double DD

Don't risk it!

Backing up your files can be a pain in the .. neck .. but you'd be gutted if you lost any precious data! So here is a simple method to duplicate your Ultrasatan's SD card, which is not only effective but takes little effort. The requirements are a Mac with an SD slot and a basic knowledge of the Terminal program.

 - IDENTIFICATION -

Firstly, eject your SD card from the Ultrasatan and slide its "lock" switch to write-protect it. Better to be safe than sorry! Insert it into your Mac (if a warning appears, then click on the "ignore" button).

Load up Terminal.app (within the Utilities folder) and type in this command:

diskutil list

This will display information to help identify the SD card - look for the capacity of your card. Mine is 8GB, as you can see in the clipping below. Thus, my card is "/dev/disk1"

/dev/disk1 (internal, physical):
 #:     TYPE     NAME     SIZE     IDENTIFIER
 0:     *                 8.0 GB   disk1

If you would like to verify this information, type in this command :

diskutil info /dev/disk1

Within the output, you will see a line confirming that this is indeed our SD Card :

Device / Media Name:      SD Card Reader

 - BACK IT UP -

Type this command to back up the SD card (enter your password when prompted)

sudo dd if=/dev/disk1 of=~/Desktop/st-backup.img

Leave it to finish, and after a few minutes, you should have a file on your desktop called "st-backup". Now eject the card from the Apple Mac and reinsert it into your Ultrasatan - not forgetting to slide off the lock switch! I recommend zipping your backup file and storing it somewhere safe, like iCloud or Dropbox.

 - RESTORES -

Perhaps you have a spare SD card idly doing nothing? So long as it's the same capacity as the first, we can easily restore our backup file onto this using the command :

sudo dd if=~/Desktop/st-backup.img of=/dev/disk1

 - AND FINALLY -

There are many different methods to secure your data; this was just one. It's the backup method I personally prefer because the dd command is easy and powerful. I hope this is of some use to Mac & Linux users. Sorry, but I wouldn't know about Windows. Any questions, then just gimme a shout and I'll be happy to help.

Atari STM

I've always had a longing for the sleek Atari STM computer before it became bloated with an internal PSU and floppy disk drive (STFM). I've just bought one off eBay for a meagre £14. It's in superb condition too. Needless to say, I now require an external floppy drive and PSU. I cannot wait to get this beast working :-)

UPDATE: https://ataricrypt.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/atari-stm-continued.html

Double Dragon 3 - Rosetta Stone

Yie Ar Kung-Fu!

To celebrate St George’s Day, I wanted to feature an Atari ST game and thought something dragon-related would be perfect. I tried a few games but wasn’t feeling them, and sadly, nothing else really grabbed my attention. Then I remembered Double Dragon 3. Ahem. Come on, it has got the word "dragon" in the title!

• For all those people left wondering what England's St. George's Day is about 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Double Dragon 3 whisks us away on a global adventure, kicking off in the hardass streets of America. From the outset, we’re plunged into the chaos, facing a horde of thugs eager to ambush us. Being a hard dude, the game offers a variety of kicks and punches to unleash onto the enemy hordes. So let's do just that!

This game appears to have it all, so let's pause for some screenshots...

You don't mess with guys that look like these two!!

But I gotta laugh at the fun artwork throughout. It's great, but a little creepy!!

Kick him when he's down!

From the outset, it’s clear this game prioritises fake Hollywood action over any pseudo-realism. The villains are fantastic and can attack in groups, creating a frantic experience that’s perfect for a joystick-bashing time. At times, I felt like I was playing Golden Axe, and I thoroughly enjoyed the barrage of silly fighting.

The controls are smooth and responsive, allowing for easy execution of kicks and punches. In fact, DD3 is incredibly easy to pick up and play, giving me that arcade feeling I was hoping for. There’s no learning curve, and even a complete noob like myself gets a thrill from this arcade-style kicker! Occasionally, shops appear offering power-ups like weapons and so on (there's always someone willing to cash in on your pain!!). This adds depth and longevity to the entertainment and proves that beating people up is always incredibly fun.

The gameplay is well-balanced, neither too easy nor overbearing. I soon discovered a jumping/flying kick that’s very effective. However, repeating the same move quickly became boring, so I resorted to my joystick-waggling skills to uncover other hidden moves. Before long, I found a spinning vertical kick - yay! The enemies are a traditional bunch with predictable AI, but their slow movement reduces the overall pace.

It's like a game version of a Chuck Norris movie!! I love it, so here are more screenshots...

Come on, get up and take some more smackin'!! Yeah, I can take on anybody GRR!!

Ah, he's big. Well, they say that the bigger they are... (I hope that's true!!)

The CryptO'pinion?

Double Dragon 3 is a blast of fun with fantastic graphics. The sound effects are great, but it’s a shame there’s no in-game chip music. I loved the gritty American streets setting. I’m genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this beat 'em up, and I highly recommend it. Kick-ass action, so it scores top marks from me!

Kick & punch your way using either
floppy disk or your hard drive

Buggy Boy

A 16-MHz Buggy!

Buggy Boy is great, and the ST has a fantastic conversion with gorgeous aesthetics that suit its style perfectly. This is a no-frills arcade racer that doesn't take itself seriously - it's simple, extremely addictive, and I love it. However, there are a zillion videos scattered throughout YouTube land, so I thought I'd make something different. My video emulates it running on my 16Mhz Mega STe, which is ludicrously fast. Ie, insane!

I don't know why I made this video, but I hope you enjoy what is a silly recording!! :o)