Return To Genesis

Dream Team?

Firebird released Return To Genesis the same year I got my Atari ST, and it was developed by the "ST Dream Team": Steve Bak, Pete Lyons, and David Whittaker. Three masters in their fields, who aimed for quality and always pushed our computer without ever resorting to excuses or using a lame Amiga port. #respect

RTG is a spin on Defender, where Mechanauts have forced scientists into slavery. We've gotta rescue each of these guys, which means jumping into a spaceship to skim the surface of 50 psychedelic worlds.

Wanna see the first bunch of screenshots? Then wait no longer because here they are...

Weeeee..... swooooosh..... ZOOOOM......... dead!

Can you see the Mechanauts? Not easy, is it?

I'm getting too old and slow

If you've ever played Defender, then you should be right at home with RTG. It only has a tiny learning curve. Fire and kill everything? But it's worth slowing down to pick up the scientists rather than killing them: once onboard, hit the HELP key to see what power-ups they might provide. These guys are useful and could improve weaponry, shields, invisibility, etc. However, Festus might be less than fun as the master of self-destruction?

A scanner shows the location of each scientist, but this falls short of detailing the level layout. I don't know why, but this doesn't work well for me. Sigh... how many more times must I be rebounded back and forth like a yo-yo? Yes, you're on the edge of your seat for this incredibly FAST shooter. Blink, and you're dead!!

Screenshot time, and here are twelve scary-looking people from the future...

This is an incredible idea that uses who you rescue in a positive way for the next level. It's superb!

Aesthetics

Pete Lyon designed everything you see, but I'd be lying if I said this was his best work (I personally think Zynaps won that accolade). It's pretty gorky, so I often found it difficult to distinguish the aliens against those funky backgrounds. The scrolling is smooth to prove, once again, that the Atari ST needed no custom chips when in the hands of talented people who care about the product they're working on.

Audio is such a treat. Dave Whittaker sure knew how to get the best heard from our computer - proving that "chipmusic" will last forever. Yes, it sounds <cough> familiar, but it suits the gameplay. Heck, our ST talks to us, which is a zillion times better than Gold Runner. Dave certainly gets the YM processor rocking.

It looks, moves, and sounds superb! Definitely a dream team production, so let's see screenshots...

A weapons upgrade. I knew it was better to rescue these guys rather than blasting 'em!

Shall we rescue him or not? Erm, I shall.... try....!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Return to Genesis is one of those games that seems to have it all - brilliant visuals, smooth scrolling, immersive sound effects, and classic chip tunes. However, I’m left feeling unsure if it’s the game itself or just me. I love a good Defender-inspired shooter, but this one’s way too fast. After a few pointless games, I’m exhausted from hitting objects and dying repeatedly. Thankfully, the scientists have some great power-ups. These are a wonderful idea that somewhat alleviates the frustrating gameplay, albeit just a tiny bit.

This sure is an iconic shoot ‘em up for Atari ST gamers, truly representing the ST’s capabilities. Unfortunately, it’s far too fast for me, and I’d much rather play Zynaps or Menace. I wanted to love this game, but it just wasn’t for me. It’s brilliant, but sadly, not for this gamer. I guess I’m just too old and slow?

Grab it for floppy or hard drive.

Quadralien

Oh no, must I use my brain?

Quadralien is an action-enhanced puzzler released by Logotron, and once again, we find ourselves on board a spaceship about to go into a nasty radioactive meltdown. This time it's thanks to a pesky race of Quadraliens who must be stopped before everything goes boom. Next time, I think I'll stay at home.

I admit that Quadralien wasn't something I was looking forward to. I remember being completely bemused by this puzzler back in 1988, so I dreaded booting it up - and then having to write something interesting!! So, cautiously, I inserted the floppy disk into my Atari ST and braced for an embarrassing moment of gaming torture. I hoped my nightmares didn't return to haunt me... At my age, I need all the sleep I can get!!

Let's begin this feature with some nifty screenshots that probably make no sense...

Click the red square for detailed information on each of the six droids.

There's a lot of information and choices to make. Choose wisely!

Let's get to work...

Each level is viewed and played from above - Gauntlet-style, you might say. We control two droids that need to clean the Quadralien's mess (there are a total of six droids, but only two are usable at once). Each has its own individual characteristics: magnetic structure, the ability to carry waste, a battery, and weaponry.

Initially, I found that unnecessary because I felt blind in terms of planning ahead for an unknown level. However, I later found a fantastic series of videos by sushicalmagi who nicely explained each droid along with the basics of the gameplay. It's worth watching, especially if you have no instructions manual like me!

Okay, here are two more screenshots. Apologies to all those expecting Gauntlet...

So much radioactive stuff to zap or pick up... use those "I" terminals to see the services it offers.

The screens may look confusing and cluttered, but they really aren't.

Confused? You will be!

Six chambers make up a level, and their objective differs: in the first room, we are tasked to clean the radioactive materials to lower the temperature, but the later levels involve puzzles to tax the old brain cells. Quadralien uses a passcode system to unlock the harder levels, which is a neat idea.

My first game was a mind-blowing affair because there's so much clutter on-screen, which bewilders me!! My advice is to take it slow and experiment with your droid: familiarise yourself with the room, find water, play with magnetised objects, zap/collect toxic waste, and use the console. Actually, these are excellent and stuffed full of detailed stats, full toxic decontamination, and can recharge your battery to full power.

There is a lot to this game!! Great value for money, but also a free time-eater. Screenshot time...

The console is your friend who can help out in several different ways...

...like a good scrub! Or decontamination, as they call it.

By Jove, I think he's got it!

After a couple of games, things began to fall into place, and I was enjoying myself. Getting around is easy using the joystick, and it's a lot of fun zapping the nasty stuff with a laser. The spacebar is used to collect toxic waste, and hitting F4 activates a nifty Geiger counter on all lucky droids. F5 flips between your two chosen droids, and F3 allows you to pan your location without moving, which is more useful than you might assume.

Some rather odd magnetic mechanics can be useful, annoying, or humorous. That depends on your choice of droid, so explore and learn your environment before blindly running off. However, there are other objects to be wary of, like magnetic tracks, force fields, and those impetuous Quadraliens!

Hey, you're starting to show an interest? Rightly so, this game is something else...

It's good to know your environment, and Quadralien is bursting with much to learn.

This ain't no 5-minute game. Study hard. Play clever!

Aesthetics

Graphically, for a puzzler, it's amazing! I liked the crisp, clean design using bold colours. It's futuristic in some ways and reminded me how I thought a 16-bit game would look - back when I was a ZX Spectrum guy. Okay, I'd have liked scrolling, but the flick-screen works perfectly (I'm thankful push-scrolling wasn't used).

The sound effects are good, but the funky Dave Whittaker music wins hands down. Listen...

Yes, please do pause this most excellent reading. Listen, enjoy, and then continue to scroll :-)

CryptO'pinion?

We are now at that point where I write why I loved or hated a game. However, I'm doing something different because of Quadralien's enormous learning curve, which I initially failed to master many moons ago. Sometimes we're quick to judge, and I fell into that trap because of Quadralien's massive learning curve.

Anyhow, I recently took a week off work with my family to eat, drink, and walk the fells of northern England. I returned fresh, raring to go, and booted up my ST to give this puzzler another go. And, you know what? I enjoyed it for the first time in over 30 years, and my older brain coped better, too. lol

Quadralien offers the usual end-of-world scenario, but feels different and has fascinating mechanics. Sure, there's a learning curve, but I suggest trying your best to master that; otherwise, you might do what I almost did when initially writing this review! I am glad I waited until after my obviously much-needed holiday!

Do not miss out on what is truly a classic Atari ST game!! Dismiss this corker at your peril.

• AtariMania has the authentic floppy download.
• 8BitChip has a great hard disk version to save on the slow floppy access.

Marble Madness

It's all balls!

Of all the games in this wonderful Super Pack collection, it is (ironically) Atari's own Marble Madness which I was looking forward to the least. I've never played the arcade original, but I did have a number of clones back in my Sinclair ZX Spectrum days - and I hated every one of them!! So, we're off to a good start lol.

Shockingly, the ST conversion was programmed by Will Harvey. After all, this is the guy who made the excellent Zany Golf and The Immortal, so my expectations were already high... Ahem...

To be honest, I find the whole Marble Madness concept pointless and frustrating. I've simply no patience to spend any amount of time on something that was obviously designed to torture people like me. However, I must keep an open mind and attack this game just as I would any other... Maybe I've been wrong all these years?

Not exactly off to a great start, so let's take a break for a couple of screenshots...

The first level looks good, but is a cheap imitation with missing decals

Level two introduces us to the enemy - a black ball that loves to play chase... Weird!

So what's it about?

The aim of Marble Madness is to navigate a ball through six isometric mazes that feature tricks like moving platforms, vents and even "monsters" that zap you for valuable time loss. Yes, there's a timer, so the quicker you complete each screen, the more time you accumulate for the next. This idea is pretty cool and forces you to master each level the best you can. Or you could play coop head-to-head, which works well.

The controls are awkward, so you will probably miss that trackerball. Sure, I've no trackball myself, but I found the ST's mouse to be nothing less than useless as I wildly zipped about in every direction except the one I wanted. The joystick proved to be a better choice for diagonal movements, and holding down fire delivers a burst of speed. This is good for climbing slopes or avoiding baddies - just try not to fall over the edge!

Sadly, the controls aren't without their quirks, and sometimes it felt like my blue ball had a mind of its own: many times, I'd move one way only to see it go another! Plus, there are bugs, lots of bugs: level two features an invisible wall that your ball can ignore and drop down into oblivion. Level three crashed on me twice!

Not going well, is it? Well, let's take another break for some more screenshots...

I've dodged two wibbly things, but there's another black ball about to chase!!

Those green blobs are slow and easy to beat. Hang on, what's that vent used for...?

Aesthetics

Graphically, I expected better from the ST. Just look at its title screen if you don't believe me - what were they thinking? The game resembles the arcade levels but feels rushed with many missing decals, bland colours, and weak shadows. It's rubbish compared to other isometric games I've enjoyed on my Atari ST.

The audio is quite poor. The sound effects barely resemble the original, and the music is irritating at best.

Yikes, I really am not enjoying this part of the Super Pack!! Screenshot time...

Level four has some of the most infuriating moments...

...the kind that has you screaming at the poor ST!!!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Okay, I know I have never liked Marble Madness - but - I have kept an open mind. Honestly, I've tried my best, but time has not healed my wounds, and it failed to deliver the slightest hint of enjoyment. Also, the ST appears to have received an incredibly lame conversion that feels rushed and riddled with silly bugs.

Marble Madness is the weakest game in the Super Pack; it's worse than Chopper X, so I think I'll be fine not booting it up again. It feels rushed and without the dedication the ST deserved. I hate it with a passion!!

Do you desire to experience the torture?

Then download the floppies or a hard disk version!!

Eddie Edward's Super Ski

Thick glasses and a funny face!

So far, my Super Pack adventure has been very strong with some huge titles: Arkanoid II: Revenge of Doh, Beyond the Ice Palace, Black Lamp, and Buggy Boy. All are searchable, and Atari ST classics. However, there's always an exception, and that was Chopper X, but we'll say no more about that!

The sixth game in the Atari Super Pack is Eddie Edward's Super Ski, which is basically an "Eddie the Eagle-endorsed" version of Microids' Super Ski. Now, everyone (here in England) admired our lovable sporting icon, a plucky hero who certainly won over the entire nation's heart. Heck, he even got his name on an Atari ST game, which is a gold medal in itself. Come on, far more impressive than the Calgary Winter Olympics!

Hey, before we continue, I think we should view a couple of wintery screenshots...

Okay, there's no music, but the interface is clear and well-designed.

I like the ability to instantly jump into the action and play any of the games!

Oddly, I had trouble running this game on my own STe so I switched over to Hatari and configured that to emulate a basic STf (TOS 1.02). Also, (thanks to AtariMania) I had a good laugh reading the box cover which says: Fly like "the Eagle" on the Ski Jump!!

But is it any fun to play?

Super Ski is a 3D skiing simulator where we compete in slaloms, downhill racing, and a ski jump. Each event is experienced from a third-person perspective with us as Eddie. That basically means we try our best to help keep him on course using our lightning-fast reactions. Which is harder than it sounds...

The races are fast. And I do mean fast! Choose three tracks that increase in their number of twists and turns for a chaotic experience. Controls are superb - move from side to side to steer through as you zoom down the snowy hills (press the fire button to move quicker). To increase your speed, push up for an insane boost!

Competition mode allows multiple players to use the Booking Office to select numbers and their names. Now you can find out who can jump the best and ski the fastest without incurring too many penalties. You might even become a human snowball... Tell me that ain't the funniest thing you never expected to be.

Okay, it's time to view some more screenshots, so brace yourself for action...

If you can handle it, ride low for faster speeds.

I did and even finished without turning myself into a snowball!!

Oh, how I need the practice...

There is a training mode used to practice each of the four events before taking part in the competition. Using this is something I cannot recommend enough, because you will certainly need lots of practice:

• The slalom games are fast, so they require quick reactions to safely navigate each of the progressively difficult tracks. The harder you go, the more winding the path, and all whilst trying to hit through the gates. Wow, these races are insane - dare you hit UP to go even faster??
• Ski Jump is simple and simply awesome. Sure, it's over within the blink of an eye compared to racing, but it's exciting to see Eddie fly like the eagle he was (ahem). I really enjoyed trying to get the speed and angle just right - now all you've gotta do is try and stop. If you can!
• Downhill Racing is very similar to the slaloms, and I suppose, sports fans will hate me for saying that? However, I found it harder because I felt snowblinded due to the lack of colour and visual objects! It's fast, it's furious, it's racing, so crouch down if you can handle the exhilarating pace.

This has got to be one of the best moments in gaming? I never expected to be Eddie the Snowball!!

Aesthetics

Graphically, I'm impressed by Super Ski, which nicely presents an Olympic scene. Everything flows at a frightening pace, but possibly too fast for my old eyes that desired less speed and more frames. We even have foolish spectators standing in dangerous places just waiting to be splattered. Actually, without them, I'd probably go snowblind in this white world. I shouldn't complain because this is brilliant for 1988.

Audio is less impressive with the YM2149 trying to make swooshy/sliding noises and penalty alerts. It's fine, but it could have been better. Sadly, there are no chiptunes to bop along to in the menus or during play.

Looks great, but sounds poor? Well, at least these screenshots show the best of the game...

Looks like the fans are enjoying it?

I wonder if I can entertain them as much as the real Eddie... Yup!

The CryptO'pinion?

You know me, sports games aren't really my bag, baby. I enjoy motorsports and even a few beat 'em ups, but I admit to being pretty much meh about athletics. Regardless, Super Ski is great, but I'm concerned about its lack of variety. We needed more events - like a bobsleigh or even curling!! Of course, they're not exactly Eddie's chosen events, but this would have added a lot more content, which feels quite restricted.

However, the controls are perfectly responsive for each frantic event, and the feeling of zooming downhill is a thrill - it's almost like a snowy version of Vroom! Also, the training mode is a Godsend to help brush up on your skills before foolishly jumping into a competition. Overall, Super Ski is great, especially when playing against family or friends - we had a laugh, and that's good enough for me! Highly recommended.

This Eddie version of Super Ski was a tough find. Thankfully, AtariMania has the correct download.