Hellgate

Wait, what? Is this DOOM?

Hellgate is yet another first-person shooter for the Atari ST/e. Created in 1997 by David Walters of Smartsoft and is an impressive attempt to develop Doom using STOS. Of course, it'll take more than our humble 68000 processor to deliver decent framerates especially when I remember a friend's 25Mhz PC not being all that impressive.

Wait a moment... Hold your horses, Marine!! Did I just say that Hellgate was developed using STOS?? That is something else... Okay, don't get me wrong, this is a brilliant tool that has certainly proved itself more times than I care to mention, however, can it actually handle a 3D engine running at a decent framerate?

Please remember that this is shareware and I have only found an 'unregistered demo' which may not even be the completed product. This is also missing a few bits 'n' bobs like a rocket launcher and extra episodes. Sadly, after scouring the internet, I failed to find the registered version so I'm praying the full game isn't lost!

Okay, enough waffling for now because we have a couple of screenshots to view...

I'm liking the iWatch menu. Apple, you need to learn from this!

A familiar screen after romping through the first level and successfully killing everything!

I'm getting that Doom vibe!!

The year is 2196 and we plucky humans have somehow terraformed the ice giant Neptune. However, the planet's largest city is plagued with extremely high levels of crime, so our mission is to investigate that. Now, I'm no military expert, but I think that means we grab our weapons and kill everything in sight. Well, I'm sold so count me in!!

Firstly, we need identification so enter your name into a simple but sweet screen. The audio here is great but I'll say no more to risk spoiling it (but I thought it was cool). Next, there are three difficulty levels to choose from:

Dead Easy: which the documentation hilariously says is for kids and your granny!
Well 'Ard: which is kinda like an equivalent of Doom's "Hurt Me Plenty".
Suicide: is for those with Godlike skills but even the docs advise against this nightmare!

Hey, you... Pssst... fancy a couple more sexy screenshots of STOS Doom? Of course, you do...

The pistol is good and does its job as something just to get you started.

Nothing compares to the shotgun. Just ask Doomguy, he'll tell ya!

Let's play...

Once you begin, everything has a familiar feel to ID's iconic shooter (cough...cough...ripoff). The episode screen displays just where you are in Neptune's city complex and the in-game status bar shows health, armour, ammo, keys and even your ugly mug in the middle. Well, I guess, there's no shame in using a tried and trusted format? (I like it!!)

Controls are performed using the mouse: pushing upwards will walk forward and I'm sure you can guess what pulling back on your chunky grey tank will do? Moving left/right allows our marine to look around the city - unless you hold down the right button to enable strafe. Sadly, the keyboard is only used to flip between your weaponry and open doors.

Yup, you're stuck to using the mouse to get around which is incredibly frustrating at times, especially during your first few games. Well, nothing is perfect and it does work quite well but I cannot help but wonder why David didn't implement the alternative WASD. Anyhow, the mouse works well once you become familiar with using it.

Hardly a crushing blow is it? And that now means only one thing - Yep, it's time for some more screenshots...

Look out for medkits, armour, and ammo to help fight off the hoards.

What? No zombie guys or imps? No, we have these blocky robotic dudes to shoot at!

An honourable ripoff?

So almost everything feels similar to what you would expect. And so is the gameplay: we begin the mission with only a pistol but our personal armoury can ultimately include a Shotgun, Minigun, Rifle, and Rocket Launcher. However, I never got to see the Rifle as I lost my bearings, which you can see at the end of my video recording (scroll back up).

So, that takes me onto the automap: there isn't one. As much as I tried hitting the TAB key - it did nothing. Perhaps it was just me but I got lost and desperately needed to find out where to go, especially as I was recording a video. Sigh...

Look out for pickups to boost your health and so on, but there are a few hidden rooms just as in Doom and Wolfenstein! This is how I found the shotgun on the first level, a fantastic find! Also, some doors are locked and need a specific key to unlock them. Yup, there's nothing shockingly new in Hellgate but familiarity is no bad thing here whatsoever.

Righto, let's not get sarky and just introduce two more flourishingly-sexy screenshots. Ahem...

Always keep an eye out for secret rooms just like we did in ID's Doom and Wolfenstein.

Yep, that provided me armour, health and the shotgun. What a find!!

486 Aesthetics?

Graphically, things are pretty poor and not only in comparison to Doom (which is understandable) but also to ST shooters, like Wolfenstein, Destruction Imminent and Substation. Everything looks crude, with a fairly sluggish framerate, and more than a few glitches too. Interestingly, the robotic enemies are made from polygons which is kinda cool and not what I was expecting. However, they are a bit thick and I would still have preferred demonic monsters!

Sound effects are sparse using fuzzy samples for firing, pickups, doors, etc/etc. What I did find odd were our robotic enemies who scream when dying, freak but cool!! Sadly, there's no music for ST dudes but lucky STe owners can enjoy gorgeous Mad Max chiptunes alongside the sound effects. This actually works incredibly well and suited the mood and style.

Two more screenshots before the much-anticipated opinion that I know you're eager to read...

Two missing episodes lost? I hope we find the registered game one day :(

Here ends my game... the screen turns red and I fall to the ground. DEAD!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Hellgate was an interesting download but sadly, it's not good enough in comparison to the other FPS shooters already on the Atari ST. A faster computer, like my Mega STe, compensated for the poor framerate but it couldn't fix the wonky mechanics, bugs, or the psychic robots who always seemed to know my movements before I did. Ultimately, the mouse controls are the real game killer because it desperately requires the use of a keyboard. What a shame.

Hellgate is fun for a few hours but I doubt I'll return to it anytime soon. However, let's remember this is probably unfinished and developed by one guy using STOS and that fact alone blows me away!! Play it and let me know what you think.

- Download Hellgate -

Atari ST demos [part two]

Following on from my previous post, here is part two of my personal homage to some earlier demos that I admire. Keep watching, because I continue with two of the best megademos the world has ever seen before ending with Virtual Escape, possibly the best half-meg Atari ST demo ever? Who knows, do you? Let me know in the comments below!

Once again, I hope you all enjoy what is nothing more than a silly fan-made video of a few demos that I remember enjoying from around 1988 onwards. Each production can be downloaded from either AtariMania or Demozoo.

Finally, I've added an excellent background chiptune called Harmless, by Nemo aka Jan Daldrup.

* Grusel by Eckhard Kruse: I've always loved this and so does my daughter 30yrs later!!

* Death Of The Left Border by TNT: Finally, the left border had gone - an incredible moment.

* Singing Raisins by John Blakely & Mark Booth: An early animation which is so funny.

* The Junk Demo by TCB: From start to end these guys never failed to impress.

* Dark Side Of The Spoon by ULM: from the moment I first heard "U..L..M". Superb!!

* European Demos by OVR: What a jaw-dropping megademo with some incredible screens.

* Virtual Escape by Equinox: This runs on an 8Mhz computer with half a meg Ram. Outstanding!!

Atari ST demos [part one]

I decided to make a video showcasing a limited selection of the earlier Atari ST demos that hold a special place in my heart. You know, those productions which made our brains, eyes and ears explode with shock and excitement when we saw our machine doing things it was never supposed to be able to do. Well, that was the start of a special era, alright!

I hope you all enjoy this video and I've also added one of my favourite chiptunes as a cool backing track, Best Part Of The Creation by Big Alec. A mesmerising tune from "Punish Your Machine" which is also one of few medium-resolution screens for the ST. Every demo is available on AtariMania and Demozoo and here is what I decided to pick:

* README.PRG by The Exceptions: Come on, nobody expected this when double-clicking that icon!
* Little Color Demo by The Exceptions: This is something I really love to listen to over and over.
* Full Screen Demo by Level 16: Both my TV and I were blown away by this stunning feat!
* The Union Demo by The Union: I still remember ordering this!! What a moment in time.
* The Cuddly Demos by The Carebears: To me, this felt like a Union Demo II. Ace STuff.
* Overdrive Demo by Phalanx: Oh, that menu. Wow, incredible!! How did they do it?
* Mindbomb by The Lost Boys: Possibly the best demo team? Ohhh what have I just started? lol

 

Update: I've made a follow-up video. Clickety Click! :)

Myth

What might have been...

Myth was a promising game by System 3 Software that was released on several different platforms - except for the Atari ST. We got a playable demo to whet our appetites before they later pulled the plug. The first stage is fully playable but there is no music/sfx. So I added a wonderful chiptune by ActoDi called Friday to spice up the lacking audio.

This is /could have been/ a superb game as it's great fun and has a promising Gods/Black Tiger vibe that I really enjoyed. The graphics are fantastic with smooth scrolling and I enjoyed kicking and stabbing demon filth. Yup, this might have been great so I'm gutted System 3 wimped out on the Atari ST... Wow, the potential was there!!

The download is on Atarimania and there are more unreleased Atari ST games to cry over here - grab a tissue!

Frantick

Munsie power!!

I remember playing Frantick years ago so I figured it was about time that I gave this another shot. Well, after today's attempt, I still suck eggs but boy, is this a cracking game. Released in 1994 by the legend that is Dave Munsie, Frantick is a shoot 'em up kinda like a 2D Tempest! The documentation states that your reflexes and dexterity will be tested.

It's not wrong! This game is very challenging so features two extra game modes to help train you: Easy and Droid. Personally, I preferred the help from my trusty droid who seemed to enjoy sacrificing itself to compensate for my sluggish reactions... I suggest playing in either mode for several games of practice, you'll need it. Trust me.

Our spaceship is situated within a horizontal stripe along the middle of the screen. We can't escape this area but can move along it and fire up/downwards at the enemies. These blighters will ascend on your position, so be quick and kill them before they reach you. One touch and you're brown bread, but there are power-ups to help and other bonuses. If things get too crazy then whack your spacebar to activate a limited supply of nukes.

Graphically, things are actually pretty simple but using freakishly psychedelic styles! There are many different aliens and everything comes alive with colour. Heck, there is even an epilepsy warning! The sound effects are superb and STe owners, with enough Ram, can listen to streamed DMA music in-game which I really enjoyed. Oh yeah!!

As with Anarchy, this is one of those games that is too fast for old Stevie! Frantick completely bemuses and overwhelmed me with its furious action but it's such a thrill. But boy, what a ride. Phew!! This is what you'd call a great example of arcade-style gaming at its best. Just make sure you wear cheap sunglasses and drink lots of coffee first!

Brilliant game and something that I've thoroughly enjoyed. This is nothing less than a ridiculous shoot 'em up!!

Download from AtariMania for the fully registered game.

 [ Install to hdd/ultrasatan for best results ] 

Oh No! Not More Radioactive Mineshafts

A simple idea perfectly executed

Not since Rumbo or Hector vs The Mutant Vampire Tomatoes From Hell have I loved a title. I mean, come on, Oh No! Not More Radioactive Mineshafts - how fantastic!! This is a catch 'em style game released by Breakpoint Software (Jon Garry) for the Atari STe and, once again, the 'PD' world comes up trumps with a charming title.

We are a penguin who has somehow fallen down a mineshaft. Hmm, okay... To escape we need to collect colourful blocks which are raining down from above using our head. Yes, I said using our head!! Before a level begins, we are instructed on the number and type of each block to be nutted by our noggin before a timer expires.

The ones that you miss will fall onto the ground and these then become radioactive (I presume). And that also means they will slide away to the sides of the screen. Your job is to hop over them without dying and that's as technical as it gets. Thankfully, there is a password system to skip directly to any level - brilliant!!

Surely I can beat Tony Hart and Les Dennis!!!

Input & Output

Controls are best using a joystick (keyboard sucks). You can move left or right plus hitting the fire button (or pushing upwards) allows you to leap over the radioactive sliding blocks. Right from the start, the gameplay is fast and I'm incredibly impressed with the controls which are superbly responsive. In fact, they are perfect.

Graphically, these mineshafts aren't half bleak: a black screen with colourful blocks. Okay, the penguin sprite is cute, the palette is always bright and bold for those squares and everything breezes along at a smooth pace. I love the menus which are very kaleidoscopically and something like you would see in a demo!

Audio is where things shine and throughout are some of the most spectacular tunes by musicians like Tao, Big Alec, Sally of STAX(hello Jon!), Mad Max and Count Zero. All are electrifying and something rather special.

A password system? Ohh, brillopads!! ^ ^

The CryptO'pinion?

This is a frantically simple game that I've thoroughly enjoyed - even if it did drive me nuts!! I'm unsure whether it will appeal to everyone but give it a go because you never know? My only criticism is the lack of a points display, which means you won't know whether you've done enough to progress - until the timer has expired.

Oh No! Not More Radioactive Mineshafts is infuriatingly addictive and will certainly have you screaming at your SC1224 in no time. It is irritating, agonising and yet ever so simple and addictive. An exhilarating game!

Download from AtariMania or

Stonish with a great menu disk by Pure Energy [video]

Dusty Old Disks!

Arghh floppies everywhere!

I figured it was time to start doing a little housework. No, not the dusting and hoovering kind because that's a woman's job. (Ouch!!! The wife just hit me!). Anyhow, I've got hundreds of coverdisks scattered about the house. Well, ahem, over a hundred!! And I can never find the one I want without hunting through a mess of disks. BooHoo, right?

I'm amazed how many coverdisks were released by magazines like ST Format, ST Review and ST User. But there are also many others: The One, ST/Amiga Format, Computer Express, Zero, and my favourite ST Action. /etc/etc

Unsurprisingly, most of my disks are by ST Format with ST User and ST Review following for a close second and third respectively. I've been playtesting most disks and I'm shocked to discover that almost everything still works. I have bad sectors on a few ST Format disks but otherwise, I'm partying like it's 1990. Hang on, that's how I live my life!

As you can imagine, this was quite the trip down memory lane. I've found many games and programs like Recover, Quick ST, Harlekin, K-Graph, That's Write, Cyber Paint, Ani ST, GEMview, Easy Draw, Spectrum 512, loads of CPX modules, etc... In fact, the abundant amount of utilities is most appealing!

A cynic might say, all of which I could have easily found on the internet!! But where's the fun in that? So come on, what does your cover disk collection look like? Do they work? Why not let me know in the comments below.

Don't leave just yet, you have screenshots to view and a pile of disks too...

It's hardly classy but at least they tried, unlike other ST mags.

Dungeon Master for free. This is a belting game!!

Why have I yet to feature this incredible platformer???

Chronicles Of Omega. Search it right here on AtariCrypt. ST/STe support!

Grr, I found another 12 disks after taking this photo!! (10xSTF / 2xSTR)

Super Wonder Boy in Monster Land

This game looks bad...

Okay, we're a kid named Tom-Tom who wears a nappy and wields a sword. Hmm, I was hoping for something macho with blood and gore but, there is none! However, Tommy holds his own for his one and only outing on the Atari ST.

Anyhow, Tommy (yes, I've renamed him) lives in a pleasant place called Wonder Land which he apparently protected during the first game. However, don't get too comfy, because a dragon has wreaked havoc on Wonder Land by releasing an army of hideous creatures. Not only will most of these beasts aimlessly walk back and forth, in a menacing manner, but they've now managed to turn Tommy's once beautiful home into Monster Land. Oh no, we can't have that!

Okay, let's end that sarcasm because this is where we come in to be a kiddy hero with the demanding task of killing all of the baddies and freeing the land of evil. Wanna turn your Atari ST temporarily into a Nintendo and save the day?

I already know the answer so let's begin with some cool screenshots...

Hmm, that looks like a slab of juicy meat floating in the air?

Argh no!! Tell me I don't need to kill this cute, er, thing? Yes, KILL IT!!

WonderBoy has to deal with some of the silliest monsters - which can be a pain to kill.

Kiddy killer time!

Monster Land starts off very bright and cheery with lovely colours and a cutesy design that I really like. Right from the beginning, you meet with somebody who details your quest and kindly arms you with a sword. Every level has its baddies who get more frequent (and nasty) the deeper you progress through the land. Easy ones are snakes and rabbits but there are many others which are trickier: bats, mud men and grey things that fire arrows (ugh, I hate those).

Currency is a big thing in this game and slain monsters will leave behind gold coins when slaughtered. Also, it's worth jumping up into apparently empty parts of any level because these areas might reveal extra hidden coins. You've just gotta be willing to hop here, there and everywhere - like an idiot! (I'm good at that)

Wanna spend those coins? Well, look for doorways that are often scattered throughout most of the maps. These provide access to various different stores to purchase items, enhancements, or friendly advice. For example, it's a good idea to carry a shield when you come across a grey fella who fires arrows. Other items which you might find useful are shoes for faster movements, weapons (I love the fireballs) or perhaps you're just after some basic help and advice?

Oddly, there's an egg timer displayed in your status bar and I hadn't got the foggiest what it was for. But, when it expires, some of your health is frustrating taken so try to keep it topped up by collecting the tiny egg timers hidden throughout the levels. Yep, they're probably going to be invisible so you better start randomly jumping...

Bosses appear quite frequently I thought, with the first being Death himself. Actually, he's rather slow and moves in a predictable pattern so is quite easy to kill, However, the others aren't defeated so easily so prepare thyself. Once any level boss is dead, you're then able to collect his loot and a key to the exit. Tip: don't dawdle & grab the loot first!

Okay, it's that time when I show some responsible screenshots. Fancy a beer, kid? What...

Oh not again? But boss-eyed helpers, whatever next?



A drink you ask? Beer please, and ignore the nappy I'm wearing. I'm over 18, honest.

Input & Output

Use your joystick to walk, leap and activate power-ups. When Tommy moves, he abides by humble laws of physics with regard to momentum: so he cannot simply stop moving when you release the joystick and will instead slow to a halt. At first, that is rather annoying I gotta say, but it soon becomes second nature. Oddly, the spacebar is used to open shop doors, which can be a little awkward and I would have preferred not to let go of my joystick.

Visually, Monster Land honours the arcade game well, but I doubt it'll blow your socks off: we're not talking Seven Gates Of Jambala or Risky Woods. What we do have is a gorgeous cartoon design with the cutest sprites - I love the snakes but those horrendous Mudmen are the best. Scrolling suits the gameplay perfectly and is smooth and responsive. Sure, they reduced the screen size but at least they didn't wimp out with flick or push scrolling so respect from me!

The audio is good and features chiptunes throughout by David Whittaker which I really liked. They're oldskool style and I doubt they're his finest work but there's still something cool and timeless about chip music and these prove that. Sound effects are nice, nothing more than the expected spot effects for weapons /etc. No complaints.

Okay, let's check out those cool kiddy visuals with the final run of screenshots...

Blue flying rabbit/bat things. Cute and annoyingly deadly!

Aye-up, what's inside here? Treasure, I hope...

And there's always an end-of-level boss just itching for a fight!

The CryptO'pinion?

Considering that I have never liked this style of platformer (yep, including Mario!), I must admit that I have really enjoyed Wonder Boy on the Atari ST. It starts off easy but soon becomes challenging with a massive variety of cute baddies to kill whilst exploring a range of interesting levels. Blummin' excellent game I thoroughly recommend!!

A massive shock for me this - who would have thought a nappy-wearing toddler would have been this fantastic?

Download for floppy or hard drive!

Steps

What, Steps?

No, not that annoying camp-as-Christmas pop group but, instead Cream's musicdisk stuffed full of Tao tunes. My recording has short samples taken from random tracks, it's just enough to read all the scroller - which is always a lamer's necessity. YouTube has its uses, but this disk is best experienced using real hardware so click the link above.

I've really enjoyed this disk, Tao never ceases to impress and Steps is nothing short of extraordinary. Love it!!

Amazine Weekend!

It's time for a good read

I've not been feeling too good over the weekend so I've sadly, not been able to play, record or write for my favourite Atari ST website. (Yes, this one!!) Typical though, isn't it? After being at work all week, I get myself a dose of the dreaded man flu. Let me tell you, women, there is nothing worse than this illness. Scientific fact. Honest.

As I've not been in the mood, I just popped over to Fujiology and grabbed a random diskmag. I love reading these - when I get a chance - and the ST has so many to choose from. In the end, I downloaded Amazine #4 by HMD which is probably one of the most short-lived magazines ever? I wonder what happened to No.5 /etc? How odd :/

Amazine #4 begins with a fantastic intro by Animal Mine - which has jaw-dropping fx. The magazine itself is displayed using medium resolution so it looks gorgeous and is very easy on the eyes. (I remember my old flickery SC1224). Inside are all kinds of information relevant to the early 90s which is both incredibly interesting and also a shame, especially when you see various productions that never got finished - Yuppies Land. I also enjoyed the interviews and then seeing who topped the leaderboard for best artist, musician and more. Geeky fun!!

Sometimes ... ugh... I wish I could be ill more often so I can take the time to relax with a good diskmag like this. The Atari ST has such an impressive library, covering a wide range of topics and interests. I enjoyed this one: it's interesting, funny, geeky and something today's youngsters will probably never appreciate. Check out these screenshots...

I love megademos but they can be spread too thin with fillers. I prefer dentros myself!

I love the GUI and how it pushes the pages across... Looks cool in ST Medium resolution too!

What? Fuzion are dead?? Right, come on guys, own it - who killed the Fuzion boys??

This was an interesting and sobering read and I would have enjoyed Yuppie's Land...

World Championship Boxing Manager

Do not talk about fight club

Okay, outside of stock car racing, I can't say that I'm a big sports fan and Boxing is something that has never appealed to me in the slightest. However, in the interest of keeping things as varied as possible, I'm always looking to try new stuff. So, I downloaded World Championship Boxing Manager by Krisalis which they released in 1991.

Now, I admit to being dubious about anything with "manager" in the name because it usually means boring and just for the uber-geeks. But then I noticed AtariMania had this listed as STe Enhanced which certainly whet my appetite. Well, what can I say, I'm a sucker for anything STe enhanced!! Let's just hope I don't die of boredom. Ha!

Okay, let's take a peep at some screens that push the ST to its limits... ahem...

  
Here's the place to get things organised and to ensure the care of your fighters. Gripping stuff!

Silly faces you can punch!

We're first greeted by a range of dodgy blokes, who are all after a contract, so pick who you fancy before heading out to the office for a hard day's graft. It's here you can arrange a fight, train, view contracts, and even watch a fighter receive his physio. The actual fights are watched from behind the commentators - who will describe everything that is going on for each round. However, I soon felt the life force drain from me, so hit the fast-forward button!!

I can't say I was converted to the sport, or even hooked on this style of game, but I continued on and headed back to my office to see what other wonders awaited me. It was now that I noticed hands on the right side of the office, but clicking did nothing so I figured it was just part of the background... Well, until I clicked the filing cabinet...

I almost spat my coffee out when I began to watch my assistant walk across the office - for an eye-popping moment in 16-bit sex appeal. Okay, walking in those heels obviously looks tough, but she certainly excelled at handing over my documents!! Come on folks, I'm sure better use of the STe palette could have been made? lol

  
The car animation is cool as are the opening scenes within the stadium. Very exciting!

The CryptO'pinion?

Boxing Manager isn't a bad game whatsoever and I imagine it will appeal to sports and strategy fans. Sadly, it wasn't something that I personally found particularly entertaining. Except for the girl strutting her stuff and flashing those long legs and boobs. Yep, I can imagine the folk at Goliath Games had themselves a right laugh making this? Brilliant stuff.

Overall, this is strictly one ideally suited for Boxing enthusiasts with lots of spare time on their hands.

Floppy disks can be found using Old Games Finder

or on Mantronix #6 thanks to Stonish.

Dark Mode

Finally, Amazon delivered a new ST book - Faster Than Light. It's a cracking read and I couldn't help but giggle when reading about ST Writer's dark mode. Today's companies would rave about a feature like that as if it was... well... new.

This line hit home with me about Dark Mode, "The ST had that in 1985". Absolutely superb STuff!!

Blob Race

Worms. Gambling. Death!!

It's not often a parent introduces their young child to gambling! But, I figured racing blobs was going to be worth the risk of the cops knocking on my door. Yep, you heard correctly, today we are going to be betting on green blobs which is something similar to the horse racing machines at the seaside amusement arcades (and this one won't cost you a penny!)

Developed by Kev Davis back in 1991, Blob was never released for some insane reason.

Well, not until 1994 after he saw an unreleased beta on a Menu Disk... Yikes!

You know me, folks, I love Atari ST games but our PD/Homebrew scene is something else. There is so much out there just waiting to be re/played. It's often the place to find hidden gems bursting with innovative ideas from people that loved to experiment. Well, I think Blob Race is just that and I've gotta say Kev has a fantastic sense of humour!

What am I waffling on about? Let's take a look at a screenshot before you should read on...

Ricky D. would be proud of that boulder... until it squashed a blob to death!

Wacky Races

All games are a gamble and we begin with £100 in the kitty. Racing a blob is just like the games from the arcades: pick yourself a likely winner from a selection of six candidates. Each has a name and its own individual characteristics for speed, reactions (how well they can maintain that speed) and the number of tricks they're able to perform.

Oh yes, a blob can possess a bunch of tricks used against competitors such as throwing bombs, riding a bike, and sprouting helicopter wings. If all this wasn't enough, you might see one teleport or explode. Love it!!

The betting system is simple but not like you might expect: come first and you get your winnings at the specified odds. Coming in second allows half of that, whilst third place gets you your money back. Finish worse than that and you receive a big-fat-nothing. This system actually works really well and helps keep everyone playing for longer.

It's time for another glorious screenshot of technically amazing graphics. Well, no, but at least it's a funny one...

One gets crushed by a ton weight and another develops helicopter hair.

High Roller Racing!

That's about all there is to this belting game: pick a blob and watch it squelch across the screen. It's great fun but what makes it extra awesome is its simplicity and superb humour: I loved the falling ton weights, bombs, and lots of other worm-like incidents. Also, the news headlines are funny: avoid cliches like the plague. My only criticism would be the length of each race which is too short otherwise Blob is ace and gets a thumbs-up from both of us here. You'll love it!!

Come on, grab the download and give this stupid game a run for its money. Let me know what you think.

Nightbreed - The Interactive Movie

Back when they knew how to make great horror movies

I remember watching Nightbreed back in the day and absolutely loved it. Okay, it was a little cheesy but I'm a fan of most horror genres and Clive Barker never disappoints. It had such a different twist to its style and atmosphere and I loved the idea of Midian with its freaks - being the good guys. Something I didn't expect at the time.

Being the weirdo that I am, I would have loved to see Midian for myself one dark night - of course, armed with nothing more than a flashlight!! Alas, it was never meant to be... well... until now that is!! Thanks to Ocean, and their amazing dedication to movie tie-ins, I finally have their Nightbreed which tries to follow the original plot as best it can. This time it's what's called an interactive adventure, umm, with some arcade action thrown in for good measure.

Right then, let's stop the natter and check out some of the screenshots from this scary game...

Don't listen to the bad man...

Hey, check out that 90s hairdo (and Aaron's nipples! lol)

The gameplay area is pretty large and feels a lot bigger thanks to the laborious car journey!

Armed with a torch, we head into the dark woods!

As you can imagine, we play as Aaron Boone and begin our adventure in the doctor's office listening to his lies. Yup, he's trying to trick us into a confession for something we haven't done - our world is collapsing in on itself. After this introduction plays through, we're presented with a map of the area which has many roads. Here you can travel to three possible destinations: the redneck police station, an ever-attractive asylum, and the mysterious Midian Town.

To drive, we use the overhead map of the area using the mouse and click each intersection of any road. However, watch out for hidden roadblocks that present a decision: do you smash through like a rebel or turn around to find an alternative route? Keep your eyes on the fuel gauge, I wouldn't like to get stuck on these roads at nighttime...

Deciding where to go is completely up to you but take a look at this map first, before you start burning unnecessary fuel. And then think to yourself what would Aaron Boone do? Everything may look very similar but each action you make (generally) has a different outcome: I made my way to the hospital in my first game, but (ahem) that didn't go very well.

Not well at all, actually! Check out the screenshot I got to see on my first game...

What a nightmare it is to be shackled and caged like a beast!

Arghh!! Caught and locked away in a padded cell for the rest of my days!

Just listen to his howling!! Wow :o

I've been eaten, again!

Of course, being the eager adventure, I restarted and headed straight to Midian. Here I was given three options: I chose to enter Midian itself which is something I was really looking forward to. However, I think this was a bad choice because I was instantly torn to pieces by a Berserker without any possible chance to defend myself. What an ending!!

I never gave up and tried again with my foolish venture into Midian but, this time, I was set upon by something else that was extremely vicious. However, this is where I finally got to see Nightbreed's action scenes as I ran away like a scared chicken. This part has you banging on the mouse button to separate two sprites at the top of your screen - one to represent you and the chasing monster. I escaped but trigger-happy cops were waiting and I found myself in the morgue!

As you can see, my fortune in this game is pretty terrible. Let's see some screenshots...

I made a poor decision and the doctor was waiting for me...

He brought the cops. Who shot me into pieces!

Midian is full of freaks... but I gotta admire the artwork and a dodgy game of chase!!

Horrorscope!

Visually, Nightbreed doesn't fail to impress and features many screens with gorgeous artwork. I love the eerie tones that make use of great palette choices to honour the movie's atmosphere nicely. However, the animations are pretty lame and I dare you not to laugh when being chased However, it's this part where I thought Aaron looked like David Boreanaz [remember the vamp Angel] as his image wobbles back 'n' forth. Or is it just me?

The audio is also excellent. Okay, I'd have liked more background sounds but, what we have, is sampled and pretty darn awesome. Easily my favourite sound effect is when we're captured and held captive in the asylum: this is probably one of the scariest samples I've ever heard in any game. It's incredible. Listen to it!!

Remember when I said I found myself in the morgue? Well, that doesn't necessarily mean game over...

Oh no, I'm not doing too well... Well, I did end up in the morgue so that's never good!


Well, I never expected that... this is turning into an old Hammer House of Horror movie!!

The CryptO'pinion?

I've enjoyed Nightbreed with its weird storyline and freaky aesthetics that I'm sure Clive Barker would appreciate. The game is big and offers quite a challenge but I was left a little disappointed - considering this is an interactive adventure - as I imagined a lot more actual "interaction". Also, I felt blindly forced into following a predetermined and limited plot - one wrong move and you're dead. Which isn't brilliant for what is supposed to be a free-roaming adventure scenario.

Don't get me wrong, this is no Dragon's Lair and I'm sure fans will get something from this interactive movie tie-in. I loved the ability to venture into Midian for myself but I simply feel more could have been done to exploit the setting and storyline with its wide variety of Midian monsters. I enjoyed it as it's not a bad game just not a great one.

Here are a few screenshots to tempt you into downloading Nightbreed for floppy or hard drive!

Boogey Man

Bogey or crow?

Scouring through the ST archives, I found something silly called Boogey Man, by Anthony Hamilton. The screenshots reminded me of an old 8-Bit game but, if I'm honest, it really isn't anything close to what I expected.

This is a tough one to describe... but... we are Burt, a guy who loves to collect snot. Yup, you heard me - snot. And there is plenty of that popping up all over your screen in both small and large doses. There are nine levels in all which might sound too easy? It's not because the controls are super-sensitive which makes the entire experience very chaotic as you agonisingly attempt to carefully navigate, avoiding the nasties. Yes, it's as mad as it sounds but, great fun.

There are bad guys which come in two flavours, a Blob and a Spike. Touching either kills you instantly so beware. Watch the timer, which is just another way to lose a life - and you can see that happen to me near the end of my recording. A boogeyometer is shown bottom/right of the screen to display how much snot remains to be collected. Once accomplished, an exit door appears on the right and we can leg it to the next level for more snotty fun.

Right, it's time for a screenshot so let's begin with an informative one...

Burt seems to love snot for some peculiar reason but look out for the nasties who wanna stop you.

Aesthetics

The visuals are basic and very 8-bit, which is something I often admire because it works very well from a more simplistic time. Well, it works here too. Interestingly, this game runs in Medium resolution which explains the fine details and lack of colour. I liked the sprites, especially Blob, but there's nothing here pushing the old ST of course and that's fine.

However, the audio will certainly entertain - the kids. Ohhhh, and the big kids too - like me. I absolutely loved it but I should say nothing more to spoil your surprise other than Anthony made excellent use of MasterSound!!!

Struggling to understand just why I played this game? Better check out this screenshot then...

Gameplay relies on fudgy controls to make it feel quite chaotic. Can you beat level nine?

The CryptO'pinion?

Whatever you're thinking when you see the screenshots - stop. Since when did cinematic visuals ever matter? The idea and gameplay are simple but humorous and incredibly entertaining. Yes, the controls initially feel too snappy, but you will get used to that and anything different would just make the game far too easy. So it's perfect as is.

Boogey Man is a ridiculous game and one I'm sure your kids will love for all the obvious reasons. I know that I loved every second of it and I've just heard there's a Boogey Man II listed on AtariMania... dare I try the sequel? LOL