Liberator

Let's play something weird...

Here is something new and different plus its box intrigued me with screenshots that appear to be a mix of Toobin' and Mystical. It's almost like those games had a baby - then dropped it, picked it up, wiped away the blood, and then dropped it again. You might laugh but I really, really don't know what to make of this one.

Anyhow, it might look tacky but how often have we played a corker with terrible graphics? Exactly. Let's play...

Navigate by alien wreckages, remembering to collect the ammo caches while you kill the ugly aliens.

It looks like a bad dream!

Having never heard of Liberator, I obviously didn't know what to expect (which I've clearly demonstrated in my video recording?) It's a vertically-scrolling shoot 'em up that has us killing aliens, only this time we're sitting inside a hovercraft with 8-way movement/firing. As the screen scrolls downwards, aliens will climb out from the ground or walk towards you. They're easy to shoot because they're slow, but can often attack in hoards, so watch out!

Liberator was coded by Tim Moore who gave us excellent games like Verminator and also the legendary Beyond The Ice Palace. Okay, everybody has to start somewhere, so I can only assume he learnt many lessons from programming this shoot 'em up? Ahem... :]

Reaching the end of level one is easy unless a stray bullet hits. So that leaves the final task of freeing a captive - just shoot the bars of his cell. You're then sped off into a world of psychedelic gateways for access to the next level. Disclaimer, we guys never read the instructions: aim for the flashing square!! It's the only way to access the next stage otherwise, you're doomed to repeat the same level over again. Which is stupid!

The aliens might be slow but they're determined to play chase and it's a life lost if they catch you!

Aesthetics

Visually, the Atari ST is being pushed to its absolute limits. No, not really. Actually, it's pretty lame with poorly designed backgrounds and wandering aliens that you cannot help but laugh at. The scrolling is smooth albeit with some occasional slowdown, which is odd because there isn't ever a whole lot going on.

Sound effects are meek but do their job for firing, pickups, etc. Wally Beben composed the music which is shockingly irritating. Wally is very talented and I love the YM2149 but what was he thinking - turn it off!!

Free your man and then get ready for teleportation and make sure you chose the correct square!

The CryptO'pinion?

Liberator is fun for a couple of games. I came away thinking, "Hmm, not bad for 1987". Which is daft, so I slapped myself - because that era gave us Oids, Gold Runner, Plutos and Ikari Warriors. All of which destroy Liberator!! Also, I noticed poor collision detection and landscape objects that blocked my movement and firing - Grr!!

Still, nothing is perfect (Liberator certainly proves that) but, I must admit I quite enjoyed this old shooter. Possibly because it's something I've never played before but it is weirdly entertaining. Sure, it's not the corker I might have hoped for, but it is worth booting up just to experience a rather odd release. Go, kill some aliens.

Grab the funky cool Zuul floppy disk from the Stonish website.

The Adventures Of Robin Hood

Fancy a dollop of English folklore?

Okay, I haven't posted any box art from my own collection in a while. So, I figured a guy in tights, lurking in the woods, was the perfect way to end this bleak streak? Hang on, that didn't sound too good! Anyhow, The Adventures of Robin Hood was released in 1991 by Millennium Software and is an RPG similar in appearance to certain 3D isometric God games.

The box is absolutely awesome and in good condition, with all contents too. It's quite something to think this has been kept for 30 years and feels (almost) as good as it did back in the day. Anyhow, what I like is that it boasts this statement: "the most original real-time adventure ever produced". Errol Flynn would approve, or is that a load of nonsense?

Wanna see the back of the box and what's inside? Scroll down...

Sadly, the back of the box is ruined by screenshots from an Ameoba. Otherwise, I like it! ;p

Here's the disk to change your life. But whose idea was it to stamp green onto a blue disk?

Who remembers the TV show Robin of Sherwood?

Right then, it begins with a cool intro depicting life in Nottingham Castle. However, it's not long before the nasty Sheriff appears and kicks Robin Hood out onto the street, where he suffers cold shoulders and verbal abuse. These peasants continue to go about their day (that aspect intrigues me), and there are many interesting folk.

The Sheriff is ruthless! The people need a hero who is willing to wear tights, find a band of Merry Men, and camp out in the woods. All perfectly normal, honest. Joking aside, I loved watching the intro so am eager to finally take up the challenge of this rather spiffy RPG, which has been sitting on my shelf for too many years!! :/

I only hope the user interface is intuitive with elegance in its design. Sometimes, games of this ilk can suffer from cumbersome controls or an over-complicated interface that is slow to operate. The last thing we need is something fiddly which hampers the experience, so I'm hoping for less Galdregon's Domain and more Shadowlands.

Right, it's now time for some extremely interesting manual shots. Brace yourself...

The manual is great and very concise with helpful information. A good read indeed.

Ohhh, this is interesting. It folds out like a poster but contains bucketloads of tips and extra help!

The CryptO'pinion? No, not yet!

Yes, I'm really looking forward to exploring Nottinghamshire to see what fun adventures await within the legendary Sherwood Forest. The graphics look so tiny, but it appears to work well with lavish colours and beautifully designed details for the surroundings. Just look at the buildings! Love 'em so I'm eager to see what else there is to discover.

Have you guys played this? I would love to know what you think in the comments below. Until then, I'm going to make time to kill forest baddies, capture the castle, and defeat the Sheriff before King Richard returns home for tea.

Watch this space for a review later in the year, but until then, enjoy these screenshots... :-)

Once upon a time, in God's country, there was a lovely and peaceful place called Loxley.

The folk here had it good with dancing, beer and music. Life doesn't get any better than this!

Hang on, a new Sheriff has arrived and he's not a particularly nice guy...

Robin gets kicked out of his spanky castle and the townsfolk ain't exactly supportive!

Yep, bumping into anyone proves to be an eye-opener. Billy no mates!

Fascinatingly, the medieval world continues to spin... Life carries on!

What? Wait a minute! What is that?? A dragon?? RUN!!!!

Right, come on Robin, it's time to put on those big boy pants and sort out this evil dude!!