Alien Vs Predator

Don't tread in the slime!

Rebellion's Alien Vs Predator is a 64-bit masterpiece and also the main reason I bought an Atari Jaguar. It offers a fascinating first-person experience set in outer space onboard an alien-infested spaceship. Rarely did I play as either the Alien or Predator because I almost always chose the Colonial Marine, Private Lance J. Lewis.

This marine is a bad boy who awakens from stasis in the Brig. Wondering what's going on, he conveniently finds a dead body and picks up a shotgun before speaking the line: "What on earth got hold of this guy?". Lance is very hungry and heads to the canteen on sublevel 3 only to find the place is swarming with vicious aliens!! I think it's Shotgun time?

What a storyline! I love it but we need to pause the reading for some screenshots from the intro...

  
  

  
Original and gripping storyline? Well, at least the artwork is gorgeous... Hang on, is that a pink ship?

All I need is a big gun!

Don't be scared - the ship might be overrun but we have a shotgun and there are plenty of supplies to pick up. Sadly, your clearance level is pretty lame but fumbling dead bodies could reveal hidden treasures and possibly better keycards. When all seems lost, follow in the footsteps of Gordon Freeman and use the vent shafts for a sneaky way to get around. Finally, don't ignore the computer terminals as they often contain helpful information and mapping details.

This adventure is yours to enjoy how you see fit but it will be hard unless you make a map - especially for the vent shafts which are tricky to navigate. Upgrading to the Pulse Rifle is a must and it sounds superb. I love the Motion Tracker which is really handy but don't dawdle because reports suggest another alien ship docking!! This game is big.

We aren't limited to simply being human! Choose your character race for a unique game...

Wanna be a Marine with a big gun? Of course, you do!!!

   
Or a sleek alien with speed and power? Or a big wimp who hides behind his gadgets?

The CryptO'pinion?

Alien vs Predator is all about taking the time to explore and tactical thinking. There's nothing like crawling the air vents looking for secret places or just places that aren't accessible the usual way. The game is massive and the excitement you feel when first firing that pulse rifle is legendary. These are nasty times so find the keycards, kill as many aliens as possible, and activate the self-destruct before it's too late. Be brave and don't step in the goo.

I highly recommend this wonderful FPS - just don't forget about the escape pod otherwise it's "Game over, man"!!

Did you enjoy this? It wasn't related to the Atari ST but I hope to feature more for the Atari consoles.

My apologies for the speed & quality of the video. Doing both the recording and running the emulator was a struggle for my old Mac. I had lots of fun but regret selling my Jaguar!

No Buddies Land

When the demoscene and game industry join forces!

Eternal's No Buddies Land was released in 1991 by Loriciel and programmed by David Boshoven who is better known as Lair from the group, Hotline. Okay, the story is silly but let's roll with it: the land is flooding and Bud is the hero of the day who must climb up into heaven to ask for help before everything is destroyed.

Five dreaded levels are about to be flooded - our adventure begins in a dingy castle before heading outside to hop his way through the trees and then up into the clouds. As each level begins, the waters begin to rise just as in games like Flood, Goin' Down With The Captain or Killing Game Show. So, be quick and get moving!!

Before any more waffling from me, let's take a look at the first level...

Level one is pretty cool but it also introduces you to the cruel mechanics and an overpriced shop!

Prepare thyself!

...for a world of hurt! This game features cruel, wicked environments, many traps, and frustrating jumps. We must also contend with moving platforms, acid droplets, spikes, disappearing ledges and much more. Not only all that, but the local wildlife is never friendly and will zap your energy with a single touch.

Thankfully, there's nothing better than arming yourself with a weapon. It's natural to see a kid carrying a pistol in any 16-bit world! Best of all, this can be upgraded (along with health and more). Yep, you heard me, there are actually shops on the way up to Heaven. Who would have thought that? Well, brace yourself because I'm told there are also hidden side games and annoying puzzles (Grr!!). Something for everyone.

Want more screenshots? Of course, you do! So here is a couple from the second and third level...

I liked level 2 the most which also reminded me of Elf but I found level 3 a killer and really annoying!!

Platforming never looked so good!

The visuals are by Bram Leyten, aka Sense of Hotline, and are stunning with incredible attention to detail for both the environment and cute sprites. This game looks incredible! Animations that are nice but Bud walks like he's rushing to the toilet - gotta laugh at his zippy legs!! Not only do these graphics knock you for six but they slide down your screen at a graceful 50fps using sync-scrolling. Thank you #demoscene!!

This method screws up my VGA monitor (real ST hardware) each time it attempts to scroll. It works dandy using a standard CRT monitor/TV. So, I guess it must be a VGA issue with my current setup?

Audio has not been forgotten and if you remember Monster Business' outstanding tunes then you're in for a treat. Laurens Tummers, aka Lotus, has done it again to provide stunning examples of timeless chip music. In fact, I would say No Buddies Land has some of the best tunes I've heard in any game. Stunning results.

Both levels 4 and 5 feature disappearing platforms which I really, really, REALLY hated!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Technically a masterpiece that proves what the Atari ST is capable of when in the hands of talented people. However, No Buddies Land isn't perfect. The controls are great but jumping diagonally can be awkward unless Bud is currently walking (YMMV). Also, knowing which ledges to hop onto isn't always obvious when some blend into the background scenery. Ultimately, with a little tweaking, everything would have been perfect.

Having said that, this is a belting platformer and I've really relished playing it. It's nothing like I first expected and is actually enjoyable, unlike that disappointing platformer by TCB (sigh). The range of levels is extraordinary with each featuring different environments that are as challenging as they are gorgeous.

A belting game, with a few niggles, but otherwise thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.

Download the floppy or HDD versions.

Hibernated 1 - This Place is Death

WooHoo a new Atari ST game!

Hibernated 1: This Place is Death is a sci-fi text adventure by Stefan Vogt and released for a variety of different platforms along with our beautiful Atari ST. We are Olivia Lund onboard the intergalactic spaceship, Polaris-7 who has awoken from stasis. The ship appears abandoned and has been caught by an alien tractor beam.

Text adventures aren't often my cuppa tea - my brain needs to be fed visual wonders otherwise, it wanders. But, I've enjoyed myself with this rather splendid adventure with its fantastic sense of humour. The parser is easy to use with a two-word command system using Examine, Get, Open, Search, Move, etc. There are shortcuts: I for Inventory and R to re-describe the current location. Medium resolution is supported but oddly not monochrome... The docs advised making a map and that is a very good idea!!

Hibernated 1 is possibly the first of a new trilogy that can be downloaded and bought. Name your own price - which is a wonderful idea - thus play before you pay. Are any interested adventurers lurking?

UPDATE: You can now purchase a physical boxed release! :-)

This adventure has a great personality with cheeky remarks using buckets of humour!

A droid is punching me and I try to examine it. What was I thinking? A nice response though!!

Yikes, what is on that computer? The last thing we need is to be quarantined for four weeks!