The Errand Boy

YANASTG

Thanks to AtariMania, I got wind of a new game for the Atari ST by Dwalin. It was originally released last year for something called MS-DOS, whatever that might be. It's a short, conversational adventure ported to DAAD for several home computers, including our lovely Atari ST. The only computer that matters.

The Errand Boy is a graphical-style adventure and a prequel to Rudolphine Rur. It's not too dissimilar to what we've seen before, with imagery and written text describing our current location. We are Galdrin, who appears to be at odds with Mr Eldrad because he thinks of us as nothing more than errand boys. In a huff, we leave because that's no way to treat someone who's been in service for a thousand years, so he's gonna pay!

(Hang on, how old am I? Erm, am I even human? What's going on? lol)

Well, we begin in a grungy room located somewhere in New York, near Central Park. The graphics are retro, using a digitised style that I really admire (these will look much better on the Atari STe than on its older brother, which has fewer colours). Each room is detailed without large, overbearing paragraphs. Although some of its English has grammatical issues, nothing serious, and it certainly isn't going to spoil the fun.

The parser interaction is excellent, allowing exploration with the usual commands: look, examine, get, drop, open, etc. Including the usual compass directions to get around. Each command can be shortened: 'L' to look, 'X' to examine. In fact, examining everything is never a bad idea, nor is asking for help.

The characters you meet are few but full of... character! The butler appears to have spent his life pottering about the house, so he is quite useless. Dorwinion isn't exactly a nice guy by the looks of it, but I liked Shadow's sense of humour. Oh, and there's a nasty cat. I don't like cats because they only use you for food! And then there's the gnome - what a crazy tale he represents, and he is nothing more than a lunatic!

This may well be a short adventure, but it's full of curiosity, investigation and alternative humour. Yes, the story is insane and lacks realism, but I loved that. Do not be too quick to dismiss this excellent adventure.

Let's take a much-needed break from the boring text for a screenshot...

In fact, I should listen to my own advice! Make sure you look under every stone.

A bit of background

As I enjoyed the adventure, I messaged Dwalin about it, the story, and how it came about...

"This is really a very short adventure, and that is why I chose it to be my first experience in translation. I am fond of text adventures since the 80s, where I played most of the commercially published adventures in Spain. I also had Gilsoft's PAWS, the program (or parser) that allowed you to create adventures for Spectrum, and I published a first homebrew adventure for that in 1993.

In Spain, fans of this type of game grouped together in various clubs, the most important of which one of them was CAAD, which published a bimonthly fanzine. Over time the clubs evolved into pages and internet forums, and the adventures of text as well, adapting to more modern computers. Contests were held on https://www.caad.es and players and adventure creators shared comments.

In 2005, using another adventure creation engine, Superglús, the evolution of the old PAWS, I published my second adventure: “The Adventures of Rudophine Rur”, and in 2015 using NgPAWS, another evolution of the engine. Rudolphine Rur tells the story of a little forest gnome who must enter the human world in search of his brother kidnapped by evil elves.

With the passage of time, the love for retrocomputing and old computers grew in Spain. I discovered this hobby in 2019. In Spain, the most important company that published text adventures in the 80s and 90s was AD Adventures. This company used as an adventure creation engine a parser called DAAD, also an evolution of the PAWS, but whose main feature was that it could port the games to most of the main systems of the time: Spectrum, Amstrad, MSX, Commodore 64, Amstrad PCW, PC MSDOS, Commodore Amiga and Atari ST.

Andrés Samudio, the director of Adventures AD released in 2014 the DAAD parser for use by the community of adventure creators. Until that moment DAAD had not been available to the general public, since it had been programmed exclusively for AD Adventures (it had a price of about € 12,000 in 1989!). The Spanish community of adventure creators began using DAAD to create cross-platform adventures for retro computers. In my case, I dedicated myself to porting my old Rudolphine Rur adventure to this system, and finally (2020) it was published (https://www.rudolphinerur.com) for most of the existing computers in the late 80s. I even published a small physical print run in cassette or floppy disk for Spectrum, Amstrad, MSX2 and Atari ST.

A year later I also wanted to try another parser, from the early 90s, SINTAC, another evolution of PAWS, which generated adventures for MSDOS. With him, I created a very short adventure, which I set in the same world as Rudolphine Rur: "The errand boy" being a prequel to it. The adventure was published in May 2021 in its PC version. Later I ended up porting it to DAAD so that I could release versions for Spectrum, Amstrad and MSX2.

Until now all my adventures were only available in Spanish. I considered that "The errand boy", being a short adventure, could be a good candidate to be translated into English. My level of English is not very good, and I have mainly used the google translator. So I hope native English people can forgive if they see something "weird". Finally, shortly after finishing the translation, I ended up porting the adventure also to Atari ST and well, that's the one you're playing :-) "

A fascinating read, which I hope you all enjoyed. I'm always impressed when a game like this appears on so many different platforms. My thanks to Dwalin for taking time out of his day to talk with me.

Okay, let's take another break from the reading for yet another screenshot...

I think Dorwinion deserves a slap for how he treats poor Galdrin!

The CryptO'pinion

It's always great to see new Atari ST games released. (Yet Another New Atari ST Game, just in case you wondered about the header above). This was a lot of fun to play; I loved its storytelling, and I enjoyed playing through to the end. Okay, I wish it were a much bigger adventure, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Atari ST version of Rudolphone Rur will be translated into English someday, very soon.

You can download the ST disk image from Dwalin's website, AtariMania, or by clicking this link.

Make sure you examine everything and leave no stone unturned. Or book.

The descriptions aren't long-winded, yet provide all the details you require.

I guess that's one way to get his attention!

My gosh, there is so much information within this one screenshot! No spoilers!!

The style and unique storytelling are quite extraordinary.

Roll through this adventure as you would in real life.

I thought the later stages were too ambiguous at times. Maybe it's just me?

A small adventure that's big on content. I loved playing this!!

This last image is Rudolphine Rur running on the Atari ST (Spanish).

I'm hoping for the English version soon!

Droid [all of them!]

ED-209

I should have showcased this before Christmas, but I never got a chance due to work commitments. So here it is: the Droid Definitive Collection, featuring all three Atari ST/STe games in a spanky-cool box. This is the latest from Bitmap Soft in collaboration with the mighty Atari Legend. (Maarten paid me to say that)

You might be thinking, "Three games?" Yes, both of the original shooters plus the newly upgraded Atari STe Droid by Jamie Hamshere (click that link). It has smooth scrolling, better sounds and enhancements. This is the ultimate box set for all fans and something I'm sure Miles Lord never dreamt of back in the day.

The box is excellent: it's strong, sturdy and boasts a rich, colourful design. Inside is a manual, a floppy, and a poster that doubles as a huge map. Geeks rejoice, for we have trinkets: stickers and a badge I must remember to wear down the pub. Seriously, I hope we get more boxed Atari ST games soon. Well done to all involved. Pop over to Bitmap Soft and treat yourself to the latest Atari ST game release by Bitmap Soft.

Don't forget to watch this video to show a comparison between the ST/STe games...

- Production Credits -

Miles Lord - Droid I & II (original game code and design)
Patrick Lord - Droid I & II (original graphics)
Jamie Hamshere - Droid Special Edition (Atari STe code & DMA audio)
John Blythe (cover illustration)
Darren Doyle (box design & manual)

A Box Of Surprises!

Santa's been!

Possibly the best thing about running with this crazy website is the amazing friends I've made along the way. One of the first is a fella from Norway who has supported me since day one, and his latest donation blew me away: a box of Atari ST games that were about to be thrown away! Can you believe that!!

Sadly, some of the jewel cases are badly broken. I doubt even an eBay seller could get away with exaggerating this condition lol. I don't care because I love anything for the Atari ST (shocker). The rest are preserved, with the floppies working, so this collection will be kept safe as long as I'm breathing.

Finally, there is a special gem - Mean 18 by Accolade. This is in brilliant condition, so it's definitely the star of the show and something I will cherish. Before scrolling down, click on these four pictures...

Skidz

How does a little community service sound? Well, in Skidz, we're picking up litter whilst riding a skateboard or bike. Avoid all the usual silly dangers along the way whilst also collecting top-ups for energy and time... Ugh, I hate time limits in most games. Anyhow, the levels are fantastic, with plenty of opportunities to leap ramps and more. The scrolling is smooth, and the graphics are consistently superb on each stage.

Skidz reminded me somewhat of Back To The Future II, and isn't really the kind of game I normally play, if I'm honest. However, I enjoyed it quite a lot, plus I appreciate the effort that went into its creation - it ain't no lame conversion. So, a good start for the box, and possibly something I'll return to someday?

Wanna take this for a ride, then click here for the floppy disks.

Check out those shorts, this is one seriously cool Marty McFly!

Liberator

Here's one that should be familiar to all who follow the prattle I post here on AtariCrypt. I won't repeat myself, so take a look at the review to see what I thought of it a couple of years ago. How time flies!

Go on, I know that you're curious, so click the link above and download it.

Okay, I bet you're wondering what on earth is going on!

Rock'n Roll

This isn't something I've ever played, and I didn't know what to expect. It feels like a weird cross between an overhead Marble Madness and Gauntlet. Except we are a ball that's stuck in a maze, and we need to escape. I'm annoyed already by this game, but I guess I should plod on...

The intro is ace, and not unlike a demo we all know and love. The game takes time to grasp because of its movement feel and the need for precise controls. Oddly, I never found the mouse a good option. Getting around the maze is easy after a while, and I found keys while swerving into hazards and secret rooms.

The graphics are magnificent with smooth scrolling, albeit at the expense of a smaller play area. Barry Leitch wrote the music, and it's excellent, although it grates after a while because it needs to alternate.

This isn't something I would have bought back. The concept will appeal to Marble Madness fans; otherwise, you might find it galling. Learn to master the controls, and you may have a game that's unexpectedly fun.

Grab the floppy disks and take this weird little game for a spin (sorry).

A ripped idea, but I don't care because it's brilliant. Awesome graphics.

Skyfighter

The Atari ST has a great number of decent vertically scrolling shooters, so I'm a bit perplexed that I have never played Skyfighter before. The gameplay and style reminded me of Plutos or Xevious, but it's all a bit drab with slow scrolling and too few enemies to shoot down. Well, that's hardly a good start, is it?

Control is best using the mouse as it's far easier to move around the screen and shoot with either the cannon or bombs. Dropping bombs on fuel pods will top up your ship's reserve, but that can be a tricky task in itself. This concept of refuelling worked well in RiverRaid, but less so here because you must stop concentrating on the bad guys to make a careful detonation. Very fiddly, so expect to get shot down in later levels.

After completing the level, you shall be quizzed. Yep, the computer will ask you a basic question about the stage that's just been played. It's a nice idea, but rather pointless, although very rewarding. To think your commander will send you out to war understocked with weaponry if you get the question wrong. Quite funny...

The graphics and sounds are boring, and I'm sure any 8-bit computer could have done better. To me, Sky Fighter feels rushed in every respect, but I had fun for 10 minutes. However, I would rather play Flying Shark.

Don't listen to me, grab the floppy disks and take this for a test flight yourself.

It's cheap and very tacky, but there's some fun to be had here.

Bombuzal

Here's another one I have already featured, but this time it wasn't so much a review as something that I wanted to share within our Pix Art section. Why? Because it's got amazing graphics, and I wanted to celebrate that wondrous fact. Bombuzal is a beautiful looker and a great puzzler too, so check it out right here.

Don't miss out on this wonderful puzzler. Click the link above and download it right now!

Is it just me, or does he look like he's sleepwalking with his eyes open?

Forgotten Worlds

This is one of those arcade conversions that should never have been. Don't get me wrong, I think Tim Round (of Dragon Breed and R-Type 2 fame) did a great job with this. Except for the botched controls.

Even if you had never played the arcade original, it's obvious that the home computer game doesn't feel right. Shooting straight whilst moving up and down is fine, but what about shooting in other directions? Well, you need to hold down the fire button to get our guy to rotate that attack. It's too weird and very clumsy.

I'm gutted because everything about this conversation is class. I love the presentation from the arcade, and both the graphics and sounds are excellent. However, I simply cannot control the darn thing for love nor money. Why didn't they compromise with the controls, like in Ikari Warriors? You know what I mean...

A beautiful game ruined by the controls. What a shame!

Grab the floppy disks or a brilliant version for hard drive installation by D-Bug.

Okay, let's just stay on the left and move up & down. Yeah, that'll work...

Impact

If you enjoy Breakout, then Impact is gonna make you grin like a Cheshire Cat because it's brilliant. Audiogenic isn't exactly a big name on the Atari ST, but John Dale and Martin Day came up trumps.

A good Breakout needs to be fast and smooth with responsive controls and lots of power-ups to keep you interested. This has got the lot, and it's so aesthetically pleasing considering it's just bricks and balls. A fantastic Break-Out and most certainly one of the best there is for any computer. I guarantee you will love it.

Waste no more time and grab the floppy disks or, better still, a hard-drive version by D-Bug.

Smooth 50 fps action throughout, and it sounds wonderful, too.

Battle Chess

This is one of those games I first saw on a friend's Amiga. Since I don't understand chess, I never bothered to play the ST version. Although I do enjoy watching the computer move all the pieces. The artwork is gorgeous, as are the animations, but I think I like the busy bee mouse pointer the most!!

The kind of game that makes you wish you were lazy and learned to play chess. Or is it just me?

Download the floppy disks and get battling!

Unlike me, the computer seems to know what it's doing... Look at the busy bee!

Joust

Come on now, tell me you don't adore this classic game? And the Atari ST game is practically arcade-perfect. This has already been featured and was part of a special posting comparing it to other console conversions. I should do more like that... Check it out. (pssst, you might like Winglord, best on Atari STe)

The D-Bug lads have done it again with a superb hard disk version, and the floppies are here.

Ostriches fly, drop eggs, and joust with each other. That sounds normal to me!

Targhan

This is a belting hack 'n slasher in a time of barbarians and bloodied swords. I've always loved Targhan, and it's one of those games I periodically boot up for a quick couple of plays. It's simple, it's fun, and it sure doesn't take itself seriously. Walk along, see a bad guy? Kill him with your mighty sword. Oh yeah!

We can run, leap like a girl, dodge attacks, climb ladders/ropes and explore in a near-open world. It's that freedom I love, plus the constant enthusiasm for gratifying violence. The controls are responsive and a cinch to learn using the joystick. Attack moves can be performed only when holding down the fire button:

The graphics are great, with huge sprites and decent animation, along with background aesthetics like flying birds. Sadly, the limitations of the 16-colour palette mean everything is tinted a glaring red. That's a shame, as most ST games feature palette-splitting routines to increase the number of on-screen colours. For example, to separate the play area from the status bar, so each part of the screen uses its own palette.

The audio is cool with a fuzzy sampled tune bleating away on the title screen. Things get much better in-game thanks to the superb sound effects. Lots of Barbarian-inspired grunts, screams, chinks, footsteps, and more. Some are rather strange, though - killing a bat produces a peculiar explosion sound.

I personally feel this is one of the better hack-and-slashers for the Atari ST. It's just great fun!!

Download the floppies to hack and slash your way to victory!

Okay, this fella is the first badass you meet. Are you ready?

European Soccer Challenge

The Atari ST seems to excel with these footy games, just look at Sensi Soccer, Kick-Off, Goal, and Speedball. Well, here the pitch is viewed overhead, but it feels cramped and cluttered with too many players fumbling for the ball. The action is sedate and feels like they're trying to run through a field of thick glue. I thought the game was much faster. Its speed reminded me of the ZX Spectrum game, Match Of The Day!

I'm not a soccer fan, so what do I know? Well, I partially enjoyed playing Team a while back because it had a large playing area and was fast. But this is one of the worst things I've ever played, albeit with great sound effects. They think it's all over. Well, for European Soccer Challenge, it most definitely is.

Don't bother, but if you fancy a kickabout, then grab the floppy disks from here.

Try as I might, I couldn't kick the ball into their net...

Blasteroids

This is another I have already featured here on AtariCrypt, and I must say, I had a blast with it. Pun intended! Okay, it's not quite as good as Stardust, but it's incredible and a bucket-load of fun. Check it out.

Shoot, move, don't stay still. Kill everything!! Oh yeah, I love it!!

Out Run

This is a racer that's no stranger to most Atari ST owners out there who naively wasted their cash. The driving angle is too low and is complemented by the worst framerate any game has ever delivered. Tidbit: Scientists have proven that if you play Out Run for more than 30 seconds, your eyeballs burst. Fact.

Why anyone would boot this up, I've no idea. The Atari ST has far better alternatives: Crazy Cars 3, Lotus Esprit 1 or 2, Vroom, etc... Or go slapdash in a fantasy land with Buggy Boy. Or challenge yourself in Stunt Car Racer. Heck, we even have a brand new remake of Pole Position and Lotus for the Atari STe.

Thankfully, there is a rumour of an upgraded version in the pipeline for the Atari ST. It's a work in progress by Peter Jørgensen, of Manic Miner fame. I have played a few betas, and it's much faster, smoother, and better-looking than the drivel Probe/US Gold produced. I hope he manages to finish it one day.

Download the floppy disk or this hard drive installable version from D-Bug.

Get yourself ready for headache-inducing framerates!

Mean 18

Along with Leader Board, this is one of the oldest golf games, and the screenshots certainly help to prove that. But wait, don't be put off by these naff DOS-like visuals because this is actually a cracker.

Over three courses, there are two difficulty levels: experts choose their own clubs with trickier controls, so it's probably more fun as a "novice". The 'action' is viewed from a third-person perspective, and the balls are whacked using a 3-click method: once to begin, again to select the power, and the final click to hit the thing in a straight line. That sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is, I promise!

Compared to Microprose Golf, it might not have much appeal at first glance, but it's a cracking golf game, so ignore the frightful graphics and take it for a spin. Ugly as hell, but I love this game a bunch. Plus, the condition of the slimline sleeve/box and its contents is superb. As cool as it is ancient!

It won't ever be as cool as my original, but you can grab the floppies from here and play it.

Another glorious shot. Hmm, will I ever break even with a PAR?

The CryptO'pinion?

Wow, this was a mixed box of goodies. Not all games will appeal to everyone, and Outrun was always going to be a disappointment. But at least the floppy disk still works, so perhaps I should use that as a blank? Thankfully, Targhan, Joust, Blasteroids, Battle Chess, Impact, Bombuzal, and Mean 18 are corkers!!

Those with keen eyes would have noticed some loose floppies: Captain Blood and Pro Tennis Tour. The first is an astronomical (sorry) game that I should properly feature someday. The other is tennis, a repugnant excuse for a sport. Plus, it's the only floppy disk that doesn't work, so I'll get Fast Copy on that!

Thank you to Loggins for this wonderful gift; it's been an absolute pleasure to experience these games. My greetings to everyone who helps support AtariCrypt (see the "Ko-Fi" link at the top of this page) :-)

Stay Atari and all the beST for 2022.