Grusel

Nasty Comedy Horror

This was one of the first demos I ever bought from a PD library when I became an ST user. The scene was fresh and bewildering for me back then. Plus, I had little money and took the plunge to blindly spend my pennies on something called "Grusel". I miss those days of ordering from PD libraries!

Thanks to the insanity of Eckhard Kruse, I've been hooked on graveyards, weird skeletons, and ghosts for over 30 years. Yes, it looks silly, but this is an ST classic and something I just had to share. Grusel can be downloaded from Eckhard's own website (don't forget Ballerburg, an outstanding turn-based strategic shooter you need to play!). This little demo is nothing less than a timeless classic. A childish demo. A masterpiece!

HangAbout!

Cliffhanger!

HangAbout was released in 1995 by John Hodskinson and is one of the quirkiest games I've played. Ignore what you're seeing above and read on... Three (randomly generated) mountains need to be climbed by a little stickman, with the first being relatively easy. The second is harder, and the third is a killer!

Each mountainside has ridges to which our adventurer can cling. He uses these to find a route to the top. However, if you fall too far, you suffer a messy pixelated death. It's brilliant, albeit not what you wanna see! Our stickman can use his arms to reach those parts that are a pinch out of reach. Sometimes, the route appears blocked by a gap too large, so a "megajump" can be used - but only once! Use it wisely.

HangAbout! is one of those games that first appear rubbish (with rubbish graphics). But then turns out to be incredible and extremely addictive. In fact, it's gobsmackingly brilliant, and for less than 10Kb!!

+ Download PD Games Compilation Disk #2, which features another by John called Haywire.

Turrican II - The Music

Check this out!!

Turrican II: The Music by Black (aka Scott Clifford). A music disk for both ST computers shows just how great this game's tunes are. Included is a selection of stereo remixes for the Atari STe, so what more could you want? I've recorded this video, and it plays about a minute from ten random tracks - so you should nab the download to hear all the tunes properly. It's best experienced using a real Atari STe - so crank up the volume!!

Credits and the download...

Black - Code

Jochen Hippel - Music

Sven Meier - Graphics

https://demozoo.org/productions/152964/

Burger Dream

You are what you eat

Burger Dream is Reisoft's spin on 'Clowns & Balloons' with a Ronald McDonald lookalike collecting flying burgers. Imagine Breakout with a dollop of Space Invaders - but replace the aliens with hamburgers!

Ronald is left to feel the wind in his wig because we control a couple of goons who move a trampoline contraption that allows him to bounce high in the air and collect burgers. These are scrolling across the screen to make it extra difficult. However, try not to drop Ronny otherwise, or he ends up in a crumpled heap.

The mouse is used for left/right movement and is perfectly implemented for smooth & precise control. Sadly, the graphics aren't exactly 16-bit, more like something I would have drawn! Only the blind will appreciate these pixels! Burger Dream is hideous and repetitive, but I admit it was surprisingly enjoyable.

Download your Big Mac right now!

NIBE

Wiggly Slimy snakes!

NIBE is a Nibbler/Snake game by Marc Bourlon that features an ever-greedy snake chomping its way through lots of apples. This gluttony makes him grow longer with each bite, so it becomes harder to protect him from bumping into walls or even his own tail. You get the idea, so it's our job to help him eat his way through the screens - and many are cruel in their design. You can even change the game's speed (if you dare!!)

The graphics are humble and suit the theme perfectly. I love the title screen, which is a great intro. As there are no sound effects, Mad Max music plays throughout - never a bad thing!! Overall, Nibe is pretty straightforward yet challenging thanks to a sinister design. Stick with it because the basic mechanics are spot-on and Nibe will certainly test your reactions, patience, and concentration, so prepare thyself to be tormented!!

Here are a couple of links for downloads, screenshots, and another game you might enjoy...

Floppy disk downloads appear to be quite rare.

And if you enjoyed Nibe, then try N.o.B.I. - Racing!!

This is a level that looks so easy, but it's completely the opposite!

Oh yeah, I definitely think this is going to be easy. Ask me if I ever completed it...