Mad Professor Mariarti

Another nutty professor!

Professor Mariarti is a 5-level platformer in whacky laboratories that range from a biological lab to futuristic space rocket development. However, as a result of some dodgy experiment going mental, everything has come to life and taken over. To make matters worse, they aren't in the best mood and have also grown body parts, like eyes and legs.

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

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

A platformer with brains

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

The baddies are a most interesting bunch and quite humorous. Sadly, the slightest contact will zap energy and potentially kill you. It seems nothing you do will permanently kill them - use your trusty collection of greasy spanners and kaboom, they've gone, but seconds later, they are back for more. Argh, they are evil and relentless!!

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

Let's pause the reading and view more screenshots. Looks like I'm in the loony bin...

The CryptO'pinion?

Mad Professor Mariarti is challenging and addictive with bucketloads of personality. Some of the puzzles are a little too vague and obscure, but you'll soon get how this platformer works. Recommend only if you enjoy a platformer that requires a little more effort from the old grey matter. But you will need lots of spare time to get the most from it.

Overall, not something I would usually go for, but this is a good game, and I enjoyed Professor Mariarti a bunch.

8BitChip has the download (floppy & HDD)

Update: Stickhead has a great video to watch!

Chuckie Egg II

My favourite Speccy game!

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

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

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

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