Eddie Edward's Super Ski

Thick glasses and a funny face!

So far, my Super Pack adventure has been very strong with some huge titles: Arkanoid II: Revenge of Doh, Beyond the Ice Palace, Black Lamp, and Buggy Boy. All are searchable, and Atari ST classics. However, there's always an exception, and that was Chopper X, but we'll say no more about that!

The sixth game in the Atari Super Pack is Eddie Edward's Super Ski, which is basically an "Eddie the Eagle-endorsed" version of Microids' Super Ski. Now, everyone (here in England) admired our lovable sporting icon, a plucky hero who certainly won over the entire nation's heart. Heck, he even got his name on an Atari ST game, which is a gold medal in itself. Come on, far more impressive than the Calgary Winter Olympics!

Hey, before we continue, I think we should view a couple of wintery screenshots...

Okay, there's no music, but the interface is clear and well-designed.

I like the ability to instantly jump into the action and play any of the games!

Oddly, I had trouble running this game on my own STe so I switched over to Hatari and configured that to emulate a basic STf (TOS 1.02). Also, (thanks to AtariMania) I had a good laugh reading the box cover which says: Fly like "the Eagle" on the Ski Jump!!

But is it any fun to play?

Super Ski is a 3D skiing simulator where we compete in slaloms, downhill racing, and a ski jump. Each event is experienced from a third-person perspective with us as Eddie. That basically means we try our best to help keep him on course using our lightning-fast reactions. Which is harder than it sounds...

The races are fast. And I do mean fast! Choose three tracks that increase in their number of twists and turns for a chaotic experience. Controls are superb - move from side to side to steer through as you zoom down the snowy hills (press the fire button to move quicker). To increase your speed, push up for an insane boost!

Competition mode allows multiple players to use the Booking Office to select numbers and their names. Now you can find out who can jump the best and ski the fastest without incurring too many penalties. You might even become a human snowball... Tell me that ain't the funniest thing you never expected to be.

Okay, it's time to view some more screenshots, so brace yourself for action...

If you can handle it, ride low for faster speeds.

I did and even finished without turning myself into a snowball!!

Oh, how I need the practice...

There is a training mode used to practice each of the four events before taking part in the competition. Using this is something I cannot recommend enough, because you will certainly need lots of practice:

• The slalom games are fast, so they require quick reactions to safely navigate each of the progressively difficult tracks. The harder you go, the more winding the path, and all whilst trying to hit through the gates. Wow, these races are insane - dare you hit UP to go even faster??
• Ski Jump is simple and simply awesome. Sure, it's over within the blink of an eye compared to racing, but it's exciting to see Eddie fly like the eagle he was (ahem). I really enjoyed trying to get the speed and angle just right - now all you've gotta do is try and stop. If you can!
• Downhill Racing is very similar to the slaloms, and I suppose, sports fans will hate me for saying that? However, I found it harder because I felt snowblinded due to the lack of colour and visual objects! It's fast, it's furious, it's racing, so crouch down if you can handle the exhilarating pace.

This has got to be one of the best moments in gaming? I never expected to be Eddie the Snowball!!

Aesthetics

Graphically, I'm impressed by Super Ski, which nicely presents an Olympic scene. Everything flows at a frightening pace, but possibly too fast for my old eyes that desired less speed and more frames. We even have foolish spectators standing in dangerous places just waiting to be splattered. Actually, without them, I'd probably go snowblind in this white world. I shouldn't complain because this is brilliant for 1988.

Audio is less impressive with the YM2149 trying to make swooshy/sliding noises and penalty alerts. It's fine, but it could have been better. Sadly, there are no chiptunes to bop along to in the menus or during play.

Looks great, but sounds poor? Well, at least these screenshots show the best of the game...

Looks like the fans are enjoying it?

I wonder if I can entertain them as much as the real Eddie... Yup!

The CryptO'pinion?

You know me, sports games aren't really my bag, baby. I enjoy motorsports and even a few beat 'em ups, but I admit to being pretty much meh about athletics. Regardless, Super Ski is great, but I'm concerned about its lack of variety. We needed more events - like a bobsleigh or even curling!! Of course, they're not exactly Eddie's chosen events, but this would have added a lot more content, which feels quite restricted.

However, the controls are perfectly responsive for each frantic event, and the feeling of zooming downhill is a thrill - it's almost like a snowy version of Vroom! Also, the training mode is a Godsend to help brush up on your skills before foolishly jumping into a competition. Overall, Super Ski is great, especially when playing against family or friends - we had a laugh, and that's good enough for me! Highly recommended.

This Eddie version of Super Ski was a tough find. Thankfully, AtariMania has the correct download.

Chopper X

I promise, no chopper jokes

Chopper X is a vertically-scrolling shoot 'em up released in 1989 by Paradox that places us in the seat of an Assault Helicopter, which is armed with Viper Air To Ground missiles to battle hordes of bad guys. The blurb says this pushes the ST with its stunning graphics. Absolute twaddle, don't believe them for a second!

Anyhow, I should admit that I'm not the biggest fan of the whole vertical shooter genre. In fact, I can probably count on one hand the games that I have enjoyed over the decades: Flying Shark, SWIV, Wings Of Death, Xenon, Xenon II and Lethal Xcess. Most are searchable here, and yes, I'm a freak with six fingers.

Did you get that? Sigh, here are some screenshots instead of bad jokes...

Graphics are clear with lots of sea, tanks, and giant bullets to avoid.

I wish our town were this neat and tidy. Anyhow, more tanks, so let's kill them!

Never go by looks, right?

Upon starting, the first thing that hits you is how crude it looks. Then you pick up the joystick and realise that the controls are as bad because they feel clunky without any swift action manoeuvring your big choppa about the screen. Hmm, that just sounds wrong! Anyhow, it simply doesn't feel right to me.

Shooting down enemies should always be fun, but I'm not so sure Chopper X has the most accurate collision detection system. Perhaps it's the scrolling that throws me, but there are times when killing them (and them killing me) seemed somewhat fake. Plus, our weapon doesn't feel good enough, it's like I wanted more from it... Thankfully, there are powerful Cluster Bombs that help out during those sticky situations.

Let's see some more sea-based screenshots...

Blast everything that you see. Take no prisoners!

At last, we reach the end of the level.

Stick with it!

Each stage is short and static, which is fine because many shooters follow a similar design. However, that means I could soon learn when something was about to appear, and these guys are pretty dumb too: they will blindly shoot in a direction approximately toward your location. So, let's say that you're quite high up, then their bullets are fired diagonally upwards rather than directly towards your current location. A little weird.

Positioning your chopper is important. Erm, I mean, I found it best to be lower on the screen to stay alive as long as possible. Annoyingly, death not only results in a loss of life but also forces you back to replay the entire stage from the beginning rather than the place where you croaked it. Quite infuriating.

Are you ready for two more Toy Town screenshots...

As you can see, the enemy cannot directly fire at your location...

...only in the general direction!

Aesthetics

Graphically, this is poor by ST standards with bland sprites, dreary backdrops and horrendous scrolling. It's one of the worst I have seen, and I include those developed with Shoot'Em-Up Construction Kit.

The funky tune is a saving grace, but this music loops back to the start too quickly and plays constantly. So it isn't long before it grates on your nerves!! Sound effects are lame, especially when you die.

• Midi is supported and is something I'd love to experience - I'm after a Roland MT32. 

• Can anyone help me out??

The 2nd level adds a splash of brown, but still looks dreadful.

I'd lost the will to live by the 3rd level...

The CryptO'pinion?

It looks like my fantastic run through the Super Pack has come to an end with this. Yes, I've never been the biggest fan of vertically-scrolling shoot 'em ups, but the ST has some corkers in its library - like Flying Shark. Chopper X is average, as it's far too easy, dull as dishwater, and I got little enjoyment.

Oddly, this game has its fans, and I've no idea why. Are you a fan? Tell me why in the comments below. For me, there are better shoot 'em ups on the ST, so stay clear of this choppy chopper. Play SWIV instead!!

The floppies can be sourced using Atari Legend and you can lose precious hard drive space by installing this cool version by 8BitChip. Enjoy the torment!!