Operation: Zero-5

To boldly go...

I recently met Andrew Gisby, the creator of a uniquely distinctive shoot 'em up for the Atari STe (and Falcon) that takes place in the darkness of space. It's called Zero 5, released in 1995 by Caspian Software and is certainly a rare gem! So it wasn't long before I came up with the notion of an interview. (which you can read if you carry on scrolling).

Set in the year 2044 with a silly fictional storyline of aliens who are about to invade Earth. Unsurprisingly, we are the only hope to save mankind so jump inside your spaceship and head out into the heavens because humanity is depending on you. Being a gamer, I kinda get tired of saving the day but, sigh, I went on ahead anyhow. What a hero I am!

The first thing that struck me about Zero-5 was its style and this screenshot does the animation no justice...

Come on, that warping effect is so stunning. Love it!!

There are always aliens. Kill them!

Zero 5 is a first-person 3D shoot 'em up which feels like an artful mix of Star Wars, Starglider and some elements of Frontier. Taking place amongst the countless stars, with many missions played out in space or upon the surface of remote planets. Our spaceship is a cool slab of old skool 3D called Perseus which must be piloted through these missions. That might involve attacking an alien strike force, defending allied ships, and lots more exciting stuff.

Control is performed with the mouse (or a JagPad if you have one) and is precise, responsive and feels very natural. The realistic effect of momentum provides a necessary learning curve but you'll soon get the hang of it very quickly. What's probably the hardest to learn, is the GUI with the instruments that provide a wealth of mind-boggling information.

At its heart, yes, this is simply a shoot 'em-up taking place in space, or on the surface of unknown remote planets - which is so amazing. Each location is very different along with the task at hand and no mission is too easy to make this game a pushover. Take your time, learn the controls and always complete the task for a great gaming reward. If you can!

Hey, wanna see another screenshot that does no justice to how this great game looks and moves...

This game has some impressive 3D polygons which will take advantage of faster computers.

Aesthetics

Graphically, Zero 5 is a gorgeous 16-bit bombshell you will adore. The number of on-screen colours has been increased whilst also making use of the Blitter co-processor - which helps produce those cool 3D visuals. Faster computers are supported, so anyone lucky enough to own a Mega STe or Falcon will enjoy smoother frame rates.

Audio is outstanding, for both music and effects, all of which use the DMA hardware ticking over at a sweet 25KHz. The effects during warp and other scenes are Frontier-beating. This is one of those games I wish would have come on CD as I wonder how limited Andrew was by floppy disks. Folks, this is one sexy-sounding Atari STe shooter.

Sigh, the Atari STe was 5 years old in 1994. Just imagine if more software houses had Caspian's commitment...

Oh no, incoming enemies are identified and locked. Only one thing left to do - kill 'em!!!

The CryptO'pinion?

It's a tough cookie but I have always enjoyed playing this space shooter because it's fast and thrilling with such a varied and wide range of interesting missions. Its style and presentation using cool menus are unique and I enjoy the range of missions which is the best part of all. Love the graphics and the booming sound effects are fantastic.

Overall, a slick shoot 'em up incorporating many astonishing technical achievements to put most game developers to shame. It's great on the Atari STe and even better on faster computers like the Mega STe and Falcon. Love it.

Zero 5 is scattered all over the internet but I think Atari Legend has the best floppies thanks to Supremacy disks #61 and #62. Installing to hard drive/Ultrasatan is better and 8BitChip has a funky download that I recommend.

THE INTERVIEW - ZERO 5 CREATOR - ANDREW GISBY

Zero 5 has a wonderful next-gen feel yet is often unknown to many people returning to the scene. Tell us about your game and what it means to you.

I had been trying to get published in one way shape or form for several years. Back in the day, I lived the life of the Indie / hobby / night owl developer. Holding down a job during the waking hours and coming home to hack away on my much loved (at the time) Atari’s.

I remember buying my Atari 512STFm in the late 80’s. I spent hours teaching myself to program in 68K Assembler. Bulletin boards, books, magazines & chance discussions at shows to pick up game dev knowledge. I’m no mathematician, but a series of articles in (I think) ST World on transformations and 3D math gave me so much. I could finally make the leap into 3D.

Everything had to be done in assembler to keep up the speed and finally reading something that explained techniques to turn formulas into assembler was a revelation. To this day, I still keep a pocket “Signetics S68000 User’s Guide” - It was my Bible for machine code programming. An awful lot was learnt the hard way through trial and error (no instant online answers).

I used to look at the latest effects in games (and film) and try to do something similar. So I think Zero-5 marked a highpoint for me. The peak of understanding of what I could personally do with (by then) the STe to make a game. I had built up a large library of routines & techniques to achieve some of the visual and audio effects.

So, in summary, Zero-5 was the realisation of a couple of dreams:

• I really wanted to see a game I had written myself published.
• My fascination of 3D sim & bring to life things you can only dream about.

Was Zero 5 inspired by anything else from your gaming history?

Everything I had developed was an inspiration for the game. A cheap answer, but my whole gaming exploits (to this day) are a sequence of inspirations. However, if I was to list a few things that inspired the game.

• Elite (who wasn’t). But for me, I learnt programming on an Acorn Electron and playing Elite planted the seed for wanting to understand game writing and 3D.
• Carrier Command (an amazing game with a level of automation and sophistication that I was just in awe of)
• Captain Blood (The art, galactic expanse and imagination was just brilliant)

Sci-fi films and TV programs had a lot of influence. I’m a bit of a science fiction addict. But to list a few that helped inspire ideas in the game:

• The Last Starfighter (I recall a sequence when the hero ship flies through a swarm of enemy ships ... That was the start of Zero-5).
• Forbidden Planet (big influence for me, generally)
• U.F.O. (Fundamentally, I used the same threat mechanic in the game)

What was your background prior to working for Caspian?

See above ... Self taught hobby game dev trying to get published!

Most commercial companies had left the Atari ST by 1994 so what inspired you to carry on during those dark days?

At the time, I thought the Atari Falcon030 and Jaguar was going to save the day. I only knew how to make games on the Atari’s and thought that if Zero-5 was a success, I’d move on to these platforms properly. The Falcon030 enhancements in Zero-5 were done in the last few months. I didn’t really do it justice (but the extra CPU speed helped push the content level up).

Zero-5 really was a labour of love and I was under my first proper gamedev contract - Inspiration enough right !?!

Did Zero 5 live up to your expectations?

Technical Stretch: Yes (I used every chip/trick I knew in the STE!)

Creative Achievement: Yes

Critical Acclaim: Yes (at the time)

Commercial Success: No

I put so much effort and creativity into the game. The landfall sequences were a personal triumph. Turning a bitmap (height map) into a 3D landscape on an STe ... yes!) - One of those 3D simulation dreams realised.

The lack of commercial success was tough to take - We had lot of trouble with piracy (it was rife by then). I spoke to a lot of people that had played the game and loved it. As you say though, the sun was setting on Atari home computers - a shame for me at the time. Thinking back, I think the sheer effort involved did burn me out a bit.

Looking back, would you do anything different?

Launch the game 2-3 years earlier?

What happened after Zero 5 and how come you didn't continue on after Caspian's demise? (freelance, etc)

Newly married, we started a family soon after Zero-5. I couldn’t commit to working on the Jaguar version of the game (my daytime job in IT paid the bills). Creatively, the console wasn’t a copy of the original other than souped-up manic fighting sequences (arguably something I was trying to do when I first started developing the STe version). I was involved on a consultation basis but the Jag was new and it was a steep learning curve for the guys at Caspian. It was pretty exciting to be working with Atari though.

How long did it take you to code this game, what tools did you use, and was it on an actual Atari?

1 - 2 years to develop. I pulled in a lot of previously developed libraries and routines. Interesting memory about this. I used one of the first routines I’d ever dev’ed in assembler to simulate a 3d starfield. Development of the game went to the wire. I had this intermittent bug where the machine was (every so often) crashing! What felt like a few hours (day or so I think) before the game went to press, I found the cause ... That starfield routine (Randomly, I was managing to plot the odd star just outside memory reserved for the screen - d’oh!).

I used a 1Mb STe and laterly Falcon030 to develop the game. I got an HDD sometime through the project that saved doing the floppy / ram disk shuffle (speeded up game dev no end).

I recall using the blitter chip and new audio chip enhancements to great effect. Certainly without them, there was no way I could have thrown so many things around on screen and in your ears. Although it makes me chuckle at what we thought was a reasonable frame rate back then! Recalling the game audio engine I developed as part of Zero-5 - It give me multiple stereo Left / Right channels and a scripted approach to sound effect generation. The upshot was I could chain, stretch, compress and generally mess around with samples without eating too much precious CPU. 8bit samples of course, so sound pretty harsh nowadays.   

Main tools I used:

• Devpac (I think that was it’s name) for Assembler dev
• TCB Tracker (although I didn’t do the music in the end)   
• Degas Elite (Graphics)
• A sound sample editing programme (can’t recall name)

Were you active in the ST scene elsewhere or was it just Caspian / Zero 5?

No, not really, I had a brief flirtation with demoscene but game dev was always my interest.

After our chats on Twitter, I'm aware you now see an Atari ST scene which is still very much alive and kicking. What do you think about this and will rejoin in some capacity or have you left forever?

Never say never. Honestly though - I’m well into Unity 3D and what spare time I have goes into that.

Do you still own an Atari computer? What is it and how often are you using it / what for?

I still have an Atari STe and Falcon030 tucked away alongside a massive trunk of floppy disks (Oh and a back catalogue of ST World). I haven’t really used them since the 90’s. I had a gamedev break late 90s till the 00’s really.

Tell us about your future plans and what you're working on today?

I’d like to bring something made with Unity to the masses. My current project is a game called “Konjitto”. With my family more or less grown up, I’m now steadily been drawn back to game dev more and more. A dream would be to give up the day job and spend my days writing games! I get a kick out of doing the coding, graphics, sound and music (although this is my weakest area).  

Anyone can keep an eye on my game dev twitter feed or youtube channel to see what is on the boil.

https://twitter.com/duckocide

https://www.youtube.com/user/duckocide

Thanks for getting in touch, it has been fun reminiscing. Seeing people still appreciate those efforts back in the day is wonderful. Certainly made me and the family smile! Keep up the good work on the site.

Answering the questions has been pleasure!

Thanks

Andy

Master CAD

A Day in the Life

Master CAD is a program by MichTron that I've had gathering dust on my ST shelf for ages. I nabbed it off eBay but have never booted it up. I figured I should rectify that and see what professional software was like in 1987.

After brushing away a thick layer of dust, I opened the box and lifted out a weighty manual. "Time for a good read", I thought. It wasn't long until I almost fell into a coma! Wow, such dull reading and confusing - so I decided to stop and power on the ST. Installation was a stumbling block: it insists on being stored on Drive C, which is doable but means cluttering up my boot partition. The next problem was a lack of examples to work from (and yes, that means stealing).

With little guidance, I continued on the best I could. Don't laugh, but I had foolish plans to make some kind of map of Doom's E1M1. I've no idea why, I just did. However, it was clear that MichTron wrote this manual for the established designer. Not somebody like me. I was now getting to that stage where I wanted to pull out all my hair!!

After many hours, my map looked nothing more than a cluttered mess. In fact, it looked like something a child would have done, embarrassing to say the least. This program tortured me every step of the way. It wasn't fun and I had nothing to show for all the time wasted. Another day of my life gone and I'm wondering what made me do this. Madness!

Wanna see just how badly Master CAD affected me? Scroll down...

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Stormlord

Muscle men, fairies, and kisses

Hewson never seemed to disappoint and in 1989 they released a platformer with a difference. Stormlord is a puzzler of sorts, with stunning aesthetics, and challenging gameplay. It's set within a world of myths and legends - you are the Stormlord, a muscle-bound Viking dude who is responsible for rescuing fairies from the clutches of a wicked queen.

Occasionally you might find yourself blowing romantic kisses at the scantily clad fairies and, in return, they grace you with their fallen tears. This sounds far too girly, right? Well, prepare thyself because you couldn't be more wrong.

Graphics never really matter but it doesn't hurt to have gorgeous visuals! Here is the first screenshot...

Completing the first level produces lots of fair love - and kisses!

Girls, puzzles and boobs!

Beginning in a spooky forest, this eerie platformer is host to lots of creepy monsters like man-eating plants, wibbly worms, bees, egg-hatching demons, and more. Thankfully, you're equipped with a magical weapon that can also double as a super huge sword, if you hold the fire button. Interestingly, springboards are scarcely scattered about the levels for travel. These act like a crude wormhole flinging you far into those distant places - saves walking and it's lots of fun!!

Stormlord rips ideas from games like Dizzy by featuring tricky puzzles. Some might require you to collect objects: like a key for a door, honey for angry bees, or an umbrella for the pouring rain. However, the most difficult aspect of this entire aspect of the game is figuring out the order to complete these basic puzzles. So that means lots of trial and error!

However, I'll help you with my walk-through off level one as also shown in the video recording...

       -> From the start, head left passed the boobs and pick up a key.

     -> Walk right and hop onto the jump pad.

     -> Use this to whiz by leftwards so you can free your first fairy.

     -> Once freed, use the pad to jump back.

     -> Next collect the honeypot and walk right.

     -> Don't use that jump pad!

     -> Continue on passed the pad and walk right.

     -> Swap honey for the key and the bees move away from the fairy.

     -> Rescue her.

     -> Walk left a little and grab the umbrella.

     -> Now use the jump pad which is now to your right.

     -> Once you've whizzed across the sky, walk right.

     -> Free the fairy.

     -> Walk all the way back and use the jump pad.

     -> Grab the key to your left.

     -> Turn around and walk right and free the fairy.

     -> All done. So now it's time to accept lots of fairy kisses!

The second level has some aggressive monsters but the object remains the same.

Sexy Hewson aesthetics

The graphics are awesome thanks to the talents of Mark K. Jones. Everything looks tremendous, from the gorgeous landscapes to the intricate detail of the scenery and the scrolling is silky smooth. It has to be said that the sprites are equally stunning with some rather sexy pixels too and throughout, the animation is simply lovely.

The music is monumental. In fact, it's quite a showcase for just what the Atari ST can knock out when in the hands of talented musicians we know so well. Sound effects are excellent but you need to make a choice about which you prefer - before the game begins - which is a shame. Yeah, I know, perfect audio and yet I still find something to moan about.

Another stunning Hewson release so let's see another screenshot. This time is of the second level...

However, it's a lot harder learning the design thanks to the nasties. They're nasty!

The CryptO'pinion?

Stormlord is awesome but sadly, nothing is perfect: I feel that the time limit wasn't necessary. Plus the ability to carry only a single item at once is understandable - but annoying when there's much travelling to do. However, this bizarre adventure still offers a gruelling quest with a massive replay factor so it's as addictive as it is challenging and rewarding.

They did it again, we have another Hewson mega-hit. Yes, it is sexy, stylish, and delightful. Highly recommended!!

Download for hard drive or floppy.

Ultimate Virus Killer

Ugh, bugs!

Since getting my UltraSatan, I've been stuffing the SD card with lots of Atari ST files (okay, I mean games!!). Now, I don't wish to compromise my collection of ST goodies so I check for errors and viruses quite regular.

There's only one real Atari ST virus killing program worth its salt and that's Ultimate Virus Killer by legend Richard Karsmakers. Well, thanks to Chris aka Exxos, we have the complete and last edition freely available to download but is it still worth it after all these years? Surely the dreaded ghost virus is now extinct?

Sadly, I feel this program is still needed because most ST software is now archived online which means there's a chance so are the various nasties. It's like they're frozen in time just waiting to thaw and inflict their curse all over again. So let's kill 'em all using this amazing program which I highly recommend, even today!!

Waste no more time and get Ultimate Virus Killer downloaded right now :-)

Wolfenstein 3D

Brace yourself...

We are B.J. Blazkowicz, an all-American hero battling his way through the dreaded Castle Wolfenstein killing every evil Nazi baddie along the way. No, you're not dreaming. Rub your eyes in disbelief all you want because it really is happening - Wolfenstein 3D is running on the 8Mhz Atari ST and enhanced for the STe too. Staggering!!

Yes, this classic ID game has been converted to the Atari ST/e by Reimund Dratwa (The Sirius Cybernetics Corporation) and just in case you're wondering, the gameplay is authentic using controls that are excellent and ultra-responsive without any lag. This old computer is running this classic first-person shooter as well as I could hope. It feels like the same game we remember playing with levels, enemies, sounds and more just like in the PC game.

It features 32 on-screen colours, authentic texture mapping, and a high-detail mode (activated by hitting the asterisk key on the numerical keypad). Chipmusic is by Mathieu Stempell and thus truly outstanding as you would expect. Sound effects are fantastic and played using the DMA hardware on the Atari STe. I'm drooling here...

Everyone knows Wolfenstein helped change the gaming world back in the early 90s - in favour of the PC. Our version is incomplete but what we have is polished and every bit as good as you'd hope. In fact, there's a part of me that still cannot believe this is real and I can only imagine what witchcraft was used for its development! Reimund stayed up most nights coding until 5am and I'm positive he scraped together every last droplet of Atari ST power.

We have Wolfenstein 3D for the Atari ST. Take a moment to think about that. Now, get it downloaded right away!

Download Wolf 3D via 8BitChip.

Update: I've recorded a silly video ;-)

The menu system is clear and concise with incredible details and colour.

Sadly, some of the scenarios aren't available to play.

I love those hands coming out from the barrel, killer pixel artwork!

Please do remember that Wolf 3D is unfinished and stop moaning!

I had to laugh at these drawings which are truly superb, especially the first one!!

fatal aTTraction

Yerzmyey has released a new album this week called aTTraction which was produced entirely using Atari computers. This includes an Atari TT with Hex Tracker, a Falcon with Digital Home Studio and then he decided to make a couple of bonus tracks in Cubase using an Atari ST. The final shocker is the extra track that was done in Chaos Music Composer and NeoTracker on the Atari 600XL.  Don't miss this from da' scene - download it now!!

Take a gander at his website because he's created even more. As I type, I'm listening to "Wake Up" from the "Chiptunes" album which is another absolutely fantaSTic album!

Check out the aTTraction tracklist, I'd say hear them all!!

 01. aTTraction (ATARI TT)

 02. Globular Cluster (ATARI ST and Roland MT32)

 03. Amai (ATARI FALCON 030)

 04. Time Machine II (ATARI TT)

 05. Inside a game (ATARI FALCON 030)

 06. uTTerly unseTTling transmiTTal (ATARI TT)

 07. Purple Galaxy (ATARI FALCON 030)

 08. Bizarre creature (ATARI ST and Roland MT32)

 09. Brutal attack (ATARI FALCON 030)

 10. The missing piece (ATARI 600XL) / Bonus Track

Race Drivin'

Lots of games have cool intros but Domark's Race Drivin' must surely rank high as one of the best? It may only last a minute or so but it's a zany mix of Wacky Races and a dollop of Carmageddon thrown in for good measure. A brilliant intro for what is one of the toughest racers - can you drive in a straight line? Well, I know I can't!! O_o

8BitChip has the hard disk installable game and Stonish has the floppy disk Sigma #1.

The History of ULM

I saw a stupid tweet the other day concerning the Atari ST demoscene by someone who was obviously an Amoeba user. Rather than rise to the bait, it inspired me to write this quick post! Besides, we know the ST has a belting scene which is very much alive & kicking! (view recent masterpieces like We Were @ + Strange roboTS). Powerful STuff!!

Later, I chanced upon a web page written by Georges Kesseler of ULM. It details his interesting ST-history which I thought was pure gold and I wondered if it was originally part of an older website? An intriguing read of a great ST coder.

http://www.ulm.lu/ulm_web.html

Page 6

Page 6 is a great slice of Atari history and they now have a website for the magazine and even their PD Library software is available to download. I remember buying stuff from Page 6 when I first became an Atari ST addict but their magazine had been going long before then and continued until 1998, true enthusiasts. Happy days!

"Page 6 is remembered fondly by many Atari owners as a unique and invaluable resource, supporting true enthusiasts in the heyday of Atari home computing" - I'd say that sums up Page 6 rather well :-)

SuperFly

Superfly is a cunning "avoid 'em" scroller controlled with just one button. As the screen automatically begins to scroll, just press the joystick's button to increase your height. This stops you from crashing into oncoming objects along with preventing gravity from crashing you into the ground. This might sound familiar to that Flappy Bird but Superfly is a lot faster, and slicker and was released way back in 2002!!

Without giving away the storyline, you are in control of a submarine and must rescue your kidnapped girlfriend. Please make sure you read the funny write-up included within the download!!

Running at 50fps, Superfly is extremely smooth and the audio is tremendous with gorgeous tunes. I believe the STe's enhanced hardware is detected and successful players can unlock features like a gallery and jukebox. This is an insane game which will have you swearing like a docker! Superfly is wicked, yet with an addictive charisma that compels you to play more. Forget frustrating flappy birds and play Superfly instead.

LINKS

 - Downloads are available for both floppy and hard drive users.
 - Want more? Try the follow-up Santafly!!

Who needs Chrome?

Do you need a fully-featured web browser for your Atari computer? NetSurf is an excellent choice and something I've enjoyed using for well over a year. You will need a decent spec and one that runs MiNT OS (check out my own virtual Falcon). To download NetSurf (click here) and for the bleeding-edge builds (click here). Enjoy!!

Leaderboard Birdie

A good walk spoiled?

Well, maybe! But here is Leaderboard Golf which was released in 1986 by Access Software and is undoubtedly one of the least technically impressive games to grace the Atari ST. Let's not be too hasty as this was released all the way back when the ST was just a baby one year old. And the 8-bit computers reign was at its peak.

When loaded, the main menu is rather crude, but functional, and is used to commence a new game. Each hole is rendered in front of your eyes to be played via a third-person perspective - we can see ourselves ready to take each shot. You shall note the golfing jargon on the right and basic information like weather, clubs and distance and a shot meter.

The picture I'm painting isn't exactly wonderful, right? I know, I know, but let's view a screenshot...

Select each club carefully and watch out for those high winds!

Slow down and think about it...

With each and every shot, is a unique distance to the hole so a different club is always required. Long distances will require a 'wood' and (from what I can gather) they're rated W1-W9 and a 1W will achieve the greatest distances whereas the 9W might produce a more acute shot albeit with less power. The 'irons' feel similar to this golfing noob here at AtariCrypt but you might choose a 9I for a more acute shot when in a troubled rough spot.

Finally, the 'PW' is the pitching wedge and is used for those final moments when accuracy is needed to get that little white ball into the hole. Yes, what a golfing connoisseur I am. You shall also note a little pole in the ground that is casting a shadow of varying angles and lengths? Use that to help determine the current conditions.

Sadly, Leaderboard has no save game feature built-in but there are scorecards inside the box and mine (see the picture below) has pages filled in by the previous owner. I love finding stuff like this which I think is excellent as a tiny piece of ST history is preserved. So, here is an interesting tidbit for y'all...

I wonder who David is and how much he enjoyed the game?

It's all about whacking a ball really hard?

Leaderboard is actually quite simple to play but also quite challenging. It's all about choosing (and using) the best club for the shot at hand, of course. Correctly hitting each ball is a balance of lining it up and mastering the power and snap meter. That determines how far you wish your ball to travel and whether it should go straight or curved to the left or right.

Weather will affect the direction and conditions your golfer must face. Plus he also has many of the usual pitfalls to contend with, like the rough, trees, puddles of water and those nasty bunkers. It might be an idea for novice golfers to disable those weather conditions whilst you learn the game's controls and basic mechanics.

Okay, golfing dudes let's take another gander at another amazingly realistic screenshot...

Get that power and snap meter just right for the current shot and weather conditions

Next-Gen visuals!

Visually, I'm sure many will find Leaderboard far too unrealistic and extremely minimalistic, especially when compared to certain other ST games. However, Leaderboard has a nostalgia that I love; the way it draws each scene so methodically is superb - and brings back happy memories during a time when it would have impressed everyone.

Sound effects are on par (see what I did there?) with the visuals. In fact, they're more than enough for this quiet stroll through the countryside using a spot-fx for hitting the ball or selecting the clubs. Hearing the ball drop into the hole is crazy but my favourite is that mushy effect when it falls into the water. So lame, but it's genuinely brilliant!

I tried hard to get a nice screenshot - so appreciate it and take the time to view it properly...

Oh dear, there are lots of pitfalls to avoid on this hole. Can you do it?

The CryptO'pinion?

This was great fun yet I think most golfing connoisseurs might foolishly turn up their noses at such an old game in favour of something better? I would say stop and think about that because this is one of the most charming and entertaining moments you can experience with an old computer. It's so easy to pick up and play and incredibly addictive.

I hate most sports games - I don't even like golf - yet I adore Leaderboard and so will you. This is one of the best games - from the earlier years - that you can play for the Atari ST. Truly this looks poor but is superb!! A fantastic game.

Take a swing and download for either floppy or hard disk (come on, hdd if you can!!)

RoadBlasters

Wanna race? Bring a gun!

Road Blasters - an arcade conversion by US Gold that attempts to recreate the speed and thrills of the original. Imagine a Bullrun Rally event through 50 overcrowded highways where you must win each in order to progress on to the next. Yep, nothing new but I'm sure you already know that this is still going to be tons of fun, right?

What makes this game different from many other racers is a combination of driving and shooting. This means your gleaming red sports car has a mounted machine gun. The easiest targets are the yellow cars which are a quick kill, but the motorbikes are a pest because of their tiny size. Occasionally, several jeeps will swarm around you like something from a Mad Max movie for a hair-raising moment - so react quickly and viciously. Take no prisoners, kill everyone. Oh, yeah!!

Right, it's time to break up the reading with a screenshot. And I want one with a green blob...

Bubble City sounds like a cool place - I must drive there!

Carmageddon!

Watch out for other various hazards like oil spills, roadside turrets, bullet-proof purple cars and those darn proximity mines. Fortunately, you do seem to have friends, a futuristic aircraft frequently flies by with power-ups: speed boost, extra weapons, shields, etc... However, it takes lots of practice to precisely collect these goodies!

At your disposal is a limitless supply of replacement cars but they are all fuel-greedy, so if you run dry then it's game over. Luckily, fuel pods are available which can be collected by simply driving through them for an instant top-up. Your car is also equipped with a reserve fuel tank which should only be relied upon as a last resort, but the good news is that it's replenished at the end of each race. Well, depending on your performance of course. So keep practising!

Oh, it's sounding very exciting, isn't it? Well, I think it's still time for another screenshot...

Fast cars and guns. What more could you ever desire?

Input & Output!

The controls are sharp with responsive steering that retains an arcade experience - as much as is possible with a joystick. No complaints here, because I found the car handled excellently and instantaneously took to it.

Visually, this is an older generation of racer on the Atari ST, more like a Crazy Cars 2 than the third or even a Lotus 2. I never expected arcade-quality visuals but it retains a good feeling of the original whilst not being the best you'll get from an Atari ST. It's colourful but also a bit bland in decor and with stodgy sprites. But I like it, sorry, not sorry!

The sound effects are pretty good and better than Lotus Turbo and I really enjoyed the music. Nuff said.

Now is the time to drive like Knight Ride to collect those goodies from above!

The CryptO'pinion?

I've loved this old arcade speedster, it might not be perfect but at least it's nothing like that dreadful Outrun. And we're armed so that's basically one hell of an added bonus and is probably the best of that ilk on the Atari ST. Having spent several nights playing this, it's certainly got that "just one more go" factor. A much-underrated game that deserves more attention because it's fast, thrilling and the car has a gun. What more could you want? So much fun and I love it.

There is a fantastic hdd version to download or

the floppies if you desire that authenticity!

ZX81

The good old days?

Back in the 90s, Christoph Zwerschke developed a Sinclair ZX81 emulator for the Atari ST. Believe it or not but I've never actually owned or even used this old Sinclair computer before! From what I know, this computer is mute and cannot make a sound! Plus the graphics are actually made up of monochrome blocks rather than colourful pixels. Yikes!

This might all sound rather lame but there is a certain charm to the itsy-bitsy computer with less processing power than your average kettle. So I powered on this quirky computer and even took a stab at programming... Well...

10 PRINT "ATARICRYPT ROCKS YOUR ST WORLD"
20 GOTO 10
RUN L

The good news is that even the stock Atari ST should be able to run any of its games perfectly fine - from either a floppy or (better still) a hard drive device. However, if you feel that the ZX81 is running in overdrive, then hit the UNDO key and adjust the speed limiter. I needed to do this for Pac-Man which was otherwise insanely too fast!

Yep, I might never have owned a ZX81 but I was shocked to discover many games that are surprisingly very playable. Albeit without sound or pixels... For starters, 3D Monster Maze by Malcolm Evans is a great example and is highly regarded as one of the best reasons why people many adore this old paperweight. Truly, this game is way ahead of its time and perhaps even the first survival horror game using a first-person perspective? (check out Retro Resolution for a review!).

I gotta say, Mazogs is something else!! (have you played Bugziacs?)

The CryptO'pinion?

This is a fantastic emulator and one that feels complete and robust. It provides an opportunity to play games from an era when fancy graphics and 3D sounds weren't necessary. A time when only gameplay mattered (tell that to today's millennials). Give it a whirl and boot up this fantastic emulator to flip your Atari ST into a Sinclair ZX81.

Party like it's 1981 and have tons of fun. Win, Win!! :^) Scroll down for more ZX81 games that I really liked...

I was also equally impressed by the simplicity of Galaxians.

Castle Of Carmain is just downright awesome fun!!

The mighty 3D Labyrinth is thrilling.

Alcatraz

Steve McQueen?

I have just received a factory-sealed treat, a copy of Alcatraz by Infogrames. I thought about leaving it as is but, within milliseconds, I had ripped it open!! Mint condition and I love the contents of this hidden gem.

Hostages fans will appreciate it but surely that goes without saying? This time, the head honcho of a nasty drug cartel has taken shelter in Alcatraz prison and he happens to be surrounded by many loyal henchmen. Yep, you've probably already guessed that it's your job to sneak in, kill the bad guys, destroy everything and escape in the nick of time.

Well, in light of that stunning revelation, I think we should take a look at a screenshot...

The first stage displays the coop action and reveals that strength comes from stealth.

Take it easy, take it slow

This isn't a gung-ho game, Alcatraz demands stealth and careful covert tactics. The starting level first appears in the style of an arcade beat 'em up but is actually the complete opposite. Tread lightly because firing your loud weapon isn't always the answer! Use the darkness to your advantage by nipping into the background scenery, avoiding any unwelcome attention. It's fantastic being able to hide and watch the enemy oblivious to you lurking in the shadows!!

This won't always be the answer of course, so you may need to resort to a little gunplay now and then. However, it's worth considering your weapon choice: why not silently throw a knife instead of using your BAM BAM noisy gun? And it's this way of thinking that makes Alcatraz very exciting to play. It's like you're there being sneaky and covert. Love it.

This next screenshot is for those who often go out at night and hide in the darkness...

Take cover in the shadows and wait for the best moment to step out and take 'em by surprise!

But is it fun?

Initially, I admit I wasn't sure about this game if I'm dreadfully honest. The controls can feel a bit fluffy, but stick with it and you will master that within a few plays. What is immediately superb is the support for two players in coop who can enjoy each mission simultaneously. This really makes a difference compared to going solo for such demanding missions.

Venturing deeper inside Alcatraz, the game changes to a first-person shooter, similar to a Dungeon Master clone - but we have a machine gun!! There is a handy map function which I really liked because it helped to detail the locations of enemies, rooms, etc. I really loved this part of the game but, I died. Talk about tough love.

Talk about a brilliant surprise! Let's take a gander at a screenshot...

Okay, now we're talking. This Doom part of the game was blummin' excellent!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Alcatraz is nothing like I initially expected but I'm really enjoying it. What a game, especially with a friend in co-op, which is exhilarating. I like what they attempted to construct with the realism element, it works in many ways. What a great game of perseverance, stealth and tactics which will eat away the spare hours. For all its niggly flaws, I love it.

Downloads are available as floppy disk images with a better option for hard drive owners (D-Bug).

Wait, don't go as I made a video and I wanted to show you what's inside the box...

Here's the back of the box cover that advertises the original game, Hostages.

The floppy disks were protected and unused for three decades. Yes, they work!

Codes! Fuzzy to read and will pop your eyeballs if you stare at it too long!

No, I'm not going to post this. Can you imagine their faces? lol

Short but sweet manual but it has a decent map of the island.

This was interesting to find. If anyone wants better scans of the pages then just holla.