Prehistorik

I've missed clubbing animals!

Incredibly, it was 7 years ago that I first featured a game by Titus called Prehistorik (go on, click that link). Unlike most games programmed in STOS, I found this cute, playable, and instantly very addictive. So I figured I should map this beautiful platformer right away and there are many more web pages of mapped Atari ST games here. Check 'em out!

Okay, it's been superb playing this game again and I still appreciate its simplicity; each level is pretty much the same albeit with different graphics and a few extra baddies. That's no bad thing, I hate it when developers attempt to bulk up a game with extra stages that often end up overbearingly bloated and unnecessary. So, it's great to see Titus sticking to their guns with lots of mindless animal bashing and yes, I have not changed my opinion of Prehistorik whatsoever.

I've tried to map everything correctly with all the items shown properly. This includes each of the caves and the secret rooms - I've added directional arrows to help navigate properly. Prehistorik has been an absolute blast and I hope you enjoy these maps as much as I've enjoyed making them? Let me know in the comments below if anyone's here?

Here are a few sneaky thumbnails of what to expect and you can download the hi-res images by clicking here.

Level one is very easy to play and features lots of caves with a few hidden screens.

Perhaps it's now I should warn of spoilers? Nah, download the maps and enjoy it for yourself!

Things are getting tough with new monsters (I really like those crafty snowmen throwing snowballs)

Actually, the snowmen are very tricky and this level has some formidable screens. The boss is rubbish...

We're in the woods for the penultimate level and guess what? It's a brilliant level!!

Well, except for those squirrels who throw their nuts with such annoying accuracy. Ooer!

The final level is a belter, and really enjoyable with great gameplay. I genuinely loved it!!

After all your hard work you return home to the family. Hey, check out my wife!

Badlands Pete

On a steel horse, I ride. I'm wanted, dead or alive...

Sorry, I just had to get that in. Okay, let's crack on... ARC released Badlands Pete in 1990 and is an action-adventure set in the American wild west. I love anything like this, so couldn't play without the attire - I'm wearing a stetson, chaps, spurs, etc. This helps me to write even though the wife laughs at me. But I know that I look like Clint Eastwood. Honest.

Badlands Pete is a platformer that incorporates a pseudo-3D method of walking in/out of each scene. It's a bit like what we saw in Fred and they're calling it Strip-A-Mation, which is quite a cool name. Using this movement alters what's visible. So changing position might mean seeing additional objects along with the ability to navigate differently.

This is a really neat idea that adds depth to the mechanics of each scene and allows freedom to explore everywhere in separate ways. Well, that's if it works properly, otherwise, it could be cumbersome and messy therefore totally ruining the game. Sometimes it's best to keep a platformer simple so we can concentrate on just playing the game!

Anyhow, let's take a look at some screenshots from the 16-bit American frontier...

This is where we begin, riding into town on a Union Pacific train. Nice!

There's a shifty-looking cowboy to our right. Try to chat with him and see how he reacts!

Get out of Dodge!

Arriving in town by train, the task is to rescue the Governor's daughters who have been kidnapped by ruthless thugs from the Badlands. He enlists the help of Pete Coyote, aka Badlands Pete, to get them back. Yep, that's you - the quickest draw in the west. However, my first game didn't go very well and I soon realised the town is full of irate cowboys, crazy Indians, sleepy Mexicans and other townsfolk who first appear to be innocently going about their business (don't be fooled!!)

First things first, the controls are easy: walking left/right is obvious and you can also move in/out of any scene by pushing up/down. However, I would practice in the comfort of the train station area before daring to explore the town itself. Your guns are drawn/holstered by hitting the spacebar with the fire button to shoot.

The user interface shows Pete's energy levels, our score and ammunition. Energy is obvious and when Pete is shot, his bleeding heart needs replenishing with food & drink. The belt of bullets is for ammo - running out leaves you defenceless in this insane frontier so top it up whenever possible - dead bodies are a great source to find goodies!

The score is shown as a dollar bounty which goes up when collecting items or killing someone that's already decided to shoot at you (beware: a negative bounty equates - to others - your worth to them). Finally, the ladies you see at the bottom of your screen are the governor's daughters who require rescuing for a lucrative reward. If you live long enough!

Let's take a look at some more screenshots from my "victorious" gameplay...

I entered a room and was ambushed, for no reason, so I killed him. What's wrong with these people?

Arrrgh even a preacher pulls out his weapon (again, for no reason) and then starts shooting!!

Gunfright!

As you begin, a Wanted Poster depicts the task at hand with the reward. Walking around is kinda cool if I'm honest thanks to the stunning artwork using an arid colour palette. Leaving the station depo for the town reminds me of Rio Bravo and other westerns. Almost all characters have a dollar value but it pays to be coy rather than trigger-happy because those who draw first aren't well respected plus serial killers only end up as wanted themselves... think about that.

After only a short time you soon realise everybody is out to get you. It's rare to walk close to someone who doesn't pull out a weapon in aggression. Most people are nuts, even the preacher wanted me dead! After a while, this constant pointless onslaught is irritating as it halts any chance of progress because you're constantly fighting off everyone.

You can help yourself to various things that replenish your health and ammo: look out for items like a hot pie cooling on a windowsill or a box of ammo, etc. It's worth remembering where these items are usually located because it won't be long until you're backtracking in extreme desperation. And this is constant throughout your gameplay. Yes, constant.

In all honesty, I didn't understand why most characters needed to have such hostile actions. It's not like there are unlimited supplies lying about town to compensate! Anyhow, I think we need to see a couple more screenshots...

Great, now the Indians are shooting arrows at me. Why? I didn't do anything to provoke him!

Oh joy, I walked into the sheriff's office. What happened? Of course, another shooting match!

Aesthetics

I'm a big fan of westerns and I love the old John Wayne movies the most. Badlands Pete is a cartoon representation of that era and it works remarkably well. In fact, I adore the artwork with its dusty frontier for each scene as it reminds me of being in Wichita, Tombstone or West Texas. And that makes this old Atari cowboy very happy indeed!

Sadly, Arc somehow decided against utilising the Atari STe as they did with Chronicles Of Omega. Why I do not know because this game feels very sluggish. Slow to move and also slow to scroll. I think a little help from the Blitter would have been a marvellous improvement. Having said that, there is no reason at all that it's this bad on the STFM!

The idea behind Strip-A-Mation of walking in/out of each scene is superb. This, not only unveils objects that you might have missed but also suggests alternative ways to explore. This game design is by Steven Cain (Black Lamp) and Badlands Pete appears to have evolved somewhat from that. I admire what they where trying to do.

Musically, things aren't bad at all with a title screen tune that sounds great considering ARC foolishly made no use of the Atari STe. Gotta say though, I liked it a bunch! Sadly, the in-game effects are quite lame by comparison. I'd have loved samples from Westerns like Rio Bravo or A Fistfull Of Dollars. Heck, any stock samples would have worked.

Feeling like a bit of a rushed port, isn't it? And by Atari too! Hmm, here are a couple more screenshots...

Hey, this town has a mine. Let's use Strip-A-Mation to walk in to see what's lurking below...

The steps lead off and down. I wonder what's here? I'll save you time - another pointless gunfight!

Hints & Tips

I did wonder whether it was worthwhile even writing this section. I imagine nobody has scrolled this far so I could probably write whatever nonsense I like? Hmm, Atari Legend sucks. Commodore wimps love to whine like big crybabies. ARC hated the ST. Commodore is the best. I love Amigas. Amiga forever!! I have never owned an Atari ST!! I'm pregnant!!

That was fun but I think that I better write some tips, which is extremely difficult for this game...

* Have many practice games and learn the controls, especially with regards to quickdraw.
* Don't get too close to somebody you intend to have a gunfight with. Very weird!!
* Be patient, let the bad guys draw first. I know, I know...
* Never draw your weapon in front of a lady. Ooer!
* Look for items and also top-ups for health and ammo.
* Don't go looking for trouble, run away if you can. If you can...
* Arc obviously had no beta testers so we desperately need a trainer!

I entered the town's jail. Looks quiet, right? No!! After I took this screenshot, they began firing!

This is a screen that you will see a lot!!

The CryptO'pinion?

I'm not exactly sure where to begin... Okay, I love the idea behind Badlands Pete but it's far too difficult so I failed to make much progress. No matter where you go, someone pulls out a weapon and begins firing. It's weird and this relentless attack soon becomes irritating, especially as you find yourself repeatably looking to replenish health and ammo.

The idea behind Strip-A-Mation is great but it would be more suited in an adventure rather than here because it's too fiddly to be functional at speed. Along with Carlos and Chuckie Egg 2, this is possibly one of the worst games I've featured here on AtariCrypt. Ignoring the theme, and excellent visuals, I've nothing much more to say about Badlands Pete.

Sigh, for those still wanting to be a lame version of John Wayne, download Automation #409. Good luck!

Street Fighter

A disgruntled gamer

Back in the summer of 1988, I was the only guy in college with a ZX Spectrum. Don't get me wrong, I loved my old Speccy but I had grown out of it and spent much of that year dreaming of Atari's new supercomputer. It was tough seeing magazine game reviews because the Atari ST games appeared to have graphics lightyears ahead of the current competition.

However, I will always remember the advert for Street Fighter because it featured screenshots taken from various systems, the Atari ST being one. It was a jaw-dropping moment seeing such amazing details and bright colours (the image above). In reality, the advert was a lie because that image was actually taken from the arcade version!!

Not that it mattered because this beat'em up was something of a shambles thanks to Tiertex chimps randomly hitting their keyboards until they thought it was ready for release. I honestly don't know how they got away with this product - it's not only the jerky scrolling and laughable animations but the control system is sluggish and vastly unresponsive.

Of course, after months of yearning for the Atari ST, I finally got one at Christmas. Ignoring Street Fighter, this slab of grey power lived up to all my hopes and desires and you can imagine the joy on my face when I first got to boot up Xenon, Buggy Boy or Beyond The Ice Palace. Magical moments in my history. (Atari STFM Super Pack)

If you're still interested in playing Street Fighter then you are obviously insane, but here are the links...

8BitChip has the download for hard drive/ultrasatan installation.
Floppy disks can be found using Old Games Finger (Automation #41)
Wasabim has recorded a fantastic YouTube video!
Type "STREETCHEAT" on the title screen and you can hit the Help key to skip levels.
Maybe you're curious how Street Fighter would have performed on the Atari STe? (unfinished)
Hey, why not check out our Beat'em Up section, go on and click the links! 

Even though a trainer was enabled, I endured much pain to get these screenshots! I wanted to play through until the end, but it seemed to go on forever so I was thoroughly braindead and gave up. Anyhow, we're here for the (static) pixel art so I'll stop moaning about that advert and game. Dare I ask if there are fans of the ST beat'em up out there!

I hope you enjoyed this silly little post by a disgruntled gamer remembering US Gold's misleading advert? O_o

Look at him trying to punch me even though I've jerkily leapt 15ft in the air.

Look at the magazine advert and then try and tell me that it's the same as the ST game!

Look at the size of this bad boy. Hmm, let's punch him in the nuts - that'll work!

Another giant dude to fight, so I decided to cower in front of Ian Dury's little car heh.

You'll see something like this at the end of each stage. Great, uh?

Look at all those strange faces watching. Quite scary!

Another clipping of the advert (enhanced using online tools, hence the weird text)

SDI: Now The Odds Are Even

The Star Wars program is happening!

Wow, it's incredible how quickly time passes as I've not played this game since I got my first Atari ST. The Sega arcade shooter was converted by Alaric Binnie of Source for Activision and released in 1988. I remember being impressed and unimpressed in equal measure - probably because I liked what I saw but was absolutely terrible at playing it!

As most of us, older gamers might remember, SDI stands for Strategic Defense Initiative and is based on the original Star Wars concept by President Regan devised during the cold war. This technology was supposed to defend Earth (USA!) from the inevitable Soviet attack. Yeah, I know, it never happened... shocker, right?

The game is obviously an action shooter set within the darkness of Earth's space. As it turns out, the defence initiative is actually just a lone satellite armed with a laser gun! Use that to protect mankind from a legion of Soviet nuclear missiles, fighters, and more. Why only one satellite I don't know but, that's the game, so let's crack on...

Soviets are sending everything they have. Well, in stages thankfully.

At first, it was distracting to see the moon moving by. I should have been concentrating!

The fate of mankind...

Our quest begins with the Space Shuttle conveniently dropping us off right before a barrage of Soviet missiles appears. The game is split into two separate modes depending on your performance, offensive and defensive. The first is not unlike other horizontally scrolling shooters attacking everything that swarms onto the screen. The second is like a 3D Missile Command and a final chance to save everyone from the previously missed missiles.

You'll soon discover that SDI isn't a complex game at all. This is a frenzied shooter with us engaged in battling squadrons of enemy artillery. So shoot everything as quickly as you can physically move the mouse. Of course, each stage gets more aggressive, right up until the point my hand-to-eye reactions simply cannot cope anymore (see the video!).

No need to fret, you're not alone as allies will periodically send power-ups. However, during the heat of battle, these look similar to everything else! Especially when you're in a mindset of blasting everything as quickly as possible. So that means they're immediately destroyed - far too soon to collect their cargo that you watch floating away. Sigh...

A damage meter is shown at the bottom of the screen which is an indication of the state of your performance. Survive, and the Space Shuttle reappears to whisk you off to safety where that performance is rated on a scale. Anything less than perfect and you're sent through to a defensive stage to help defend from the attack. However, a perfect score gets you lots of extra points with a blue dancing duck. (I know what you're thinking and I agree - this makes it all worthwhile!!)

The blood-red moon looks awesome. Don't admire, concentrate on the killing!

I let some missiles get through so now I'm defending the base Missile Command style!

Input

Initially, SDI might appear tricky because you have to do two things at once - keep the satellite safe and choose the direction in which it fires. Arcade games can sometimes lose their functionality when converted to a home computer with a one-button joystick. Not so here, all controls are fully configurable using a combination of mouse, joystick and keyboard.

It is possible to use only the mouse, but I wouldn't advise that. I play using the keyboard to direct the satellite and my mouse to aim/shoot. A joystick would also be a good idea but only if it has good suckers to stick onto your desk! O_o

The keyboard/mouse method is kinda like the WASD/mouse combo used in FPS games. You'll love it.

It's not long before things get crazy with lots to shoot at. Trigger-happy heaven!

Ignore the asteroid shower because it's time to shoot more of that Ruskie hardware.

Output

Space is mostly empty so the good thing about a Cold War is having celestial objects as backgrounds rather than boring black. All graphics are by Bryn Redman who treats us to great images of the Earth, its Moon and an asteroid field - I believe later levels feature the Death Star? My gaming skills won't allow me to personally witness that. Hmm...

The darkness of space dictates a more sombre colour palette which suits the Cold War scene but there are some brighter moments to behold. I love the red moon that boldly stands out from everything else, it looks amazing. Sadly, there is some slowdown during later levels that are bombarded by tons of enemies. Meh, I can live with that as it's not too bad.

Paul Summers is responsible for the audio and he did a stellar job (see what I did there?). The title screen features a grungy sample but nothing compares to the glorious in-game chiptunes. These are subtle and suit the ambience whilst also complementing the zappy sound effects. To say I adore the (in-game) tunes would be an understatement!

Come on, the defensive stages really are Missile Command. Rip-off but brilliantly done!!

Do well and make the hi-score table. Hang on, this feels like a game in itself? ;-)

The CryptO'pinion?

SDI could so easily have been a bust due to the control system (not to mention the massive graphical requirements). Alaric Binnie has done a fantastic job, not only aesthetically speaking but also migrating the arcade's control system over to the ST by using its keyboard/joystick and mouse. This combination works a treat, a commendable effort.

However, I usually find something to moan about and SDI is no exception. I failed to see the logic in having a dark blue cursor that can be problematic against the backdrops. Also, the power-ups are so difficult to catch. No, impossible (for me) to catch!! Finally, why aren't we treated to a nuclear explosion at Game Over. Oh, how I wanted to see that...

This is a simple shooter at heart with little depth. Some might say it's an alternative Missile Command and I get that, the similarities are there. SDI is an exciting shooter and one that is utterly addictive albeit I'm shockingly bad at it. Make sure you choose the control method that suits you to prevent Western civilisation from catastrophic demise!

Let me know in the comments what you think about SDI (download for hard drive or floppy disk)

Cybernoid maps

We're back!

Hello everyone, it's been a while since I last updated my website. Due to different reasons, I've had little time to play and write reviews, which meant putting everything on hold. In fact, 2022 was even the year I almost threw in the towel but things are getting better so I'm back and ready for ST action. Hey, wasn't that a magazine?

Anyhow, whilst playing a couple of ST games, I came up with the notion of making maps. Now, if you've been following AtariCrypt for a while, you shall already know that I'm a sucker for making maps with pen and paper. I guess these are more like rough scribbles in Steve-talk? That is great for me but, I wanted to make something 'better'.

As you have guessed, I have begun my quest with the Hewson blaster, Cybernoid. Ignoring the peculiar slowdown, this is a brilliant shooter and I'm a big fan. The ST game is a remarkable conversion developed by Tony Cooper with challenging gameplay and superb graphics plus audio that lovingly bursts the eardrums with stunning chip music. Okay, there is the odd killer screen which discourages some gamers - I don't get it, haven't they heard of infinite lives?

The mighty D-Bug have a sumptuous version featuring their excellent presentation style.

The man himself (PP) has adapted Cybernoid for hard drive installation.

Atari Legend has an excellent review, which is more than my lazy website can offer! :}
Eurogamer has an interview with Raffaele Cecco creator of the original game.
(sadly, I've not been able to source anything similar for Tony Cooper)

I must say, this new mapping venture has begun strong and I'm proud of myself for completing the first three levels. However, the fourth has a killer screen that I cannot beat. No matter how much I try, it's simply too tricky for my meagre gaming skills. So I'm leaving it be (before I violently damage my already-dodgy joystick in anger). Can't win 'em all but, I must admit, I've done better than I originally imagined. So yeah, I'm happy with how this turned out.

Here are the Hi-Res images that I know you're all itching to grab and print out - thx Atari Legend for hosting!!

Merry Christmas and I wish everyone all the beST for 2023. Heck, even the Commodore boys too ;)

Level one is shockingly easier than most people think. If I can do it...

Careful timing and furious fire button-bashing are required more than ever for the second level!

Nobody will ever play Cybernoid without infinite lives and the third level demands that so much!!

This part of level 4 is oddly incomplete because I'd overwritten my saved game... :(

I really enjoyed level 4, right up until THAT screen. I never managed to beat it :(

Greetings to all of our supporters, but especially Loggins, Tweety, Mug UK, Marko Latvanen & Peter Putnik for their friendship whilst AtariCrypt has been off the air - a fantaSTic community!! Thank you :)

Okay, get playing Cybernoid and let me know in the comments below if you managed to beat level 4.

Special Forces

I ain't gettin' on no plane!

Microprose Special Forces is the 1992 sequel to Airborne Ranger, which I have never played. Anyhow, this is also a semi-realistic action simulator that puts us in charge of an A-Team group of elite soldiers. These tough nuts love getting sent on various dangerous missions in the world's nicest places. They love it, trust me.

Hey, I posted about Special Forces in our Box Art section a few years ago, check it out :)

The game begins with what I can only describe as a wonderful intro! This animation illustrates the soldiers arriving by helicopter and then being dropped into a dense jungle. These guys have 16 missions throughout different parts of the world, be it desert, ice, jungle, or temperate. Only four from your team can be selected for each mission and it's your task to kit 'em out correctly according to mission requirements.

Special Forces is a combination of action & strategy; learning curves are usually tough for the genre. Thankfully, Microprose has provided four difficulty levels so it's worth starting out as a lamer - officially called 'conscript'. That means you have an upper hand with a more forgiving game that uses better weapons, easier enemies, and a map detailing targets. This is excellent as it allows you to master the game at speed.

This game will eat away the hours. Still interested? Good, read on...

Having cleared the area of all enemies, I feel a need for reconnaissance to see what lies ahead.

The entire southeast is now free from baddies but, looking at the map, I've still much to do!

Getting to grips

The action is controlled using the joystick so easy to manoeuvre my gang of elite soldiers. Unlike Gauntlet, these soldiers won't immediately face in the required direction but will rotate/turn around. Their current facing direction is indicated using an 'X' pointer which might be discerning at first, especially when the enemy is up close.

Optionally, the F10 key will toggle between snipping/movement mode which is worth experimenting with before rushing off like Rambo... See which method you prefer to use, especially during the heat of battle?

The keyboard is also used to provide extra functions, which is something I found particularly frustrating. At first, it was bewildering for my old brain, so I dug out pen and paper to jot down what I felt was a priority to get me started. Let's take a look at the basics to get you through the initial games without dying...

For any mission, get your bearings by hitting the UNDO key to display an overhead map of the warzone. As you will see, your men are shown along with the surrounding area with key places, be that the enemy complex, bridges, trucks, etc. Any red dots are enemy soldiers that are within earshot so beware. Hitting the 'I' key will show more of these red dots based on the latest Intelligence - use this feature as much as possible!

This map can also be used to travel great distances setting waypoints by hitting the spacebar and using your joystick. However, I wasn't fond of this feature because it left me unnerved as I prefer to be in control rather than watching my men wander off. But that's just me being a control freak?

As you can see, the map is an incredible tool and so invaluable. Use it for anything you can, planning safe routes, attacking, creating safe zones, it's all up to you. Of course, it helps with mission objectives like knowing just where to plant explosives for example. Basically, if you don't use the map then you're a fool.

Hitting UNDO again returns you to the action. Now press the HELP key for a map of the immediate surroundings as an in-game window - so helpful. Now you can select which team member you wish to view/control using function keys F1-F4 (press twice to control). Key 'A' will select automatic weapons, key 'R' for rifles, and key 'G' for grenades. The weapons your men have at their disposal depend on their individual skills:

Pistol - is a good weapon with plenty of ammo and a lot more accurate than I imagined.

Machine gun - it's fun spraying bullets like one of the A-Team. But it's also very loud...

Machine/Rifle - a good backup when other weapons have run out of ammo (IMHO).

Grenade - this blows stuff up very well. Just get your aim right!

Law Rocket - Holy Moly don't get too close!

LTD - Laser Target Designator, used for airstrikes.

Explosives - lay a bomb, walk away, and when ready, watch the firework display.

Don't be blown away by information because this game rocks. Let's check out some more screenshots...

I should use explosives to halt enemy soldiers from getting across the bridges and surrounding me.

As you can see, I've cleared the east and destroyed all bridges, but my team is hurting and tired!

Play the game

So let's begin a game. There are lots of missions but it's best to start at the beginning and work your way through in order. Read the dossier and note any details you think will be handy before deciding which soldiers are best for the mission. Each soldier has their own special abilities, skills, and fitness levels. Decide based on the current mission demands. Tool them up accordingly - guns, explosives, etc... Think carefully.

When in enemy territory, don't rush off like a headless chicken, seize the opportunity to view the map to get your bearings. Each mission takes place over a ginormous area with enemies hiding in the brush, patrolling, or haplessly wandering (argh, I hate those trigger-happy dudes manning the gun turrets). The map also displays essential places for the mission, like enemy bases, bridges, rivers, roads, supply convoys, etc.

Watch out that someone doesn't sneak up on you while you're thinking about your next move. If they do, why not use your explosives expert to destroy a bridge to cut 'em off? You won't want the fight coming at you from multiple directions so learn to control the action. Just a tip to get you started ;-)

Special Forces splits you in two: one part is a Commander deciding what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. The other is a capable soldier, blowing stuff up, and rescuing people. Hey, remember there is no 'I' in team, so think as a collective rather than solo. Why not lay traps or use a soldier for reconnaissance?

Whatever mission you send the boys on, get a grip on the joystick controls and the method of quickly flipping between soldiers. Not only that but also flipping between the different weapons that each soldier is carrying. Periodically check the map to see what dangers and points of interest are in your local vicinity.

The beauty of Special Forces is that you're in charge whatever the circumstances and that's all within a free-roaming world. There are different types of missions with each presenting a wide range of potential problems and their solutions. You will probably spend lots of time studying the map and planning? I hope.

And with that in mind, it's time for more screenshots that I took with my phone...

This sounds too good not to attempt, and it's a night so I need stealth and explosives?

Okay, the boys have arrived safely but it's dark and there are many dangers across the "water"

Graphics

I gotta say that I love the styles employed by Special Forces. Each terrain perfectly looks the part, especially the Arctic regions. Attention to detail is superb no matter where you happen to be so it's easy to tell that a lot of effort went into designing these locations. I also appreciate the subtle extras like shadows to add depth.

The sprites are well-animated but hardly a requirement for a game like this where you don't want the enemy to be hanging around too much! Thanks to our angled point of view, it's always funny to see the soldiers wobbling as they walk. Scrolling is good in all directions but you have the option to press F9 at any time for 60Hz.

However, the top-down view might work great, but it's a little close. I would have liked it zoomed out because this might prevent me from accidentally walking into a turret or hidden ambush. Perhaps I'm being picky?

Yeah, I usually am so with that in mind, let's view some more screenshots...

Another day, another mission. Unfortunately, I'm in the heat of the battle right from the start!

It's a heavily fortified island and I figured it might be a good idea to first cut two supply routes...

Sounds

After a fantastic intro, there is no music beating out from your Atari ST. Not even during the menus, which is where you spend lots of time tinkering before commencing a game. That's a shame, I'd have loved something YM'y to listen to whilst I kit out my men. The silence here is disappointing if I'm honest.

In-game, it needs to be all about the sound effects to help represent what's currently happening in the environment. Sadly, there are no samples of gunshots or muddy footsteps as you wade through a swamp or dense woodland. In fact, you will mostly get to hear gunfire from yourself and nearby enemies taking potshots. Regardless, I am glad there's no music as I would have needed to disable it to concentrate.

Argh, the audio could/should have been better so let's cheer you all up with a shot of my ST setup...

The manual isn't the most helpful and can feel bloated with unnecessary information.

The CryptO'pinion?

At first, I was unsure about Special Forces because there are initially so many keys to learn and the manual isn't the best (quite dispiriting if I'm honest). Plus I wasn't sure about the point of view as I often got attacked by off-screen enemies. Also, I was dismayed about the lack of health kits so once your soldier is critically injured you may as well keep him safe somewhere or send him to the drop zone - I guess that's realism for ya!

Once past the hurdle of learning the keys, I began to relax and enjoy the game for all the tactical joy it possesses. Each mission is its own giant adventure of pain and misery! Being out in the field is a thrill because the world is immense. It's up to you how to play, either devise a route or calculate how you're going to cope against an overwhelming enemy. Or perhaps sneak through picking off the enemies one by one?

Special Forces isn't faultless but it's thrilling and captivating. An engrossing adventure deep in exploration, tactical strategy, and action. I rate this as one of the best war games I've had the pleasure to play.

shooter.prg

When nerds play...

I'm not big on social media, as you know, but one of the reasons I remain on the cesspool that is Twitter is to follow people like Jonathan Thomas. Yep, that same dodgy fella who developed Pole Position for the Atari STe and then dared to update Lotus Turbo II in ways we never thought possible back in the day. Okay, I guess he's not a bad lad...

Anyhow, his tweets are often fascinating because he pokes deep within the depths of ST games. It's here that weird techniques are discovered or he experiments with probable improvements. He also playtests enhancing performance by utilising the Atari STe hardware. All this coding talk is way over my head but intriguing nonetheless.

So, onto his latest 'project', a horizontally-scrolling shooter for the Atari STe not too dissimilar to Menace, R-Type, etc. Although it's early days, Jon is using the hardware scrolling with the sprites/particle effects handled by the Blitter. There are no DMA sound effects but I cannot complain as he was generous in sending me an early beta lol

I asked Jon for his thoughts and prospects for what might eventually be a new Atari STe game. Although he replied that he had no concrete plans for a full game, he did hint toward several extremely promising short-term goals:

A title screen (we will need a name for this!)
16x16 sprites for a selection of individual enemies
Each sprite will use 10-15 predefined attack moves
A couple of (2-3 minute) stages with increasing difficulty
A "game completion" screen
Multiple DMA sound effects
Chipmusic hopefully by (fingers crossed) Dma_Sc

Having "played" this beta, I must say it's impressive along with the prospect of what's already been achieved in a short time. I really liked the feel of the joystick controls and collision detection is spot-on. Border rasters indicate the remaining CPU time for future development opportunities so demonstrate great potential. Yes, you might say I'm excited!

If like me, you love hearing what other people are doing with their Atari STs then take a look at Jon's Twitter stream. It's amock with weird programming gizmos (that I shall never understand) as he enjoys dismantling many Atari ST games. I can only imagine the dorky entertainment Jon has with his Atari STe and I hope that continues.

Update: Jon has started a source repository for those interested in helping out.