Rogue

The ultima gauntlet?

I've always had a spark of curiosity for Rogue but (looking back) I have also wondered why I should even bother with anything "roguelike" when I could instead crawl within the '3D' realms of Dungeon Master. Of course, I'm being stupid because this dates back to 1980 when gamers spent their lunch breaks staring at Rogue's text-based dungeons looking for Rodney's Amulet of Yendor! Epyx released our turn-based conversion back in 1986 and it's essentially the same venture through the Dungeons Of Doom but graphics have replaced that original text display (no complaints from me! lol).

Don't run away in disgust just yet, this dungeon may look rather 8-Bit but that works perfectly to suit the atmosphere and I really love it!! For me, it's the monsters that look the best as these are superbly drawn - I love the Ice Monster the most. And the Zombie looks like he's about to get down and boogie. Pressing the Enter key will zoom out to display and the entire map is viewed full screen. This is probably favourable to the purist using a more traditional oldskool view of the dungeon? Monsters are then represented by letters, ie: B for Bat, R for Rattlesnake, Z for Zombie, etc...

Which visual display style do you prefer? Let's take a look at both right now in these screenshots...

Carefully explore each and every unique location and zoom out to see the map...

Let the adventure begin!

From the start, we're introduced to the adventure schematics which easily allow us to explore in relative safety against the easier baddies to contend with. I liked this learning curve because a novice adventurer (ie, me) should appreciate it. However, having said that, take a look at my screenshot from a recent game which I'd only just begun - Wow, quite an incredible gang of nasties, I'm sure you'll agree? But this is also a testament to the game's ability to randomly generate interesting scenarios with each new game. So, Rogue will always feel different each time you decide to boot it up.

Directional control of our little explorer is done using the ST's keypad which can be used in combo with or without the mouse. Personally, I prefer to use the keyboard for everything. There are other useful functions such as ALT/click to identify an object or creature. Also, pressing F1 duplicates your last attack action with other shortcuts like 0 to rest and '.' to search (repeated searches give the best results). Try it keyboard only and I'm sure you'll agree.

Rogue is an ARPG that is meant to be enjoyed from start through to death/victory. Once you've been beaten, you are buried and this state is permanent. You can save your progress but, coming back to continue is only allowed once (as that file is deleted). Hence, permadeath, and this may sound unfair but it works well and suits the theme perfectly.

Hey, do you fancy a couple more Rogue screenshots? What? Really? I knew you did...

There's so much more to this old dungeon crawler than just slaying the funky monsters!

Beware, you're not alone!

The enemies are a wild bunch alright! From traditional beasts like Snakes, Zombies and Bats to fantasy spooks like Ice Monsters, Hobgoblins and even Emus. Yes, there are emus down there! It's worth noting that not every character is immediately aggressive so it's advisable to try and tiptoe around a Leprechaun, a Nymph or a Centaur. I only wish Trolls and Wraiths had that relaxed temperament - they're so mean - so make sure you have good armour.

Fight back using swords, axes and more but there are also magical scrolls and potions which perform an insane variety of uses. For example, illuminating the dungeons or increasing health, weapon strength, and so much more. However, not all are good so you may wish to empower yourself with the ability to identify any obscure items you may be carrying. After all, you might mistakingly conjure a demon or leave yourself blind in the darkness. Yikes!!

Like the dungeon itself, both the enemies and objects are randomly generated so you never get to perform the same battle twice or know the location of items. This is one of the many things that makes Rogue very special.

Let's put the reading on pause whilst you gander at a couple more screenshots...

Some kind soul has left food but it isn't long before something appears from out of the darkness!

Tricks and traps

This is a game with its fair share of humour with lots of hidden traps so, if something doesn't feel right, then remember to search and you might just uncover a hidden passage. Watch out for teleporters that will zap you to another part of the map or maybe even drop you down a level. Gas sends you to sleep and bear traps are dangerous and require a few turns to escape their clutch. Avoid the temptation of a Nymph who might sneak something from your inventory -  and I certainly laughed when battling a Leprechaun as he actually managed to rob me of my gold. O_o

Rogue has some aspects which are traditional yet still very funny - like being caught by cursed clothing which is then impossible to remove without using the right spell to counteract it. I travelled for five levels before being able to remove a nasty piece of cursed chainmail. Cursed clothing, who'd have thunk it? Irritating but humorous too.

Finally, remember to look after yourself and watch those stats. Food is sparse down in the dungeons, which kinda makes sense, so collect everything and only stop for a bite when it's absolutely needed. The action is lurking around every corner but a careful adventurer will find tactical exploring to be both enjoyable and rewarding. Think before you act.

Can you tell that I'm really enjoying Rogue? I'm a noob but this game is hot stuff. It's screenshot time...

Carefully sneak by the old bat (insert mother-in-law joke) and beware of leprechauns on level 7

Aesthetics?

Nobody loads up Rogue to be blown away by dazzling visuals but this is actually much better than I imagined. I love how the dungeon itself looks which is bright, colourful and quite basic. It looks the business and feels like a graphical upgrade on the original but without ruining it. As I said earlier, the best parts are the sprites and seeing those little iddy-biddy monsters lurking in the dungeon is fantastic. They all look brilliant yet faithful to the original theme.

Sound effects are pretty much authentic to the original, ie there aren't any! Well, little beyond the default clicks & dings we're all used to as ST owners, which is perfectly fine and natural to what Rogue is all about. However, I'd have liked an option to turn off the clicks without having to resort to using something like XControl (don't forget that!!).

I had an idea for my video recording - that's at the top of this page - so scroll back up. I wanted to replace the silence with something eerie using the Atari STe ACCessory: STe Background Audio Player. This plays samples using the DMA coprocessor and works tremendously well without any slowdown. Let me know what you guys think?

Hey, you should really watch the -STe enhanced- video if you scroll back. Until then, here are two screenshots...

Remember to use this view for a bigger image of your dungeon and keep stock of the inventory.

The CryptO'pinion?

As I write, I'm exploring level 14 but Rogue seems to have cranked up the difficulty a lot since level 9 and I admit to struggling: a Wraith and a Troll ganged up and sent me to an early grave so, I reloaded only to later suffer a humiliating beating by a Quagga! I now need to rest and hope nothing creeps up while I'm vulnerable. Hang on, I've a healing potion that should help me feel better and a spell to confuse the monsters. There is so much to this fascinating game!!

Yes, Rogue is easy to get into and extremely rewarding. I'm still learning the ropes of this immense dungeon crawler and I feel I have only scratched the surface. But I'm loving every minute of what is a tremendous experience and possibly one of the best Atari ST games. This is a blast into the past that proves just what makes #roguelike so excellent.

Actually, this is literally one of the best games I have ever played, regardless of the platform. Absolutely wonderful!!

Brave adventurers can install Rogue on to hard drive.

Or play via floppy using Automation #79.

Struggling with Rogue??

Then check out my level maps that should help!!

The Fractal Engine

 

Let's get psychedelic!

ST Format #42 featured The Fractal Engine by Daniel Grace and Mike Harris. I love programs like this and, after a couple of hours of tinkering, I began creating some rather funky images. This superb program is capable of creating impressive images using tripped-out colourful effects - if you have the spare time?

Features of The Fractal Engine v3.0

17 different fractal types, including 11 Mandelbrot/Julia pairs and Lindemayer Systems

Divide and conquer algorithms, with fixed-point arithmetic

Zoom animation and Julia Set morph batch processing

3-Dimensional Mandelbrot and Julia landscapes

480, 16 colour palettes

Simple but effective image compression

The Fractal Engine delivers exquisite results and is extremely easy to use. Oh no, does this mean I'm turning into a groovy hippie? I hope not!! Anyhow, I hope you like my images which were all calculated using my own Atari STe. (Thanks to Michael Keenleyside for this link to the latest version)

What's more fun than creating trippy images on your Atari computer? Nothing. Yep.

Brace yourself for images of 8MHz power!

Check out my creative weirdness :-)

Quartet

Only this morning did ST Survivor ask me for a video recording of Quartet, a new game based on the original, by Photonstorm. The task is to place pieces of four faces, into four slots, in four separate areas with bonuses awarded for a whole face. Watch my video recording and you will see that it's simpler than it reads - and very addictive!

The New Retro Show

I love finding YouTube channels with great Atari ST content and The New Retro Show is one such place to get my fix. It's run by a fella with a beard, called Mike! He's been addicted to the ST since he first got to play Dungeon Master (there's a shocker) and currently owns two machines: a Mega STe and a 1040 ST.

Now, after watching this video I came up with the idea for a challenge and suggested a few games which have all appeared on AtariCrypt: Chubby Gristle, Cybernoid, Zynaps, along with a few others. Shockingly, he actually agreed to the challenge (Muwhahaha!!) and released the first Ironman Challenge which you can watch here.

My thanks to Mike for taking on my silly challenge but I am now looking forward to the second part!!

UPDATE: Part two has been released... Clickety Click!!

Whitewater Madness

Atari = crazy

Whitewater Madness was under development in 1989 by Scott Williamson and Ed Schneider for Atari themselves. With great faith, it was specifically designed for the then-new Atari STe (possibly one of the first games to utilise the enhanced hardware). Sadly, 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; just imagine what would happen if you took Toobin' and then slapped in a dollop of river-raid violence. Well, then you have Whitewater Madness, a vertically scrolling shooter that has us sailing down a bizarre stretch of water that takes place through space and time like Dr Who. And bizarre it is.

In Atari's wisdom, they decided not to bother with this and it was left to gather dust in the halls of the forgotten. You know, I sure love Atari for giving us the ST/STe computers but there are times when they tested our patience somewhat! 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 guess who has been given a copy? ;-)

Please 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?

Okay, we're sailing down a magical river in our little Pod and searching for green energy cells.Why I don't but, but collect them and 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 you just 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. Try and avoid the many 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 more causing mayhem; cavemen, something that resembles a pterodactyl, a giant turtle, and centaurs. Frantic and I love it.

The controls are dead easy to get to grips with - and superbly responsive to I might add. I really love the directional method which 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.

This is a fun game alright, so let's 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, like me, will love the graphics which are perfectly 8-bit in style. It actually feels like something you'd expect of an ancient Atari console because of its striking palette and dinky sprites. These are small and with little animation, but nicely detailed. Well, 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 to play 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 so is quite "STFM" in quality. A bit odd considering what the STe is capable of.

It's time for another screenshot and here is that crazy dinosaur again...

Watch out for dinosaurs, mines, birds, riverside cavemen and lots more!

The CryptO'pinion?

Whitewater Madness has the hallmarks of a fantastic oldskool arcade game and is something I'd expect to see on an Atari console. And yes, that's a compliment. I love the frantic Toobin-style action which is perfectly balanced yet challenging without ever feeling impossible. There's so much going on and I think this is an excellent action/shoot 'em up.

Why Atari didn't release this is unbelievable because it's a great arcade game so easily sails into the seas of gaming gold!! It's simple, it's fun and it's now freely available to download after being 'lost' for three decades. That alone makes this extra special so enjoy what would have been the very first Atari STe game. A superb and delightful arcade game!!

Download the official disk images

(with source code) kindly supplied by Scott.

Street Fighter II

Another unfinished game...

The ST world constantly amazes me. Just when you think you've seen it all, a "new" version of Street Fighter pops up and slaps you in the face!! Yep, I had oddly never heard of this before! Where have I been all these years?

Anyhow, this beat'em up was developed for the Atari STe by Patrice Mandin, a guy whom I'm grateful for Doom and more. However, it's incomplete without the full game's content or even colours (although it is running in ST low). As is, it's fast and responsive by making use of the Blitter, hardware scrolling and DMA stereo sounds. It's actually very playable!

Sadly, Patrice stopped development so it's left this project in limbo - waiting for another techie to pick up the gauntlet. Great progress has already been achieved, and the source code is available, so it's sad that nobody has attempted to finish this incredible "beta". I think the potential is huge so download Street Fighter and prepare thy jaw to drop!!

Wowy by Tomchi

I have just listened to this amazing tune called Wowy, by Tomchi (played using JAM) and simply had to record it. Absolutely superb!!! So, kick off your weekend in style and download this gorgeous chiptune for your Atari STe!! 🎧

Mystical

The French and their unique style of humour!

Infogrames has done it again and released what I think is something rather quirky and special. In Mystical, we get to play with magic and spells to battle against the strangest creatures. We are a novice magician of the Grand Wizard, eager to learn the ropes but quick to make silly mistakes! Like losing his precious scrolls and phials! So now we must travel to parallel worlds to retrieve them. Should be easy, right? Get ready for the oddest journey you ever expected!

Our quest will take us into strange places to battle against all sorts of whacky characters: Buzzards, shepherds, faithless Monks, reptiles, sea creatures, farmers, little girls, Vikings, walking trees, funny faces, and more. Most will throw something at you or will chase. Sounds mad, right? It certainly is and I'm sure everyone will love its silliness.

I cannot continue without showing screenshots of just how unique this game is...

I must say that the palettes used are pastel-perfect and with lovely artistic tones too.

The characters you meet are... different! What a weird game this is.

Magically weird!

The big man has granted permission to use his magic to help us. This means the ability to cast spells that provide a variety of unique ways to dispose of our foe. For example, the ring of fire scorches anyone who dares to get too close whereas the blue ring deflects enemy attacks. Another will open up the ground and swallow our victims whilst we can summon cages to trap those nearby. Possibly the best of all is shouting "Boo" to shoo off anything nasty. Seriously!!

As you collect then, a spell activates immediately but, if you are quick, slap that Spacebar to stockpile it for later use - in combination with the Return key. Yes, it's quite a cumbersome design but it works well for those moments you're struggling. Each level ends when you reach the pentagram and must-do battle with an end-of-level boss - the first throw babies at you! Once defeated, a very large sphere appears and whisks you off to the next level.

Yes, I'm sure you're thinking this is weird? And you're right, it is!! But it's brilliantly weird!!

Collect the funky power-ups and use all magic spells to the best of your ability!

I'm tripping out here but three blue dudes appear and cause me trouble.

Aesthetics!

The visuals are gorgeous with smooth scrolling across beautifully-detailed landscapes. All use a very impressive and pleasing palette I might add. However, it's the tremendous quantity and quality of all the characters that steal the limelight. Never have I seen such gorgeous sprites with humour and animation that are always fantastic.

I must take off my hat and commend Olivier Roge and Jocelyn Valais for such amazing work. Take a look at these screenshots and tell me you're not impressed by the gorgeous sprites and even the artwork as a whole? Possibly one of the best examples of 16-bit pixel art I've seen in any game.

Sadly, the audio is a mixed bag. The sound effects are ace using samples for each character and other things like the spells. It's great and I adore the "Bla Bla Bla", which reminded me of the speech in Donkey Island. However, the title music is not good and I cannot see the point of low-quality sampled music over the option of a crisp chiptune...

Hey, what's that? I've got a doppelganger to help me out so let's cage the beasts!

The CryptO'pinion?

As much as it might try to hide behind the storyline, Mystical is a generic shoot 'em up albeit with cool power-ups and silly humour. (I never knew the French had a sense of humour? heh). I'll stop that now because it is obvious a lot of time and effort went into the production of this lovely game. It's magical and oozes so much lush artistic quality.

Sadly, it is repetitive and the end-of-level bosses are frustrating, to say the least!! But these are my only quibbles as I have genuinely enjoyed playing Mystical. I'm sure most gamers will love its unique style & personality.

Grab a magic wand and help out our magician?

Download for floppy or a hard drive.

Hard 'n' Heavy

Looks familiar yet not...

Hard 'n' Heavy follows on from Giana Sisters in true sequel fashion to offer more Mario-esque levels to run and jump through. However, the official commercial release was very 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. Ugh, just imagine... but Hard 'n' Heavy requires scrolling!!

Thankfully, that's where the bad lesson ends and the good news begins because Peter Putnik has developed a version that features smooth-as-silk scrolling thanks to the use of the Blitter co-processor 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. 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 weird! Okay, there are 25 levels of shooting the baddies and destroying blocks to search for those bonuses and even access to hidden levels. Also available is a two-player feature, with various game types.

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

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

- Download Hard 'n' Heavy -

Magic Pockets

Fancy a game of pocket pool?

I finally rebought Magic Pockets by the awesome Bitmap Bros! Those guys sure knew how to program - never once settled for a lame Amiga port. So I'm proud to own what is nothing less than a belting piece of hiSTory by the Bitmaps!!

So the story? Ah, yes... Okay, the Bitmap Kid (BK to his burger friends) has been given a brand new pair of magical trousers from an old man he met in the park one evening. No, not really lol!! Anyhow, he loves these trousers but, finds out that his toys have somehow disappeared into a fantasy world: PocketLand. Of course, this cool Kid is determined to get his toys back. So, he enters via a black hole he conjured!! Boy, if there was ever a whackier storyline than this!

Anyhow, let's take a gander at a lovely bluey screenshot of the kid in his weird new world...

There are many crazy monsters to kill but... hang on... what's that TV doing there?

Short arms, deep pockets

PocketLand is split over four enormous levels - and they are HUGE. BK is armed with different powers depending on the world he's currently in. There are strange enemies and bonuses - heck, he even has extra abilities like the whirlwind to jump higher. Sometimes the route through can feel like a wild goose chase, but often you're led onto secret areas - that contain lots of goodies. I admire the design because most levels don't feel linear, even though they are.

Joystick controls are spritely with responsive action and movement. I have always liked the mechanics because - it feels less like a computer platformer and more like something a console would knock out. Of course, neither is better than the other. It's just how Magic Pockets feels (to me). So I like this game today as much as I did back in the 1990s.

Well, it's time for yet another screenshot. Wow, gripping stuff...

The first level nicely introduces various aspects of the game with its trippy mechanics.

Aesthetics

Visually, this has a Godly appearance that the Bitmaps sure enjoyed using. Lovely colours are splashed throughout every level and the scrolling is fast and fluent - so always manages to keep up the pace. However, it's the sprites that are something else; so many incredibly cute critters all of which are nicely animated too. Why can't all games look this beautiful?

The sound effects are fantastic but I would have preferred an option for a background tune. Famously, the title music is by Betty Boo but, I'm kinda meh about that. I guess it's nice to have and the quality is pretty good.

Get on your bike and get ready for another screenshot of crazy gameplay...

Hey, I've found a bike? Weeee, come on, there aren't many games like this!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Well, I'm new (again) to Magic Pockets so haven't gotten very far, if I'm honest. But, what a gem this platformer is and it's wonderful to play it again after all these years. I feel it hasn't aged badly whatsoever. In fact, it's still just as much fun and as entertaining as it ever was. You could say that I'm feeling like a big kid on Christmas Day here!!

Magic Pockets is an outstanding platformer and very easy to get into. This article might be a preview but, anything from the Bitmap Brothers is top-notch. So I know I'll be enjoying this for many moons to come. Highly recommended.

Downloaded for floppy and hard disk.

Things Not To Do

Electronic Images released one of the most hilarious Atari ST demos I have ever seen. I did try and record a video but my emulator missed some graphics and the sine scroller (which is beautiful) was jerking like it had a nervous twitch. So I burned the image to a floppy disk - because nothing beats the real hardware - and was able to enjoy it properly.

Download this utterly stupid demo from AtariMania then turn up the volume and enjoy the show.

Credits

4mat - Music

Count Zero - Music

Griff - Code, Text

J.C.B - Graphics (Animation)

Master - Graphics

Menace [upgraded]

When something isn't quite right...

Menace is one of the few Psygnosis games that I actually enjoy. I think it's a good shooter. Okay, it should have been much better with a little effort but, that's an Amiga company for you. Anyhow, it's still a decent shooter and I enjoy it a lot. But what's with the YELLOW ship compared to the other version? For years, I've hated that bland colour and wondered what they were thinking and if it was possible to change it to something better? Couldn't be difficult, right?

So I contacted Atari ST wizard Peter Putnik about it and he came back with a solution that works well. As you can see in both the video and screenshots, our spaceship now has a new paint job!! The caveat is a change to the (badly placed) status pane due to the 16-colour palette. Of course, the game remains the same but we now enjoy a white ship!

You know folks, this is what makes the Atari ST scene a marvellous place. Think about it, I wasn't happy with a commercial game from 30+ years ago so, I asked a guy who I've never met in another country for his thoughts. What does he do? He fixes it without hesitation for me. Incredible. What an amazing community we have.

My sincere thanks to Peter for being gracious with my request - this version of Menace is the only one I will now play on the Atari ST. Here's the download to the newly designed AtariCrypt White Star release of Menace (geddit?).

Please watch the video trailer above and also take a gander at these lovely screenshots...

Reanimators #6

Reanimators #6 features a few simple effects with a superb chiptune (hmm, it sounds familiar). You know me, I love sine scrollers and this one is a belter and displayed using the full range of lovely rainbow colours. On the disk is Thunderstrike, an incredible 3D shoot 'em up with outstanding graphics - it feels like an early Cybermorph ;-)

Credits

https://demozoo.org/productions/92358/

wave upon wave

There are many amazing artists out there and I've always had a soft spot for the guys that make up the incredible YM Rockerz. So here is the wonderful compilation called "wave upon wave" which they released 17 years ago! It features several tracks by their awesome musicians: 505, D-Force, Dma-Sc, Tao, Lotek Style and Milhouse.

It's impossible to pick a favourite, but I do love Shifter by Tao which you can listen to by clicking on the GEM green arrow. Check out the YM Rockerz website ... I think that I'm going to listen to "Seven" again tonight :-)

Wave Upon Wave by YM Rockerz [demozoo download]

Credits:

505 - Music

D-Force - Music

Dma-Sc - Music, Text

Exocet - Graphics

MC Laser - Graphics (ASCII), Music, Text

Milhouse - Music, Text

Tao - Code, Music

Midnight Sun

Today I fancied some ST GLAM!!

I've just been going through the latest uploads on Demozoo and there have been many incredible releases of demos, artwork and music from both the Outline and Sommarhack parties. I'm constantly blown away by what the DHS boys can produce: the video above is of Midnight Sun for the Atari STe which runs in complete overscan!!

Credits for Midnight Sun by Dead Hackers Society

Crazy Q - Music

Evil - Code

Excellence In Art - Other (Sample sequence)

Proteque - Graphics

https://demozoo.org/productions/174400/

Now check out these screenshots for an idea of what the Atari ST #demoscne is cable of knocking out. Remember, YouTube is good, but nothing beats the experience of using a real Atari ST/e computer. #JustSaying :p

P-47 Thunderbolt

P-47 was released in 1988 by Firebird and is based on the popular Jaleco arcade game. There are several levels through a wide variety of landscapes so put on your Biggles outfit because you're about to reach for the skies.

Any shoot 'em up needs decent scrolling, awesome controls and lots of enemies to kill which P-47 has by the bucket load. It's immediately obvious the teamwork that went into development has certainly paid off with a quality product: choose either a 50/60Hz display with smooth parallax scrolling, great graphics throughout and fast sprites that honour the original. Funky chipmusic plays alongside the pizazz sound effects, both of which are great.

The action is hectic as the planes whizz into view and tanks blasting artillery - they're just asking for a MOAB!! Other levels have us flying through sunset clouds, pyramids, and over the seas - I love the missiles which emerge from underwater. Strangely, the bosses are easy to defeat by simply positioning yourself in a safe place and repeatedly dropping a payload of bombs. Each level varies but the concept remains the same: fly, avoid, panic, and kill everything.

Where P-47 fails is the frustratingly high difficulty because your screen will always be cluttered with many baddies and a collision is inevitable. Stick with it; collect the power-ups, learn the enemy's attack pattern and keep on firing - practice makes perfect!! Sure, this is imperfect but it's also one I really enjoy and a darn challenging shoot 'em up.

Stonish has the game on floppy disk and I recommend New Order #20 Menu CD.

Hard drive installable versions are available by both 8BitChip and D-Bug.

Enter "ZEBEDEE" into the high score:

Press F1 for a level skip

press F2 for infinite lives. Have fun!!

Bold / Wiliness III

 

 

BeST laid plans...

I recently came upon an unreleased shoot 'em up called Bold, by Laurent Kermel which I instantly liked. But I then did something most guys don't normally do - I read the documentation!! This listed his website - which still works - and that linked through to an Atari ST section that detailed lots of unfinished ST games. Just look at these pictures of Slug, Dragoon Twins, Tenesis, and Empire. Impressive STuff I'm sure you will agree? O_o

I contacted Laurent to thank him for Bold and another game I download - a Dungeon Master clone called Wiliness 3. I've only just started to play that, but boy is it a cracker. Laurent is a really nice guy who I enjoyed talking with - I urgently suggest fans of either shooters or RPGs, should play Bold and Wiliness 3.

Here's the link to the Atari ST section of his current website along with his superb YouTube video.

- B O L D -

Lazy programmers say the ST can't scroll

Bold is fantastic, albeit unfinished, shoot 'em up for the Atari ST/e and is influenced by a number of other games. I personally feel it's a cross between Zynaps or R-Type with fast and frantic gameplay as every enemy zooms onto the screen like they're on steroids. Quick reactions are the order of the day.

I love the graphics but it's a shame there's a large part of the screen unused - probably meant for a status panel? Bold isn't controlled using a joystick but instead the mouse and, I admit that the thought of this failed to impress me, at first. I changed my mind after the first play because it's perfect for sharp manoeuvrability.

Any model of ST is compatible but Bold plays better (and smoother) if you have a Blitter chip. Of course, all Atari STe computers are fine but others may need to shop with exxos to fill that empty socket inside their STFM. Sadly, those really old pre-1987 STs might not even have an empty socket so I imagine an extra cost?

Although unfinished, Bold is furiously great with precise mouse control I loved. A thrilling shooter!!

The Bold web page has the download and a nifty walkthrough of each level.

I made a video but I hate YouTube so advise you don't watch and instead PLAY the game :-)

A cheat code is mentioned in the interview with Laurent within Alive Magazine #09.

Chris Swinson, aka Exxos, sells Blitter chips but I've now exhausted my hardware knowledge...

- W I L I N E S S  III -

Grab a flask and sword, we're going in!!

Laurent developed a Dungeon Master clone called Wiliness 3 which is shockingly professional and certainly on par with the FTL classic and another favourite of mine, Walls Of Illusion. The RPG experience is amazing with a familiar user interface as we crawl through another creepy dungeon. Of course, it's unfinished but 6 levels are playable plus I liked the control system and those eerie sound effects. Wiliness had the potential to be a winner. It really did...

This is something I need to spend a weekend on sometime very soon. Brilliant dungeon crawler!

The Wiliness web page has the download and a BUCKET load of help and information!!

Finally, check out Walls Of Illusion and the newly updated Dungeon Master games for the Atari STe.

 

Bootblock

First impressions

There are so many different boot sector programs that add cool fx onto a floppy. This helps to prevent virus infections but we all love the dazzling effects and some are technically amazing! Bootblock by The Fingerbobs is one of my favourites programs that writes a number of boot sectors and the one above is Bladerunners. Which is ace!!

Credits: Bootblock was coded by Oberje of Fingerbobs with music by Jochen Hippel.

There are lots of great boot sectors to choose from and I love finding awesome programs like this. There are more lurking out there somewhere in ST Land. Let me know in the comments below what programs you've found...

Flappy Bird

The world's gone mad!

I always said I wouldn't do it... but... here we are!! Yes, the most annoying game has arrived on the Atari ST and I've played it. Well, tried to as I managed about 30 minutes before I felt like throwing the joystick out my bedroom window. The animation, above, is just a slice of the hell I went through. I hope y'all have a giggle at my pain - it wasn't fun whatsoever lol

Well, I will say one thing about this maddening game, it looks great as it torments you. The graphics are bright and colourful plus it's running in 1VBL which means the scrolling is ultra-smooth. However, I just don't get it so I'm left wondering why the entire world appears to be in love with this flappy little flyer? What are they seeing that I'm not? Or is it me? :o

I never reached a point where I started to appreciate or enjoy this game. I simply hate Flappy Bird so much!!!!

Those who feel brave (or IMHO foolish) can grab the download from the AtariMania website.

The Seven Gates Of Jambala

THALION!!

The Seven Gates Of Jambala was released in 1989 by Grandslam thanks to many talented sceners at Thalion. I bought this a few years ago and paid handsomely too. Not only because it's by Thalion, but it came sealed and in pristine condition: opening it was immense, especially when I got close and breathed in that trapped 1980s air... Mmm!!

There are some big names associated with this platformer, which I'm sure many will recognise from the ST's demo scene. These talented scenes knew how to get the most from the ST and prove what this computer is capable of - when programmed by people who didn't make excuses. Sadly, as with Enchanted Land, this is another that looks and sounds better than it plays. Don't get me wrong, the basic mechanics are good but there's something "off". I don't like how he shoots plus the momentum/slippy floors are weird. Especially when at the edge of a tight platform!

Am I being harsh? Perhaps I'll return to this for a proper playtest and review? Let me know in the comments!

Downloads are available by Klaz (for floppy and hard drive - plus a trainer). You will need that trainer...

- SCREENSHOTS -

We begin in a village but beware the threat of drowning in tiny purple puddles!



Where could these doors possibly take us? Let's knock and find out...

Woo!! It's really creepy down here and there are monsters too. Watch out!



The tunnels reminded me of No Buddies Land! You can find THAT on this website too :o)