Sleuth

I've been searching...

After the jaw-dropping Berzerk, I searched what might lurk inside the ST's archives. Eventually, I found Sleuth, a PD game released by Larry Scholz of MajicSoft in 1993. The year is 2525, and man's existence is threatened by evil cybernetic organisms (yup, robots!) created by Dr Spirit. A simple storyline for a familiar game. Okay, it's not what you would call an authentic clone (ahem), but the premise is there for another Berzerker!

We are Inspector Sleuth and about to infiltrate the doctor's lair to show these clumps of metal who's in charge! Gone are the randomly generated screens, replaced with a map populated by six different models of the doctor's robots. These range from the Hemroid, which is a low-level (wait for it) "pain in the butt" to the Hopperoids with warp technology, so don't get too close. Come on, you must love Larry's humour?

Movement and firing are performed in all eight directions using the joystick. Defend yourself using an armour-piercing gun that features a nuclear charge to incinerate all robots from the inside out. You still need to stay clear of the electrified walls, and if you hang about for too long, something freaky appears after a short time to chase you across the screen. Now we're back on the familiar Berzerker ground lol.

So, is it better than Berzerk? Not on your nelly! Sleuth feels like a tacky ripoff with rubbery controls and dodgy graphics. I can imagine that shocks you. Have I just wasted your time writing this mini-review? No. Regardless, Sleuth is a good game in its own right and is nice to play something different. You may have noticed I've not mentioned the audio? The chip fx are good, but the music? Wait and see for yourself!

For what it's worth, my 8-year-old daughter loves this shooter. She played several games badly and never understood why the walls killed her. But, she loved it!! I must admit, so did I. Remember, it's not Berzerk, so keep an open mind and give it a fair playtest. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Sleuth can be downloaded over at the legendary Demozoo website.

IGNORE the graphics!! Gameplay counts the most, whether it's perfect or not.

Shamus shoots anything that looks... weird. Don't think, just shoot!!

Bombs And Bugs

Another game rescued

Bombs And Bugs is a multiplayer Bomberman, developed by Stefan Eilert of Awkward Software. Supporting two or three players, it has superb power-ups and the most vibrant and jazzy graphics. Although the game was never released, it has been saved and sent to Atarimania for safekeeping as of today. 🥳

This game is an exciting, frantic Bomberman-style blast of multiplayer fun that’s all about outsmarting your opponents in tight maze arenas. We are a battle bug, dropping bombs to destroy walls, uncover power-ups, and trap rival players, to be the last survivor. Simple stuff, but stupidly chaotic! Its colourful presentation and explosive gameplay make it a brilliant "party game". So gather around the ST like it's 1993.

Sadly, there’s no single-player support, which I miss as a lone gamer 90% of the time. My video shows my gameplay against our 8-year-old daughter. She said, "It's freaky and very silly". I think she's right!!

• Download this previously unknown game from Atarimania.
• Check out the Awkward Software website.