Hoog

Prepare thyself!

The Atari ST is a computer with a huge public domain library, be it games, programs, utilities, etc. In fact, our archive proves how popular the ST was for both users and creative folk with the talent to code and create art or music. This is what I love about the Atari ST and something I've yet to "feel" from a modern computer.

Believe it or not, Hoog is a shareware platformer released in 1994 by MP Lord - yes he of Droid fame. It's incredible to look at and feels similar to Creatures but with more of a puzzle theme. Some elements reminded me of Sleepwalker and Lemmings but whether or not that's a good thing I'll leave you to decide.

Okay, I think that's enough reading for the moment! How about some sexy screenshots to whet your appetite...

Using the balloons, we can float upwards to access places otherwise impossible to reach.

A bundle of stars and a cheeky grin make this platformer something extra special!

Aww little baby Hoogs!

The objective is simple - rescue baby Hoogs that are trapped inside cages! Sounds so cruel? Yes, it is and they're trapped, innocently waiting for us to free them. However, these little kiddies are darn stupid and, when released, will blindly wander off through their dangerous new world - and die!! They can get trapped, drown, or fry in burning flames. There's a lot of strategic thought needed when guiding these little babies home.

Hoog himself can walk, jump, and chuck bombs at his foes. However, he's only a short, stubby fella so cannot do much without the help of his environment, like helium-filled balloons that offer a chance to reach inaccessible areas. There are various other mechanics to aid; look for springs to bounce high into the air, switches that unlock hidden ledges, and special gateways that transport Hoog long distances in the blink of an eye.

This is a game that is easy to pick up and play. The controls are responsive, without lag or finicky irritations. You're not thrown in at the deep end and gradually taught how to get the best from your environment to save the babies. I was impressed with how each level becomes steadily and progressively harder. I personally get that warm, fuzzy feeling playing this game because a lot of thought went into its creation!

Fancy some more colourful screenshots? I know, I know, of course, you do so here ya' go...

There's that cute, happy face again! How can you not love the graphics :)

Things are hotting up now! Not only the difficulty but those flames will easily cook a baby hoog!

Amateur homebrew aesthetics?

Visually, this must be one of the most impressive "Public Domain" games I have ever seen. The entire artwork is astounding and way beyond anything else that I can think of from the ST's homebrew scene. Each level features landscapes of stunning beauty, and I truly do mean stunning. Miles has made lovely use of colour because everything is so bright and cheerful. It's unbelievable and I recommend sunglasses before you play!

But that's not all, the sprites are stunning and even have a Bitmap feel. Animations are lovely with neat attention to detail - like when Hoog smiles during a jump. He even wiggles his bum in flight. Finally, I cannot end without mentioning the smooth parallax scrolling. This is a commercial game, right? What, no you say?!!

The audio is a treat proving chiptunes will last forever compared to most tracker tunes. Sadly, there's only one in-game tune so it gets tiresome after a while. Don't get me wrong, it's a good tune your YM2149 is knocking out but I'd have liked a selection. However, I love what we have and I cannot get it out of my head lol.

Hoog screenshots are great but we have to end sometime. So here are the final two screenshots...

Use the ledges but hang on a minute, I see two cute critters below that appear asleep?

When everything is peachy and fire can't harm him. I'm too cute to burn........... honest!!! <evil grin>

The CryptO'pinion?

Hoog is something rather special but it isn't easy. It will take practice to figure out the most efficient way to solve the puzzle of rescuing babies. Well, unless you enjoy watching cute critters drown or burn? Perhaps you do? Or is it just me lol? Anyhow, whatever your sadistic preference, this is an utterly superb platformer. It will keep you occupied for many hours with its humorously challenging, addictive gameplay.

Once again, Miles Lord has released a wonderful game that humiliates many commercial companies who rushed through sloppy Amiga ports. This proves what the Atari ST is capable of in the hands of talent; it's a magnificent example of great coding. Hoog is a mind-blowing platformer and one of my favourite ST games!!

- DOWNLOAD HOOG -

Starburst

Let's blow up EVERYTHING!!

Starburst is a shareware game by Chris Skellern that grants us a gratifying opportunity to blow stuff up. In fact, we can blow up everything - and I really do mean everything!! This space-shoot 'em up is based on an old Sinclair QL game, which is pretty cool when you think about it. The objective is to travel the screens to find six power bases and decimate them before attempting the ultimate goal of killing the super brain.

That sounds amazing, right? Pilot your spaceship through lots of rocky caverns, destroying everything that you come across. And, when I say everything, I really do mean everything, so have yourself some fun!! Directional firing is available using the keypad, which I've demonstrated below with a simple animated GIF.

Aesthetically, this game isn't going to blow your mind with its boring 8-bit visuals. However, that's the era I grew up in, so I don't need fancy graphics to enjoy myself. In fact, Starburst reminds me of Harrier Attack - remember that one? The chip music is superb, with in-game sampled sound effects that aren't all that bad.

Starburst is dead simple and explosive fun, so stop thinking and destroy everything. Yes, everything!!

Atari ST games

        

A one-floppy compilation

How many Atari ST games can you fit onto a single floppy disk? No, it's not a silly joke because Peter Putnik has already provided us with the answer: a whopping twenty-three Atari ST games!! These are all heavily compressed on one bog-standard double-density floppy disk. That is a hefty reduction so be prepared to wait for the decompression!

There are many classics - Arkanoid, Robotron, The Sentinel, Asteroids, Virus, Tempest, Head Over Heels, Pengy, Jet Set Willy, Crystal Castles, Major Motion, Xevious, Sentinel, Moon Patrol, Joust, and lots more!! (use the search top/right)

What, you don't believe me? Then you should clickety-click right now and grab the download for yourself.

Narco Police

Drugs... Guns... Violence!

I've always had a soft spot for Dinamic. I think it might be because they were one of those companies releasing games during my twilight ZX Spectrum years just before playing their Atari ST games. Along with games like Army Moves, they went on to make some belters, one of which is their 1991 hit shooter Narco Police.

In the future... or rather... back in 2003 most of us were apparently heavily dependent on hardcore drugs and this addiction made the dealers rich and powerful. Actually, I'm now getting a whiff of the recent scamdemic! Anyhow, the various nations of the world all got together to form an elite anti-drug unit: The A-Team. No, I meant NARCO POLICE who have been trained to rid this filth from existence. Yeah!!

Three Narco units are deployed to infiltrate the drug lord's hive located on a remote island, off Columbia. It won't be easy because they have invested in extra security, including marines and combat soldiers. You start with the 'option' of choosing your team's equipment and weaponry. Also, a map of the island allows you to view the landscape and choose the best entrance into its network of underground tunnels. Dare you enter?

Of course, you do so let's take a look at some earlier screenshots...

Don't forget to visit the armoury before heading out into no-mans land!

There's little to plan but at least we get to tunnel in like killer worm cops!

Walk... Shoot... Kill

In the tunnels, we encounter henchmen, security systems, and heavy artillery! As we venture deeper, the enemy will surprise us by jumping out from hidden sidewalls or falling down from the ceiling to ambush. Use the joystick to direct gunfire at their location and reign an onslaught of gun violence! Controls can take a little getting used to with movement feeling inelegant - but you will get used to dodging grenades in no time.

Other defences cannot be destroyed easily and require a tactical approach. (It's now that you realise your team needed the correct equipment). A terminal is available to enter basic control commands, such as 'C' (which stands for 'chopper') to display information about your teams. The 'K' command restores vitality. The 'M1' command is rather entertaining in sticky situations. A command list can be displayed using 'DIR'.

Don't be fooled into thinking this is a simple shooter; hold fire and blindly kill everything? Far from it and you will need to practice to make any kind of progress. After a few games, I found the controls great which helped me make headway deeper into the game. Very rewarding but reading the manual is essential O_o

Is this too demanding for a 16-bit computer to handle? Think again...

Come on, tell me you're not impressed by this floppy disk-based computer from 1985!!!

Aesthetics, long before Doom!

Visually, this is gorgeous with captivating locations with huge enemy sprites using great animation. Our soldier is stunning as we patrol the corridors - even with our suspect limp. It's not all perfect as some soldiers almost look like cardboard cutouts waiting to be shot. Other soldiers roll across your screen in slo-mo!

I've always had a passion for 3D shooters (especially the first-person variety) and, even though this is third-person, it's one I have enjoyed since the 90s. Narco Police actually uses a pseudo-3D engine that pushes our 8MHz CPU by using clipped graphics that increase as you walk, giving the illusion of movement. I remember drooling over my ST's keyboard the first time I got to see this in action!

The audio is fantastic with a stomping theme tune for an 80s retro-styled title screen. All in-game sound effects are made from impressive samples, however, it's odd walking without hearing the sound of my footsteps? Maybe I'm being picky and perhaps our hero is just too stealthy for his own good!!

This game looks and sounds brilliant so, erm, here are a couple more screenshots...

Hands up who would love a job as a Narco Policeman? No, me neither! lol

The perspective used in this game is so impressive but that doesn't stop me from dying!

The CryptO'pinion?

This is a Christmas Cracker stuffed full of mayhem to get the blood flowing - all over the walls usually! Who doesn't enjoy killing henchmen and repetitive tunnel exploration? Sadly, Dinamic made yet another ludicrously tough game. Perhaps too tough? Maybe the Spanish are ultra-hardcore gamers but I need a trainer!

Having said that, I'm always drawn back into the tunnels, time & time again because Narco Police is a seriously addictive shooter. Sure, it's always predictable but, in a good way. Even though it's insanely tough, I cannot help but recommend it to those who love guns, loud explosions and plenty of killing.

A fistful of fun and I love it. This is an excellent shooter!!

Narco Police floppies & hard drive.

Ghouls 'n Ghosts

Ghouls? Ghosts? I'm outta here....!!!

I thought I'd entertain myself with a few games of Ghouls 'n Ghosts, a classic platformer and a fantastic Atari ST conversion by Software Creations for US Gold. However, I ended up laughing out loud as I suffered numerous deaths in utter frustration! For those that have been living on another planet, this is the sequel to Ghosts 'n Goblins, another game I'm not particularly great at. Sigh... when will I ever learn?

This is a faithful and beautifully crafted conversion with rock-solid gameplay that takes many moons to master. The visuals are lovely with nice scrolling and superb sprites. Who doesn't love it when Arthur bumps into a baddie and somehow loses his clothes? It doesn't make any sense but it has our 7-year-old laughing her cotton socks off, which is a win in my book. Musically, Ghouls 'N Ghosts features captivating tunes and some of the most memorable I've heard. Just listen to the first level's music. Wow, it doesn't get better than this!!

Ghouls N Ghosts is a tough game and an arcade classic. The Atari ST received a fantastic conversion which looks great, sounds incredible, and offers the chance to enjoy the most frustrating action. Dare you accept this challenge? Of course, you do and those brave players can grab the floppies or a hard disk version.

Check out these screenshots while you decide how brave you really are... Good luck!!

Clod Hopper

Big feet, big... shoes!

Clod Hopper was released through the Budgie UK label in 1992 by scener Goth, aka Gary Wheaton. It's a platformer that features a fella called Bill who's in search of his girlfriend. She foolishly wandered off into the nearby plutonium mines which are inhabited by crazy creatures, numerous whacky puzzles, and dangerous hazards. Women, uh? Luckily, she left a convenient trail of footprints that we can use to track down our beloved. And save the day, of course!

Bounty Bob/Miner 2049 fans will love this: each screen contains platforms that need walking over before we can exit and progress deeper into the mine. This isn't as easy as it sounds thanks to tricky level designs and cunning puzzle elements - these often need completing in a particular order. Watch out for those slippery slides, dangerous falls, and the nasty inhabitants who love getting underfoot. Thankfully, there are magical items we can collect that will render these creatures defenceless, if only for a short period of time (so think tactical before picking them up)

The third level features working machinery, necessary to operate to help you finish. It's a fascinating concept that works well but I doubt I'll ever see the fourth... Sadly, as with many older games, there is a time limit so don't dawdle for too long as Bill has about five minutes of air supply. I must admit, I hate them but this time limit is decent.

I would have loved to have shown you many more screenshots but Clod Hopper is a tough cookie alright. I managed to get onto the third level - which is a killer. I know how to complete it but there are many slides and ... just ... one ... wrong ... move!! ARGHHHHH this platformer is incredibly tough. But I'm blaming my wonky joystick! Ahem.

On that note, let's see some screenshots of this Bounty Bob platformer...

Level one breaks you in gently to paint those platforms with your feet...

The second level is far trickier and needs to be completed in the correct order.

The devilish third level. I know how to complete it but my skills deny me the pleasure!

Looks and Sounds?

Graphically, I admire Clod Hopper. The look and design are reminiscent of those early 8-bit days and this style works very well. Plus everything moves as smooth as silk with a console-like feel with awesome animations. The level designs took me right back to when I was a kid and without looking like a cheap or tacky ripoff. A superb 8-bit vibe throughout.

Along with the 8-bit feel and smooth performance, Gary uses overscan for the score/timer display!!

As for the audio, the music is absolutely beautiful using an Atari-Console quality that I loved. The effects are great, from the raspy level intro to all the other in-game sounds. A lot of effort went into how this game sounds!

Do you want more screenshots? How about a video recording and screenshots? Here ya' go then...

Check out this intro!

Can you make the hi-score table? Not on your first go, you won't lol

Would you believe it? Gary only lives up the road from me...

The CryptO'pinion?

Wow, have I enjoyed playing this olde platformer!! Of course, it will appeal to fans of Bounty Bob and indeed any console owner from the early/mid-80s because this quality platformer is reminiscent of the era for gameplay, sounds, and visuals. The effort and dedication that's gone into this shine through, to think it wasn't commercial. Outstanding!

However, there's always something to moan about, and my only gripe is the measly three lives - which aren't enough for such a challenging game. A game this tough needed many more because it's so damn difficult. I managed to reach level three but those slides are insanely tricky - one wrong move and there's no way back up again.

Having said that, this is a brilliant platformer and a freakishly outstanding old-school romp. Oh yeah, I loved it!!

- DOWNLOAD -

Army Moves

Reliving Christmas 1987

The last time I played Army Moves was probably on my Spectrum +3 before moving onto the Atari ST. I remember this coming as part of Ocean's Live Ammo and what a great compilation that was. However, it was extremely sluggish and very hard plus I was rubbish at it too. Yep, so I never managed to beat the first level (stop laughing).

Army Moves was developed by Dinamic, the same guys who brought us After The War, and this is a scrolling shooter with many ingredients 'borrowed' from a variety of great(er) games. It begins with us happily trundling over a damaged bridge in a surprisingly well-armed jeep. Firing the infinite supply of rockets at the constant flow of enemies whilst hopping over potholes in the hope of safely reaching the other side ...cough...Moon Patrol.. cough...cough!

I think we need a screenshot of this opening level so here it is...

The jeep is brilliant with realistic handling and fantastic leaping abilities! Yeah!! ;)

When variety isn't the spice of life!

The following level has us flying a helicopter over enemy territory that is protected by planes - who blindly shoot whether you're in their sights or not. The controls are agonisingly lethargic and it makes avoiding the enemy rather difficult. Oh, and don't forget to manually land on the helipad at the end - otherwise, you suffer a suckers death!

The next part is more of the same theme, ie nothing-you-haven't-seen-before. The final levels take us through the jungle avoiding grenades and silly buzzards before it flips into something resembling Joe Blade. Oh all the levels, I oddly enjoyed the first the most whereas others are far too tough with too many enemies.

Wanna see another screenshot? How about one that feels wrong as it scrolls in the wrong direction...

Reversed scrolling is pretty weird and doesn't feel right so makes stage two quite frustrating!!

Speccy aesthetics?

Visually, I quite liked Army Moves but that's probably because I'm fondly reminded of my colour-clash days on the old 128K Speccy? The graphics are barebones for the Atari ST but, I must admit, everything scrolls along nicely and I do like the detail in the sprites. The helicopter levels feature parallax scrolling, which is a neat touch I appreciated.

David Whittaker's music plays throughout and isn't his best work but is still good. Nuff said.

Honestly, I swear that jeep doesn't fly all the time!

The CryptO'pinion?

I like some of Dinamic's ideas here but it tries too much so doesn't seem to be great at anything. Plus they spoiled it with ludicrously-long levels which is made worse by being sent back to the start after losing a life!! Ignoring the nearly-fun Jeep stage, I find it difficult to recommend this game - just play Moon Patrol, Silkworm or Joe Blade instead.

Army Moves could very easily have been great but feels like a rushed 8-bit conversion offering little fun and a massive fist full of frustration. Unlike the Spectrum game, our conversion feels like a glammed-up quick port and one that lost much playability thanks to faster mechanics; scrolling, enemies, etc. I don't get it, what was Dinamic thinking?

Overall, the first level is the best but the rest of the game is far too difficult to be entertaining.

Wear camo and grab the floppies or hard disk version!

Jinks

This looks sucky!

Jinks appears as a horizontally scrolling 'Breakout' but is technically one of the worst Atari ST games. A shameful port by Rainbow Arts with incredibly jerky scrolling that is enough to make your eyes bleed after only a few minutes of horrendous play. Honestly, it's that bad and I pity whoever spent their cash on this!

Thankfully, Peter Putnik has begun work on a version making use of the Blitter for far better results (see in the video above). Sadly, all current copies of Jinks contain bad data so Peter is looking for somebody to supply an image of the original floppies. Then he can repair this piece of hiSTory for this enhanced version.

Please get in touch if you can help.

• This new Blitter-powered version is downloadable from Atarimania (Atari STe / TT / Falcon)
• If you want to torture your eyeballs then the original game can be found via Old Games Finder.
• Trusteft has a humorous recording of the original jerky game...

Collaboration Two

Oh no, not another disk?

Following on from last year's success, Collaboration #2 has been released. The STatariART gang have been busy and created more funky pixel art - by many different people who kindly submitted their Degas dabbles. You will even see a few images from yours truly. Brace yourself for that horror; don't get your hopes up :o)

A lot of hard work went into this production and it's always fantastic to see so many people coming together like this. People, like us, aren't often associated with the "scene" so let's hope we see many more disks. Any ideas? Contributions? Get in touch. Until then, Clickety-Click and download Collaboration #2 via Demozoo.

Credits

---

AtariSTaffroom - Graphics

Atarian1982 - Graphics

Bionic Nerd - Code, Graphics

Dj Sergant - Music (We hope you don't mind ;))

Forgotten Grove - Graphics, Other (Started the whole idea)

Loggins - Graphics

Scarlettkitten - Graphics

Stefan Lindberg - Graphics

karim - Graphics

I hope you enjoy this show? Let me know what you guys think in the comments below...

- SAMPLE IMAGES -

r0x

Asteroids?

Set within deep space, you are Commander Perez, who humorously finds himself alone in uncharted space during a meteor storm. R0x was released in 2009 by NoExtra / RGCD and programmed by YMRockerz's Nicolas Flandin (Tomchi). It may look like an Asteroids, but it's not. It's an Atari STe game that requires quick reactions to pilot your spacecraft through a continuously hectic asteroid field. This is a game of dodge and scrape!

Before you load it up - make sure you read the storyline within the 'Readme' file included in the download. What a brilliant read and it had me laughing at loud. It's superb!!

Hang on, this isn't Asteroids!

Yeah, this isn't the arcade shooter that I first imagined. Instead, it's an avoid 'em that requires skill and careful timing to skim past hundreds of rocks zooming down your screen. It may sound simple, but the rocks are flying furiously at great speeds and range from iddy-biddy stones to huge planet killers. There is a distance counter at the top/right of the screen that indicates how long you need to survive before the level ends.

The longer you last, the faster the rocks move - many zooming diagonally - and intent on squashing you into pieces. Your ship is equipped with smart bombs to zap the local area when things get too hair-raising. This also offers a brief moment to rest from the rocky onslaught, but it's not long before they're back!

This is different. I like different!

A range of bonuses is available for daring pilots to collect - letters that spell out "EXTRA" for another life, but watch out for the fakes, especially the blue one, which inverts your controls! You shall see Treasure Rocks, these look different from the rest and offer up points should you bump into them. There are even teeny cosmonauts floating helplessly in space, just itching to be rescued - a lot harder than you imagine!

Skilled pilots can scrape their ship alongside any rock for a hike in bonus points, but the risk of being obliterated makes this a dangerous job. Interestingly, co-op is supported for those lucky enough to have friends or, like me, a gullible 7-year-old opponent who is eager to be my next victim!! This game mode also involves dodging more of those space rocks, but with the added incentive to rescue 20 astronauts for the win.

For such a humble game the graphics are fantastic with beautiful colours and smooth movements by C-Rem, Heavy Stylus, and Templeton. Audio is the bee's knees with utterly fantastic chiptunes by Crazy_Q, TomChi, and DMA-SC. I will fight anybody that dares to disagree with me!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Shoot 'em up fans might be disappointed that R0X isn't ... well ... a shoot 'em up! No, it's a game of avoidance, I guess. It's straightforward and easy to pick up and play, but tough to master. Each level becomes progressively challenging, and I guarantee it's nowhere near as easy as you imagine. The rock-scraping mechanics add to the appeal and longevity. R0x is unexpectedly different and tremendously addictive!

The latest version is available from RGCD along with everything else. Additionally, a secret menu is unlocked when your high score beats 800,000. Easy, right? Send in your screenshots. I thought so! :p

Peter Putnik

Here is an interview that I am extremely excited to publish because Peter Putnik is a name paramount with Atari ST gaming mainly because of his hard disk adaptations. This means no more running games from an unreliable floppy disk!

I have been using his warez for a long time and ST gaming wouldn't be nearly as much fun without his efforts. The adaptations offer us the ability to install games onto our "hard drives" instead of the sluggish and failing floppies.

The experience is therefore far superior and usually comes with a trainer to help bad players (like me). Each game often comes with support for faster Atari computers which is incredible when booting up something like Frontier on my Mega STe. What's even more interesting is his 'Gamex' a method of snapshotting your progress instantaneously - kinda like an old Multiface!

I was surprised to hear about his past with not only the Atari ST but also ZX Spectrum. Two great computers form my own computing history. I hope you enjoy this interview with the man responsible for hundreds of adaptations and several outstanding Atari STe enhanced upgrades. I don't think there is anybody so active on the Atari ST scene. My sincere gratitude to Peter for taking the time out for a good chat.

- The PP Interview -

 

What is your Atari hiSTory?

My history started in 1987 when I decided to upgrade from a ZX Spectrum to something much stronger and the Atari ST was my first thought. However, the Amiga had just arrived in the shops so I was in dilemma, but not for long, the Atari ST had far better quality of software and the prices were almost equal. Also, the Atari seemed a better platform for some serious activity. I soon upgraded the RAM to 1MB and also added another floppy driver and made an EPROM programmer (a must for anyone dealing with hardware mods).

I already had some experience with ASM programming with the Z80 so I soon started on the Atari ST. 68000 ASM is really nice to work with, especially with a good assembler like Devpac. I wrote utilities for my own needs with help from Atari Profibuch book and created a floppy copier combined with a RAMdisk. Most learnings was via books and magazines, unlike today with easy software availability. Pirates were pretty much active in these days, even during 1988's PCW Show in London. :-) In Eastern Europe, they were the only source for computer software, I must say. I also wrote some articles for Yugoslav computer magazines during these early years.

 

What setup are you using these days?

Currently, I have one Mega ST, one STe and a Mega STe. The truth is, I don't use them much because they are very old and fragile and I've needed to repair them a few times, except the Mega STe which is indeed best built. The extra speed is welcome, even for games, although Mega STe was never intended for gaming. I bought this some 9 years ago, and I've since replaced the hard drive. Now used mostly with UltraSatan - much easier data exchange, less noise...

I mostly use the Atari computers to test and to play but my main tool for adaptations is using Steem Debugger and, without this, development would be much slower and harder. This emulator, equipped with a complete overview of emulated computer status, may see all hardware at any moment and following the program flow (even with history). Steem is a very good emulator, and luckily, a couple years ago they released sources so I was able to do some modifications for my needs. On the real hardware, there are limited possibilities of tracing, especially with some software working in very low RAM. Older computers have too low a resolution with a small screen area but there are some things I can not do with my PC: GAL and EPROM programming - where I still use Atari and old programs.

 

History of your famous game adaptations?

Adapting games started during my Spectrum years actually. However, there was not much to adapt but POKE was popular to exploit the code which decreases a player's life count and the like. I also made a snapshot saving program which was in fact very-very simple and only needed to save the RAM and CPU registers to then restore from where we wanted to play. I did it with faster routines, so loading only took some 2 minutes instead 5. :-) Next step was when I added a floppy interface to the Spectrum and then I wanted to transfer all good games onto floppies. So, basically same thing as the Atari ST with game adapting, except that this was way easier because Spectrum software was singleparted in 99% cases and that means no further loading was required after starting the game. I transferred hundreds of games onto floppies very quickly - one disk could store over 20 games, using compression. Next step was adding hard disk like with Atari ST and I designed my own IDE adapter...

In case of Atari ST games, it was more time consuming, some 60% do not directly access the hardware but instead TOS functions for floppy access. This means it was sometimes simple but other problems might arise, like TOS version incompatibilities, RAM usage, etc. Again, it was easiest with singleparted games, so my first hard disk adaptations were with such games that didn't have any disk access after loading - like Stunt Car Racer and Sentinel. Afterwards, I made adaptations using a RAMdisk for faster loading before the later adaptations, like Formula 1 GP.

 

Incredible results achieved but why did you begin this?

I started all this because I wanted to get rid of unreliable and slow floppies. The real leap was probably the arrival of Flash cards, so we can now have small, silent, fast, cheap storage. I started to deal with them right at beginning - first one was 8MB Smart Media card in 2004. :-) I certainly did not plan, or expect, that it would reach a count of over 1000 adapted games!

 

What are your favourite games?

I first played Flight Simulator II which I bought together with Atari ST. Then I was playing Dungeon Master, Carrier Command, Millennium 2.2, Formula One Grand Prix and not forgetting Potsworth & Co.

 

What other stuff have you created?

My first serious software was MC Tracer, a debugger, for the ZX Spectrum. It could run any software, step by step, and there was a circular buffer feature to store the last 100 executed instructions. What's interesting is that I made almost the same relocating system (it must working at any RAM area) as what is used in TOS executables :-) Also worth a mention is my Spectrum modded ROM - for floppy and hard disk (all available at zx48.8bitchip.info).

For the Atari ST, I first made some floppy utilities and then a hard disk driver, which is still under development. I did some Windows utilities for accessing and transferring data with Atari ST formatted floppies and also hard disks. Soon after the Internet became accessible in our area, I started a website for my Spectrum and Atari ST projects. The site moved couple times during years, I hope that current place will stand for a long time.

Any current hardware projects?

I have many plans but things are moving slowly, especially with hardware. Mostly I would like to finish old projects, like the cartridge port IDE adapter and ACSI port CF adapter. No specific STE projects currently, but the cartridge adapter works better on STE and movies look much better. :-)

 

What's your favourite hardware creation?

My personal favourite ... hmm it could be the IDE hard disk adapter for Sinclair Spectrum because that was good exercise with GAL programming. For the Atari ST it would be the cartridge IDE adapter.

 

As a programmer, who inspires you?

I don't think that I was particularly inspired by a particular programmer but there are certain names I associate with high quality. Games by Costa Panayi, Andy Pennell for Devpac ASM and Geoff Crammond for his good simulations.

What about the Atari ST/e future?

My concern is that real Ataris will not last much long. More and more people will use emulators or clones like Mist. Still, adaptations can make playing a lot easier on both. I think doing STe-improved versions of games seems the right choice now. However, this can be very time consuming, I started Uridium couple years ago and simply disassembling it properly took a couple days. I then had to put it on ice because of a lack of time but, luckily, I was finally able to finish this recently.

Other problems are a lack of sources for better sound effects and corrupt or missing original disks. We need flawless images to work with for so many games, like Son Shu Shi, Jinks and others. Thankfully, we recently got Giana Sisters, the internet is a great thing and we need to work together. :-)

 

Links...

 - I often use Peter's 8BitChip adapted games and all are listed right here!

 - There is an 8BitChip Forum you can join and a YouTube Channel with many adapted games.

 - Have you seen Peter's Atari STe versions of Xenon 2, Cannon Fodder, Dungeon Master, etc??

Sideways

An unreleased gem!

Sideways was developed by Jamie Woodhouse but unfinished and (obviously) unreleased. Actually, it's very close to being a finished product and something of a cross between Uridium and Return To Genesis; a fast-paced shooter with graphics ripping along at 50fps! I'm saddened this was never released as it proves that the Atari ST can perform brilliantly in the hands of a talented programmer. Yep, no lame port here.

What a shock it was booting this up for the first time. It's impossible not to be impressed by this ridiculously exciting shooter. The controls feel natural and responsive with precise turning and acceleration - better than Uridium!! Each level is stuffed with baddies and power-ups for increased firepower, shields, weapons, etc. However, not everything has been implemented as this is an unfinished game after all.

Any shoot 'em up needs great control mechanics to deliver a thrilling experience and Sideways has that by the bucket load. I feel Sideways is far better than either of the above-mentioned games, albeit unfinished. If you favour a shooter to be nothing less than FAST and FURIOUS, this game was made for you!!

Unfinished or not, Sideways is absolutely superb! Get it downloaded right now...

- Download Sideways -

Demoscene poster

Your mancave needs this!

The most amazing demoscene poster has been updated again. If you have never seen this before you should take a look and download it! Clickety click to view this jaw-dropper by Gregory le Roux (HMD!!)

For those who may not know who this chap is (where have you been?), visit Demozoo...

Wasabim

FantaSTic ArtiST

It's always great to see somebody start up a new Atari ST site and today we have one by Aurélien Vaillant, aka Wasabim (I dare you to say that after a few beers). His website will feature each of his various artworks along with those awesome videos, many of which begin with the box cover coming to life - that never fails to impress. Incredible talent!

Clickety click right now to take a gander through the Wasabim website... Enjoy!!

Dodgy Box Art

  

Strange box art!

Today I thought I would sort through some of my Atari ST games to choose the ones which had the funniest artwork. One is an odd movie spoof whilst the other gives me goosebumps. Seriously, it does make you wonder what these two companies were thinking when they agreed to release these games. Come on, surely they were having a laugh?

• Leatherneck takes the biscuit for most camp cover art ever and what happened to his weapon? It's a relief the game is good with multiplayer support and sample sounds. The graphics are smooth and the chipmusic is downright beautiful - a timeless quality. Sadly, the one-directional shooting makes it incredibly tough. If you like Leatherneck then you might enjoy Fernandez Must Die.
• Galdregons Domain gets the award for its Conan rip-off artwork. It's a little like Dungeon Master in a land where evil has been unleashed, yet again. We've been chosen to battle the minions and recover five precious gems to save us from peril. Aesthetically gorgeous, this dungeon crawler isn't bad and once you've got over its learning curve. A much-underrated adventure.

Right then, if you're feeling creeped out by these two "works of art", then click here to remedy that. Enjoy ;-)