Clown-O-Mania

Clowns make everyone laugh, right?

Clown-O-Mania sounds like the perfect title for today's crazy world. Instead, it's an Atari ST game developed by Matthias Krenzel and Carsten Mohr and released in 1990 by Starbyte. However, it's not a game I remember; my first impressions are of Spindizzy Worlds or Crystal Castles, which is not a bad thing.

So what's the story? Well, Beppo the Clown was strolling through the circus and found a mysterious map. Not just any map, but a mysterious map! This tells of a hidden place with valuable crystals. Beppo cannot ignore the temptation and quits the circus. Oddly, he remains in his clown gear and makeup! Anyhow, he finds the location and wants the crystals. Can we help him get rich? It's doubtful with me in charge of the joystick!

Let's look at the opening level, which is a great way to learn the basics...

Many levels are designed with multiple layers accessible via ladders and more.
I've collected a few crystals, but what are those two green "things"?

Can you see those blue boxes? They look helpful.

Let's play

All levels are displayed as an isometric map using different square tiles. Each is a mini-labyrinth made of sections, so teleporters, ladders, and more are used to get around. The objective is dead simple - collect every crystal. Earlier maps are easy, and they help to gradually introduce different elements and enemies as you progress. That's about as complex as this game gets. Collect the pills like Pac-Man and move on to the next.

Of course, it's not always so straightforward, as later levels are large and littered with pitfalls and enemies. Thankfully, there are collectables to aid your quest, like "jumps" and "razors". Jumps are a teleport and great when things get too difficult. Razors can be used as projectile weapons to kill the nasties.

The tiles of each maze offer various benefits alongside some strange effects. Arrowed tiles allow you to move only in a particular direction. Coloured tiles provide bonuses when they're all the same. Blue tiles reminded me of Wipeout to provide extra speed. Jump tiles leap you into high places (rewards for landing on a baddie!). However, the most infuriating are the yellow-patterned tiles that twist the world on its head!

Additionally, funnels and transporters provide instantaneous access to other areas. Those are blue with a yellow dot and reminded me of a litter tray lol. Use the pyramids to block the path of roaming baddies - think along the lines of Highway Encounter. However, you should increase your energy levels to utilise them fully. Fortunately, clown masks are scattered throughout the levels, offering a much-needed extra life.

Movement is slick and responsive using the joystick, of course. Pushing up moves you diagonally up/right, whereas pulling down moves you down/left. It sounds awkward, but I grew up with isometric games from 1984 (thank you, Knight Lore), so I'm used to this concept. It's easy to learn and perfectly apt.

What, you think this is an overcomplicated isometric Pac-Man? Let's break with some screenshots...

One of the first collectables is a severed bald head. Or a 1-UP ;o)

Watch out, those yellow tiles will flip everything on its head!

Aesthetics

Visually, this game is both fantastic and disappointing. What, I hear you cry! Am I insane? Well, yes, but hear me out... The pixel art is (I think) by Orlando Petermann and Roman Bossart, and they did a wonderful job. Beppo's details are superb, albeit with a surreal Rolling Ronny vibe. I also love the baddies (great AI) and each level, whilst lacking the glam of other isometric games, looks clean and concise.

Sadly (here we go), the poor old AtariST might look good, but the programming behind the scenes fails by comparison. It feels like a weak Amiga port because there is no scrolling. That makes later levels far too difficult, as you cannot see what enemies are nearby. Not until it's too late (think Cannon Fodder).

The audio fares much better with a belting chiptune by Adrian Dalecki. It's subtle and suits the gameplay without overpowering your concentration. Sadly, this is the only tune constantly playing alongside the sound effects. There's nothing wrong per se, as the music (and effects) are good, but more tunes were needed.

It's not looking that great, isn't it? Well, let's take another pause for some screenshots...

Why not change the colour of those tiles like in Jumping Jack'son.

Level 9 appears far more complex than it is. Hey, if I can do it...

The CryptO'pinion

It's tough to give an opinion when I didn't get anywhere near completing this game. After about a quarter of the way through, I hit a brick wall as the lack of scrolling made it impossible for me to continue. I'm genuinely gutted because I was having a blast until then. The levels are great and require much concentration to figure out a safe route, whilst worrying about other elements such as traps and the map's many enemies.

This game had great potential, but ultimately, it didn't fully deliver. It's obvious why. I'm disappointed Starbyte rushed this game through without utilising the ST's capabilities. My rating is a disappointing 55%.

I hate lame ports, but I'm always interested in your thoughts. Let me know in the comments.

+ Floppy disks can be found over on Atari Legend: https://www.atarilegend.com/games/clown-o-mania

+ 8BitChip has the hard drive version: https://atari.8bitchip.info/SCRSH/clownom.html

Hey, I wonder what will happen if I jump inside that funnel?

I loved this level, those arrows aren't nearly as bad as they look!

I should really take the screenshot before collecting the pills. Looks a bit dull ;-)

Do you want a tip for later levels? Always collect the razors (blue/red lines)

Level 19 is insane and gave me isometric Dungeon Master vibes because of the baddies!
(That green tree thingy reminds me of a Screamer)

Party Seven!

Gary's games

I was looking back through the AtariCrypt archives and came across Alien World, a sensational shooter. Oddly, unknown to many gamers. It was developed by Gary Antcliffe for Hi-Tec Software in 1992 and is a bit like Blood Money or Zynaps. You know the kind - kill everything whilst trying not to die a humiliating death!

He's also the man behind Blazing Thunder, Bomb Fusion, Future Bike Simulator, Scooby-Doo, T-Bird and Yogi's Great Escape. Quite a bunch... So, I began to wonder what his other games might be like. Annnnnd you've guessed it! Yes, here is a quick compilation of Gary's games for the Atari ST.

I hope you enjoy this brief history of his games. Let's take a look...

- Alien World -

Firstly, there's no need to rewrite any more of my junk! Just take a walk down AtariCrypt's memory lane and then download what is nothing less than an exciting, if brutal, shoot 'em up with super-sonic visuals to boot. Yep, it's tough and takes no prisoners, but a skilful and persistent player will be rewarded with a fantastic game.

Grab the floppy disk download from Atari Legend and the HDD from 8BitChip.

- Blazing Thunder -

Remember in Ikari Warriors when you could kill soldiers from within the relative safety of your little tank? Have you ever wondered what it might be like to permanently be inside a near-invincible tank throughout the entire game? Well, wonder no more because this arcade-inspired (aka blatant rip-off) offers exactly that.

Stop! Don't touch the keyboard because there is an incredibly cheesy intro which is hard not to love. The graphics and sound effects are both excellent, with our hero looking like a Rambo wannabee with the mad 80s permed hair! Following this is the title screen, which is worth leaving displayed just to enjoy the thumping music.

As we begin this vertically-scrolling military shooter, everything is pretty much what you'd expect with soldiers blindly offering themselves as free cannon fodder whilst others lurk in trenches, trees or operate guns. What it obviously lacks in originality is more than made up for in the fun department right from the start:

• Level one takes place in a jungle, of course, before advancing onwards to wetter places for the next stage. These two levels are possibly the best reasons to boot up the game.
• We head into the desert for the third stage, which is where I found my tank starting to show its cumbersome colours. Having to navigate back 'n forth through the terrain was a pain, especially when ginormous tanks are blocking the way! The boss is impossible to beat without a cheat!
• Watch out for the fiery landscapes of level 4 with tougher enemies and awkward landscapes. Things are now impossible, and I cannot imagine anyone playing this without a cheat!
• Level 5 is a breath of fresh air, feeling somewhat like the first two levels, and I got serious vibes of Fernandez Must Die. Just watch out for the trains and grenade launchers! The boss is impossibly difficult, and even if you do defeat it, the robot guardian appears to kick your butt.
• Completing the game rewards you with a lame well-done message...

I love rumbling through the jungle in my beastly tank, but what were they thinking about when creating such an enormous sprite? It's huge!! Thankfully, the controls are sweet with fast movement and a design that makes it easy to manoeuvre. Running down the soldiers is the first thing to do! Why not? I'm in control of 100 tons of steel, so I'm bound to enjoy squashing the enemy into the tank's tread. Watch out for mines that will sap your energy (yep, your tank has energy!) and stay clear of hidden bombs marked with a B... for BOOM!!

There are power-ups that aid health and improve weaponry. Hitting Spacebar operates your own collection of bombs - this is insane and dead funny when soldiers are caught in the explosion. They turn into black-singed corpses!! In fact, the bombs are most useful against the bigger baddies and end-of-level bosses.

Graphically, this is an average looker with a poor framerate that doesn't come close to Dogs of War or War Zone. I liked the palette, and the sprites are the best thing. However, there is little or no animation - your tank! If you're wondering about the audio, don't. Spot effects, which are well, you know...

Blazing Thunder is a good shoot 'em up, but it gets repetitive after the first level and is difficult. However, fighting from the "safety" of a tank does offer an alternative spice to the genre and running over soldiers is always fun. Okay, I'm never going to delete Ikari Warriors for this, but I enjoyed this a bunch.

Grab the floppy disk download from Atari Legend.

- Bomb Fusion -

Like many Atari ST guys, I upgraded from an 8-bit computer, which means lots of fond memories, and I've always got a soft spot for anything reminiscent of that era. A good example would be the Dizzy games, Starquake, Highway Encounter, Head Over Heels and most certainly the recent and incredible Bugziacs.

Okay, here goes... in Bomb Fusion, Terrorists have sneakily planted explosives inside a nuclear station, and we've come to save the day - arriving in a Sinclair C5. So it's our job to systematically defuse each bomb before the radiation levels reach dangerous levels. I'm getting whiffs of Bomb Jack, but there is also the additional task to collect and store any leaked fuel pods. Well, I guess that adds a little more depth to the game?

Getting around each level is easy thanks to the number of platforms used to access each remote bomb. Sometimes these are way out of reach, which means using pressure pads or falling off the screen. Yep, falling off the bottom of your screen allows you to reappear at the top, which is a nifty idea. Also, there is a weird ball randomly bouncing around for some reason - touching that isn't good for your health.

Graphics never make the game, but let's be honest, it's nice to have your Atari ST looking hot!! Sadly, I can only imagine the shock on anyone's face when they first played this - did we get a direct Z80 port or something? Also, the music is irritating and possibly the worst I have ever heard from the Atari ST. Be quick and hit F10 to flip to sound effects before your ears bleed. Yes, they are lame, but a zillion times better than the music!

Once you've got over the shock of your Atari ST pretending to be a ZX Spectrum, this is quite good. Scurrying off the screen, frantically trying to defuse the next bomb, is a rush. However, it doesn't really go anywhere beyond that and later levels are very difficult. Ten minutes of fun, but definitely the weakest game.

Grab the floppy disk from Atari Legend and the HDD from 8BitChip.

- Future Bike Simulator -

Apparently, motorbikes were banned in 1995 only to be replaced by 300mph anti-gravity Future Bikes! The highways have been converted into The Strip, a new track designed for speed without annoying roadworks or Sunday drivers. Each section is littered with mines, bombs and other riders who can be shot and then robbed of their loot. Use this cash to upgrade your bike with missiles, shields and other goodies.

The controls are great, but sometimes, a track would feel too cluttered, especially in the city. Ride, blast, and kill anything that gets in your way and survive as long as you possibly can. What more could you want?

Visually, I might have been impressed around 1988, but this came later, so I'm shocked it's not better - although I thought the sprites scaled nicely. Interestingly, there is an option to increase the framerate by hitting the F key, which is fast and excellent. You can flip back using the N key, but then everything feels rather sluggish. Sadly, the audio is very disappointing with mediocre sound effects, but at least the title screen music is superb! I found that the 25Hz mode was best experienced using real hardware. By far!

This is a neat game, but I failed to see anything resembling a simulator, so I'm renaming it Future Bike Racer. The tracks are long and crammed with many bad guys to blast into smithereens, but there's nothing mind-blowing here. I found the simplicity of doing nothing more than riding my bike and killing folk!

Grab the floppy disk from Atari Legend and the HDD from 8BitChip.

- Scooby-Doo & Scrappy-Doo -

I'm a bit of a fanboy for platformers, and this Scooby snack proves why I love the genre. It's bright, colourful, and detailed with excellent controls. However, it's based on Scrappy-Doo, that annoying pup who ruined what was once a fantastic show. Anyhow, Shaggy and Scooby have been kidnapped by the evil Baron Von Drak, which means we are (groan) Scrappy-Doo, who must attempt the rescue. We begin on a ship, heading to a desert island, with later levels taking us through caves and forests before a battle with the Baron himself.

Each stage is superbly designed, with the chance to enter hidden secret levels for tons of bonuses. The enemies are varied and run around like crazy fools, with some hopping to and from the different ledges, which was most unexpected. There are several items to collect for health or power-ups, and Scrappy can throw a mean couple of punches, even if his reach isn't that great. Collecting Scooby snacks will eventually reward you with an extra life, and you will need that for the desert stage and onwards when things get a lot trickier.

Visually, this is an excellent treat!! Scrolling is smooth, sprites are cartoon-perfect, and the levels are utterly gorgeous with a great design using bundles of colour. Audio is probably the best of all the games mentioned here, thanks to funky chiptunes. You can switch to sound effects, but I wouldn't bother.

This is a tie with Alien World for the best of Gary's games. They're very different, of course, but I cannot decide between them. Good old Scrappy has delivered a killer punch with something that looks, sounds and plays brilliantly. I think this is one of the best platformers for the Atari ST. Yep, I said that.

Grab the floppy disk from Atari Legend and the HDD from 8BitChip.

- T Bird -

It's time to wear your Buck Rogers big-boy pants for a blaster similar to Space Harrier or Galactic Conqueror. It's easier than the Sega conversion, so nowhere near as difficult, thanks to its casual mechanics and fantastic controls. Graphically, there is a serious lack of colour and flair, so things look incredibly bland. I don't get it, it's not like they sacrificed any glam for that (ahem) extra speed. Audio fairs better with chip music playing in the background, and there is the option to hear sound effects instead. Don't bother.

T-Bird isn't a bad shooter, but the above-mentioned games are miles better, so I'm sensing that this was a port without dedicated ST love. That is a massive shame because the ST rocks with 3D games. Ignore what I said about Bomb Fusion because this is definitely the weakest of the bunch, and I'm gutted about that.

Grab the floppy disk from Atari Legend and the HDD from 8BitChip.

- Yogi's Great Escape -

Jellystone Park is going to close, and all the animals are to be transported to the zoo, so Yogi decides to escape. I imagine the local council sold the land to a housing property developer... Anyhow, I had high hopes for this platformer after seeing the screenshots full of colour and gorgeous cartoon sprites.

The main objective is to dash through to the end of each level, avoiding any nasties. There are picnic baskets and items to collect, but your main objective is to escape before the timer expires. Each level follows the same basic principle, and there are lots of enemies, moving platforms, rolling platforms, long jumps and other stuff to ruin his day. Most of them feel fiddly and unfair, especially those irritating rolling platforms!!

The controls are responsive, but Yogi's movements feel somewhat wooden and unrealistic. Plus, he's too big for the environment, which makes some jumps rather awkward. In fact, it doesn't feel like he can jump - more like floating? Very similar to something like Ghost Battle, rather than what you would actually want.

Visually, I love its cartoon appeal. Lots of care must have gone into going that extra mile - smooth scrolling, tons of colours, and gorgeous sprites. The animation is lacking, but this is one gorgeous looker! The audio is terrible with no in-game music, only meagre spot-effects! Plus, I didn't care for the fuzzy title music whatsoever.

Yogi feels flawed with weird mechanics and limited content, which is a shame because it looks great and certainly has potential. There's just something that puts me off doing little more than rushing through each level. Sadly, it looks like Yogi isn't smarter than the average bear and you're better off with Potsworth & Co, Rolling Ronny, Stario, Magic Boy, Magic Pockets, Terry's Big Adventure, etc/etc/etc...

Grab the floppy disk from Atari Legend and the HDD from D-Bug.

- The CryptO'pinion -

That was a peculiar and mixed bunch of arcade-inspired games. There are a couple of direct ports, which is a shame. It's obvious that Gary's skill in getting the best out of the Atari ST improved considerably over the years, and he certainly ended on two huge highs with Alien World and Scooby-Doo & Scrappy-Doo. In fact, these two are Christmas crackers and blew me away in terms of quality programming and gameplay.

I hope you enjoyed this compilation of Gary's Atari ST games. Let me know in the comments...

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 glittering 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 lurking. 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 allow Ronny to leap from ledge to ledge, but as usual, reaching for the function keys to activate a gadget is a bit of a pain. 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 be stopped to run errands for extra credit. This is an excellent way to top up your earnings, so not really an optional part.

Ronny's inventory is his four spare pockets to store gadgets (essentially power-ups). These provide functions, like a Super Jump or the Magnet, which attracts any 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 comes with gameplay that matches the aesthetics perfectly! The controls are a joy and 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 because of 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 manages to get 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 a rather odd idea that works (even if he has mad hair - just look at the 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!

Burger Dream

You are what you eat

Burger Dream is Reisoft's spin on 'Clowns & Balloons' with a Ronald McDonald lookalike collecting flying burgers. Imagine Breakout with a dollop of Space Invaders - but replace the aliens with hamburgers!

Ronald is left to feel the wind in his wig because we control a couple of goons who move a trampoline contraption that allows him to bounce high in the air and collect burgers. These are scrolling across the screen to make it extra difficult. However, try not to drop Ronny otherwise, or he ends up in a crumpled heap.

The mouse is used for left/right movement and is perfectly implemented for smooth & precise control. Sadly, the graphics aren't exactly 16-bit, more like something I would have drawn! Only the blind will appreciate these pixels! Burger Dream is hideous and repetitive, but I admit it was surprisingly enjoyable.

Download your Big Mac right now!