screen is a puzzle in itself that requires careful thought before you attempt to foolishly maraud through. Even the first screen can confuse, and its solution makes little sense - get used to this trickery!

Each level’s objective is to find key parts and complete them. Only after all fragments are discovered can you finish the levels (along with a boss to defeat, of course). Therefore, every screen should be thoroughly searched for hidden objects to avoid being punished for laziness and sent back to revisit previous screens!

Thor doesn't only carry an axe but two individual weapons, which he flips between, including bombs and fire. Some power-ups will help improve our abilities against the hordes of baddies who come in all shapes and sizes - each possesses a cunning yet humorous personality. Everyone is often really difficult to kill, from magic-throwing witches to goblins, old bats, and things hiding in trees. It's impossible not to love this game's awesome charisma - I especially love the funky ghosts and creepy witches who fly by on their broomsticks.

Let's view another ghostly and witchy screenshot from this tough platformer...

Watch out for all kinds of freaky monsters. Oh, look, it's the mother-in-law on her broom!

We're in the creepy woods, which are full of ghosts. And HIM too! Runnnnn!!!

Aesthetics

Fire and Brimstone offers an exceptional visual treat by Chris Sorrell. Astounding attention to detail, using an artistic flair that perfectly complements the medieval and hellish atmosphere. The characters look fantastic and are superbly animated with scenic settings that are always beautiful. Jaw-dropping 16-bit pixel art.

Warning: there’s no scrolling. For an Amiga user, this likely translates to their usual complaints about Atari ST ports. However, Fire and Brimstone wasn’t designed to scroll and is perfectly suited as a flick-screen platformer. In fact, I'm pretty sure scrolling wouldn't have had the same effect at all.

David Whittaker’s thumping sample tune serves as the title music, and while brilliant, I must admit I prefer his chiptunes. Don't get me wrong, it's excellent, but just my personal taste. The in-game sound effects are superb for all the usual effects, but clearly can’t match the majestic quality of the lush and detailed graphics.

It sure looks and sounds the business, alright, so let's see another couple of screenshots...

See that guy in red, I wonder what's his story?

Oh, each level has a secret room. Don't miss it otherwise, you'll be sent back!

The CryptO'pinion?

Fire and Brimstone is the most challenging platformer I’ve ever played, with its unforgiving mechanics. However, with patience, you’ll learn how each screen functions and make progress. Even then, it remains incredibly difficult, so I’d rate it as one of the most frustrating games. Hardly a glowing review, right?

Ignoring my painful progress (with a trainer), this game is incredibly entertaining and potentially rewarding for a determined player. I love how each screen offers its own mini-adventure, which naturally extends its lifespan due to its design. Despite its flaws demanding a trainer, I absolutely love it.

However, I fear only the foolish bravest should venture into this world of torment. Enjoy!

Download for floppy or hard drive.