Tomtar

Tom...what?

Tomtar is a shooter released in 1993 for the Atari STe by UTEN (NewCore, XiA, Toxic Twins & Unit 17). A "tomtar" is a gnome, and they breed like bacteria, so they will eventually take over the world unless something is done! We asked the Grim Reaper for help, but there are too many for him to handle, so we needed divine intervention - in the form of a machine gun!! Yep, we all know where this is going, so let's lock and load to help the mythical Reaper destroy the Tomtars in what I can only describe as the craziest 5 minutes of your life.

In the right corner of the screen is an Orch - kill it to advance to the next level. Use the mouse to shoot, but beware, this isn't going to be easy, because these little critters can walk, run, bounce, and fly across the screen. Controls work well with the mouse, but I would have preferred the right button to perform another function like throwing a grenade; this would have been superb... The gameplay becomes frantic and chaotic the further you progress, but I must admit that it's a shame the spooky backdrop doesn't change.

A stupid game that offers nothing more than a maddening few minutes blasting Tomtars. It's brilliant (esp using real hardware) for a few plays. Grab it from Demozoo (which also has a cut-down FM version).

My high scores are:

78,250 (under emulation)

94,740 (using my Atari STe).

What are yours? Can you beat me?? Didn't think so...

SNDH Players

Chipmusic

I love listening to SNDH chiptunes on my Atari STe, but it recently occurred to me that many didn't understand which player to use. Here are four fantastic Atari ST/e GEM programs to play your toons.

There could be more lurking within the archives, but these are the four I enjoy using for different reasons. The last one I usually use when I'm writing on my Mac! My greetings and all credit to the people who made these superb programs. Okay, all links are included, and I hope you find something here you enjoy...

~~ JAM ~~

Quite possibly the most well-known of all the players and deservedly so because it's brilliant with a modular design to handle a wide variety of file formats. It sounds great but looks rather plain jane. Thankfully, there is also a version which doesn't use GEM and is far prettier. (download)

JAM never ceases to impress with massive versitility and capability.

~~ SND Player ~~

It might look ugly in the 4-colour medium resolution but I like this program and it sounds just dandy. I found this to be a reliable player and it looks best in Low/High resolutions. (download)

I love using SND_Play and it's such a sexy looker in ST High. 

~~ GEMPlay ~~

is a "Lite" version of YesCREW's Falcon player. Some features are removed because the ST/e has no DSP Processor but it plays SNDH tunes perfectly fine. It's another program that proves how ugly ST Medium is so I recommend Low/High resolution! (download)

Once again, another beauty that plays your tunes perfectly. 

~~ KrapSNDH ~~

Such simplicity. Set it up as an Application for the .snd file format within GEM. Now double-click any sound file for instant play. No fancy interface but it's fast and a great player! (download)

Ignore the look. This is simple and works like a dream. So fast, I use it all the time.

Flip-O-Demo

Flip Flop Demo

I'm starting my weekend with the exquisite Flip-O-Demo by Oxygene/Diamond Design because it's been updated to support hard drive installation. Originally, it was released in 1993 and contains some of the best artwork and visual fx you could imagine - all whilst playing lovely audio by one of my favourite musicians.

Flip-O-Demo is certainly one of the best examples of Atari ST creativity. Grab it from Demozoo.

Credits
Jess - Music
Leonard - Code
MoN - Graphics
Niko - Graphics
Oxbab - Code
Scavenger - Music
Spiral - Graphics
Wilfried - Graphics

Goldrunner

Fuzzy speech, be gone!

I love Gold Runner; it's a technical masterpiece by legend, Steve Bak. He proved that when in the hands of a talented programmer, the Atari ST is more than capable of producing wondrous results. Other (lame) people would whine and complain, but Mr. Bak got the job done. Perfectly every time, I might add.

Honest time, I'm terrible at this ultra-fast-paced shoot 'em up (shock!!). Plus, I was never fond of that dreaded fuzzy speech. It was fine back in the day and is humorously entertaining, but it soon wears thin and distracts during gameplay. Perhaps I'm old and grumpy, but I've never really liked it. Sorry!

Good news: Peter Putnik has updated Goldrunner for hard drive installation and an option to disable the speech!! All you gotta do is press the F3 key, so clickety-click and download this update to the ST classic.

PacMania

Popping pills & chasing ghosts!

Pac-Mania was released in 1989 by Grandslam, a faithful conversion of the arcade classic.  It was generally well-received at the time and offered a fresh take on Pac-Man.  Instead of the familiar overhead 2D perspective, players experienced the game from a spanky new isometric viewpoint, reminiscent of games like Knight Lore.  Furthermore, the expansive play area featured scrolling, propelling Pac-Man into the modern era.

The little yellow pill-popper also received an upgrade with the ability to jump despite lacking legs (work that one out, lol). Sadly, the Atari ST version of the arcade game had a smaller screen due to the absence of hardware scrolling. Consequently, it featured a large status panel that we didn't really need. However, don’t let that fool you; the game still boasted smooth scrolling and was definitely not a lame port.

Here is a screenshot of the original ST game (I've left in the top/bottom borders for a reason)...

It looks great, albeit with that overly large status panel taking up lots of space.

What if there was an STe version?

I’m glad you asked. Samuel (also known as Zamuel_A) has created an upgrade specifically designed to maximise the Atari STe’s enhanced hardware.  The gameplay now takes place in overscan, dramatically expanding the playable area. This silky-smooth 50fps scrolling, thanks to hardware scrolling in all four directions (a much-underused feature of our computer), truly transforms the experience. A jaw-dropping moment!

That’s not all, though. The Blitter manages all the sprites, and the DMA audio hardware plays sampled sound effects while our beloved YM2149 produces wonderful chiptunes – much better than stodgy Tracker MODs. Technically, this is truly impressive, and I’m sure Samuel has utilised every computer component.

Wanna see how it looks compared to the original? Of course, so scroll down a little further...

This is how the game appears on the Atari STe using overscan and all the other goodies!

The CryptO'pinion?

This is what happens when a talented chap takes a great game and reconstructs it in remarkable ways. The results are astounding, and I doubt any software house outside Thalion would have been capable of getting such results. This is one of those sad moments when I ponder Atari not releasing the STe in 1985.

The original PacMania is a great game and a decent conversion. However, Samuel’s upgrade has completely transformed the original. It’s a modernised version of our yellow friend for the 21st-century retro gamer, and it’s impossible not to be impressed by Samuel’s dedication and hard work. It's quite mind-blowing.

This is a captivating revamp of the classic favourite and far more enjoyable than ever. Superb STuff!!

Downloads are available at Atarimania!

YMT Play

Let's bleep and bloop the night away!

What better way to end a great Christmas than listening to cool chiptunes using YMT Play by Peter Jørgensen (aka Bionic Nerd). This program features YM music data streaming, like the typical ST-sound playback, using a sound range from 50Hz to 300Hz and with very little CPU usage. The quality is outstanding, and I'm sure you will find its potential interesting and an exciting concept. Go and download YMT from Demozoo.

What is YMT?

"YMT files are like the YM/AY files. Music files where you sampled data from the sound chip register (YM2149/AY8910) in a certain interval, instead of having a dedicate player.

To my knowledge, there has only been YM/AY player that could play tune/score files, that was sampled at 50HZ, but the YMT player can play files up to 300hz (there are some 50hz+ tunes/scores include in the examples)

The advantaged of AY/YM/YMT format, is that to replay these tunes/scores cost very little CPU power. So, if you need a lot power for a eg. a 3D demo, then it could be a wise choice to use it, because it leaves most of the CPU power for 3D calculations and the graphic etc.

The disadvantaged is that it uses a lot of memory, and it is nearly impossible to make a routine that can capture and use the SID sound and Samples etc. It is also why those files need to be hand made, that is the reason why YMT-Player only support pure YM2149 sound."

Annihilator

Homebrew games suck, right?

I was always fascinated by what assortments of goodies I could find within the ST's public domain. I scoured the various PD Libraries trying to find either the next big thing or something obscure that would take me by surprise. Who remembers Goodmans, FaST Club, Democlub, LAPD, and many other libraries?

Amazing times, and the Atari ST is blessed with a gigantic and assorted Shareware/PD library. That includes a fantastic gaming section, and here is one such example: Annihilator by Robert HC Leong. This is a classy shoot 'em up, released in 1991 through the esteemed Budgie UK label (a company I genuinely miss).

The gameplay feels instantly familiar, with lots of baddies swarming about. They're called Insectoids, not Galaxians, no matter what you think! The controls are responsive: moving left/right dodges their attacks, whilst hitting fire will shoot the cannon. Killing aliens is never boring, but remember to look out for power-ups that replenish your ship's shield and increase firepower. There are even end-of-level bosses!

Robert coded in a level skip cheat...

It's easy to activate: just pause the game using the spacebar.

Now hold shift and press keys F1-F10 for the required level.

Annihilator is a tremendous blast back to the early 80s. In fact, it's almost as good as I would expect from a commercial company, with exciting gameplay, smooth-as-silk visuals, and fluent controls. Budgie UK has tons of great games, and this is one of the best in their library. Definitely worthy of a Crash Smash rating!!

Waste no more time and get Robert's game download from the GamerBlitz website.

R-Type Deluxe

R-Type is back!

An early beta of the new R-Type Deluxe was released at STNICCC by Stephen Jones, aka Bod. It has been designed to use the STe hardware - Blitter co-processor, hardware scrolling, and DMA effects/music. It plays far better than the original game, and the pictures you see here were sent by Stephen.

I have enjoyed playing R-Type Deluxe, which has proven the Atari STe to be a formidable computer. The action feels smoother and much better, plus the audio has a great effect by making this feel more arcade-like. This is looking to be an impressive project, but please remember this is a Work In Progress. (update).

   

   

Update July 24th

This file is already on Atari-Forum, but here is my backup of Stephen's R-Type Deluxe source code. I'm keeping it safe until another developer continues the work. <download link>

lotharek

Thank you, Lotharek

Shortly before Christmas, the hard drive inside my Mega STE died. Thankfully, I had just backed it up the previous day (how lucky am I), but this did give me a big kick up the backside to invest in something better. After all, it was the original 47MB SCSI from 1991, so it was only a matter of time before it went BOOM!! ;-)

Lotharek is selling the Ultrasatan on their web store, and I bought one. It's quite something to go from a noisy 47MB drive to a fast and silent SD card offering much more space. I must say, Lotharek is quick, as this arrived on Christmas Eve, so I'm spending the holidays playing! The possibilities appear limitless because I am no longer struggling with meager storage. Lotharek's UltraSatan is a brilliant piece of Jookie kit. Buy this!!

Why not use your UltraSatan to game or enjoy a few demos...

One of the most famous 16-bit shoot 'em ups ever - Xenon II Megablast. This will always be a firm favourite of mine, so it was exciting to hear Peter Putnik had doctored it back in January with his magic. The game now streams 25Khz music directly using the Ultrasatan (sorry STFM guys - this feature requires the audio co-processor hardware of the Atari STe). What a jaw-dropping upgrade!! Such an unbelievably huge size for an ST game, and worth it. I certainly hope Peter converts more games in the future!

Drone, an Atari STe demo which I would personally rank as a masterpiece. Stunning audio, artwork, and presentation.... all far beyond excellent. It was released back in 2012 by the legendary Dead Hackers and is a whopping 11+MB. It was released for Sommarhack to pay special tribute to the Ultrasatan. This is one of the best demos I've ever experienced.

Merry Christmas

Mario on the Atari ST?

Super Stario Land was released in 1995 by Top Byte and might remind you of a certain game featuring an Italian plumber? This isn't merely a cheap clone but a great game in its own right that offers fantastic amusement. It's a delight to play with controls that are both easy and responsive, so it feels authentic.

The graphics scroll by at a smooth 50fps with fine attention to visual detail, if small by ST standards. Sound effects are chirpy and suit the console-style, but if you press F9, then music will play by Big Alec. I love this game. It's like having a Nintendo with a keyboard! It's hard, but it's also a brilliant platformer.

What? Do you want more?

Stario's Christmas was released in 1996 and is more of the same, but within a Christmassy winter wonderland. It's equal, in every way, to the first, so if you enjoyed that, then you're sure to love this game.

Yep, two superb platformers to play over the holidays. Merry Christmas, everyone †

Download hard disk versions via 8BitChip

and the floppies via Atari Legend.

3D con kit

I've always been interested in 3D from my early computing years as a kid with a ZX Spectrum and games like Ant Attack, Deathchase and then the mind-boggling Knight Lore/Alien 8. Those games just blew my mind, so when I came across 3D Construction Kit for the Atari ST - I was delighted.

After a little googling, I found a fantastic web resource by Stuart Wilson which I'm hoping will prove to be useful and help me get the best from this program. They also run a FaceBook community page (link below).

3D Construction Kit is an old but excellent application for making your own virtual worlds. This video is the actual VHS recording that was released back in the day which is fascinating and explains many aspects of the program nicely. There are lots of projects already created on the Atari ST and many are excellent :-)

At my request, Peter Putnik has graciously adapted 3D Construction Kit so it can now be installed and ran from hard disk - so download this instead of the floppies! Plus those faster computers can make use of their power and my own 16Mhz Mega STe runs beautifully! :-)

Stu-Wilson’s website for 3D Construction Kit [and their dedicated FaceBook page]

SWIV

Blue Thunder

Sometimes you need a stress release from this strange world, and today I did just that thanks to SWIV. What an exceptional shooter - I blasted the living daylights out of those military bad boys using my massive chopper! Hang on... Nevermind... This game has great graphics, sounds, and timeless action. Love it all.

Yup, this is a cracking game, so I decided to record a video. Please subscribe to my channel, as 95% of visitors aren't. Oddly, the emulator felt a little slower compared to my real Atari STe, and the sound effects were not quite as bold. Perhaps it's just me, but I felt a difference, but nothing ever beats the real hardware.

Klaz has a fantastic download that can even be installed onto a hard drive!

Just for giggles... Moments ago, my hard drive started to make strange whirring noises, almost like it was trying to spin-up, but couldn't. I think SWIV actually killed it, but I shouldn't complain because it was the original drive and therefore 24 years old. 

Now that's value for money!!

We Were @

Note - the video was recorded using an emulator, and YouTube suffers somewhat with quality.

If you can, watch it on a real Atari computer - the way it was meant to be enjoyed :-)

BRACE YOURSELF!!

This is a brand new Atari STe demo that was released 2 days ago by the mighty Leonard, of Oxygene. Yes, he has always been one of the most uniquely talented programmers, but this production blew me away. Check out that Roto Zoomer! Do watch the end credits, which feature many interesting details about the coding.

Truly amazing STuff. A beautiful production and undoubtedly one of the best 16-bit demos!! [download]

Credits:
Clawz - Music
Leonard - Code
MoN - Graphics

Trans D-Bug Express

Save our floppy!

D-Bug's TDE is a program to convert floppies into MSA disk images. I know there are excellent apps already out like Jay MSA and Magic Shadow Archiver, but TDE works at a technically lower level and therefore has more success with those crusty old floppies. In fact, even if TDE fails with a dead part of a disk, it still offers you the option to save a good image. Thus, you're able to partially rescue the contents.

This is such an excellent and essential utility!

Update October 2020

---

Version v1.05 is out and with lots of changes: low RAM reqs, low-level FDC code, faster code, Drive B support, and compatible with all Atari computers. See the readme within the download.

Fernandez Must Die

Let's kill everyone!!

ImageWorks released this cool shoot 'em up in 1988 and is pretty much another Commando/Ikari Warriors clone designed to unleash our inner combat soldier. Every time I play, I'm reminded of those A-Team episodes in a dodgy part of South America. Just like the TV show, an evil dictator is causing havoc, but B.A. Baracus refused to get on the plane! So we're on our own; grab a weapon and head out to the killing fields, soldier!

The war zone is stuffed with enemy soldiers and their slow-flying bullets that we can dodge. Our weapon of choice is a machine gun with unlimited ammo, but we have a rocket launcher for extra firepower. Some buildings can be plundered by blowing off the door with dynamite, which is useful in ammunition depots! We're not only on foot, as vehicles can be utilised. And what's better than the option of mowing down a few soldiers?

The visuals are "1980s", using a cartoon style for the soldiers and buildings. It's colourful and interesting to explore the terrain, looking for enemies to blast. Not only that, but ImageWorks didn't wimp out and employ smooth scrolling. The audio is great, with sampled sounds used for the effects. No complaints from me.

This is one of those games I'm glad I bought because it's fantastic fun and highly addictive without ever taking itself seriously. Fernandez Must Die might have zero originality, but it makes up for that with bucketloads of gun action. This is an awesome Commando shooter and possibly my favourite for the Atari ST!!

Get out on that battlefield, soldier!
Arm yourself with a floppy or hard disk.

Bullets flying and armouries to loot. This is just like being part of the A-Team!!

Watch out for sneaky soldiers hiding in the trees and also those operating gun turrets.

The action comes thick and fast, and the onslaught of soldiers never ceases. Oops, I died!!

Escape From The Planet Of The Robot Monsters

B-movie gaming

Evil Reptilons are hell-bent on destroying us humans and taking hold of Planet X. They've enslaved much of the population, forcing them to build a robot army for an invasion. Jake and Duke are two heroes with a simple plan: destroy as many robots as possible, trash the computers, rescue cute girls, and save the day.

Robot Monsters is played in a fashion similar to other 3D isometric games you might have seen, going back to the days of Knight Lore. Imagine a pinch of Buck Rogers with a dollop of Gauntlet, and you get the idea. The goal is to rescue the humans, without forgetting those held in stasis pods! Along the way are traps designed for us, soft fleshy humans: sharp spikes, rotating chunks of metal, and electric floor panels.

All this is going on whilst Planet X constantly spawns enemy robots. Yes, the alien horde is relentless, so you'd better be quick on the trigger, otherwise you will be overrun. It's insane, but it works. And it works better than other games that employ the same mechanic because it's manageable and playable.

This game is like living a B-Movie, so let's see some screenshots from the intro...

Grab a raygun and fight

We're not going to sit back and take this invasion lightly. Armed with a powerful weapon that is great for quick kills. However, refrain from overuse; otherwise, it is less effective. Thankfully, it can be charged by collecting the green blobs that a dead robot might leave behind after dying. There are also bombs - hit the shift key and they detonate. That kills anything nasty within your vicinity - even the captives, so be careful.

There are bonus stages along a canal route after a few levels, and they feature many extra bonuses. These aren't essential to your overall progress. Also, I wasn't too eager about them because I wanted to get playing the main game. The big Reptilon boss will first seem an impossible opponent, but there is a cunning way to avoid it by using a few bombs and a little joystick waggling!! Just ask me if you need any help.

A cynic might say, that's all there is to this game: Run around, kill monsters, rescue girls. Well, yes and no. Yes, that's the gist, AND IT'S BRILLIANT!! But no, you're a knob for even thinking that. Look, just play it.

I know, I know, you want more screenshots from the intro. Well, you're in luck...

Next-Gen aesthetics!

Back in the day, I remember being blown away by the comical artwork, which still looks great. In-game, I adore the isometric 3D viewpoint, which is perfect, and the entire environment has superb attention to detail. The Alien Hoard is varied and excellent - my favourite being the biscuit-looking guys lol. They're not biscuits, of course, but they are cute! That's this game to a tee; it's different and loves to be different. It works perfectly.

The audio is a blast, with zappy effects complementing the gorgeous background music. I like how it integrates during gameplay. Sure, I wish we had an extra channel, but the music beats away while you hear relevant sound effects. It works and sounds amazing. I loved the music, so click the arrow and listen for yourself.

Go on, I said, click this arrow just below and enjoy the YM Bliss...

AtariCrypt · Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters

Don't run away. Come back, there are girls to be rescued and robots to kill!

The CryptO'pinion?

I have really enjoyed playing this great game again after all these years. This is one of those shooters stuffed to the brim with originality and frantic metallic mayhem. Running around killing everything is totally demented and done with a comical personality, using great characters. This is a superb isometric shooter.

It's as much fun to play today as it was in 1990. Such an iconic 16-bit shooter, and I love it to bits!!

- DOWNLOAD for hard disk and floppy -

Lupo Alberto

Stop the press!

Late last night, I found an interesting post on AtariAge by Philsan concerning an unreleased game called Lupo Alberto. This is a platformer that (I think) is based on a European comic or a TV show. Well, after 25 years of lurking in unreleased hell, the ST version gets to see the light of day (now listed on AtariMania)

First impressions are good with cartoon visuals and cute sprites roaming about - just look at those chickens!! However, it's push-scrolling, which is a severe shame because the game's mechanics demand scrolling. Well, it is unfinished, so I shouldn't complain too much, and the push technique is fast and zippy...

Gameplay is tricky for this cute platformer, so I imagine lots of frustration ahead of me. I'm delighted we have this rescued, and I look forward to giving Lupo a proper run for its money tonight!

Update: during a game, press CTRL and type: otrebla. Thanks to Luca Stradiotto!!

Pegasus

Swords, guns and flying a horse

Satan has been a bad boy and turned the world on its head. It's our job to reverse his dastardly deeds before it's too late. Developed by Optimus Software for Gremlin, we are Percius and fly on the mythical horse Pegasus. Our adventure is split into two parts: a shooter with us riding Pegasus. And a platformer where Percius is free to unleash his wrath using a large sword (it flips between these two throughout).

The shooter parts are... okay. Imagine something like R-Type, but on horseback, and you have the idea. The baddies appear in the expected patterns so bang on that fire button and collect the crystals they leave behind. They enhance weaponry and there are lots of power-ups that help brighten up this dull affair.

The platform parts are better - run, jump, and leap, collecting crystals and killing baddies. Hardly riveting stuff but still enjoyable with superb joystick mechanics. Controlling Percius is a cinch and I wish more platformers had fluent movement like this. This part of the game had great potential but ended up very boring.

The graphics are bland and I fear a lame port because it's sparsely populated, quite barren of detail. It's like they didn't put in any effort at all. Not only that but that blue background could have been better with a splash more colour. However, the scrolling is nice and smooth so at least that's something? Sadly, the audio is feeble and only the firing stops this game from being as silent as a ZX81!! I really don't think Gremlin cared...

Let's not kid ourselves, this is lame Amiga port and a terrible one at that. It could have/should have been better so it's embarrassing to think Gremlin released this. However, I gotta admit that the platform stages are enjoyable and had potential. It's not a bad game but it's far from a good game. A rushed port.

There are far better shooters and platformers, just use the search option at the top of this page!

The platform part isn't bad but could have been made into something great with little effort.

Collect those power-ups otherwise, it's Zzzzzz!! Play R-Type instead.

Download and play Pegasus using a hard drive thanks to both D-Bug and 8BitChip. But those wanting the floppies can find 'em on Old Games Finder.

 

If the game is too hard (boring) then here are some nifty cheats: 

Press P on the title screen and type in this code: FRUITBAT

Now use the arrow keys to select your starting level.

F1 for extra lives.

F2 to select a power-up.

F3 for an extra special weapon shot.

F5 advance a level.

F7 for a nifty shield. 

 

 To view the greetings

Use this passcode on the title: CATFOOD.

The Ultimate Captive Guide

Escape!

I recently bought Captive, and anyone with half a brain (like me) knows this is an awesome RPG by Mindscape. It has us held prisoner for a couple of hundred years for a crime we did not commit - and the A-Team thought they had it bad! After such a long time, your freedom from this unjust hell is your only goal.

This RPG uses a unique user interface to configure and control droids - it's a briefcase. I cannot tell you why a prisoner has this, but operating it is like something from Mission Impossible! The graphics are excellent with stunning monsters, but I was a little disappointed by the sparse audio. This is made worse when finding out that the original release used DMA of the Atari STe, whereas that was dropped for the v1.2 update!

Fans of this RPG should take a look at a website by Pierre Fournier called The Ultimate Captive Guide.