A long time ago, I had an ST shelf. I was a happy man. I proudly displayed my gorgeous ST gear to, well, myself. However, along came a woman who wanted to redecorate, and the idea of having an old games shelf in our bedroom didn't fit with her plans. Not having a backbone, I obliged and endured a shelf-less life.
Those dark days have finally ended!! How or why, I've no idea, but I've been granted an opportunity to display my prize positions again. My corner of the bedroom is hardly a man cave, but it will suffice. I love my shelves, but I've been ordered to keep 'em dust-free! But I'm a bloke, which means I don't do housework!!
I'm wondering how long to wait before putting up posters. I'm talking Vixen, Game Over, and Barbarian! Yeah, I'm only joking, but isn't it funny that something like an ST shelf can make a grown man happy?
Anyhow, wanna see photos...
Three classic books and some lovely games. Especially, the Elvira box. Work-of-art that one!
The same shelf, different angle - I'm getting creative. Here you can see two fantastic new products.
My little box of working floppies - that I use over and over to playtest my Crypt games :-)
I have crappy speakers, but boy, I love the ST :-)
These last four images are of a different cabinet donated by my beautiful wife!!
Yep, I'm now surrounded by my collection of Atari ST games, and they all work.
I don't mind admitting it, but Joust is one of those games that I am terrible at. In fact, I could end this right now because I really am that bad - it's quite humiliating! However, I also have much affection for jousting, no matter the quality of my skills. Joust is uniquely entertaining, thrilling, and as much as it infuriates (me). So, it was a pleasure to discover that the Atari ST/e has another jousting competitor.
Winglord was originally a shareware game by Victor Bruhn, who has since released it as freeware a few years ago (which is super-cool of him!!). Now, first things first, Winglord can run on either the Atari ST or its sexy sister, the Atari STe. However, Victor originally intended it for the Atari STe as he utilises the Blitter Chip and DMA Audio. Older STs can still play, but won't hear the funky samples and might even experience visual anomalies due to the lack of a Blitter to handle the silky-smooth 50Hz display.
We need to stop reading and take a gander at the first screenshot...
I struggle to fly while the computer cleans up. Yup, another drubbing by my faithful Atari ST...
README.TXT
Nobody reads the manual. That's mainly a guy thing, but in this case, it's worthwhile taking a look. There are lots of handy tips, as well as a great storyline that is fun to read. Come on, there are nasty wizards, medieval castles and winged unicorns, which is great stuff!! For those who won't read it, here's my take on it:
Guardian Castle is above the villages in the valley. They're under attack by the wizards of the Northlands, whose minions have found a way into the tunnels under the mountain atop which it sits.
They have gained control of most of the caverns and passages that run through the ground underneath the castle, as well as a large portion of the castle. Sinister beings now roam through these areas and have crushed all resistance offered by the sentries and the castle's contingent of soldiers. Evil creatures, some mounted by riders, continue to advance into the halls of the castle and through the caverns in a seemingly unstoppable march! (It's not sounding too good, is it?)
Thankfully, teleporting into the skies above the castle are WingLords who are ready to do battle with the invaders. Mounted upon winged unicorns whose beauty is matched only by their quickness and power, they descend into the depths of Guardian Castle and intercept a group of creatures. Two more riders enter the room, and an airborne jousting battle begins between the adversaries.
Their powerful Fire Lances easily destroy the enemy riders, while providing their wielders with a shield against the enemy. The enemy is defeated, and the Winglord's unicorn steeds use their natural teleportation ability and leave the battlefield to have their lances re-charged.
Now the WingLords wait for another onslaught, ready to do battle with the fire-spitting Yellow Jackets. The Dark Riders are also armed with fire-spitting lances. The Wing Masters, deadly flyers who are immune to missile weapons, must be jousted against. This war is far from won!
Sounds cool, right? Of course, it does, so let's take a break and check out another screenshot...
The Apprentice knights are slow but harder than you might think.
Winged unicorns?
Winglord will instantly feel familiar to seasoned jousters. One or two players can compete at the same time, controlled by either the computer or another humanoid that you may have nearby. Each level is of similar design, with platforms that will prove strategic. As with the original, the screens feature a wraparound design at the edges, but the eggs are gone, and there are new ceiling vents.
There are some alternative changes, and some peculiar ones. Gone are the lanky ostriches for unicorns - and these don't lay eggs. But these majestic beasts love to strut their stuff, just watch them walk - so cool. Battling against knights follows the same format, but they now feature some unexpected traits, and there are even buzzy bees. Best of all, some medieval knights are expert jousters with exceptional skills. Beware!
Once again, let's stop reading my nonsense chit-chat and take another gander at a screenshot...
This isn't good, I'm about to be pounced on or stung to death at any moment!
Know your enemy
All levels have four different enemies, each with its own strengths, control, style and armament:
The Apprentice - these guys are armed with only a lance. You might be fooled into thinking he's going to be an easy opponent. Don't kid yourself, he's crafty and has some nice flying skills. Also, he's immune to your missile attacks. Hang on, a moment... did I just say missile?!!
Yellow Jackets - this is a buzzy bee with suicidal tendencies, which means they're quite tough to defeat. These can, and will swarm, so watch out. They're a little dumb, but as a nest, they are a phenomenal force. Perhaps a missile in its face is a good idea to teach them who is boss?
Dark Riders - this guy carries both a lance and a pack of missiles. He's fast, he's brutal, and he's a damn tough lancer. Basically, he's gonna kick your ass!! Excellent fighters.
Wing Masters - Winglord shows its true colours when this guy enters the arena. These are jousting geniuses and tough cookies with ferocious combat skills. Be warned!!
Hey, it's time for another sexy screenshot!! Brace yourself and be ready...
I tried my best to get a screenshot of a missile hitting a bee! Quite impossible lol.
Controls
The joystick controls feel much like those in the original ST Joust, which was a massive relief because I was dreading any disastrous changes. Why change a winning system, right? Well, flight and control are perfect, even if you are as unskilled as me. There is an option to choose your preferred 'flap power' that will alter the effect of the vertical force which is applied with each press of the button. Choosing high will gain greater altitude, whereas low offers better control. It's best to experiment with what feels right for you.
Pushing downwards will fire a missile. Yep, you heard me - a missile!! It's one of the most unexpected traits I could have imagined. I must admit, though, at first, it feels weird, but it sure comes in handy against those dopey Yellow Jackets! And who doesn't love blasting rockets? Note that there are some limitations: these work against the Dark Riders and the bees and can only be used during flight.
I know that you're dying to play this game, but we're not done yet - it's screenshot time...
Mummy, I wanna go home now!
Big Juicy Tips!
Don't panic.
Playtest with the different flap rates to see what suits you the best.
Disable the second player; he can be distracting, I found.
Disable the second player anyhow as he's far too skilled!!
Judge your entrance for a well-timed drop onto your unsuspecting opponent.
Don't bang down on the joystick too quickly, unless you enjoy hearing the sounds.
Those platforms can make for a good defence.
Bonus rounds are a great way to earn extra points.
Why are you listening to me? I suck at jousting!
For those with skills like mine, hit the Up/Down arrows on the main menu!!
There's a swarm of nasties coming, and my unicorn decides to strut his stuff to look cool. Sheesh!
Aesthetics
Visually, it's more or less Joust and a damn good take on that format. However, being similar to Joust means it's also hardly something to gawk at in wonder! Not only that, but the levels appear to have less detail compared to the official ST conversion. Having said that, it looks nice, and the animations are quite beautiful. I love watching my unicorn walk between the levels just for fun. He just loves to strut his stuff - so cool!!
Now, it would be a crime to end it there without mentioning the framerate. It is smooth - very smooth. In fact, it's smoother than Kojak's bald head drenched in baby oil. I believe this is thanks to the Blitter lurking inside the Atari STe. It's great to see a developer who enjoys going the extra mile.
The sound effects are made from a selection of gorgeous samples. All are crystal clear, thanks to the DMA hardware. I only wish he had recorded more for extra pizazz. Sadly, older STs suffer minimal sounds, but Winglord was developed on (and intended for) the Atari STe. Hey, stop moaning and upgrade!
Jousting is fun, but can you handle the heat when it's 6 against 1 like in this screenshot...
Hang on, I've lasted longer than the computer? Time to shoot and beat his score, for once!
The CryptO'pinion?
Joust is one of the best arcade conversions for the Atari ST. With that in mind, Winglord needed to deliver the goods and guess what, it did. The cosmetic changes are nice, and I love the option to use missiles. Also, tinkering with the flap-power attribute is a superb idea, and the option for a second player is just dandy!! The change in theme worked well, as did other differences, such as the regular use of bonus rounds.
Winglord can't replace Joust; that's impossible, but I don't think it was meant to. As it stands, it's an alternative and something that doesn't disappoint in the slightest. I would have liked nothing better than to show you more (in my video), but that was never gonna happen with my skills. Or lack of. Sorry :p
I think this game is a fantastic take on the original, and the differences are nice. Best of all, the Atari ST/e has another version of Joust - that's never a bad thing in my opinion. Winglord is absolutely excellent.
Droid was originally developed by MP Lord (he of Hoog fame!!) and was a smash hit, with a sequel three years later. Sadly, neither of these games supported the enhanced hardware of the Atari STe, which meant chip FX, flick-scrolling and a fair bit of slowdown when things got hectic. Not only that, but the joystick controls were finicky - Arghh, I would accidentally fall off ledges when struggling to precisely time a jump!
So, I was excited to hear Jamie Hamshere was working on an improved version that would take advantage of the Atari STe hardware. I could only imagine what it would be like to play a scrollable Droid. Jamie even planned to tweak those controls to remove the irritation that threatened each and every jump.
That project was completed late last year, yet somehow, I completely missed it. What planet have I been living on? Anyhow, I figured I should boot it up to see how this cult shooter played on my Atari STe.
So, without further ado, here is the first sexy screenshot to whet your appetite...
Get out quick, this area is pretty hellish with droids and wall-mounted guns!
An armless Robocop!
Just imagine yourself as a mechanoid armed to the teeth and able to leap huge heights. Somehow, this beast is trapped inside a massive underground cavern and wants to escape to get home for tea. However, the path through isn't as easy as walking in a straight line to an exit. That would be too easy!
The caves are a labyrinth and are guarded or patrolled by mechanoids all too willing to blast you into smithereens. This is a hideous maze with numerous dead ends and doorways that require keys to unlock. It's an underground hell, nigh on impossible to escape without making yourself a map to plot your journey. No, wait, we don't need a pen and paper because Jamie has added an auto-mapping tool. That helps navigate, find objects and prevent the frustration of getting lost. An exceptional new feature.
That's not all that's changed: the old (large) status panel has been replaced by the tiniest bar, so we can enjoy more game space. This still shows the same information for lives, weapons, energy /etc but we now have far more gaming real estate. The various weaponry you're able to carry is also shown - pressing the ALT key will cycle through what you have available. Don't waste your supplies on the wrong monsters!
Come on, let's view another screenshot? Yeah, let's do it...
Oh no, a different type of droid, and this one is throwing bombs!
Mummy, I'm scared!
Droid might be a metallic brute, but that doesn't mean he's invincible. Look for droids wandering back and forth, protecting their part of the cave. They're a few butties short of a picnic, but will shoot on sight. As you progress, you'll see that other areas are protected by a variety of strange objects: some launch bombs and others are wall-mounted lasers. There are other things to avoid, like fire or falling into the bottomless pit.
Using the new map is a must; otherwise, you will get lost and probably give up. Keep on looking for the keys and carefully plot a route. Mini-bosses appear throughout the journey, and the first is like an angry prawn! The armoured truck is excellent - an unexpected boss to find in a cavern. I wonder if it's Jet Man?
This game has always been a tough nut for tough nutters. This still applies, as it's still merciless, with a cruel design that sometimes feels OTT, with lasers, bombs, and mechs all ganging up on you at once. Death results in a life loss, which unfairly sends you back to the checkpoint. Only a skilled and determined gamer (willing to invest time and effort) will succeed. So good luck because I've no chance O_o
Fancy a screenshot that shows a weird monster? Don't run away, check this out...
What the heck is that, some kind of sea creature? I hope you saved your better weaponry?
Fancy a few juicy tips?
Don't kill everything you see, and therefore run out of precious ammo.
Collect power-ups for energy and ammo only when you need to!
Closely stalking droids is fun, plus it's safer and uses no ammo.
Learn to use the mapping tool. It's a little odd at first and reminds me of Heartland.
Some weapons are best left until you need them for a specific purpose.
Learn the controls and enjoy a few practice games before taking on the challenge.
Walk away and give up. You're not good enough!! (I'm kidding!!)
Hopefully, these tips will help. Man up and play this excellent game!
Enough pep talk from me because here is another screenshot...
Be patient and unlock the doorway barrier only after the droid walks away.
Aesthetics
Things appear similar to the original, but a keen ST gamer will notice that the play area has increased significantly. The colours are better, and the Blitter is moving the sprites, so the slowdown is gone. The only thing missing is Droid's minigun from the original. Finally, we have smooth scrolling in all directions, unlike the horizontal flick-screen method. Jamie, you've (respectfully) blown the original into pieces.
The audio has undergone major changes (massive understatement) with the addition of music and awesome sampled sound effects. Check out the theme music, made with his own program, Turbochip: this knocks out seven channels using the DMA and YM2149 together for phenomenal results. Wow!!
It looks and sounds amazing, so let's see another screenshot to celebrate...
Another killer area with droids, bombs, guns and fire. RUN!!
The CryptO'pinion?
Miles did a great job and produced a platformer that was challenging and stuffed full of action. Incredible considering it wasn't commercial, so all credit to his talent, commitment, and love for the Atari ST. However, the lack of dedicated hardware negatively affected the game. Plus, I found the controls irritating and kept getting lost. I guess Jamie felt the same way and wanted to rectify these niggles without ruining things.
His project to enhance an already great game was very risky, but it worked. It's a perfect blend of improved aesthetics and gameplay. And I'm not falling off ledges by failing to make those tricky jumps. As remakes go, it's fascinating to think how much hard work he invested into improving this ST classic.
It's the same shooter, but one that's been rolled in glitter, so it sparkles brightly. I love it!!
I know, I know, I'm late to this party - a brand new book by none other than Karl Morris to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the Atari ST. A flabbergasting 50 games are featured along with segments for point & click games, Jeff Minter, how to emulate an ST, YM2149 chip. Oh, and I particularly enjoyed the Ad Breaks.
Karl begins with a heartwarming dedication to the passing of his friend and fellow Atarian, Curt Vendel. The introduction then begins to offer extraordinary insight into the entire era of just what makes the Atari ST everything we love: from its early years to the people, events, stories, hardware, technology, and specifications. I found this to be a fascinating glimpse into the mid-80s and something that I'll probably read several times over the years - that's higher praise than you think, as I'm no bookworm!!
Wanna see what I'm talking about? Of course, you do, so here is a photo of the page with Atari ST specs...
Arghh, somebody's broken up my beautiful Atari ST into pieces!!
Get to the games!
Okay, you all know how much I love the Atari ST (and Atari STe, of course). This is my era of "Atari", so I was expecting good things. Thankfully, the book does not fail to impress. There are several games featured, and starting with the earliest, we have the timeless classic Time Bandit to begin the 16-bit gaming journey. Later, there are beauties like Operation Wold (Arcade Conversions), Dungeon Master (Adventures), Backlash (shoot 'em ups), Supremecy (Strategy), Vroom (Sports) and much more. Absolutely brilliant gaming!!
But wait. Not only is there the usual selection, but also a raft of games traditionally ignored, which was a lovely surprise. I was pleasantly shocked to see greats like Sentinel, Corruption, Masterblazer, Beyond Zork, Stardust, Backlash, and Lode Runner. Karl is obviously a guy who loves to play Atari, and that shines through.
Hang on, I didn't see Resolution 101!! (I'll stop that... I don't want to be one of those people lol)
The book has several ads... Defender of the Crown is one of my faves! ;o)
Same old, same old?
Over the years, we've seen many articles online or in magazines like Retro Gamer, and more. This had to offer something extra special. Thankfully, this is a book that is well-made with a chic style and presentation that is nothing short of exceptional. The writing style is engaging and from a perspective that is both insightful and fun to read. Content is both predictable and unexpected. That means it doesn't fall into the trap of featuring the same old games we've seen a million times. Hey, you know what I mean!
Each game is presented in a format I admire - rather than defaulting to a meaningless Top 50 chart show. All are split into segments of genre, which makes finding what you need a cinch. I liked the layout with photos of title screens, box art and other tidbits displayed as a funky GEM window. Ad Breaks feature often and are a nostalgic reminder of how the Atari ST magazines once captivated our imagination. Love it!!
It doesn't end yet! Check out these lovely stickers and fridge magnets (which my wife loves!)...
The other books and goodies by Zafinn are magnificent - I feel like a BIG kid on Christmas morning!
The CryptO'pinion?
You can guess how thrilled I am to own yet another Atari ST publication. I've found it to be an enjoyable read, which I'll return to time & time again. However, the AtariCrypt website was not mentioned, but I can forgive Karl because he managed to get Atari Legend's website wrong twice. (Oops, I'm so sorry, guys!). 🤪
But seriously, this is the bee's knees, and for a meagre €35, it's incredible value for money. I believe the available stock is running low, so now is the time to act if you want a copy. My sincere gratitude to Karl for holding onto a copy for me over the last few months - I love the goodies, especially the fridge magnets!!
Come on, folks, grab yourself a copy of this wonderful new Atari ST book from the Zafinn Books website.
