Missing: One Droid
Droid was originally developed by MP Lord (he of Hoog fame!!) and was a smash hit, with a sequel three years later. Sadly, neither of these games supported the enhanced hardware of the Atari STe, which meant chip FX, flick-scrolling and a fair bit of slowdown when things got hectic. Not only that, but the joystick controls were finicky - Arghh, I would accidentally fall off ledges when struggling to precisely time a jump!
So, I was excited to hear Jamie Hamshere was working on an improved version that would take advantage of the Atari STe hardware. I could only imagine what it would be like to play a scrollable Droid. Jamie even planned to tweak those controls to remove the irritation that threatened each and every jump.
That project was completed late last year, yet somehow, I completely missed it. What planet have I been living on? Anyhow, I figured I should boot it up to see how this cult shooter played on my Atari STe.
So, without further ado, here is the first sexy screenshot to whet your appetite...
Get out quick, this area is pretty hellish with droids and wall-mounted guns!
An armless Robocop!
Just imagine yourself as a mechanoid armed to the teeth and able to leap huge heights. Somehow, this beast is trapped inside a massive underground cavern and wants to escape to get home for tea. However, the path through isn't as easy as walking in a straight line to an exit. That would be too easy!
The caves are a labyrinth and are guarded or patrolled by mechanoids all too willing to blast you into smithereens. This is a hideous maze with numerous dead ends and doorways that require keys to unlock. It's an underground hell, nigh on impossible to escape without making yourself a map to plot your journey. No, wait, we don't need a pen and paper because Jamie has added an auto-mapping tool. That helps navigate, find objects and prevent the frustration of getting lost. An exceptional new feature.
That's not all that's changed: the old (large) status panel has been replaced by the tiniest bar, so we can enjoy more game space. This still shows the same information for lives, weapons, energy /etc but we now have far more gaming real estate. The various weaponry you're able to carry is also shown - pressing the ALT key will cycle through what you have available. Don't waste your supplies on the wrong monsters!
Come on, let's view another screenshot? Yeah, let's do it...
Oh no, a different type of droid, and this one is throwing bombs!
Mummy, I'm scared!
Droid might be a metallic brute, but that doesn't mean he's invincible. Look for droids wandering back and forth, protecting their part of the cave. They're a few butties short of a picnic, but will shoot on sight. As you progress, you'll see that other areas are protected by a variety of strange objects: some launch bombs and others are wall-mounted lasers. There are other things to avoid, like fire or falling into the bottomless pit.
Using the new map is a must; otherwise, you will get lost and probably give up. Keep on looking for the keys and carefully plot a route. Mini-bosses appear throughout the journey, and the first is like an angry prawn! The armoured truck is excellent - an unexpected boss to find in a cavern. I wonder if it's Jet Man?
This game has always been a tough nut for tough nutters. This still applies, as it's still merciless, with a cruel design that sometimes feels OTT, with lasers, bombs, and mechs all ganging up on you at once. Death results in a life loss, which unfairly sends you back to the checkpoint. Only a skilled and determined gamer (willing to invest time and effort) will succeed. So good luck because I've no chance O_o
Fancy a screenshot that shows a weird monster? Don't run away, check this out...
What the heck is that, some kind of sea creature? I hope you saved your better weaponry?
Fancy a few juicy tips?
- Don't kill everything you see, and therefore run out of precious ammo.
- Collect power-ups for energy and ammo only when you need to!
- Closely stalking droids is fun, plus it's safer and uses no ammo.
- Learn to use the mapping tool. It's a little odd at first and reminds me of Heartland.
- Some weapons are best left until you need them for a specific purpose.
- Learn the controls and enjoy a few practice games before taking on the challenge.
- Walk away and give up. You're not good enough!! (I'm kidding!!)
- Hopefully, these tips will help. Man up and play this excellent game!
Enough pep talk from me because here is another screenshot...
Be patient and unlock the doorway barrier only after the droid walks away.
Aesthetics
Things appear similar to the original, but a keen ST gamer will notice that the play area has increased significantly. The colours are better, and the Blitter is moving the sprites, so the slowdown is gone. The only thing missing is Droid's minigun from the original. Finally, we have smooth scrolling in all directions, unlike the horizontal flick-screen method. Jamie, you've (respectfully) blown the original into pieces.
The audio has undergone major changes (massive understatement) with the addition of music and awesome sampled sound effects. Check out the theme music, made with his own program, Turbochip: this knocks out seven channels using the DMA and YM2149 together for phenomenal results. Wow!!
It looks and sounds amazing, so let's see another screenshot to celebrate...
Another killer area with droids, bombs, guns and fire. RUN!!
The CryptO'pinion?
Miles did a great job and produced a platformer that was challenging and stuffed full of action. Incredible considering it wasn't commercial, so all credit to his talent, commitment, and love for the Atari ST. However, the lack of dedicated hardware negatively affected the game. Plus, I found the controls irritating and kept getting lost. I guess Jamie felt the same way and wanted to rectify these niggles without ruining things.
His project to enhance an already great game was very risky, but it worked. It's a perfect blend of improved aesthetics and gameplay. And I'm not falling off ledges by failing to make those tricky jumps. As remakes go, it's fascinating to think how much hard work he invested into improving this ST classic.
It's the same shooter, but one that's been rolled in glitter, so it sparkles brightly. I love it!!
- L I N K S -
AtariMania has a floppy disk download.
Jamie bravely recorded a complete playthrough!
Bitmap Soft has a boxed version to buy!!
Fancy going Godlike with infinite energy and ammo?
Enter this code on the title: FEELCOSMICALLTHETIME
