Sleuth

I've been searching...

After the jaw-dropping Berzerk, I searched what might lurk inside the ST's archives. Eventually, I found Sleuth, a PD game released by Larry Scholz of MajicSoft in 1993. The year is 2525, and man's existence is threatened by evil cybernetic organisms (yup, robots!) created by Dr Spirit. A simple storyline for a familiar game. Okay, it's not what you would call an authentic clone (ahem), but the premise is there for another Berzerker!

We are Inspector Sleuth and about to infiltrate the doctor's lair to show these clumps of metal who's in charge! Gone are the randomly generated screens, replaced with a map populated by six different models of the doctor's robots. These range from the Hemroid, which is a low-level (wait for it) "pain in the butt" to the Hopperoids with warp technology, so don't get too close. Come on, you must love Larry's humour?

Movement and firing are performed in all eight directions using the joystick. Defend yourself using an armour-piercing gun that features a nuclear charge to incinerate all robots from the inside out. You still need to stay clear of the electrified walls, and if you hang about for too long, something freaky appears after a short time to chase you across the screen. Now we're back on the familiar Berzerker ground lol.

So, is it better than Berzerk? Not on your nelly! Sleuth feels like a tacky ripoff with rubbery controls and dodgy graphics. I can imagine that shocks you. Have I just wasted your time writing this mini-review? No. Regardless, Sleuth is a good game in its own right and is nice to play something different. You may have noticed I've not mentioned the audio? The chip fx are good, but the music? Wait and see for yourself!

For what it's worth, my 8-year-old daughter loves this shooter. She played several games badly and never understood why the walls killed her. But, she loved it!! I must admit, so did I. Remember, it's not Berzerk, so keep an open mind and give it a fair playtest. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Sleuth can be downloaded over at the legendary Demozoo website.

IGNORE the graphics!! Gameplay counts the most, whether it's perfect or not.

Shamus shoots anything that looks... weird. Don't think, just shoot!!

Bombs And Bugs

Another game rescued

Bombs And Bugs is a multiplayer Bomberman, developed by Stefan Eilert of Awkward Software. Supporting two or three players, it has superb power-ups and the most vibrant and jazzy graphics. Although the game was never released, it has been saved and sent to Atarimania for safekeeping as of today. 🥳

This game is an exciting, frantic Bomberman-style blast of multiplayer fun that’s all about outsmarting your opponents in tight maze arenas. We are a battle bug, dropping bombs to destroy walls, uncover power-ups, and trap rival players, to be the last survivor. Simple stuff, but stupidly chaotic! Its colourful presentation and explosive gameplay make it a brilliant "party game". So gather around the ST like it's 1993.

Sadly, there’s no single-player support, which I miss as a lone gamer 90% of the time. My video shows my gameplay against our 8-year-old daughter. She said, "It's freaky and very silly". I think she's right!!

• Download this previously unknown game from Atarimania.
• Check out the Awkward Software website.

Games I Hate!!

My ST love died

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I decided it might be amusing to revisit a handful of games I’ve always hated. Good idea, right? Well, as it turns out, there are far more games I absolutely loathe than I expected, which shocked me somewhat. Perhaps I’m just a miserable bloke (there’s a surprise). Still, let’s do this anyway; it might actually be fun.

So, here is a handful of dreadful #AtariST games...

1) Lemmings is a game everybody went crazy for, but I couldn't find any joy in herding those idiotic critters. A few screens in, I would discover that I had no tolerance for their stupidity and found it irritating. Instead, I would deliberately watch them plummet to their death or explode!!

2) Next is a conversion of the arcade hit, Hard Drivin'. This looks the part with its polygons and wacky stunts enticing you to try your luck. However, it never goes to plan as I cannot steer the car in anything that resembles a straight line. In fact, I corner worse than a drunk Stevie Wonder.

3) Next is Strider, a game I saw in ST Format and it looked amazing. They gave it a glowing review so I went out and spent all my pennies. Well, I certainly won't be giving it a glowing review because I cannot stand this platformer for more than a few minutes - without throwing down the joystick!! A terrible Tiertex port. (UPDATE) < < < < <

4) Chuckie Egg II is the worst platformer for the Atari ST. I'm disgusted this game was released. Why? Perhaps it's because it's such a dredful conversion, but more likely because they ruined what is one of my favourite ZX Spectrum games. Yep, I was hoping they'd remain faithful (like with Jet Set Willy), or perhaps enhance it (like with Highway Encounter), but no. They destroyed it!!

5) Yolanda is a platformer that I've always thought looked curiously interesting and something very different. The sprites are superb and it has a funny title screen, so I've often wondered if it played as well as it looked? Well, and no joking here, this is my actual experience:

Start the game... Wonder what to do. Die. 

Start again... Run left. Die. 

Start the game again... Run right. Die. 

Start for yet another go... Panic. Die. 

Reboot my Atari ST, and wonder what I'm doing with my life.

The CryptO'pinion?

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In case you're wondering, this article was just for a bit of fun. Except for the part about Lemmings, as it's another lame Amiga port by Psygnosis (explain its intro if you can). Okay, ignoring the odd game like Blood Money & Anarchy, they sucked with their rushed ports. My apologies to their fans worldwide.

Sorry, not sorry. :p

Are there any Atari ST games you hate? Let me know in the comments below...

This is a recording of my usual game. All over the road and driving like a drunk!

The controls... those controls...!! What have they done to this game? :(

A typical game, but seriously, I need to play this again to see what it's all about.

Racer 2

Dune race onto the Falcon!!

I thought it was time to introduce more 32-bit games to AtariCrypt, especially as AtariMania's Marko Latvanen has promised to give me his Falcon - Muahahahaha!! (he's since denied that conversation!). I'm happy with Hatari as it appears to emulate the bird well (even on my old Mac). Let's kick this off with Dune's Racer 2, which was released at Silly Venture 2014 for the stock 16MHz Falcon (4MB RAM / 320x240 true colour).

A driving game needs to be an interesting road trip with fast thrills to keep me coming back. We don't want boring. Well, Racer provides its motor fun with three types of gameplay: championship, challenge, and the good old arcade mode. Each can be played using three levels of difficulty, from beginner to an ace driver.

Wanna see a couple of colourful and (Mmm) absolutely gorgeous Falcon screenshots...

Creepy!! So keep the pedal to the metal when things get too spooky for you to handle.

Hey, I saw that you naughty boy. Don't stop to look at the pretty beach girls!!

Let's race!!

This feels like Crazy Cars 3 or Lotus 2 with its style and handling. It works well using either a manual or automatic gearbox, so it wasn't long before I was whizzing around the tight corners thanks to the effortless controls. They're dead easy, and you can choose either the keyboard, joystick, or JagPad.

Championship events are tough and definitely put this gamer through his paces, so don't expect to complete it on your first attempt. Arcade and Challenge modes offer a great way to practice the laps, with the potential to further yourself by unlocking numerous extra tracks. I probably enjoyed Challenge mode the most.

Optional bonus items can be collected for a myriad of effects: freezing the timer, increasing speed, ejecting your closest opponent, flattening the opponent's tyres, etc. However, joystick players might find reaching for the keyboard a pain. Perhaps I should try my Jagpad? Oh wait, I've no Falcon... (Marko's a rotter!!)

It's screenshot time, and here are a couple of beauties. Well, they're still colourful...

Perhaps I'm boring, but I turned off the Bonus feature...

New Race Unlocked? Oh yeah, I love it when that happens!!

32-Bit Aesthetics?

It was the graphics that originally enticed me to play this game - they are knockout and easily on par with other machines of the day. Each environment is accompanied by its own unique styles, drivers, and background music. Framerates are superb and can be increased further by disabling the textures. If I had to nitpick, the point of view is a bit low, and it’s a shame so few frames are used during the car’s cornering.

The audio is typically Falcon - nothing less than stunning. The selection of music is incredibly varied and suits each track's style. All effects are made using awesome samples, so whether you're skidding, bumping, or tearing up the road, it's ear-blasting and always amazing. Love it all, especially the smooth engine noise.

Looks and sounds incredible!! Well, isn't that nice? Wanna see a couple of screenshots...

Some tracks are weirdly different from what I expected...

...whereas others look more "traditional". Don't worry, all are great!

The CryptO'pinion?

What an awesome racer!! In fact, I could end my review there, but let's waffle on for a little longer. To say that I've enjoyed this game is an understatement, but it isn't without faults: slamming into roadside objects can stop you dead - even if that object is a spectator! Starting off from zero feels lethargic, almost as if you're behind the wheel of a Kia. The strangest is when the countdown timer begins before the green light.

Let's stop nitpicking! Racer 2 is a stonker with outstanding graphics, roaring sound effects, brilliant tracks, and superb controls. This is an utterly addictive experience and one of the best Falcon games.

I highly recommend this extraordinary racer, even if you're stuck using an emulator like me!!

Falcon peeps should download Racer 2!!