Atari = crazy
Whitewater Madness was under development in 1989 by Scott Williamson and Ed Schneider for Atari. With great faith, it was specifically designed for the new Atari STe (possibly one of the first games to utilise the enhanced hardware). The game was finished but never released which is disappointing, to say the least.
This is a shoot 'em up taking place on a river; imagine what would happen if you took Toobin' and then slapped in a dollop of river-raid's violence. You will have Whitewater Madness, a vertically scrolling shooter that has us sailing down a bizarre stretch of water through space and time like Dr Who.
In Atari's wisdom, they decided not to bother releasing it. It was left gathering dust in the halls of the forgotten. I love Atari for giving us the ST/STe computers but their marketing skills sure tested our patience! Well, cheer up because I have a treat in store for you with the full and finished version of Whitewater Madness to download and play for yourself. That's right, the disks have been found and I've been given copies!!
Note, for many years there has been a demo version to download. Do not bother with that. It's a lame and very old beta which plays nothing like this final release here. Okay, it's screenshot time...
The controls are superb but you can also use the rapids for additional effect.
A Toobin' River Raid?
We sail a magical river in our little Pod to search for green energy cells. Why I don't but, but collect them to raise your Warp Energy levels to maximum capacity - so we can travel further through time. If successful, we are presented with an information screen telling us how good (or bad) we did. However, if you failed to collect the required amount then you're sent back to the start again to do it all over again. (I saw that a lot)
Our dinghy is equipped with a rapid-firing mounted gun! This is a good job because we are under a constant onslaught of hazards and weird creatures. Avoid dangers such as rocky rapids, mines, artillery and other crazy stuff like kamikaze dinosaurs - who love to leap from the shores. It's absolutely insane!! There are lots causing mayhem; cavemen, something that resembles a pterodactyl, a giant turtle, and centaurs.
The controls are dead easy to get to grips with - and superbly responsive. I love the directional method that works for fast and efficient guidance down our insane river raid. Picking up green "L" pills will recharge the Pod and stop it from going BOOM but these are few, so collect as many as possible - quickly.
Let's take a break to check out another screenshot from this crazy Toobin...
Those rapids are ace but you better watch out for the nasties - like kamikaze dinosaurs!
An Atari STe game that never was!
Old gamers (me!) will love the graphics that are kinda 8-bit in style. It feels like something you'd expect of a console because of its traditional palette and dinky sprites. They are small, with little animation, but nicely detailed. With one exception, a hostile kamikaze dinosaur that loves to leap from the shores!!
Scott informed me that the Blitter co-processor was used to handle the visuals. And it shows with brisk movements that keeps up perfectly with the player and the hectic action without any trouble.
The sound effects are pretty nice with lots of shooting, explosions, and more. The DMA coprocessor is used and is super-duper. However, I must admit to being disappointed with the title music because it sounds like it's using low-frequency samples and is "STFM" in quality. A bit odd considering what the STe is capable of.
Fancy another screenshot? Of course, you do so here you go...
Watch out for dinosaurs, mines, birds, riverside cavemen and lots more!
The CryptO'pinion?
Whitewater Madness has the hallmarks of a fantastic arcade game and is something I'd expect to see on an Atari console. I love the frantic Toobin-style action which is perfectly balanced yet challenging without feeling impossible. There's much going on and I think this is an excellent action/shoot 'em up.
Why Atari didn't release this is unbelievable! It's a great game, so sails into the seas of retro gaming gold!! It's simple, it's fun and it's now available to download after being 'lost' for three decades. That alone makes it extra special so enjoy what would have been one of the first Atari STe games. A delightful arcade game!!
Download the official disk images
(with source code) kindly supplied by Scott.
