exxos

Exxos (aka Chris Swinson) is pretty much a hardware genius who repairs and improves our favourite computers with different upgrades. He never seems to stop and will certainly be the guy I'll trust to upgrade my Atari ST (when I can afford it!).

It's not only hardware repairs/upgrades - he has also rescued old websites like Atari Music, UVK and also hosts ST Format coverdisks along with the entire FloppyShop archive. Chris is a genuine guy with technical knowledge of the internal workings of Atari computers.

I have zero hardware skills myself so admire people that do. So I thought it was time that we all got to know more about this soldering-iron geek. Okay, this is a big interview so go and grab yourself a coffee, sit back, relax, and read. I hope you enjoy this as much as I have?

My thanks to Chris for taking the time to write (waffle on!) and produce one heck of an interview!

Mr Exxos, please tell us about yourself.

Hello Steve :) Well my real name is, as most know, Chris Swinson aka exxos. I should point out that I am not the company EXXOS who some confuse me for :) My handle is all lower case as not to confuse ;) I used to work in electronics repair for about 10 years. This was the leisure industry, So all kinds of fruit & arcade machines to jukeboxes I have repaired over that time.

My main area was Audio systems, From CD players to higher power amplifiers to electromechanical jukeboxes. I also ran the company BBS system, which was a dial-up network for depot's to download software updates. That system sucked, so I re-wrote the software in VB6.

Which Atari computers are you using?

The odd thing is, I don't actually use any working Atari at least currently anyway. I just don't have the time :( My trusty STFM had a video fault a year ago, so its been in bits. That was really 1MB RAM and my 1.44 floppy upgrade. It was a really old machine. Though once I get some time I plan on updating it and bringing it back to life. That machine was at my girlfriends were we mostly played games.

What is your own Atari hiSTory?

I got a 2600 way back, it was my first "computer". I loved that thing. I still have it with 4 or 5 games I think. I remember playing pole position to the point that it wasn't so much what score I could get, but how many times I could loop back around to 0000000. After while I wanted something better. I was probably around 14 at the time. I saved like crazy to buy an STFM. I found it was on offer at a local computer shop, so managed to buy it. Thanks to my father for putting the last few quids!

Later I brought my Falcon 030 and that was pretty much it, I think. A long time after buying my STFM, I got distracted into wanting to do hardware for it. My first design was a 1.44 floppy kit. Basically, it resulted in me killing that machine. Though as ST's were flooding onto eBay I could buy machines for less than 10quid and fiddle that way. That's pretty much what I still do all these years later :)

Are you a gamer?

I used to be years ago. Not so much lately as all my time is taken up with work or hardware development. I loved games like, Super Cars 2, Termodroid, Squareoff, Starquake, Xenon, Vroom, Chuck Rock, Castle Master. That game took me 25 years to finish, my girlfriend helped a bit ;) Back in the day, games were expensive and cash was limited, so mostly I was doing swaps with menus like automation. Though I had very few games back then and a lot were on cover disks.

Your website is huge!

STOS is the main section on my site, I try to keep everything STOS related all in one place. The games, I could do more pages, but with larger indexes and others hosting them, then I don't think it's worth taking up the drive space with re-hosting the same stuff. My site is around 35GB!

I wrote the Floppyshop site as a searchable index where people could search and download PD. Almost everyone will have a copy of the collection, but just having a copy isn't using the stuff. I felt a lot of PD was simply "lost" so The Floppyshop page was born. Recently, I hosted the UVK2000 site and took over atarimusic.net which was a mess and I barely got it running on my server. Its a wonder it ever worked at all, I spent much time debugging that site, getting it in some form of working order.

Why the STOS fascination?

The main reason I wanted a computer was to write my own games. I remember looking through Argos, seeing a few pages of Atari ST's in various "packs". I went for the discovery pack as it had STOS "the game creator" so its the one I went for. Oddly there were only 1 Am*ga for sale, which looked a bit "dull" software-wise so I never went into Am*gas. So you could say if Argos never had the discovery pack with STOS included, then I may not have stayed with Atari's.

I did do some programs. Though they got rejected by the PD houses, basically because there was too many typos or spelling errors in stuff. They were programs like "Data Card" which was an address book program. The only stuff which saw light was MEGA Diskzine where I did 4 issues, with help from a few others. When STOSSER vanished, I wanted to do my own zine and keep the programming aspect in STOS, but also add Tesla coil type stuff, sci-fi or anything odd strange or cool. So, MEGA was born. I barely got issue 4 out and contributions were next to zero. I was doing most of the work myself and about that time I had started full-time work, So I simply didn't have time to do the coding or write articles. I have an epic amount of STOS projects I started but never finished.

Do you have a favourite upgrade?

I think my favourite must be the 1.44 floppy kit. It marks the first kit I designed and got working and it's even still produced today. While most of my work is in the boosters, I of course like the V2 for example. But once something is designed and finished, I somehow start to hate the thing. It's old, I could do better, I want to add more features. So Its design pretty much goes out the window and I am always thinking 2 or 3 steps ahead into the future.

As many know, I am still working on the CPU boosters. I recently went into production with the V1 STE booster which runs at 32MHz. I've basically hit the limit speed wise of the 68000. So I have drifted over to the 020 and 030 CPU now. Ultimately I want something along the lines of a 50MHz 030 CPU, with 32bit access to ROM & Fast-RAM.

England's own Jookie/Lotharek?

I don't really know why I do this stuff lol. I guess I love to design stuff and seeing it working on a computer just gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. I think it's an addiction. Like when I produce the first 16MHz booster, I though yayyyy I've done it, now onto 32MHz... It never ends. Just seeing those benchmark results pushing up higher and higher just wants me to push them up evermore.

I'd like to get the super speed hard drive working properly that I have been working with PPera for a while. Also the STE booster going into production along with the new PSU's. The V2 booster sales funded the ST PSU project, The ST PSU funded the Falcon PSU etc. So you can see how it all works. If it wasn't for those guys buying my items, then likely I would have given up and closed shop a long time ago. So big thanks to those customers as they really help fund more productions which at the end of the day, helps more people and gives me motivation to continue.

Your girlfriend deserves a medal!!

How many Atari ST's are dismembered?

Well, I don't live with my girlfriend, it's why I am not around on weekends. I've taken over her space with all the Atari stock, she doesn't mind one bit. She has the stock which is for sale, and she packs the orders and posts them for me. No surprise I just don't have enough time to pack orders and make trips to the post office. So everyone in Atari land should be thankful she posts the stuff for me.

I'm not sure how many ST's I have. Probably about 10 STE's, maybe 30 STFM's and then about 30 various motherboards. In general, it seems to cost about £35 for each machine as a general figure. So around £2,500 probably in machines alone. If you priced up all the upgrades as well, that would be tough. Things like the V2 booster, they are about £65 each, If I have 20 of them its £1,300 worth of stock. Similar to the 4MB MMU RAM upgrade kit, they are about £65 as well. I think I totalled that stock to over £2,000 a while ago. So if you factor in I have on sale around 40 different items, some are not expensive parts though, then you could probably take a guess of what the stock is worth In total. I would guess somewhere around £15,000 of current stock.

Where did Atari go wrong?

Oh gosh. I think this has been a huge debate for a long time. Lack of expansion seems to be popular. Though the ST did have the cartridge port which could do a fair few things. Atari knew expansion was needed as they produced the MEGA with an expansion port. While the ST wasn't born with PCI slots to easily update it (PCI wasn't invented for some years later aka sarcasm) I think Atari limited the ST's design too much. Everything is just so tangled up that if Atari had some forethought and built the ST with the idea that one-day people might want a faster CPU, then maybe there would have been a lot more hardware add-ons produced by 3rd parties such as Fast-technologies etc.

I think Atari fell into a type of "trap" which is something I try to avoid myself actually. Why do an ST 030 booster when we can have a whole new machine? Why stop at that, let's spend more time on updating the video hardware. Why stop at that? Let's add a DSP to help those audio guys out, let people play tracker tunes on it without taking up CPU time. Let's updated this, and that and take several years doing so until we get an awesome machine that we want. The fundamental problem is, waiting too long to produce hardware, and producing hardware on an "as perfect as possible" basis.

Overall, the Atari couldn't easily be upgraded which was the first nail in the coffin. Then, when Atari did start with the 030 CPU, the second nail was that they never produced it as an add-on kit. I think the geeks of the day would have loved to hack in a 030 into their ST's. Nobody has a crystal ball as to what will sell and what doesn't. Atari made the best choice they could probably make back then. They gave us the ST line of computers and they are still around even today. If you asked an STE user do they want a “super STE” with an 030 CPU and no other upgrades or a Falcon with lots of enhancements, but this would take 10 years longer, then you can probably bet people would want the “super STE” as they could always upgrade to a Falcon at a later time anyway.

What do you think of the current scene?

I think The Atari world hit a bit of a slump until fairly recently. There has always been a community, though it's not like the peek of the computer boom in the 80s kinda thing. There are more hardware guys about today like jookie developing hard drives for us. I think that has helped as people can download games images and play thousands of games.

I think websites like AtariCrypt are good to have. Review games on there, there is like a billion games to which who knows what they are or if they are any good. So games being reviewed with videos and images I think really will help people out in the long run. For me, I have seen some interesting games which at some point I would like to have a go at. (Wow!! I never expected to read that. Thanks - Steve)

I think as people buy their First Atari ST if the first couple games they play are just random, and the chances are they will be, let's just say bad games. Just not enjoyable to play. It's likely going to put that person off and they may not bother with the Atari ST again. Though if there are sites reviewing games, good ones which are fun to play, then chances are those new Atari people will keep coming back for more and more games. But it's not just games, there are music people out there using MIDI stuff. I'm not sure if people would bother to do word-procession or print letters out these days, so I think Games and Midi are what people would most likely to use their machines for.

Does the Atari ST have a future?

I started a thread on just that on a forum not long ago. My concern is: as the ST's are failing, due to bad PSU's etc, in 10 years time there is not going to be any working Atari ST's. If they are maintained, then the machines life is greatly extended. I think it's important to keep these machines running, which is why I build things like new PSU's as its one of the most common things to fail.

The Atari community needs new blood, new young blood that is to keep going. Gamers shouldn't need fancy high resolution 3D graphics to have fun. The Atari ST has a huge games list and I think there is far more variety than on today's PCs. Most games just seem to be running around shooting things but on the ST we have Pushover, Chuck Rock, Xenon and so many more which are still fun to play even after 30 years. I think the younger generation needs to see that they don't need a powerhouse to have fun gaming. Somehow think the Atari games will live on for a long time yet :)

- THE LINKS -

I'm sure you all want to check out his website right now!

Itching to see what he sells and is currently developing? I bet you are, then clickety-click right here.

Take a look at his FloppyShop website which is simply an AMAZING resource!!

Don't forget to keep your Atari ST clean and free of those horrid virus' with the latest UVK!

Here is a TV appearance which nicely follows up on the amazing interview with Chris Swinson!

MEGA ST thanks to Chris for this interview and we have many more to read right here. :-)

Son Shu-Shi

Can you help?

Son Shu Shi was released back in 1991 by Expose and is a platformer that reminds me of Elf or Enchanted Lands. However, the downloads available on the internet are NOT complete and contain bad data which eventually rears its ugly head later in the game. We are hoping someone has the original disks so we can make a copy and keep it safe forever!! Son Shu Shi is a wonderful platformer and we need the original disks - can you help? :-)

Visit the 8BitChip website to read more and download what we currently have available.

I've scrapped my plans to write a review as Atari Legend have cool plans. Watch this space...

Update: check this out and thank you to The Replicants!!! (click here) :D

Satan Stole My Atari

Here we have a brand-new demo that has just been released & ranked 1st for the "oldskool" combo at Riverwash 2015 party. It requires a juicy 4MB Atari STe and will blow you away! Truly amazing and best viewed using real hardware.

Satan Stole My Atari by Lamers

At0m - Graphics

MKM - Code

VLX - Music

Download from Demozoo or Pouet.Net

Wanna see more Atari STe demos? Well, there are loads on our YouTube channel.

PARCP

PARCP running on my Mac (the Mac is shown on the left side and the Atari ST on the right)

Get your Atari ST talking!!

After all these years, owning an Atari ST is still such an amazing joy - plus I feel like a teenager again!! However, this now means I have the problem of how to get games and other programs running on my ST. After all, it's not like I can pop to the shops or swap disks with friends like we did back in the day. If only I had a time machine...

Anyhow, the internet is stuffed with ST disks but we're still left with the problem of getting these from my Mac (or PC) over onto the ST (whether it's using floppies or a hard drive). Heck, it might be the most awesome 16-bit computer on the planet but it sadly has no ethernet, USB, or WiFi. Argh, how can we get files over to use on my ST?

Well, there are a few options but one of the best is ParCp-USB by Petr Stehlik. This little device plugs into the ST's parallel port and features a Mini USB socket so we can connect any Atari computer to either a Mac or PC with little effort and hassle. The only decision to make is which of your computers you want to act as either a master or slave (I run my ST as the master whilst the Mac acts as the slave). Just watch the video recording I've made for a better idea of how this works...

ParCP-USB is a fantastic product that makes the job of transferring files a doddle and is highly recommended.

Atari computers with only a floppy drive will be too slow. You need a hard drive or something like the Ultrasatan. However, you can easily use a Ram Disk if you have upgraded.

Captain Dynamo

I'm a superhero!

Captain Dynamo was released by Code Masters in 1992 and is something I instantly fell in love with. This is actually a wicked platformer that transforms you into a superhero, flying up through the most craftily-designed maps. Derek Leigh-Gilchrist did a great job because it feels new and is enormous fun. Let's wear spandex and be Captain Dynamooooooo!!

Graphically, this is excellent with gorgeous cartoon visuals designed by Leigh Christian. But it not only looks the part but scrolls smoothly too for a fluent feel. The music is lovely with fantastic chiptunes by 4mat. I mean, wow!

If you wanna be a superhero then grab either the floppy or a hard disk installable version right away.

Alien World

STs cannot scroll

Alien World is a shoot 'em up written by Gary Antcliffe (Blazing Thunder/Yogi's Great Escape) and was released in 1992 by Hi-Tec Premier Software. Ignoring the dreadful title tune, the game itself is a cross between the likes of Menace and R-Type, with a dollop of Venus Flytrap thrown in for good measure. Which is always gonna be ace!

The action is relentless and immediately hits you with a ton of pitfalls like red-hot streams of molten lava that shoot up from pools of glowing red death. It isn't long before you feel a little Blood Money creeping in as the scrolling alternates between horizontal & vertical. However, I liked the parts that don't automatically scroll - allowing you to move at your own leisure. Gravity always plays a part in affecting your movement, think Flappy Bird or SantaFly!

Graphically, Alien World is truly outstanding with ultra-smooth scrolling - best experienced using a real Atari ST. Everything is exquisite - rich colours, detailed sprites and fluent movement. Sadly, audio is a different story with no in-game tune and weak sound effects. A few decent chiptunes would have been perfect for a game like this.

Gameplay is what matters and I'm impressed with this tough shooter. Sure, it has a learning curve that is nothing short of immense but Blood Money fans are going to love it. Then again, like so many 16-bit games of the era, it's really really tough and demands a cheat. However, a challenging game that drags you back for that "just one more go".

Alien World is freakishly fun and should entertain for hours. Very hard but I love it. Play it!!

Download the Floppy or HDD version now.

Right from the off you'll need to get used to gravity which is instantly annoying.

The aliens are badass and relentless. This makes Blood Money look so easy!!

The second level is superb with lots of power-ups and different baddies.

I love the Menace-like futuristic feel and it proves the ST can scroll - when in the hands of talent.

What you thought this was only horizontally scrolling? It's now things get insanely harder!!!

Starquake

Stepping back in time...

Today, I thought that I would descend deeper into the realms of retro gaming with an oldie that I've not played since I was 14 years old, Starquake by BubbleBus / Mandarin Software. Like most people, I did not own an expensive Atari ST in 1985 and was instead using a ZX Spectrum. Yup, I've not played Starquake since the mid-80s!

You're a BLOB (BioLogically Operated Being) who has crash-landed on a planet and it's your job to save it before it implodes! Each screen is basically a platformer in design and filled with cutesy (yet annoying) baddies that can zap away your energy or kill you outright. To me, it always felt like Atic Atac but, visually, reeks of Underwurld.

Let's pause the reading and view a malfunctioning screenshot...

The intro is short but not without good humour which I love!

Run, Shoot, RUN!!

Starquake is such a big game and one which will instantly appeal whilst you get yourself completely lost wandering from screen to screen. There are tasks to complete, like collecting objects and computer codes, which is a lot harder than it sounds. Oddly, you cannot collect items when using a hover pad... so be prepared to think!

Thankfully we have a weapon but the nasties are relentless with a swarm-like attack that never ends. Curiously, we cannot jump but have the ability to build temporary platforms that help reach those higher places. It's kinda cool and makes climbing fun and different - also dotted about the map are hover-pads which you can make use of.

Starquake is a quirky little shooter/puzzler that never lets up and yes, it reminds me of Underwurld by Ultimate Play The Game with similar schematics, styles and mechanics. However, the puzzler and exploration elements are as tough as they are interesting and this is the part of it that makes you think - all whilst frantically shooting everything in sight.

I've always liked Starquake and that Atari ST version doesn't disappoint. Hey, let's view a screenshot...

As soon as you begin, cute critters appear from nowhere - constantly!

Colour clash and bleeps?

Visually, fans of the 8-bit original will absolutely adore the updated Atari ST version which looks the same but tarted up with gorgeous 16-bit colours and lots more detail. Wow, I wish the old Speccy game looked this good back in the mid-80s. I mean, come on, check out those sprites - this must be one of the cutest games ever made!

The audio is superb with fantastic music by none other than Jason C. Brooke. I could listen to this all day long! All in-game effects are pretty neat but I'm going to shock myself here and say that the ZX Spectrum game is actually better. How can this be? It's true as I miss those zappy, buzzy Spectrum sounds that this ST conversion lacks.

Right, we've got time for just one more screenshot. So, here you go...

Finally, an upgraded 8-bit game that isn't bloated and ruined!!

The CryptO'pinion?

I found the Atari ST version to be harder than the Speccy original. That alone took some time to get used to and felt completely unnecessary if I'm being honest as it zapped some of the fun, especially for a casual gamer. However, Starquake isn't something for the casual gamer as it demands time and commitment to get the most from it.

Yes, it's tough. Yes, it's crazy. And yes, it's probably a little too difficult so you may need to cheat for infinite lives! You'll need a pen and paper to map it and make notes. However, it's definitely a brilliant conversion of the 8-bit classic and also an excellent game in its own right and offers a massive, long-term challenge. Highly recommend!!

Download Starquake via Old Games Finder.
Here is a map of the Speccy game!

Lotus Turbo Challenge II

Buckle up for a great ride!

If there was one racer I adored on my old Atari ST, it was Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge. The semi-realistic physics helped to make it utterly addictive without ever crossing over into boring old simulator land. It has such amazing graphics, almost an arcade-like quality, with fun gameplay that was both exciting and challenging.

Lotus 2 offers more of the same excitement but is quite different from the original in a number of ways. Firstly, we aren't racing a set number of laps around a typical circuit as there are checkpoints to reach during a road trip across the lush American continent in our flashy car! Also, don't drool, but the entire screen is now used!

Hey, you wanna see a cool screenshot with blue skies and an open road. Hmm, this is pure road trip...

Vroom!! The roads are absolutely superb to provide a thrilling challenge!

Fast open roads...

This isn't just a racer but more a road trip. Yes, it's almost like an adventure across the States with various locations. Also, the environments can change depending on the conditions as we have the weather to endure which adds an element of pseudo-realism. Even if the other drivers fail to use their headlights at night (what? Am I being too picky lol)

I also think they captured the feeling of speed incredibly well - it's almost Vroom standards with extreme velocities. Strangely, our car appears to be running on fairy dust because there is never a need to refuel your Esprit or Elan. Which is good, who needs that kinda realism? These differences certainly help Lotus II leap away from the original and into a whole new driving experience whilst still remaining familiar with the original. Fast and Furious you might say. Love it!!

Okay, it's now time for another screenshot but this one is of a law breaker. What? You heard me...

Come on, it's nighttime and nobody is using their lights. Where's the police?

The CryptO'pinion?

Lotus II is incredible and one of the best racers on the Atari ST. For me, it perfectly combines elements of a good race with the feeling of a Bullrun and road trip combined - so we get to see the world in this speedster.

Overall, this is not only one of the best 16-bit racers ever released but is also definitely one of my personal favourites too. I simply cannot stress enough how much I recommend Lotus II. It's just as enjoyable as the magnificent original so zooms in high on my Top 10 list of Atari ST drivers. Download it right now - you won't regret it!!

Downloads for floppy or hard disk!!

Carlos

Not Batman, it's FATMAN!

Les Adventures de Carlos was released in 1994 by Microids and isn't the best example of an Atari ST platformer. We are in control of a bearded fat man wearing a rather odd costume! This might sound strange, but our best friend appears to be a parrot who shadows and attempts to help us. We have no gun so must use our enormous weight to squish the baddies! You can even use some of that blubber to create a miniature earthquake when falling farther. It's hardly original when you think about it but, whatever works, right?

Aesthetically, Carlos looks and sounds good. The visuals feature stunning colours and beautiful sprites. However, the engine features no scrolling which is odd for a game that requires 4-way scrolling. What that means is the gameplay stops while the screen is pushed along. This becomes extremely irritating, especially during a diagonal jump which may require the screen to scroll in two separate directions.

This could have been great, but the end result looks good but plays terribly. In fact, I found it quite agonising because of the constant pauses as the game scrolls in different directions. A game like this needs real scrolling. The Atari ST has a wealth of decent platformers, so we don't need rubbish like this. Stay clear of this!!

I do not recommend Carlos but masochists can grab it on floppy & hard drive.

Level codes: Level 2=BONGO / Level 3=GALET / Level 4=PATAU / Level 5=SIRTA

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?