Mad Professor Mariarti

Nutty professor

Professor Mariarti is a platformer in wacky laboratories ranging from a biological lab to space rocket development. However, as a result of a dodgy experiment going mental, everything has come to life and taken over. To make matters worse, they aren't in the best mood and have grown body parts, like eyes and legs.

Hmm, I think we'd better fix this problem and clear out the labs before it drives the Professor potty. Okay, there are four levels to choose from, with a fifth only playable after completing the first four. As if!

Wanna see a couple of near-GEM green screenshots? Of course, you do...

A platformer with brains

I’ve been playing the Computer Lab level, and it’s full of strange creatures, hazards to avoid, and puzzles to solve. Don't worry, these puzzles aren't exactly mind-blowing and are often as simple as flicking a switch. However, some puzzles require a little more thought - take a look at the massive pressure chamber, which is lethal without first wearing a diver's helmet. I love cunning puzzles like that.

The baddies are a most interesting bunch and very humorous, but the slightest contact will zap your energy. It seems nothing you do will permanently kill them. You can use your trusty collection of greasy spanners, and they’ll vanish, but seconds later, they’re back for more. Argh, they are evil and relentless!!

This is a good thing and helps keep things interesting without any empty or boring screens. The weapons can be upgraded by using terminals, but that costs money, so don't forget to collect any coins scattered throughout. Expect nothing less than a challenge that requires time and effort to get the best from it.

Let's pause for more screenshots. Hey, it looks like I'm in the loony bin...

The CryptO'pinion?

Mad Professor Mariarti is a challenging and addictive platformer bursting with personality. While some puzzles are a bit vague and obscure, you’ll soon grasp the mechanics. It’s best suited for those who enjoy a platformer that demands a bit more from the old grey matter. However, be prepared for a significant time investment to fully appreciate it. I wouldn’t usually play a game like this, but I really enjoyed Professor Mariarti.

8BitChip has the download (floppy & HDD)

Update: Stickhead has a great video to watch!

Chuckie Egg II

My favourite Speccy game!

After playing the Atari ST version of Jet Set Willy, I remembered that we had another 8-bit platformer by Lothlorien called Chuckie Egg 2. This made me happy because I love the original, and I even spent hundreds (thousands?!) of hours exploring and mapping its immense and wacky world that was fascinating.

Let's cut to the chase - the Atari ST conversion is awful. It looks/sounds better, but the gameplay is completely different - it doesn't feel anything like the original whatsoever. In fact, the controls are diabolical, so guiding Harry around is nigh on impossible. His movements are way too fast, and they have altered the basic mechanics of jumping. You know, I expected some differences, but this is a joke beyond anything I imagined.

This is a complete disaster of a game! It’s a terrible port of a brilliant ZX Spectrum platformer. Terrible” is the right word because it’s probably the worst platformer for the Atari ST. I hate that because it’s a port of one of my favourite 8-bit platformers!! I'm not sure if you can tell? But, yes, I'm disgusted by this game. 😡

It's not recommended but, if you're stupid and wanna play this, then the floppies can be found at Atari Legend. A hard drive installable game is at 8BitChip. Surely, you're not going to bother?

Jet Set Willy

Willy is back!

Who still plays the Willy platformers on their computer? Indeed, they are the most respected series of 8-bit platformers ever to grace a CRT screen. Sadly, the Atari ST missed that party as people expected more from their 16-bit computer by the late 80s. A fact that saddens me somewhat, as we missed out on a classic.

Software Projects never released this because they felt people's expectations had changed since 1984. I see their point, I really do. However, it's a massive shame because it's timeless. I will always love this platformer.

So, wait a moment!! Am I saying that the game was programmed, but never released? Well, yes. The Atari ST version was finished but ultimately forgotten. Until now! The screenshots you can see are of the Atari ST game, a replica of the original. Yep, it fully mimics the same gameplay style without unnecessary bloatware "improvements". It plays, looks, sounds, and feels exactly as you remember it from 1984.

Wait, are you disappointed how the Atari ST game looks? Perhaps you expected 16-bit aesthetics with more detail & colour?? Stop! Slap yourself!! Did you forget about Chuckie Egg II ???

Matthew Smith had nothing to do with this release, as it was coded for the Atari ST by Carl Whitwell and Paul Taylor. Best of all, this was during their university years. Wow, take 5 mins to think about that fact for a moment... Can you imagine programming this game, possibly as their coursework? Incredible!

I should go and help Willy clean up his messy mansion. Maria is quite angry, so wish me luck...

• Download JetSet Willy from my own Dropbox file server.
• AtariMania has an interesting piece of text to read on its website.
• Here is a pretty darn cool map of the entire Willy Mansion. Ahh, the memories!!
• What? Do you want Manic Miner as well? Then click that link ASAP!!!

I thought this room would be tough, but it's easier than it looks.

One of the coolest screens this (for me). I don't know why, but I love it.

I remember reaching this screen on my Speccy as a kid - waiting for the hoax!

I tried the code... but it didn't appear to work. I wonder if the hidden gem is still here?

The Chaos Engine

Is it time for another ripoff?

Not too dissimilar to Gauntlet, The Chaos Engine, by the Bitmap Bros, was released in 1993. It's a top-down arcade shooter where you choose from a selection of characters before running around levels with one purpose: killing baddies! Okay, there is a [minor] puzzle element, but this is about reaping death!!

It's now that I can imagine the look on your faces. Why attempt to take on Gauntlet? Hmm, read on...

"Sometime during the last century, an experimenter with time, space and early computers created a bizarre machine. The inventor's name was Baron Fortesque and the machine was... THE CHAOS ENGINE! Although primitive the machine became incredibly powerful and went crazy, turning ordinary humans and household pets into razor-toothed, armour-plated killing machines."

The characters: you can be one of six mercenaries, each with their own skill set. Chose wisely...

 

 

 
So who are you gonna be? Let me know in the comments who you choose.

Who ya gonna be?

Each character has unique skills, so I advise that you should play each one to find out what you prefer. Personally, I tend to prefer the Mercenary or Thug! Each of the environments is extremely interesting with wicked mechanics and beautiful visuals, helping to create a wonderful Victorian England theme, etc.

Co-op is enabled whether you play solo or with friends and is a treat. I love having a computer-controlled player alongside you, and that extra firepower comes in handy. That helps, especially in the later levels, and is implemented well without ever taking over. However, it's embarrassing when he grabs the coins so quickly!! Argh, this is one of those games that demands practice before you can even think about beating it!

Hey, let's take another break for a couple of screenshots...

The first level is brilliant and works well with the computer-controlled guy.



Level two increases the difficulty, but it's still damn good fun!

Bitmap aesthetics!

The graphics are literally outstanding. From start to end, beautiful artwork, detailed sprites, and gorgeous landscapes. I love each of the environments, which have all been enhanced for the lovely Atari STe by using the hardware scrolling and extra colours. One of the best-looking games on the Atari ST/e. Period!!

All audio is cool - the chip music will stay playing in your head all day, and the sound effects do their job well. However, I must admit to being a little disappointed that this talented bunch failed to use the DMA audio for sampled sound effects. They're already utilising the STe, so why not use the DMA for samples?

So, it looks and sounds great, especially when played on the Atari STe. Agree or disagree? Let me know...

I struggled with the third level, or rather, my old man reactions did!



...and again for the frantic fourth. So tough!!

The CryptO'pinion?

I have always ranked the Bitmap Brothers as one of the best 16-bit developers. The freakish charm of Chaos Engine certainly helps to prove that. I cannot say whether it's better than Gauntlet because it's similar, but different. It's marmite and I think people will find themselves split over these two crackers?

My only gripe is the difficulty on later levels, which I fear is over the top. This means I need to cheat, which isn't good if you think about it. However, there is a passcode system, which is a fantastic feature to have.

This is a remarkable and addictive shooter stuffed full of action. Glad I bought this - I love it!!

8BitChip and D-Bug have created superb hard drive installable games!!

Chaos Engine floppy disks: Adrenalin #37A  #37B disks.

LEVEL CODES

World Two = T6MV6J4LGLCZ (Thug + Mercenary)

World Two = 73VBPXY1PZV1 (Brigand + Navvie)

World Two = QLVKM4YKJQVS (my own code!)

World Three = 4WQZTTRG61MZ (Navvie + Gentleman)

World Three = 2#YNLN7SR94W (Navvie + Brigand)

World Three = JSP99G416LY2 (I've no idea where I found this!)

World Four = PK2R9J6G5W4K (Navvie + Gentleman)

World Four = C8737KFPBCDB (Navvie + Preacher)

ST Format has a guide and a walk-through solution (issues: #51 #52 #53 #54)

Bitmap Bros have a cool website with maps, guides, and more.

Let's Play has a great page with loads of info.

I love this game so much that I went "out" and bought the Apple Mac version.

The Mercenary Site

Update: Paul Woakes sadly passed away on July 15th, 2017. RIP †

The Mercenary Site

I love finding websites that are active and buzzing with great content for games that are available for the Atari ST. The Mercenary Site is run by a great guy called 'Symoon' and is dedicated to the entire Mercenary series. He's a bit of an obsessive, and it shows when you browse his immense website!

Personally, I'm all about the second game, Damocles, which is a cracker thanks to an open-world environment that isn't hampered by linear restrictions. Yep, you're free to do whatever you like, and how you choose to do it is up to you. That's something that holds dear because I'm a sucker for messing about!

Before you rush off to his website, we chatted, and I asked him a few questions about it...

My site is horribly old but, to me, the content is more important than its look - and spare time is a rare thing these days ;) .... (we then began to talk about Hunter!) ... I also have fond memories of Hunter, except that the energy was dropping way too fast! I cheated to stop that and finished all the missions a long time ago. Really good fun using helicopters or hovercrafts!

There isn't much to say about me - I can't call myself an active Atari ST owner. But my brother bought an Atari ST and we mainly played games with it. I remain attached to it, but not as much as I am to my very first computer (the Oric!). You'll find a few occasional posts from me on some Atari forums under the nickname Symoon, but nothing worth talking about really ;)

I began the website around 1996, learning HTML to make a solution page for Mercenary III while I was doing the compulsory military service in France. I had struggled so much to get my copy of Mercenary III (I guess it hasn't been imported at all in France then) that I played it and found a way to complete it with all the solutions. There was almost no information about Mercenary III on the Internet at the time, and I had discovered the great Mark Sachs' guide to Damocles which inspired me. So it all began as "the Mercenary III solution page", designed in the same way...

Then the site grew little by little, as I added content very quickly thanks to many, many contributors. I recently read old emails and was puzzled at how many people wrote to me about it, and how interesting many of the messages were. I got in touch with many people from Novagen (first was Mo Warden), all very kind, and even met some of them. I'm so sad that Bruce Jordan, who lead the Novagen company with Paul Woakes, passed away 9 years go.

Firstly, because he really was a friendly man! Of course, on more Mercenary-driven motivations, because he was a great source of information. The MDDClone, that appeared around 2002, also was a source of real motivation. Its author hadn't been here, I might not have kept updating the site so long - and certainly not with so much detailed content.

What I loved about the games? I can't tell you really, I'd say the freedom feeling, and the first-person 3D which put YOU in the world (it wasn't that common at this time). The fact that a whole world was created for the player to simply walk around and the mix between adventure and some kind of flight simulation too. Also, it's humour. As a French young man though, I didn't always notice or understand the fun there was in Benson's words!

I was visiting each and every location hoping to find something significant at any corner. I found (and still find) it amazing that a whole universe was there on a disk. Thanks again, I hope you spend many pleasant hours in the Gamma system soon!

Black Lamp

Fancy a medieval adventure?

Let's cut to the chase: you’re a clown. Well, you are plucky Jack the Jester, who happens to be in love with the Princess, Griselda. Sadly, she will never look at you with the same love-struck passion (probably because of your silly costume!). Fortunately, for you, the kingdom of Allegorid was attacked by dragons!!

Since when was that fortunate? Well, they stole all the magical lamps, which helped to protect everyone in the kingdom from evil. This includes the most acclaimed lamp - a cherished and powerful Black Lamp. So, let's get going and rescue our dolly bird princess Griselda. Fail, and death awaits you... great storyline, uh?

Okay, let's take a little break because it's time to see the first screenshot...

The thing I adore about Black Lamp's visuals is the detail - from backgrounds to sprites!

How about a medieval nightmare!

Black Lamp is a flip-screen platformer with ledges to hop on, ladders to climb, items to collect, and monsters to kill. Not to mention what feels like thousands of rooms to visit as we undertake the honourable lamp quest. Interestingly, once our plucky jester ventures outside, that visual mechanic becomes a scrolling platformer. Here we can walk the castle walls, woodlands, and streets, looking for areas to visit. Various bonuses are offered for points, and also special abilities like increased firepower and invincibility.

The monsters reign supreme, and this is perhaps the game’s greatest and possibly most annoying characteristic. Not only are their numbers countless, but their assaults are relentless!! Wherever you go, they appear like magic - they don't need open doors because they can walk through the walls. This means there is literally no safe place that can offer a quiet moment of refuge, which is brilliantly insane but can also be OTT.

This ain't a boring yawnfest and will entertain throughout. Let's check out another screenshot...

Beautiful locations and lots of monsters to kill. Just look at that ogre!

A beautiful looker?

Throughout, the graphics are awesome. It feels like a cartoon chronicle of England's medieval age. The monsters are incredibly alluring with much charm. My favourites are the Imps and Trolls, which are bewitching to watch with beautiful animation. It's hard to imagine anything better than this in 1988 on a 16-bit platform.

The audio is perfect. Not only is there an incredible theme tune, but all in-game sound effects are zappy and exciting. This is exactly how a game should sound and makes it enthralling to play. Do I need to mention the in-game music? Like, wow!! Greensleeves, the olde English folk song. Wow, the audio is superb!!

And with that revelation out of the way, let's see the final screenshot before the gripping concussion...

Black Lamp was one of the first games I saw after leaving the Spectrum. Can you imagine my joy!

The CryptO'pinion?

Black Lamp is a brilliant game, but it's not perfect. My beef is with Jolly Jack's controls that react slowly due to his (superbly) animated movements. Imagine that you are walking right and need to turn left to kill oncoming monsters. This action does not immediately happen because his walking animation must finish.

Black Lamp is up there with other ST legends. It's a classic and nothing short of a fun-filled, hectic adventure that looks and sounds amazing. Sure, the aesthetics don't matter, but it's good to have them.

Everyone should play this platformer and experience what the Kingdom of Allegorid offers. It's challenging, addictive and rewarding. You won't regret booting up Black Lamp whatsoever, I guarantee it.

One of my favourite Atari ST games.

Available on floppy and hard drive.

Hey, I bought this game :-)

HUNTER

Behold, the best 16-bit game

Hunter was developed by Paul Holmes for Activision in 1991, and many consider it one of the first open-world/sandbox 3D productions. Now, that's a pretty big claim when you think about it for any 16-bit computer. It's also relevant to today's younger gamer who might assume there was nothing before the likes of GTA or Battlefield. I wonder if anyone under 40 reads my stuff... As if. Bah, kids today!

This game takes place within a huge three-dimensional world filled with wonder and danger. This is also a game of objects, many vehicles, and gadgets. We are essentially a James Bond dude with various mission objectives to complete (should you decide to play the game properly - no pressure). All of these are far-reaching, with the key to success being careful exploration, interaction, communication, and often quick reactions.

Oh, and common sense won't go amiss before heading out into the wild landscapes:

• I wouldn't drive off in a jeep without carrying a spare jerrycan!
• It might be a good idea to find a medkit, as it's dangerous out there.
• It's always a good idea to stock up on ammo.
• Hey, use the map!

Never will you play a game that offers so many different types of vehicles to drive, pilot, ride, etc...

I knew this was gonna be good, and it wasn't long before I was Howling Mad Murdock!!

I start well, but it's going dark, and I'm on foot. Then I got rundown!

No rules, only fun!

Hunter provides an incredible array of vehicles to hop into. I love riding a wonky bike, tearing up the land in my jeep, and even stopping to watch birds. However, something like a helicopter might take practice. The hippie in you might fancy a swim with the fish? Why not chase rabbits? Why? Well, why not!

But why would you do any of this when you can drive an army vehicle, steer a speedboat, or pilot a helicopter? Heck, you can even hop into a tank and blow stuff up, like somebody's house!! Release your inner psychopath and terrorise the world. Your options are almost endless. This game will rock your world.

You can ignore the missions and go for your own adventure. I often boot up Hunter to drive around its fascinating landscape - what's better than exploring a new world, with the option of blowing stuff up? So, create mayhem and have yourself some fun. It's this freedom that is the best aspect of Hunter - because we are completely free to roam. Go anywhere and choose to do anything you like. Just don't get shot or blown up!

Hunter is limited only by your imagination. Be heroic. Be ambitious. Be an explorer...

There's nothing quite like this game - jump into a jeep and be a Mud Muppet for a day?

Armoured cars are every bit as good as they sound. Love these so much!

Polygons and squeaks?

Hunter's world is fantastic thanks to a concise design by Paul and Christian Roux, who have the Atari ST exhibiting fast and fluent visuals. The 3D objects look cool with an array of vehicles and buildings. I love the superb details, everything from the chequered landscapes to your bike looks and moves great.

Faster computers will benefit; like my 16Mhz Mega STe that performs exceptionally well.

Sonically, we have sampled music on the title screen. Everyone knows I prefer Chip, but I quite enjoyed this tune. However, it's the kind of thing you leave playing once, because we wanna play!! In-game sound effects are nice, with some funky booming effects. Along with hilariously silly ones - like the seagulls!

Much love went into Hunter with its stunning aesthetics. So let's see more screenshots...

Forget the objective, I'm going sailing on the open oceans. It's up to you what you wanna do!!

Hangers are always worth checking out. Always.

The CryptO'pinion?

In some respects, this is years ahead of its time, with comparisons already made to later games, like GTA and Battlefield 1942. It's remarkable exploring this strange new world. It's immense, and heading out into the unknown never fails to please, so who knows what you might find out there? Wear a good pair of walking boots, tread carefully, and leave no stone unturned in this thrilling and dangerous world.

Even when played properly (yeah, I should do that more!), this is an engrossing experience with taxing missions that require a tactical and careful approach. The emphasis is always on your freedom, and this priority extends into how you choose to complete a mission - there are no linear paths to blindly follow. That, I find utterly enthralling, to say the least. Yes, they're difficult, but never boring and always enjoyable.

An extraordinary adventure, and I guarantee it's one of the best 16-bit games you'll play. Hunter is epic.

Epic is a strong word. But it's also very true, so Hunter earns the accolade of an AtariCrypy SMASH!

Download FLOPPY and HDD.

 

~~~ Interesting Map Coordinates ~~~

Security pass = 90, 153

Master key = 164, 169

Old man = 181, 197

Second man = 99, 61

Third man (In rock) = 195, 119

Professor = 49, 115

Prisoner = 135, 239

Injured man = 10, 36

Antibiotics and saw = 151, 121

Monk (in tree stump) = 85, 174

Scroll = 91, 173

Disk = 100, 225

Computer = 244, 199

General's bunker = 135, 239

Officer's red uniform = 190, 65