Captain Dynamo was released by Code Masters in 1992 and is something I instantly fell in love with. This is actually a wicked platformer that transforms you into a superhero, flying up through the most craftily-designed maps. Derek Leigh-Gilchrist did a great job because it feels new and is enormous fun. Let's wear spandex and be Captain Dynamooooooo!!
Graphically, this is excellent with gorgeous cartoon visuals designed by Leigh Christian. But it not only looks the part but scrolls smoothly too for a fluent feel. The music is lovely with fantastic chiptunes by 4mat. I mean, wow!
If you wanna be a superhero then grab either the floppy or a hard disk installable version right away.
Alien World is a shoot 'em up written by Gary Antcliffe (Blazing Thunder/Yogi's Great Escape) and was released in 1992 by Hi-Tec Premier Software. Ignoring the dreadful title tune, the game itself is a cross between the likes of Menace and R-Type, with a dollop of Venus Flytrap thrown in for good measure. Which is always gonna be ace!
The action is relentless and immediately hits you with a ton of pitfalls like red-hot streams of molten lava that shoot up from pools of glowing red death. It isn't long before you feel a little Blood Money creeping in as the scrolling alternates between horizontal & vertical. However, I liked the parts that don't automatically scroll - allowing you to move at your own leisure. Gravity always plays a part in affecting your movement, think Flappy Bird or SantaFly!
Graphically, Alien World is truly outstanding with ultra-smooth scrolling - best experienced using a real Atari ST. Everything is exquisite - rich colours, detailed sprites and fluent movement. Sadly, audio is a different story with no in-game tune and weak sound effects. A few decent chiptunes would have been perfect for a game like this.
Gameplay is what matters and I'm impressed with this tough shooter. Sure, it has a learning curve that is nothing short of immense but Blood Money fans are going to love it. Then again, like so many 16-bit games of the era, it's really really tough and demands a cheat. However, a challenging game that drags you back for that "just one more go".
Alien World is freakishly fun and should entertain for hours. Very hard but I love it. Play it!!
Today, I thought that I would descend deeper into the realms of retro gaming with an oldie that I've not played since I was 14 years old, Starquake by BubbleBus / Mandarin Software. Like most people, I did not own an expensive Atari ST in 1985 and was instead using a ZX Spectrum. Yup, I've not played Starquake since the mid-80s!
You're a BLOB (BioLogically Operated Being) who has crash-landed on a planet and it's your job to save it before it implodes! Each screen is basically a platformer in design and filled with cutesy (yet annoying) baddies that can zap away your energy or kill you outright. To me, it always felt like Atic Atac but, visually, reeks of Underwurld.
Let's pause the reading and view a malfunctioning screenshot...
The intro is short but not without good humour which I love!
Run, Shoot, RUN!!
Starquake is such a big game and one which will instantly appeal whilst you get yourself completely lost wandering from screen to screen. There are tasks to complete, like collecting objects and computer codes, which is a lot harder than it sounds. Oddly, you cannot collect items when using a hover pad... so be prepared to think!
Thankfully we have a weapon but the nasties are relentless with a swarm-like attack that never ends. Curiously, we cannot jump but have the ability to build temporary platforms that help reach those higher places. It's kinda cool and makes climbing fun and different - also dotted about the map are hover-pads which you can make use of.
Starquake is a quirky little shooter/puzzler that never lets up and yes, it reminds me of Underwurld by Ultimate Play The Game with similar schematics, styles and mechanics. However, the puzzler and exploration elements are as tough as they are interesting and this is the part of it that makes you think - all whilst frantically shooting everything in sight.
I've always liked Starquake and that Atari ST version doesn't disappoint. Hey, let's view a screenshot...
As soon as you begin, cute critters appear from nowhere - constantly!
Colour clash and bleeps?
Visually, fans of the 8-bit original will absolutely adore the updated Atari ST version which looks the same but tarted up with gorgeous 16-bit colours and lots more detail. Wow, I wish the old Speccy game looked this good back in the mid-80s. I mean, come on, check out those sprites - this must be one of the cutest games ever made!
The audio is superb with fantastic music by none other than Jason C. Brooke. I could listen to this all day long! All in-game effects are pretty neat but I'm going to shock myself here and say that the ZX Spectrum game is actually better. How can this be? It's true as I miss those zappy, buzzy Spectrum sounds that this ST conversion lacks.
Right, we've got time for just one more screenshot. So, here you go...
Finally, an upgraded 8-bit game that isn't bloated and ruined!!
The CryptO'pinion?
I found the Atari ST version to be harder than the Speccy original. That alone took some time to get used to and felt completely unnecessary if I'm being honest as it zapped some of the fun, especially for a casual gamer. However, Starquake isn't something for the casual gamer as it demands time and commitment to get the most from it.
Yes, it's tough. Yes, it's crazy. And yes, it's probably a little too difficult - so you may need to cheat for infinite lives! You'll need a pen and paper to map it and make notes. However, it's definitely a brilliant conversion of the 8-bit classic and also an excellent game in its own right and offers a massive, long-term challenge. Highly recommend!!
If there was one racer I adored on my old Atari ST, it was Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge. The semi-realistic physics helped to make it utterly addictive without ever crossing over into boring old simulator land. It has such amazing graphics, almost an arcade-like quality, with fun gameplay that was both exciting and challenging.
Lotus 2 offers more of the same excitement but is quite different from the original in a number of ways. Firstly, we aren't racing a set number of laps around a typical circuit as there are checkpoints to reach during a road trip across the lush American continent in our flashy car! Also, don't drool, but the entire screen is now used!
Hey, you wanna see a cool screenshot with blue skies and an open road. Hmm, this is pure road trip...
Vroom!! The roads are absolutely superb to provide a thrilling challenge!
Fast open roads...
This isn't just a racer but more a road trip. Yes, it's almost like an adventure across the States with various locations. Also, the environments can change depending on the conditions as we have the weather to endure which adds an element of pseudo-realism. Even if the other drivers fail to use their headlights at night (what? Am I being too picky lol)
I also think they captured the feeling of speed incredibly well - it's almost Vroom standards with extreme velocities. Strangely, our car appears to be running on fairy dust because there is never a need to refuel your Esprit or Elan. Which is good, who needs that kinda realism? These differences certainly help Lotus II leap away from the original and into a whole new driving experience whilst still remaining familiar with the original. Fast and Furious you might say. Love it!!
Okay, it's now time for another screenshot but this one is of a law breaker. What? You heard me...
Come on, it's nighttime and nobody is using their lights. Where's the police?
The CryptO'pinion?
Lotus II is incredible and one of the best racers on the Atari ST. For me, it perfectly combines elements of a good race with the feeling of a Bullrun and road trip combined - so we get to see the world in this speedster.
Overall, this is not only one of the best 16-bit racers ever released but is also definitely one of my personal favourites too. I simply cannot stress enough how much I recommend Lotus II. It's just as enjoyable as the magnificent original so zooms in high on my Top 10 list of Atari ST drivers. Download it right now - you won't regret it!!
Les Adventures de Carlos was released in 1994 by Microids and isn't the best example of an Atari ST platformer. We are in control of a bearded fat man wearing a rather odd costume! This might sound strange, but our best friend appears to be a parrot who shadows and attempts to help us. We have no gun so must use our enormous weight to squish the baddies! You can even use some of that blubber to create a miniature earthquake when falling farther. It's hardly original when you think about it but, whatever works, right?
Aesthetically, Carlos looks and sounds good. The visuals feature stunning colours and beautiful sprites. However, the engine features no scrolling which is odd for a game that requires 4-way scrolling. What that means is the gameplay stops while the screen is pushed along. This becomes extremely irritating, especially during a diagonal jump which may require the screen to scroll in two separate directions.
This could have been great, but the end result looks good but plays terribly. In fact, I found it quite agonising because of the constant pauses as the game scrolls in different directions. A game like this needs real scrolling. The Atari ST has a wealth of decent platformers, so we don't need rubbish like this. Stay clear of this!!
I do not recommend Carlos but masochists can grab it on floppy & hard drive.
Alpha Waves is a unique game released by Infogrames in 1990 and is nothing like I first imagined (back then). In fact, I still remember the first time I booted it up and then picked up my jaw from the floor. Not because I was seeing wondrous graphics or anything I might have hoped for - but simply because I was experiencing something brand new.
Yes, this is a new genre of 16-bit gaming that had us piloting an odd spaceship (it looks like a wedge of cheese). We are trapped within a multi-roomed cube and each of these inner rooms is littered with platforms. These function to progressively bounce us higher into the air, which is our means of transportation. I guess they forgot to include an engine?
Anyhow, this mechanic allows us to bounce independently, as if on a trampoline. But only when using the platforms, otherwise gravity takes over fully and we sink to the floor like a lead balloon. The wedge of cheese has no upward thrust, only forwards. So skim from platform to platform - to ultimately reach the dizzy heights. And the exit door.
It's a cool concept that is well-executed and very easy to pick up and play so let's view a screenshot...
That's me there and you can see my shadow. Use that for guidance.
But is it any good?
Two gameplay modes are available: "Action" has a time restriction whereas "Emotion" gives you all the time in the world and is useful for newcomers or those simply wanting a more leisurely experience. Controls are best with the joystick and navigation can be improved by pushing up or down to change your world viewing angle.
Interestingly, a shadow is cast by your craft - this helps to pinpoint your position in each position perfectly. Some rooms contain obscure baddies which can annoyingly get in the way and knock you about - watch out for the "snake" creature!! Alpha Waves will never disappoint no matter which gameplay style you prefer and is great for explorers.
As you can tell, it's tough to explain but much easier to pick up play! So let's see another screenshot...
What is that weird thing? An enemy ship or someone coming over to help?
Aesthetics
Graphically this may appear simple or even crude judging by the screenshots. But playing the game reveals how great everything moves in what I can only describe as an abstract world of 3D-filled vectors with zero distance clipping.
Faster computers will knock it out of the park but the 8MHz Atari ST performs fast and fluently. Heck, it even runs in high resolution so you can see all the polygons at 640x400 without any slowdown (but I personally preferred the whacky colours in low resolution which also looks a lot better to IMHO).
In-game sound effects are samples and very nice too but, there is little else to hear. If I'm honest, you spend most of your time listening to your ship bouncing on platformers. I love the door sound effect, very Interphase I thought.
Okay, so it looks weird but also brilliant at the same time. Great! So let's check out a screenshot...
The CryptO'pinion?
I personally rank this as one of the best Atari ST games I have ever played. Bold statement but this is an amazing experience and a perfect example of the gems lurking within our archives just waiting to be discovered. It may not appeal to everyone but Alpha Waves certainly helped invent a genre that nobody ever expected. It plays great with many unique challenges that require much skill and perseverance. A flabbergasting moment in gaming history and one I absolutely adore.
Who would ever have thought bouncing a piece of cheese through cubic rooms would be so much fun?
> Downloads are available for both floppy and super-zippy hard drives!
Rub your eyes all you want because I think it has been done! Yes, I have found a decent STOS game! That's right, STOS and it was released in 1991 by one of my favourite companies, Titus. Okay, I know they released a couple of dodgy games but there's just something about them that I like. Plus they released some corkers, like this platformer!
Prehistorik is nothing less than the cutest dino-platformer I have ever seen using cartoon-like visuals. We are taken back to a time when dinosaurs roamed the lush countryside. Of course, we play the part of a plucky young caveman wielding a big club. Imagine something like BAMM-BAMM from The Flintstones... but older... and with a beard! Now, add the psychotic desire to club cute prehistoric animals and you have the perfect entertainment. Very nice.
Fancy a selection of screenshots? Of course, you do so scroll on down...
Running leap onto a vicious dinosaur. Well, okay, hardly vicious and he is easy to knock out too!
Inside each cave are lots of things to nosh on.
Those angry yellow dudes are quick on the draw!
Clubbing animals is fun!
The object is to explore the prehistoric lands looking for food to feed your hungry family. This means we have a typical platformer to run & leap our way through a 16-bit Jurassic Park. Along the way are a variety of pitfalls and exciting places to discover: caves are always interesting as they offer goodies to consume along the way. But watch yourself because these caves aren't dark and creepy at all plus something cute and fluffy might be inside lol!
Each level has many different dinos roaming and some are huge thus requiring several hits from your trusty club. The end of each area features a massive boss to defeat. Sadly, these are intensely difficult without a cheat for extra lives. That's about the gist of it really, collect food, club animals to death, and find the exit.
The joystick controls are simple and perform very well. I love the freedom to move during the jumps and clubbing your prey is great fun and perfectly timed so you never feel too close or stuck in a tight corner. Considering this is STOS, I'm really impressed with the response and overall feel which makes exploring a bunch of fun.
I think this is possibly the best STOS game I've ever played? Let's celebrate that fact with some screenshots...
Did I mention there are secret hidden levels to find?
This guru dude appears now and then. Club him hard for a reward!
The boss levels are kinda lame and this one is the worst imho.
Big tips
Explore everything. Look in every cave to collect all the goodies.
See a guru-looking dude? Club him and steal whatever he's carrying.
I found it best to enable auto-fire for a more frantic bashing experience!
Cave critters only emerge when you're on the same level.
Something doesn't look quite right? Maybe there's a secret level?
90s games are way too tough with never enough lives. Use a trainer!
The bonuses are pretty lame and never last too long but, if you're lucky, you will find the odd gem (usually via the Guru) like an extra life and bigger jumps. But the others suck simply because they don't last long enough!!
Watch out when near a cave entrance, you never know what might emerge from the darkness!!
Crazylegs Crane's uncle has made an appearance!
Prehistorik is full of basic puzzles. How are we going to cross this lava?
Aesthetics
The visuals are pretty and cartoony in style: the backgrounds are incredibly well-drawn and each dino sprite is absolutely gorgeous. In fact, it's the characters that I love the most because they are so funny and feature their own unique personality and silly expressions - especially when knocked unconscious. I almost feel nasty clubbing them. Almost.
Music can be played throughout the game and reminds me of Where Time Stood Still. It's got that lovely chip feel with a style that completely complements the gameplay. Very nice and never overwhelming but, if you so desire, you can play without music. Pressing F2/F3 alternates between music and sound effects but music wins for me.
It looks and sounds great so what's my opinion? You better carry on scrolling to read that...
A platformer without ... platforms? Avoid the fish, always good advice!
Oh no, these are tough animals to kill and require multiple hits. Club 'em quick!
Check out that snowman. The artwork is always stunning.
The CryptO'pinion?
Prehistorik doesn't break the mould and some might turn their nose up for other platformers available on the Atari ST. However, stop right there because this might be a no-frills affair, but don't let that put you off. Prehistorik is really good, stuffed with hilarious moments, and extremely playable. The only thing I didn't like was the pointless timer.
It's almost like a Jurassic version of Grand Theft Auto as clubbing cute animals will always be satisfying. Not only that, but I think it's the best STOS game I've ever played! Yep, this game is cute, violent, and very addictive so I say play it. Just make sure you're wearing animal skins before deciding whether to download either the floppy or hard disk version!
