Slightly Magic

Heavy on the Magick

Almost all ST users have played one of the Dizzy games. Code Masters had this type of puzzler nailed! Not all their games featured an egg, and, like our favourite viking, this game also follows the same premise of collecting useful items to solve puzzles. This time, we are a character called Slightly. What an odd name, eh?

Slightly Magic was developed by Colin Jones, a name you should remember from Rock Star Ate My Hamster. As storylines go, this one is weak, but long story short, Bigwiz is a wizard who unwittingly left us in charge. The goal is to rescue Princess Croak from a sunburnt dragon using magical spells scattered about the lands waiting to be found. Yep, you heard correctly, a dragon that's been in the sun for too long.

What medication was Colin on? Anyhow, let's have a peep at a couple of troubling screenshots...

When I first played, I struggled to jump onto the middle platform. So practice!

You will never get the metal pin from that side of the screen. Hey, don't get burnt...

Rescuing Princess Croak

Fans of Dizzy will instantly feel at home. Slightly can explore the rooms, looking for helpful items that the game's characters demand. That often grants passage to a different part of the map with more similar puzzles. Interestingly, some items are merged together to create spells - like a hearing spell for the deaf guards. Others scare ghosts, grant safe passage underwater, and enable us to fly like a wibbly-wobbly bird.

Getting around each room is a cinch, albeit initially awkward because Slightly moves quickly. This made it difficult to master jumping, which became apparent on the second screen. The room features a wide gap to leap, which I struggled with. Heed my advice and practice jumping here before continuing on.

Multiple items can be collected, and hitting the fire button displays our inventory unless you're close to an item. The puzzles start easy, providing dragons with the correct buckets of water. Once their thirst is quenched, the game opens up with some rather obvious dilemmas to solve. For example, scissors to cut the string of a yo-yo. A magnet that attracts a metal pin. It's hardly rocket science and kept me intrigued to the end.

Leap with joy because there are no time limits to ruin the experience. Also, the monsters will not instantly kill you. However, there is an energy meter that drains if you come into contact with them. Once depleted, you lose a life. It's now that you shall notice stars in most rooms. Collect them to replenish the energy.

In terms of places to explore, this game isn't very large. The puzzles give the illusion of a larger world, as you'll constantly experiment to figure out what works. There is much guesswork and lots of backtracking before you gather what goes where. An obvious mechanic for a game like this, and I enjoyed it a lot.

However, there are some niggles with the map layout. It often makes no sense, with many screens looping around without reason. I also noticed several rooms that lay on top of each other (the first is near the deaf guards). These abnormalities didn't make sense and caused me problems. So, I decided to map the game before I kicked the ST's monitor through the window!! You heard me, just keep scrolling to download that.

How about an image of a giant's bald head? Yeah, some puzzles make little sense, like this one...

An angry giant (with no body)? Well, I'd be angry being a bald severed head!

I never did figure out how to crawl and collect that star. Maybe a bug? Maybe it's me!

Aesthetics

Graphically, this game is gorgeous, using cartoon styles that any Dizzy fan will adore. The intro is fantastic, with dancing dragons that you meet later. Each room features a comical theme I found joyful and cutesy, especially on the underwater stage. Slightly has a peculiar walk that looks odd, but his movement is smooth and graceful. The enemy's motions are also ultra-smooth with humorous detail; I liked the sinister Cheshire Cat, the menacing ghosts, and the wibbly Octopuses. However, the two guards are my personal favourites!

It’s safe to say that Keith Ross created exceptional artwork, but some areas left me wondering what drugs he could have been on. For example, the giant's head doesn't fit the rest of the game and feels like a late addition. The ugliest graphic is ironically on the most beautiful level - a witch that looks like I drew her!

Thankfully, the audio follows a constant level of awesomeness. There are no effects, but wonderful chip music by Allister Brimble plays throughout. It's a lovely tune that blends into the background perfectly.

Let's take one final break before the gripping conclusion I know you're eager to read...

Ghosts'n Goblins vibes with a sinister cat lurking in the trees. Lovely graphics!

Absolutely killer artwork. Animated too. I loved this amazing logo.

CryptO'pinion

Slightly Magic will appeal to fans of the genre. I had a bunch of fun feeding water to dragons, exploring a spooky forest, and rescuing the princess from the sunburnt dragon. Who thinks of these stories?

Unfortunately, many of the puzzles lack consistency, being either too easy or overly obscure. Other parts are rubbish, like riding tiny bubbles to reach higher platforms - quite difficult and badly conceived. Of course, I got through all these troublesome areas because I was having fun with the adventure.

I can't say it's Code Masters' best effort, but I enjoyed it (nearly) as much as Spikey in Transylvania. A challenging puzzler without the refinement of Dizzy, but it's still definitely worth playing.

I enjoyed this one, so my rating is a respectable 70%.

• Great floppy disk options at Atari Legend https://www.atarilegend.com/games/slightly-magic
• 8BitChip has adapted a cool version for hard drives https://atari.8bitchip.info/ASTGA/S/slightm.php
• Gears Of Games has a good channel but wasn't quite as impressed ;) https://youtu.be/...

As always, this image is a thumbnail, so click here to download the high-res original.

Spikey in Transylvania

Lucky Eddie

Spikey is a Viking who crash-lands near a village called Transylvania after suffering horrendous weather conditions in the North Sea. He has no weapon or shield, but has kept hold of his helmet. Weirdly, his shipmates have been rounded up and locked away in a dungeon - so it's our job to free them. Thankfully, the cell keys have been scattered about in different places. All we have to do is find them and free our comrades.

Is it just me, or does Spikey look an awful lot like Hägar the Horrible? Anyhow, Spikey in Transylvania comes from the same Code Masters stable as the Dizzy series, so it's hardly surprising that it looks familiar for both gameplay and visuals. Released in 1991 and programmed by Dave Clarke, who, sadly, didn't seem to do a lot more for the ST. That's a shame, because I've got a sneaky feeling this is a good game.

Wanna see screenshots of the earlier puzzles? Of course, you do! So gander at this lot...

Farmer Piles!!! It's like something from a Carry On movie. Brilliant!

The pixel art in this room is amazing. Love the cauldron, the wizard, and the king's painting!

So what's the plan?

Our adventure starts in a small village with a few houses, including a pub and a hungry farmer. After escaping from one of the houses, our task is to gain entrance to the castle where our friends are held captive. Surely an impossibility, as it's guarded by a mean soldier (bribe him?). If you've played any of the Dizzy games before, then you will know what to expect as you help Spikey scour rooms for discarded prison keys.

Things begin simply and, if I'm honest, remain simple throughout. For example, the first puzzle is escaping from a house - the front door has no handle, and there is a doorknob on the floor. This is the difficulty level for most puzzles, and I enjoyed it because I dislike baffling or vague clues and pointless solutions.

So, that's the difficulty, which isn't bewildering but entertaining. It's time for more screenshots...

I wanted to take this screenshot as the dog approached to take a bone. But he was quicker than me!

Bored, eh? I think he needs a Walkman to listen to. Showing my age now, right?

Explore, examine, scrutinise!

Once inside the castle, it's a myriad of mazes, but nothing too overwhelming. Getting around is easy and, once again, there are puzzles to solve, but nothing mind-blowing. For example, a drink for a thirsty guard, ghosts will flee from the Cross, and you should wear Wellington boots in the mud. The only puzzle I failed to instantly solve was with the cannon, which was dead simple and something I didn't even consider!

Walking around the village and castle areas is never too troubling, but there are still some dangers to look out for. Spikey only has four lives, and each has a finite amount of energy that depletes when coming into contact with soldiers, rats, ghosts, dripping acid, etc. Sadly, health replenishment is scarce, with only the odd pieces of chicken or bread left lying about. Stay clear of rotten foods that will make Spikey feel a lot worse.

Unlike the adventures Dizzy endured, Spikey can walk left/right but cannot jump. Instead, he moves diagonally in/out of the screen. Sadly, you can occasionally get stuck on objects or walls. The inventory is a cinch, just hold fire and move up/down to pick up/drop and left/right to select what object. Dropping most objects near another character will solve that puzzle, as they will automatically collect them and reward you.

It's never a bad idea to venture into a pub. Check out these beer swiggers...

The local Wetherspoon! My kinda place. But then everyone stops and stares at me! Creepy.

Hmm, weren't there some gloves carelessly left lying about?

Aesthetics

The graphics are by Jonathan Smyth, who also did Cj in the USA and Cj's Elephants Antics. They are gorgeous with a colourful cartoon design. The backdrops are good, but it's the characters that feature stunning details - I love the beady-eyed rats who watch Spikey. Sadly, there is little animation, which, I'm not bothered about, but it would have been nice to see a roaring fireplace rather than a static flame.

The audio fares differently, with a choice of chip music or sound effects (selected on the title screen). The music is by Ashley Hogg (who worked on Cj in the USA and Cj's Elephants Antics) and is superb. Sadly, there is only that one tune which loops around constantly during play. If you opt for sound effects, then you shall hear Spikey's footsteps along with a ding when interacting with objects. And that's that.

A shipmate is trapped, so hurry up and find all the other keys! Then everyone can party...

This is one of many cells holding our mates. Simple task - find the keys!

This is the end screen - just to prove I did it!! Sorry for the spoiler :p

The CryptO'pinion?

I have thoroughly enjoyed Spikey in Transylvania! However, it's not a big adventure, and there isn't enough food available to replenish his energy. Also, the puzzles are easy (even for me), and I completed the entire thing in a couple of hours! I can't imagine fans of Dizzy, Spellbound, or Stormlord will be impressed by that.

Ignoring my quibbles, this is extremely enjoyable and incredibly addictive. So I loved the progress I made right from the start. The puzzles are logical without any irritatingly pointless solutions, which meant I continued on. So how can I say anything terrible about a game that gave me so much pleasure? I cannot.

• Before you view my map (click it), grab this puzzler on a floppy or a hard drive.

Don't be a muppet, click the image thumbnail to download the hi-res version.

Hey, click this link for loads more ST game maps.

Frankenstein

Fronkensteen!

I wonder how many got that? Anyhow, let's kick off the new year with cool box art from my collection. I bought Frankenstein for a couple of quid and instantly fell in love with the comical artwork that reminds me of 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!! >

Released in 1992, this horror-themed game draws inspiration from a variety of games, including 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 excellent, let's now take a look at the back of the box and the 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 from the demand to find several gruesome items. To complete this, he needs several oddities, ranging from a pillow to a hanged man's body, which is left abandoned in the woods. Very B-movie!! 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 everything.

The play area is huge, and you begin in the mad doctor's castle, but we are free to explore everywhere. That includes the dungeons, a spooky forest, and 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 an animation 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. There is a fright-o-meter that displays his current state of mind. This ranges from "okay" to "panic" and degrades each time he touches a nasty. Once a blithering wreck, Egor will abandon his belongings and rush back to the Doctor. He loses a life when a 5-ton weight is dropped on him while he’s being verbally abused. And then he gets punched in the face!

Yes, it's a harsh being the servant of Doctor Frankenstein. However, it's rumoured that a young serving wench is the one kind soul who may help to reduce his anxiety issues. Ahem...

No platformer is worth its salt unless the controls are smooth, precise and responsive. It always saddens me when a potentially great platformer has been ruined by bad movement and controls - just look at Chuckie Egg II 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 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 a case of finding items scattered about the rooms. So, why not have a dry run and explore the entire map first, rather than jumping straight in? I would recommend making notes of all item locations, too. So, if 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.

However, 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 a high-score “J4Z”. Now start a new game, and you will never get scared!

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, as each screen has an extraordinary cartoon-like style, especially in the 'Spooky Forest' with scary trees, ghosts, bats, and funny zombie 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 too slow and I feel flick-screen would have been a much better option. It's the only quibble I have because push feels 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, obviously. Towards the end, it's really sinister!

Well, here is my high-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. I adore its spooky theme, and each screen is incredibly detailed without ever becoming impossibly hard. I spent 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 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.

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

Elf

Oi, big ears!

Elf was released in 1991 by Ocean Software and is a platformer with simple adventure mechanics for lots of cumulative puzzles. It's not too dissimilar to something Codemasters would crack out. Not only that, but each of the levels appears impressive with lush visuals that appeal to my fickle nature!

We are Cornelius, a cool-looking dude whose girlfriend, Elisa, has been kidnapped by the evil Necriliousr. Armed with his magic ring (stop it!!), you must travel eight incredible landscapes, avoiding strange and wacky creatures, and solving puzzles to rescue the love of your life. That's Elisa and not your Atari ST computer.

Well, hmm... I dunno about that lol. Let's take a peep at a screenshot taken with my phone...

Upgrades are great - I'm flying!!

Finders Keepers?

Playing Elf is never boring, thanks to the world we have to explore and everything in it. That includes the puzzles that must be figured out logically and in order. Oddly, I'm reminded of the old ZX Spectrum games by David Jones. You know, trading items with NPC characters who require the silliest of items before providing something you require. It's brilliant, but only experience and perseverance will grant success.

However, that's not easy thanks to a barrage of critters constantly invading the screen, think Black Lamp. They are often relentless and try to stop you from solving the puzzles. So, look for anything that might help along the way? Heck, items and even animals, to collate as "pets" that will be used as currency to purchase an assortment of power-ups - including firepower, extra lives, the ability to fly and much more.

Elf is a fascinating and long-winded game that won't be easy to finish. The quest is massive but will entertain you every step of the way with humour and cool ideas, like when you are chased up a ladder (impressive AI). Finally, and in true Atic Atac style, a tombstone is erected when dead. It's rumoured to be haunted!

This game is huge and brilliant in almost all respects, so let's view a clearer screenshot this time...

Beautifully drawn graphics with tons of extra colours thrown in. Look at that sky!

Aesthetics

The graphics are tremendous, with outstanding attention to detail for the scenery and characters. The baddies are some of the most detailed sprites I've seen, so killing them almost makes me feel bad (almost). They have cute expressions with integrated novelties, like rocks that watch your every move. Lovely extra touches throughout. I feel confident saying this, but the visuals are some of the best I've ever seen.

The audio is great with amazing sound effects. However, it's the music I love the most by Matthew Cannon (remember Navy Seals?). Awesome tunes throughout, thus proving once again that chip music is immortal!! In fact, I'd describe them as bewitching, so I prefer playing this game with the music on.

This final screenshot is something I see a lot of...

The screen you hate, and in stark contrast to the jolly feel of the game.

The CryptO'pinion?

Here we go, nothing is perfect... yadda yadda! Well, that's true, and it applies to Elf. I felt the number of lives was too restrictive, considering the task at hand. I also found it a little annoying when some critters would walk onto the screen just as I was about to walk off, thus zapping valuable energy. Arghh, irritating!!

However, Elf is a brilliant platform/adventure/puzzler. It will sap the hours whilst you shoot the cuties, trade, and try to figure out how to bribe your way through the game. This is something that you need to experience and is very rewarding. Elf is excellent, and I cannot recommend it enough. Make time for this game!!

8BitChip has a version for hard disks

Floppy disks can be found via Old Games Finder.

Here is a walkthrough, but don't spoil this awesome game!!

--> MY HANDY TIPS <--

Tweet Tweet, that cute little bird is hungry. Easy!

Red Indians love feathers...

Toilet paper? Ahem, surely too easy to solve?

That big guy? Well, he just loves roast chicken.

If you must, type in CHOROPOO during gameplay for 99 Pets.

Mad Professor Mariarti

Nutty professor

Professor Mariarti is a platformer in wacky laboratories ranging from a biological lab to space rocket development. However, as a result of a dodgy experiment going mental, everything has come to life and taken over. To make matters worse, they aren't in the best mood and have grown body parts, like eyes and legs.

Hmm, I think we'd better fix this problem and clear out the labs before it drives the Professor potty. Okay, there are four levels to choose from, with a fifth only playable after completing the first four. As if!

Wanna see a couple of near-GEM green screenshots? Of course, you do...

A platformer with brains

I’ve been playing the Computer Lab level, and it’s full of strange creatures, hazards to avoid, and puzzles to solve. Don't worry, these puzzles aren't exactly mind-blowing and are often as simple as flicking a switch. However, some puzzles require a little more thought - take a look at the massive pressure chamber, which is lethal without first wearing a diver's helmet. I love cunning puzzles like that.

The baddies are a most interesting bunch and very humorous, but the slightest contact will zap your energy. It seems nothing you do will permanently kill them. You can use your trusty collection of greasy spanners, and they’ll vanish, but seconds later, they’re back for more. Argh, they are evil and relentless!!

This is a good thing and helps keep things interesting without any empty or boring screens. The weapons can be upgraded by using terminals, but that costs money, so don't forget to collect any coins scattered throughout. Expect nothing less than a challenge that requires time and effort to get the best from it.

Let's pause for more screenshots. Hey, it looks like I'm in the loony bin...

The CryptO'pinion?

Mad Professor Mariarti is a challenging and addictive platformer bursting with personality. While some puzzles are a bit vague and obscure, you’ll soon grasp the mechanics. It’s best suited for those who enjoy a platformer that demands a bit more from the old grey matter. However, be prepared for a significant time investment to fully appreciate it. I wouldn’t usually play a game like this, but I really enjoyed Professor Mariarti.

8BitChip has the download (floppy & HDD)

Update: Stickhead has a great video to watch!