MiNT OS

Update!! (September 2020)
Marcello has just released v1.3 of ST MiNT

ST's can't multitask

Here's a thought: why not ditch TOS for a spanky installation of MiNT? This has been done and is called ST MiNT by Marcello. It's based on Cripple MiNT (w/ extras) and is intended for a 4MB ST running in High Res. All you need is a spare SD card for your Ultrasatan (or similar) and you're flying free in a multitasking world!!

I've installed this myself and it's shockingly easy to get up and running. It's an incredibly impressive product!!

Installation is very easy and Marcello has even provided helpful instructions to recreate the image. However, I thought I'd also add my own installation experience just for us Mac folk - but it's dead easy to do on any computer...

1) Download ST Mint disk image.
2) Insert the SD card (if an alert appears, choose ignore)
3) Open up Terminal.app and enter in three commands:
     3a) diskutil list (this displays the necessary information to identify your SD card - diskX on my iMac was disk1)
     3b) diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskX (now that you know the device ID you can unmount it - but leave physically inserted!)
     3c) sudo dd if=st_mint-0.7.img of=/dev/diskX (dd is the command that transfers the data onto the SD card and will take several minutes. Enter your password and wait!!)
4) Now eject and insert the SD card into your ultrasatan
5) Switch on the Atari ST and enjoy a baby MiNT OS

This next bit is optional and only for those struggling to identify the SD card device ID. Okay, here is a copy of my Terminal activity and, as you can see, I entered the "diskutil list" command twice. Once before I inserted the SD card and afterwards just to compare the differences in the output (before running the above)

iMac:~ ataricrypt$ diskutil list
/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *1.0 TB     disk0
   1:                        EFI EFI                     209.7 MB   disk0s1
   2:                  Apple_HFS Macintosh HD            999.3 GB   disk0s2
   3:                 Apple_Boot Recovery HD             650.0 MB   disk0s3
/dev/disk3 (disk image):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:     Apple_partition_scheme                        +18.1 MB    disk3
   1:        Apple_partition_map                         32.3 KB    disk3s1
   2:                  Apple_HFS Flash Player            18.1 MB    disk3s2
iMac:~ ataricrypt$
iMac:~ ataricrypt$ diskutil list
/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *1.0 TB     disk0
   1:                        EFI EFI                     209.7 MB   disk0s1
   2:                  Apple_HFS Macintosh HD            999.3 GB   disk0s2
   3:                 Apple_Boot Recovery HD             650.0 MB   disk0s3
/dev/disk1 (internal, physical):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:                                                   *1.0 GB     disk1
/dev/disk3 (disk image):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:     Apple_partition_scheme                        +18.1 MB    disk3
   1:        Apple_partition_map                         32.3 KB    disk3s1
   2:                  Apple_HFS Flash Player            18.1 MB    disk3s2
iMac:~ ataricrypt$ diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk1
Unmount of all volumes on disk1 was successful
iMac:~ ataricrypt$
iMac:~ ataricrypt$ sudo dd if=~/Desktop/st_mint-0.7.img of=/dev/disk1
Password:
1228800+0 records in
1228800+0 records out
629145600 bytes transferred in 986.684138 secs (637636 bytes/sec)
iMac:~ ataricrypt$

Gauntlet III - The Final Quest

Oh, dear...

Sorry, I meant to say, here we have Gauntlet 3 developed by Software Creations for US Gold. Yet another sequel to the incredible arcade original we love. Only this time somebody thought that the winning formula of speed and action wasn't enough. So, it was decided a modernized version with an isometric viewpoint was needed instead.

Please note that I did try to keep an open mind throughout. Rather than being a grumpy old man wondering why his favourite game had been so drastically changed. It's not all bad surely? Of course not, but why change a winning formula? Nevermind... Anyhow, let's crack on with the review...

Gone is the top-down view in favour of a funky isometric 3D perspective, which isn't actually too bad if I'm honest. It looks different but in a good way. I liked how we begin the opening levels in a spooky forest, this looks the part. All the familiar Gauntlet elements are lurking in the woods: ghosts, generators, treasure and food. The idea remains much the same as we hack and slash through to a medieval church, and this is just the first level. Level wise, this is a big game.

Let's view a cheap & tacky screenshot that I took with my phone off my Atari ST...

The ruins of an old church deep in the woods. That tree looks scary so let's get inside quick!

Let's kill monsters!

Before you begin, we go through the Gauntlet motion of deciding who to be. This time there are a lot more to choose from - Warrior, Wizard, Rockman, Lizard Man, Elf and more. One or two players can team up (definitely better with two) but the basic gameplay mechanics remain pretty much the same. We're still throwing axes, arrows, magic and more directly into the faces of ghosts, goblins and other hideous creatures that emerge from their generators.

The levels are big and split over a number of small sections, which you can re/visit at any time. Monsters are constantly popping up so blast the generators quickly! Now follow the same rules you always have - collecting treasure and noshing on food to stay alive. Shooting a potion will clear the screen of baddies or they can be collected to use later. Escaping to the next realm can only be done once humble tasks are completed - keys to collect and that sort of thing.

Essentially, they wanted this to be Gauntlet but with an isometric point of view. Sadly, it isn't really possible if I'm honest. What made the original such an instant and timeless classic was the ability to begin immediately blasting monsters (either solo or with others). The action was fast and furious but this isn't the case with Gauntlet 3. Not even close.

I've progressed into the weirdly designed church for this next screenshot...

Inside the church are many ghosts and awkward objects to try and walk around...

Fighting in slo-mo?

The gameplay is a lot slower, so gone is that instant enjoyment of mass killing we love. The thrill has been replaced with a more sedate exploration that happens to have some killing. That's how it feels to me because the frenzied feel has gone. That's made worse thanks to the level design and terrible control mechanics. Even walking is a problem.

The opening levels are littered with objects that need to be walked around. That might not sound much of a big deal, but it is. I was sick & tired of getting stuck on the scenery. This also applies to your weapons which are often blocked so can't hit their target. Heck, even the ghosts suffered from this problem!

Even worse are the controls which are so sluggish and even make walking tiresome. Plus the rate with which you attack the monsters is far too slow. That means we can't destroy any generator unless you choose to walk through lots of ghosts to get a closer shot - and thus lose energy. A faster rate of firing would have fixed that instantly.

Surely, it's not all bad? Well, no, but let's view one final screenshot before my judgment...

Looks like we've just walked straight into an ambush. Shoot the generators, if you can!

The CryptO'pinion?

Gauntlet 3 was programmed by Bill Barna of Software Creations and I wonder if his job was to rush through a quick and nasty Amiga port? It certainly feels like it. This is very disappointing when you consider this is the same company that proudly gave us classics like Bubble Bobble, Ghouls & Ghosts and Bionic Commando! What went wrong?

Forgetting that it's supposed to be the third in the series, it's actually an enjoyable game in its own right. I enjoyed exploring the different lands and going through the motions of kill, kill, kill. It's pretty good ignoring the problematic controls. However, it fails big time as a "Gauntlet" game and can only redeem itself in co-op with a friend.

Downloads for floppy disk and hard drive.

A GLIMMER OF HOPE?

Update: I have contacted Peter Putnik (8BitChip) to ask about a hard drive version that supports faster Atari computers. Once again he worked his magic and I've been enjoying Gauntlet 3 on my 16MHz Atari STe and yes, I said the word with enjoy in it!!

Sure, it isn't perfect but, if you have a faster computer, then this update will help to eliminate some of the problems, especially with the unresponsive controls. And that's big news!!