Enhanced games - part 4

Five Star

Here we are again with another selection of games that are enhanced in some particular way when run on the Atari STe. What, you missed the other compilations? Shame on you, but I'll be nice and include the links to those articles right here(1), here(2), and here(3). Let’s crack on and see which games I've picked...

Birds of Prey is an unfinished project by Argonaut Software, with its intro released in 1991. While the game never reached completion, the surviving intro is a technical marvel, showing off the Atari STe with smooth 3D visuals and striking sound effects (all created on the ST). The gameplay would have been more of a lite-flight sim. Not really my cup of tea, but it's a shame that they cancelled it. It's definitely worth watching this intro, which is available at Atarimania.

Future Wars was released in 1989 by Delphine Software and was the first to use their "Cinematique" point-and-click engine. You play a window-cleaner who stumbles across a time machine and ends up bouncing through history - from medieval Europe to prehistoric eras and far into the future, all while trying to foil the evil alien Crughons. The game wowed everyone with its outstanding backdrops, smooth animations, and unforgettable DMA audio (ohh yeah). This little paragraph does it no justice. A true classic of its time, and the download is available at 8BitChip.

Leavin' Teramis was released in 1990 by Thalion Software and is often celebrated as one of the finest overhead shooters for the Atari ST. We are Nigel MacGibbons, an unlucky marine who wakes aboard an alien-infested spaceship and must blast his way through the levels. The gameplay is perfectly balanced, mixing frantic shooting with simple exploration with secrets and power-ups. This is one of the least "enhanced" games, but it's already a class act with supersonic scrolling, perfect music, and fantastic gameplay. Probably one of the finest shooters there is, so ignore the reviews out there and play it!! Downloads are available from Atari Legend.

Road Runner was released in 1987 by US Gold, where we guide the speedy bird across hazardous desert roads while avoiding Wile E. Coyote and his endless traps. It's like playing your very own cartoon! It's actually a fun game and a very enjoyable way to relive your childhood TV memories. Additionally, the game was updated in 2018 with Blitter support for the Atari STe by Peter Putnik. The download has both game versions and is at 8BitChip.

Robocop 3 is something of a masterpiece by Ocean in 1992. Obviously, based on the film, it mixes 3D Hard Drivin' with first-person shooting and even has a jetpack scene. So step into the metallic shoes of RoboCop to clean up the crime-ridden streets of Detroit. On the Atari STe, the game makes use of enhanced sound hardware, giving the gritty battles and explosive effects extra punch compared to the standard ST version. The download is available from Atari Legend.

That was quite a mix of incredibly different titles, and they're all good to play for different reasons. I really enjoyed Leavin' Teramis and Robocop 3, plus the improvement made to Road Runner is nice. However, there is no denying that Future Wars is something everyone needs to play. As always, compiling this list was fun, and each title has been added to our ever-growing Enhanced Games page. Go on, take a look at it.

I hope you enjoyed this fourth compilation. Stay enhanced... Stay Atari STe!!

You might not be able to play the game, but don't miss watching this intro!

What an absolutely epic adventure!!  >> Miss this one at your peril <<

Classy overhead shooter. Those with a keen eye will notice overscan (status bar).

MeepMeep... I'm reliving my 1970s/80s with this game!!

Way ahead of its time in terms of ideas, style, and performance.

Sleepwalker

Nightwalker

Imagine me in 1993, a dedicated Atari STe fanatic, but my beloved computer wasn’t valued nearly enough by the commercial gaming world, and its enhanced hardware remained largely ignored. So when Ocean promised an STe-powered platformer, I was ecstatic, imagining a vibrant world of exploration and adventure with extra colours, smooth scrolling, and sampled sounds. Then I got my hands on a cracked copy (99.9% sure it was Flame of Finland), and I was gutted. I wanted a platformer to be a platformer – run, jump, explore, pick up bonuses, and so on. No, it's more like Lemmings, and I hated that with a vengeance (sorry, not sorry).

For Sleepwalker, we take on the role of Ralph, a desperate dog whose owner, Lee, suffers from sleepwalking and might wander into all kinds of hazards. We must guide him safely through a gauntlet of different levels. Not only do we need to keep him alive, but we cannot let him wake up, or the shock kills him (good, I say!).

As Ralph, we rush to clear away any obstacles, some easy, some dangerous (this part weirdly reminded me of Highway Encounter). As you do this, you're opening up a pathway for the idiot kid, but you may still need to give him a (ahem) gentle kick in the right direction. I guess it’s a mix of puzzle-solving, wrapped in a slapstick package - with the ever-present tension that one wrong move could see Lee tumble into disaster.

As you can see, Sleepwalker does indeed share a bit of its DNA with Lemmings. However, I guess it’s more of a distant cousin you don't like, and, even though we're not digging holes or erecting ladders, you still manipulate the environment to steer Lee away from hazards. The challenge comes from being quick on the joystick and remembering the level map, all whilst thinking ahead to react and redirect Lee.

Sleepwalker is technically stunning, demonstrating the Atari STe with amazing graphics, sounds, and brisk hardware scrolling. Sadly, that means nothing when the game is doggy-do-do. Plus, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it's a cheap Lemmings in disguise. Only this time, we're stressing over a child. Something I do in life, and not what I desire from a game. Playing Sleepwalker is like being on unpaid babysitting duty!

It may have been for Comic Relief, but the only relief I got was switching off my STe and going to bed.

• Experience my version of 1993 with the same disks - Flame of Finland (download at Atari Legend).
• The best way to play Sleepwalker is using a hard drive, thanks to Peter Putnik.
• Sleepwalker is now listed in the Atari STe enhanced games list!
• Silly tidbit time... I decided to play Sleepwalker after a poll that I posted on X. While it didn’t quite go as planned (ahem), I would like to thank everyone who voted. Follow me on X.

So, we begin, and straight away, the first level is huge and easy to get lost in.

The next level looks really nice, with a bit of a Pitfall feel to it.

Irritating game!! This stupid kid is really annoying me...

...so, I left him and went exploring!

Lost the will to carry on here. So I let him die, for a laugh. Why not!

Once again, I left him to go exploring. I like to wander, me.

The daft look on my face as I realised games were supposed to be fun!

And after all that stress and hassle, the stupid kid is still asleep!!

(check out his big toes lol)

D-Day

Rule Britannia!!

A couple of years ago, I managed to buy myself a mint copy of D-Day by US Gold. This is a war game on four disks, so it's a pain to someone (like me) who's been spoiled by the luxury of an Ultrasatan. However, I couldn't find a hard disk version anywhere, so I did what any sane person would do - I asked Peter Putnik.

Later, during the World Cup (and after a couple of beers), I had myself the hard disk adaptation of this wonky war game. Launching it from my Satan is a dream compared to the floppies, and I'm really grateful for Peter's commitment to the ST scene. So, what did I think of US Gold's take on this historic moment?

Before we begin, June 6th 1944 is a moment in time that we are unable to comprehend but will never forget. This video recording and game review is just my humble way to say thank you to those who have served.

We need to see a screenshot, so let's kick it off with the topography of this historic area...

Overlord offers a crude yet incredible insight into the situation on the day. Quite frightening!

Operation Neptune

A map of Normandy during D-Day illustrates enemy positions and planned missions, enabling their execution. This is like a campaign mode for the entire Overlord Operation, and each event features by time as it unfolded. However, it's confusing to newcomers, and even the manual recommends you start by playing the individual missions first. I love their honesty, so I did exactly that and began each part in turn.

The idea of these mini-games is great. They are broken up into four categories: Tank, Bomb (the most sluggish planes ever!), Paratrooper, and Infantry soldiers. Splitting them up is brilliant and allows you to skip directly to your favourite. Also, no matter the game, there are always several missions to choose from.

Wanna hear more? Good! So let's take a look at each of the mini-games right now...

There is a wealth of information and statistical detail to check out in the main game.

Mission #1 - Tank

The first game is Tank, a WWII twist on the Battlezone format, and looks like another ST title, possibly because they share the same programmer, Pascal Jarry! There are lots of missions, and the first instructs us to destroy every bunker on the beach - a lot harder than it sounds! There are loads of missions, but it's quite buggy, and I suffered a few crashes. At one point, I even managed to get myself stuck in a tree!

Performance is poor and lacks engine noise (which is weird), but I have to admit that I had a bunch of fun driving the little tank. Make sure you hit the function keys for the different modes of operation, and also a cool outside perspective. Overall, it's worth playing a couple of missions, but sadly, it feels like a rushed add-on.

An average game that could have been far better, so I rate this 5.5/10.

The big boys are here, and we're taking no prisoners!

We're out roaming the countryside - looking for a fight.

Mission #2 - Bomb

This next game is truly eye-opening. How did it manage to slip past the US Gold Quality and Control debt? (lol). Again, there are lots of different missions, and I chose to fly at night to bomb a bridge. Well, that was theory, anyhow, but I literally had not even the slightest chance of hitting it. Not in a million years!

Controlling the plane is strange. There are basic instruments to help with your noble adventure, but it's all a bit rubbish. It's nothing like I would expect, so you're left feeling blind, which makes completing any mission nigh on impossible. Calling it a sluggish 3D engine is a massive understatement; I reckon an Oric 1 could perform better. It’s definitely the weakest game, so I won’t be playing it again.

I am really struggling not to be too cruel here, but I must rate Bomb at 2/10.

Wow, I really don't know how to describe this part of the game... So poor.

Mission #3 - Paratrooper

We parachute in, either solo or with troops, into a dangerous warzone. Firstly, getting them safely on the ground is crucial, but be mindful of the challenging wind conditions. Despite the ludicrously bad gameplay, guiding your men to safety is surprisingly rewarding. My daughter enjoyed it and thought it was good - bonus!

Unlike the Bomb game, this game is so bad that you need to play it. Weird, right?

I don't know why I enjoyed this game so much. I have no answer, and rate it at 6/10.

Weeee, one man gets tangled and falls to his death, but the others land safely!

Mission #4 - Infantry

I enjoy overhead action/strategy games, and this is styled similarly to the likes of Cannon Fodder or Rebellion. However, don’t be fooled; it’s more of a slower-paced tactical game where stealth is key to survival.

Many missions involve guiding stickmen through fields, avoiding enemy bunkers, tanks, and more. The gameplay is crude, and the enemy AI is like a robotic turret (ie, not very good, but deadly!). Each enemy unit has a specific position on the screen, and once spotted, they relentlessly bombard that area. It’s your job to sneakily find an alternative route and pick them off with your machine gun, grenades, or mortar.

The controls are surprisingly imprecise, and getting the soldiers to stand exactly where you need them is half the battle. It’s also annoying when they take the long route around an obstacle, often putting them in the line of fire and causing them to die. The graphics are quite Cannon Fodder-ish, but of a very crude type. I might be a terrible pixel artist, but I honestly think I could have done better. The sound effects are made from crunchy samples and add to the atmosphere, but the constant noise might give you a headache.

I should stop complaining because, despite its flaws, this game is incredible. It reminded me of what I'd call (a lite) Stonkers on the ZX Spectrum. Infantry is nothing more than finding a safe route through the map and picking off the enemy one by one. It’s very simple and not much more, but I genuinely enjoyed myself more than I can explain. I played the game for several hours. Yes, I know, I’m mad!

It's crude and ridiculously unrealistic, but I loved it!!! So I'm giving Infantry a 9/10.

We're on the beach in one mission, and raising everything to the ground on another!

The enemy won't move, but they're sure out in great numbers. Can you kill everyone and escape?

The CryptO'pinion?

If there was ever a mixed bag of goodies, then this is it. The Operation Overlord sections are rich in depth and provide a unique historical perspective for eager gamers. However, D-Day feels like it was hastily programmed, which is odd considering the credits. Technically, it fails to utilise the Atari ST hardware effectively and is riddled with sluggish, buggy code. Very surprising. While D-Day is somewhat tacky, I thoroughly enjoyed playing Infantry. Therefore, I recommend it just for that, especially on such a significant historical day.

Grab the floppies via Atari Legend

8BitChip has the new HDD version!

Looks pretty good, right? Well, this was recorded using my beefy Mega STe.

I'll say no more...

PP's Enhanced Games

New game updates!

Everyone knows Peter Putnik has adapted hundreds of games for hard disk installation. These include extras, like bug fixes, TOS compatibility, 4MB patching, Mega STe/Falcon support, etc. However, some are also super-charged with cool coding that utilises the Blitter coprocessor and DMA for audio that will blow your mind.

Are you interested in games being better on your Atari STe? You should be!

I thought it would be a nice idea to compile a brief overview of his enhanced games here on AtariCrypt. Oids and Uridium are particularly impressive as they significantly improve on their original versions. I also enjoyed playing my own music during a game of Xenon 2 (you can convert your own music).

There is something here for everyone, and I hope you find this useful. Let me know what you think.

Let's play.

Let's take a look at some of these enhanced games that you can download and play right now...

• Xenon II - updated for the Atari STe and features DMA-streamed music. Turn up the volume!
• Cannon Fodder - enhance this lame port with your own DMA-streamed music.
• Prince of Persia - the DMA hardware is used to replay the game's sound effects.

  

Did you enjoy that? Well, here are three enhanced FTL games that are nicely improved...

• Dungeon Master - far cleaner samples are heard thanks to the DMA hardware.
• Chaos Strikes Back - again, the DMA hardware allows cleaner sample playback!
• Oids - double framerates deliver a smoother experience when rescuing the stickmen.

  

Let's take a peek at three more that aren't exactly favoured well by the average ST gamer...

• Jinks - this jerky game is weird, but at least it now uses the smoother STe scrolling.
• Menace - I cannot thank Peter enough for replacing that horrendous yellow ship!
• Uridium - Blitter-boost that sluggish ship and add DMA-streamed background music while you're at it!

  

Now let's take a little run-around with these three you might never have expected to boot up...

• Giana Sisters - this Zamuel_a enhanced game now comes with optional DMA streamed music!!
• Hard 'n' Heavy - gone is that embarrassing flip-screen, thanks to the Blitter.
• Road Runner - Improved and Blitterized for faster scrolling for this funny game.

  

Okay, let's end in style! Here are two ST classics and a PC classic, too! Ooh, nice...

• Goldrunner - Some might not like this, but I hit the F3 key to disable the fuzzy speech!
• Gauntlet - this sluggish hack 'n slasher gets big improvements, but still needs extra CPU grunt.
• Wolfenstein 3D - Ray's jaw-dropping FPS now has bugs removed with decent save game support.

  

Hard 'n' Heavy

Looks familiar...

Hard 'n' Heavy follows on from Giana Sisters in true fashion with more Mario-esque levels to run and jump through. The official commercial release was poor with awful flip-screen scrolling that ultimately ruined what might have been a great conversion. Sure, flip might work well with some platformers, for example, Jet Set Willy, which would have been horrendous with scrolling. Just imagine... but Hard 'n' Heavy needs scrolling!!

That's where the bad lesson ends and the good news begins as Peter Putnik has developed a version that features smooth-as-silk scrolling thanks to the use of the Blitter lurking inside every Atari STe. And also most other earlier models (incl. later STFM models which had a Blitter or at least a hungry socket).

Hard 'n' Heavy obviously looks and feels similar to Giana Sisters, so if you didn't like that game, then you may as well start looking elsewhere right now. Interestingly, the physics exaggerate the Giana experience to feel more like we're floating, and this took me a few goes to master. It's pretty surreal. Okay, there are 25 levels of shooting the baddies, destroying blocks to find all the bonuses, and even access to hidden levels - if you can. Also available is an incredible two-player feature, with various game types.

This is superb, and I'm sure a Giana Sisters fan will love what is more of the same with a few extra bells and whistles. Peter has done well to transform that pathetic commercial game into something it should have been all along. Make sure you play it on a real computer to experience the silky-smooth movement.

I prefer Giana Sisters, but this Hard & Heavy upgrade is downright marvellous. Highly recommended!!

- Download Hard 'n' Heavy -

Peter Putnik

Here is an interview that I am extremely excited to publish because Peter Putnik is a name paramount with Atari ST gaming mainly because of his hard disk adaptations. This means no more running games from an unreliable floppy disk!

I have been using his warez for a long time, and ST gaming wouldn't be nearly as much fun without his efforts. The adaptations offer us the ability to install games onto our "hard drives" instead of the sluggish and failing floppies.

The experience is therefore far superior and usually comes with a trainer to help bad players (like me). Each game often comes with support for faster Atari computers which is incredible when booting up something like Frontier on my Mega STe. What's even more interesting is his 'Gamex', a method of snapshotting your progress instantaneously - kinda like an old Multiface!

I was surprised to hear about his past with not only the Atari ST but also the ZX Spectrum. Two great computers form my own computing history. I hope you enjoy this interview with the man responsible for hundreds of adaptations and several outstanding Atari STe enhanced upgrades. I don't think there is anybody so active on the Atari ST scene. My sincere gratitude to Peter for taking the time out for a good chat.

- The PP Interview -

 

What is your Atari hiSTory?

My history started in 1987 when I decided to upgrade from a ZX Spectrum to something much stronger and the Atari ST was my first thought. However, the Amiga had just arrived in the shops so I was in dilemma, but not for long, the Atari ST had far better quality of software and the prices were almost equal. Also, the Atari seemed a better platform for some serious activity. I soon upgraded the RAM to 1MB and also added another floppy driver and made an EPROM programmer (a must for anyone dealing with hardware mods).

I already had some experience with ASM programming with the Z80 so I soon started on the Atari ST. 68000 ASM is really nice to work with, especially with a good assembler like Devpac. I wrote utilities for my own needs with help from Atari Profibuch book and created a floppy copier combined with a RAMdisk. Most learnings was via books and magazines, unlike today with easy software availability. Pirates were pretty much active in these days, even during 1988's PCW Show in London. :-) In Eastern Europe, they were the only source for computer software, I must say. I also wrote some articles for Yugoslav computer magazines during these early years.

 

What setup are you using these days?

Currently, I have one Mega ST, one STe and a Mega STe. The truth is, I don't use them much because they are very old and fragile and I've needed to repair them a few times, except the Mega STe which is indeed best built. The extra speed is welcome, even for games, although Mega STe was never intended for gaming. I bought this some 9 years ago, and I've since replaced the hard drive. Now used mostly with UltraSatan - much easier data exchange, less noise...

I mostly use the Atari computers to test and to play but my main tool for adaptations is using Steem Debugger and, without this, development would be much slower and harder. This emulator, equipped with a complete overview of emulated computer status, may see all hardware at any moment and following the program flow (even with history). Steem is a very good emulator, and luckily, a couple years ago they released sources so I was able to do some modifications for my needs. On the real hardware, there are limited possibilities of tracing, especially with some software working in very low RAM. Older computers have too low a resolution with a small screen area but there are some things I can not do with my PC: GAL and EPROM programming - where I still use Atari and old programs.

 

History of your famous game adaptations?

Adapting games started during my Spectrum years actually. However, there was not much to adapt but POKE was popular to exploit the code which decreases a player's life count and the like. I also made a snapshot saving program which was in fact very-very simple and only needed to save the RAM and CPU registers to then restore from where we wanted to play. I did it with faster routines, so loading only took some 2 minutes instead 5. :-) Next step was when I added a floppy interface to the Spectrum and then I wanted to transfer all good games onto floppies. So, basically same thing as the Atari ST with game adapting, except that this was way easier because Spectrum software was singleparted in 99% cases and that means no further loading was required after starting the game. I transferred hundreds of games onto floppies very quickly - one disk could store over 20 games, using compression. Next step was adding hard disk like with Atari ST and I designed my own IDE adapter...

In case of Atari ST games, it was more time consuming, some 60% do not directly access the hardware but instead TOS functions for floppy access. This means it was sometimes simple but other problems might arise, like TOS version incompatibilities, RAM usage, etc. Again, it was easiest with singleparted games, so my first hard disk adaptations were with such games that didn't have any disk access after loading - like Stunt Car Racer and Sentinel. Afterwards, I made adaptations using a RAMdisk for faster loading before the later adaptations, like Formula 1 GP.

 

Incredible results achieved but why did you begin this?

I started all this because I wanted to get rid of unreliable and slow floppies. The real leap was probably the arrival of Flash cards, so we can now have small, silent, fast, cheap storage. I started to deal with them right at beginning - first one was 8MB Smart Media card in 2004. :-) I certainly did not plan, or expect, that it would reach a count of over 1000 adapted games!

 

What are your favourite games?

I first played Flight Simulator II which I bought together with Atari ST. Then I was playing Dungeon Master, Carrier Command, Millennium 2.2, Formula One Grand Prix and not forgetting Potsworth & Co.

 

What other stuff have you created?

My first serious software was MC Tracer, a debugger, for the ZX Spectrum. It could run any software, step by step, and there was a circular buffer feature to store the last 100 executed instructions. What's interesting is that I made almost the same relocating system (it must working at any RAM area) as what is used in TOS executables :-) Also worth a mention is my Spectrum modded ROM - for floppy and hard disk (all available at zx48.8bitchip.info).

For the Atari ST, I first made some floppy utilities and then a hard disk driver, which is still under development. I did some Windows utilities for accessing and transferring data with Atari ST formatted floppies and also hard disks. Soon after the Internet became accessible in our area, I started a website for my Spectrum and Atari ST projects. The site moved couple times during years, I hope that current place will stand for a long time.

Any current hardware projects?

I have many plans but things are moving slowly, especially with hardware. Mostly I would like to finish old projects, like the cartridge port IDE adapter and ACSI port CF adapter. No specific STE projects currently, but the cartridge adapter works better on STE and movies look much better. :-)

 

What's your favourite hardware creation?

My personal favourite ... hmm it could be the IDE hard disk adapter for Sinclair Spectrum because that was good exercise with GAL programming. For the Atari ST it would be the cartridge IDE adapter.

 

As a programmer, who inspires you?

I don't think that I was particularly inspired by a particular programmer but there are certain names I associate with high quality. Games by Costa Panayi, Andy Pennell for Devpac ASM and Geoff Crammond for his good simulations.

What about the Atari ST/e future?

My concern is that real Ataris will not last much long. More and more people will use emulators or clones like Mist. Still, adaptations can make playing a lot easier on both. I think doing STe-improved versions of games seems the right choice now. However, this can be very time consuming, I started Uridium couple years ago and simply disassembling it properly took a couple days. I then had to put it on ice because of a lack of time but, luckily, I was finally able to finish this recently.

Other problems are a lack of sources for better sound effects and corrupt or missing original disks. We need flawless images to work with for so many games, like Son Shu Shi, Jinks and others. Thankfully, we recently got Giana Sisters, the internet is a great thing and we need to work together. :-)

 

Links...

 - I often use Peter's 8BitChip adapted games and all are listed right here!

 - There is an 8BitChip Forum you can join and a YouTube Channel with many adapted games.

 - Have you seen Peter's Atari STe versions of Xenon 2, Cannon Fodder, Dungeon Master, etc??