Alpha Waves

Boing... Boing... Boing...

Alpha Waves is a unique game released by Infogrames in 1990 and is nothing like I first imagined (back then). In fact, I still remember the first time I booted it up and then picked up my jaw from the floor. Not because I was seeing wondrous graphics or anything I might have hoped for - but simply because I was experiencing something brand new.

Yes, this is a new genre of 16-bit gaming that had us piloting an odd spaceship (it looks like a wedge of cheese). We are trapped within a multi-roomed cube and each of these inner rooms is littered with platforms. These function to progressively bounce us higher into the air, which is our means of transportation. I guess they forgot to include an engine?

Anyhow, this mechanic allows us to bounce independently, as if on a trampoline. But only when using the platforms, otherwise gravity takes over fully and we sink to the floor like a lead balloon. The wedge of cheese has no upward thrust, only forwards. So skim from platform to platform - to ultimately reach the dizzy heights. And the exit door.

It's a cool concept that is well-executed and very easy to pick up and play so let's view a screenshot...

That's me there and you can see my shadow. Use that for guidance.

But is it any good?

Two gameplay modes are available: "Action" has a time restriction whereas "Emotion" gives you all the time in the world and is useful for newcomers or those simply wanting a more leisurely experience. Controls are best with the joystick and navigation can be improved by pushing up or down to change your world viewing angle.

Interestingly, a shadow is cast by your craft - this helps to pinpoint your position in each position perfectly. Some rooms contain obscure baddies which can annoyingly get in the way and knock you about - watch out for the "snake" creature!! Alpha Waves will never disappoint no matter which gameplay style you prefer and is great for explorers.

As you can tell, it's tough to explain but much easier to pick up play! So let's see another screenshot...

What is that weird thing? An enemy ship or someone coming over to help?

Aesthetics

Graphically this may appear simple or even crude judging by the screenshots. But playing the game reveals how great everything moves in what I can only describe as an abstract world of 3D-filled vectors with zero distance clipping.

Faster computers will knock it out of the park but the 8MHz Atari ST performs fast and fluently. Heck, it even runs in high resolution so you can see all the polygons at 640x400 without any slowdown (but I personally preferred the whacky colours in low resolution which also looks a lot better to IMHO).

In-game sound effects are samples and very nice too but, there is little else to hear. If I'm honest, you spend most of your time listening to your ship bouncing on platformers. I love the door sound effect, very Interphase I thought.

Okay, so it looks weird but also brilliant at the same time. Great! So let's check out a screenshot...

The CryptO'pinion?

I personally rank this as one of the best Atari ST games I have ever played. Bold statement but this is an amazing experience and a perfect example of the gems lurking within our archives just waiting to be discovered. It may not appeal to everyone but Alpha Waves certainly helped invent a genre that nobody ever expected. It plays great with many unique challenges that require much skill and perseverance. A flabbergasting moment in gaming history and one I absolutely adore.

Who would ever have thought bouncing a piece of cheese through cubic rooms would be so much fun?

> Downloads are available for both floppy and super-zippy hard drives!

Prehistorik

Would You Adam and Eve it?

Rub your eyes all you want because I think it has been done! Yes, I have found a decent STOS game! That's right, STOS and it was released in 1991 by one of my favourite companies, Titus. Okay, I know they released a couple of dodgy games but there's just something about them that I like. Plus they released some corkers, like this platformer!

Prehistorik is nothing less than the cutest dino-platformer I have ever seen using cartoon-like visuals. We are taken back to a time when dinosaurs roamed the lush countryside. Of course, we play the part of a plucky young caveman wielding a big club. Imagine something like BAMM-BAMM from The Flintstones... but older... and with a beard! Now, add the psychotic desire to club cute prehistoric animals and you have the perfect entertainment. Very nice.

Fancy a selection of screenshots? Of course, you do so scroll on down...

Running leap onto a vicious dinosaur. Well, okay, hardly vicious and he is easy to knock out too!

Inside each cave are lots of things to nosh on.

Those angry yellow dudes are quick on the draw!

Clubbing animals is fun!

The object is to explore the prehistoric lands looking for food to feed your hungry family. This means we have a typical platformer to run & leap our way through a 16-bit Jurassic Park. Along the way are a variety of pitfalls and exciting places to discover: caves are always interesting as they offer goodies to consume along the way. But watch yourself because these caves aren't dark and creepy at all plus something cute and fluffy might be inside lol!

Each level has many different dinos roaming and some are huge thus requiring several hits from your trusty club. The end of each area features a massive boss to defeat. Sadly, these are intensely difficult without a cheat for extra lives. That's about the gist of it really, collect food, club animals to death, and find the exit.

The joystick controls are simple and perform very well. I love the freedom to move during the jumps and clubbing your prey is great fun and perfectly timed so you never feel too close or stuck in a tight corner. Considering this is STOS, I'm really impressed with the response and overall feel which makes exploring a bunch of fun.

I think this is possibly the best STOS game I've ever played? Let's celebrate that fact with some screenshots...

Did I mention there are secret hidden levels to find?

This guru dude appears now and then. Club him hard for a reward!

The boss levels are kinda lame and this one is the worst imho.

Big tips

1. Explore everything. Look in every cave to collect all the goodies.
2. See a guru-looking dude? Club him and steal whatever he's carrying.
3. I found it best to enable auto-fire for a more frantic bashing experience!
4. Cave critters only emerge when you're on the same level.
5. Something doesn't look quite right? Maybe there's a secret level?
6. 90s games are way too tough with never enough lives. Use a trainer!
7. The bonuses are pretty lame and never last too long but, if you're lucky, you will find the odd gem (usually via the Guru) like an extra life and bigger jumps. But the others suck simply because they don't last long enough!!

Watch out when near a cave entrance, you never know what might emerge from the darkness!!

Crazylegs Crane's uncle has made an appearance!

Prehistorik is full of basic puzzles. How are we going to cross this lava?

Aesthetics

The visuals are pretty and cartoony in style: the backgrounds are incredibly well-drawn and each dino sprite is absolutely gorgeous. In fact, it's the characters that I love the most because they are so funny and feature their own unique personality and silly expressions - especially when knocked unconscious. I almost feel nasty clubbing them. Almost.

Music can be played throughout the game and reminds me of Where Time Stood Still. It's got that lovely chip feel with a style that completely complements the gameplay. Very nice and never overwhelming but, if you so desire, you can play without music. Pressing F2/F3 alternates between music and sound effects but music wins for me.

It looks and sounds great so what's my opinion? You better carry on scrolling to read that...

A platformer without ... platforms? Avoid the fish, always good advice!

Oh no, these are tough animals to kill and require multiple hits. Club 'em quick!

Check out that snowman. The artwork is always stunning.

The CryptO'pinion?

Prehistorik doesn't break the mould and some might turn their nose up for other platformers available on the Atari ST. However, stop right there because this might be a no-frills affair, but don't let that put you off. Prehistorik is really good, stuffed with hilarious moments, and extremely playable. The only thing I didn't like was the pointless timer.

It's almost like a Jurassic version of Grand Theft Auto as clubbing cute animals will always be satisfying. Not only that, but I think it's the best STOS game I've ever played! Yep, this game is cute, violent, and very addictive so I say play it. Just make sure you're wearing animal skins before deciding whether to download either the floppy or hard disk version!

Update: I've mapped the game with each level in high resolution - click here to view/download :)

Cyber Antics!

The "Cyber" packages by Antic Software were some of the most creative Atari ST applications. I remember being mesmerised by the 3D modelling often demonstrated by magazines. The work of magicians, no doubt! Much later in the ST's lifetime, these were given away on magazine cover disks and I have such "fond memories" of pushing my mental capabilities to the limits with Cyber Studio CAD-3D. It looked so easy in their articles!

So why am I talking about something that had me bamboozled? Well, Martin Doudoroff has written an awesome article called "The Antic Cyber Graphics Software". It's certainly an interesting read with fascinating details of history - I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I have? There is no denying that the Antic catalogue is rich in the ST's history. You will be impressed to know Autodesk owes its roots to these Fuji apps. That's right. How cool is that thinking about it?

Team

Jumpers For Goalposts

Team is a soccer game released in 1995 (late in the day that, eh) by a dedicated company called Impact Software. Specifically developed by Ralph Lovesy on the Atari STe, it makes full use of the enhanced hardware often ignored by commercial companies: extra colours, 50fps hardware scrolling, Blitter and DMA audio. Wow!! O_o

Disclaimer... If I'm brutally honest, I feel unqualified to review Team as I'm not a soccer fan. However, from what I have played, I was impressed. I'm hardly a convert but I did enjoy running around the pitch and having a good kick about! But not knowing the game's technicalities stopped me from progressing further. Interestingly, there is a friendly mode that displays much of the game's styles and playability, like passing, tactics, and tackles. Hmm, sounds like fun?

Well, it is and I've surprisingly enjoyed playing this pointless game of runaround. The tactics and strategy elements are limited with little beyond picking your team and conditions to endure, like a muddy pitch or windy weather. But that's good, right? Who would wanna play any kind of Football Manager? Erm, forget I said that!

Anyhow, as an arcade/sports game, it's impressive. I genuinely enjoyed playing a few games - the control of each player is fast and responsive with accuracy and precision. That means it's quick to move around the pitch and the ball was easy to get a hold of and went where I wanted to kick it! Look, if you're a footy fan, then I'm sure you'll love it. I know I did.

It's about now, I end my chitter-chatter with some screenshots. Not this time! How about a video instead...

Remember, I'm not a fan but I have managed to record a little video. Note the overscan!

Graphics!

Have you watched and enjoyed that video? Okay, check out the two images, below, that cunningly display just what Team has hidden up its sleeve? Yep, overscan is used to drastically increase the playable area. Oddly, the footballer's sprites are small but their movements are fast and the screen is fluently moving at a smooth 50fps. But, from what I've seen of most other footy games, this is normal. I suppose it wouldn't work very well if they had giants on the pitch!

The animations are great for the tiny players. The pitch colours are deep and strong and I liked the subtle use of colourful styles in the menus. But, come on, having the gameplay in overscan is simply amazing. Once again, the Atari STe proves itself (as the most under-utilised computer on the planet). Kudos to the skill and commitment of Ralph Lovesy.

Right, let's see what I mean. Two images below, the first normal and the second overscan enabled...

    

The left image is captured at the standard resolution of 320x200 whereas gameplay uses overscan!

Plink Plonk Sounds?

Sound effects are good - when you hear them. Perhaps that's the norm in these types of games, but I found the stadiums eerily lacking in atmosphere and ambience. It's annoyingly silent for most of the game. Okay, there are kicking effects and the odd Ref whistle blow but it's pretty lame and a lot more was needed. Like the roar of the crowd being heard frequently. Perhaps I'm wrong but hearing the fans in the background feels like the weakest part of the entire game.

Thankfully, the music is excellent with cheesy MOD music throughout the various menus. It's tacky but in stereo with the tracker routines developed by a familiar name from the Atari ST demoscene - GRIFF. How cool is that?!!

I couldn't stomach another grassy screenshot so how about another pic of the box art (rear). Brace yourself...

The front cover was... different... and the back of the box isn't much better ;-)

The CryptO'pinion?

Look, I was never gonna be blown away but, I had lots of fun which shocked me seeing as I hate soccer! Whether it's better than Kick Off, Sensible Soccer, or even Speedball, I couldn't say. I will say this, as a hater of a boring sport, Team was seriously entertaining. So take it for a kickabout and try it for yourself? Hey, if I can enjoy footy then I reckon anyone can...

Take it for a kickabout and I'm sure you'll enjoy it so let me know what you think in the comments below.

Download from 8bitchip which has been adapted for HDD!

Old Games Finder has access to floppy disk images.

Team's author, Ralph Lovesy, was interviewed for Maggie #16.

Prophecy I - The Viking Child

Brian the Viking!

Viking Child is the tale of a young boy who is thrown into an adventure that takes him through several medieval lands in search of his friends. He needs to rescue them from the clutches of the evil demigod, Loki. Now, it might look spookily familiar to a console gamer but don't be put off, this is a great Atari ST game in its own right.

There are a humungous 16 levels of platforming fun to plunder with 8 bosses to battle long before you even think of reaching Loki. Walk and leap over all obstacles and use your weapon to kill anything that looks likely to hurt you. After a monster is slain, coins are left behind to be used as currency in the local power-up store which offers better weapons and the usual assortment of goodies. I love the fire weapon but I first advise that you upgrade your weapon - a dagger.

Graphics are exceptional with super-smooth scrolling proving yet again that the STFM is more than capable when in the hands of talented people. I love the gorgeous cartoon-like scenery and the sprites are well-detailed, even if the animation is humble. Sound effects work great but you can exchange those for excellent chiptunes if desired.

Viking Child is a creative and technical masterpiece. What it lacks in originality is more than made up for in playability. Entertaining, interesting and challenging gameplay throughout with aesthetics to drool over! This is a cracking game and you soon realise why it's one of my favourite platformers on the Atari ST. I highly recommend this one, folks!!

Download for hard drive thanks to 8BitChip.

Floppy disk images can be grabbed via Old Games Finder.

Here are a few level codes to skip your way forward:

Forest level: DENIS<E>

Landbridge: THE BLIZ

Labyrinth: SHARKMAN

The Desert: NYMHARSW

Overscan Invaders

Overscan Invaders was released in 1994 by Janet Dean under the esteemed Budgie UK licenceware label. Obviously, this is a Space Invaders clone but one with a rather unexpected twist not normally exploited. Yes, I think you've guessed it? It's running in overscan so uses lots of extra pixels and also breaks the 16-colour limit.

This is a great twist on the original Space Invaders which plays as well as I'd have hoped and is really addictive. Ironically, it's the sound effects which I love the most - yes, even more than the overscan! They are superb and so authentic. Just listen to the video recording for all those childhood memories to come flooding back.

Overscan Invaders is definitely one of the better clones and I’m sure any Invader fan will love it. I did.

Ghost Battle

The demoscene is here!

Thalion games always oozed a superior visual and audio style that few others could match. However, I don't think I ever played Ghost Battle which is very odd as I'm a fan of platformers and Thalion. So, let's play...

We are the stereotypical muscle-bound hero who needs to rescue his kidnapped girlfriend who was recently whisked away by a giant hand. Yeah, that's right, a giant hand!! At least you get to travel to some of the most beautiful places trying to find her and along the way, you should kill everything in your wake! However, I fear the control and basic gameplay mechanics are a little awkward and affect your movement which feels stiff, so will take some getting used to.

The initial weapon isn't exactly great because of its poor firing rate, which isn't nearly enough to match the demands of a quick kill. So, no matter how many times you try to rapidly hit that fire button, most monsters will manage to survive just long enough to zap your precious energy. It's frustrating and spoils what might have been.

This is a lot like the Ghouls And Ghosts with similar level designs and a few puzzles. The action is predictable but very hard and will surely torment the most discerning gamers. Did Thalion employ beta testers? It's very difficult...

Okay, what's up with those freaky eyes!! That's drugs for ya, kids!


What a cute intro... Well, until a giant hand appears and whisks away your dolly bird!

- Graphics & Sounds -

The graphics are astounding with stunning artwork by Henk Nieborg. The scrolling is silky-smooth and is best viewed on the Atari STe (and older STs that might have a Blitter). It reminds me of a mix of Ghouls And Ghosts, Risky Woods, Stormlord and maybe even a tickle of Shadow Of The Beast? It's hard to imagine a prettier platformer but this is!

Like the visuals, the audio is outstanding and matches the pixels for their quality in equal measure. I think you'll guess who's behind the music and it's nothing less than fabulous! Mad Max helps prove that chip music will last forever.

The opening level is stunning and scrolls beautifully smooth. Now, master those controls!!


There are lots of enemies and they look gorgeous. Watch out for that chainsaw guy!

- The CryptO'pinion -

Ghost Battle could so easily have been a crackerjack platformer as it's got so much going for it and is aesthetically one of the best 16-bit games on the planet. However, it suffers from its own stupid design flaws thanks to some of the most awkward control mechanics I've ever seen. Argh, so frustrating because its potential is immense but you'll see very little unless you spend years mastering the cruel learning curve. Okay, you could just cheat and use a trainer?

Ghost Battle looks and sounds incredible but it's going to need lots of time otherwise don't bother. However, once you've mastered that and progressed beyond the confusing open levels, there's a good game here - nothing beats seeing a zombie on a pogo stick! Overall, quite good but the unbalanced gameplay and controls let it down.

Sadly, there are better games to play on the Atari ST although I doubt they'll look or sound as good!

The floppy disk can be found using Old Games Finder

And 8BitChip has the HDD version.

Sea Of Colour

[[No words are needed for this jaw-breaking demo]]

Credits, and my ultimate respect, are sent to the following ST heroes

Evil - coding | Excellence in Art - music | Gizmo - data | Templeton - graphics

Stop! Download Sea Of Colour demo for the Atari STe right now!

Dragon Lord

Have you ever spent time trying to learn a game only walk away completely baffled and wondering why you bothered? Well, here is Dragon Lord, an extremely unusual multi-screen platformer released in 1990 by 16-32 Diffusion. We are playing the part of a huge dragon who appears to be living in a whole wide world of weird! The objective is to become the new dragon lord which means plundering through over a hundred screens looking for artefacts, killing some fascinating creatures and ultimately battling an evil guardian.

Gameplay is simplistic thus easy to pick-up and it's fun breathing fire onto a scorched enemy. I found the map design a little laborious and would often end up getting lost so I would instead spend my time burning down the bad guys!! However, the control a clumsy because we are a massive dragon sprite moving around tight environments.

The visuals are quite (ahem) unique. Pretty amateur artwork that looks like it was coloured in by somebody suffering from colour-blindness. Ignoring this graphical nightmare because Dragon Lord’s sprites are massive and also of a great and humorous variety! Sadly the sound effects are pretty much a joke and the less said the better!

Overall, I was quite disappointed because I can see the potential but it doesn’t gel together very well. Dragon Lord's poor mechanics and eye-bleeding graphics spoil what could have been an interesting game. Having said all that, I did find myself having “just one more go” yet I cannot for the life of me think why. Perhaps I'm going mad?

Time Bandit

HiSToric gaming!

Microdeal released Time Bandit in... wait for it... 1985 so it ranks as one of the first Atari ST games. Programmed by Bill Dunlevy, long before any developers knew how to push our 16-bit computer. However, but my first impressions weren't good as I felt this was a cheap Gauntlet ripoff but, I continued to play. Until my sanity returned.

Yup, ignore my foolish first impressions because I fear there might be a funky game lurking behind those old 8bit visuals. Fwiw, Time Bandit was released for the TRS-80 a couple of years before Gauntlet.

We begin in The Timegates, a place that permits access to numerous strange worlds and each is completely different. These range from ancient Egypt to a bomb-making factory and other weird surprises - like the Pac-Man land. They have their own style and objectives with gameplay reminiscent of Gauntlet, to a degree.

For each world, the exit is blocked, so we need to find the key(s) or complete tasks to escape. Interestingly, each world can be played again for an increased level of difficulty and a variety of fascinating design changes all of which keep the gameplay interesting and progressively challenging. Battles are fought using a rocket launcher and, best of all, you've been blessed with unlimited ammo too!! Very nice and that suits me just dandy.

Yes, this was a lesson in aesthetics and my ignorance. Never go off first impressions based on the look of a game. Time Bandit is a cracker with so many interesting levels to plunder and each offers its own unique charm. It might look like Gauntlet but it's very different and offers its own styles to become a true Atari ST classic.

Budding time lords should download this great game for either floppy or the superb hard disk version!!

- Sixteen whacky worlds -

 
Underworld Arena has many spectators and Darkside Dare is incredibly odd with unexpected twists.

 
Castle Greymoon is one of my favourite levels as is the dingy Excalibur spaceship!

 
Shadowland? Nah this is a Pacman ripoff lol. Welkin Island looks rubbish but is very cool.

 
Omega Complex, one vowel off being blocked. The Sentinel reminded me a little of Tutankhamun.

 
Gridville appears to have rude tomatoes but Hotel California allows us to play as John Wayne!!

 
Watch out for strange aliens in Major Hazard but the Old Bomb Factory takes that to another level!!

 
Cheops' Curse offers more than you think but there's a spooky graveyard in Ghost Town.

Guardian is tough even on the first attempt. Watch out for the creepy crawlies in King's Crown.