Escape From The Planet Of The Robot Monsters

B-movie gaming

Evil Reptilons are hell-bent on destroying us humans and taking hold of Planet X. They've enslaved much of the population, forcing them to build a robot army for an invasion. Jake and Duke are two heroes with a simple plan: destroy as many robots as possible, trash the computers, rescue cute girls, and save the day.

Robot Monsters is played in a fashion similar to other 3D isometric games you might have seen, going back to the days of Knight Lore. Imagine a pinch of Buck Rogers with a dollop of Gauntlet, and you get the idea. The goal is to rescue the humans, without forgetting those held in stasis pods! Along the way are traps designed for us, soft fleshy humans: sharp spikes, rotating chunks of metal, and electric floor panels.

All this is going on whilst Planet X constantly spawns enemy robots. Yes, the alien horde is relentless, so you'd better be quick on the trigger, otherwise you will be overrun. It's insane, but it works. And it works better than other games that employ the same mechanic because it's manageable and playable.

This game is like living a B-Movie, so let's see some screenshots from the intro...

Grab a raygun and fight

We're not going to sit back and take this invasion lightly. Armed with a powerful weapon that is great for quick kills. However, refrain from overuse; otherwise, it is less effective. Thankfully, it can be charged by collecting the green blobs that a dead robot might leave behind after dying. There are also bombs - hit the shift key and they detonate. That kills anything nasty within your vicinity - even the captives, so be careful.

There are bonus stages along a canal route after a few levels, and they feature many extra bonuses. These aren't essential to your overall progress. Also, I wasn't too eager about them because I wanted to get playing the main game. The big Reptilon boss will first seem an impossible opponent, but there is a cunning way to avoid it by using a few bombs and a little joystick waggling!! Just ask me if you need any help.

A cynic might say, that's all there is to this game: Run around, kill monsters, rescue girls. Well, yes and no. Yes, that's the gist, AND IT'S BRILLIANT!! But no, you're a knob for even thinking that. Look, just play it.

I know, I know, you want more screenshots from the intro. Well, you're in luck...

Next-Gen aesthetics!

Back in the day, I remember being blown away by the comical artwork, which still looks great. In-game, I adore the isometric 3D viewpoint, which is perfect, and the entire environment has superb attention to detail. The Alien Hoard is varied and excellent - my favourite being the biscuit-looking guys lol. They're not biscuits, of course, but they are cute! That's this game to a tee; it's different and loves to be different. It works perfectly.

The audio is a blast, with zappy effects complementing the gorgeous background music. I like how it integrates during gameplay. Sure, I wish we had an extra channel, but the music beats away while you hear relevant sound effects. It works and sounds amazing. I loved the music, so click the arrow and listen for yourself.

Go on, I said, click this arrow just below and enjoy the YM Bliss...

AtariCrypt · Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters

Don't run away. Come back, there are girls to be rescued and robots to kill!

The CryptO'pinion?

I have really enjoyed playing this great game again after all these years. This is one of those shooters stuffed to the brim with originality and frantic metallic mayhem. Running around killing everything is totally demented and done with a comical personality, using great characters. This is a superb isometric shooter.

It's as much fun to play today as it was in 1990. Such an iconic 16-bit shooter, and I love it to bits!!

- DOWNLOAD for hard disk and floppy -

Lupo Alberto

Stop the press!

Late last night, I found an interesting post on AtariAge by Philsan concerning an unreleased game called Lupo Alberto. This is a platformer that (I think) is based on a European comic or a TV show. Well, after 25 years of lurking in unreleased hell, the ST version gets to see the light of day (now listed on AtariMania)

First impressions are good with cartoon visuals and cute sprites roaming about - just look at those chickens!! However, it's push-scrolling, which is a severe shame because the game's mechanics demand scrolling. Well, it is unfinished, so I shouldn't complain too much, and the push technique is fast and zippy...

Gameplay is tricky for this cute platformer, so I imagine lots of frustration ahead of me. I'm delighted we have this rescued, and I look forward to giving Lupo a proper run for its money tonight!

Update: during a game, press CTRL and type: otrebla. Thanks to Luca Stradiotto!!

Pegasus

Swords, guns and flying a horse

Satan has been a bad boy and turned the world on its head. It's our job to reverse his dastardly deeds before it's too late. Developed by Optimus Software for Gremlin, we are Percius and fly on the mythical horse Pegasus. Our adventure is split into two parts: a shooter with us riding Pegasus. And a platformer where Percius is free to unleash his wrath using a large sword (it flips between these two throughout).

The shooter parts are... okay. Imagine something like R-Type, but on horseback, and you have the idea. The baddies appear in the expected patterns so bang on that fire button and collect the crystals they leave behind. They enhance weaponry and there are lots of power-ups that help brighten up this dull affair.

The platform parts are better - run, jump, and leap, collecting crystals and killing baddies. Hardly riveting stuff but still enjoyable with superb joystick mechanics. Controlling Percius is a cinch and I wish more platformers had fluent movement like this. This part of the game had great potential but ended up very boring.

The graphics are bland and I fear a lame port because it's sparsely populated, quite barren of detail. It's like they didn't put in any effort at all. Not only that but that blue background could have been better with a splash more colour. However, the scrolling is nice and smooth so at least that's something? Sadly, the audio is feeble and only the firing stops this game from being as silent as a ZX81!! I really don't think Gremlin cared...

Let's not kid ourselves, this is lame Amiga port and a terrible one at that. It could have/should have been better so it's embarrassing to think Gremlin released this. However, I gotta admit that the platform stages are enjoyable and had potential. It's not a bad game but it's far from a good game. A rushed port.

There are far better shooters and platformers, just use the search option at the top of this page!

The platform part isn't bad but could have been made into something great with little effort.

Collect those power-ups otherwise, it's Zzzzzz!! Play R-Type instead.

Download and play Pegasus using a hard drive thanks to both D-Bug and 8BitChip. But those wanting the floppies can find 'em on Old Games Finder.

 

If the game is too hard (boring) then here are some nifty cheats: 

Press P on the title screen and type in this code: FRUITBAT

Now use the arrow keys to select your starting level.

F1 for extra lives.

F2 to select a power-up.

F3 for an extra special weapon shot.

F5 advance a level.

F7 for a nifty shield. 

 

 To view the greetings

Use this passcode on the title: CATFOOD.

The Ultimate Captive Guide

Escape!

I recently bought Captive, and anyone with half a brain (like me) knows this is an awesome RPG by Mindscape. It has us held prisoner for a couple of hundred years for a crime we did not commit - and the A-Team thought they had it bad! After such a long time, your freedom from this unjust hell is your only goal.

This RPG uses a unique user interface to configure and control droids - it's a briefcase. I cannot tell you why a prisoner has this, but operating it is like something from Mission Impossible! The graphics are excellent with stunning monsters, but I was a little disappointed by the sparse audio. This is made worse when finding out that the original release used DMA of the Atari STe, whereas that was dropped for the v1.2 update!

Fans of this RPG should take a look at a website by Pierre Fournier called The Ultimate Captive Guide.

Sleeping Gods Lie

Sticks and stones

Empire Software released this adventure in 1989, and it's quite unlike anything I expected. I'd seen screenshots and was half-expecting something like Drakkhen with a typical dungeon-crawler storyline. Well, it's similar in some regards and with monsters and weapons, including stones. I know, I know, stones...

We begin on Tessera, a world once rich and prosperous but now suffering famine, disease, and a crime wave that only Robocop could fix. Their god, N'Gnir, strangely seems to be in slumber, so it's your mission to find and wake him. It won't be easy because you must battle your way through the numerous different lands, and each has eight kingdoms. This game is huge, so pack butties because it's unlikely you will be home for tea.

Our adventure starts from the comfort of our castle. From the outside, it's impressive, and I wonder just how rich I am. However, inside it's rather sparsely decorated and mostly empty. This is situated in a strange, chaotic world with most of its populace being completely barmy. All early encounters aren't welcoming; instead, they're a brawl without any provocation. They love to throw pebbles without any reason lol.

Let's take a look at my grand castle, and the second screenshot is from a peek inside...

From the outside, your home looks awesome. Wish it was real!!

But on the inside, it's a bit bare, so obviously furnished by a guy!

The lands outside are populated by weirdos who all seem to hate me?!

A game with character

Fortunately, some people are normal rather than fanatical psychopaths, so chat to them for information. As the box states, this isn’t just an adventure game; it’s packed with action and puzzles set in a fascinating new world. There are many puzzles to complete, including feeding a giant mouse mouldy cheese. These aren’t mind-boggling puzzles; the information you gather will soon make sense for these rather peculiar guardians.

The gameplay uses a smooth first-person engine with simple controls. Use the mouse to guide the pointer: pushing it upwards walks you forward, and downwards moves you backwards. Turning around is as easy as moving the pointer to the side of the screen. While a joystick is available, I found it less intuitive and rather awkward, but YMMV. Also, if walking feels too slow and you’d prefer to run, simply press the F3 key. This isn’t a traditional run, but it does speed up time for you and the entire game.

Exploring is a breeze, making it easy to navigate and find useful items, weapons, people and even enjoy a good fight. However, you’ll quickly realise people aren’t friendly, so practice and master your stone-throwing skills! Well, until you find something better, like a sling or crossbow. I recommend taking your time to thoroughly investigate your surroundings; you might find some seemingly insignificant objects that turn out to be valuable. For example, as you collect pebbles, why not check out those trees to see what's hidden?

Sleeping Gods Lie, though not entirely open-world, offers a similar experience.  Each area allows for free exploration within its segment, with limited exits providing opportunities to move on and discover new areas. However, thorough exploration is crucial for finding helpful items and better weapons.

As you upgrade your weapons, skirmishes become easier, but tougher enemies lurk ahead. Key tips include resting regularly, exploring thoroughly and saving your game frequently like a paranoid madman!

It's time for some screenshots from this bizarre, yet enthralling, adventure game...

This ain't a peaceful land, and most start fights by throwing pebbles at you!!

That distant pixelated mess is a guardian (get closer for a better view!)

The second guardian is freakishly cute (but rather hungry!!)

Aesthetics

Visually, I’m torn. The 3D engine is fantastic, offering full exploration of expansive landscapes. Freedom to roam is great, but through sparsely populated places, making it feel somewhat barren. I’d have liked more to "look at". However, the sprites are a different story. From afar, they’re a wobbly mess of pixels, probably because of the low res? Get closer, they scale beautifully - a feature I really admired in the old engine.

The audio isn't as good as it should be simply because there's hardly anything to hear! I'm sure something could have been done, even if it were footsteps, or a delicate background chiptune. Talking of that, the title screen introduction has a fantastic tune which is nothing less than gorgeous!

Right, let's see some more screenshots and this time I got closer to a guardian...

I later returned to get a better screenshot, but it's a vicious beast!

Then it wasn't long before the stone-throwing started again lol.

A wise old man restores my faith in humanity.

The CryptO'pinion?

Sleeping Gods Lie has some interesting ideas, but it's not perfect. The character integration should have been more inclusive with more depth. As is, it's only used to pass on information rather than any interaction. Also, the weird pebble-throwing battles are initially amusing but soon wear thin. Thankfully, progression comes thick and fast, therefore very rewarding, because the game gets better once you've found better weaponry.

There's no denying that this is an enthralling adventure, and I loved exploring the lands, wondering what I might find. If you have lots of time to set aside, this is definitely something to dig your heels into over a weekend. A fast-paced adventure perfect for explorers looking for something different in a weird, new world.

I enjoyed this game, but don't forget your pebbles and prepare for lots of mindless squabbles!

Download HDD and FLOPPY.

YOPAZ IceStar

A brand new GEM game!

Yopaz is a new Sokoban-themed puzzler by Cedric Bourse that stars a happy chap who loves to collect stars. It's a GEM program, but don't let that put you off. No, sir, this is one slick, very smooth puzzler. Heck, it even features ambient sounds on 4MB Atari STe computers (without that, the requirement is 1MB).

The Sokoban table, viewed from above, represents a part of the universe with the stars we need. In the vast expanse of space, everything follows the rules of physics. Once Yopaz starts moving, he’s locked in that direction until he hits something. So, take your time and think carefully. You’ll need to use the ice blocks to move around and collect all the stars. Some blocks aren’t ice but will teleport you to a different place.

Basically, there is only one rule to constantly follow - think carefully before you move.

There is an advanced mode for those with a sadistic desire to punish their brains with incideously cunning levels. This is a brain-killing choice (I'm too scared!!). You have been warned!!

Cedric Bourse, aka Orion_ (not Orion), has a website where you can download a playable demo, and he is only asking for $4 to purchase the full game. An incredibly low asking price for such a brilliant puzzler.

Bootsie

A boot sector program that's useful

Bootsie is a utility by Stefan Krey that writes a boot sector on a floppy to perform system init functions. These are useful for Atari's with a hard drive or those fortunate enough to own a MSTE, TT, or Falcon. By default, my Mega STe boots up in an 8MHz "compatibility mode", which is great for gaming but lame for everything else. Also, the boot process from start to end will be slower than if it were running at 16MHz.

Enter Bootsie to set the processor speed to steroid mode! And it can do more cool stuff, such as CPU caching, activating the Blitter chip, 60Hz display, etc. What a fantastic utility that helps make a computer as ultra-zippy as possible. Download it right now from Atari ST Essential Software List.

Ballerburg

Artillery gaming!

Whilst enjoying my cuppa this morning (in my Atari ST mug) I stumbled upon a tweet about Ballerburg, a turn-based artillery game by Eckhard Kruse. It's an ST classic and offers addictive, strategical gameplay to blast enemies into smithereens using basic maths to calculate our weaponry's speed & direction.

Ballerburg requires the ability to read German and a monochrome hi-res monitor. But let's be honest, as ST users, we are familiar with language translation on the fly! There are programs to emulate the ST's high-resolution mode. As I type, my Atari STe is running Ballerburg, and I'm (trying) to teach our 6-year-old daughter the basics. Sadly, that ain't going well, so I know she will be an easy victim!

Yes, I'm the father of the year. I'm going to destroy her. Muwhahaha!!

• A download is available on Eckhard Kruse's website, and Ballerburg has a wiki page!
• I use MonoPack to enable ST High Res on my colour monitor. It's excellent.
• So you didn't believe me about my Atari ST mug, uh? Slurp... Slurp...

The Immortal

A thinking man's Diablo?

I have always found something appealing about exploring a monster-infested dungeon - and this is one of the best, if tough! Designed by Will Harvey and programmed by Brett G.Durrett, The Immortal offers a challenging experience, but only if you survive long enough to see what's around the next corner.

We are a wizard who has been asked to help another in a spot of bother. He is called Mordamir, but somehow thinks your name is Dunric, which it isn't. Will you still help him? Of course, you will, even though we later find out this means exploring creepy dungeons infested with hideous nasties intent on your demise.

Are you still feeling brave? Don't lie. Be absolutely sure before accepting the challenge this brutal adventure offers. If you're still here, then it's time for clean underwear as we venture forth into the realms of myth, sorcery, and cruelty. (Some of you might be laughing at my obvious overreaction? Tut...Tut...Tut)

Okay, let's check out some screenshots of the sinister troubles ahead...

Do you think it's safe walking around down here? Well, you shouldn't!!

Learn how best to battle and defeat your foe. And why not chat with the locals?

Welcome to a dark place with monsters and lots of traps!

The Immortal is a scrolling isometric adventure set within a creepy labyrinth of unforgiving pitfalls and ghastly horrors. I cannot stress that enough, right from the start, too. These harsh characteristics will torment even the most experienced adventurer, so you will witness the bloodiest of deaths at a most frequent rate. Never have I played a game like this with so many hidden traps, so grab a pen and paper to make notes.

Lurking within the labyrinth are trolls, goblins, and other creatures that want you dead. Some have exquisite names like The Shades, which you soon encounter. These are a life form that hides in the darkness, only casting a faint shadow near a firelight. Are you scared yet? You should be, this is callous and ruthless.

As you can imagine, The Immortal isn't a game to rush through. Its design dictates a need for a determined player with patience. One who will fall victim to many gruesome deaths to master the intricacies of each level. Don't underestimate it - grab that pen and paper to make notes, you'll need them. Trust me.

This game makes my skin crawl, so I need a break! For more screenshots...

That's some drop there. Best watch your step or come back later?

Hey, I hear there is a prince in Persia who would love one of these carpets!!

You will die and die and die!

Each room is unique and has its own battles, treasures, and pitfalls - so think first, be vigilant, and always on your guard. The good news is that you can often avoid a confrontation by being stealthy, but brave warriors can always use their weapons or conjure magic spells to beat their foes. Expect your endurance to be tested to the full by each level's cruelly hidden traps. Argh, there are so many bloodthirsty traps!

Careful exploration is the key to success. Take your time, but also make sure to examine everything. Who knows, an item may help later? A slain victim is a great place to find cool stuff (Hey, what's better than plundering a dead corpse?). Finally, don't forget to rest. If you see a straw bed, then take the time to catch up on your sleep and enjoy forty winks. This restores health and might even produce an enlightening dream.

Sadly, there is no instant save function. Instead, successful wizards are awarded a certificate, IE level passwords. Yes, this might appear disappointing, but the levels aren't overly massive. Plus, it forces you to tread carefully and be a better adventurer. Oh, cheaters skipping levels will soon realise the error of their ways!

The thing with monsters is that they hate equally, as you can see in this next screenshot...

Even the monsters appear to hate each other. Let's watch them fight!

I never expected a boat ride - whitewater madness style!!

Aesthetics

All visuals are by Michael Marcantel and Ian Gooding and are excellent. They've helped to create a dungeon of horrors using a dark and creepy design. Each room looks the part, plus all monsters are ghoulishly drawn with good animation. I wonder how much inspiration was later taken from this old game?

Spot effects are used for many actions, and various pieces of chip music by Doug Fulton feature throughout the levels. Some dislike the tunes for a game like this, whereas others enjoy them. You can run with sound effects only, but I fear you will be missing out on much atmosphere if you do. I say leave the music on.

Okay, adventurers, it is time for the final screenshot, and it's animated...

The CryptO'pinion?

The Immortal is groundbreaking due to its gripping storyline, eerie atmosphere, and captivating deeds. Mix in a style employing exciting action and a fascinating storyline, and it's apparent why I love it so. An extremely excellent game that will provide hours of agonising pleasure as you uncover its many secrets.

The Immortal is cruel, so very cruel. Skill, dexterity, perseverance, and pure luck are what you'll need to play this adventure. Yes, it's damn tough. Yet it's also one of the best horror adventures for the Atari ST!!

Download for floppy & hard drive.

Rana Rama

We. Are. A. Frog. Really?

Most action games have you playing as something cool, like a wizard, a warrior or perhaps even a Hollywood hero with a deadly automated weapon that never runs out of ammo. Well, not so with Ranarama. You're a novice magician called Mervyn who has accidentally turned himself into a frog? That's right, you're a frog!

Wizards have invaded and brought a horde of monsters who killed everyone, although luckily, they ignored this unassuming frog. So it's time for you to leggit and deal a hefty dose of revenge on them! Played through an overhead view, you crawl through a dungeon, battling the minion slaves of the powerful wizards.

Wanna see who you are up against? Check out these minions of evil...

   

Make the time to check out your foe and find out who you're battling against.


   
Not only that, but a chance to view the gorgeous artwork!!

An amphibian gauntlet?

First impressions are of an action-packed Gauntlet clone; although it looks aesthetically similar, it's different. Beginning in the upper area of this 8-level dungeon, you must kill the baddies and defeat the wizards. Interestingly, only the places explored are visible, and the baddies themselves are only seen when you’re in the same room. This makes entering new rooms-  an anxious moment - who knows what surprises lurk!

Monsters come in various scary shapes and sizes, starting with the humble Dwarf (I love those) and leading up to the mighty Gargoyles. All can be killed with increasing efforts, and wizards need to be defeated in a Countdown-style sub-game that has you rearranging letters to form the word "Ranarama". It's not easy, and later wizards are very tricky, but once won, he dies and leaves behind his rune goodies.

Magic plays its part in Ranarama, and Mervyn has four categories at his disposal: offensive, defensive, effect and other powers. All movement and monster hits will reduce energy; fear not, because you can cast a spell or collect the energy cells, which are frequently available. Finally, use the floor-based glyphs to activate special features like a map, status, and casting powerful spells. Quite confusing at first, but don't give up!

Check out this screenshot. Looks a little like Gauntlet, but... it's... not...

As you can see, the rooms are displayed only when they have been explored.

Aesthetics

The graphics are superb with fine attention to detail, and great use of colour, plus the sprites are beautiful. Also, I love how each screen isn't instantly viewable in full - not until you've actually explored that region. This is a great idea and makes the journey far more interesting because you have no idea what's around the corner.

The in-game Sound effects are extremely good, using a style that shows just what the ST's Yamaha chip is capable of. All chip music is by Dave J. Rogers, of Exolon and Zynaps fame, so absolutely superb stuff. Basically, the audio is wonderful and certainly proves that chipmusic will live on forever. Gorgeous sounds.

Ranarama was one of the first Atari ST games with speech (that I owned).
Thus I adore the fuzzy girl speaking. It's historically humourous but also very epic!!

I love the red eyes of Mr Froggy, and each character has fascinating attention to detail.

The CryptO'pinion?

If you expected a run-of-the-mill Gauntlet clone, then you will be happy, as Ranarama is different. It offers a long-term mix of arcade action with hints of role-playing whilst venturing through the cunning levels. It's difficult but very rewarding, so expect many late nights - if you're brave enough to accept the challenge?

An utterly engrossing Atari ST game, once again by legends Hewson. Absolutely fantastic, in every respect.

The best download from 8BitChip (hard drive)

Old Games Finder should suffice for floppy dudes!

ASCII art

Unreversable demo (2013) by M.E.C for Atari ST

Credits : bob_er (code) | Dhor (music) | gwEm (code/music)

I came across this rather uniquely mesmerising demo the other night on Demozoo and just had to record it. Unreversable is an ASCII art sensation accompanied by funk and dunk chip music for an outstanding experience. Perhaps most amazing is that it's only 64kb, quite incredible... How do they do it?

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this outstanding demo as much as I did.

Unreversable is by a group of talented 8Bit'ers called Masters Of Electric City.

 (creators of Unbeatable - a monochrome Atari ST demo!!)

Gauntlet

Dandy!

Gauntlet is an arcade masterpiece with a design that is simple yet genius. It's a combination of a dungeon crawler with an extreme kill-em-all, and this results in an unstoppable solo/multiplayer experience. Yep, 1-4 people can hack & slash through tons of hellish underground levels! Absolutely gaming heaven.

We can play as one of four groovy characters: a Warrior, Elf, Wizard, and Valkyrie. Each has its own characteristics for strength and battling the nasties. I'm always the Warrior because he's bound to be the Samson of the group, and thankfully, there is no Delilah. Each character needs to be fed, so don't do anything daft like shooting food, as that affects your health lol. Come on, you know how to play this classic!

Let's slap a pause on the reading for an animated GIF of Gauntlet...

A timeless arcade classic. Simple as that, really.

Four heroes against millions of monsters?

The monsters are some of the most varied I have seen, which adds so much to the dungeon feel. We have ghosts, demons, grunts, lobbers (I hate those!), and more. They have their own evil attributes and are born from something called a Generator - so destroy those first to cease the onslaught of hatred against you.

The object is simple - kill the monsters and escape. We're trapped in a 100-level creepy dungeon, and everything lurking here wants to eat you. So it's up to you (and any potential co-op players) to kill everything and find the exit in order to escape the hellish catacombs. Keys are littered everywhere to access restricted areas, and you shall also note the booty which is conveniently left for you, and collect it for extra points.

Finally, Death is here. Yep, literally Death himself, and he is almost impossible to kill, so try to avoid him if possible. This brings me nicely to the magical potions you can discover scattered about most levels. By collecting these, your chance of survival is greatly improved and will certainly help during an encounter with Death. Hint: do not assume he is a single individual making a single appearance, so be wise with your potions.

Before we get to the aesthetics, let's see a beautiful image from the game...

Whether demons or ghosts are attacking, this game is always freakishly GREAT fun!!!

Aesthetics?

Graphically, this has authentically crafted levels that look excellent. The monster sprites are just as good and must count as one of the best-looking arcade conversions for the Atari ST. However, there's a price to pay for all that glam, and it comes at the cost of framerate. This will drop when there are dozens of monsters on-screen at once. Of course, faster computers like my 16MHz Mega STe (and emulators) have no such issues.

I love the audio, from the moment we hear the Da-Da-Da-Daaa begin playing. I'm hooked. This is superb and of good quality, which is enhanced further with in-game sampled effects. Oh, I absolutely love Gauntlet!!

Right then, one final screenshot, otherwise I'll only spoil you...

Argh, they're attacking from all corners of the dungeon!! Heeeeeelp!!

The CryptO'pinion?

There are two conclusions to draw here. If you're using an upgraded ST or have something fancy like a Mega STe, TT, etc/etc then you're gonna love this beautiful game. However, there is slowdown (on the original Atari ST), and it will get sluggish when the screen is heavily overcrowded. Thankfully, I've just heard that Peter has updated Gauntlet to support the Blitter, which is great news for the Atari STe (that includes the Mega ST)

Whether you play solo or not, this is an awesome shooter. Gauntlet is one of the best arcade games, and the Atari ST has another winning conversion under its belt. It's pure retro gaming gold, and I love it!!

Stop whatever you're doing and download this wonderful game from Klaz' Hideaway (both hard drive & floppy versions). Klaz has implemented support for faster Atari computers and my own Mega STe (16MHz) delivered a far better framerate! This transforms the game completely - it's now mind-bogglingly ACE!!

Update: Peter Putnik has made a version that supports the Blitter chip.
Download it from his website.

Mad Professor Mariarti

Nutty professor

Professor Mariarti is a platformer in wacky laboratories ranging from a biological lab to space rocket development. However, as a result of a dodgy experiment going mental, everything has come to life and taken over. To make matters worse, they aren't in the best mood and have grown body parts, like eyes and legs.

Hmm, I think we'd better fix this problem and clear out the labs before it drives the Professor potty. Okay, there are four levels to choose from, with a fifth only playable after completing the first four. As if!

Wanna see a couple of near-GEM green screenshots? Of course, you do...

A platformer with brains

I’ve been playing the Computer Lab level, and it’s full of strange creatures, hazards to avoid, and puzzles to solve. Don't worry, these puzzles aren't exactly mind-blowing and are often as simple as flicking a switch. However, some puzzles require a little more thought - take a look at the massive pressure chamber, which is lethal without first wearing a diver's helmet. I love cunning puzzles like that.

The baddies are a most interesting bunch and very humorous, but the slightest contact will zap your energy. It seems nothing you do will permanently kill them. You can use your trusty collection of greasy spanners, and they’ll vanish, but seconds later, they’re back for more. Argh, they are evil and relentless!!

This is a good thing and helps keep things interesting without any empty or boring screens. The weapons can be upgraded by using terminals, but that costs money, so don't forget to collect any coins scattered throughout. Expect nothing less than a challenge that requires time and effort to get the best from it.

Let's pause for more screenshots. Hey, it looks like I'm in the loony bin...

The CryptO'pinion?

Mad Professor Mariarti is a challenging and addictive platformer bursting with personality. While some puzzles are a bit vague and obscure, you’ll soon grasp the mechanics. It’s best suited for those who enjoy a platformer that demands a bit more from the old grey matter. However, be prepared for a significant time investment to fully appreciate it. I wouldn’t usually play a game like this, but I really enjoyed Professor Mariarti.

8BitChip has the download (floppy & HDD)

Update: Stickhead has a great video to watch!

Chuckie Egg II

My favourite Speccy game!

After playing the Atari ST version of Jet Set Willy, I remembered that we had another 8-bit platformer by Lothlorien called Chuckie Egg 2. This made me happy because I love the original, and I even spent hundreds (thousands?!) of hours exploring and mapping its immense and wacky world that was fascinating.

Let's cut to the chase - the Atari ST conversion is awful. It looks/sounds better, but the gameplay is completely different - it doesn't feel anything like the original whatsoever. In fact, the controls are diabolical, so guiding Harry around is nigh on impossible. His movements are way too fast, and they have altered the basic mechanics of jumping. You know, I expected some differences, but this is a joke beyond anything I imagined.

This is a complete disaster of a game! It’s a terrible port of a brilliant ZX Spectrum platformer. Terrible” is the right word because it’s probably the worst platformer for the Atari ST. I hate that because it’s a port of one of my favourite 8-bit platformers!! I'm not sure if you can tell? But, yes, I'm disgusted by this game. 😡

It's not recommended but, if you're stupid and wanna play this, then the floppies can be found at Atari Legend. A hard drive installable game is at 8BitChip. Surely, you're not going to bother?