Cud Lee's Quest

A cuddly platformer?

I remember playing this platformer by Robert Dytmire years ago. I enjoyed its 'alternative' style as it features rather "odd" mechanics, which are weird. But stop - wouldn't life be boring if every platformer played the same? With that in mind, Cud Lee (geddit?) was originally aimed at a younger audience with interesting child/tutor features by design. I think there's something quite charming about it, so it should appeal to all.

The aim is to fight our way through the hordes of baddies to rescue captured Pixies. It sounds easy, but you'd better watch out for a range of enemies who are roaming through the screens. It's like a weird dream, and this mechanic I adore. They are literally wandering the screens, going about their business - whether you can see them or not. These suckers love to jump, and many are tough and can even fire weapons!

The joystick controls are the first thing that hits you because everything feels low-grav with weird movements. Collecting power-ups is a good idea to increase speed, jumping abilities, weaponry, and extra lives. Keys will unlock doors, and some walls can be climbed like Zool because of "strange knobby things".

Graphically, this is no Hoog or anything else from the Atari ST's PD library. Backgrounds are boring, and the environments aren't anything much to write about. However, it's got a certain charm with the character sprites being the best thing. Plus, their numbers are huge, and I found them humorously detailed.

The sound effects are made from a mix of chip and samples. This mash works well, but the 'WORRR' when something dies is pathetic. So pathetic that I loved it to bits. Hey, it's a PD game... Come on!

Cud Lee's Quest is crudely entertaining, and that's the point. I'm unsure if it will appeal to everyone as it's hardly a conventional platformer. What I love is the freedom we're given and the speed at which we can move. Also, the ability to float (err jump) with great efficiency through the screens is utterly bizarre.

Genuinely, one of the silliest and most compelling games. I think you will love this platformer!!

Grab the disk image if you're tempted?

Gotta love the baddies and their freaky jumps, but watch out for the little blue guy's arrows!!

Weapons are great and can be powered up to kill these hopping crazies with great efficiency!!

Hong Kong Phooey

A story about a mild-mannered janitor

Once again, I've been plodding through my YouTube channel and found another old video, Hi-Tec's Hong Kong Phooey. This is a scrolling beat 'em up that begins with a cool intro based on the 70s cartoon I watched as a kid - this certainly brought a smile to my face!! After Spot releases the unappreciated janitor from the filing cabinet, we begin our adventure searching for Baron Von Bankjob, who has just escaped from jail.

Watch out for the thugs wandering back and forth who want to stop us from capturing the villainous Baron. Thankfully, we are experts in kung fu, which is very handy. The joystick controls are superb, and we can punch and kick our foe in many different ways: pushing up (whilst walking) performs a killer Van Damme flying manoeuvre. To reach higher platforms requires a bigger jump, and that means also hitting the fire button, which is a little cumbersome. I'm sure that action could have been thought out better.

And that's about that. Explore the screens looking for folk to hit as we hunt down the Baron. Think Rolling Thunder, but a lot better. Okay, for those old enough to remember this fantastic cartoon...

I love the title sequence. It's short and sweet, but I feel like a kid watching it!

The moves are easy to learn but lots of fun. "Yee-ah that, sucka!" (say this in a Mr T voice!!!)

Hanna-Barbera magic?

The graphics are cartoony with an oldskool style that might not appeal to those looking for something with gorgeous 16-bit sex appeal. The scrolling is smooth, but it's at the expense of screen size, which has been reduced by a largely pointless status panel. Gotta love the crude character sprites and their pathetic animations! Worst of all, when we jump, it's more of a float through the air! Totally ludicrous, but who cares?

Musically, there are nice tunes which I love and that are accompanied by sound effects for jumping and so on. Okay, they're just about good enough, so it's the background music I enjoyed the most.

All pretty good but not great. Let's not let that stop a couple more screenshots from appearing...

Learning kung fu certainly didn't help this janitor to jump gracefully.

One gets kicked into the air, and then Flash Gordon turns up!

The CryptO'pinion?

I remembered making this video recording and feeling lukewarm afterwards, basically because I kept losing my barring so I got lost a lot! Perhaps I should have checked out the map first? Anyhow, back then, I wasn't sure if the game captured the heart of the TV show or not. And I must admit, I'm still not exactly sure.

Hong Kong Phooey brings nothing new to the table. However, the Chuck Norris kicks are crudely entertaining, and I enjoyed exploring a technicolour world. If you have a cat called Spot and a cabinet, then I suggest you boot this game up. It's a very good platformer, but there are better examples out there for the Atari ST.

Download the floppy or hard disk version.

The Last Trooper

I'll be Danny Welinski

Last year, I spent several fantastic weeks enjoying Where Time Stood Still, but was later left deflated because I also wanted to play The Great Escape. This was one of my favourite ZX Spectrum and a truly outstanding release. Alas, the Atari ST game was never meant to be (unless I used an emulator lol), but wipe away those snowflake tears because there might be light at the end of this 16-bit tunnel? Well, I hope so!

Here we have Mastertronic's very own The Last Trooper, which appears to be more than a tad inspired by the 8-bit classic! However, the historical storyline and adventure elements are completely gone in favour of four levels of brutal arcade-style killing. So grab your big boy pants because this is going to be tough!

Wanna see screenshots of this isometric Commando shooter? Yeah, of course, you do...

Escape the POW Camp in true A-Team style using whatever you can find...

Now it's time to attack your foes, but watch out for those GEM-Green mines!

Good but tough!

So, the game begins a little weird. We're a muscle-bound Schwarzenegger trapped inside an isometric POW camp, and we already have a machine gun! The objective is to find a way to escape - before attacking the enemy and destroying their entire base. The enemy will come after you constantly, but they're not the most intelligent and run around like headless chickens - a little annoyingly. Other soldiers will hide in trenches or operate gun turrets, and you should also look out for other traps, like camouflaged mines.

The controls are simple and very responsive, but I initially found it frustrating learning how to line up a shot to kill the frantic headless chickens - aka the enemy!! Your crusade won't last very long unless you eat the food that's been carelessly left lying about. Don't forget to top up your weapon with fresh ammo.

There are items you will need to source that will help you out later in the mission. These are essential items that might not be obvious at first: ropes are always handy to have, and there's a supply of wire cutters left inside the POW camp. Hmm, that's two interesting pointers you should remember. How helpful am I?

Well, enough reading! Let's check out some more screenshots...

Things got a little tiresome by the third level, which was more of the same but a lot harder!

But the fourth level is explosive and much better. Although it's a shame about the poor ending...

The CryptO'pinion?

I've quite enjoyed playing The Last Trooper - but only after activating a trainer for infinite lives. Without that, I failed to beat the second level due to the ridiculous difficulty, primarily thanks to the headless chickens running about. They blindly shoot everything with extreme efficiency. Who play-tested this game?

An above-average shooter that's quite flawed with its difficulty, but it's still a bundle of fun for an hour or two. However, if I'm being brutally honest, I'll stick with Fernandez Must Die and Elite's Commando.

Download for floppy or hard disk.

Custodian

Help! What do I do?

I've been going through my old videos and found this frantic 8-way shooter by legends Hewson. Programmed by Chris Hinsley, who made the awesome Onslaught and Verminator, it features fast visuals whizzing across your screen like lightning. It's crazy and these are all by Nigel Brownjohn who was behind one of my fave platformers, Beyond the Ice Palace. The audio is gorgeous, thanks to the magic of Dave Whittaker.

We are a "custodian" of a massive tomb infested by alien parasites. Obviously, we've gotta clean up this place which means killing everything! The best part is that we look like something from the demoscene [cough] and are equipped with an armed jetpack. Zooming about the place is exciting stuff but the aliens are relentless and the basic mechanics just don't work well together, so it soon becomes a demented slog!

Chris knew how to program the Atari ST but he missed the mark here. There's too much going on with confusing and relentless gameplay. Perhaps I'm wrong? If you're feeling brave, Custodian can run from a floppy or hard drive. Get ready and brace yourself for a rough journey!! Let me know what you think...

Attack!! Attack!! Attack!! Attack!! Attack!! Attack!! ARGHHHH!! Help me, somebody!!

Too much!! Too much!! What's going on? Everything wants me dead... Oh, I died!

Risky Woods

Spanish Games

I'm digging up another oldie video from my YouTube channel (please subscribe), and this time it's Risky Woods, developed by Dinamic - the ones who gave us a Marine with wiggly legs. This time, we are Rohan, a young knife-wielding chap from a place called The Lost Land, a once-peaceful place protected by Monks.

These monks guarded the wisdom of the Lost Land until Draxos turned up to ruin everything! He brought his legions of evil armies and turned all the monks into statues. Nobody is safe, children are crying, and evil roams the lands. What can we do? Of course, we are going to enter the woods, free the monks, and defeat Draxos. It's gonna be a tough challenge, but come on, kids are crying. It's time to kick some demonic ass!

I know, another silly story for another day in retro gaming land. So, let's play...

Hurry and free all the monks to save the land from the evil Draxos!

Sexy platforming!

Risky Woods is a scrolling platformer that has us leaping across platforms, frantically banging on the fire button to kill everything in sight. Each level is stuffed with enemies who are only too eager to rush onto the screen, but there are lots of bonuses. Just don't forget why you're here; the monks need freeing before you exit.

This game feels like a cross between Ork and Black Tiger. I love how responsive the controls are, and they need to be - many enemies are constantly rushing onto the screen at a frequent pace. It's quite overwhelming, but great fun without ever crushing your spirit. Think Black Lamp and you've got the idea.

Each level is superbly designed and stunning with lush environments, high details, and fancy effects. However, it's the sprites that I love because they are large and superbly animated - just look at those skeletons!! Slain enemies leave behind gold coins to collect for use in the shop to purchase much-needed weapons.

It plays well and looks great. What, you need another screenshot to prove it? Okay...

There's no denying the stunning artwork, which is some of the best I've ever seen.

Aesthetics

Visually, this is a beauty with stunning landscapes, raster backdrops, and superb spooky sprites. The level of artwork is impressive, and I dare anyone to say otherwise. The scrolling is responsive and smooth, but I can’t help wondering why they push the boat out and implement STe support.

Like the visuals, the sonix do not disappoint with great chiptunes by Jose Martin. The sound effects are nice yet nothing remarkable, but they do their job. Yeah, it's the superb music that works wonders.

A gorgeous game like this needs many levels, as this mini-map so kindly displays...

Check out the map that shows your torturous journey through the Lost Lands.

The CryptO'pinion?

My problem with this game is its difficulty. The constant wave of enemies is overwhelming and made worse by the need to crouch down and collect dropped coins during combat, rather than simply walking over them. Also, touching an enemy causes you to drop your entire loot and momentarily lose the ability to fire!

Despite all that, this game is an absolute blast! It’s thrilling, frantic, and incredibly addictive. The joystick controls are fantastic and perfectly complemented by the stunning visuals and impressive special effects. This game truly showcases the capabilities of the STf and is one of the best platformers available.

Downloads for floppy and hard drive.