P-47

Skim the landscape & shoot everything

P-47 was released in 1988 by Firebird and is based on the Jaleco arcade game. There are several levels through a variety of landscapes, so put on your Biggles outfit because you're about to reach for the skies.

Any shoot 'em up needs decent scrolling, awesome controls, and enemies to kill. P-47 has this by the bucketload. It's immediately obvious that the teamwork that went into development has certainly paid off. Choose either a 50/60Hz display with smooth parallax scrolling, great graphics throughout, and fast sprites that honour the original. Funky chipmusic plays alongside the pizazz sound effects, both of which are great.

The action is hectic as the planes whizz into view and tanks blast artillery - they're just asking for a MOAB!! Other levels have us flying through sunset clouds, pyramids, and over the seas (I love the missiles, which emerge from underwater). Oddly, the bosses are easy to defeat by positioning in a safe place and repeatedly dropping a payload of bombs. Each level varies, but the concept remains: fly, avoid, panic, and kill everything.

Where P-47 fails is the frustratingly great difficulty - the screen will always be cluttered with many baddies, and a collision is inevitable. Stick with it; collect the power-ups, learn the enemy's attack pattern, and keep on firing. Sure, this is imperfect, but it's also one I really enjoy and a darn challenging shoot 'em up.

• Atari Legend has the floppies, and I recommend New Order #20 Menu CD.
• Hard drive installable versions are available by both 8BitChip and D-Bug.
• Enter "ZEBEDEE" into the high score:
• Press F1 for a level skip
• press F2 for infinite lives. Have fun!!

Bold / Wiliness III

 

 

BeST laid plans...

I recently discovered an unreleased shooter called Bold by Laurent Kermel. Rather than my usual approach, I delved into the documentation and found his old website listed, which is still up and running!! This has an Atari ST section detailing his unfinished ST games. Take a look at these pictures (above) of Slug Dragoon Twins Tenesis and Empire. Potentially great games that may never be completed...

So, I messaged Laurent to express my interest in his work - esp Wiliness 3 (Dungeon Master!!). He replied and is a genuine guy, and I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. Maybe he'll complete his work one day?

Before we take a quick look at both games, here's the link to the Atari ST section of his website.

- B O L D -

Blitted Killings

Bold is a fantastic shoot'em up, drawing inspiration from several games. It’s a cross between Zynaps and R-Type, offering fast and frantic action as enemies zoom across the screen like they’re on steroids. Yes, quick reactions are essential!! I love the graphics, but it’s a shame that a large portion of the screen remains unused (perhaps for an intended status panel?). Bold isn’t controlled with a joystick but the mouse, which took a few games to fully grasp. However, I soon realised it’s absolutely perfect for sharp manoeuvrability.

Actually, any ST model is compatible, but Bold performs better with a Blitter chip. While all Atari STe computers meet that requirement, other users might need to purchase one to fill the empty socket inside their STFM. Unfortunately, those old pre-1987 STs might not even have an empty socket.

Despite being unfinished, Bold is incredible with precise controls and a thrilling shooter.

• The Bold web page has the download and a nifty walkthrough of each level.
• I made a video, but I hate YouTube, so I advise you to PLAY the game instead! :-)
• A cheat code is mentioned in the interview with Laurent within Alive Magazine #09.
• Chris Swinson, aka Exxos, sells Blitter chips, but I've now exhausted my hardware knowledge...

- W I L I N E S S  III -

Grab your sword, we're going in

Laurent developed a Dungeon Master clone called Wiliness 3, which is shockingly professional and could have possibly rivalled the FTL classic. The experience is amazing with a familiar user interface as we crawl through its creepy dungeon. Of course, it's unfinished, but 6 levels are playable, plus I liked the control system and the eerie sound effects. Sigh, Wiliness had the potential to be something quite extraordinary.

A brilliant dungeon crawler and something every ST nutter needs to experience.

• The Wiliness web page has the download and a BUCKET load of helpful information!
• Check out Walls Of Illusion and the newly updated Dungeon Master for the Atari STe.

 

Bootblock

First impressions

There are many different boot sector programs to add cool FX to a floppy. This helps prevent virus infections, but we all love the dazzling effects! Some are technically amazing! Bootblock by The Fingerbobs is one of my favourite programs that writes a number of boot sectors, and the one above is Bladerunners!!

Credits: Bootblock was coded by Oberje of Fingerbobs with music by Jochen Hippel.

I love finding awesome programs like this, and it's one of the reasons the ST never fails to impress. I'd bet there are more lurking out there in ST Land. Let me know in the comments what programs you find :-)

Flappy Bird

I said I wouldn't do it, but here we are!!

Yes, the most annoying game has finally arrived on the Atari ST, and I’ve tried to play it. I managed about 30 minutes before I was ready to chuck the joystick out my bedroom window. The animation above just gives a taste of the misery I endured. I hope you find my suffering amusing - it was absolutely dreadful!

Well, I’ll say this about this maddening game: it looks fantastic as it torments you. The graphics are bright and colourful, and it runs in 1VBL for ultra-smooth scrolling. However, I just don’t get it. Why is the whole world so enamoured with this flappy little flyer? What am I missing? I think that the world gone mad.

I never enjoyed or appreciated this game; I simply hate Flappy Bird so much!

• Fools can grab the download from the AtariMania website.