The Ultimate Arena

Wax on, wax off...

The Ultimate Arena was released in 1995 by STeam and must rank as one of the last real commercial releases. Of course, it's a beat'em up, and the first thing to do is choose our character: Sandy or Terry. After that big decision, we can then proceed to the first match against a series of dodgy villains, each of whom has their own skillset and special abilities. Some might say it is Atari Mortal Kombat, and why not, because we fight in various arenas against several lunatics whilst watched by a bloodthirsty crowd. Sounds good to me!

Each arena offers a different environment, but they're not just for looks, as they can have unique features: I chuckled when I noticed the electrified fence - just one touch, and you're crispy burnt toast!! Each warrior has their own personality with a degree of speed, talent and special abilities. Watch out for a T800, which is really well done, and there is also an Indiana Jones wannabe who is an incredibly tough opponent.

No beat 'em up would be worth its salt without fast and responsive controls to kick seven bells outta your opponent. The Ultimate Arena has what it takes, and I found it easy to learn the various moves along with their special abilities. Interestingly, your energy bar isn't fully replenished at the start of a round, thus increasing longevity for determined gamers to figure out all the moves. This is a fun beat'em up!

Got a friend? Yes, this type of game demands two-player support, and it's got it!! This is great and allows us to play as the other characters (all except the final guy). This is superb, tons of fun, the joystick controls and display never lag, and it's the best reason to play the game. A turbo mode is optional, but I found it pointless; I simply wasn't impressed. Oh, and the blood & gore can also be turned on/off (what... why?).

Now let's check out a couple of screenshots of a Terminator and some silly fighting...

Whether you're Samantha Fox or a Terminator - this game is kick ass!! Love it!!

Showing off some cool moves there? Or is he just defying gravity? You decide.

Don’t forget to breathe, very important!

Like Domark's Pit Fighter, each character is digitised, and they try their best to look macho whilst kicking seven bells outta you. It's quite remarkable the amount of detail squeezed into each pixel with smooth animations. The backgrounds are always interesting, like the Terminator watching you on a screen, and the crowd with their silly movements. However, I'm not so sure about the colour palette, which is too brownish.

The audio doesn't disappoint and makes use of the DMA hardware with good music and a range of silly sampled sound effects for every kick, punch, and grunt. For once, I'm glad the YM wasn't used. Love it!

Let's fight our way through some more screenshots without getting electrocuted...

Kick people to death while they're already being electrocuted. It's all allowed!!

Or just pounce from a great height until they are splattered. All good fun!

The CryptO'pinion?

I'm no expert when it comes to beat 'em up games, but I am genuinely shocked at how much fun I've had with this Mortal Kombat wannabe. I half expected it to suck, especially being released so late in the ST's life. Surprisingly, even though the STe has no hardware to move the sprites, it's shockingly brisk and lively. A delightful game and a possible replacement for Double Dragon 3 as my favourite game?

Also, I love how it doesn't take itself too seriously, and the fact that I can try my luck against a Terminator is kinda cool. It's obvious that a lot of hard work and love went into its production - and all during the twilight years. Beating the hell out of digitised guys is a great way to spend a couple of hours!! Play this.

The floppies are on Atarimania. (stay away from any betas as they are rubbish!)

The Golden Dawn Mod Disk #14

MCIBTYC!!

The Golden Dawn released many PD and Mod Disks for the Atari ST during their time (Demozoo link). However, this particular disk is something quite different and features a humorous hack of Cannon Fodder. Click play to watch little ST soldiers graffiti the Amiga HQ which obviously escalates into war. Of course, this will end in bloodshed :-)

A superb idea and one that represents the tensions between ST and Amiga users back in the day. Well, mainly Amiga users because we ST guys were too busy enjoying our machine rather than looking over our shoulders! After the intro, this disk is stuffed with cool tunes and supports various playback options, including the stereo playback on the Atari STe.

Thanks to STompy for this piece of gold and get it downloaded right now. Fantastic stuff!!

Credits

Incubi - Text, Other (Compilation)

Lucid Dream - Code

Stoo Cambridge - Graphics

The F.U. Man - Code

Bombuzal

Dazzling dots!

ImageWorks' 1988 hit Bombuzal is one of those games that I remember seeing in the magazines of the day. Those pixels - I couldn't believe the cartoon-like quality of the main character within a colourful isometric world. We play the part of an odd potato-shaped dude who performs a funny expression as the bombs are exploding!! There are some big names associated with this game, but is it any good to play?

This is quite a simple puzzler at heart. It requires us to detonate clusters of red bombs. Each level contains squares used to help calculate our best route. There are traps to look out for - crumbling tiles that can be walked on only once before they disappear forever. Others might be too slippery, some transport us, and slotted tiles can move bombs to different locations (usually to avoid being caught in an explosive chain reaction).

This is a fun game that looks great while it taxes the brain cells. It's bomb-blastingly excellent!!

Floppies can be found at Atari Legend

HDD by 8BitChip & Klaz

Wow, this must be one of the brightest and happiest games on the Atari ST.



This is interesting, and being able to flip POVs is neat. But I prefer it in 3D myself...



I love its pixel art. Isometric styles always look cool, but this one also uses the palette perfectly.



Oh no, watch out for crumble tiles and (so many) other hazards. This 3D world is dangerous!

Rebellion

Where have you been all my life?

It's a weird feeling when I come across a game that I've never heard of before. I mean, there are plenty I've heard of yet never played (which is strange enough!), but this game looks incredible. Yet, here I am baffled by my ignorance! How do these things happen? Well, let's read the storyline...

A virus has infected the machines on Mars so the robots have captured our scientists and holding them captive. We have no anti-virus program so it's our job to destroy any robots that get in our way and help lead the boffins to safety. Jump inside your spaceship and get ready to save the day, again!

Rebellion is a top-down shoot-'em-up similar to a Gauntlet game. Each screen has several hostages, which are located in different parts of the level. Some are behind a forcefield which can be partially deactivated by disabling a section of its wall, but you won't have long before a repair droid appears. Others can be in locked rooms, which require a key card, which a robot may reveal when killed. Every level has a minimum number of hostages to rescue within a set time. Miss it, and the spaceship will leave without you. Yikes, so ruthless!

Nearly 30 years have passed without playing this game! Wow...

Okay, so how are you going to break into that complex, rescue everyone, and get out in time?

Tactics, strategy, guns!

Enemy robots have a range of abilities: some are slow, whereas others are much faster, and some can even lay down explosive mines. Some have no projectile weapon, but others are only too eager to turn you into a blood splatter! Watch out for gun turrets, trapdoors, and tanks. Interestingly, when you do lose a life, the robots are paused for a few seconds, thus giving you extra time to whack 'em full of lead. Most satisfying!

Our weapons are superb, and the machine gun can be upgraded with greater power and faster action. Try not to kill any humans in the crossfire! You'll be pleased to hear that there are a variety of other power-ups to enhance shields, invincibility, a radar scrambler, and even a supply of extra lives. Oh yeah, we've got it all.

Aesthetically, the graphics are lovely, albeit hardly groundbreaking for a 16-bit computer. I'm sure some might turn up their nose at the slow pace and tiny sprites, but it's ideal; otherwise, each level would feel cramped and difficult to navigate. Sounds are good, and you hear the bam-bam-bam of your weaponry the most.

Guns, tactics, strategy, and extreme military violence. I'm all in!! This game rocks...

As you can see, each level is swarming with enemies and folk to rescue. It's never easy!

The CryptO'pinion?

I don't normally enjoy games that have me worrying about the safety of people whilst being hunted myself. I panic too much, so people usually end up dead!! However, Rebellion works well even though the hostages are lame at following you and can often get stuck behind a wall, so remember that.

Rebellion is fantastic, without irritating objectives, and has been executed perfectly. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this shooter, which is anxiously entertaining. Each level features an intricate and interesting military theme with progressive gameplay. It’s highly addictive and one of those games that keeps you coming back for more. The rush of killing the baddies while guiding the scientists back to safety is always fantastic.

One of the best games I've played in ages. I absolutely love Rebellion!!

Floppy disks can be found via Atari Legend
A cool hard disk version by D-Bug.