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 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 yoyo. 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 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 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 favourite!

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 worth playing. 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

What, no Lucky Eddie?

Spikey is a Viking who crashlands 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 - just to maintain that Viking look. 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. Easy.

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 whole lot more for the ST.

Hey, wanna see some 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 begins in a village of a few houses, including a pub and a very 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 really mean soldier (hmm, why not try bribing him with cash). If you've played any of the Dizzy games before then you will already know what to expect as you help Spikey scour many rooms for carelessly discarded prison keys.

Things begin simple 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 level of difficulty for most of the puzzles and I enjoyed that a bunch because they never came with baffling/vague clues - or a solution that made no sense.

Yep, that's the level of the difficulty which isn't bewildering but very 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, scrutinize!

Once inside the castle, it's a myriad of mazes but nothing too overwhelming. And I liked that a lot. Getting around is very easy and makes exploration perfect. 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 angry soldiers, rats, ghosts, dripping acid and so on. Sadly, health replenishment is scarce (very scarce actually) with only the odd pieces of chicken or bread left lying about. Stay clear of rotten foods that will only 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 which is pretty cool. Sadly, it's not perfect as 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 you wish to use. Dropping most objects near another character will solve that puzzle as they will automatically collect it and reward you.

This isn't a huge game but it's big enough for a pub, which is never a bad thing. Check out these beer swiggers...

The local Wetherspoons! 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. As you would expect, they are gorgeous and would look perfect in any cartoon with a colourful design. The backdrops are good but it's the characters that feature stunning details - I loved the beedy-eyed rats who watch Spikey. Sadly, there is little animation which, I'm not too bothered about, but it would have been nice to see a roaring fireplace rather than a static flame.

The audio fairs differently with a choice of chip music or sound effects that can only be 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 instead then you shall hear Spikey's footsteps along with a ding when interacting with objects. And that's that. Bit disappointing tbh.

Here is one of the cells holding a shipmate 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 playing 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 quite easy (even for me) and I completed the entire thing in just a couple of hours! I cannot imagine fans of Dizzy, Elf, Spellbound or Stormlord will be impressed by that?

However, ignoring these quibbles, this is extremely enjoyable and very 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 and loved every second. 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 cool puzzler for either a floppy disk or a hard drive and enjoy...

Don't be a muppet and click the thumbnail image to download the hi-res map of the game.

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.

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 - check me out here! But look at the incredible details in those critters!!

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!

Stunning visuals in all respects and possibly one of the best-looking ST games.

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 restricting 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

Another nutty professor!

Professor Mariarti is a 5-level platformer in whacky laboratories that range from a biological lab to futuristic space rocket development. However, as a result of some 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 also grown body parts, like eyes and legs.

Hmm, yeah I think we better fix this problem and clear out the various 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 there are many strange creatures populating the rooms, lots of hazards to avoid, and many puzzles to solve. Don't worry, these puzzles aren't exactly mind-blowing and are often as simple as flicking a switch. However, there are some puzzles that will require a little more thought - take a look at the massive pressure chamber which is lethal without first wearing a divers helmet. I love cunning puzzles like that.

The baddies are a most interesting bunch and quite humorous. Sadly, the slightest contact will zap energy and potentially kill you. It seems nothing you do will permanently kill them - use your trusty collection of greasy spanners and kaboom they've gone but, seconds later, they are back for more. Argh, they are evil and relentless!!

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

Let's pause the reading and view more screenshots. Looks like I'm in the loony bin...

The CryptO'pinion?

Mad Professor Mariarti is challenging and addictive with bucketloads of personality. Some of the puzzles are a little too vague and obscure but you'll soon get how this platformer works. Recommend only if you enjoy a platformer that requires a little more effort from the old grey matter. But you will need lots of spare time to get the most from it.

Overall, not something I would usually go for but this is a good game and I enjoyed Professor Mariarti a bunch.

8BitChip has the download (floppy & HDD)

Update: Stickhead has a great video to watch!