!cube

I've been browsing through some of the amazing works to come out of Silly Venture and found a superb chiptune by !cube (aka Toni Lönnberg). Hyper Ocean Ride came second in the competition and makes use of the Atari STe's DMA hardware with cool drums. I love this tune, so press the GREEN arrow below. Enjoy!

Okay, Mr cube has a great website and is also listed on Demozoo and SoundCloud. I have recorded a video of his "Meet !cube" musicdisk which you can download here and I must say that Bullet Sequence is another of my fave tracks (from Silly Venture 2014). Delicious!

Crash Time Plumber

New game alert!

Crash Time Plumber is a conversion of the Gamopat original released at Silly Venture demo party. The Atari game was developed by none other than Sebastien Lucas of Cerebral Vortex, and it will work on any Atari computer with a Blitter Chip: check the Options screen in GEM, but all late models of STfm, Mega ST, Atari STe, and Falcon should be a-ok. Many STfm computers have an empty socket just waiting to be used:

* Many newer STFMs have an empty Blitter Chip socket so head over to the EXXOS webSTore.

At first, I wasn't sure how this was gonna go - we've been burned by so-called 8-bit conversions before. However, it booted up with a neat intro and looks the business! Based on Donkey Kong with a dollop of Popeye, it's set in 1983 as the gaming industry crashed (which I was unaware of as a Spectrum kid!)

Anyhow, an Italian plumber has teamed up with an angry-looking monkey and kidnapped ten gaming heroes: Pac-Man, Pitfall Harry, Q-Bert, Frogger, and others. They are all preparing for a hideous death at the hands of these criminals from the East, so go and rescue them to foil Mario's plan and stop this invasion.

Sounds cool, right? It is, and so is the intro, which begins in Alamogordo (I've been there!)...

The intro is sweet and tells a good story. Also, I've been to Alamogordo, NM. #tidbit

Hang on, this looks familiar?

Taking place on the Donkey Kong construction site, we run along girders collecting love hearts by a damsel in distress. She floats by in her hot air balloon and, when enough are collected, we begin a steroid-jumping rescue to the top of the screen and save a trapped hero. Once free, we can move on to the next level.

This isn't easy because, not only is Mario rolling barrels downhill, but King Kong is hanging about, throwing deadly bananas at us with annoying accuracy! Some levels have weather conditions affecting your movement, and there's even a harsh 120-second time limit. This makes things difficult after a few levels!

The game ends once each and every gaming hero has been rescued. Easier said than done...

Watch out for angry monkeys throwing their killer bananas, or you're DEAD!!

One smooth looker!

The graphics are fantastic, using an 80s retro theme with cute sprites. The Blitter delivers a smooth 50fps display. Heck, the Atari STe even adds enhanced colour fading. Falcon owners get to witness a huge Zeppelin flying by, which I wonder why it's missing on the STe? Ignoring that, this game is ace!!

The audio is superb with lovely sound effects and a simple chiptune suited to the ye olde style. A lot of effort has gone into both the visuals and sounds, and I dare that jingle not to stay in your head all day.

Everything is just dandy and perfect with a retro, comical design...

Beautiful girl blowing kisses? Come back, my love!

The CryptO'pinion?

Don't be fooled by the 8-bit appearance. From the start, you're tricked into thinking this will be easy, but the combination of fantastic controls and tough mechanics will catch you out. I'm sick of being smacked in the face by a killer banana, but I keep on coming back for more of this torment. So addictively playable!!

Crash Time Plumber is extremely hard, but it manages to drag you back for more - kicking & screaming.

Download for FLOPPY / HARD DISK

Online ST Picture Viewer

Often, I need to quickly view an Atari ST piccy on my Mac, and there are plenty of options, but here is a fascinating web tool by Cyprian. It allows you to instantly view those old images within a web browser. It supports classic formats like Degas, Neochrome, Spectrum 512 and works with drag and drop.

This is an outstanding web tool.

Blasteroids

Boring old asteroids again?

Blasteroids builds on the classic Asteroids formula. You pilot a lone starfighter, navigating hostile sectors filled with tumbling space rocks and aggressive aliens.  It’s the same old story: the galaxy is overrun with rocks that need smashing to smithereens. These rocks come in all shapes and sizes, and some are downright strange, like popcorn rocks that inflate before freezing. Then there are red rocks that leave behind crystals to conveniently recharge your shield. It's rehashing the old favourite, so are you ready for more rock blasting?

I hope so because this is frantic, and we're not alone as aliens frequently rear their ugly heads! These should be killed quickly to reveal a range of nifty power-ups - such as a double shot or the impressive Ripstar.

Let's pause the pointless chitter-chatter with some screenshots...

Who ya gonna be? Quite the selection for different gamers.

But how tough are ya? Come on, be brave and don't wimp out on me now!!

It's all rocks and aliens!

Blasteroids is divided into segments, each further subdivided into smaller sectors. Completing these unlocks a gruesome End Of Level Boss - the monstrous Mukor! Your ship boasts upgradeable weapons, a powerful shield, and the ability to transform. Once all the rocks are pulverised, a transporter whisks you away to the next sector. Don’t be disappointed. How else could they enhance Asteroids without overcomplicating it?

After clearing all sectors, you’ll finally face Mukor, a festering evil entity who launches miniature spaceships from his tentacles. My tip: shoot these first. Then watch him scuttle away like a cowardly, bloated coward. I genuinely enjoyed our battles; they’re fun without being impossibly difficult. It's not often you can say that!

This game is superb and features cool graphics I admire. Wanna see some screenshots...

Attacks from all angles and tremendous BAM BAM BAM fun!!

Asteroids, but with flashy backgrounds and colourful pixels? You are a cynic!!

Joyslick action?

The controls are excellent and responsive. Rotate the ship with left/right, up to thrust, and keep slamming the fire button to shoot anything rocky. It’s predictable, but gravity and momentum affect performance. Don’t worry, your shield will help to compensate for any poor piloting skills – not that I have any, ahem.

Pulling back on the joystick transforms your ship into one of three different models: the agile Speeder, the well-armed Fighter or the burly Warrior. Best of all, friends can join in at any time with impressive cooperative two-player support. This is a superb feature you shouldn’t overlook - I can’t stress it enough!

Fantastic stuff, right? Well, it's time to stop reading and see some cool screenshots...

The gravitational effect between sectors is superb...

...and then it's more rock-blasting again!

Aesthetics

The graphics are stunning, transforming what was once a visually stark experience into something truly captivating. The beautifully animated rocks rolling through space are a highlight, while the enemy ships are superb. All other sprites are large, detailed, and well-animated. Interestingly, the backgrounds are four-coloured, but this is hardly noticeable due to their clever design and impressive artistic flair, which I admire.

Unfortunately, the audio disappoints with lame bleep-bleep sound effects instead of samples. The ST would have easily handled that for a game like this. The music is also a bit of a letdown as it quickly becomes repetitive. Thankfully, this can be switched off, but it only emphasises the inadequate sound effects.

Looks fantastic, but sounds poor. Can't have it all, eh? Let's view some screenshots...

Shoot!! Kill!! Destroy everything!! <insert evil laugh>

BAM!! BAM!! BAM!! BAM!! BAM!! So-much-fun!!

The CryptO'pinion?

This is a fantastic conversion, though a few minor niggles detract from its otherwise great rock-smashing experience. Asteroid purists might not appreciate the changes, but keep an open mind; this game is incredibly fun. Ignoring the sound effects, they’ve done their best to elevate the genre without adding unnecessary bloatware. I love this game a bunch, so take the time to play this outstanding BLASTER!!

Download for hard drive

and floppy disk

Oh yeah, baby!!! I own this beauty :-)