Atari STe games [part two]

Let's make use of the enhanced hardware!

I'm sure you were all expecting this, right? :@) Yup, I've put together a second video recording that features even more Atari STe games from the Crypt archives. Once again, just a few seconds of each game is shown accompanied by the same groovy background tune by Tomchi. Greetings to all my fellow STe Nutters out there!

Okay, let's check out those games...

 + Uridium - Peter has performed his usual magic and transformed this old clunky shooter into a beauty.
 + Operation Garfield - I dare you not to laugh at this silly shoot 'em up!
 + Zool - Good on the ST and even better on the STe. Different to Sonic and fun for a few hours.

  

 + Giana Sisters - This is what the original should have been like all along! One of the best-enhanced games.
 + Chronicles of Omega - More colours on the STf but smooth as silk on the STe and with DMA audio.
 + Substation - Doom for the ST? Well, no it's very different but it's still a BRILLIANT fps game.

  

 + Stardust - Now we're talking, play this Asteroids and tell me it's not mind-blowing. Superb shooter!!
 + Heartland 2000 - An Easter Egg with legs but look how smoooooth it runs!!
 + Zero-5 - The STe goes all Star Wars on us and it's utterly brilliant too. What a cracking game this is.

  

 + Pac Mania - The original was good but this blows it out of the water!!
 + R-Type Deluxe - Good old Bod did us proud right until the end. I miss him and thank him for the pics.
 + Team - I ain't a soccer fan but check out this in overscan. Wow!!

  

 + Sliders - Looks weird, scrolls like silk, but can you play it? One odd game this. Very odd...
 + Obsession - Best pinball game on any ST? Very possibly because this is a jaw-dropper Christmas cracker!

  

Atari STe games [part one]

Let's get ready to rumble!

I've put together a video recording of 14 Atari STe games. Of course, this isn't complete because there are lots more out there but, in the interest of keeping things short and sweet, my video shows a few seconds from each game. With a groovy background tune by Tomchi, which is just gorgeous! I hope you enjoy this humble presentation?

Come on, man! Get to the games...

 + Bombaman - Everyone loves Bomberman and this is a Christmas cracker we both loved.
 + Escape 2042 - I bought this and so should you. This is incredible. Frustratingly incredible :)
 + Pacman On E's - The little yellow fella pops ecstasy pills for a furious take on the classic!

  

 + Alien Blast - Skip by those old bugs to enjoy a tremendous Alien-infested shoot 'em up.
 + Death Chase - Quite possibly one of the best games I have ever played. Pure gold this one, folks!
 + Ultimate Arena - Punch like Chuck Norris and kick like Bruce Lee in this beat 'em up.

  

 + Pole Position - A near arcade-perfect conversion of one of the best racers ever. It is superb.
 + PouifOuf - Those graphics might look familiar but the gameplay is furiously different - Wow!!
 + Top Banana - The graphics make your eyes bleed and the sounds are... different... but it's weirdly good.

  

 + Crackman/Dealer - A different twist on the old pill popper and something you will love instantly love.
 + Whitewater Madness - Ignore the demo that's been around for years. Play the full version - an AtariCrypt first!

 + Roger - The STe shows us exactly what it's capable of and Spot shines for a truly superb game.

  

 + Jinks - Something my mind cannot fathom and PP totally destroys that jerky STf original.
 + R0X - Zoom through the heavens, scaping giant rocks, all for a massive arcade adrenalin rush!

  

Volume 3: Return Of The Borders!

Return of the... book

How time flies, it was only last October that I remember giving Marco's planned project a Crypt-push and today (YES) it became a reality. After several days of resentfully watching many ST nutters flaunt their Trilogy collection, I finally have my own copy!! Yup, this morning I received that familiar brown parcel which I excitedly opened.

I've just had a flick through and love what I've read so far, I'm sure to enjoy reading it properly over the coming weekend. If anyone missed out on the support & funding of this project, then don't despair because you can still purchase any or all three volumes. My gratitude goes out to Marco and everyone involved in this hiSToric achievement!!

- Check out the Microzeit web store -

And you thought this book was just about demos? Yeah, it's Jeff Minter!!



Stardust is one of the best 16-bit games ever released and a divine Atari STe release.

Say hello to Jan, one of our amazing Patreons!! Hello Milhouse :-)



Iron Soldier is outstanding, what a game that was/is. I wish I still had my copy...

I love Scavenger so I'm really looking forward to reading this interview.



I cannot afford one but that doesn't stop me from loving the Atari Falcon!

Mole Mayhem

Monty Mole is back!

Er, no. Mole Mayhem is an Atari STe platformer by Croft Soft Software. The city of Moledonia is under attack from a dictator who intends to blow everyone to the kingdom come. We are Philby, a secret agent working for the Moledonia Underground Intelligence Corporation who must destroy all bombs before everything goes BOOM!!

Each screen has a number of bombs that need to be neutralised by Philby and there's usually a particular route through which you need to figure out. Also, look for hazards like electricity and hidden ledges - which you either can't see or might first appear as part of the background. Some levels have teleporters to blindly transport you to another area - so make sure you have that route planned!! Once all the bombs are exploded you can use the exit.

Controls are easy but require precise timing for the wider gaps otherwise Philby falls to a bloody death. Humorously, falling short of that fatal threshold has him squeaking to let us know how close we came to dying? Philby can jump either upwards or sideways (depending on how he stands) and detonating a bomb is done by pushing up. This mole ain't daft, he will protect himself using his superhero cape as a shield of steel - Batfink style!

Graphically, there's little to write home about but I do like the humble appearance which is functional and works well. Sound effects are played using the DMA for jumping, detonation, death, and so on. Sadly, there's no background chip music so it's more or less silent when not leaping about. I expected more from my STe...

Mole Mayhem is simple and progressively challenging, but I ran out of lives before I could reach the later levels. Thankfully, it has that "just one more go" appeal, but I wanted a password system because it's frustrating having to restart from the beginning. Overall, an addictive platformer that I have thoroughly enjoyed!!

Oddly, there are limited sites to download this but the mighty Demozoo has it safely archived.

   
Detonating bombs is easy when wearing a cape but sometimes it can be a faff just to reach them.

   
Some obstacles require good timing... whilst others take you where no man has gone before!

Hellgate

Wait, what? Is this DOOM?

Hellgate is yet another first-person shooter for the Atari ST/e. Created in 1997 by David Walters of Smartsoft and is an impressive attempt to develop Doom using STOS. Of course, it'll take more than our humble 68000 processor to deliver decent framerates especially when I remember a friend's 25Mhz PC not being all that impressive.

Wait a moment... Hold your horses, Marine!! Did I just say that Hellgate was developed using STOS?? That is something else... Okay, don't get me wrong, this is a brilliant tool that has certainly proved itself more times than I care to mention, however, can it actually handle a 3D engine running at a decent framerate?

Please remember that this is shareware and I have only found an 'unregistered demo' which may not even be the completed product. This is also missing a few bits 'n' bobs like a rocket launcher and extra episodes. Sadly, after scouring the internet, I failed to find the registered version so I'm praying the full game isn't lost!

Okay, enough waffling for now because we have a couple of screenshots to view...

I'm liking the iWatch menu. Apple, you need to learn from this!

A familiar screen after romping through the first level and successfully killing everything!

I'm getting that Doom vibe!!

The year is 2196 and we plucky humans have somehow terraformed the ice giant Neptune. However, the planet's largest city is plagued with extremely high levels of crime, so our mission is to investigate that. Now, I'm no military expert, but I think that means we grab our weapons and kill everything in sight. Well, I'm sold so count me in!!

Firstly, we need identification so enter your name into a simple but sweet screen. The audio here is great but I'll say no more to risk spoiling it (but I thought it was cool). Next, there are three difficulty levels to choose from:

Dead Easy: which the documentation hilariously says is for kids and your granny!
Well 'Ard: which is kinda like an equivalent of Doom's "Hurt Me Plenty".
Suicide: is for those with Godlike skills but even the docs advise against this nightmare!

Hey, you... Pssst... fancy a couple more sexy screenshots of STOS Doom? Of course, you do...

The pistol is good and does its job as something just to get you started.

Nothing compares to the shotgun. Just ask Doomguy, he'll tell ya!

Let's play...

Once you begin, everything has a familiar feel to ID's iconic shooter (cough...cough...ripoff). The episode screen displays just where you are in Neptune's city complex and the in-game status bar shows health, armour, ammo, keys and even your ugly mug in the middle. Well, I guess, there's no shame in using a tried and trusted format? (I like it!!)

Controls are performed using the mouse: pushing upwards will walk forward and I'm sure you can guess what pulling back on your chunky grey tank will do? Moving left/right allows our marine to look around the city - unless you hold down the right button to enable strafe. Sadly, the keyboard is only used to flip between your weaponry and open doors.

Yup, you're stuck to using the mouse to get around which is incredibly frustrating at times, especially during your first few games. Well, nothing is perfect and it does work quite well but I cannot help but wonder why David didn't implement the alternative WASD. Anyhow, the mouse works well once you become familiar with using it.

Hardly a crushing blow is it? And that now means only one thing - Yep, it's time for some more screenshots...

Look out for medkits, armour, and ammo to help fight off the hoards.

What? No zombie guys or imps? No, we have these blocky robotic dudes to shoot at!

An honourable ripoff?

So almost everything feels similar to what you would expect. And so is the gameplay: we begin the mission with only a pistol but our personal armoury can ultimately include a Shotgun, Minigun, Rifle, and Rocket Launcher. However, I never got to see the Rifle as I lost my bearings, which you can see at the end of my video recording (scroll back up).

So, that takes me onto the automap: there isn't one. As much as I tried hitting the TAB key - it did nothing. Perhaps it was just me but I got lost and desperately needed to find out where to go, especially as I was recording a video. Sigh...

Look out for pickups to boost your health and so on, but there are a few hidden rooms just as in Doom and Wolfenstein! This is how I found the shotgun on the first level, a fantastic find! Also, some doors are locked and need a specific key to unlock them. Yup, there's nothing shockingly new in Hellgate but familiarity is no bad thing here whatsoever.

Righto, let's not get sarky and just introduce two more flourishingly-sexy screenshots. Ahem...

Always keep an eye out for secret rooms just like we did in ID's Doom and Wolfenstein.

Yep, that provided me armour, health and the shotgun. What a find!!

486 Aesthetics?

Graphically, things are pretty poor and not only in comparison to Doom (which is understandable) but also to ST shooters, like Wolfenstein, Destruction Imminent and Substation. Everything looks crude, with a fairly sluggish framerate, and more than a few glitches too. Interestingly, the robotic enemies are made from polygons which is kinda cool and not what I was expecting. However, they are a bit thick and I would still have preferred demonic monsters!

Sound effects are sparse using fuzzy samples for firing, pickups, doors, etc/etc. What I did find odd were our robotic enemies who scream when dying, freak but cool!! Sadly, there's no music for ST dudes but lucky STe owners can enjoy gorgeous Mad Max chiptunes alongside the sound effects. This actually works incredibly well and suited the mood and style.

Two more screenshots before the much-anticipated opinion that I know you're eager to read...

Two missing episodes lost? I hope we find the registered game one day :(

Here ends my game... the screen turns red and I fall to the ground. DEAD!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Hellgate was an interesting download but sadly, it's not good enough in comparison to the other FPS shooters already on the Atari ST. A faster computer, like my Mega STe, compensated for the poor framerate but it couldn't fix the wonky mechanics, bugs, or the psychic robots who always seemed to know my movements before I did. Ultimately, the mouse controls are the real game killer because it desperately requires the use of a keyboard. What a shame.

Hellgate is fun for a few hours but I doubt I'll return to it anytime soon. However, let's remember this is probably unfinished and developed by one guy using STOS and that fact alone blows me away!! Play it and let me know what you think.

- Download Hellgate -

Atari ST demos [part two]

Following on from my previous post, here is part two of my personal homage to some earlier demos that I admire. Keep watching, because I continue with two of the best megademos the world has ever seen before ending with Virtual Escape, possibly the best half-meg Atari ST demo ever? Who knows, do you? Let me know in the comments below!

Once again, I hope you all enjoy what is nothing more than a silly fan-made video of a few demos that I remember enjoying from around 1988 onwards. Each production can be downloaded from either AtariMania or Demozoo.

Finally, I've added an excellent background chiptune called Harmless, by Nemo aka Jan Daldrup.

* Grusel by Eckhard Kruse: I've always loved this and so does my daughter 30yrs later!!

* Death Of The Left Border by TNT: Finally, the left border had gone - an incredible moment.

* Singing Raisins by John Blakely & Mark Booth: An early animation which is so funny.

* The Junk Demo by TCB: From start to end these guys never failed to impress.

* Dark Side Of The Spoon by ULM: from the moment I first heard "U..L..M". Superb!!

* European Demos by OVR: What a jaw-dropping megademo with some incredible screens.

* Virtual Escape by Equinox: This runs on an 8Mhz computer with half a meg Ram. Outstanding!!

Atari ST demos [part one]

I decided to make a video showcasing a limited selection of the earlier Atari ST demos that hold a special place in my heart. You know, those productions which made our brains, eyes and ears explode with shock and excitement when we saw our machine doing things it was never supposed to be able to do. Well, that was the start of a special era, alright!

I hope you all enjoy this video and I've also added one of my favourite chiptunes as a cool backing track, Best Part Of The Creation by Big Alec. A mesmerising tune from "Punish Your Machine" which is also one of few medium-resolution screens for the ST. Every demo is available on AtariMania and Demozoo and here is what I decided to pick:

* README.PRG by The Exceptions: Come on, nobody expected this when double-clicking that icon!
* Little Color Demo by The Exceptions: This is something I really love to listen to over and over.
* Full Screen Demo by Level 16: Both my TV and I were blown away by this stunning feat!
* The Union Demo by The Union: I still remember ordering this!! What a moment in time.
* The Cuddly Demos by The Carebears: To me, this felt like a Union Demo II. Ace STuff.
* Overdrive Demo by Phalanx: Oh, that menu. Wow, incredible!! How did they do it?
* Mindbomb by The Lost Boys: Possibly the best demo team? Ohhh what have I just started? lol

 

Update: I've made a follow-up video. Clickety Click! :)

Myth

What might have been...

Myth was a promising game by System 3 Software that was released on several different platforms - except for the Atari ST. We got a playable demo to whet our appetites before they later pulled the plug. The first stage is fully playable but there is no music/sfx. So I added a wonderful chiptune by ActoDi called Friday to spice up the lacking audio.

This is /could have been/ a superb game as it's great fun and has a promising Gods/Black Tiger vibe that I really enjoyed. The graphics are fantastic with smooth scrolling and I enjoyed kicking and stabbing demon filth. Yup, this might have been great so I'm gutted System 3 wimped out on the Atari ST... Wow, the potential was there!!

The download is on Atarimania and there are more unreleased Atari ST games to cry over here - grab a tissue!

Frantick

Munsie power!!

I remember playing Frantick years ago so I figured it was about time that I gave this another shot. Well, after today's attempt, I still suck eggs but boy, is this a cracking game. Released in 1994 by the legend that is Dave Munsie, Frantick is a shoot 'em up kinda like a 2D Tempest! The documentation states that your reflexes and dexterity will be tested.

It's not wrong! This game is very challenging so features two extra game modes to help train you: Easy and Droid. Personally, I preferred the help from my trusty droid who seemed to enjoy sacrificing itself to compensate for my sluggish reactions... I suggest playing in either mode for several games of practice, you'll need it. Trust me.

Our spaceship is situated within a horizontal stripe along the middle of the screen. We can't escape this area but can move along it and fire up/downwards at the enemies. These blighters will ascend on your position, so be quick and kill them before they reach you. One touch and you're brown bread, but there are power-ups to help and other bonuses. If things get too crazy then whack your spacebar to activate a limited supply of nukes.

Graphically, things are actually pretty simple but using freakishly psychedelic styles! There are many different aliens and everything comes alive with colour. Heck, there is even an epilepsy warning! The sound effects are superb and STe owners, with enough Ram, can listen to streamed DMA music in-game which I really enjoyed. Oh yeah!!

As with Anarchy, this is one of those games that is too fast for old Stevie! Frantick completely bemuses and overwhelmed me with its furious action but it's such a thrill. But boy, what a ride. Phew!! This is what you'd call a great example of arcade-style gaming at its best. Just make sure you wear cheap sunglasses and drink lots of coffee first!

Brilliant game and something that I've thoroughly enjoyed. This is nothing less than a ridiculous shoot 'em up!!

Download from AtariMania for the fully registered game.

 [ Install to hdd/ultrasatan for best results ] 

Oh No! Not More Radioactive Mineshafts

A simple idea perfectly executed

Not since Rumbo or Hector vs The Mutant Vampire Tomatoes From Hell have I loved a title. I mean, come on, Oh No! Not More Radioactive Mineshafts - how fantastic!! This is a catch 'em style game released by Breakpoint Software (Jon Garry) for the Atari STe and, once again, the 'PD' world comes up trumps with a charming title.

We are a penguin who has somehow fallen down a mineshaft. Hmm, okay... To escape we need to collect colourful blocks which are raining down from above using our head. Yes, I said using our head!! Before a level begins, we are instructed on the number and type of each block to be nutted by our noggin before a timer expires.

The ones that you miss will fall onto the ground and these then become radioactive (I presume). And that also means they will slide away to the sides of the screen. Your job is to hop over them without dying and that's as technical as it gets. Thankfully, there is a password system to skip directly to any level - brilliant!!

Surely I can beat Tony Hart and Les Dennis!!!

Input & Output

Controls are best using a joystick (keyboard sucks). You can move left or right plus hitting the fire button (or pushing upwards) allows you to leap over the radioactive sliding blocks. Right from the start, the gameplay is fast and I'm incredibly impressed with the controls which are superbly responsive. In fact, they are perfect.

Graphically, these mineshafts aren't half bleak: a black screen with colourful blocks. Okay, the penguin sprite is cute, the palette is always bright and bold for those squares and everything breezes along at a smooth pace. I love the menus which are very kaleidoscopically and something like you would see in a demo!

Audio is where things shine and throughout are some of the most spectacular tunes by musicians like Tao, Big Alec, Sally of STAX(hello Jon!), Mad Max and Count Zero. All are electrifying and something rather special.

A password system? Ohh, brillopads!! ^ ^

The CryptO'pinion?

This is a frantically simple game that I've thoroughly enjoyed - even if it did drive me nuts!! I'm unsure whether it will appeal to everyone but give it a go because you never know? My only criticism is the lack of a points display, which means you won't know whether you've done enough to progress - until the timer has expired.

Oh No! Not More Radioactive Mineshafts is infuriatingly addictive and will certainly have you screaming at your SC1224 in no time. It is irritating, agonising and yet ever so simple and addictive. An exhilarating game!

Download from AtariMania or

Stonish with a great menu disk by Pure Energy [video]

Dusty Old Disks!

Arghh floppies everywhere!

I figured it was time to start doing a little housework. No, not the dusting and hoovering kind because that's a woman's job. (Ouch!!! The wife just hit me!). Anyhow, I've got hundreds of coverdisks scattered about the house. Well, ahem, over a hundred!! And I can never find the one I want without hunting through a mess of disks. BooHoo, right?

I'm amazed how many coverdisks were released by magazines like ST Format, ST Review and ST User. But there are also many others: The One, ST/Amiga Format, Computer Express, Zero, and my favourite ST Action. /etc/etc

Unsurprisingly, most of my disks are by ST Format with ST User and ST Review following for a close second and third respectively. I've been playtesting most disks and I'm shocked to discover that almost everything still works. I have bad sectors on a few ST Format disks but otherwise, I'm partying like it's 1990. Hang on, that's how I live my life!

As you can imagine, this was quite the trip down memory lane. I've found many games and programs like Recover, Quick ST, Harlekin, K-Graph, That's Write, Cyber Paint, Ani ST, GEMview, Easy Draw, Spectrum 512, loads of CPX modules, etc... In fact, the abundant amount of utilities is most appealing!

A cynic might say, all of which I could have easily found on the internet!! But where's the fun in that? So come on, what does your cover disk collection look like? Do they work? Why not let me know in the comments below.

Don't leave just yet, you have screenshots to view and a pile of disks too...

It's hardly classy but at least they tried, unlike other ST mags.

Dungeon Master for free. This is a belting game!!

Why have I yet to feature this incredible platformer???

Chronicles Of Omega. Search it right here on AtariCrypt. ST/STe support!

Grr, I found another 12 disks after taking this photo!! (10xSTF / 2xSTR)