Rubicon

16-bit games are tough!

21st Century Entertainment released Rubicon in 1992, and it's something I've enjoyed for years. It's my kinda game because it's a ludicrous mix of platformer and shoot 'em-up genres. A great run and gunner!! However, I admit I'm also rubbish and fail to reach the third level - sometimes I cannot beat the first!! So, I've whacked on the trainer and played through to the end (watch my video if you don't believe me lol).

Developed by the Fingerbobs, who certainly had a grim view of the future, by 2011, there would have been a nuclear accident which transformed the local wildlife into vicious mutations. Apparently, the situation was so bad that Finland and Russia were evacuated. Okay... It's our mission to kill everything before these creatures find a way to blow us all up!! Tool up, soldier!! So yeah, an original storyline, I'm sure you'll agree?

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

Level one introduces us to the unfair mechanics, it's not long before enabling infinite lives!!

It's now that you realise the beautiful artwork too.

I love level two with its enormous enemies and trapdoors.

Oi, pick on someone your own size!!

Right, I'm impressed

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

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

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

Level three continues the theme, but in the snow.

Get out of that tank and fight like a man!

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

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

I need a big gun!

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

Weapons are excellent, but the laser sucks. Thankfully, there are many others to choose from, like the "Scatter" and "Napalm" (my fave). However, we start with zero ammo for everything except our basic gun, so collect ammo boxes that are periodically dropped in. This isn't bad, but it can be awkward because you must press the correct Function Key to select the desired weapon before picking it up. I would have preferred random types of ammo dropped to save us from fumbling for the right key - before it disappears!!

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

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

Check out my flame thrower. Take a closer look!

Level six takes us into deep waters, and I loved every second of this.

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

The CryptO'pinion?

Rubicon is fantastic, but doesn't break the mould with any originality. It's stupidly difficult at times, especially on levels two and three. Having said all that, it's another Torvak the Warrior - a game I love to play regularly. I love the action this freakishly weird platform offers - levels six and seven are my favourites.

Rubicon is far from perfect, but it's still bucketloads of fun and definitely worth your time playing!!

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

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

Alien queen beast! What?? Yowzers!!

Hmm, where have I heard that line before? ;)

Strider

Ugh, a lame Amiga port?

I remember reading the review for Strider in ST Format, which basically said it was great. Although the ST version had smaller sprites, the gameplay was faster and better... I foolishly believed them and wasted my cash on a game I could not play. This was nothing more than a terrible Tiertex port, I thought!! I absolutely hated ST Format for making me waste so much of my precious pocket money. Also, I recently gave it a silly mention, but wasn't too kind when remembering its eye-popping scrolling and ridiculous difficulty.

Since then, I've mellowed. I have come to realise that my gaming skills suck (there's a shocker). But I figured I should give it another go. And you know what, I think I'm not only older, but also a lot wiser. Anyhow, almost three decades have passed since I last played this game, so let's see what I think of Strider today.

Before we begin, here's a screenshot of the opening of this wonderful arcade platformer...

The first level is uniquely Ruskie. It's the place where you'll learn to use that swoosh!

Me, wrong? Never!

Well, after several games, I still found it extremely difficult and failed to beat the first boss - a Flash Gordon wannabe. But the game was brilliantly playable, and, eventually, I beat him!! I was ecstatic, but just then, fire rained down and halted my cries of joy. Thankfully, I beat him on my second attempt and proceeded to a wacky level that I absolutely enjoyed, but I wish it were larger. Sadly, no matter how much I tried, I couldn't beat the next boss, so that was that, and I gave up [first part of my video recording]

For some reason, the next day I felt brave and booted up Strider once again, only to enjoy my greatest success. Heck, I even beat the worm thingy and made it onto the following stage, which I've never seen before. This was becoming exciting, and I wondered how a younger me missed this!! Okay, this level starts great with big cats that wanted to eat me before a giant mechanical creature thing tried its luck. Banging on the fire button proved profitable, and I beat him easily, but I died later by a circular saw which came outta nowhere. Quite unfair as it's impossible to see it approaching off-screen. [second part of my video recording]

How time flies and can change the perception of things. Games being one! Check this out...

That swoosh is absolutely superb, as are the enormous monsters. Love it!!

Aesthetics

Graphically, Strider is beautiful. From the start, it looks the part, and I think they did a cracking job of converting the arcade backdrops to the lower resolution. The sprites are just freaking incredible - they all look impressive, and some are huge. This is a beautiful game, but something had to give for all that glam. That means we have a slightly reduced play area, and the scrolling isn't nearly as smooth as it should be. Don't get me wrong, the scrolling is good and works well, but dies alongside other ST games, like Turrican.

The audio is tremendous, I love the tunes which are apt for this conversion. From the start, I was hooked. Just click on the green arrow below to see what I mean. The effects aren't massive in quantity, but who doesn't enjoy swooshing through each level? Yes, I love that swoosh lol. I think they did a great job all around.

Before I give my opinion, this needs to be said: Dear ST Format, I've hated your review for years, but today I hold my hands up!! After all these years, you were correct, so forgive me. I shall blame my original opinion on my joystick skills ;p

The CryptO'pinion?

Strider is superb, so now I'm tempted to whack on the trainer and play through to the end. Okay, the scrolling could have been a bit better, but the gameplay is furious and makes the Amiga version look dull as dishwater. Strider is sleek and bucketloads of fun, so don't be a fool and load it up. You'll love it!

• Klaz has a spiced-up version for floppy & hard drives (including an option for faster play)

Risky Woods

Spanish Games

I'm digging up another oldie video from my YouTube channel (subscribe!!), and this time it's Risky Woods, developed by Dinamic - the ones who gave us a Marine with wiggly legs. This time, we are Rohan, a knife-wielding chap from somewhere called The Lost Land, a once-peaceful place protected by Monks.

These monks guarded the wisdom of the Lost Land until Draxos turned up to ruin everything! He brought his legions of evil armies and turned all the monks into statues. Nobody is safe, children are crying, and evil roams the lands. What can we do? Of course, we are going to enter the woods, free the monks, and defeat Draxos. It's gonna be a tough challenge, but come on, kids are crying. It's time to kick some demonic ass!

I know, another silly story for another day in retro gaming land. So, let's play...

Hurry and free all the monks to save the land from the evil Draxos!

Sexy platforming!

Risky Woods is a scrolling platformer that has us leaping platforms, frantically banging on the fire button to kill everything in sight. Each level is stuffed with enemies who are only too eager to rush onto the screen, but there are lots of bonuses. Just don't forget why you're here; the monks need to be freed before you exit.

This game feels like a cross between Ork and Black Tiger. I love how responsive the controls are, and they need to be - many enemies are constantly rushing onto the screen at a frequent pace. It's quite overwhelming, but great fun without ever crushing your spirit. Think Black Lamp and you've got the idea.

Each level is superbly designed and stunning with lush environments, high details, and fancy effects. However, it's the sprites that I love because they are large and superbly animated - just look at those skeletons!! Slain enemies leave behind gold coins to collect for use in the shop to purchase much-needed weapons.

It plays well and looks great. What, you need another screenshot to prove it? Okay...

There's no denying the stunning artwork, which is some of the best I've ever seen.

Aesthetics

Visually, this is a beauty with stunning landscapes, raster backdrops, and superb spooky sprites. The level of artwork is impressive, and I dare anyone to say otherwise. The scrolling is responsive and smooth, but I can’t help wondering why they push the boat out and implement STe support.

Like the visuals, the sonix do not disappoint with great chiptunes by Jose Martin. The sound effects are nice, though nothing remarkable - they do their job. Yeah, it's the superb music that works wonders.

A gorgeous game like this needs many levels, as this mini-map so kindly displays...

Check out the map that shows your torturous journey through the Lost Lands.

The CryptO'pinion?

My problem with this game is its difficulty. The constant wave of enemies is overwhelming and made worse by the need to crouch down and collect dropped coins during combat, rather than simply walking over them. Also, touching an enemy causes you to drop your entire loot and momentarily lose the ability to fire!

Despite all that, this game is an absolute blast! It’s thrilling, frantic, and incredibly addictive. The joystick controls are fantastic and perfectly complemented by the stunning visuals and impressive special effects. This game truly showcases the STf's capabilities and is one of the best platformers available.

Downloads for floppy and hard drive.

Rolling Ronny

A wheelie good platformer

This is an attractive platformer developed by Carsten Neubauer of Bones Park and published by Virgin Games in 1991. Before I begin, we're not using our feet to walk - because we're on skates! This is in the quiet town of Fieldington, a lovely place that has just suffered the theft of its crown jewels. I know, I know...

Fortunately, the gang of bumbling thieves were disturbed, but they still had the time to hide each jewel inside boxes and scatter them about before fleeing. Why? I don't know, but Scotland Yard decided it was a good idea to enlist Ronny as their secret agent to recover the jewels in return for a generous reward.

Ronny uses his skates to get around this oddball town, but he can still climb ladders and leap across most platforms. He will need every ounce of agility to avoid/kill the nasties. There are many silly creatures, so defend yourself by hitting the fire button to fling your killer salamis. Yes, you heard me correctly!

This is starting to sound rather unbelievable, right? Well, we need a screenshot then...

Ronny needs to watch out for various nasties, even those cute little birdies!

Run, Jump and Kill

Any platformer needs decent controls, and thankfully, these are responsive and let Ronny leap from ledge to ledge. The status panel displays various pieces of information: love hearts indicate health, a clock is counting down, the number of remaining jewels, and the gadgets enabled. Along the way, you can stop to run errands for extra credit. This is an excellent way to top up your earnings, so it's not really optional.

Ronny's inventory consists of his four spare pockets for storing gadgets (essentially power-ups). These provide functions like a Super Jump or a Magnet that attracts out-of-reach items. There is a massive range of different power-ups, and I really like Power Sneeze!! Coins can be collected to spend in the town's shop. However, be wise and leave enough cash for your bus fare to access the next level. Yeah, that is very odd!

I love it when a platformer has gameplay that perfectly matches its aesthetics! The controls are a joy and are complemented by interesting ideas and amusing mechanics. Simple, and it works. Why didn't I know about Rolling Ronny back in the day? I missed this one and I'm gutted about that!

Right then, let's take a little break for another colourful screenshot with our red-nosed fella on skates...

This jump across the water looks tricky! Surely, I can make it in one?

16-bit Sex Appeal

The visuals are fantastic, with cartoon-quality, comical sprites and smooth scrolling. It's obvious that colour is a big deal, given the richly decorated backgrounds; even the title screen is a stunning Spectrum 512 image. I believe this was Bones Park's only Atari ST game? They should be proud of their achievement.

The audio is a sweet title tune (that I can't get out of my head), all thanks to Adrian Dalecki. The sound effects are accompanied by an obsessive tune that gets my foot tapping. No complaints here!!

And on that note, let's view the final screenshot...

Hang on a moment, there's an actual droplet of water chasing me? Or is it a ghost lol

The CryptO'pinion?

Rolling Ronny doesn't exactly break the mould, but the addition of a skating clown is an odd idea that works (even with his mad hair - just look at that hideous barnet - lol). There are a few niggles which I didn't care for, the most irritating is failing to collect enough cash for the bus fare. I hated it when that happened!!

There is something about this quirky and extremely entertaining game that I love. It's so challenging and keeps you coming back for more. Also, this ain't no lame Amiga port - it's obvious that a lot of love went into making Rolling Ronny. One of the best platformers for the Atari ST. Yes, I actually said that.

Floppy & hard disk versions from Klaz!

Spellfire The Sorcerer

We're a wizard, again!

Spellfire is a scrolling platformer developed by Dave Semmens for Code Masters and released in 1992. It is set in a time long ago: a time of myth and legend when knights patrolled the woodlands and magicians were the cool guys. We're a wizard called Willy (stop it!!) and our beef is with an emperor who is holding captive (wait for it) Fifi The Fairy. She's trapped in his tower, so our valiant quest is to rescue her.

Fifi can only be rescued from the dark fortress by collecting ten magic eyes scattered across the levels. It's the usual quest through lands filled with monsters and demonic guardians. Will you help Wizard Willy?

Come on, I know you will, so let's check out the first screenshot from the game...

The graphics are great, but sometimes it feels cluttered.

It all sounds incredibly original, right?

He begins his journey in a forest that leads to the castle where she is imprisoned. This is a great start, which introduces us nicely to the gameplay mechanics: our hero can walk, leap, climb trees, shoot fire bolts, and even mash up magic spells using a rather large cauldron. Health status is displayed at the top of the screen and will decrease if you happen to touch enemies or a dangerous object. Gold coins can be collected (after a kill), and these are used as currency inside a cauldron that can mix magical power-ups, ammo, or health.

Collecting the magic eyes allows us to battle the first guarding boss - a wasp-like critter who isn't exactly intelligent and therefore an easy kill. This grants us access to the castle via the creepy dungeons, but the guardian is a bit of a bonehead (you will see why). This castle takes us deeper into our quest, but continues with the same theme, with lots more tricks and traps to fool you. I really am enjoying this journey!

This ain't no rushed port, the quest is massive, so let's celebrate with another screenshot...

The first boss is a giant wasp who is a bit dumb and easy to kill. I like that!

Aesthetics

Spellfire has stunning visuals, and I love the contrast between lush nature and medieval environments. Sadly, it can feel "busy", and I dreamt of a background without so much clutter. However, the game is colourful, using a gradient sky. I liked the erupting volcanoes and awesome skeletons when raised from the dead. Everything you see is complemented by smooth scrolling that never lags and keeps up with the pace.

The audio is impressive and can be set to chip music or effects. Whatever you decide, you will love it.

Isn't it great when something looks & sounds as good as it plays! Screenshot time...

Watch out for tricks that will catch you off guard.

The CryptO'pinion?

I've enjoyed Spellfire the Sorcererl it reminded me of a cross between Stormlord and Chronicles of Omega. It's easy to get into, so instantly entertaining with good levels, excellent monsters, and power-ups that work nicely. However, I did feel that the screens were a little too (visually) cluttered, albeit very, very pretty.

I'm grateful this isn't a lazy Amiga port and plays every bit as well as it looks. Code Masters released what I can only describe as a hidden gem. Challenging, but stick with it, and you have a superb platformer!

Grab the HDD version @ 8BitChip.

And the floppies @ Atari Legend.

Potsworth & Co

Another platformer? Yawn, let's check it out...

Potsworth & Co is a cutesy platformer developed by Ben Walshaw for Hi-Tec Software (1992) and is based on a Hanna-Barbera cartoon (which I'd never heard of). I've just learnt that Potsworth is a dog who happens to have a group of kiddy mates - The Midnight Patrol. The story is that someone stole a sleep potion and broke it up throughout five worlds. It's up to the kids to return it to a Grand Dozer (whatever that is).

As different members of the Midnight Patrol (depending on the level, each has different mechanics for powers and abilities). For example, in the first, we are a stroppy girl who begins underground in a place Rick Dangerous would love. It appears this heroine only has to open her mouth to kill most of her foes.

Sounds weird? You betcha! But I think you're gonna love it. Read on...

Each level is different and features other characters, each with their own skills.

Developers who care!

Potsworth & Co offers a style similar to Doodlebug or Magic Boy, but don't let the comical visuals trick you; this game is challenging. Each world features many hazards and, of course, a wide range of baddies who aimlessly walk back and forth, doing their best to make life troublesome. There are also puzzles, but these won't stump you; it's more like moving a block onto a switch panel (or a teddy bear!).

This isn't an easy-to-pick-up-and-play platformer, if I'm honest. I think it has a testing learning curve thanks to a difficulty level famous throughout the 8 and 16-bit era. Personally, I think a lot more lives should have been given by default, and some parts of the later levels are quite irritating. But all this is solved by having more lives or (cough) a trainer, which means you're then able to enjoy this game fully.

The joystick controls are superbly responsive, making exploration a breeze without sluggishness. When you move onto a new level, the game changes your character, which is unusual. I especially liked the third world, where we play as a dog in a candy land - this is bursting with cool mechanics and is brilliant.

Let's see a screenshot of that stroppy-looking girl level I mentioned...

No lame port here, but there are... walking guns in this Ricky Dangerous level!

Model looks!

The visuals are stunning, and it certainly proves what a developer can do when they care about their product. This looks the business, alright, and feels quite console-y with fantastic environments, awesome sprites, and bundles of colour throughout each and every level. The scrolling is both fast and fluent, which means we're being treated, rather than enduring a jerky, lame Amiga port. Amazing, just amazing.

Sadly, the audio is the mirror opposite of those lovely pixels and appears to be an afterthought. There are only a few spot sound effects and, even worse, no background chiptune, which would have been perfect. Oh, and don't even ask about a title theme. That is absolutely terrible and should be skipped - quickly!!

Why is that? So much effort went into the visuals and gameplay, yet little into the audio...

Another new level and another different character to master.

The CryptO'pinion?

This is superb and provides a fantastic venture through several interesting worlds. Each is a vibrant and charming experience and, not only that, but a testament to the power of the Atari ST when in the hands of a talented programmer. Prepare thyself for a game that is as challenging as it is beautiful.

This is one of the best platformers there is. I've loved every second with The Midnight Patrol. If I can pass on a piece of advice, it would be this: Don't be a knob and download this game right now. There ya go.

Downloads for floppy disk & hard drive.

Stormlord

Muscles, fairies, and kisses

Hewson never disappoints, and in 1989, they released a platformer with a difference. Stormlord is a puzzler with stunning aesthetics and challenging gameplay. It's set within a world of myths and legends - you are the Stormlord, a muscle-bound Viking responsible for rescuing fairies from the clutches of a wicked queen.

Occasionally, you find yourself blowing romantic kisses at the scantily clad fairies! In return, they grace you with their fallen tears. This sounds too girly, right? Well, prepare thyself because you couldn't be more wrong.

Graphics never really matter, but it doesn't hurt to have gorgeous visuals! Here is the first screenshot...

Completing the first level produces lots of fair love - and kisses!

Girls, puzzles and boobs!

Beginning in a spooky forest, this eerie platformer is host to creepy monsters like man-eating plants, wibbly worms, bees, egg-hatching demons, etc. You're equipped with a magical weapon that can also double as a huge sword if you hold the fire button. Interestingly, springboards are scarcely scattered about the levels for travel. These act like a crude wormhole, flinging you into distant places - saves walking and it's fun!!

Stormlord rips ideas from games like Dizzy with its puzzles. Some require you to collect objects: like a key for a door, honey for angry bees, or an umbrella for the pouring rain. However, the most difficult aspect of this entire game is figuring out the order to complete these puzzles. So that means lots of trial and error!

I'll help you with my walk-through of level one, as also shown in the video recording...

• From the start, head left passed the boobs and collect the key.
• Walk right and hop onto the jump pad.
• Use this to whiz by leftwards so you can free your first fairy.
• Once free, use the pad to jump back.
• Now collect the honeypot and walk right.
• Don't use that jump pad!
• Continue on passed the pad and walk right.
• Swap honey for the key and the bees move away from the fairy.
• Rescue her.
• Walk left a little and grab the umbrella.
• Now use the jump pad which is now to your right.
• Once you've whizzed across the sky, walk right.
• Free the fairy.
• Walk all the way back and use the jump pad.
• Grab the key to your left.
• Turn around and walk right and free the fairy.
• All done. So now it's time to accept lots of fairy kisses!

The second level has some aggressive monsters, but the object remains the same.

Sexy Hewson aesthetics

The graphics are by Mark K. Jones and awesome!! Everything looks tremendous, from the gorgeous landscapes to the intricate detail of the scenery, and the scrolling is silky smooth. It has to be said that the sprites are equally stunning, with some rather sexy pixels too, and throughout, the animation is simply lovely.

The music is monumental. In fact, it's a showcase for what the Atari ST can knock out when in the hands of talented musicians. Sound effects are excellent, but you need to choose which you prefer - before the game begins - which is a shame. Yeah, I know, perfect audio, yet I still find something to moan about.

Another stunning Hewson release, so let's see a screenshot of the second level...

However, it's a lot harder to learn the design thanks to the nasties. They're nasty!

The CryptO'pinion?

Stormlord is superb, but nothing is perfect. The time limit wasn't necessary, and the restriction of carrying one item is understandable but annoying when there's much travelling to do. However, this bizarre adventure offers a gruelling quest with a massive replay factor! It's as addictive as it is challenging and rewarding.

They did it again; another Hewson mega-hit. Sexy, stylish, and delightful. Highly recommended!!

Download for hard drive or floppy.

Son Shu-Shi

Can you help?

Son Shu Shi was released back in 1991 by Expose and is a platformer that reminds me of Elf or Enchanted Lands. However, the downloads available on the internet are NOT complete and contain bad data, which eventually rears its ugly head later in the game. We are hoping someone has the original disks so we can make a copy and keep it safe forever!! Son Shu Shi is a wonderful platformer, and we need the original disks - can you help? :-)

Visit the 8BitChip website to read more and download what we currently have available.

I've scrapped my plans for a review because Atari Legend has something exciting planned. So check this out, and thank you to The Replicants for their amazing work!!! (click here) :D

Prophecy I - The Viking Child

Brian the Viking!

Viking Child is the tale of a young boy thrown into an adventure through several medieval lands in search of his friends. He needs to rescue them from the clutches of the evil demigod, Loki. Now, it might look spookily familiar to a console gamer, but don't be put off; this is a great Atari ST game in its own right.

There are a humongous 16 levels to plunder, with 8 bosses to battle long before you reach Loki. Walk and leap over obstacles and use your weapon to kill anything that looks likely to hurt you. After a monster is slain, coins are dropped. Use them as currency in the local store, which offers weapons and the usual assortment of goodies. I love the fire weapon, but I advise upgrading your weapon from that short dagger.

Graphics are exceptional, with super-smooth scrolling proving yet again that the STFM is more than capable when in the hands of talented people. I love the gorgeous cartoon-like scenery, and the sprites are well-detailed, even if the animation is humble. The music and sound effects are great, with the choice being yours.

Viking Child is both a creative and technical masterpiece. What it lacks in originality is more than made up for in playability. It's interesting and challenging gameplay includes aesthetics to drool over! This is a cracking platformer, and you soon realise why it's one of my favourite platformers on the Atari ST.

Looks as good as it plays. Yep, I highly recommend you play Viking Child!!

• Download for hard drive at 8BitChip.
• Floppy disk can be grabbed at Atari Legend.
• The level codes to skip deeper into the adventure:

 Forest level: DENIS<E>

 Landbridge: THE BLIZ

 Labyrinth: SHARKMAN

 The Desert: NYMHARSW

Ork

An ugly critter with a gun

Ork is a scrolling platform shooter by Psygnosis involving an angry-looking dude with a big gun. Yep, sounds good to me already, but Psygnosis has never been a favourite company of mine - it's obvious where their preference lies. Thankfully, they did make a few decent Atari ST games, so I'm hoping this is one of them.

We are Ku-Kabul, a wannabe space captain who needlessly has to suffer a series of tests that take place on an alien-infested world. After a nice intro, with images in that famous Psygnosis-style and nice (albeit fuzzy STfm) title music, Ork bears its soul for all to see. It's gorgeous with well-defined graphics that smoothly scroll in all four directions, whilst accompanied by colourful backgrounds. The sound effects are made up of crunchy samples that certainly add a punch of attitude as you run around on your alien killing spree.

Time to take five, to view a pretty nice screenshot...

I'm not sure they made the best use of the standard palette, as everything is similar.
At least they compensated for that by adding a colourful background.

An original copy?

I'm reminded a little of Shadow Of The Beast and Leander with (hmm) maybe a slice of Killing Gameshow too. This is probably because of the visuals and gameplay style that consists of solving puzzles and killing lots of baddies. Thankfully, we are supplied with a cool laser cannon and a jet booster to defend ourselves.

The puzzles aren't overbearing, and the required tasks are pretty easy. Progression to the next level won't be allowed until it's solved because each has a guardian who won't let you pass until you cross his palm with silver, thus providing a little puzzle element. However, it's the action I enjoyed the most, and it is certainly fun blasting those trippy aliens that frantically race around the screen just asking to be blown up!

Wow, Psygnosis pulled out their finger and made something rather decent!

Leap, run, shoot, kill.
What more could you desire from an action shooter?

The CryptO'pinion?

Ork is a good mix of platformer, puzzler and shoot 'em up, but I feel an extra nip of speed would have made it perfect. Perhaps if they had used chip rather than samples? Or even used the Atari STe hardware? That would have been nice, so I feel like Ork could easily have been far better, so perhaps a missed opportunity? (Look below if you have a faster Atari). Anyhow, this lack of agility is my only gripe because I've enjoyed Ork.

One of the better Psygnosis games. Highly recommended to fans of platformers with puzzles and guns.

8BitChip has a download to install onto a hard drive supporting faster computers!

If stuck with floppy disks, then try Fuzion #185 thanks to Stonish.

Here is a MOD file of the Ork theme, which is very nice

(Especially when played on the STe using these players!)