SDI: Now The Odds Are Even

The Star Wars program is happening!

It's incredible how quickly time passes, as I've not played this game since I got my first Atari ST. The Sega arcade shooter was converted by Alaric Binnie of Source for Activision and released in 1988. I remember being impressed and unimpressed in equal measure - probably because I liked what I saw but was absolutely terrible at playing it!

As most of us, older gamers might remember, SDI stands for Strategic Defence Initiative and is based on the original Star Wars concept by President Regan devised during the Cold War. This technology was supposed to defend Earth (USA!) from the inevitable Soviet attack. Yeah, I know, it never happened... shocker, right?

The game is obviously an action shooter set within the darkness of Earth's space. As it turns out, the defence initiative is actually just a lone satellite armed with a laser gun! Use that to protect mankind from a legion of Soviet nuclear missiles, fighters, and more. Why only one satellite, I don't know, but that's the game, so let's crack on.

Okay, let's take the first break from reading with two sexy screenshots...

The Soviets are sending everything they have. Well, in stages, thankfully.

At first, it was distracting to see the moon moving by. I should have been concentrating!

The fate of mankind...

Our quest begins with the Space Shuttle conveniently dropping us off right before a barrage of Soviet missiles appears. The game is split into two separate modes, depending on your performance: offensive and defensive. The first is not unlike other horizontally scrolling shooters, attacking everything that swarms onto the screen. The second is like a 3D Missile Command and a final chance to save everyone from the previously missed missiles.

You'll soon discover that SDI isn't a complex game at all. This is a frenzied shooter with us engaged in battling squadrons of enemy artillery. So shoot everything as quickly as you can physically move the mouse. Of course, each stage gets more aggressive, right up until the point my hand-to-eye reactions simply cannot cope anymore (see the video!).

No need to fret, you're not alone, as allies will periodically send power-ups. However, during the heat of battle, these look similar to everything else! Especially when you're in a mindset of blasting everything as quickly as possible. So that means they're immediately destroyed - far too soon to collect their cargo that you watch floating away. Sigh...

A damage meter is at the bottom of the screen, which is an indication of the state of your performance. Survive, and the Space Shuttle reappears to whisk you off to safety, where that performance is rated on a scale. Anything less than perfect and you're sent through to a defensive stage to help defend from the attack. However, a perfect score gets you lots of extra points with a blue dancing duck. (I know what you're thinking, and I agree, it makes it all worthwhile!!)

Are you bored with reading this? Chill. Take five. Look at these screenshots...

The blood-red moon looks awesome. Don't admire, concentrate on the killing!

I let some missiles get through, so now I'm defending the base Missile Command style!

Input

SDI might appear tricky because you have to do two things at once - keep the satellite safe and choose the direction in which it fires. Arcade games can sometimes lose their functionality when converted to a home computer with a one-button joystick. Not so here, all controls are fully configurable using a combination of mouse, joystick and keyboard.

It is possible to use only the mouse, but I wouldn't advise that. I play using the keyboard to direct the satellite and my mouse to aim/shoot. A joystick would also be a good idea, but only if it has good suckers to stick onto your desk. The keyboard/mouse method is kinda like the WASD/mouse combo used in FPS games. You'll love it.

This plays great, but that doesn't mean we don't want screenshots. So, here you are...

It's not long before things get crazy with lots to shoot at. Trigger-happy heaven!

Ignore the asteroid shower because it's time to shoot more of that Ruskie hardware.

Output

Space is mostly empty, so the good thing about a Cold War is having celestial objects as backgrounds rather than boring black. All graphics are by Bryn Redman, who treats us to great images of the Earth, its Moon and an asteroid field - I believe later levels feature the Death Star? My gaming skills won't allow me to personally witness that. Hmm...

The darkness of space dictates a sombre colour palette, which suits the Cold War scene, but there are brighter moments to behold. I love the red moon that boldly stands out from everything; it looks amazing. Sadly, there is some slowdown during the later levels that are bombarded by tons of enemies. Meh, I can live with that as it's not too bad.

Paul Summers is responsible for the audio, and he did a stellar job (see what I did there?). The title screen features a grungy sample, but nothing compares to the glorious in-game chiptunes. These are subtle and suit the ambience whilst also complementing the zappy sound effects. To say I adore the (in-game) tunes would be an understatement!

Breathe and relax as it's the final screenshot break before the gripping conclusion...

Come on, the defensive stages really are Missile Command. Rip-off but brilliantly done!!

Do well and make the high-score table. Hang on, this feels like a game in itself? ;-)

The CryptO'pinion?

SDI could so easily have been a bust due to the control system (not to mention the massive graphical requirements). Alaric Binnie has done a fantastic job, not only aesthetically speaking but also in migrating the arcade's control system over to the ST by using its keyboard/joystick and mouse. This combination works a treat, a commendable effort.

However, I usually find something to moan about, and SDI is no exception. I failed to see the logic in having a dark blue cursor that can be problematic against the backdrops. Also, the power-ups are so difficult to catch. No, impossible (for me) to catch!! Finally, why aren't we treated to a nuclear explosion at Game Over? Oh, how I wanted to see that...

This is a simple shooter at heart with little depth. Some might say it's an alternative Missile Command, and I get that; the similarities are there. SDI is an exciting shooter and one that is utterly addictive, albeit I'm shockingly bad at it. Make sure you choose the control method that suits you to prevent Western civilisation from catastrophic demise!

Let me know in the comments what you think about SDI (download for hard drive or floppy disk)

Cybernoid maps

We're back!

Hello everyone, it's been a while since I last updated my website. For various reasons, I've had little time to play/write, which means putting everything on hold. In fact, 2022 was even the year I almost threw in the towel, but things are getting better, so I'm back and ready for ST action. Hey, wasn't that a magazine?

So, whilst getting back into it, I came up with the notion of mapping. Now, if you've been following AtariCrypt for a while, you should already know that I'm a sucker for making maps with pen & paper. I guess they are more like rough scribbles in Steve-talk? That is great for me, but I wanted to make something 'better'.

As you have guessed, I have begun my quest with the Hewson blaster, Cybernoid. Ignoring the peculiar slowdown, this is a brilliant shooter, and I'm a big fan. The ST game is a remarkable conversion developed by Tony Cooper with challenging gameplay, superb graphics, and audio that lovingly bursts the eardrums with stunning music. Okay, there is the odd killer screen which discourages some gamers - I don't get it, haven't they heard of practice/practice/practice or infinite lives? Guess which method I chose?

Anyhow, here are the essential links and a cool interview I enjoyed reading...

• The mighty D-Bug have a sumptuous version featuring their excellent presentation style.
• The man himself (PP) has adapted Cybernoid for hard drive installation.
• Atari Legend has an excellent review, which is more than my lazy website can offer! :}
• Eurogamer has an interview with Raffaele Cecco, creator of the original game.
  (sadly, I've not been able to source anything similar for Tony Cooper)

So, how did I get on? Well, this new mapping venture has begun strong and I'm proud of myself for completing the first three levels. However, the fourth has one killer screen that I cannot beat. No matter how much I try, it's simply too tricky for my meagre gaming skills. So I'm leaving it be (before I violently damage my already-dodgy joystick in anger). Can't win 'em all, but I'm happy with how this turned out.

Here are the Hi-Res images you're all itching to grab and print out - thx Atari Legend for hosting!!

Merry Christmas, and I wish everyone all the beST for 2023. Heck, even the Commodore boys ;)

Level one is shockingly easier than most people think. If I can do it...

Careful timing and furious fire button-bashing are required more than ever for the second level!

Nobody will ever play Cybernoid without infinite lives, and the third level demands that so much!!

This part of level 4 is oddly incomplete because I'd overwritten my saved game... :(

I really enjoyed level 4, right up until THAT screen. I never managed to beat it :(

Greetings to our supporters - Loggins, Tweety, Mug UK, Marko Latvanen & Peter Putnik for their friendship whilst AtariCrypt has been off the air - a fantaSTic community!! Thank you :)

Okay, get playing Cybernoid and let me know in the comments if you can beat level 4.

Special Forces

I ain't gettin' on no plane!

Microprose Special Forces is the 1992 sequel to Airborne Ranger, which I have never played. Anyhow, this is also a semi-realistic action simulator that puts us in charge of an A-Team group of elite soldiers. These tough nuts love getting sent on various dangerous missions in the world's nicest places. They love it, trust me.

Hey, I posted about Special Forces in our Box Art section a few years ago, check it out :)

The game begins with what I can only describe as a wonderful intro! This animation illustrates the soldiers arriving by helicopter and then being dropped into a dense jungle. These guys have 16 missions throughout different parts of the world, be it desert, ice, jungle, or temperate. Only four from your team can be selected for each mission, and it's your task to kit 'em out correctly according to mission requirements.

Special Forces is a combination of action & strategy; learning curves are usually tough for the genre. Thankfully, Microprose has provided four difficulty levels, so it's worth starting out as a lamer - officially called 'conscript'. That means you have an upper hand with a more forgiving game that uses better weapons, easier enemies, and a map detailing targets. This is excellent as it allows you to master the game at speed.

This game will eat away the hours. Still interested? Good, read on...

Having cleared the area of all enemies, I feel a need for reconnaissance to see what lies ahead.

The entire southeast is now free from baddies, but looking at the map, I've still much to do!

Getting to grips

The action is controlled using the joystick, so easy to manoeuvre my gang of elite soldiers. Unlike Gauntlet, these soldiers won't immediately face in the required direction but will rotate/turn around. Their current facing direction is indicated using an 'X' pointer, which is discernible at first, especially when the enemy is close.

Optionally, the F10 key will toggle between snipping/movement mode which is worth experimenting with before rushing off like Rambo. See which method you prefer, especially during the heat of battle?

The keyboard is also used to provide extra functions, which is something I found particularly frustrating. At first, it was bewildering for my old brain, so I dug out pen and paper to jot down what I felt was a priority to get me started. Let's take a look at the basics to get you through the initial games without dying...

For any mission, get your bearings by hitting the UNDO key to display an overhead map of the warzone. As you will see, your men are shown along with the surrounding area with key places, be that the enemy complex, bridges, trucks, etc. Any red dots are enemy soldiers that are within earshot, so beware. Hitting the 'I' key will show more of these red dots based on the latest Intelligence - use this feature as much as possible!

This map can also be used to travel great distances setting waypoints by hitting the spacebar and using your joystick. However, I wasn't fond of this feature because it left me unnerved as I prefer to be in control rather than watching my men wander off. But that's just me being a control freak?

As you can see, the map is an incredible tool and so invaluable. Use it for anything you can: planning safe routes, attacking, creating safe zones, it's all up to you. Of course, it helps with mission objectives like knowing just where to plant explosives, for example. Basically, if you don't use the map, then you're a fool.

Hitting UNDO again returns you to the action. Now press the HELP key for a map of the immediate surroundings as an in-game window - so helpful. Now you can select which team member you wish to view/control using function keys F1-F4 (press twice to control). Key 'A' will select automatic weapons, key 'R' for rifles, and key 'G' for grenades. The weapons your men have at their disposal depend on their individual skills:

• Pistol - is a good weapon with plenty of ammo and a lot more accurate than I imagined.
• Machine gun - it's fun spraying bullets like one of the A-Team. But it's also very loud...
• Machine/Rifle - a good backup when other weapons have run out of ammo (IMHO).
• Grenade - this blows stuff up very well. Just get your aim right!
• Law Rocket - Holy Moly, don't get too close!
• LTD - Laser Target Designator, used for airstrikes.
• Explosives - lay a bomb, walk away, and when ready, watch the firework display.

Don't be blown away by information because this game rocks. Let's check out some more screenshots...

I should use explosives to halt enemy soldiers from getting across the bridges and surrounding me.

As you can see, I've cleared the east and destroyed all bridges, but my team is hurting and tired!

Play the game

So let's begin a game. There are lots of missions, but it's best to start at the beginning and work your way through in order. Read the dossier and note any details you think will be handy before deciding which soldiers are best for the mission. Each soldier has their own special abilities, skills, and fitness levels. Decide based on the current mission demands. Tool them up accordingly - guns, explosives, etc... Think carefully.

When in enemy territory, don't rush off like a headless chicken; seize the opportunity to view the map to get your bearings. Each mission takes place over a ginormous area with enemies hiding in the brush, patrolling, or haplessly wandering (argh, I hate those trigger-happy dudes manning the gun turrets). The map also displays essential places for the mission, like enemy bases, bridges, rivers, roads, supply convoys, etc.

Watch out that someone doesn't sneak up on you while you're thinking about your next move. If they do, why not use your explosives expert to destroy a bridge to cut 'em off? You won't want the fight coming at you from multiple directions so learn to control the action. Just a tip to get you started ;-)

Special Forces splits you in two: one part is a Commander deciding what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. The other is a capable soldier, blowing stuff up, and rescuing people. Hey, remember there is no 'I' in team, so think as a collective rather than solo. Why not lay traps or use a soldier for reconnaissance?

Whatever mission you send the boys on, get a grip on the joystick controls and the method of quickly flipping between soldiers. Not only that, but also flipping between the different weapons that each soldier is carrying. Periodically check the map to see what dangers and points of interest are in your local vicinity.

The beauty of Special Forces is that you're in charge, whatever the circumstances, and that's all within a free-roaming world. There are different types of missions, with each presenting a wide range of potential problems and their solutions. You will probably spend lots of time studying the map and planning. I hope.

And with that in mind, it's time for more screenshots that I took with my phone...

This sounds too good not to attempt, and it's a night, so I need stealth and explosives.

Okay, the boys have arrived safely, but it's dark, and there are many dangers across the "water".

Graphics

I gotta say that I love the styles employed by Special Forces. Each terrain perfectly looks the part, especially the Arctic regions. Attention to detail is superb, no matter where you are, so it's easy to tell that a lot of effort went into designing these locations. I also appreciate the subtle extras like shadows adding depth.

The sprites are well-animated, but hardly a major requirement for a game like this, where you don't want the enemy to be hanging around too much! Thanks to our angled point of view, it's always funny to see the soldiers wobbling as they walk. Scrolling is good in all directions, but you can press F9 at any time for 60Hz.

However, the top-down view might be great, but it's a little too close. I would have liked it zoomed out because this might prevent me from accidentally walking into a hidden ambush. Perhaps I'm being picky?

Yeah, I usually am, so with that in mind, let's view some more screenshots...

Another day, another mission. Unfortunately, I'm in the heat of the battle right from the start!

It's a heavily fortified island, and I figured it might be a good idea to first cut two supply routes...

Sounds

After a fantastic intro, there is no music beating out from your Atari ST. Not even during the menus, which is where you spend lots of time tinkering before commencing a game. That's a shame, I'd have loved something YM'y to listen to whilst I kit out my men. The silence here is disappointing if I'm honest.

In-game, it needs to be all about the sound effects to help represent what's currently happening in the environment. Sadly, there are no samples of gunshots or muddy footsteps as you wade through a swamp or dense woodland. In fact, you will mostly get to hear gunfire from yourself and nearby enemies taking potshots. Regardless, I am glad there's no music as I would have needed to disable it to concentrate.

Argh, the audio could/should have been better, so let's cheer you all up with a shot of my ST setup...

The manual isn't the most helpful and can feel bloated with unnecessary information.

The CryptO'pinion?

At first, I was unsure about Special Forces because there are so many keys to learn, and the manual isn't the best (quite dispiriting if I'm honest). Plus, I wasn't sure about the point of view as I often got attacked by off-screen enemies. Also, I was dismayed about the lack of health kits, so once your soldier is critically injured, you may as well keep him safe somewhere or send him to the drop zone - I guess that's realism for ya!

Once past the hurdle of learning the keys, I began to relax and enjoy the game for all the tactical joy it possesses. Each mission is its own giant adventure of pain and misery! Being out in the field is a thrill because the world is immense. It's up to you how to play, either devise a route or calculate how to cope against an overwhelming enemy. Or perhaps sneak through, picking off the enemies one by one?

Special Forces isn't faultless, but it's thrilling and captivating. An engrossing adventure deep in exploration, tactical strategy, and action. I rate it one of the best war games I've had the pleasure to play.

+ Atari Legend has all the floppies you need https://www.atarilegend.com/games/special-forces
+ 8BitChip has the hard drive version https://atari.8bitchip.info/SCRSH/specifo.html

shooter.prg

When nerds play

I'm not big on social media, but one of the reasons I remain on Twitter is to follow people like Jonathan Thomas. Yep, that same dodgy fella who developed Pole Position for the Atari STe and then dared to update Lotus Turbo II in ways we never thought possible back in the day. Okay, I guess he's not a bad lad...

His tweets are often fascinating because he pokes deep within the depths of ST code. It's here that weird techniques are discovered or he experiments with probable improvements. He also enhances code by utilising the Atari STe hardware. All this coding talk is way over my head, but intriguing nonetheless.

So, onto his latest 'project', a horizontally-scrolling shooter for the Atari STe, not too dissimilar to Menace, R-Type, etc. Jon’s using hardware scrolling while the sprites and particle effects are handled by the Blitter. There are no DMA sound effects, but I cannot complain as he was generous in sending me an early beta lol

I asked Jon for his thoughts and prospects for what might eventually be an Atari STe game. Although he replied that he had no concrete plans, he did hint toward several promising short-term goals:

• A title screen (we will need a name for this!).
• 16x16 sprites for a selection of individual enemies.
• Each sprite will use 10-15 predefined attack moves.
• A couple of (2-3 minute) stages with increasing difficulty.
• A "game completion" screen.
• Multiple DMA sound effects.
• Chipmusic hopefully by (fingers crossed) Dma_Sc.

Having "played" the beta, I must say it's impressive, along with the prospect of what's already been achieved in a short time. I liked the feel of the joystick controls, and collision detection is spot-on. Border rasters indicate the remaining CPU time for future additions and demonstrate the potential. You might say, I'm excited!

If, like me, you love hearing what other people are doing with their Atari STs, then take a look at Jon's Twitter stream. It's amock with weird programming gizmos (that I shall never understand) as he enjoys dismantling ST games. I can imagine the dorky entertainment Jon has with his Atari STe!! I hope that continues.

Update: Jon has started a source repository for those interested in helping him out.