Frontier: Elite II

The End Of An Era...

After a worrying delay, Frontier Elite II was released in early 1994 by Gametek. It was unlike most other games due to its sheer size taking place amongst creation. Yep, that's right a whole universe of near-countless stars to explore which basically meant long gaming nights are ahead (over the decades and through to present day!)

Commander Jameson has sadly left this realm and you came along just in the nick of time to reap the benefits of his will reading. Being his favourite grandson, he left you 100 credits with strict instructions to stay clear of Vegas. He also left you his pride and joy, an Eagle Long Range Fighter - careful, don't scratch it. You now have the means and opportunity to explore the heavens so jump into your spaceship and begin the journey of a lifetime! And I mean that quite literally.

Sounds immense and it was/is so let's check out a couple of screenshots...

There are two basic starting positions and faster computers can even crank up the graphical details.

The Universe Is Yours!

After watching the awesome intro, various menu options are available to begin your first adventure and I advise selecting Option 1 which places you safely in the Ross 154 System. Or more precisely, at the Sirocco starport on the planet Merlin. You have 100 credits and a rather funky piece of 3D called your spaceship so starting at Sirocco is a great place to learn the ropes of the GUI and basic trading skills along with brushing up on your piloting skills.

Frontier is an open-world (space!) sandbox game that doesn't restrict in any traditional sense as you are free to travel almost anywhere and do almost anything you like. However, even gaming folklore doesn't come for free and this style of living costs money. So use the spaceship to provide yourself with a good living by means of job contracts and trading because everyone needs something. This is where you come in to make your hard-earned cash.

It's always about cash but don't let it become the love of money. Chill, and check out some more screenshots...

First things first, let's check out the cool spaceships and find dodgy jobs on the bulletin boards.

Trouble at t'mill?

Frontier's universe has two major factions, and this is the Trekkie part, for me. Firstly, we have the Federation which is based in the Sol system and then we have The Empire which is based within the Achenar system. Both offer a haven to live and trade but aren't exactly the best of friends. Also, outside the safety of their territory, you run the risk of running into pirates who want your precious cargo - and your life!! Who said life was gonna be easy?

These dogfights are difficult to master and possibly the hardest part of the entire game. Gone are the arcade-style controls in favour of realistic Newtonian physics which will affect the control of your spacecraft. So, momentum will first need to be compensated in order for you to slow down, stop or change direction. Perhaps it's now that I should advise saving your game at regular intervals? Learn physics because the pirates are tough cookies.

Do the pirates spoil it? I'll let you decide whilst you view a couple more screenshots...

Check out your local solar system and then see what goods are best to trade in...

Trade, Respect, Fight!

Ultimately, Frontier is all about trade and trying to earn yourself the means for a lucrative lifestyle through the adventures of space and exploring the heavens. Use your galactic map to explore a 3D perspective of creation to plan a route, dig for information to find out what they need, and then buy in bulk to earn lots of cash.

Enjoy your journey but prepare thyself because nothing beats making your first hyperspace jump - very exciting!! This automatically ends once you are within the vicinity of your destination, but the distance to travel is still huge, so don't forget to use the Stardreamer buttons to pass the time quicker! Auto-docking is finally supported and, once you've boarded, get details of goods sold to reap the biggest profits. Also, before you begin looking for another trade route, remember to refuel your ship otherwise you won't be able to make another hyperspace jump!

It's completely up to you how to live but these two screenshots were entirely my doing...

I love is exploring the universe. Hang on, what's that dot? Zoomed in... and saw this beauty!!

But Is It Any Good?

Stick with it and, after earning lots of money, you should consider checking out the Bulletin Board. It's here you can upgrade your ship or search for jobs like transporting passengers, helping to find a missing person, mining, military work or information. Heck, there is even a black market for those without a conscience where you can trade slaves, weapons, narcotics, or even be an assassin. However, this dark lifestyle will definitely take you into dangerous waters so will almost certainly attract the attention of the law. Are you ready for that kinda heat, bad boy?

Frontier is one heck of a game and one with immense potential and I'm hoping this feature will regenerate your interest to play. Frontier is all about progression and making the right choices to build up your own empire. Don't expect to jump into the pilot's seat and see the entire universe in one sitting because will take time, money and commitment. Frontier: Elite II is jaw-dropping and quite literally one of the best games, ever.

Grab yourself a slice of creation and play this immense game which you can find on either floppy or your hard drive. The manual is available on AtariMania and you can catch a glimpse of the 16-bit universe right now......

Knight Lore

Uh, a Falcon game???

AtariCrypt is all about the Atari ST/e computers but I shall make an exception for its big brother: the 32-Bit Atari Falcon. This is because I was recently contacted by Janez Valant (Swe, of YesCREW) and he mentioned a Falcon release of Knight Lore that might be cool for those who don't know about it. I was one of them. How did I not know about this game?

I'm a big fan of Ultimate's famous isometric Spectrum game from 1984. I can even remember it being released and we were blown away by the next-gen visuals and also how each puzzle was presented as a 3D room. Okay, I had seen similar in 3D Ant Attack but definitely nothing at this new level. To be honest, it was one of those mind-blowing moments in history.

The Falcon version appears to be the complete game, featuring spot-on perfect gameplay too. In fact, it's probably better because there is no slowdown that the Speccy version suffered. However, gone is the lovely monochrome palette for something that is now very colourful. Ahem, perhaps too colourful for my liking? It feels unnecessary.

There was a part of me that didn't believe Janez yet here it is running on my virtual Falcon (Hatari) and it's brilliant. However, I must admit that I'm saddened it doesn't run on the ST/e. Ignoring the tacky colours, I don't see why the ST cannot handle it. Perhaps somebody out there knows the answer but if it's because of the many colours - I'll be very angry lol.

Anyhow, playing this iconic game on the Atari Falcon is fantastic. All I need now is a real Falcon...

 Download Knight Lore and relive 1984 ZX Spectrum style!! 

What's wrong with this picture?

Can you spot two things that are wrong?

Those with a keen eye will notice the larger screen space of my GEM desktop? What about the three resolutions that appear selectable? Well, if you saw these things then you're an Atari ST rock star and I salute you!

Yes, I've been experimenting with a few GEM programs that allow the use of larger resolutions and more cool stuff. Some support interlace to double the vertical resolution but that can look a little odd and hurts my eyes! (use 60Hz!!). Others can create a virtual screen by using the hardware scrolling of the Atari STe. But do you really wanna scroll?

Interestingly, some programs feature overscan. This is a technique used to make use of the empty borders and it sparked my curiosity. Using this extra screen space is excellent and comes without any slowdown. Most GEM programs should work perfectly fine and I'm left wondering why Atari couldn't have made this standard back in 1985?

I've made a bundled download of these programs - please let me know if there are others I've missed.

Magic Boy

Prepare to be amazed!

Magic Boy was released in 1993 by Empire and is one of the cutest platformers I have ever seen. Personally, it reminds me of Rainbow Islands because of its visual quality and ravishingly charming styles. This is gonna be good!

We play as Hewlett, a young boy with a magic wand who accidentally turned all the animals into freakishly cute monsters. Seems plausible to me but how do these things keep happening? Not to worry, it's our task to restore everything back to normal, so that means venturing forth through many beautiful worlds to tag & bag the nasties.

Firstly, check out this screenshot I've taken. Wear sunglasses and take a deep breath...

Magic Boy must be one of the most colourful games on the Atari ST.

Shoot, jump, bag & grab!

There are four massive worlds to explore (Sand Land, Wet World, Plastic Place, Future Zone) and each offers eight levels. Things begin relatively easily before lots of crafty tricks and traps are introduced. This difficulty is staggered gradually through the levels so helps to keep things interesting - without being too tough to play properly

This mild learning curve is nothing much for the easier levels. It's very easy to pick up and play, so you're instantly leaping your way through in no time. Make sure you collect all the power-ups which will aid your progress. Just watch out for anything that looks oddly cute - it's not really. It's very nasty so shoot it and then bag it. Great stuff!!

However, the later levels are challenging and I really mean really formidable!! Those cute critters are actually deceivingly mean and seem to know just when to strike with a perfectly well-timed shot. Also, the level layout increases with the usual moving tiles and others might dissolve or randomly disappear. Infuriatingly difficult which can be a shame sometimes as these later levels are impossible for a guy like me to complete.... lol... not without a cheat enabled!!

Wanna see another multi-coloured screenshot? I know you do...

Things are now starting to get serious with cunning-level designs for a tough challenge!

Aesthetics

This is literally one of the most stunning 16-bit games I have ever seen. This quality is thanks to John Dale and Leigh Christian who have created a game with bright, radiant visuals and so many comical characters. Nothing has been sacrificed and you will see your Atari ST looking this good AND that includes ultra-smooth scrolling. Wonderful stuff!!

Sound effects are excellent and best experienced when using an Atari STe. Yes, I said STe but that doesn't mean the ST is lacking. Not one bit. Accompanying music is perfect with a fun-themed high-quality tune, that remains in your head - all day. Yes, Magic Boy is most definitely one of the sexiest Atari ST games I have ever played.

Why couldn't every game have this much love put into it? Let's view another screenshot...

Future Zone has some incredible levels to hop through as does the quirky Plastic Place.

The CryptO'pinion?

You won't be shocked to hear that this is one seriously addictive platformer and I loved it. Yup, it's almost perfect and a genuine pleasure to play because it's so much fun and I really cannot think of something negative to say. Okay, okay, that difficulty in later levels is really tough but something weirdly reminiscent of games from the era.

The perfect game? Well, the controls, game mechanics, visuals, and audio are... Look, it's a showcase product but also loads of fun and a thrill to play. Doesn't this prove what the Atari ST/e is capable of when in the hands of talented people? So stop what you're doing and load it up - right now - because it's one of the best 16-bit platformers ever released.

Grab yourself either the floppy disk or a version to install onto a hard drive/Ultrasatan thanks to 8BitChip. For those who wanna flick through directly to the later levels then you will enjoy these codes. On the menu screen, press and hold down the desired keys before pressing fire to begin:

     -> Sand Land......(part 1)  =  S + 1
     -> Sand Land......(part 2)  =  S + 2
     -> Future Zone....(part 1)  =  F + 1
     -> Future Zone....(part 2)  =  F + 2
     -> Plastic Place..(part 1)  =  P + 1
     -> Plastic Place..(part 2)  =  P + 2
     -> Wet World......(part 1)  =  W + 1
     -> Wet World......(part 2)  =  W + 2

AtariCrypt box art?

Over the last few months, I've been taking pictures of my own ST games to feature within our box art section right here on AtariCrypt. Yesterday, I got quite a shock when a good friend of mine, Jose.Ant, created this fake box using my old avatar (a photo I took in Tombstone, Arizona. Just see the flickr link near the bottom of this page).

You know, the ST world sure has some awesome people and I absolutely love this image!!

Days Of Thunder

Boogity, Boogity, Boogity!!

Yes, I'm a big NASCAR fan and I've finally got around to playing Mindscape's Days Of Thunder which (I think) is the only stock car racer for the Atari ST. I did wonder how the sport might appear in 16-bits and it started off well with a fantastic title tune by David Whittaker. However, it was soon all downhill... Never have I seen a game look so bad.

The visuals are shocking on the eyes but it's the framerate that is total diarrhoea. The sound effects are actually worse and I truly do mean that. But I could forgive how a game looks and sound for great gameplay. Sadly, this has none. Could this be the worst Atari ST game ever? Well, put it this way, I could not stand to play more than a couple laps before rebooting in anger and utter disappointment. And that's my final thoughts about this disgusting stock car racer.

I wondered how my 16MHz Mega STe might perform with this dreadful game so I contacted Peter Putnik and he created a hard drive version... but even the extra MHz couldn't save it but thanks for trying mate!

Floppy Disks | Hard Drive Version

Elf

Oi, big ears!

Elf was released in 1991 by Ocean Software and is a platformer with simple adventure mechanics for lots of cumulative puzzles. Each level appears so impressive with lush visuals that really appeal to me, so let's take a look...

We are Cornelius, a cool-looking dude whose girlfriend, Elisa, has been kidnapped by the evil Necriliousr. Armed with his magic ring (stop it!!) you must travel eight incredibly gorgeous landscapes, avoiding strange and wacky creatures and solving puzzles in order to rescue the love of your life. Yes, that's Elisa and not your Atari ST computer.

Well, hmm... I dunno about that lol. Okay, let's take a peep at a screenshot taken with my phone...

Upgrades are great - check me out here! But look at the incredible details in those critters!!

Finders Keepers?

Playing Elf is never boring, thanks to the world we have to explore and everything in it. That includes the puzzles which must be figured out logically and in some sort of order. Oddly, I'm reminded of the old ZX Spectrum games by David Jones. You know, trading items with NPC characters who require the silliest of items before providing something you require. It's brilliant but only experience and perseverance will grant success.

However, that's not easy thanks to a barrage of critters constantly invading the screen, think Black Lamp. They are often relentless and will try to stop you from solving the puzzles. So look for anything that might help along the way? Heck, items and even animals, to collate as "pets" that will be used as currency to purchase an assortment of power-ups - including firepower, extra lives, the ability to fly and much more.

Elf is a fascinating and long-winded game that won't be easy to finish. The quest is massive but it will entertain you every step of the way with humour and cool ideas: like when you have chased up a ladder, an impressive mechanic. Finally, and in true Atic Atac style, a tombstone is erected when dead and is rumoured to be haunted!

Yes, this game is huge and brilliant in almost all respects so let's view a clearer screenshot this time...

Beautifully drawn graphics with tons of extra colours thrown in. Look at that sky!

Aesthetics

The graphics are tremendous with outstanding attention to detail for both the scenery and characters. The baddies are some of the most detailed sprites I've seen so killing them almost makes me feel bad (almost). They have cute expressions with integrated novelties, like rocks that watch your every move. Believe this, the visuals are indeed stunning.

The audio is also great with amazing sound effects. However, it's the music I love the most which is by Matthew Cannon (remember Navy Seals?). Awesome tunes throughout thus proving once again that chip music is immortal!! In fact, I'd describe them as bewitching so I completely prefer playing this game with the music on.

When so much effort is put into any game it's something to celebrate! Perhaps this next screenshot isn't appropriate...

Ah, the screen you never want to see and in stark contrast to the jolly feel of the game.

The CryptO'pinion?

Here we go, nothing is perfect... yadda yadda yadda! Well, that's true and it applies to Elf. I felt that the number of lives was far too restricting considering the task at hand. I also found it a little annoying when some critters would walk onto the screen just as I was about to walk off, thus zapping valuable energy. Arghh, irritating!!

However, Elf is brilliant. It will sap away the hours whilst you enjoy shooting the cuties, trading and trying to figure out how to bribe your way off the first level. This is something that you need to experience as I feel this is one of the best platform/adventure titles there is. It's excellent and I cannot recommend Elf highly enough. Make time for this game!!

8BitChip has a version for hard disks

Floppy disks can be found via Old Games Finder.

Here is a walkthrough but don't spoil this awesome game!!

- MY HANDY TIPS -

Tweet Tweet, that cute little bird is hungry. Easy!

Red Indians love feathers...

Toilet paper? Ahem, surely too easy to solve?

That big guy? Well, he just loves roast chicken. Yum!!

If you must, type in CHOROPOO during gameplay for 99 Pets.

1632 ATARI podcaST

It's always nice to see someone doing something creative for the ST scene and here is Atari 8-bit legend, Wade with a new podcaST. Obviously, this is about the Atari ST and by a guy that didn't originally care for it. Interesting? Maybe, so let's check this out and his re-discovery of the best 16-bit retro computer! <clickety click>

Big Nose The Caveman

Big hooter!

We are Big Nose, a fella from prehistoric times when it was perfectly normal to live in cave squalor. However, once a year, he and his family strangely celebrate Thanksgiving, which means one thing, a yummy Pterodactyl roast dinner. Fortunately, one of these birds was just spotted flying by - now isn't that lucky? So this Jurassic journey takes you through dangerous dinosaur-infested lands looking for that tasty bird to kill, cook and eat with your fellow big-nosed family.

Code Masters released this humble platformer back in 1993 and was programmed by Neil Hill. The game has us clubbing anything that looks likely to cause harm, plus lots of platform jumping and fighting lame end-of-level bosses. The controls are excellent and very responsive plus I love the cartoon-like graphics with amazing sprites and decor. However, what I don't like are the bland backdrops which desperately need a splash of rasters! Sound effects are sparse unless you jump or hit something but thankfully, the title music is fantastic (what a shame it doesn't play during the game).

Big Nose is a budget platformer so, with that in mind, it feels a little cheap in places and I'm sure the Atari ST could have done much better. Thankfully, the gameplay is superb and very addictive - it's this that matters the most. I'm sure you might complete this within a couple of hours but that proves how playable it is. So why not kill a little time and play it?

Big Nose The Caveman is a bucketload of fun and I think you will all enjoy it a bunch. Fantastic game.

Go and grab Big Nose The Caveman for either floppy or hard drive.

Argh, a dinosaur!! What shall I do...?

Take that, you dino freak!!

Those snakes are pesky things but easy to kill.

The spiders are so cute and have a cunning edge to them too.

This is access to a secret place that allows you to skip through level one. Weird...

This is another secret place that grants you a brisk walk through the next level. Ugh, no thanks!

Chicago 90

An isometric DRIVER?

Let's start by saying that I'm sure every kid played cops and robbers growing up? Well, now that we're grown-ups (aka BIG kids) we can do the same again using our favourite retro computer. This is thanks to Microïds and their 1989 hit, Chicago 90 which allows us to drive around the streets as either the good or bad guys. Easy choice, I say? Yep...

As a cop, it's our job to do the chasing but I didn't really click with that role. However, I always prefer to be a bad guy which is much better. After all, what's better than a car full of swag as you rush to flee the city limits? Gotta earn that freedom! At first, the controls feel a little flaky, but you will soon be rip-roaring around Chicago in no time.

That's enough reading for the moment, let's take a look at the first screenshot...

You could always be a good guy instead of running from the law? Yeah... that's what I thought!!

Read the flipping manual

Sadly, collision detection is often suspect and the car oddly bounces during a bump when going too fast. The cops are a little simple with naive AI that isn't exactly Einstein-level but good enough to give you a thrilling chase. If caught, you're presented with a rather dodgy-looking image of the scene... I shall say no more about this but you need to see it.

Initially, the in-game user interface is rather complex, and especially confusing if you choose to be the police. Why I've no idea! Anyhow, down the left are many icons - most of which I have no idea about! Along the bottom of the screen are two windows - the first is an overhead city map which displays the location of the fuzz. The other is a first-person view (from inside your car) and should help avoid crashing into law-abiding citizens. Well, in theory!

Bouncy, crashy, messy, funny... I don't care really because it's fun! So let's see another screenshot...

Success!! We've finally found the way out of this urban jungle. Now, HIT IT!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Chicago 90's downfall is its weak Police role which I personally found cumbersome and rather boring. So, that left me with the gangster role which is fantastic and tons of fun! Driving through the city, avoiding cars and running from the cops, is surely an early glimpse into an early GTA experience? It's pretty much fantastic and I've loved every second.

With a little thought for gameplay objectives, this could easily have been a fantastic venture into a life of crime. As it happens, we're just stuck in the Chicago maze frantically looking for an escape. However, racing away from the cops is always going to be a thrill and I enjoyed this a lot - so I ended up buying it. Dear nutters, this is an excellent game!

Visit Chicago - Driver & GTA style!

8bitchip has a hard drive installable version

Old Games Finder has all the floppy disks!

Atari Greenlog now has a cool gameplay video.

Dungeon Master

I needed a picture of the Dungeon Master maps so I created this image to help stop me from getting lost. (right-click the image to open in a new tab - the file is huge!!). Also, I have zipped up an Atari ST folder which contains lots of files plus help and information concerning spells, etc... Clickety click to download it :-)

Also, it's worth taking a peep at issue six of ST Action (I loved that magazine!!) because they featured a fantastic five-page Dungeon Master guide. This can be viewed over on AtariMania.

Chronicles Of Omega

A game for both Atari STs?

Chronicles Of Omega was released by ARC/Atari in 1990 and is probably the first commercial game to feature support for the enhanced Atari STe by making use of the hardware scrolling and DMA Audio. But that doesn't mean the STfm has been forgotten because this displays gorgeous rasters for the sky which aren't possible on the STe when using hardware scrolling. So each machine has something rather cool up its sleeve!

The lands of Omega were peaceful until the day came when a demon captured all of the children from the village. Play as either Alwin or Irma and battle your way through five evil-infested lands, killing everything in your wake, and defeating Demon Champions (aka bosses). Ultimately, be the hero and save the day!

Here's a handy map of Omega which I must admit looks like a lovely place to visit...

This map plots Alwin and Irma's journey through the lands of Omega.

Shoot, Shop and Kill

This is a cute platformer with interesting levels that aren't overly large and filled with many ghouls. Walking from left to right, you'll encounter different monsters along your journey and they're all stuffed with cash. Kill as many as you can and collect their loot which can be used to purchase power-ups in the Good Witch's shop.

There's always someone willing to cash in on any noble crusade. Well, she pops up during each level to tempt you with her wares. Prices aren't cheap so you should try and kill as many monsters as possible instead of running scared. Annoyingly, all purchased power-ups are lost after losing a life, which sucks! End-of-level guardians are rather lame and easily defeated even though they can materialise right where you're standing!

First impressions? This is one of those moments when I can see the potential which wasn't taken advantage of in some respects. There are so many awesome ideas (and some ripped) but this is essentially a decent platformer. With a little fine-tuning, Arc could have had something special on their hands.

The Atari ST has more background colours and gorgeous chip music!

Aesthetics?

So let's look at the graphics and audio which are different depending on which ST you use...

Visually, Chronicles Of Omega is a treat with lovely characters and lush landscapes. Both are rich in colour and the Atari STe gets to use its hardware scrolling for a smooth 50fps. The older ST hasn't been forgotten and what it lacks in framerate is compensated by extra background colours. However, the Atari STe wins by far.

For the audio, both computers take advantage of their strengths: the Atari STe uses DMA samples for the music and sound effects. The older ST uses its YM2149 for stunning chipmusic which I must say is a million times better than what the STe pumps out. This is too easy, the older Atari ST wins the audio battle hands down.

My opinion? I'd dump the ST in a flash with its fancy rasters for the STe's ultra-smooth hardware scrolling. However, the ST wins the audio battle because Steve Barrett excelled with the quality of his chiptunes over the blurry STe sounds. We all know the Atari STe is capable of better and ARC should have given STe gamers the option to chose between chip or DMA. That would have been perfect.

The Atari STe lacks the background colours but runs at a silky-smooth 50fps.

The CryptO'pinion?

I must admit to being disappointed by this enigma. It plays the same on both models of Atari ST but is spoilt by the magic wand's mechanics. This is due to its inability to fire more than twice at any given moment: which means walk...shoot...walk...shoot. If you forget then you're left defenceless in tight situations.

I pushed myself through the fluffy-control pain barrier and (shockingly) found myself enjoying this quirky game. In fact, I managed to reach the final level and I was genuinely having fun albeit with the awkward firing. Kudos to ARC for making use of the Atari STe which certainly makes me wonder why later platformers didn't.

Whatever you're thinking, this isn't a terrible game. Not in the slightest; definitely worth playing. Okay, there are better platformers for the Atari ST but give it a shot? Let me know what you think in the comments.

Downloads are available for hard drive & floppy.

Enchanted Land

The cuddly Carebears have made a game!

We are Kurgan, a magician who dresses like a weird-looking Santa! He must retrieve the lost magic from the lands of Damiran and battles all kinds of cutesy creatures over five levels in order to restore things back to how they were. However, this is one of the hardest platformers I have ever played and it's how the game ultimately fails but, let's continue on.

We all love a challenge but this is ridiculous - the mechanics are so unforgiving which makes everything a chore without any enjoyment. Just wait until you meet those jumping critters or the spiders, which are often annoyingly placed just off-screen, thus will suddenly appear when you get close and zap away your precious energy. Did they playtest it?

Level one looks incredible but is also incredibly tough. However, I guess it does a neat job of introducing you to the game’s wicked mechanics. TBH, I struggled to complete it and I only got to see the technical delights of the second stage by using a cheat. Sadly, this level is hampered by more unfair mechanics and therefore needs to be played over and over, if only we had more lives. Argh, I found myself unable to play for long which infuriated me for a variety of different reasons!!

I always considered Enchanted Lands to be a showcase product. Developed by the legendary Carebears who showed the world just what our 16-Bit computer is capable of producing when in the hands of people who don't make excuses. The game is almost a demo designed specifically to show off the Atari ST but, they forgot the gameplay!

Wanna see a screenshot? No? I understand. How about an animated GIF to enjoy the lush visuals...

Well, the immense talent that went into the game's development is astounding!

Aesthetics

Visually, this platformer is a Christmas cracker and I wish every game I boot up looked this gorgeous!! I mean, it really is like a playable demo with hundreds of beautiful colours on screen at once. The landscapes are stunning and are complemented with equally gorgeous sprites (who will cause all the headaches that a gamer dreads).

TCB certainly can program to a level most software companies can only dream of. And did I mention everything scrolls along at an eye-popping 50fps scrolling? Beautifully programmed with jaw-dropping visuals. Yep!

The Audio is every bit as impressive as the graphics. Musically, it is breathtaking with tunes (and sound effects) that are perfectly suited. My ears can find no faults with everything Mad Max produced. Magnificent tunes.

Let's hop from cloud to cloud looking for more deadly places to die!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Enchanted Land looks and sounds so perfect but it's immensely tough and desperately demands using a trainer. Even then, you will spend aeons trying to master the game's cunning temperament. I personally think the difficulty level could sink the Titanic and it's that difficulty overkill that spoils what could have been an outstanding platformer.

These guys certainly knew their stuff. Technically, a masterpiece but it's supposed to be a game and not a demo. And a game without much enjoyment, or an enjoyable challenge, isn't something I desire. I guess this is our Shadow Of The Beast in the sense it's nothing more than an ST showcase. Look and listen but don't expect much to actually play... sigh.

There are better platformers to play for the Atari ST and I'm gutted to write that. Truly, I'm absolutely gutted.

8BitChip has a hard disk installable version.
The floppies can be found via Old Games Finder.

Okay, it's time to cheat your way through this cruel platformer:

On the title screen, type in, "TCB RULES FOREVER" and the screen flashes.

Now you can press keys 1 - 5 to pick a different level.

Also, pressing F2 - F10 for lots of different effects. Enjoy!

Sokoban

Never judge a book...

I love hearing about new games that are in development for our beautiful Atari ST and today I found out about a brand new Sokoban puzzler. It's written by Peter Lane and is a GEM-based program so it will work on every model of Atari computer and features 50 levels, a scale-adjustable display and the options for tons of extra levels. Absolutely brilliant. I've really enjoyed taxing my old brain cells with this cracking puzzler. Highly recommended for puzzler fans!!

Bod

It is with great sadness I inform you of the death of Stephen Jones, aka Bod. More recently he was the gentleman behind the Atari STe game R-Type Deluxe, an eagerly anticipated upgrade to an already ace game and was highly regarded as the biggest STe project for years. He demonstrated to the entire retro gaming world just what this machine was capable of - when in the hands of someone with talent and commitment. Something we as Atari STe owners appreciate more than most.

I remember talking to him last year and he kindly supplied screenshots of his progress I was excited to feature them on my little-known website. Kindness I shall never forget. Also, his commitment to the Atari ST scene is fully featured on Demozoo where you can view his Fuji portfolio. It's extremely impressive, to say the least. A great loss.

Prayers and my condolences to his family and friends at this time †

Z-Out

Enjoying a quickie

I had a free hour today so decided to entertain myself with Rainbow Arts' Z-Out. Essentially this is a bog-standard horizontally scrolling shooter with nice graphics and (familiar) sound effects. The controls work well but it feels like a poor clone of Menace or R-Type but there is a nifty two-player feature which we really enjoyed.

However, I found it extremely difficult at times, plus it didn't really bring anything new to the table compared to shooters already out. Don't get me wrong, this is a good game, and I am really enjoying it, but the Atari ST has a wealth of better shoot 'em ups. Am I right? Well, I think so but let me know what you think in the comments below.

8BitChip has adapted this for hard drive installation w/ a level skip feature.
Floppy disks can be downloaded using Old Games Finder.
Here are some nifty cheats :
          > pressing J + K together gives infinite energy.
          > pressing J and a number between 1 - 6 (on the main keyboard) to skip levels.
          > pressing K and a number between 1 - 3 (on the keypad) to jump stages.

Substation

You'll need a 25MHz PC for this one...

I remember the days when the ST was getting on a bit and, ahem, the Falcon didn't quite cut it. Not only that, but all my mates had left behind their Atari STs and Amigas for overly expensive PCs. They were bulky and incredibly ugly but, I remember how (secretly) gutted I felt when I saw Wolfenstein and almost died of shock when I saw Doom.

Anyhow, even then, we still had our moments of glory. The Atari ST had a decent selection of first-person shooters by the mid-90s and, in 1995 a company called Unique Development Sweden decided that our old 16-bit computer wasn't dead yet. They graced us with Substation which was about to change everything we thought possible.

The story goes that Mitushi Industries has developed a type of new energy that can be extracted from under the seas. All seemed well until communication was lost with their underwater substation base. Oh no... So, they contracted the help of a Multi-Environment Marine from the American government. In case you are wondering - yes, this is you!

That's the basic storyline, that wasn't really needed, but let's take a gander at the first screenshot...

The mission update screens are superb with tons of information.

When a 1989 computer blows you away!

Upon starting your first game, it's a good idea to ditch the knife - hit key "2" which switches to a rather sufficient pistol. Collect all the goodies you see lying on the floor and open the door; outside, is access to more goodies but there's also a couple of ghouls lurking! Will you risk a fight or run away scared down that seemingly empty corridor?

Movement is actioned with the keyboard: arrow keys are used to walk/turn around with Insert and Clr Home keys for convenient sidestepping - this works brilliantly using a real computer!! Control key fires any weapon, the Spacebar opens doors, and punching the TAB key drops a bomb. Don't forget the map, found at the bottom of the screen, this automatically tracks your movements and the keypad can be used to examine the explored areas.

The baddies are intelligent and won't stupidly head straight for you. Nope! Expect some to use evasive tactics - they might shoot a few rounds and then run away to take cover! So use that pistol to protect yourself, remembering to sidestep oncoming attacks. Other weapons can be found and the chain gun is absolutely amazing - Arnold Schwarzenegger would be proud. In fact, each weapon is superb - I only wish it was quicker to find them all.

Tell me you aren't excited to play this baby for yourself? Wait, come back I've not finished...

I know what you're thinking and no, there isn't anything wrong with the colour!

Aesthetics

Graphically, I'm both impressed and (hmm) slightly unimpressed. Firstly, let me say that Substation has a freakish amount of atmosphere - this game is scary with something nasty lurking within the murky corridors. Anxiety levels are high thanks to its superb design using amazing visual effects - like light-sourced sprites. The frame rate needed to be smooth for a game like this to be playable and the basic 8MHz Atari STe zooms along at 25fps - which is outstanding!!

Sadly, the walls lack texture mapping because UDS opted for Gouraud shading to maintain the smooth framerate. This is understandable but disappointing because games like Destruction Imminent and Wolfenstein 3D prove the ST is actually capable. I feel UDS missed an opportunity to enable optional textures on faster computers.

The audio is spot-on perfect. And I do mean perfect. Substation utilises the enhanced hardware so we hear distance and directional effects. This will help to identify where the baddies are creeping surprisingly well. Equally impressive are the tunes played at 25Khz - excellent quality. You're gonna love it so crank up the volume!

Imagine if this game was released when the STe was young? Nevermind, let's see another screenshot...

LOL, I love this screenshot that I managed to take just as he exploded!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Technically speaking this is one of the most impressive games for ye olde Atari STe. Think about it, an 8MHz computer capable of running a first-person engine that maintains a brisk 25fps. Not only that but it features distance and directional stereo sounds, 30 on-screen colours, light source sprites, and intelligent enemy AI. Heck, you can even play against other people over a network and those with faster Atari computers will support smoother framerates.

Substation is magnificent. A fantastic shooter with great weapons, challenging AI, and superb maps. It's not easy; each mission is as tough as they are enjoyable. However, if you're expecting Substation to be "our" Doom then you will be disappointed - it's more like a Wolfenstein. This isn't a criticism. Just understand that fact.

Oh yeah, this is a seriously awesome first-person shooter so pick up your guns and have yourself some fun!!

This little zappy fellow is tough to hit and annoyingly badass!

- ESSENTIAL SUBSTATION LINKS -

Download on floppy or best of all for your hard drive.

ST Format featured a basic preview level on cover disk #72.
They also held a competition and the winning game is on cover disk #75.
Fancy a trainer? ST Format cover disk #76 has all the answers!
[ all ST Format coverdisks can be downloaded off Exxos ]

Substation tips and maps can be found in ST Format issues #74 / #75 / #76 / #77.

We all love cheat codes and to get all weapons just type "PUNK"
"NIRVANA" gets you extra health and "PFLOYD" unlocks doors.
"SKRAPAN" credits extra bombs and "FALUKORV" allows extra time.

PowerDOS

TOS? No, DOS.

I was recently reading through Atari ST Review #32 and I came upon an interesting tidbit for a public domain tool called PowerDOS. I had never heard of this but it sounded interesting and potentially very useful.

The slowest part of any computer is the hard drive and, whilst this might not matter as much for Ultrasatan, there is still a benefit to be had: PowerDOS is for GEMDOS what NVDI/QuickST/Warp9 are for the VDI components of TOS. That means all those inefficient bits 'n bobs that go together to make up the disk operating system are replaced by "newer" routines that improve system performance (TOS) and add a few features within a multitasking environment.

Installation is as simple as copying the program into your AUTO folder and rebooting. I'm using TOS 2.06 and had the obvious problem with NVDI but everything else appears to work fine. The speed improvements are most welcome for example, try loading up CAB or JAM (with all their plugins enabled).

I love tinkering with my Atari ST and utilities like PowerDOS are amazing. The incompatibility with NVDI is worrying but I wonder if a middle-ground can be forged by using QuickST or Warp9? Whaddya think? Give it a try and see how you get on, let me know in the comments below. Download is available from Atari-Forum (with credit to Mark_G & bj)

OIDS!

Oids, the final frontier...

There are certain games that need no introduction; they are classics that changed the course of history in some way. Think of Knight Lore (Speccy), Dungeon Master (ST), Doom (PC) and you get the idea. Oids is another that needs no introduction but, this one is possibly restricted to the Atari ST world, and all those who looked on in green envy, of course! Well, let's continue on anyhow just in case you are braindead and have never heard of this game before...

Little iddy biddy Oids are our robotic friends but they are currently being mistreated, in a terrible way, by their evil creators, the Biocretes. Innocent oids are now being held prisoner on various remote planets located in the deepest parts of space without any noticeable atmosphere - yet strangely trees still managed to grow! ;-)

Oids was created by Dan Hewitt and was unleashed onto the world in 1987 by FTL. For years, it remained an Atari ST exclusive title until 2002 when the Apple Mac got a conversion. (the older PPC Macs and not the newer Intel or ARM Macs). Anyhow, this is a bid deal for the ST because it's exclusive and something that holds dear memories.

We all know this game but, there might be newcomers who have never seen Oids so it's screenshot time...

Hurry up and rescue little stickmen from that prison!

In space, no one can hear you scream!

In a similar fashion to any Gravitar-styled game, you need to navigate a spaceship through caverns searching for our metallic friends. Use your weapons to destroy the buildings holding them captive and find a place to land so they can climb on board. Now, sit back and watch as the superbly-animated stickmen make their way toward your ship. Simple and elegant. Once everyone is found, your mothership appears high in the sky to whisk everyone to safety.

Controls are so simple to turn, thrust, fire and so on. It might sound a little strange to rotate and turn your ship in the right direction before thrusting. But it works perfectly well and in tune with the physics and gravity of each planet. It feels real, without being fiddly or difficult thus ruining your enjoyment. They are precise and perfect.

Those Biocretes aren't going to sit back and watch you take the captives. They're evil and have armed each planet with hazards and artillery defences: rocket launchers, gun turrets, repulsers, gravity bases, etc. Everything can be destroyed, but don't expect a mothership or ground base to be easy. Sometimes it's best to fly away like a cowardly chicken!

Let's pause the yapping and see a lifeless planet with trees. Or is it just nighttime? You decide...

Hang on, so trees can grow just fine on rocks without an atmosphere?

Sound & Vision?

Visually, this game might first appear simple and without much to it. Well, you would be correct in some ways. However, stop right there buddy boy, because this game is bang-on awesome. The outline of each planet's landscape is represented by a rough terrain design which looks ragged and suits the barren theme. Buildings, turrets and all other objects are detailed very nicely. However, it's the excellent animation of those stickmen that makes my grin very wide!!

The audio is lacking in the chiptune dept - there isn't any! But we do get to hear the boing...boing... of the ball in a cool 3D intro. In-game effects are for the ship's thrusters and guns - I love the superb firing sounds and other explosion effects are nice too. There isn't anything more required, and music would kill the dead-of-space atmosphere.

It was 1987, a time when the ST was still a baby. Yet, Dan/FTL released (another) timeless classic...

Roaming around planets is fun but later levels are very, very hard to master. Learn to pilot!

The CryptO'pinion?

Every ST nutter loves this game because, well, how can I put it? Oids is absolutely magnificent!! The idea isn't original but the execution is spot-on thanks to superb mechanics, realistic physics, and interesting levels. Also, not only was this an Atari ST exclusive but it's enjoyable and extremely challenging thanks to great gameplay. A wonderful game.

Although there are several similar alternatives (all of which are excellent - like Thrust) this remains the best of the bunch. Oids is one of the most outstanding games released - you might say it's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!! ;)

UPDATE: 8BitChip has updated Oids with better framerates!!

8BitChip has a download that can be installed on HDD.

Klaz Hideaway has a great download for floppy and HDD.

Read the Oids manual (Apple Mac but relevant)