Harris Went Skiing

Horace?

Let's rewind the clock to 1982 for a skiing adventure with an 8-bit hero, Horace. Developed in STOS by a couple of brothers calling themselves OllySoft, and released a decade after the ZX Spectrum original. For his Atari ST appearance, he didn't want to upset Psion and changed his name to Harris to avoid trouble.

Anyone old enough to remember the original will feel at home with Harris, who is once again looking to enjoy a skiing trip. However, it didn't start off well. Harris finds himself in a pickle as he didn't bring any skis, so he must hire replacements from the resort, which built their shop on the wrong side of a busy highway!!

The Frogger part is too easy in comparison to what I remember. Simply waiting for a large gap in the traffic allows Harris to run all the way across the road! The skiing part is great, with many obstacles to avoid. Once the skiing is finished, somebody steals your skis, so you head back to the hire shop to repeat everything.

OllySoft has done a great job with Harris Went Skiing, and "Horace" brought back lots of warm, fuzzy feelings of nostalgia. The Atari ST game is simple and very silly, so it's highly recommended if you're bored.

Grab the download of Atari Legend and play like it's 1982. Hold on, cowboy. There are more OllySoft games, but looking at these makes me think that the boys had serious issues! Or a belting sense of humour?

I'll go with the latter, so let's take a quick look at each one...

Who Maimed Roger Rabbit

Imagine Operation Wolf but set in President Trump's backyard which is overrun by rabbits! Aka lefties. Grab a gun and let's fix this problem once and for all. Gameplay is as you might imagine; successful hit turns the rabbits into a bloody mess of gore. I'm sure animal lovers will appreciate this game! Overall, it's a humble take on the famous title but quite enjoyable, if repetitive. 

SubHunt

A pointless two-player game without much enjoyment. Playing solo is even worse and I didn't like this game whatsoever. However, it does feature a fantastic hidden easter egg and that's worth the download!! 

 

Ayatollah Invaders

An endless supply of ayatollah chaps running down your screen - straight into the path of your tank. It's actually mind-numbingly repetitive but, I gotta admit, darn good fun. Very enjoyable for a couple of games but boring afterwards. It's worth booting up once just to witness the superb somersault deaths.

Motorway Death

Perhaps we can lower the bar even further? Hmm, how about a game of hit and run? Yep, you heard me right!! And, on this road, people appear glued down so drive into them and watch their bodies turn into blood splatters. It's a sick Carmegeddon and so funny... well... for a few minutes! 

 

Head Over Heels

Back to my Your Sinclair days

Today, I stumbled upon Head Over Heels by pure chance. It’s been 'donkeys years' since I played this on my ZX Spectrum, and seeing it again is a heartwarming reminder of the 80s and its 8-bit games.

Ocean released this tough isometric adventure in 1987. Two years later, an Atari ST version followed, but I don’t recall ever playing it. The game is more complex than it seems, requiring you to solve puzzles using two characters with their own skill sets. Fans of the "filmation" genre will be in heaven with the spectacular graphics and superb detail, boasting more colour than my old rubber Speccy could ever have imagined.

Head Over Heels is a huge and intriguing adventure that’s sure to keep you up at night!!

• AtariMania features this in their ST database, including an interesting tidbit!
• Head Over Heels can be installed onto your hard drive thanks to 8BitChip.

Nebulus

Pogo the frog?

Nebulus was released in 1988 by one of my favourite companies, Hewson. It features an armed frog with big eyes called Pogo. He isn't happy with the thought of eight large sea-based towers, so decides to climb them and blow 'em up! Essentially, this is a platformer with some interesting pseudo-3D mechanics that provide a unique visual style within an ingenious design. This is class programming as you will soon discover...

All towers are cylindrical with platforms dotted around the outside. Nifty tunnels offer a way to quickly access the opposite side - if the current route appears to be a dead end. The world certainly revolves around Pogo because he remains at the centre of the screen with horizontal movements, causing the world to scroll in a "three-dimensional" circular motion. Thus, turning the tower around into view. It's quite brilliant.

Sounds rather insane, but let's ignore that initial opinion to check out this colourful screenshot...

Talk about going the extra mile and NOT sticking to 16 colours! Absolutely superb.

Frogs love water, right?

Getting through any of the towers will never be easy, thanks to a barrage of unusual nasties to either shoot or avoid. Access to the top will involve careful strategy because your route is broken, thus forcing you to use opposite sides of the tower depending on where you are. Always consider the option of using these tunnels to quickly nip through - they might come in handy to avoid those flying obstacles!!

Nebulus may sound easy, but it's actually very challenging, and a brisk time limit allows little room for error. Bumping into an enemy will drop you down to the previous ledge. That's rather good, as it doesn't necessarily mean a frustrating loss of life, nor will it impede your momentum to try that part of the tower again. However, if there isn't a ledge to land on, you might fall even further, thus requiring hefty backtracking.

Of course, falling further still (and into the water) is strangely fatal for this froggy. Yup, that means we lose a life! Also interesting is a bonus game featured between the levels - this has Pogo travelling to his next tower via a nice horizontal scrolling level. It's a shooter with lots of Psygnosis-busting smooth parallax scrolling! It should have been longer because I really enjoyed it a bunch (best viewed on a real ST).

Right then, you guessed it! Yep, it's time for another cool screenshot...

Another day and another tower to climb. Ahh, this one looks too easy, right?

16-Bit Sex Appeal!!

The visuals are utterly tremendous. Nebulus is programmed by legend, John M Phillips, who treats us to a lovely display of artwork and ultra-smooth framerates. Not only that, but he added a ton of extra shades of colour for the backgrounds. The end result is an astounding display that puts many other games to shame. It's incredible what the Atari ST cranks out when programmed by somebody with talent and commitment.

The audio is equally impressive, with zesty and sharp effects, totally suiting the gameplay. Also, a beautifully unique chiptune that I could leave running all day, it's captivating and totally enchanting.

This is how all 16-bit games should look and sound...

Okay, ignore my jerky capture because this part scrolls so smoothly. And it's great fun!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Nebulus can feel daunting thanks to its learning curve, but with lots of practice, I guarantee hours of addictive gaming because Nebulus is a real firecracker. I love how it integrates both arcade action and strategic thinking using a fascinating visual style. In many respects, this game was ahead of its time.

I rate Nebulus an Atari ST classic, not only because of how it looks and sounds, but also for its addictive gameplay. Enjoy this piece of JMP magic, which is nothing less than an icon of the 16-bit era.

Floppy disks are available on Atari Legend

D-Bug and 8BitChip have a hard drive version!

Donkey Island

Monkey Island?

All the way back in 1997, Ed Cleveland (aka Eddie Cat) spent many moons working on this comedy adventure. However, the late '90s were bitterly cold days with most of us having sold up and moved to the world of Mac/PC. It appears he got little feedback and thus decided to call it a day. I'm gutted!!

Well, that's my take on what I read. It's a shame because his talent and dedication were on the way to creating something rather special. Yep, it's disappointing but at least he released this final/beta version. This was very kind and still worth downloading and playing. Read on...

Donkey Island is a graphical adventure, different from what I expected. Think of something vaguely similar in style to Lure Of The Temptress or a Sierra On-Line game, but with a comical twist. We are Fred, a geek who loves playing games on his Atari ST. He's a smashing lad, and life is obviously TOS-taSTic!

His enthusiasm changed when he discovered Donkey Island, a game he’d been eagerly anticipating, had been cancelled. Devastated by the news, Fred powered down his little green desktop computer and set off exploring his hometown to uncover the reason behind its cancellation. (not an unknown feeling in the 90s!)

That's depressing, isn't it? Well, let's check out a screenshot to cheer us all up...

The cartoon design works really well, and some drawings are superb!

He looks familiar O_o

Fred is controlled using the cursor keys, which is simple and effective. The keypad is used to interact with your surroundings and characters, who are entertaining and interesting, to say the least. Sigh, it’s even sadder now that Donkey Island wasn’t finished. The style and humour put into it are truly beautiful. Although incomplete, there is a large town to explore with some cute surprises to discover.

In its current form, this is a broken adventure game, but one we can still fully play. Getting around Fred's town is a cinch, and we have all the abilities to investigate this horrifying gaming incident. Roam, explore, and never forget to chat with the locals. They're nothing like you expect and their humour is often superb!

Although unfinished, a full exploration of the town is possible. Some rooms are complete while others aren’t, but they’re still worth exploring. That includes the game's many characters, which are available for conversation. I’m glad this “beta” was released, but the potential for what could have been is quite staggering.

Here is one of the unfinished locations...

Sadly, some areas of the game will never be finished, but at least they're left in for us to play.

Aesthetics

Each location is depicted in a cartoon style similar to a comic book. Fred walks through in a rather crude but functional fashion. The artwork isn't exactly brilliant, but the amateurish quality works wonders. I love the way we communicate with others and our surroundings, which is quite unique in style.

The sound effects are good, but what I love is the technique used for speech - it reminds me of Charlie Brown's teacher. Come on, tell me you can't hear that, too? Well, I think it's superb :)

So here is another screenshot, and my daughter says he looks like me...

Exploration is always the key to success, and there are lots of (hidden) locations.

The CryptO'pinion?

Donkey Island had incredible potential and would have been a fascinating adventure. It still is, of course, albeit unfinished. I've enjoyed playing what is potentially a killer product that offers a different approach to doing things. All whilst being thoroughly entertaining with a wonderful sense of humour, strange locations and the silliest characters. Trust me, this is a hidden gem and something truly brilliant.

I wholeheartedly recommend you play this outstanding adventure game!!

THE DOWNLOAD

Motor Massacre

Mad Max with choppy graphics?

Motor Massacre was released by Gremlin Graphics and feels like a wicked blend of a number of my favourite games. The action takes place in a grim post-apocalyptic future where each city is ravaged by war and resembles a Mad Max movie! All food stores were destroyed in the holocaust, so people were starving until Doctor A. Noid came up with a substitute called "SLU" to help the waning population. This all sounds great, right?

Why are these masterminds almost always doctors? Anyhow, it was all a trick because SLU tastes like poo and turns people into zombies! So it's up to you to rescue the city from its psychotic drivers, explore buildings, and then battle in a demolition derby event to ultimately find the doctor and end this misery.

See, it's basically Mad Max in game form! So let's see the first screenshot...

Pandy's Pork Palace sounds a lot better than it actually is!

It's Carmageddon!

This is more than one game: the cities are explored from the comfort of an ATV, top/down, similar to Chicago 90. Unlike that, we can get out of the car and go inside buildings, and this changes the game to something like Time Bandit or Gauntlet. This combination really works well and enhances the overall feel of the game.

So, driving around the city is tremendous fun because you are completely free to roam the streets. That means blasting at anyone who might get in your way. All other drivers are out for blood and want you dead by any means. Their road rage antics are vicious, so defend yourself using the cannon fitted to your car! Whilst blasting the suckers into oblivion, watch out for hazards such as oil spills and explosives carelessly left lying in the road. Do note the gun turrets, which line many streets and are annoyingly highly accurate.

Wanna be Mad Max? Who doesn't, right? Let's see another screenshot...

It's demolition derby time when we can shove other cars into dark oblivion.

Get out of the car

You'll note that this dead city still has many buildings standing, and they offer an opportunity to collect goods like weapons and health. So look out for their location using the road markings (Pandy's Pork Palace is available right from the start and contains a handy ATV upgrade). However, beware and at the ready to expect trouble, as you will discover that these places are often thriving with ghouls and other creatures lurking in the shadows.

Nowhere is safe, but you're armed with a pistol, so shoot first and ask questions later! Keep searching these areas, and you should find an arena pass to the demolition derby. This event is pure Carmageddon, and nothing beats pushing your opponents into a chasm! Success grants you access to the next city.

An interesting "mechanic" is how your vehicle's appearance alters as it takes damage. So I'm grateful the holocaust didn't destroy other buildings - like the repair shops. These will offer a wide range of services that you'll need - like fuel, weapons, and ammo. The mechanic working here scares me, but I like his T-shirt!

Behold, the freakiest screenshot on AtariCrypt...

The mechanic is freaky. It's almost on a Chucky level here... (shudder)

Aesthetics?

Visually, this is a basic affair with crudely drawn graphics and average scrolling to boot. However, I must admit being mightily impressed with the animation of the running men, which reminded me of Impossible Mission. Sadly, the sound effects are probably worse than the visuals. Truly terrible.

Who cares about the sounds when we can destroy the world from our car? Screenshot time...

However, we need him because the roads in the future are just terrible.

The CryptO'pinion?

Motor Massacre has been a nice surprise. It's about as glam as a dog turd, but I enjoyed the mix of arcade-style action with levels of adventure lurking below the surface. Being able to enter buildings adds that extra dynamic I loved - and there's always something stupid waiting for you! Don't take it seriously and have fun.

Superb game, and zipping around the city looking for victims is incredibly enjoyable!!

Mel Gibson wannabes can download the floppies
Tear up the roads like Mad Max!

Outrun New Year Demo

Goodbye in STyle

I'm going to end 2016 with a brand new release by Bionic Nerd - aka Peter Jørgensen. It is the Outrun New Year Music Demo, which has just been released, so I've recorded a little sample from each track as a teaser for you all. Clickety click to grab this cool music disk right now and enjoy it. It's brilliant. :-)

Here is a little background provided by Peter...

"Hi all, I made this little new year music demo because I always loved the music from outrun and I felt that we Atari ST guys were cheated on. Firstly, there was a track missing. Secondly, it kept shifting between the two other tune every time one would die. Lastly, I do not think that David Whittaker did his best. The music files are YMT format running at 300hz and the reason the program file is so big. In the new year I will make a new sound format, still as fast, but be taking less space but you will need a 2mb Atari to run this. Thanks to everyone for listening and I hope you like this? Thanks, Peter."

SantaFly

Merry Christmas

It's got to that time of year when I post something Christmassy! Here we have SantaFly by the awesome Reservoir Gods, and regular readers will remember its sister game. Yes, SantaFly is every bit as frustrating, but with a peculiar Christmassy theme. It's great fun! You should clickety click and download it.

Thanks to everyone who visited AtariCrypt throughout the year. I wish you all a Merry Christmas †

Luke 2:11
The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!

Jetpac

Ugh, not the Speccy again?

I love it when I find something new - new to me. After decades of using an Atari ST, I stumbled upon a program that I'd never heard of - an emulator called Artemis. This is a Z80/ZX Spectrum emulator by Jörg Tochtenhagen and Ralf Hemsing and features numerous options for the technically minded - not me then lol. Thankfully, it seems to perform very well indeed on my own Atari (the video above is via emulation).

Feel free to tinker with the configuration. The performance, as is, is more than acceptable on the stock ST. That's a relief because Artemis doesn't work properly on faster computers! Plus, there is no support for colour, meaning your game is in black and white. Even more peculiar is that we only have one game - Jetpac.

The program uses a file format I've not heard of before --> .PRO

Can anyone help with more information or other games in .PRO format?

Playing Jetpac is never a bad thing, and even though it's not as good as the real machine (or indeed the Speccy emulator), it is great to find something new. Note: Artemis comes with no documentation, lacks colour support, and doesn't work properly with computers other than the stock 8MHz Atari ST/e.

Needs other games, but I have enjoyed finding this gem deep within the ST archives.

Download: Floppyshop disk "UTL-3025"

Unheart

A fun puzzler?

Unheart is something I've been meaning to feature for far too long. It's new and was only released in 2014 at Silly Venture by Masters of Electric City. It's based on the original PC game, Heartlight, which happily mixes Sokoban with a dollop of Boulder Dash to produce a riveting and refreshing brain-teasing challenge.

Boulder Dash fans should look elsewhere because this is a Sokoban game and a brilliant take on that. We are a dwarf who enjoys digging through caves looking for love hearts. Watch out for falling rocks that might block your path or worse, a head-crushing blow. You might even come upon a bomb as you crawl through the soft soil, but be careful, because these will detonate when impacting something hard, like a wall or rock. Heck, there are even balloons that will float upwards, potentially pushing whatever gets in their way...

Don't worry if you get stuck, hit ESC will humorously explode our dwarf so we can restart. Also, a level-skip function is used to bypass those brain-destroying levels with the option of coming back later. The difficulty remains constant throughout, with cunning map designs causing the most intense problems!

The graphics are simple yet superbly detailed using a gorgeous C64-like palette. The status bar is displayed using overscan, which is always going to be a great thing for obvious reasons. The chip music is on another level. It is breathtaking and perfectly suits the gameplay - I just wish there was more.

Unheart is good fun and pushes you to think differently. Its difficulty remains constant throughout, with shrewd map designs causing the most intense problems to overcome. Thankfully, with unlimited retries - and the ability to skip troublesome levels - you aren't distracted and will keep coming back.

Unheart is challenging, distinctively brilliant, and one of the beST puzzlers on the Atari ST.

- SCREENSHOTS & DOWNLOAD -

Some levels look simple, yet they are not. Perhaps well-placed explosions will help?

I spent ages on this level and yet it is so easy to complete!! Sometimes physics helps a bunch.

Another level that appears so simple, but that didn't stop me from pulling out my hair!!

I can imagine Boulder Dash fans loving the first level, but not so much the others!

Grab the download at Demozoo & Silly Venture!

Anduril

Wilf is back

Anduril is a PD game by Markus Dheus that features a flying hero. Like the ZX Spectrum game, Kokotoni Wilf, this is a flick-screener with cunning rooms to explore. Unfortunately, unlike Kokotoni Wilf, our guy cannot walk or even touch the landscape scenery. If he does, it results in an instant loss of life. Thankfully, he can fly like a Flappy Bird using simple controls: use the SHIFT key to fly with H + J turning left/right.

I imagine Anduril is beginning to sound rather easy? You couldn't be more wrong, as anyone who loves a challenge will get just that - the first screens are easy, but it isn't too long before the game's true sadistic nature is exposed. Most of the map is made up of tight spaces in which to guide our man. If that wasn't tough enough, once gravity is factored in, Anduril becomes distressing for all but the patient gamer.

The graphics are crisp and detailed, but I sometimes had collision detection, which often worked in my favour, so I shouldn't complain. Sounds are almost void, with only a low-volume spot effect for item pickup.

Very difficult, so not for everyone, but I found it an enjoyable change.

Download Anduril from AtariMania, and this program will help those without a high-res monitor.

Pung

Pong?

Pung is an Atari STe game that has finally been released after years of lurking in purgatory. Obviously, it's based on the 1972 classic and currently stands at v0.30, so it may have a few bugs that could lead to those infamous bombs. Just reset and keep on playing! I'm glad this got a release as we have enjoyed playing it over the weekend - it's different with a few neat ideas, and I recommend you take a look.

Get it downloaded and let me know what you think...

• Demozoo website has a download with all the credits and more.
• I nabbed the MOD music file off Demozoo and made a recording. Love it!

Potsworth & Co

Another platformer? Yawn, let's check it out...

Potsworth & Co is a cutesy platformer developed by Ben Walshaw for Hi-Tec Software (1992) and is based on a Hanna-Barbera cartoon (which I'd never heard of). I've just learnt that Potsworth is a dog who happens to have a group of kiddy mates - The Midnight Patrol. The story is that someone stole a sleep potion and broke it up throughout five worlds. It's up to the kids to return it to a Grand Dozer (whatever that is).

As different members of the Midnight Patrol (depending on the level, each has different mechanics for powers and abilities). For example, in the first, we are a stroppy girl who begins underground in a place Rick Dangerous would love. It appears this heroine only has to open her mouth to kill most of her foes.

Sounds weird? You betcha! But I think you're gonna love it. Read on...

Each level is different and uses the other characters, who come with their own skills.

Developers who care!

Potsworth & Co offers a style similar to Doodlebug or Magic Boy, but don't let the comical visuals trick you; this game is not easy and very challenging. Each world features many hazards and, of course, a wide range of baddies who aimlessly walk back and forth, doing their best to make life troublesome. There are also puzzles, but these won't have you stumped; it's more like moving a block onto a switch panel (or a teddy bear!).

This isn't an easy-to-pick-up-and-play platformer, if I'm honest. I think it has a testing learning curve thanks to a difficulty level famous throughout the 8 and 16-bit era. Personally, I think a lot more lives should have been given by default, and there are some parts of the later levels that are quite irritating. But all this is solved by having more lives or (cough) a trainer, which means you're then able to enjoy this game fully.

The joystick controls are superbly responsive, so exploring is a breeze without any sluggishness. When you move onto a new level, the game changes your character, which is unusual. I especially liked the third world, where we play as a dog in a candy land - this is bursting with cool mechanics and is brilliant fun to explore.

Let's see a screenshot of that stroppy-looking girl level I mentioned...

No lame port here, but there are... walking guns in this Ricky Dangerous level!

Model looks!

The visuals are stunning, and it certainly proves what a developer can do when they care about their product. This looks the business, alright, and feels quite console-y with fantastic environments, awesome sprites, and bundles of colour throughout each and every level. The scrolling is both fast and fluent, which means we're being treated, rather than enduring a jerky, lame Amiga port. Amazing, just amazing.

Sadly, the audio is the mirror opposite of those lovely pixels and appears to be an afterthought. There are only a few spot sound effects and, even worse, no background chiptune, which would have been perfect. Oh, and don't even ask about a title theme. That is absolutely terrible and should be skipped - quickly!!

Why is that? So much effort was spent on the visuals and gameplay, yet little on the audio...

Another new level and another different character to master.

The CryptO'pinion?

This is superb and provides a fantastic venture through several interesting worlds. Each is a vibrant and charming experience and, not only that, but a testament to the power of the Atari ST when in the hands of a talented programmer. Prepare thyself for a game that is as challenging as it is beautiful.

This is one of the best platformers there is. I've loved every second with The Midnight Patrol. If I can pass on a piece of advice, it would be this: Don't be a knob and download this game right now. There ya go.

Downloads for floppy disk & hard drive.

MonoPack

The most exciting screenshot ever!

MonoPack was released by Shrimp of NewCore and allows the Atari ST (w/ colour display) to run in the high-resolution mode without the need for the correct monitor. Yes, there are already programs that do this, but I think this is better because it saves itself onto the boot sector of a floppy disk. This means a fast way to activate. Plus, it supports the Blitter coprocessor for faster rendering. Yup, this is an excellent utility!

Clickety-Click to download MonoPack and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Super Space Invaders

Space Invaders!!

How could anyone contemplate enhancing Space Invaders? How about supersizing it with power-ups and other cool ideas!! This is exactly what Domark did with the imaginatively titled Super Space Invaders, an authentic take with an array of next-gen invaders to quench our two-dimensional alien-zapping thirst.

> From the start, we're treated to a superb intro you should watch. I can't stress that enough!

When a game begins, select your path through a variety of grouped stages, similar to Blasteroids. As an attack wave begins, it's quite slow and gradually speeds up with each kill. These new invaders will attack using a variety of tactics - some will bloat after being shot, thus requiring extra effort. Don't expect the same attack formations, this time they use various styles with some breaking away - Galaxian style!

Let's peep at a screenshot of an unlucky guy struggling at his daily job. Some have it tough...

The intro is legendary. I loved it, and it's definitely something you don't skip!!

Can't knock the classic formula

An easily targeted mothership frequently passes by and, if destroyed, drops a power-up in true Arkanoid fashion. These power-ups are key to success and an enhanced gameplay experience. There are many. I love the laser, which slices through the alien horde like a hot knife through butter. I must admit to taking a liking to that rapid-fire power-up! Perhaps I should state this fact again? The power-ups are key to a better game.

If Space Invaders had a flaw, it's repetition. Super Space Invaders attempts to break that by introducing bonus rounds, different stages, and boss levels. One bonus is the flying saucers screen, which shows them hovering in the rural countryside, trying to abduct cattle! The groovy end-of-level bosses are in urgent need of a good hiding!! I am especially impressed by the boss after level three, which is beautifully animated.

Here is a screenshot that might look a bit awkward, but playing is miles better...

Some aliens balloon when hit, which is funny but also means more shooting!!

Aesthetics

The graphics are excellent with nicely detailed invaders, and I especially liked the huge insects. Framerates are great, but the game will appear sluggish without using power-ups. I really enjoy the colour schemes throughout; it has a surreal feeling. Finally, the End-Of-Level bosses are a fantastic example of cool pixel art.

Musically, very interesting as I am weirdly reminded of Escape From The Planet Of The Robot Monsters. The effects are good, but I was disappointed not to hear the famous cannon sounds from the arcade!

Okay, let's see a cutscene, and this one has helpless cows wanting a quiet life...

Now those pesky aliens are after cattle. I need burgers, so shoot them down now!

The CryptO'pinion?

I've had a blast (sorry) playing this. It's still Space Invaders, but with extras that bloat and bastardise the original format. Purists might turn up their noses in disgust at this abomination. Nonetheless, it's a terrific game in its own right, and the power-ups are key to getting the most from this alternative rendition. They really are, and transform what would otherwise be a predictable clone into a freakishly entertaining affair.

I feel this is an addictive and entertaining take on the original idea. Great fun and highly recommended!

Can you protect humanity from Space Invaders?
Help is stored ready on hard disk or floppy.

a real wallpaper!

Look at what came in the post today from Chris Swinson (aka Exxos). Designed by Darren Doyle for the release of AtariCrypt Magazine, and today it's on my bedroom wall like I'm 15 again. There are some ace ST folk in our community - thank you so much, Chris. I’m curious how long the wife will tolerate this up!!

Regardless, I LOVE IT!!! :-)

Collaboration One

   

A new group!

The Atari ST/e demoscene has entertained us with incredible productions over the decades. Predictably, these are often by the talented people who made our jaws drop from the late 80s onwards. Well, today we have something different and by a brand new group called STatariART, who have released their first slideshow!

It's called Collaboration One and features pixel art created by people from all walks. Along with the images, there is chip music and a lamer's scroll to read. Let's hope this is the start of something great!

Credits

---

Big Boss Man - Code

Cornervizion - Music

D-Force - Graphics

FedePede04 - Graphics

Forgotten Grove - Graphics, Text, Other (Conception)

Greyfox - Graphics

JOSE.ANT - Other (Group theme-tune on Site)

Lachoneus - Graphics

Loggins - Graphics

Pandafox - Graphics

Scarlettkitten - Graphics

spiny - Graphics ((and coding advice))

I hope you guys enjoy this, and to tempt you further, here is our theme tune by Cornervizion...