Astonishing finds
The cracker scene has always intrigued me – it’s an exciting and brazen part of our history. It feels like I'm peeking into the rebellious side of the ST, and I’ve been hooked since discovering my first disk, which, I think, was a crack by Ford Perfect for FTL's Oids. I had never seen anything like it before. An outstanding game with a colourful intro that features music, graphics, and scrollers. What was this strange new world?
Thankfully, that world never ended, and we still have access to loads of disks from that era. And, ever since Stonish joined forces with Atari Legend, we’ve had access to an enormous collection of menus to freely download. Sure, it’s not a complete archive - and maybe it never will be - but it’s still impressive with everything you could possibly recall from the ST's glory years. (Hey, have you anything to contribute?)
While browsing, one disk caught my eye - Eltonegame, a name I’d never heard before. The intro mentions a library for ST and PC games, but I only found the address on Google Maps(!). Also, the scroller credits Didier, but beyond all this, there was nothing more I could find about it. For me, it’s a new discovery, and that’s what makes the ST so brilliant - it never stops surprising me! Naturally, I had to download this disk.
Ironically, it’s not a menu disk in the usual sense but kicks off with a couple of cool intro screens before dumping us in GEM. The contents are interesting, with three games and a splendid graphics utility...
- First up is Blaster, a shooter released in 1988 by A.W. Brook. It’s basically a low-framerate Defender ripoff. Sure, it lacks the slick, zippy action of StarRay, Defender II, or Anarchy, but that’s a bonus for me - because I can actually keep up with it! #OldManReactions
- Cyber Snake, released in 1992 by David Scantlebury, is a brilliant take on the classic Snake! What sets it apart from being a mere clone is the addition of a scrolling playfield to snack on. It's the same old format, but also feels quite different or new. I thoroughly enjoyed this game!
- Llamasoft’s Revenge of the Mutant Camels hardly needs an introduction - it’s utterly bonkers and an absolute blast. I can’t help but wonder why it’s not already featured on AtariCrypt. Hey, cut me some slack, I’m just one guy, LOL!! This version is only a demo, but enough time has passed for us to freely download the full game (ST/STe/TT/Falcon). Credit @Atarimania.
- Let's not forget the unassuming utility program called B-Gif. It’s excellent and something I would have used a lot back in the day. This nifty tool can "quickly" convert GIF images into Degas or Spectrum 512 formats, complete with dithering and resizing options. It even comes with two sample GIFs included, though, ahem, I can’t share them here – and I’m sure you can guess why!
This disk is a gem and a great discovery (for me!). I wonder if there’s more from Didier/Eltonegame out there, though probably not. Still, it’s fun messing around with what feels like a brand-new disk. Geek!!
Before the main intro, this screen appears and plays some sampled music.
Yep, no actual menu, but there's nothing wrong with good 'ol GEM!
I really enjoyed this wannabe Defender. It's a bit clunky, but great fun!
I cannot say I'm a huge "Snake" fan, but the scrolling helped make it feel different.
This is one crazy shooter - it’s absolutely magnificent!!
Useful options for a program that does a superb job of converting images.
