AstroPanic '94

Unexpected little gem

AstroPanic '94 is a shooter by Dan Ackerman and appears to be a remake of the 1986 original by Charles Brannon. It was released in 1994(!), with updates and bonus sounds a year later. The premise is dead simple - shoot the aliens in what feels like a silly mash-up of Space Invaders and Missile Command.

We control a tank that moves left and right along the ground, blasting upwards at a bunch of alien ships. They’re a bit daft, flying around in oddball patterns, so you’ll need to dodge them while banging on the mouse button (you can use the keyboard, but the mouse is miles better). As is real hardware, Hatari would often freeze up and was painfully slow just to load the game - my Atari STe (4MB/TOS 1.62) ran it flawlessly.

AstroPanic '94 is a no-frills shooter, but loads of fun. Perfect for a quick blast and highly recommended!

• Atarimania has all the floppies https://www.atarimania.com/astropanic94
• Dan's other programs are listed on AtariUpToDate https://atariuptodate.de/en/dan-ackerman/
• Including Santa Run, which I love https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/2024/12/merry-christmas.html
• There are lots more enhanced games for the Atari STe.
• Don't forget to play Charles Brannon's AstroPanic! https://www.atarimania.com/astropanic.html

Zero-5

Poor gameplay and my death

Some games sit on the hard drive, gathering digital dust as the years slip by unnoticed. Zero-5 is one of those, I’m embarrassed to admit. Going all the way back to 2016, I posted a short review along with an interview with the game’s creator, Andrew Gisby. 2016! Almost a decade ago. How did that happen?

Anyway, as most of you know, I’ve got a Mega STe sitting proudly on my desk, so I figured it was time to stop everything and fire up this classic shooter. Zero-5 is an Atari STe game (yes, yes... and the Falcon too) that takes full advantage of the enhanced hardware. I would say it’s more of an arcade shooter than a space sim, as it's packed with frantic 3D blasting - with some missions taking us down onto planet surfaces.

My video is a collection of short clips - no long, boring, unedited footage that nobody’s going to sit through anyhow (read the video's description for the clickable links). Let's hope I don't leave it nearly a decade before I play this cracking game again. Enjoy the video and make sure you download the game...

• Review & Interview with Andrew https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/operation-zero5.html
• Floppy disk downloads Atari Legend and Atarimania
• Hard drive download https://atari.8bitchip.info/SCRSH/zero5.html
• Cool Atari Legend video https://youtu.be/cgqw8cEgfBs?si=4z7SPWIUbdZqz2o7

DOOM8088ST

We're going to hell...

AtariCrypt seems to be turning into a bit of a Doom website these days. That's not a problem for me, as Frenkel kindly shared the latest beta of DOOM8088ST. You may remember the previous version? A lot has changed since then; we now have luxuries like sound effects, colour, and a choice of three new colour modes.

• Low Detail (30x128 x 16 colours) will definitely be for the stock ST computers running at 8MHz. The framerate is excellent, and Doom is playable. That fact alone is shocking when you think about it for an 8 MHz computer. Who needs to source an old 386 PC on eBay to play this game? Not me ;^)
• Medium Detail (60x128 x 16 colours) is suited to those with an upgraded ST and Mega STe. It looks a LOT better and still manages to maintain a brisk framerate (as in video recording).
• High Detail (120x128 x 16 colours) is suited to those with an upgraded ST. It looks brilliant if you have the hardware. Do you have the power?!!
• Alt Medium Detail (60x128 x 2 colours) but using a black and white detail mode.

Check out the video above, it's best viewed on YouTube, and I've recorded it in three parts, which are linked in the description. Please note that this is a WIP. The current release of DOOM8088 is an exciting and promising project that you can follow and hopefully assist with here https://github.com/FrenkelS/Doom8088ST

Eltonegame

Astonishing finds

The cracker scene has always intrigued me – it’s an exciting and brazen part of our history. It feels like I'm peeking into the rebellious side of the ST, and I’ve been hooked since discovering my first disk, which, I think, was a crack by Ford Perfect for FTL's Oids. I had never seen anything like it before. An outstanding game with a colourful intro that features music, graphics, and scrollers. What was this strange new world?

Thankfully, that world never ended, and we still have access to loads of disks from that era. And, ever since Stonish joined forces with Atari Legend, we’ve had access to an enormous collection of menus to freely download. Sure, it’s not a complete archive - and maybe it never will be - but it’s still impressive with everything you could possibly recall from the ST's glory years. (Hey, have you anything to contribute?)

While browsing, one disk caught my eye - Eltonegame, a name I’d never heard before. The intro mentions a library for ST and PC games, but I only found the address on Google Maps(!). Also, the scroller credits Didier, but beyond all this, there was nothing more I could find about it. For me, it’s a new discovery, and that’s what makes the ST so brilliant - it never stops surprising me! Naturally, I had to download this disk.

Ironically, it’s not a menu disk in the usual sense but kicks off with a couple of cool intro screens before dumping us in GEM. The contents are interesting, with three games and a splendid graphics utility...

• First up is Blaster, a shooter released in 1988 by A.W. Brook. It’s basically a low-framerate Defender ripoff. Sure, it lacks the slick, zippy action of StarRay, Defender II, or Anarchy, but that’s a bonus for me - because I can actually keep up with it! #OldManReactions
• Cyber Snake, released in 1992 by David Scantlebury, is a brilliant take on the classic Snake! What sets it apart from being a mere clone is the addition of a scrolling playfield to snack on. It's the same old format, but also feels quite different or new. I thoroughly enjoyed this game!
• Llamasoft’s Revenge of the Mutant Camels hardly needs an introduction - it’s utterly bonkers and an absolute blast. I can’t help but wonder why it’s not already featured on AtariCrypt. Hey, cut me some slack, I’m just one guy, LOL!! This version is only a demo, but enough time has passed for us to freely download the full game (ST/STe/TT/Falcon). Credit @Atarimania.
• Let's not forget the unassuming utility program called B-Gif. It’s excellent and something I would have used a lot back in the day. This nifty tool can "quickly" convert GIF images into Degas or Spectrum 512 formats, complete with dithering and resizing options. It even comes with two sample GIFs included, though, ahem, I can’t share them here – and I’m sure you can guess why!

This disk is a gem and a great discovery (for me!). I wonder if there’s more from Didier/Eltonegame out there, though probably not. Still, it’s fun messing around with what feels like a brand-new disk. Geek!!

Be sure to check this out and more menus at Atari Legend: https://www.atarilegend.com/menusets

Before the main intro, this screen appears and plays some sampled music.

Yep, no actual menu, but there's nothing wrong with good 'ol GEM!

I really enjoyed this wannabe Defender. It's a bit clunky, but great fun!

I cannot say I'm a huge "Snake" fan, but the scrolling helped make it feel different.

This is one crazy shooter - it’s absolutely magnificent!!

Useful options for a program that does a superb job of converting images.

Obsession

Pinball Dreams

Our gaming community never ceases to amaze me, and I've made many friends over the years. One guy in particular I've known since the days of swappies in the early 90s. Recently, he sent me a gift that made my day. Paul's always been generous and, like me, a fanatic about the Atari ST/e and ZX Spectrum!

Well, his parcel arrived, and inside was something very special indeed. Yes, I now have a blummin excellent copy of Obsession!! I still cannot believe it because I've had this game in the same league as Dungeon Master or Legends of Valour. In other words, one of those titles you dream of owning again, but it will never happen (a bit like the Atari Falcon030!!). At least not without forking out silly money we just don't have.

Anyhow, Unique Development Sweden only released two games for the Atari STe, and blimey, what a pair of Christmas crackers. Substation ended their short career with us, but at least they went out in style - a brilliant first-person shooter with great atmosphere and frantic action. Of course, the other is Obsession, a game I mentioned back in (wait for it) 2015. How the years pass... This is a marvellous game that looks and sounds as good as can be. Well, without leaving the house for your "local" amusement arcade!

Nobody needs me to review Obsession. It's a classic released in the dusk of the 16-bit era. The gameplay is hectic and challenging, and accompanied by superb graphics in overscan. Not only that, but the sound effects are incredible and played alongside funky tracker music. Where were UDS back in 1989?

I will say this: most games are best played using real hardware, but I found this more noticeable with Obsession simply because of the keyboard layout. It's designed for the ST keyboard using the bottom row to assist as you whack the flipper keys. Emulation with a Mac/PC keyboard doesn't work nearly as well (YMMV).

I will never be able to thank Paul enough for his kindness and generosity. So ignore the fact that I’m terrible at Obsession and boot it up for yourself. Those later years produced some killer titles, and this proves it; Obsession is one of the best “arcade games” on the ST, imho. Oops, I meant Atari STe 🥳

• Download via Atarimania https://www.atarimania.com/unique-development-sweden.html
• Grab a hard drive-ready version https://atari.8bitchip.info/SCRSH/obsess.html
• Demo versions can be found on AtariUpToDate and Atari Legend.
• Do you want more enhanced games https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/enhanced-games.html