Saturday, September 21, 2019

Buggy Boy





Silly & Screwy Racing

After the joy of Arkanoid 2, we continue our trip through Atari's Super Pack with Beyond the Ice Palace and Black Lamp. Both are already featured on AtariCrypt [click the links] so let's move onwards for a favourite of mine, Buggy Boy. What a wonderful arcade conversion and those with a keen memory will remember that I've already covered it?

Well, yes and no... Yes, it's featured but no, it was just a silly post showing Buggy Boy running at dizzy speeds on my 16Mhz Mega STe!! Still, it's worth viewing... Honest! The speed of this computer is exciting stuff :D

Buggy Boy is an arcade classic. Simple as that. It's fun yet doesn't take itself seriously whatsoever. So you can forget the crucial stuff like road surfaces, tyres, suspension, handling, pitstops, or even the paint job. Nope, just choose which of the five tracks you fancy and then jump into your buggy and race through checkpoints - all against the clock.

But let's not forget the belting cartoon-like visuals for a chance to view a couple of screenshots...



Who doesn't love two-wheel stunts? If Michael Knight can do it, so can I.



Abandoned logs help our cute buggy to leap high into the air!




Fun, Fun, Fun!!

Remember what I said, forget realism. Everything you experience will be completely unrealistic thanks to roads cluttered with obstacles and whacky physics. The first track is an offroad loop whereas the others are segmented by checkpoints as you progress. This racer was always meant to be fun so provides silly leaps and two-wheel driving, Knight Rider style!

Points can be earned by collecting flags in the order shown at the top of your screen. Once completed, they begin to flash - so now is a good idea to collect more before that stops. Also, slalom-style gates are scattered throughout for tons of points and some even offer time bonuses. Heck, you might even see a soccer ball... Go on, kick it... (and again, again!!)

Football, in a driving game? Yep, check out the screenshots that follow...



Hit that soccer ball like Pele and see what happens to eagle-eyed drivers.



Why not climb those sloping walls to avoid obstacles like annoying rocks.




Forget sim, this is pure arcade joy!

Some tracks have banked curves like a Scalextric track! Thankfully, these can be used like you're racing at Bristol Motor Speedway. It's superb and an unexpected surprise, that certainly adds to the overall excitement. However, not all is good, look out for rocks, bushes, or barriers that slow you down or take you for a tumble. Driving head-on into a wall will cause you to explode and water has never been good for any vehicle. Each bad event forces the loss of precious time!

The joystick controls are brilliant albeit limited by the hardware itself. Of course, an analog wheel was always going to be missed, but the weirdest aspect is pushing upwards to accelerate rather than using the button. That's because tapping this switches between your two gears... Low & High. It's odd but you'll get used to it after a race or two.

Arcade fun on your Atari ST? Whatever next? I'll tell you, some more screenshots...



There was plenty of room but I still chose to leap over that rock. Why not!



Watch out, tunnel ahead! Enter without hitting slap-bang in the wall if you can?




Aesthetics

Graphically, Buggy Boy hasn't aged badly whatsoever and definitely brought back all my old arcade memories. The sprites are nice, their colours are gorgeously vivid, and the overall appearance is cartoon-like. Okay, the framerate isn't exactly Vroom but it looks cute and performs smooth enough not to hurt my eyes, ala Cisco Heat and OutRun!!

The audio is darn cool and captures the arcade experience with its beautiful chiptunes - all produced by the talented Jason C. Brooke. Sound effects are superb - so zesty and memorable - with jazzy jingles and funny "boings" as we leap.

So, it looks and sounds great? Do you know what that means? Yep, some more screenshots to gawk at...



Bumping into some obstacles slows you down...



...whereas others cause the buggy to realistically tumble. Ahem.




The CryptO'pinion?

It's difficult to find something negative to say about this racer. But, if I were to be picky, then the framerate could be a tad smoother and I miss the extra audio touches like skids or driving through tunnels. But I really am being picky!!

Overall, this is an outstanding conversion of the arcade original. It looks, sounds, and plays absolutely great plus the ability to instantly select your preferred course is a huge bonus. It's authentic and brilliantly entertaining, so it will always keep on dragging you back for more. Buggy Boy is an Atari ST gem and I love it. So will you. Trust me, play it now.

The floppies can be sourced using Old Games Finder but, if you have the necessary hardware, I would advice you to download the cool hack by D-Bug. This not only comes with a fantastic intro but also supports faster Atari computers, like my own Mega STe. Absolutely superb!!!

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Arkanoid - Revenge of Doh





Doh!

It's time to kickstart my Super Pack adventure with Imagine's Arkanoid: Revenge Of Doh. I'm sure everyone has played this at some point in their life because it's such a popular classic and easy to pick up and play.

Our ST conversion was developed by a familiar name from the 1980s, Peter Johnson. This wizball did all the coding and everything you see and hear; quite staggering when you think about it. From the moment this loads up, I'm in love with its authentic intro! Okay, it's short but it works and features that zappy music!

Check out these screenshots. Crisp, colourful and arcade faithful...


The first level breaks you in nicely and it wasn't long before I found an M power-up!!







No keyboard, please

Using the mouse, control the Vaus Craft to deflect the energy bolt back and forth destroying all (destructible) blocks - Breakout style. Guide the bolt depending on how contact is made: inner areas produce a taller vertical direction whereas outer parts deliver a wide-angled shot. I must say, the mouse controls are excellent - don't think that means easy - because your hand-eye coordination will definitely be tested!!

Each level follows a trippy design to compensate for the ridged format and later screens are incredibly tricky. Watch out for the aliens who enjoy hovering around to get in the bolt's way and ricochet off at an unexpected angle!! So use the Vaus to nudge them into an early grave when they get too close.

The power-ups are back and we have a wealth of snappy bonuses to make full use of:
  • B - Who doesn't love skipping levels if given the chance?
  • C - The Vaus Craft gains velcro!
  • D - Split the bolt into eight - can you handle it though?
  • E - Bigger is always better, right?
  • I - We have a ghost Vaus to make our hits a little easier.
  • L - Hit that mouse button because we have weapons!!
  • M - Destroys blocks like they're not even there. Amazing.
  • N - Splits the bolt, which regenerates to keep on damaging.
  • P - Sounds boring but extra lives are incredibly valuable.
  • R - The cold of space has shrunken you!
  • S - Collect this if things are getting too hectic.
  • T - You gain a twin to help you in your quest!

Before you carry on reading, click the green arrow below. Right, now scroll on...






Aesthetics

Graphically, you won't see any mind-blowing artwork but it's reminiscent of the arcade original using vivid colours. The aliens might be incredibly annoying but at least these sprites look great. Arkanoid is as bold and colourful as you would expect and shows just how far we came from the original 1970s Breakout!!

The sound effects won't drive you wild with excitement but who expected anything beyond dink...dink...dink? The tunes are superb even if only for mere seconds but I love their authentic quality.

For an older game based on boring Breakout, this looks and sounds superb. Love it all.


Personally, I think this is one of the hardest levels in the entire game. Just try and get that last block...







The CryptO'pinion?

Usually, I would now mention all the things about a game that narks me. There are none.

I think it's easy to say that Arkanoid took the Breakout genre to a whole new level. This sequel is addictive and infuriating yet drags you back for more. It's everything I would hope for in an arcade conversion and is certainly one of the best. Overall, I rate Arkanoid II Revenge Of Doh as categorically outstanding!!

Downloads are available for either floppy or using a spanky hard drive device. And, for those of us that are far too impatient, why not skip a level by hitting the S key during gameplay? All ya gotta do is hit the CAPS Lock key when the title screen is displayed and enter MAGENTA. Sweet!

More random ATARI ST articles from the archives