Dungeon

Much thought went into its title!

Dungeon is an adventure released in 1993 by TC Basset for the legends Budgie UK. It uses the Talespin game creator engine, which is something I've personally never encountered before. Upon loading, we are greeted by a creepy dude (with an obvious blood pressure problem), who has an incredible sense of humour. He warns us of the adventure ahead and offers the choice of character, but listen carefully and heed his warnings.

Ultimately, we must battle the evil necromancer, Malik Abdul Aziz, and recover something called The Great Orb of Thoth. The dungeons are straightforward, but infested with hideous creatures, so tread carefully. Hey, it wouldn't be right without monsters! Choose your character wisely, but newcomers are best picking a Warrior or Fighter as they come readily equipped to tackle most beasts. And who doesn't love a free weapon?

With that in mind, let's check out a couple of screenshots of what you're likely to encounter...

No sooner had I begun than the first nasty creature was a blood-dripping zombie. YEAH!!

A couple of steps deeper into the dungeon, and the mother-in-law appears. An old bat!

Then this weird dude appears from the darkness, fancying a piece of me.

Monsters, battles and blood!

You are not alone inside the dark corridors, so stay frosty and be ready for anything freaky that's waiting to jump out: decaying zombies, barbarians, venomous snakes, gnarly bats, and many more hideous creatures are lurking in the shadows. The art of fighting is crudely entertaining and more frequent than you think.

The metallic chinks of your weapons are great, but battles can also be fought magically using potions, and victory ensures a deathly scream - before hearing their bodies crumple to the ground. Each defeated enemy will reveal a hidden treasure chest filled with random goodies, so collect your loot and leggit!! Those that cluck like cowardly chickens may wanna run away? Your choice, but beware, there could be a price to pay...

There's nothing better than exploring a village. Hey, check me out here (and my body)...

The first dingy tunnel takes us into a medieval village.

It actually looks like a nice place. Might stay and enjoy a beer or two?

Mr Muscles is actually me. Yes, me!

Chat and try your luck

Exploration is never a bad idea, so take your time and turn over every stone. Why not chat with the locals? There are interesting characters with super silly personalities, even if conversations are a little shallow. Communication reveals more than you realise, and perhaps you might earn a bob or two and make friends?

A tavern is a safe place to rest and recuperate. Just as with Lure Of The Temptress, they are the place for a chat, and why not order yourself a beer and enjoy a flutter whilst here? Perhaps I had too many beers, but I loved this experience, which constantly entertains with a wicked sense of humour. Those outside this island of ours might not appreciate it, but we Brits always had a daft sense of humour. Well, I had a great laugh!

Fancy a beer? Of course, you do. It's a fact that no man can refuse beer...

  
Being a normal guy, I head straight for the tavern, which opens up a world of new options.

  
I gambled with these likely lads but didn't do very well... Wait a moment, is that a trapdoor I see?

Aesthetics

Graphically, we have a homebrew Dungeon Master wannabe. It's good, well-drawn and often humorous (I believe the funky images were taken from Deltronics' Fantasy Graphic Disk?). I was gobsmacked when the first zombie appeared - to eat my brain - an intense moment lol. Yes, this game has superb pixel art.

There are no atmospheric tunes, but at least the sound effects are all made from samples. These enhance the game's humorous nature: footsteps, knocking doors, groans, and the clang of metal are all good. But it's the horrifying screams that are amazing and make me chuckle. I love the effort gone into this!!

We seem to meet the same type of monster down in a dungeon. Which is great stuff...

Abandon hope all ye who enter here, as each step reveals something scary!

Or even a hideous ... erm ... Viking?

Beat all of them, and then a giant snake appears. Will it ever end?

Sometimes emulation is better than real hardware!

I've never previously experienced a game that uses the Talespin engine, and it's obvious this creator has limits. The problem is an agonising wait between each and (almost) every action, which is quite poor and spoils things somewhat. Oddly, installing it onto a hard drive didn't present much of a benefit.

Every game I play and review is done on my 4MB Atari STe, and I tried my 16MHz Mega STe, but it didn't have the positive effect I'd hoped for. In fact, it made things slightly worse because a few screens suffered palette corruption, and some sound effects didn't play correctly. So, (sigh) I find myself in new territory here, and thus advise using an emulator like Hatari - I sped up those waits by hitting CMD X (Mac).

One final screenshot and it's something no adventurer ever wants to see...

I should have spent more time in the tavern!! At least the great humour remains until the very end.

The CryptO'pinion?

I enjoyed discovering something 'new', and this certainly offered an intriguing adventure filled with silly characters and numerous battles against unearthly creatures. Unfortunately, the Talespin engine itself is slow and lets it down. However, if you can tolerate that, you’ll find this adventure extremely enjoyable.

It has its flaws with that speed, but this is an entertaining and delightful adventure.

Grab yourself the download right now.

Goldrunner

Robb says wow!

It's been a while since I posted something cool in our Music section. So, I went looking for something extra special and then I remembered this gem: a "Dark Rock" remake of the Rob Hubbard original. This completely blew me away!!

Okay, I'll award 100 points to those who can answer this question: What game is this music from? (Noooo, don't look at the post title hehe. Pah, never mind). All credit to Yoshitaka Hojo who you can check out on Soundcloud :)

I'm on the lookout now for other "dark rock" or "darker" remakes of ST tunes...

Yomo

Yomo is an oldskool-styled shoot 'em up by Aaron Fothergill for Mandarin Software. It was runner-up in The 1989 Games Writer Of The Year Award competition which is pretty cool. I've had this on my bucket list for a while because I always admired its 8-bit feel which reminded me of games I played as a youngster back in the early 80s.

The world is viewed two-dimensionally with a landscape populated by many destructible buildings and whacky vehicles which use the most frustrating mechanics. Our character is a tiny stickman who's on a mission to recover a dodgy nuke dropped behind enemy lines. However, this won't be easy because the baddies are constantly attacking so why not fire off a few heat-seeking missiles before jumping inside something probably stolen from the 1960s? On foot isn't fun, but if you see other stickmen wobbling across your screen then hit fire and gun 'em down!!

Visually speaking, you better not have high hopes because this ain't no glamourous Bitmap Brothers product: the graphics are lame with titchy sprites and ugly scrolling that had my Atari STe crying out in agony. However, I must admit that the sounds aren't bad thanks to lots of crunchy samples - lightning is oddly my favourite!

Yomo is pants but it's also surprisingly a lot of fun and the ability to jump into any aircraft is genius. However, there isn't enough ammo and collecting extra supplies is laborious and very tricky during the heat of battle. Overall, Yomo is frustrating and overly difficult but if you enjoy blowing stuff up then it's possibly worth downloading.

- DOWNLOAD -

Rubicon

16-bit games are too tough!

21st Century Entertainment released Rubicon in 1992, and is something I've enjoyed for years. It's my kinda game because it's a ludicrous mix of platformer and shoot 'em-up genres. A great run and gunner!! However, I admit I'm also rubbish and fail to reach the third level - sometimes I cannot beat the first!! So, I've whacked on the trainer and played through to the end (watch my video if you don't believe me lol).

Developed by the Fingerbobs, who certainly had a grim view of the future - by 2011 there would have been a nuclear accident which transformed the local wildlife into vicious mutations. Apparently, the situation was so bad that Finland and Russia were evacuated. Okay... it's our mission to kill everything before these creatures find a way to blow us all up!! Tool up, soldier!! So yeah, an original storyline, I'm sure you'll agree?

Hey, wanna see some amazing screenshots? Well, whatever you said, here they are...

Level one introduces us to the unfair mechanics, it's not long before infinite lives is enabled!!

But it's also now that you realise the beautiful artwork too.

I love level two with its enormous enemies and trapdoors, which host something silly.

Oi, pick on someone your own size!!

Right, I'm impressed

The first thing that hits you is the tracker music, which is stereo on the Atari STe and nice (which is high praise from this chiptune guy). Why couldn't other developers go that extra mile? Anyhow, the aesthetics keep on getting better with superb in-game graphics: smooth scrolling across gorgeous landscapes with a wide variety of mutated monsters all intent on killing you. The attention to detail is constantly outstanding, but the animations are hit-and-miss because some are great, whilst others are oddly void of any extra frames.

Sadly, slowdown occurs when particular (ie, ginormous) enemy sprites are displayed. I must admit that I'm disappointed they didn't also utilise the Blitter along with the DMA - that would have helped with these sprites! Curiously, this framerate drop occurs for unanimated sprites like the Ceratopia, which is surprising after battling a screen-sized skeleton and a squid! But who cares about a little slowdown? Let's play!

I can live with a little slowdown here and there, so let's check out more outstanding screenshots...

Level three continues the theme, but in the snow! That tank driver should have ducked down...

Get out of that tank and fight like a man!

We're Pitfall Harry for level four with sinking stepping stones, spikes and lots of monkeys!

That is gonna hurt...................

I need a big gun!

This game is fun, but throughout the seven levels, it's much the same with different graphics. I loved the last two levels, which reminded me of Thunder Jaws and, of course, Aliens. Our hero has access to lots of weapons, and the single-shot gun initially does the trick well, but it's not long before you need to upgrade to something with a little more muscle because those bigger enemies are nigh on impossible to kill with your peashooter.

Weapons are excellent, but the laser sucks. Thankfully, there are many other weapons to choose from, like the "Scatter" and "Napalm" (my fave). However, we start with zero ammo for everything other than our basic gun, so collect ammo boxes that are periodically dropped in. This isn't bad, but it can be awkward because you must press the required Function Key to choose your desired weapon before making the pickup. I would have preferred random types of ammo dropped to save us from fumbling for the right key before it disappears!!

Nothing makes more sense than a fun and senseless game of killing, so let's see more...

Level five is incredible, with many obscure enemies, so upgrade your weapons!

Check out my flame thrower. Take a closer look!

Level six takes us into deep waters, and I dare anyone not to love every second of this.

I'll kill you and eat you for my dinner. Well, no, I won't, but I sounded macho!

The CryptO'pinion?

Rubicon is fantastic, but doesn't break the mould with any originality. It's stupidly difficult at times, especially on levels two and three. Having said all that, it's another Torvak the Warrior - a game I love to play regularly. I love the action this freakishly weird platform offers - levels six and seven are my favourites.

Rubicon is far from perfect, but it's still bucketloads of fun and definitely worth your time playing.

If you fancy going shirtless and flexing your rippling muscles before taking on the hoard then you have this choice: grab either the floppies or one of these versions for a hard drive: 8BitChip or D-Bug.

The final level has us battling Aliens, Facehuggers, giant eggs, and even the queen herself!!

Alien queen beast! What?? Yowzers!!

Hmm, where have I heard that line before? ;)

Wings Of Death

Quick play video

This is one of the classiest games for the ST and is even better when played on the Atari STe with loads more colours, better sounds, and so on. You play as Sagyr, a powerful wizard who’s been cursed by the evil sorceress Xandrilia. To break the spell and defeat her dark magic, you must battle through hordes of enemies across seven dangerous levels - ranging from forests to dungeons within a dark and gothic world.

This isn't a review. I simply wanted a reason to post my gameplay video recordings. Plus, every ST Nutter out there already knows just how cool this shooter is! Am I right? So, here are some of my tips...

It pays to practice as much as possible because this is a challenging shooter. With each wave of enemies killed, bonuses and power-ups are dropped, offering multiple options for new firepower. I would say learn what each one does and "know your weapons". Some are great, whereas some are less effective. Stick with what you like and don't blindly upgrade for the sake of it.

It's often a good idea to stay clear of the skull icons, which annoyingly offer a downgrade - not what you need in the heat of battle. That "HaHa" you hear can become intimidating, so learn the weapons and ignore the skulls. Additionally, perhaps consider abandoning any thoughts of staying in the central part of the screen, as this is a hotspot of activity. Likewise, don't remain along the bottom as the baddies do attack in an array of patterns. Hey, perhaps you can memorise those?

I hope that helps some of you guys. Wings of Death is a standout shooter, combining slick visuals, stunning audio, smooth scrolling, and a brilliant variety of weaponry. It’s tough (very tough) but also kinda fair, and its gameplay holds up incredibly well. Easily one of the Atari ST/STe’s finest arcade-style shooters.

Look, despite my joystick skills, I've recorded another video to complement the one above. Why? Because I love this shooter so much. Yes, even though I'm terrible at it and require the reactions of a 12-year-old!!

Specs (Credit Atarimania)

Supports Blitter

Supports STe DMA sound

Supports 1, 2 or 4Mb of RAM

Supports audio cartridge

Features up to 154 colours on-screen simultaneously (introduction screen)

Features up to 144 colours on-screen simultaneously (options or static screen)

Features up to 26 colours on-screen simultaneously (in-game)

Features digitized title soundtrack at 12.5KHz (stereo) on STe

Features digitized title soundtrack at 12.1KHz on ST

Features partially digitized in-game soundtrack at 6.25KHz on STe

Features partially digitized in-game soundtrack at 6.1KHz on ST

Features digitized sound fx at 6.25KHz on STe

Features digitized sound fx at 6.1KHz on ST

Additionally, if this game isn't enough for you, then give Lethal Xcess a playtest. Finally, here are some screenshots to drool over before you click on a download for Wings of Death. Here are the download choices for either hard drive (D-Bug), hard drive (PP), or a menu disk on floppy (Atari Legend). Enjoy!

Eye Of Horus

Walk like an Egyptian...

I've been trolling through my old videos and found Logotron's Eye Of Horus. I remember this platformer thanks to its confusing labyrinths with many peculiar enemies. I was impressed but oddly, left feeling a little cold too. It's one of those games that looks, sounds and plays great but it has relentless enemies. Kinda like Black Lamp in this respect.

We are the hawk-headed God, Horus, a good fella for the ancient Egyptians. Our task is to explore the labyrinths of Osiris' burial chamber because he was murdered by Set who scattered his body parts everywhere. We need to collect them and rebuild him. It sounds cool and quite gross but it's time that I revisited this peculiar platformer for a second go.

So, let's waste no more time talking, and get him rebuilt like the six-million-dollar mummy...

I think Eye Of Horus nails the ancient Egyptian scenario perfectly using awesome visuals.

Hard as nails

The ancient tomb contains many traps and even the decor appears angry, so finding the body parts is not going to be easy. Thankfully, being a demigod means we have the ability to morph into a hawk, even if birds don't have any hands to carry things... Keys and Amulets can be used - from operating particular elevators to summoning other so-called gods.

I can see why I originally felt overwhelmed: the level design is pretty confusing at times which isn't helped by the repetitive backgrounds. The mechanics behind the elevators/coloured keys are unnecessarily rubbish plus I think that there are far too many amulets. All enemies are unique and it's peculiarly funny when the fixtures and fittings begin wobbling in anger. Well, at least our demigod is armed with a paper gun! No, really we are lol

Sounds rather strange yet uniquely intriguing? Well, at least the graphics suit the theme...

Okay, Okay, let's keep this civil... but Hall Of Light has awesome maps, which I feel are essential.

Aesthetics

Graphically, this game is gorgeous and reminds me of how a game of Stargate might have looked. It also reminds me of Death Trap and its intro whiffs of Ice Palace. Anyhow, the scrolling is super-smooth with gorgeous animations and the hieroglyphic backgrounds are stunning. This is a beautiful platformer and a lot of love went into its design.

Sound effects are very zesty and accompanied by gorgeous Whittaker music. Not his best but still superb.

The CryptO'pinion?

This is a cunning platformer with lots to offer. It's different and I loved exploring the tomb but the ability to flip into a hawk is a genius move albeit with its own restrictions. Just have a pen and paper ready to make a map (until the right amulet is found). Overall, I still found it confusing in terms of memorising the map plus the constant onslaught of enemies does not help. The only way you're gonna love this game is if you are willing to put in the hours (pun intended)

Otherwise, don't bother because this fantastic platformer demands your time and respect. I hope you play it.

Budding Daniel Jackson wannabes can download Eye Of Horus for floppy or hard drive.

Strider

Ugh, a lame Amiga port?

I remember reading the review for Strider in ST Format which basically said it was great. Although the ST version had smaller sprites, the gameplay was faster and better... I foolishly believed them and wasted my cash on a game I could not play. This was nothing more than a terrible Tiertex port I thought!! I absolutely hated ST Format for making me waste so much of my precious pocket money. Also, I recently gave it a silly mention, but wasn't too kind when remembering its eye-popping scrolling and ridiculous difficulty.

Since then I've mellowed - and I've come to realise that my gaming skills suck (there's a shocker). So, I figured I should give it another go. And you know what, I think I'm not only older but also a lot wiser. Anyhow, almost three decades have passed since I last played this game, so let's see what I think of Strider today.

Before we begin, here's a screenshot of the opening of this wonderful arcade platformer...

The first level is unique and kinda Ruskie. It's the place where you'll learn the controls and that swoosh!

Me, wrong? Never!

Well, after several games, I still found it extremely difficult and failed to beat the first boss - a Flash Gordon wannabe. But the game was brilliantly playable, and, eventually, I beat him!! I was ecstatic, but just then, fire rained down and halted my cries of joy. Thankfully, I properly beat him on my second attempt and proceeded to a wacky level that I absolutely enjoyed, but was also wishing was larger. Sadly, no matter how much I tried, I couldn't beat the next boss so that was that and I gave up [first part of my video recording]

For some odd reason, the next day I felt brave and booted up Strider once again only to enjoy my greatest success. Heck, I even beat the worm thingy and made it onto the following stage - which I've never seen before. This was getting to be exciting, and I wondered how a younger me missed this!! Okay, that level starts great with big cats that wanted to eat me before a giant mechanical creature thing tried its luck. Banging on the fire button proved profitable and I beat him quite easily, but I died later by a circular saw which came outta nowhere. Quite unfair as it's impossible to see it approaching off-screen... [second part of my video recording]

How time flies and can change the perception of many things. Games being one! Check this out...

That swoosh is absolutely superb as are the enormous monsters. Love it!!

Aesthetics

Graphically, Strider is beautiful. From the start, it looks the part and I think they did a cracking job of converting the arcade backdrops over to the much-lower-resolution. The sprites are just freaking incredible - they all look impressive and some are huge. This is a beautiful game but, something had to give for all that glam. That means we have a slightly reduced play area, and the scrolling isn't nearly as smooth as it should be. Don't get me wrong, the scrolling is good and works well, but dies alongside other ST games, like Turrican.

The audio is tremendous, I love the tunes which are apt for this conversion. From the start, I was hooked, just click on the green arrow below to see what I mean. The effects aren't massive in quantity but who doesn't enjoy swooshing through each level? Yes, I love that swoosh lol. I think they did a great job all around.

Before I give my opinion this needs to be said: Dear ST Format, I've hated your review for years but today I hold my hands up and apologise!! After all these years, you were bang-on correct, so forgive me! You guys rocked and I shall blame my old opinion on my joystick skills ;p

The CryptO'pinion?

Strider is superb, so now I'm tempted to whack on the trainer and play through to the end. Okay, the scrolling could have been better, but the gameplay is furious and makes the Amiga conversion look dull as dishwater. Strider is sleek and bucketloads of fun, so don't be a fool and load it up right now. You will love it!

Klaz has a spiced-up version for floppy & hard drives (it includes an option for faster gameplay)

Aaargh!

Aaargh?

Sometimes, I don't want to play a life-sucking adventure or learn the ins and outs of some RPG. Sometimes, I just wanna smash up stuff and then feast on many annoying human beings. Well, today I loaded Aaargh, by Melbourne House. It's basically Rampage, and we can be a giant ogre or a fire-breathing dragon.

Destroy buildings, kill attacking critters, eat stupid humans and then collect an egg trophy. Watch out for the angry yocals and dangerous critters, so conserve energy by eating what you find - like tasty humans!! Once you have the egg, it's time for a battle with a beastie opponent before plundering the next village.

The controls are a little clumsy because our beastie must be facing in the right direction to pick up items and perform attack moves. Sadly, we can be knocked to the ground too easily, which is frustrating when waiting for him to get up (and that gives other nasties more than enough time to creep up on you once again).

It's not Rampage, but it's still fun for an hour or two. And who doesn't enjoy burning homes to the ground before eating the angry villagers? Aaargh! might be utter rubbish, but I actually enjoyed it. And I enjoyed it a bunch!! Of course, I'm mad, but it's great fun being mad so play this ridiculous game now. You'll love it.

Download the floppies from Atari Legend, and the hard drive game from 8BitChip.

I found this screen pretty awkward to walk around.

This is a great level and nothing is better than killing the native peasants!!

Oh no, this looks scary. Love that face in the rock!

Rainbow!!

I've just been laughing my ST socks off at my oldest video recording on YouTube. Rainbow might not mean much to those around the globe but, here in dear old Blighty, it was one of the most popular children's TV shows for about 25 years. I miss Zippy! Enjoy this amazing demo that pushes the Atari STe to its limits.

Erm, honest... Anyhow, it's still great to watch. Insane, more like!! :D

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more Atari ST videos!!

Joust

Let's go medieval!

Joust is a cracker - whether solo or with a mate - and all you need is medieval chainmail and a flying ostrich. I think this is one of those games that everyone loves so I figured that I should record a video demonstrating different versions? This also includes Winglord, an awesome take on the theme for the Atari STe.

Note: I used OpenEmu to emulate the Atari 2600/5200/7800 and Hatari for the Atari ST/e computers. My recording is best viewed directly on YouTube as each part is linked within its description.

Okay, let's start at the beginning and see what's what in the jousting world...



- A T A R I  2 6 0 0 -
First up is the Atari 2600 which I'm saddened to report I did not enjoy nearly as much as I was expecting. I don't know what it is, but I didn't gel with this version at all. Yes, the gameplay was quick and fun but I was also left a little baffled as to why I wasn't enjoying it that much. I guess that I never felt totally comfortable with the controls.

However, I will say that the sound effects are typically 2600 and very raspy! This is what I absolutely love about the machine because it's so cool. Ultimately, I came away feeling cold so this isn't something I'll return to.

- A T A R I  5 2 0 0 -
I'll always be the first to admit that I'm a noob concerning old consoles but the Atari 5200 never seems to disappoint me. Once again, it delivers the goods with a fascinating conversion that is fast and frantic but always fun and well-balanced. And it's that what I enjoyed the most for maximum, fair and balanced, gameplay.

Okay, the graphics aren't exactly pushing this machine but that doesn't matter at all. The sound effects are a brilliant step up from those on the 2600 (which I loved). The 5200 knocks it out of the park with a killer and zany experience. Looks bad, sounds great, and plays even better. What a fantastic version of Joust this is!!

- A T A R I  7 8 0 0 -
Next up is the obscure Atari 7800 and what a tough conversion this machine brought to the table. It's pretty much as you would expect, so more of the same Joust'y goodness. In fact, it looks, sounds and plays superbly well but is it a hard nut to crack. Over and over (and over again) I would fail miserably and I began to question why I bother!

Like the 5200, I found the controls perfect even if I failed to progress much (and that's an understatement). This version could/should have been the best of the lot but it's just so darn difficult. Make sure you watch my video for a hilarious end to this game - I think this sums up my luck rather well with this game?

- A T A R I  S T -
Onto the Atari ST and the boys did a fantastic job. After a peculiar title screen, we are greeted with detailed sprites and lovely animations - they sure look the part!! The gameplay is spot-on perfect thanks to awesome mechanics. This is a belting conversion that I find hard to fault because it's fun to play without the irritation of being too difficult.

I'm trying not to sound like an ST fanboy but I genuinely had the most fun here. A perfect 10/10.

Floppies can be found via Old Games Finder but install to a hard drive if you can.

- A T A R I  S T e -
Winglord by Victor Bruhn is something possibly unknown to many and it runs on both ST computers - but is best on the Atari STe thanks to Blitted graphics and lots of funky DMA sounds. There are a number of changes, like unicorns and yellow jackets so it's hardly an authentic clone. Which I'm glad of. Plus I love how the unicorns strut their stuff and did I mention that we have missiles? Oh yeah!! Winglord is a magnificent alternative to Joust.

Updated May 2021 - https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/2021/05/winglord.html

Alien Vs Predator

Don't tread in the slime!

Rebellion's Alien Vs Predator is a 64-bit masterpiece and also the main reason I bought an Atari Jaguar. It offers a fascinating first-person experience set in outer space onboard an alien-infested spaceship. Rarely did I play as either the Alien or Predator because I almost always chose the Colonial Marine, Private Lance J. Lewis.

This marine is a bad boy who awakens from stasis in the Brig. Wondering what's going on, he conveniently finds a dead body and picks up a shotgun before speaking the line: "What on earth got hold of this guy?". Lance is very hungry and heads to the canteen on sublevel 3 only to find the place is swarming with vicious aliens!! I think it's Shotgun time?

What a storyline! I love it but we need to pause the reading for some screenshots from the intro...

  
  

  
Original and gripping storyline? Well, at least the artwork is gorgeous... Hang on, is that a pink ship?

All I need is a big gun!

Don't be scared - the ship might be overrun but we have a shotgun and there are plenty of supplies to pick up. Sadly, your clearance level is pretty lame but fumbling dead bodies could reveal hidden treasures and possibly better keycards. When all seems lost, follow in the footsteps of Gordon Freeman and use the vent shafts for a sneaky way to get around. Finally, don't ignore the computer terminals as they often contain helpful information and mapping details.

This adventure is yours to enjoy how you see fit but it will be hard unless you make a map - especially for the vent shafts which are tricky to navigate. Upgrading to the Pulse Rifle is a must and it sounds superb. I love the Motion Tracker which is really handy but don't dawdle because reports suggest another alien ship docking!! This game is big.

We aren't limited to simply being human! Choose your character race for a unique game...

Wanna be a Marine with a big gun? Of course, you do!!!

   
Or a sleek alien with speed and power? Or a big wimp who hides behind his gadgets?

The CryptO'pinion?

Alien vs Predator is all about taking the time to explore and tactical thinking. There's nothing like crawling the air vents looking for secret places or just places that aren't accessible the usual way. The game is massive and the excitement you feel when first firing that pulse rifle is legendary. These are nasty times so find the keycards, kill as many aliens as possible, and activate the self-destruct before it's too late. Be brave and don't step in the goo.

I highly recommend this wonderful FPS - just don't forget about the escape pod otherwise it's "Game over, man"!!

Did you enjoy this? It wasn't related to the Atari ST but I hope to feature more for the Atari consoles.

My apologies for the speed & quality of the video. Doing both the recording and running the emulator was a struggle for my old Mac. I had lots of fun but regret selling my Jaguar!

No Buddies Land

When the demoscene becomes the game industry!

Eternal's No Buddies Land was released in 1991 by Loriciel and programmed by David Boshoven, who is better known as Lair from the group Hotline. Okay, the story is silly, but let's roll with it: the land is flooding, and Bud is the hero of the day who must climb up into heaven to ask for help before everything is destroyed.

Five dreaded levels are about to be flooded - our adventure begins in a dingy castle before heading outside to hop his way through the trees and then up into the clouds. As each level begins, the waters begin to rise just as in games like Flood, Goin' Down With The Captain, or Killing Game Show. So, be quick and get moving!!

Before any more waffling from me, let's take a look at the first level...

Level one is pretty cool, but it also introduces you to the cruel mechanics and an overpriced shop!

Prepare thyself!

...for a world of hurt! This game features cruel, wicked environments, many traps, and frustrating jumps. We must also contend with moving platforms, acid droplets, spikes, disappearing ledges, and much more. Not only all that, but the local wildlife is never friendly and will zap your energy with a single touch.

Thankfully, there's nothing better than arming yourself with a weapon. It's natural to see a kid carrying a pistol in any 16-bit world! Best of all, this can be upgraded (along with health and more). Yep, you heard me, there are actually shops on the way up to Heaven. Who would have thought that? Well, brace yourself because I'm told there are also hidden side games and annoying puzzles (Grr!!). Something for everyone.

Want more screenshots? Of course, you do! Here are a couple from the second and third level...

I liked level 2 the most, which also reminded me of Elf, but I found level 3 a killer and really annoying!!

Platforming never looked so good!

The visuals are by Bram Leyten, aka Sense of Hotline, and are stunning with incredible attention to detail for both the environment and cute sprites. This game looks incredible! Animations that are nice, but Bud walks like he's rushing to the toilet - gotta laugh at his zippy legs!! Not only do these graphics knock you for six, but they slide down your screen at a graceful 50fps using sync-scrolling. Thank you #demoscene!!

This method screws up my VGA monitor (real ST hardware) each time it attempts to scroll. It works dandy using a standard CRT monitor/TV. So, I guess it must be a VGA issue with my current setup?

Audio has not been forgotten, and if you remember Monster Business's outstanding tunes, then you're in for a treat. Laurens Tummers, aka Lotus, has done it again to provide stunning examples of timeless chip music. In fact, I would say No Buddies Land has some of the best tunes I've heard in any game. Stunning results.

Both levels 4 and 5 feature disappearing platforms, which I really, really, REALLY hated!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Technically, a masterpiece that proves what the Atari ST is capable of when in the hands of talented people. However, No Buddies Land isn't perfect. The controls are great, but jumping diagonally can be awkward unless Bud is currently walking (YMMV). Also, knowing which ledges to hop onto isn't always obvious when some blend into the background scenery. Ultimately, with a little tweaking, everything would have been perfect.

Having said that, this is a belting platformer and I've really relished playing it. It's nothing like I first expected and is actually enjoyable, unlike that disappointing platformer by TCB (sigh). The range of levels is extraordinary, with each featuring different environments that are as challenging as they are gorgeous.

A belting game, with a few niggles, but otherwise thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.

Download the floppy or HDD versions.

Hibernated 1 - This Place is Death

WooHoo a new Atari ST game!

Hibernated 1: This Place is Death is a sci-fi text adventure by Stefan Vogt and released for a variety of different platforms along with our beautiful Atari ST. We are Olivia Lund onboard the intergalactic spaceship, Polaris-7 who has awoken from stasis. The ship appears abandoned and has been caught by an alien tractor beam.

Text adventures aren't often my cuppa tea - my brain needs to be fed visual wonders otherwise, it wanders. But, I've enjoyed myself with this rather splendid adventure with its fantastic sense of humour. The parser is easy to use with a two-word command system using Examine, Get, Open, Search, Move, etc. There are shortcuts: I for Inventory and R to re-describe the current location. Medium resolution is supported but oddly not monochrome... The docs advised making a map and that is a very good idea!!

Hibernated 1 is possibly the first of a new trilogy that can be downloaded and bought. Name your own price - which is a wonderful idea - thus play before you pay. Are any interested adventurers lurking?

UPDATE: You can now purchase a physical boxed release! :-)

This adventure has a great personality with cheeky remarks using buckets of humour!

A droid is punching me and I try to examine it. What was I thinking? A nice response though!!

Yikes, what is on that computer? The last thing we need is to be quarantined for four weeks!

PONG

Ping!

I love finding something "new" and yesterday I saw a version of Pong on Atari Legend but one I had not played. It's by Construct Developments but I couldn't source a download from anywhere until ST Graveyard, aka Maarten Martens, kindly sent me the disk image. (Download also added into AtariMania for safekeeping)

Pong works on the Atari STe with stereo tracker music, but the gameplay isn't exactly what I assumed. Forget your friends and family because this is a one-player conversion using the joystick to control both paddles simultaneously. So, as you guide the left paddle, the right will automatically move in the opposite direction for a brain-busting experience! It's tough to fully master - but Pongtastic and bucketloads of fun!!

Sadly, it appears Pong wasn't finished so there are a few minor niggles. The only thing that bugged me was how the ball becomes difficult to follow as it passes over an area of similar colour. Nothing is perfect and finding new Atari ST games is always good, and this game certainly offers a neat twist on the format.