Alpha Waves

Boing... Boing... Boing...

Alpha Waves is a unique game released by Infogrames in 1990 and is nothing like I first imagined (back then). In fact, I still remember the first time I booted it up and then picked up my jaw from the floor. Not because I was seeing wondrous graphics or anything I might have hoped for - but simply because I was experiencing something brand new.

Yes, this is a new genre of 16-bit gaming that had us piloting an odd spaceship (it looks like a wedge of cheese). We are trapped within a multi-roomed cube and each of these inner rooms is littered with platforms. These function to progressively bounce us higher into the air, which is our means of transportation. I guess they forgot to include an engine?

Anyhow, this mechanic allows us to bounce independently, as if on a trampoline. But only when using the platforms, otherwise gravity takes over fully and we sink to the floor like a lead balloon. The wedge of cheese has no upward thrust, only forwards. So skim from platform to platform - to ultimately reach the dizzy heights. And the exit door.

It's a cool concept that is well-executed and very easy to pick up and play so let's view a screenshot...

That's me there and you can see my shadow. Use that for guidance.

But is it any good?

Two gameplay modes are available: "Action" has a time restriction whereas "Emotion" gives you all the time in the world and is useful for newcomers or those simply wanting a more leisurely experience. Controls are best with the joystick and navigation can be improved by pushing up or down to change your world viewing angle.

Interestingly, a shadow is cast by your craft - this helps to pinpoint your position in each position perfectly. Some rooms contain obscure baddies which can annoyingly get in the way and knock you about - watch out for the "snake" creature!! Alpha Waves will never disappoint no matter which gameplay style you prefer and is great for explorers.

As you can tell, it's tough to explain but much easier to pick up play! So let's see another screenshot...

What is that weird thing? An enemy ship or someone coming over to help?

Aesthetics

Graphically this may appear simple or even crude judging by the screenshots. But playing the game reveals how great everything moves in what I can only describe as an abstract world of 3D-filled vectors with zero distance clipping.

Faster computers will knock it out of the park but the 8MHz Atari ST performs fast and fluently. Heck, it even runs in high resolution so you can see all the polygons at 640x400 without any slowdown (but I personally preferred the whacky colours in low resolution which also looks a lot better to IMHO).

In-game sound effects are samples and very nice too but, there is little else to hear. If I'm honest, you spend most of your time listening to your ship bouncing on platformers. I love the door sound effect, very Interphase I thought.

Okay, so it looks weird but also brilliant at the same time. Great! So let's check out a screenshot...

The CryptO'pinion?

I personally rank this as one of the best Atari ST games I have ever played. Bold statement but this is an amazing experience and a perfect example of the gems lurking within our archives just waiting to be discovered. It may not appeal to everyone but Alpha Waves certainly helped invent a genre that nobody ever expected. It plays great with many unique challenges that require much skill and perseverance. A flabbergasting moment in gaming history and one I absolutely adore.

Who would ever have thought bouncing a piece of cheese through cubic rooms would be so much fun?

> Downloads are available for both floppy and super-zippy hard drives!

Prehistorik

Would you Adam and Eve it?

Rub your eyes in disbelief because I've managed to find a decent STOS game! That's right, and it was released in 1991 by one of my favourite companies, Titus. Okay, I know they released a couple of dodgy games, but there's something about them that I like. Plus, they released some corkers, like this platformer!

Prehistorik is nothing less than the cutest dino-platformer using cartoon-like visuals. We're taken back to a time when dinosaurs roamed the lush countryside. We play the part of a plucky young caveman wielding a big club. Imagine something like BAMM-BAMM from The Flintstones, but older - with a beard! Add the psychotic desire to club cute prehistoric animals, and you have the perfect entertainment for any game!

Fancy a selection of screenshots? Of course, you do scroll on down...

Running leap onto a vicious dinosaur. Well, okay, hardly vicious, and he is easy to knock out, too!

Inside each cave are lots of things to nosh on.

Those angry yellow dudes are quick on the draw!

Clubbing animals is fun!

The object is to explore the lands, looking for food to feed your family. This means we have a typical platformer to run & leap our way through a 16-bit Jurassic Park. Along the way are a variety of pitfalls and exciting places to discover: caves are always interesting as they offer goodies to consume along the way. But watch yourself because these caves aren't dark and creepy at all, plus something cute and fluffy might be inside!

Each level has unique dinos roaming, and some are huge, thus requiring several hits from your trusty club. The end of each area features a massive boss to defeat. Sadly, these are intensely difficult without a cheat for extra lives. That's about the gist of it, really: collect food, club animals to death, and find the exit.

The joystick controls are simple and perform well. I love the freedom to move during the jumps, and clubbing your prey is great fun and perfectly timed, so you never feel too close or stuck in a tight corner. Considering this is STOS, I'm impressed with the responsiveness, which makes exploring a bunch of fun.

This is possibly the best STOS game I've played. Let's celebrate that fact with some screenshots...

Did I mention there are secret hidden levels to find?

This guru dude appears now and then. Club him hard for a reward!

The boss levels are kinda lame, and this one is the worst imho.

Seven big tips

• Explore everything. Look in every cave to collect all the goodies.
• See a guru-looking dude? Club him and steal whatever he's carrying.
• I found it best to enable auto-fire for a more frantic bashing experience!
• Cave critters only emerge when you're on the same level.
• Something doesn't look quite right? Maybe there's a secret level?
• 90s games are way too tough with never enough lives. Use a trainer!
• The bonuses are pretty lame and never last too long, but if you're lucky, you will find the odd gem (usually via the Guru), like an extra life and bigger jumps. But the others suck simply because they don't last long enough!!

Watch out when near a cave entrance, you never know what might emerge from the darkness!!

Crazylegs Crane's uncle has made an appearance!

Prehistorik is full of basic puzzles. How are we going to cross this lava?

Aesthetics

The visuals are pretty and cartoony: the backgrounds are well-drawn, and each dino sprite is absolutely gorgeous. It's the characters that I love the most because they are funny and feature their own personality and silly expressions - especially when knocked unconscious. I almost feel bad clubbing them. Almost.

Music can be played throughout and reminds me of Where Time Stood Still. It's got that lovely chip feel with a style that complements the gameplay. Very nice and never overwhelming, but if you so desire, you can play without music. Pressing F2/F3 alternates between music and sound effects, but music wins for me.

It looks and sounds great, so what's my opinion? You'd better carry on scrolling to read that...

A platformer without ... platforms? Avoid the fish, always good advice!

Oh no, these are tough animals to kill and require multiple hits. Club 'em quick!

Check out that snowman. The artwork is always stunning.

The CryptO'pinion?

Prehistorik doesn't break the mould, and some might turn their nose up at that. However, stop right there because this might be a no-frills affair, but don't let that put you off. Prehistorik is really good, stuffed with hilarious moments, and extremely playable. The only thing I didn't like was the pointless timer.

It's almost like a Jurassic version of Grand Theft Auto, as clubbing animals is very satisfying. Not only that, but it's the best STOS game I've ever played. Yep, this game is cute, violent, and addictive! Hey, make sure you're wearing animal skins before deciding whether to download either the floppy or hard disk version!

Update:

I've mapped the game with each level in high resolution - click here to view/download :)