Grav

Downlow on Brownlow

I've had Grav on my bucket list for far too long. Like many, it's something that I fondly remember and wanted to share with those who may have missed it. Grav is a game similar to Oids, Thrust, and Rotor. However, it wasn't commercial, but rather shareware, released by Martin Brownlow in 1991. Now that's impressive.

The story goes that something evil is going about conquering galaxies and now has its eyes on ours. This predictably evil creature has arrived at Earth, so rather than wait for our demise, we are tasked with a preemptive strike attack at two of its secret bases. Each is split into four separate missions, and we can choose either to do first. Every mission has a briefing; always read that before attempting the challenge. Completing all the levels wins the game and sends whatever this evil entity is back to its own galaxy.

Fancy a quick break? I hope so because I have some screenshots on their way...

The start screen - read the briefing and use its craft options wisely.

Wait, STOP!! Don't shoot that generator because we only have half a tank of fuel.

Phew! I wasn't an idiot after all... That blue glow means I'm refueling.

Gimme that joystick!

Before diving into the main game, I recommend starting with the three training missions. As you begin, you'll notice key information at the bottom of the screen: your score, unused bombs, fuel level, shield strength, and remaining lives. These training levels are designed to help you get familiar with the controls, understand the typical cavern layout, and learn about the dangerous enemies you'll face. The controls are similar to other shooters: Left and Right rotate your craft, Up activates thrust, and Down is something you need later. Tap the fire button to shoot, or hit the Spacebar to launch a powerful bomb - perfect for tougher foes.

Each cavern has a myriad of hostile objects that the enemy has planted in various locations. Turrets are everywhere and fire constantly, while other hazards like Repulsors push your ship away. (Yes, there are Attractors too, pulling you in). Later levels introduce new and improved turrets that fire more rapidly. Another enemy launches homing bombs that seek you out - so shoot them first. The base cannot be destroyed until its bay doors are open. Additionally, don’t go around blowing up everything without thinking. Remember that fuel gauge at the bottom of the screen? You’ll need it. Generators - oddly enough - refuel your ship when you land near them. So maybe don’t shoot those straight away, not until you've robbed them of their worth!

Always begin your game by reading the mission briefing; it instructs you exactly what is required to beat each level. What I didn't expect was the "Review Craft" option, which allows you to use a limited supply of "resource points" to upgrade your craft. This is similar to Rotor but much better and feels part of the game rather than a bolt-on. It's here you get the opportunity to make several adjustments to the controls...

• Impact Shields - to protect from enemy fire (1 point)
• Turn Rate - alter the rotational speed (0 points, so use it)
• Shot Power - costs the most and is possibly overrated at the start (5 points)
• Vane Strength - for better landings (2 points)
• Thrust - for a speedier ship, but practice first! (0 points)

I'm sure you are ready for a screenshot break before the gripping conclusion? Here you are then...

Beginning the first stage, and it's tough from the get-go!

Turrets are firing from both sides, so don't dawdle!

I made it up, and instantly, a hidden turret appeared. I was quick (for once) and shot it!

CryptO'pinion

Let's be honest, for a shareware game, GRAV rocks. It's absolutely superb and almost up there with its commercial siblings, which is quite incredible when you think about it. I adored being able to alter the ship's mechanics (I preferred to reduce the turn whilst increasing the thrust and improving the shields). However, nothing can completely compensate for my gaming skills, but Grav sure tries its hardest. Ha!

It's not all roses, as I found the cavern designs harder than I first imagined. Boy, are there some tight spaces to try and navigate? Not to mention if near a Repulsor, that made it nigh on impossible for me to pass. Also, I hated having to restart from the beginning after dying. My last moan is about the audio - I find it odd that the ship makes no thrusting sound. Everything else makes a sound, yet the engine is eerily silent.

Like the other games previously mentioned, Grav is another "Gravitar" game to gleefully add to our catalogue. It's great to play with smooth scrolling and sampled sound effects. Plus, I loved the little touches - like being able to intercept enemy fire, making use of training missions, and reconfiguring your craft. The only thing is, it's very tough. Are you a good enough pilot to take on this challenge? I hope so because this is a damn fine shooter. Although I shall never have the skills to complete it, I rate Grav an alien-splattering 80%.

• Slap it onto your hard drive https://atari.8bitchip.info/SCRSH/grav.html
• Awesome/Elite has a great disk https://dev.atarilegend.com/games/grav
• Fantastic game maps by SToS https://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?p=479534#p479534
• Check out this video by Rob Capper https://youtu.be/DNT2aR06MaU?si=i4e3aisffiTVme_v

Yet another tight space to try and navigate through without embarrassingly dying!

Another tricky maneuver is needed here...

Being shot at from all angles, and then I noticed that bomb-launcher up there!!

Rotor

One for the collection?

In the not-too-distant future, everything will be impossibly expensive. Jobs becoming scarce with no opportunities for the majority of us (now that's a surreal and scary prediction). Hmm, perhaps we should quickly move on? Anyhow, there is the prospect of joining the Roto-Raiders who pilot huge tanks through dangerous caverns for a lucrative reward. Only the brave need apply because the missions are deadly.

Dare you sign up? What, really? Yeah... Of course, we do so count me in!

Gravitar-Esque games are popular for the Atari ST. We have killer titles that are extraordinarily awesome - Oids and Thrust instantly come to mind. That means Arcana had to bring something new to the table in order to stand out from the crowd. Plus I naturally had high expectations considering the strong competition!

Before we crack on, I bought Rotor off eBay so let's look at all the goodies...

Yeah, it's hardly in perfect condition but it's pretty good and I like the design too.

  
Hmm, mind-blowing content? It's minimalistic but it's nice owning a piece of hiSTory.

Get to it, I wanna blow stuff up!

Rotor is like Thrust with numerous tasks split into separate missions. We begin with a training simulator to learn the controls, how to collect items, and kill the many different types of enemies. This is a great way to understand the basics and to learn (or rather grasp) the technical user interface. Oh, and the training needs to be fully completed before moving on to the real missions. That sounds like a con but it is a good thing.

You can attempt each mission in many different environments - earlier levels are tame compared to the torturous ones later. Every cavern has antagonists (as the manual loves to say) who are enemies like Cannons, Laser Guns and Gravity Generators. Some can be destroyed whereas others can be temporally disabled.

Our spaceship is a large circular craft with adequate but sluggish manoeuvrability. Physics plays a part, so there is gravity to consider and you can only accelerate in the current facing direction. The caverns are vast and claustrophobic due to the ship's size and lacklustre abilities (feels leaden compared to Thrust or Oids).

All missions follow the path of needing to complete requirements like shooting Container Pods for their contents. Destroying them and killing as many enemies as possible rewards extra points. All this is within the time constraints of limited fuel and armour. Once you're finished, exit coordinates detail where to go to escape.

Simple stuff, so let's take a peep at a couple of early screenshots...

The training missions are a fantastic way to learn the ropes.

In this simulator, we only need to shoot (and then collect) what's in that box. Easy!

Power-ups & other stuff

Rotor could have been a simple game of shooting/collecting stuff. But it's not. Arcana obviously thought this would be far too boring, so jazzed it up with pointless clutter. Let's begin with its user interface...

On the left-hand side, is a map detailing your position, the dots above that are your remaining lives. The coordinates of zeros will change once the mission is complete to show the exit location to rendezvous (the other coordinates are your current location). The three icons between these are 1) the time left until a bomb explodes. 2) The time left until a disabled laser resumes. 3) The required number of crystals to gain exit coordinates.

At the bottom of the screen is the radar and this shows helpful information like the state of your armour, cargo, and remaining fuel. However, it also displays potential enhancements that can be gained by collecting pearls. For example, the second icon is for the ship's rotational speed. The third icon improves upon its lethargic thrust.

Hang on, what was that about Container Pods and Pearls? Container pods offer a variety of goodies like fuel, upgrades, explosives (potential traps) and sun crystals (to exit the level). Pearls affect performance significantly: collect two and the ship rotates faster. Pick up a third and you can upgrade the thrusters.

I cannot help but wonder why they needed to be earned rather than come as standard? It feels unnecessary to upgrade the ship during a mission instead of concentrating on the task. Too convoluted.

Let's take another look at some more screenshots from my victorious venture...

Blast those gun turrets before attempting to sneak by.

Things are getting hectic in Lego land which is very difficult to manoeuvre through.

Tips and level codes!

• Don't even think about skipping the training missions. Trust me!
• Bombs automatically activate after first shooting the pod. You have two options, leave the screen safely and survive or collect the extra cargo and take it home.
• Beware of how much cargo you're carrying. Extra weight means a slower ship using more fuel.
• Watch the walls, take your time and let the scrolling catch up with you.
• If something is able to shoot at you then it's best to shoot that first and clear the way.
• I hate to say this, but don't worry about ship upgrades as this wastes time (and fuel).
• I said don't skip the training but, if you really can't wait, here are the level codes:

Level 1 = GAG,

Level 2 = LIP,

Level 3 = SLY,

Level 4 = MEW,

Level 5 = AWE,

Level 6 = TNT.

 

As tough as it is groovy-looking. Must admit, I do love the weird palette!

Argh, this level looks so passive but is insane! I died straight after taking this screenshot.

Input & Output

Controls are as familiar: fire button to (erm) fire, upwards to thrust and left/right rotates your craft. I doubt there would be any reason to change this asteroid-ripping formula because it's tried, tested and works great. However, my problem is the craft's manoeuvrability which is far too sluggish by default, and that's a bit rubbish.

Graphically, Rotor is lovely, with a futuristic/Tron-like feel for the training simulator. Later levels look funky with colour and a design that feels 8-bit in some respects. The screen scrolls in all four directions smoothly but it will struggle to keep up with your ship if go too fast. Hmm, at least that forces you to be more careful I guess?

The sounds are acceptable albeit not the best you've heard. There are effects for the engine, shooting, enemies, etc. They hold back the deafening silence of space and make Rotor pretty much what you expect.

I think it's time for the final run of sexy screenshots...

Later levels are far too hard (for me) because there's too much going on for your sluggish ship.

Another later level which has far too much going on for my reactions to cope with!

The CryptO'pinion?

I've enjoyed Rotor but not nearly as much as I should have. Don't get me wrong, Rotor has some good points like the training missions and groovy graphics. However, it complicates what should be a fun shooter for no decent reason. The worst is the necessity of ship upgrades during the game rather than after each stage.

There's a lot to moan about, I guess? I have enjoyed Rotor, it's good to play and something new. But let's not kid ourselves, it's bordering on mediocre compared to Thrust and Oids. Close but no cigar!

PP has adapted Rotor to be run from a hard drive and Old Games Finder has the floppy disks.

Oids [upgraded]

It's Oids, but better!

Oids is a shooter set deep in outer space and has us rescuing metallic men from captivity. Like Dungeon Master, every ST guy has played this at some point in their life. It's a classic and nothing similar comes close. I've probably spent hundreds of hours on it over the decades so check out our review from last year.

However, I must admit that I was shocked to discover that it only runs at 10/12fps (PAL/NTSC). I'm sure today's kids will probably laugh at such a low framerate! Oddly, it doesn't feel that low, but that didn't stop Peter Putnik from developing an upgraded version running at 25/30fps and he improved the controls too.

This is a fascinating upgrade that enhances the original - without spoiling it. Check out the upgrade for yourself as it's added a whole new dimension to our iconic thruster. And I love it to bits!!

Thrust

Reliving my college days!

The thumping chiptune of the day is awarded to Thrust!! Let me explain... Earlier, I enjoyed a couple of plays and now must suffer the reward of having its funky music booming through my tiny mind. Yep, I just can't get it out of my head lol. Well, it's a good job then that it's one of my favourite Rob Hubbard masterpieces.

I love Thrust but I don't recall many rave magazine reviews? Probably because it didn't appear that much of a technical improvement over the 8-bit games? For me, that's good because it's perfect. Any cosmetic changes would have been a huge mistake. Remember Chuckie Egg 2, a shocking 16-bit disaster!

Thankfully, Thrust isn't like that. It's still a great game with tough mechanics and hugely addictive gameplay. I love it and so will you because it's a cracking game. It's as good today as it was back then - I should know, I spent most of my college years in the 'library' playing Thrust on a BBC Micro instead of studying!

It looks funky, sounds boomtastic and plays great so is a timeless classic for the Atari ST. Love it!!

D-Bug has a version of Thrust that you can install onto a hard drive/ultrasatan.

Those that need the floppy disk can check out Old Games Finder.

SNDH Record is the place if you fancy driving yourself crazy with this gorgeous chiptune?

Masochists can download it to play later, courtesy of the SNDH Archive. All good fun :-)

OIDS!

Oids, the final frontier...

Certain games need no introduction; they are classics that changed the course of history. Think of Knight Lore (Speccy), Dungeon Master (ST), Doom (PC) and you get the idea. Oids is another that needs no introduction but, this one is possibly restricted to the Atari ST world, and all those who looked on in green envy, of course! Well, let's continue on anyhow just in case you are braindead and have never heard of this game before...

Little iddy biddy Oids are our robotic friends but they are being mistreated, in a terrible way by their evil creators, the Biocretes. Innocent oids are being held prisoner on various remote planets located in the deepest parts of space without any noticeable atmosphere - yet strangely trees still managed to grow! ;-)

Oids was created by Dan Hewitt who unleashed it onto the world in 1987 by FTL. For years, it remained an Atari ST exclusive title until 2002 when the Apple Mac got a conversion. (the older PPC Macs, not the newer Intel or ARM Macs). Anyhow, this is a bid deal for the ST because it's exclusive and holds dear memories.

Okay, we've hit the point where even I'm bored of reading, so let's view a screenshot...

Hurry up and rescue little stickmen from that prison!

In space, no one can hear you scream!

Similar to any Gravitar game, we navigate a spaceship through caverns searching for our metallic friends. Use your weapons to destroy the buildings holding them captive; find a place to land so they can climb on board. Now, sit back and watch as the superbly-animated stickmen make their way toward your ship. Simple and elegant. Once everyone is found, the mothership appears to whisk everyone to safety.

Controls are simple to turn, thrust, fire and so on. It might sound strange to rotate and turn your ship in the right direction before thrusting. But it works perfectly well and in tune with the physics and gravity of each planet. It feels real, without being fiddly or difficult and are precise and perfect.

Those Biocretes aren't going to sit back and passively watch as you take the captives. They are an evil bunch and have laid many traps and hazards. Not only that, but each planet has a wealth of artillery defences: rocket launchers, gun turrets, repulsers, gravity bases, etc. Everything can be destroyed, but don't expect a mothership or ground base to be easy. Sometimes it's best to fly away like a cowardly chicken!

Let's pause my yapping and see a lifeless planet with trees. Or is it just nighttime? You decide...

Hang on, so trees can grow fine on rocks without an atmosphere?

Sound & Vision?

Visually, this game might appear simple and without much to it. Well, stop right there buddy boy, because this game is bang-on awesome. The outline of each planet's landscape is represented by a rough terrain design which looks ragged and suits the barren theme. Buildings, turrets and all other objects are detailed very nicely. However, it's the excellent animation of those stickmen that makes my grin very wide!!

The audio is lacking in the chiptune dept - there isn't any! But we get to hear the boing...boing... of the ball in a cool 3D intro. In-game effects are for the ship's thrusters and guns - I love the firing sounds and other explosion effects are nice. The audio is perfect and any music would kill the dead-of-space atmosphere.

It was 1987, a time when the ST was a baby. Yet, Dan/FTL released (another) timeless classic...

Roaming around planets is fun but later levels are very, very hard to master. Learn to pilot!

The CryptO'pinion?

Every ST nutter loves this game because Oids is absolutely magnificent!! The idea isn't original but the execution is spot-on thanks to superb mechanics, realistic physics, and interesting levels. Not only is this an Atari ST exclusive, it's enjoyable and extremely challenging thanks to great gameplay. A wonderful shooter.

Oids is one of the most outstanding games released - it's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!! ;)

UPDATE: 8BitChip has updated Oids with better framerates!!

8BitChip has a download that can be installed on HDD.

Klaz Hideaway has a great download for floppy and HDD.

Read the Oids manual (Apple Mac but relevant)