Electrons From Acorns

A new disk mag

My old mate Stuart, aka the Elk of STatariART, is working on a new diskmag which he's developed using GFA Basic (is there nothing that tool can't do!). He's already at issue three which features a nifty user interface, a silly letter (that you shouldn't read) and lots of superb medium-resolution artwork (I'm looking forward to more pics in the future).

Content is low, at the moment, but steadily increasing now that the groundwork for the magazine structure is there. He hopes to release a disk each month, which is ambitious, to say the least. His plan is to recreate that community vibe from the 90s. So, you're invited to contribute whatever you like and have your say. Come on and get involved. :-)

EFA issue #3 can be downloaded from over at the Demozoo website and I invite you all to check it out sometime over the weekend. Here are a few sneaky screenshots to tease you into clicking on that download link.

I asked Stuart why he's making an Atari ST diskmag in the 21st century and here's what he had to say...

Hey Steve! First, can I say thank you to the Crypt for picking up my new diskmag thing - I appreciate it cos I know how busy things are down in the fiery depths of the undead Atariverse! Here's a bit of background about me and how I arrived at the idea of doing this diskmag thing for the ST.

My name is Stuart Johns but I go by 'the elk'; my passion thereby being Public Domain, specifically creating artwork and music to contribute to the PD scene. I started out in computing back in 1983 when my folks bought an Acorn Electron and it got me hooked into the 8-bit world. Come the late '80s and we upgraded to a C64, but I soon replaced this with a Miggy and it was on that machine that I began to fiddle around in Deluxe Paint and ProTracker.

After these beginnings in the '80s and '90s amongst Acorns and Commodores, it wasn't actually until 2016 that I got my first ST machine! When I was younger, a musician friend of mine had an ST and I had always been intrigued by them. The chance to get one at a good price came up and I grabbed it. I immediately fell in love with it; not just the aesthetic but the way it worked and of course the MIDI side of things.... and Degas Elite... I mean what can I say? True Love!

It's always been important to me that people use the stuff I am creating as a truly public domain resource - I encourage people to reuse it and change it themselves without any credit to my original work. But I am always trying to find new ways of getting the art out there. The EFA diskmag idea was borne and the Atari ST seemed like the perfect way to springboard this. I wish I had got an ST back in the day instead of the miggy, but it's all good... it just means I have a lot of catching up to do!

That brings me onto the EFA diskmag as it stands. It's up to issue 3 (that being released on September 5th, 2020) and I am coding it in GFA Basic on my STe. The first two issues were extremely bare-bones, but with issue 3 I see a bit of an evolution - sub-menus, structure, cleaner coding for displaying pictures and even displaying text files within the mag itself - with a good deal of help from folks over at the Atari-Forum.com (what is probably simple coding to most folks lol).

So I see issue 3 as a foundation issue. I admit that content is thin, but I feel there is a structure to move forward with and hopefully, people will email their letters, thoughts and pictures (PI2 format please). I will hopefully be doing some interviews and such as time goes on and also looking at the ST itself as a vehicle for PD art and music. Everything starts from something, right?

- EFA diskmag Issue #3 screenshots -

Crazy Cars III

Oh no, another Crazy Cars game?

Yep, and I must admit that I was a bit worried because the first game was rather crude and the second had infuriating mechanics that angered me a lot. So, as you can imagine, I was skeptical about the third. Okay, it's 1992 (I wish) and Titus appears to have redeemed themselves with something that actually looks rather good. What??

Yeah, it looks cool and the background story is funny and proves you should never look a gift horse in the mouth. Well, when somebody offers you a Lamborgini Diablo, at a rock-bottom price, take it and then drive it away as fast as you can!! Which is exactly what we're doing for Crazy Cars 3. Sure, we spent most of our life savings running it but we have a sexy sports car. More importantly, enough cash remaining to compete in America's Bull Run - the Saturday Night Races.

That might sound lame but this event is a huge event taking place throughout the lower 48 States against many rival drivers. There are four divisions and, of course, we begin right at the bottom of the fourth with a measly $6000 left in the pot. Thankfully, that's more than enough to get us racing through Miami, Denver, and Memphis. Each win increases your purse, thus opening up the possibility of competing in the more expensive races in other locations.

Enough yapping, I think it's time we viewed a few opening screenshots...

Put the pedal to the metal!

Before you rush off and waste precious cash, it makes sense to practice. So look at the map and take a stab at any location. Each is different with a varying degree of difficulty thanks to narrow, twisty lanes, obstacles, and other cars. Not to mention the cops who are looking to boost their Christmas party fund. Well, why bother arresting real criminals!

Anyhow, once you feel you've practiced enough, slap yourself and then practice some more. You won't regret it. Eventually, you will be ready and can head over to the Tournament with confidence. Pick yourself a character, I'm always the Mr T lookalike! It's now a good idea to start cheap with something you can afford, I advise Memphis. All "yellow" coloured places are initially open to you with details of fees, prizes, and details of those dreaded cops.

Prize money is awarded for coming 1st, 2nd, or 3rd but it's possible to boost that via your fellow rival drivers. These guys are always up for a flutter - might be a good opportunity to earn extra money? So long as you don't get too big for your boots and have bothered to practice on more than just a few tracks. Yes, you really should practice. Take the hint!

It sounds quite complex but it's not so let's take a gander at some more sexy pixels...

Titus 2:13

I'll say it now, I love Crazy Cars III which is thankfully nothing at all like the first two racers - in terms of gameplay and quality. In fact, it's quite a rush slamming down the road, zooming by the other cars, with the thrill of passing a dreaded rival. The controls are excellent with our joystick used to steer this red beast: push up or hit fire to accelerate and pull back breaks. You can choose between manual or auto gearboxes which means I always choose the latter!

This racer is fast and furious (sorry) and feels like Titus sneakily took inspiration from a number of others, like Lotus II for example. But that's okay, there are lots of examples of ripoffs being better than the originals. The gameplay here matters so play dirty if you need to but always keep an eye out for the cops. Those guys never give up and will try to chase you all the way through to the end. So whaddya gonna do? Flee or be a good citizen... FLEE, of course!!!

Rich rewards for good drivers so collect the bounty for winning and then grab what's owed to you by losing rivals. Now, it's time to think and decide just how you're gonna spend that cash. Car repairs, or enhancements like a better gearbox, turbo boost, tyres, etc. Perhaps another harder race which is now unlocked because you're the Million Dollar Man? This routine is continued until you earn enough dosh to enter into the Divisional Race for a possibility of promotion.

And finally, it's time to view some amazing in-game screenshots. Enjoy these...

A shiny red car and a roaring engine?

Yup, now we move onto the aesthetics - which never matter but is still nice to have. So what do we have?

Well, the graphics are ace. Simple as that. This is one of the most glamorous 16-bit racers with a decent framerate and good sprite scaling for everything that whizzes by. The weather effects are a nice addition but only if you've remembered to change the tyres. The palettes I adore as they use beautiful colours!

The audio is good with a neat tune and decent sound effects. Most effects are YM chippy and could have been better but there are some neat touches, like when going under a bridge. The best is the whirring sirens of the cop cars which are excellent. But this also highlights the Diablo's mundane engine sounds. Ah well, can't have it all?

Okay, here are some funny faces and the sweet smell of failure for the last few screenshots...

The CryptO'pinion?

Every game has a flaw or two and I thought my Diablo suffered lethargic cornering compared to the others. Also, I wasn't a fan of the - overly - narrow tracks with many stupid locals getting in my way! My driving skills suffered, as did my wallet paying for all the extra repairs! Possibly too many cars populate the roads? Or is that just me?

Crazy Cars III is fandabbydosey. It's the best in the series (hardly a revelation) with tons of thrills and excitement. Also, I love the freedom to enhance the car, gamble, race through superb locations, and the rush of being chased by the cops (who are relentless). Is this better than Lotus II? Possibly!! An enticing thought. So, set aside a couple of hours over the coming weekend for you and the kids. You won't regret playing this need for speedster - it's blummin' excellent!!

Download the floppies via Atarilegend

ymphibian

DOOM!

I recently read that Effect had released a brand new demo by Tom Kito which is stuffed with 12 tunes by Proto. I love chiptunes, and the Atari ST already has some incredible musicdisks in its library, so I had high hopes. Thankfully, ymphibian is foot-tappingly superb and I enjoyed it so much that I made this recording to share.

There's a range of crackers here and that E1M1 tune is shockingly great and something this old Doomguy enjoyed!! (how could I not?). Also, I really appreciated the autoplay feature, which is something every music disk should have. So, as their website says, "sit back, grab a beer and enjoy the banging beats coming from your Atari ST’s YM2149".

You can download this excellent music disk from the Effect website. Enjoy...

Party Seven!

Gary's games

I was looking back through the AtariCrypt archives and came across Alien World, a sensational shoot 'em up. Oddly, unknown to many gamers out there. It was developed by Gary Antcliffe for Hi-Tec Software in 1992 and is a bit like Blood Money or Zynaps. You know the kind - kill everything whilst trying not to die a humiliating death!

Anyhow, he's also the man behind Blazing Thunder, Bomb Fusion, Future Bike Simulator, Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, T-Bird and Yogi's Great Escape. Quite a bunch... So, I began to wonder what his other games might be like.

You've guessed it! Yes, here is a quick compilation of Gary's games for the Atari ST. Take a look...

- Alien World -

Firstly, there's no need to rewrite any more of my junk! Just take a walk down AtariCrypt's memory lane and then download what is nothing less than an exciting, if brutal shoot 'em up with super-sonic visuals to boot. Yep, it's tough and takes no prisoners but a skilful and persistent player will be rewarded with a fantastic game.

Grab the floppy disk download from Stonish and the HDD from 8BitChip.

- Blazing Thunder -

Remember in Ikari Warriors when you could kill soldiers from within the relative safety of your little tank? Have you ever wondered what it might be like to permanently be inside a near-invincible tank throughout the entire game? Well, wonder no more because this arcade-inspired (aka blatant rip-off) offers exactly that.

Stop! Don't touch the keyboard because there is an incredibly cheesy intro which is hard not to love. The graphics, and sound effects, are both excellent with our hero looking like a Rambo wannabee with the mad 80s permed hair! Following this is the title screen which is worth leaving displayed just to enjoy the thumping music.

As we begin this vertically-scrolling military shooter, everything is pretty much what you'd expect with soldiers blindly offering themselves as free cannon fodder whilst others lurk in trenches, trees or operate guns. What it obviously lacks in originality is more than made up in the fun department right from the start:

Level one takes place in a jungle, of course before advancing onwards to wetter places for the next stage. These two levels are possibly the best reasons to boot up the game.
We head into the desert for the third stage which is where I found my tank starting to show its cumbersome colours. Having to navigate back 'n forth through the terrain was a pain, especially when ginormous tanks are blocking the way! The boss is impossible to beat without a cheat!
Watch out for the firey landscapes of level 4 with tougher enemies and awkward landscapes. Things are now impossible and I cannot imagine anyone playing this without a cheat!
Level 5 is a breath of fresh air, feeling somewhat like the first two levels and I got serious vibes of Fernandez Must Die. Just watch out for the trains and grenade launchers! The boss is impossibly difficult and even if you do defeat it, the robot guardian appears to kick your butt.
Completing the game rewards you with a lame well-done message. Sigh...

I love rumbling through the jungle in my massive and beastly tank but what were they thinking about when creating such an enormous sprite. It's huge!! Thankfully, the controls are sweet with fast movement and level design which makes it easy to manoeuvre. Running down the soldiers is the first thing to do! Why not? I'm in control of 100 tons of steel so I'm bound to enjoy squashing the enemy into the tank's tread. Watch out for mines that will sap your energy (yep, your tank has energy!) and stay clear of hidden bombs marked with a B... for BOOM!!

Thankfully, there are power-ups that aid health and improve weaponry. Hitting Spacebar operates your own collection of bombs - this is insane and dead funny when soldiers are caught in the explosion. They turn into black-singed corpses!! In fact, the bombs are most useful against the bigger baddies and end-of-level bosses.

Graphically, this is an average looker with a poor framerate that doesn't come close to Dogs of War or War Zone. I liked the palette and the sprites are the best thing to look at. However, there is little or no animation - your tank! If you're wondering about the audio, don't. Spot effects which are well, you know...

Blazing Thunder is a good shoot 'em up but gets repetitive after the first level and is very difficult. However, fighting from the "safety" of a tank does offer an alternative spice to the genre and running over soldiers is always fun. Okay, I'm never going to delete Ikari Warriors for this but I did enjoy it. Not great but not bad either.

Grab the floppy disk download from Stonish.

- Bomb Fusion -

Like many Atari ST guys, I upgraded from an 8-bit computer which means lots of fond memories and I've always got a soft spot for anything reminiscent of that era. A good example would be the Dizzy games, Starquake, Highway Encounter, Head Over Heels and most certainly the recent and incredible Bugziacs.

Okay, here goes... in Bomb Fusion, Terrorists have sneakily planted explosives inside a nuclear station and we've come to save the day - arriving in a Sinclair C5. So it's our job to systematically defused each bomb before the radiation levels reach dangerous levels. I'm getting whiffs of Bomb Jack but there is also the additional task to collect and store any leaked fuel pods. Well, I guess that adds a little more depth to the game?

Getting around each level is easy thanks to the number of platforms used to access each remote bomb. Sometimes these are way out of reach which means using pressure pads or falling off the screen. Yep, falling off the bottom of your screen allows you to reappear at the top which is a nifty idea. Also, there is a weird ball randomly bouncing around for some reason - touching that isn't good for your health.

Graphics never make the game but, let's be honest, it's always nice to see your Atari ST looking hot!! Sadly, I can only imagine the shock on anyone's face when they first played this - did we get a direct Z80 port or something? Also, the music is irritating and possibly the worst I have ever heard from the Atari ST. Be quick and hit F10 to flip to sound effects before your ears bleed. Yes, they are still lame but a zillion times better than the music!

Once you've got over the shock of your Atari ST pretending to be a ZX Spectrum, this is quite good. Scurrying off the screen, frantically trying to defuse the next bomb is a rush. However, it doesn't really go anywhere beyond that and later levels are very difficult. Ten minutes of fun but definitely the weakest game here.

Grab the floppy disk from Stonish and the HDD from 8BitChip.

- Future Bike Simulator -

Apparently, motorbikes were banned in 1995 only to be replaced by 300mph anti-gravity Future Bikes! The highways have been converted into The Strip, which is a new track designed for speed without annoying roadworks or Sunday drivers. Each section is littered with mines, bombs and other riders who can be shot and then robbed of their loot. Use this cash to upgrade your bike with missiles, shields and other goodies.

The controls are great but, sometimes, a track would feel a little too cluttered, especially in the city. Ride, blast and kill anything that gets in your way and survive as long as you possibly can. What more could you want?

Visually, I might have been impressed around 1988 but this came later so I'm shocked it's not better - although I thought the sprites scaled nice. Interestingly, there is an option to increase the framerate by hitting the F key which is fast and excellent. You can flip back using the N key but then everything oddly feels rather sluggish. Sadly, the audio is very disappointing with mediocre sound effects but at least the title screen music is superb!

I found that the 25Hz mode was best experienced using real hardware. By far!

This is a neat game but I failed to see anything resembling a simulator so I'm renaming it to Future Bike Racer. The tracks are long and crammed with many bad guys to blast into smithereens but there's nothing mind-blowing here. However, I did find enjoy the simplicity of doing nothing more than riding my bike and killing folk!

Grab the floppy disk from Stonish and the HDD from 8BitChip.

- Scooby-Doo & Scrappy-Doo -

I'm a bit of a fanboy for platformers and this Scooby snack helps to prove why I love the genre. It's bright, colourful, and detailed with excellent controls. However, it's based on Scrappy-Doo, that annoying pup who ruined what was once a fantastic cartoon. Anyhow, Shaggy and Scooby have been kidnapped by the evil Baron Von Drak which means we are (groan) Scrappy-Doo who must attempt the rescue. We begin on a ship, heading to a desert island with later levels taking us through caves and forests before a battle with the Baron himself.

Each stage is superbly designed and fun to explore with the chance to enter hidden secret levels for tons of bonuses. The enemies are varied and run around like crazy fools with some hopping to and from the different ledges, which was most unexpected. There are several items to collect for health or power-ups and Scrappy can throw a mean couple of punches, even if his reach isn't that great. Collecting Scooby snacks will eventually reward you with an extra life and you will need that for the desert stage and onwards when things get a lot trickier.

Visually, this is an excellent treat alright!! Scrolling is smooth, sprites are cartoon perfect and the levels are utterly gorgeous with a great design using bundles of colour. Audio is probably the best of all the games mentioned here thanks to funky chiptunes. You can switch to sound effects but I wouldn't bother if I were you.

Overall, this is a tie with Alien World for the best of Gary's games. They're very different of course but I cannot decide between the two. Good old Scrappy has delivered a killer punch with something that looks, sounds and plays brilliantly. I personally think this is one of the best platformers for the Atari ST. Yep, I said that.

Grab the floppy disk from Stonish and the HDD from 8BitChip.

- T Bird -

It's time to put on your Buck Rogers big-boy pants for a blaster similar to Space Harrier or Galactic Conqueror. It's easier than the Sega conversion, so nowhere near as difficult as I originally feared thanks to its casual mechanics and fantastic controls. Graphically, there is a serious lack of colour and flair so things look incredibly bland. I don't get it, it's not like they sacrificed any glam for that (ahem) extra speed... Audio fairs a little better with chip music playing in the background and there is the option to hear sound effects instead. Don't bother.

T-Bird isn't a bad shooter but the above-mentioned games are miles better so I'm sensing that this was a port with little dedicated ST love. That is a massive shame because the ST rocks with 3D games like this. Ignore what I said about Bomb Fusion because this is definitely the weakest of the bunch and I'm gutted about that.

Grab the floppy disk from Stonish and the HDD from 8BitChip.

- Yogi's Great Escape -

Jellystone Park is going to close and all the animals are to be transported to the zoo so Yogi decides to escape before it shuts down. I imagine the local council sold the land to a housing property developer... Anyhow, I had high hopes for this platformer after seeing the screenshots full of colour and gorgeous cartoon sprites.

The main objective is to dash through to the end of each level avoiding any nasties along the way. There are picnic baskets and items to collect but your main objective is to escape before the timer expires. Each level follows the same basic principle and there are lots of enemies, moving platforms, rolling platforms, long jumps and other stuff to ruin his day. Most of them feel fiddly and unfair, especially those irritating rolling platforms!!

The controls are responsive but Yogi's movements feel somewhat wooden and unrealistic. Plus he's too big for the environment which makes some jumps rather awkward. In fact, it doesn't feel like he can jump - it's more like floating? Very similar to something like Ghost Battle, rather than what you would actually hope for.

Visually, I love its cartoon appeal. Lots of care must have gone into going that extra mile - smooth scrolling, tons of colours and gorgeous sprites. Okay, the animation is lacking but this is one gorgeous looker! The audio is terrible with no in-game music only meagre spot-effects! Plus I didn't care for the fuzzy title music whatsoever.

Overall, Yogi felt flawed with weird mechanics and limited content which is a shame because it looks the business and certainly had potential. There's just something that puts me off and doing little more than rushing through each level. Sadly, it looks like Yogi isn't smarter than the average bear, after all and you're better off with Potsworth & Co, Rolling Ronny, Stario, Magic Boy, Magic Pockets, Terry's Big Adventure, etc/etc/etc...

Grab the floppy disk from Stonish and the HDD from D-Bug.

- The CryptO'pinion -

Well, that was a peculiar and mixed bunch of arcade-inspired games. It's obvious there is a couple of direct ports here, which is a shame but understandable, I guess. It's also obvious that Gary's skill in getting the best out of the Atari ST improved considerably over the years and he certainly ended on two huge highs with Alien World and Scooby-Doo & Scrappy-Doo. In fact, these two are Christmas crackers and blew me away in terms of quality programming and gameplay.

I often wonder what it must have been like for people developers back in the day working against the constraints they were under. Anyhow, I personally enjoyed doing this compilation and found it incredibly interesting. So who knows what I'll do next? Hey, have you played any of these games? What did you think? I'm interested to hear your thoughts...

Mr. Do! Run Run

4-bitplane sex appeal

Here is a game I consider a visual feast and a superb arcade conversion with utterly gorrrrrgeous gameplay. Yep, it's Mr Do! Run Run which was released in 1990 by Time Soldier dudes, Electrocoin. (actually, I liked that bizarre shooter).

In this top-down runaround, we play the part of a clown who dashes around the screen collecting fruit whilst trying to avoid various chasing nasties that get in our way. We're armed with one ball used to defend ourselves, and this can be replaced by picking up several smaller balls off the floor. Heavy logs have been precariously propped up. These require only one well-timed nudge to see them roll down squashing anything in their path. Just don't get caught in the way!

Let's see why I adore this game and its aesthetics so much. Yes, it's time for screenshots...

This is the campest title screen I've ever seen. It's absurd but very colourful.



The overhead display is superb for a clear view of the task ahead.



Check out those melon monsters! But look, I can see logs just waiting to be knocked.

Shockingly awesome conversion!

This gameplay is fairly similar to PacMan but Mr Do is also writing a line as he moves (think Qix). Use this to draw a box and turn the pills into fruits: repeat the process to flip them into oranges, lemons and eventually pineapples for extra points. Yes, it is based on Qix but the gameplay mechanics are excellent, providing a frantic adrenalin rush as you busily race around the screen. The level is completed once all the balls are collected or the baddies are dead.

Basically, this game is as old-school as it can get and, it works perfectly. In fact, it works so well with zany action that is as crafty to master as it is stunning to look at. Yes, I am shocked by how much I enjoyed this game but, what shocks me even more, is never playing it back in the day. What was I thinking? Where was I? How did I miss this game?

Okay, gaming dudes, let's see more Qix'y screenshots from the game...

Oh, I love the design of each level and how colours are used to enhance that.

Lots to do and many monsters to kill. This game is an action fest and I love it!

Another level of pixel beauty which honours the arcade game perfectly.

Aesthetics

I love the graphics. Stunning. These sweet pixels were created by Gary Felix who was responsible for Exolon and Future Sports. Ignoring the rather lame animated intro (sorry Gary), the title screen that follows demonstrates what to expect from this game. That means peculiar and freaky pixels - especially if you hate clowns? Meh, I don't see what all the fuss is about.

The in-game graphics score the most points because they are authentic to the arcade original using a rich, bold style with cutesy sprites. Lovers of Mr Do and PacMan are instantly going to feel at home in this queer world. In fact, it (almost) makes Rainbow Island look drab. Well, no it doesn't, but this game is just as glam.

Things aren't slowing down! The audio is amazing thanks to the creative efforts of Wally Beben. I'm often amazed at what the YM can produce but he knocked the ball out of the park with outstanding arcade-style sounds. His chip music truly does suit the gameplay and sounds ace. Check it out and click on the green arrow below...

AtariCrypt · Do Run Run

The CryptO'pinion?

Mr Do! Run Run is a challenging game with the first level being an absolute butt-kicker!!! Stick with it. The joy I felt when reaching the second level was an ecstatic moment indeed. My advice: ignore the Qix elements and concentrate on the controls and then how to kill the monsters. Once comfortable, learn how to farm fruits and collect the bonuses.

One of the most overlooked arcade conversions for the Atari ST. Truly an exceptional arcade conversion!!

FLOPPY DISC  |  HDD

Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is one of my favourite musicians who I've enjoyed listening to over the decades. However, that's quite an odd statement when you consider his name is credited on only three Atari ST games (chip). Well, I don't care about quantity because I could never forget my first Atari ST Christmas when I booted up Zynaps and Rana Rama. What a magical moment in time it was hearing these tunes!!

So, with only three chiptunes under his belt, how could I possibly say that Dave Rogers holds this accolade? Easy, because quality reigns over quantity and I've never stopped enjoying his work for over 3 decades. So he must have done something right?

Okay, back when I was running with the Super Pack feature, I got the notion to contact Dave after reviewing the *legend* that is Zynaps - a fantastic and underrated shooter with a massive learning curve. Yep, it takes no prisoners but the rewards are great if you put the time into beating its cruel nature. Which is just what I did - check out my video (which features all Super Pack games).

Well, knock me sideways because Dave replied and kindly took the time to answer a few questions. It was interesting chatting with the guy I've admired for decades and, like me, he's a northern lad. Talk about win-win! My sincere thanks to Dave for taking the time to be interviewed and I'll try my best to forgive your Mac hatred ;-)

DAVE ROGERS - THE INTERVIEW

Tell us about yourself...

The first computer I wrote music for was the Amstrad, using the basic sound command in Locomotive Basic and later I used my own compilers and drivers. For Spectrum and Atari ST games, the music and sound were not written on the machines themselves but were written on the Amstrad and the data was ported across. So, for example, the ST version of Zynaps uses the same sound data as the Amstrad version with a different driver.

I worked entirely from home (I had no choice really, due to some health problems at the time). I never met any other programmers, or anyone in the software industry, apart from two local guys here in Liverpool - Colin Hogg, who later founded The Code Monkeys software house, and Paul Kenny, who worked with me on the Sega.


What hardware was used?

This is quite the list: ZX81 and extras, Amstrad CPC 464, Amstrad disc drive, Dragon32, Spectrum 48k, Spectrum +3, Atari ST, Atari monochrome monitor, Atari disc drive, Sega Megadrive, Gameboy, custom electronics to interface the latter two, PC. I have never owned or used a Commodore 64.

The music compilers, editors and sound drivers for the Amstrad and Spectrum were my own. The driver for the ST was a line-by-line conversion of the Spectrum driver, done by a programmer at Hewson because I was new to the Atari ST and the 68000 (I never found out who did the conversion). The first time I used MIDI was with Cubase on the ST. I very much enjoyed using that setup. The Atari monochrome monitor was very clear, and that early version of Cubase was very simple and intuitive, unlike the cluttered mess that it has evolved into today.

AtariCrypt · Ranarama

Hang on, did I hear you say MIDI?

I used that Atari setup for doing the Megadrive and Gameboy music (Universal Soldier, Centipede, etc). Everything was written on the Atari ST and tracks were auditioned using sounds from a Korg DW8000 keyboard and a Roland D110 rack module put through a home-made mixer. Then the MIDI stream was converted to data for the Megadrive or Gameboy. Voicings for the Sega's FM sound chip and the Gameboy's sound chip were also done on the ST, using editors and drivers designed by Colin Hogg and myself.


Living the rockstar lifestyle, eh?

Almost everything was composed on guitar, a Gibson SG, but not through an amp. I just played it in a very quiet living room, usually in the small hours of the night when I could think clearly. As the music gradually took shape on the guitar I typed in the notes and durations in the form of plain text into my compiler program.

One note at a time. On a 1 to 10 scale of tediousness, it was an 11.

In your interview with Jason C. Brooke, he describes what sounds like a similar method: giving each note a text label, like "c3" to mean C at the third octave. I think many of us came up with similar methods.

AtariCrypt · Zynaps

Who inspired you back then?

I can find something to like in almost all genres of music, and from all eras, but particular favourites include XTC, Genesis, Police, It Bites, and Nik Kershaw. I'm always looking around for new stuff, and I'm constantly amazed by the brilliant musicians that can be found on YouTube if you look a bit outside of the mainstream.

However, the music that I always go back to, time and again, is by Tony Banks, both within Genesis and his solo work. Such epic, elegant tracks as Afterglow, Burning Rope, Mad Man Moon. Coincidentally, one of Banks' lesser-known tracks, "Charm", appears to be a nod towards early chip music, including the distinctive sound of fast trills. "Tony Banks - The Fugitive - Charm" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGS9xzyp9go

Trills were often used by chip musicians to try and compensate for the severe limitation of having only 3 channels to play with. So if, for example, you had a melody line on channel 1 and wanted to accompany it with a 4 note chord, say Cm7, you could trill between C and G on channel 2, and between Eb and Bb on channel 3. It wasn't a proper chord of course, but by trilling rapidly, at say 25 Hz, it gave a reasonable impression of one.

The only musician I worked with was a friend, Paul Kenny, on the Sega titles. But maybe cross-platform conversions could be thought of as "working with" other musicians? In Ranarama for example, Steve Turner had written an excellent melody line for the Spectrum version of the game, so when I did the ST conversion I followed his melody closely, added an intro, added bass and harmonies, then made a completely new section to lengthen it.


Why only three Atari ST chiptunes?

Well, the ST work only started towards the end of my stint with Hewson. Before that, it was all Spectrum and Amstrad, and after that, it was Sega and Gameboy. So my time writing for the ST was pretty short. Another reason is that I tried to aim for originality. Anything that sounded too much like existing music was thrown away.

Also, there are three tunes that were never used. One of them was my first attempt at the title music for Stormlord, which Raffaele Cecco didn't like, so I had to write another. And I'm glad because the first one was awful!

AtariCrypt · Exolon

Looking back...

I'm quite happy with maybe about 70% of my work. Some of it has aged well with me, some has not. I'm still fond of Zynaps. However, a slight annoyance is that some YouTube videos contain glitches and spurious sounds. In this recording, for example, there's a horrible high pitched screech from 1:52 that wasn't in the original. The clean version for comparison can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkMe4vH7Zug


What's Dave Rogers doing these days?

I've never stopped writing music, but hardly any has been published, just these few on Soundcloud.

I'm currently using a PC (I hate MACs, sorry) running Cubase SX. I know that is out of date, but I'm comfortable with it. The software synths I'm using are similarly outdated, favourites being the Wavestation, Edirol Orchestra and some FM emulators. Inputs are from a Casio MG-510 Midi guitar, and occasionally an Edirol keyboard.

I think it's amazing that there is still so much interest in old computers and the games. Although maybe it's not all that surprising really, because they were a part of people's lives as they were growing up, and those sort of memories do tend to stick around. Anyway, I loved being involved in it, and contributing in some small way to the memories, and I really do appreciate the kind reviews and comments I've received over the years.

Cheers,
Dave Rogers, July 2020, Liverpool

War In Middle Earth

Bought yet never played. . .

I've had this golden oldie gathering dust for over 4 years and never booted it up. Yup, I've no idea why, but the three floppy disks have never seen the inside of my ST's drive! Heck, I've never even tried it in emulation... I'm now wondering why I'm so lazy and stupidly wasted cash to rescue a game I didn't really want?

I imagine it was going cheap on eBay? Well, I have loved anything by Melbourne House since my Speccy days - so it was bound to happen!! Hang on, did you think that I was going to say "Tolkien"?? Anyhow, this 30-year-old treasure is in nice condition, even though the paper (for the map & manual) smells a little musty.

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,

Seven for the Dwarf-Lords in their halls of Stone,

Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,

One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne

In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring find them,

One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

In the land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

That sounds rather interesting!! But, for those who might not know, Tolkien's War in Middle Earth is a strategy adventure based around little creatures called Hobbits. You can't miss them - annoying fellas with big feet! This adaptation is loosely based on the books but, I believe, there is always the option to veer from the storyline to venture forth your own way separate from the novel. How far that might get me is anyone's guess.

So, I've got little to say about this RPG but I did notice that the screenshots display the Speccy and Amstrad versions - not exactly a positive sign!! Maybe I should stop yapping and boot it up? Has anyone played it? What can I expect? Should I watch the movies first or (gulp) read the books? Surely not!!

I thought this would make a cool feature for our Box Art section and I hope you like the photographs of this golden oldie? Right then, enough talk because I've got a free weekend so let's see what happens.

 DISK  <  DOWNLOADS  >  HDD

Ignoring the side with yellowing, the map is in good condition (click it). I wonder how accurate it is?

The little book inside the box is the manual, I wanted a bigger book but I'm awkward...

Three disks. Yes, three!! I've not checked, but I guess they're single-sided. Doh!

I love that the box is actually a sleeve and that logo always reminds me of The Hobbit.