Those with a keen eye will notice the larger screen space of my GEM desktop? What about the three resolutions that appear selectable? Well, if you saw these things then you're an Atari ST rock star. I salute you!
I've been experimenting with a few GEM programs that allow larger resolutions and other cool stuff. Some use interlace to double the vertical resolution but that can look odd and hurts my eyes! (use 60Hz!!). Others can create a virtual screen by using the Atari STe's hardware scrolling. But, do you really wanna scroll?
Interestingly, some programs feature overscan. This is a technique used to make use of the empty borders and it sparked my curiosity. Using this extra screen space is excellent and without any slowdown. Most GEM programs should work perfectly fine and I'm left wondering why Atari couldn't have made this standard?
I've made a bundled download of these programs - please let me know if there are others I've missed.
Magic Boy was released in 1993 by Empire and is one of the cutest platformers I have ever seen. Personally, it reminds me of Rainbow Islands because of its visual quality and ravishingly charming styles. This is gonna be good!
We play as Hewlett, a young boy with a magic wand who accidentally turned all the animals into freakishly cute monsters. Seems plausible to me but how do these things keep happening? Not to worry, it's our task to restore everything back to normal, so that means venturing forth through many beautiful worlds to tag & bag the nasties.
Firstly, check out this screenshot I've taken. Wear sunglasses and take a deep breath...
Magic Boy must be one of the most colourful games on the Atari ST.
Shoot, jump, bag & grab!
There are four massive worlds to explore (Sand Land, Wet World, Plastic Place, Future Zone) and each offers eight levels. Things begin relatively easily before lots of crafty tricks and traps are introduced. This difficulty is staggered gradually through the levels so helps to keep things interesting - without being too tough to play properly
This mild learning curve is nothing much for the easier levels. It's very easy to pick up and play, so you're instantly leaping your way through in no time. Make sure you collect all the power-ups which will aid your progress. Just watch out for anything that looks oddly cute - it's not really. It's very nasty so shoot it and then bag it. Great stuff!!
However, the later levels are challenging and I really mean really formidable!! Those cute critters are actually deceivingly mean and seem to know just when to strike with a perfectly well-timed shot. Also, the level layout increases with the usual moving tiles and others might dissolve or randomly disappear. Infuriatingly difficult which can be a shame sometimes as these later levels are impossible for a guy like me to complete.... lol... not without a cheat enabled!!
Wanna see another multi-coloured screenshot? I know you do...
Things are now starting to get serious with cunning-level designs for a tough challenge!
Aesthetics
This is literally one of the most stunning 16-bit games I have ever seen. This quality is thanks to John Dale and Leigh Christian who have created a game with bright, radiant visuals and so many comical characters. Nothing has been sacrificed and you will see your Atari ST looking this good AND that includes ultra-smooth scrolling. Wonderful stuff!!
Sound effects are excellent and best experienced when using an Atari STe. Yes, I said STe but that doesn't mean the ST is lacking. Not one bit. Accompanying music is perfect with a fun-themed high-quality tune, that remains in your head - all day. Yes, Magic Boy is most definitely one of the sexiest Atari ST games I have ever played.
Why couldn't every game have this much love put into it? Let's view another screenshot...
Future Zone has some incredible levels to hop through as does the quirky Plastic Place.
The CryptO'pinion?
You won't be shocked to hear that this is one seriously addictive platformer and I loved it. Yup, it's almost perfect and a genuine pleasure to play because it's so much fun and I really cannot think of something negative to say. Okay, okay, that difficulty in later levels is really tough but something weirdly reminiscent of games from the era.
The perfect game? Well, the controls, game mechanics, visuals, and audio are... Look, it's a showcase product but also loads of fun and a thrill to play. Doesn't this prove what the Atari ST/e is capable of when in the hands of talented people? So stop what you're doing and load it up - right now - because it's one of the best 16-bit platformers ever released.
Grab yourself either the floppy disk or a version to install onto a hard drive/Ultrasatan thanks to 8BitChip. For those who wanna flick through directly to the later levels then you will enjoy these codes. On the menu screen, press and hold down the desired keys before pressing fire to begin:
Over the last few months, I've been taking pictures of my own ST games to feature within our box art section here on AtariCrypt. Yesterday, I got quite a shock when a good friend of mine, Jose Ant, created this fake box using my old avatar (a photo I took in Tombstone, Arizona).
You know, the ST world sure has some awesome people and I absolutely love this image!!
