Eltonegame

Astonishing finds

The cracker scene has always intrigued me – it’s an exciting and brazen part of our history. It feels like I'm peeking into the rebellious side of the ST, and I’ve been hooked since discovering my first disk, which, I think, was a crack by Ford Perfect for FTL's Oids. I had never seen anything like it before. An outstanding game with a colourful intro that features music, graphics, and scrollers. What was this strange new world?

Thankfully, that world never ended, and we still have access to loads of disks from that era. And, ever since Stonish joined forces with Atari Legend, we’ve had access to an enormous collection of menus to freely download. Sure, it’s not a complete archive - and maybe it never will be - but it’s still impressive with everything you could possibly recall from the ST's glory years. (Hey, have you anything to contribute?)

While browsing, one disk caught my eye - Eltonegame, a name I’d never heard before. The intro mentions a library for ST and PC games, but I only found the address on Google Maps(!). Also, the scroller credits Didier, but beyond all this, there was nothing more I could find about it. For me, it’s a new discovery, and that’s what makes the ST so brilliant - it never stops surprising me! Naturally, I had to download this disk.

Ironically, it’s not a menu disk in the usual sense but kicks off with a couple of cool intro screens before dumping us in GEM. The contents are interesting, with three games and a splendid graphics utility...

• First up is Blaster, a shooter released in 1988 by A.W. Brook. It’s basically a low-framerate Defender ripoff. Sure, it lacks the slick, zippy action of StarRay, Defender II, or Anarchy, but that’s a bonus for me - because I can actually keep up with it! #OldManReactions
• Cyber Snake, released in 1992 by David Scantlebury, is a brilliant take on the classic Snake! What sets it apart from being a mere clone is the addition of a scrolling playfield to snack on. It's the same old format, but also feels quite different or new. I thoroughly enjoyed this game!
• Llamasoft’s Revenge of the Mutant Camels hardly needs an introduction - it’s utterly bonkers and an absolute blast. I can’t help but wonder why it’s not already featured on AtariCrypt. Hey, cut me some slack, I’m just one guy, LOL!! This version is only a demo, but enough time has passed for us to freely download the full game (ST/STe/TT/Falcon). Credit @Atarimania.
• Let's not forget the unassuming utility program called B-Gif. It’s excellent and something I would have used a lot back in the day. This nifty tool can "quickly" convert GIF images into Degas or Spectrum 512 formats, complete with dithering and resizing options. It even comes with two sample GIFs included, though, ahem, I can’t share them here – and I’m sure you can guess why!

This disk is a gem and a great discovery (for me!). I wonder if there’s more from Didier/Eltonegame out there, though probably not. Still, it’s fun messing around with what feels like a brand-new disk. Geek!!

Be sure to check this out and more menus at Atari Legend: https://www.atarilegend.com/menusets

Before the main intro, this screen appears and plays some sampled music.

Yep, no actual menu, but there's nothing wrong with good 'ol GEM!

I really enjoyed this wannabe Defender. It's a bit clunky, but great fun!

I cannot say I'm a huge "Snake" fan, but the scrolling helped make it feel different.

This is one crazy shooter - it’s absolutely magnificent!!

Useful options for a program that does a superb job of converting images.

Obsession

Pinball Dreams

Our gaming community never ceases to amaze me, and I've made many friends over the years. One guy in particular I've known since the days of swappies in the early 90s. Recently, he sent me a gift that made my day. Paul's always been generous and, like me, a fanatic about the Atari ST/e and ZX Spectrum!

Well, his parcel arrived, and inside was something very special indeed. Yes, I now have a blummin excellent copy of Obsession!! I still cannot believe it because I've had this game in the same league as Dungeon Master or Legends of Valour. In other words, one of those titles you dream of owning again, but it will never happen (a bit like the Atari Falcon030!!). At least not without forking out silly money we just don't have.

Anyhow, Unique Development Sweden only released two games for the Atari STe, and blimey, what a pair of Christmas crackers. Substation ended their short career with us, but at least they went out in style - a brilliant first-person shooter with great atmosphere and frantic action. Of course, the other is Obsession, a game I mentioned back in (wait for it) 2015. How the years pass... This is a marvellous game that looks and sounds as good as can be. Well, without leaving the house for your "local" amusement arcade!

Nobody needs me to review Obsession. It's a classic released in the dusk of the 16-bit era. The gameplay is hectic and challenging, and accompanied by superb graphics in overscan. Not only that, but the sound effects are incredible and played alongside funky tracker music. Where were UDS back in 1989?

I will say this: most games are best played using real hardware, but I found this more noticeable with Obsession simply because of the keyboard layout. It's designed for the ST keyboard using the bottom row to assist as you whack the flipper keys. Emulation with a Mac/PC keyboard doesn't work nearly as well (YMMV).

I will never be able to thank Paul enough for his kindness and generosity. So ignore the fact that I’m terrible at Obsession and boot it up for yourself. Those later years produced some killer titles, and this proves it; Obsession is one of the best “arcade games” on the ST, imho. Oops, I meant Atari STe 🥳

• Download via Atarimania https://www.atarimania.com/unique-development-sweden.html
• Grab a hard drive-ready version https://atari.8bitchip.info/SCRSH/obsess.html
• Demo versions can be found on AtariUpToDate and Atari Legend.
• Do you want more enhanced games https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/enhanced-games.html

The Incredible HangOpus

Hang..."man"

Nope, not this time - it’s HangPenguin! Opus, as I’ve just discovered, is actually from a comic strip by Berkeley Breathed, and he goes by the full name Opus T. Penguin. Any guesses what the "T" stands for? For his one and only outing on the Atari ST, he’s starring in a GEM game of Hangman. This program was created by Bryan Cafferky using Personal Pascal and is a simple take on the classic word-guessing challenge.

As expected, it’s all about picking the right letters to reveal a hidden word. Get one wrong, and Opus inches closer to his doom. There isn't anything groundbreaking, but I enjoyed the humour, especially the silly reactions when you guess correctly (or mess up). His death is particularly amusing for someone with my mind!

Additionally, one of the best features is that you can edit or create your own word lists, so you’re not stuck solving the same puzzles every time. That’s actually a brilliant touch, especially for those who fancy playing with their family on & off over the years. Yup, I hope I’m not the last person left alive to download and play this! So go on - give it a go and see if you can save our feathered friend from his fate.

You can help Opus by downloading the disk from AtariUpToDate, Atarimania, or ftp.pigwa.net.

I couldn't leave without dumping a few screenshots, so here ya' go...

When you get a letter right, Opus is happy. Unlike in the next screenshot...

His life hangs (literally) in the balance. Can I get the next letter correctly?

Yeah, the word "GREEN" was guessed successfully, and Opus lives another day.

Not only do you win that round, but the computer insults you! lol

Of course, if you fail, then poor old Opus is brown bread!