It is time for another example of awesome box art from my own collection with US Gold's fantastic voyage into the human body. It's actually a familiar 3D shooter set within a unique environment and The Assembly Line always developed great games but with Vaxine they even made some use of the enhanced hardware lurking inside Atari STe: glorious [STE] technicolour visuals along with DMA samples, which are a substantial improvement over the ST.
I've always enjoyed playing this game because it feels like a weird dream. Very different and a great adventure.
Floppy disks can be found using Old Games Finder and 8BitChip has a version for your hard drive!
This is one of my all-time favourite 8-bit games from the brilliant mind of Costa Panayi, Vortex Software. It's an understatement to say I was flabbergasted when I read an old post on Atari-Forum concerning the unreleased ST game; developed in 1990 by the late Mark Haigh-Hutchinson. Sadly, Vortex was unable to find a publisher, so the game was left to gather dust for years. Which is terrible when you think about it!
I always had a soft spot for Vortex and fondly remember playing Android, Cyclone and Revolution but Highway Encounter was my favourite. It takes place on a stretch of highway populated by aliens, tricky puzzles, and many other obstacles to get in your way. The aliens invaded and our robot convoy has the task of merrily pushing a bomb down the highway to destroy their mothership (located at the other end of this road).
Funny tidbit, I remember making a basic map of this back in the day. Very crude but I was pleased with my progress. Well, until I saw a screen-captured version in one of the magazines. Typical... Anyhow, there's a link to the Atari ST map right at the bottom of the page for all interested.
Right then, let's stop this badly written review for the first screenshot...
Guide our little friends the best you can, they have dangerous cargo!
Road rage!
Our version of Highway Encounter has not been modified with pointless bloatware so, remains much the same. The obvious improvements are with the graphics; gone are the monochrome visuals for a world of technicolour. The highway and your objective remain the same with many whacky aliens roaming about causing trouble. Our droid colleagues are still daft and will get stuck on objects just like the original. However, this can be good: leave them behind - in safety - so you're free to clear the highway ahead of the dreaded aliens.
The joystick controls are spot-on perfect and, if you appreciate isometric games, you'll be at home - left and right rotates, forward to accelerate and pulling back slows/stops movement. As expected, the weaponry is the same and features an ultra-cool energy bolt. This can be improved upon - thanks to power-ups lying along your road trip journey. So, the ultimate question - can you make it to the end of this motorway and save the day?
Interestingly, there is an editor to create your own highway. This is something I've yet to play with but I'd love to know if any of you guys have used it. Let me know in the comments below!
Let's take another pause from the reading to see another lovely screenshot...
Some wobbly things are approaching! Let's kill 'em!!
Speccy aesthetics?
Visually, this is a joy with old-fashioned styles. In fact, I'm transported to 1985 by its authentic style that is updated yet preserved using a gorgeous palette that isn't over the top. In the 80s, isometric games were the in-thing and this was one of the best examples of that genre. The sprites are as crazy as ever, making you appreciate the finer details of what was achieved. The ST has taken the original and bettered it.
As for the audio, in-game music would have spoilt the atmosphere and been something I would have muted. Highway Encounter is all about careful planning and strategy so it has to be sound effects. Thankfully, they are made from samples and perfectly futuristic for the zapping. It sounds great and I love it!
I think we've got the room to squeeze in one final screenshot...
Those guys are almost too cute to kill. But let's kill 'em anyhow. Do you see a theme here?
The CryptO'pinion?
Let's take a moment to think about something. This is an Atari ST version of Costa Panayi's exceptional shoot 'em up. Additionally, the original has been bettered with marvellous aesthetics whilst remaining faithful. What more could we desire? Unlike many, this is how all 16-bit remakes should have been produced.
Well done Mark, I say. You respected the original game and honoured us with a polished conversion. Highway Encounter will always be a Crash Smash and the Atari ST has gained an exquisite remake. I Love it!!
Okay, I needed an egg-related game for Easter which usually means Dizzy or perhaps even Chuckie Egg 2 (Nah, I'll never play that terrible game again!). So, here is Heartland released in 1996 by Tony Greenwood of Stosser Software and later improved for the Atari STe by TOS-Crew with 50fps scrolling!!
That's right, the original was good but it was supersized somehow by magic!
Hey, what's Dizzy doing here in the land of whizzy scrolling!
Eggcellent!
This is a cracking (sorry) platformer but I admit that I struggled to grasp the sheer size of its map. This is a big game and something you either play properly or not at all - unless you enjoy running around just to see the smooth 50fps scrolling whilst listening to the DMA sound burping through the speakers? The older STfm guys still get the same visuals but the audio is now crisp YM generated. Which I prefer, if I'm being honest.
Regardless of the computer, this is a great upgrade and I enjoyed the graphics whizzing across my screen like silk that completes the experience. However, I wasn't so sure about the music as I prefer chip.
Okay, let's take a look at the keys you can smack during gameplay...
Move using the cursor key's: left & right
space: jump (or use the joystick or JagPad)
m: map
r: show processor time left rasters
s: toggle sample (STE, Falcon), sound chip, effects and no-sound
Woo, this map is confusing at first. And boy, is this game big. Perhaps too big?
Play it
Okay, it might be the same game and aesthetics never matter much but, I must admit, they sure are nice to have. TOS-Crew has taken a good game and made it even better with proper scrolling that slides across the monitor like never before. I think this will help you to enjoy Heartland more than ever.
This proves the power of the Atari ST when programmed by people who care. What a wonderful upgrade and my congratulations @TOS-Crew for going that extra mile to improve an already excellent game!!
Grab the floppies or a hard disk installable version and I hope you have a great Easter †
