Isn't Diamond Edge a brilliant program? One of its features is 'Test Disk', which scans for potential problems. Only the other day, this saved my bacon because Drive C (a 32MB partition) suddenly reported itself as 22MB. Why, I do not know, but Diamond Edge came to the rescue and fixed several serious errors!!
I have found it particularly useful to optimise (defrag) the partitions in order to better stream audio for (storage) demanding games (Cannon Fodder / Xenon II) or other programs like ST Video Player. I defrag the drives on a monthly basis. Don't get me started with Undelete, another superb part of the Diamond Edge suit.
Diamond Edge is one of the most fundamental utilities for all Atari computers equipped with a hard drive. Anodyne has Diamond Edge freely available to download, along with the manual, too.
Tons of Atari ST games run in high resolution, and one of the best is Bolo, a Breakout clone. It takes the familiar concept and improves upon it tremendously with lots of extra features, like the ability to move the bat almost anywhere. There are also gravitational effects that are cunningly effective, different brick types, and the ability to change the physics of the ball's speed/direction. Bolo is an awesome brick-blaster. It's brilliant!!
Grab it from Atari Legend, who has many menu disks to choose from.
SysInfo is a useful utility that can display a whole raft of details about your Atari ST (it recently helped me diagnose a problem with my Mega STe's audio!). It can diagnose everything from TOS/GEM details to the more technical aspects like the Cookie Jar, VBL, traps & other mind-boggling jargon.
Incredibly helpful and also perfect for geeks! You can download SysInfo from Atarimania.
After FAR too long, Maggie/25th Anniversary issue was released this weekend!! Yes, a lot of time has passed since the previous issue, but the latest edition is now available to enjoy. I'm about to download myself a copy and spend the evening reliving my ST days by reading this ace diskmag - 90s style! Yes, it's been far too long, but I'm incredibly excited and hope to see more ST disk mags. My congrats to everyone involved!!
Grab the floppy disk, but you can read it online. Here are the links...
Andrei Ellman of Wacko Software created a game made from three classic genres: Pong, Space Invaders, and Pac-Man. This release is different because all three games are playable at the same time.
Yep, you heard correctly! Check this out...
Pong is controlled by holding the fire button and moving up/down.
Pac Man is initially quite confusing so read the docs within the download!
Space Invaders is easy, left/right moves and pushing up/down fires the gun.
The controls are a bit odd, and things get strange when trying to play everything simultaneously. However, my tiny brain couldn’t handle it all, and I found I could only play two games at once, not three! Visually, it works well, but if you’re struggling to see clearly, adjust each game’s appearance using the numeric pad. There’s also an option to invert colours, which makes everything a bit ugly, but it’s much better for your eyes.
I think Andrei was one crazy, mixed-up kid who had a good laugh when coding this. Don't take it too seriously and practice with the controls because Video Games 1 is ridiculously entertaining.
This is a maddening nightmare that will drive you insane. And you will love it!!
The excellent Universal Item Selector by Application & Design Software was released in the UK by ST Club. The Atari ST is blessed with a small but great selection of replacement file selectors, and this is the best. Only on the weekend, I trudge through a folder containing over 100 tracker mods, deciding which ones to keep or delete. So I installed UIS, which made the job 100x easier because of its integrated tools.
This is a game with few friends: Navy Seals is deceiving, and my first impression is of an arcade-style platformer. However, this Ocean gem is anything but a typical run-and-gun 'em. It's more ruthless and requires stealth, strategy, and tactics. Extreme perseverance is the order of the day because this game requires a committed player willing to spend many hours mastering the levels. No spare time? Then don't bother!
Taking down scumbag terrorists is all part of the job when you're a member of the US Navy SEALs. The mission requires us to sneak into the lion's den, kill everyone, and plant explosives to destroy their stockpile of missiles. Each map is a layout of platforms within a maze of trigger-happy bad guys.
Use covert tactics - so play slowly and carefully to learn the enemy's location. Many practice games will be required to plan the best route from start to end. This is vital and the only way to successfully complete the mission. This is not easy, so it will not appeal to a casual gamer, who will run away crying!
After wiping away your tears, take a moment to steady yourself. Some games, like The Immortal, are designed to be played through the process of trial and error. Navy Seals is exactly the same. Play a game, progress as far as you can, and make notes. Review those notes and play again. You’ll advance further and create new notes. Repeat this process, and you’ll beat this challenging game in no time. Honest.
Let's take a look at the first screenshot with gorgeous details against its grungy colour palette...
I love the layout of the first level. This is an absolutely fantastic design!
Aesthetics
Navy Seals is a babe with gorgeous visuals that oozes a style I admire. I love the beautiful character animation as you run, leap, climb, and sneak about. Each level complements the environment and feels like something from a cheesy 80s B-movie! Heck, even the screen showing me dead is great. Yep, I said that.
Sound effects do their job well, and the music is an excellent chiptune to bop along to. Like it a lot!!
Hey, it's time for a screenshot. How about one you will see a lot? Here you go...
Don't expect to beat this game on your first attempt. Or second. Or third...
The CryptO'pinion?
This is such a difficult game, but I found myself enjoying the challenge. Each level requires the player to learn all aspects thoroughly, so don't expect a cakewalk. There are two drawbacks to Navy Seals: the time limit, which is harsh. And I don't understand why Ocean didn't include a way to unlock each level with passwords?
Navy Seals won't appeal to the casual gamer as it requires much playtime with strategic planning to figure out an efficient route through, before the dreaded timer expires. Can you do it? I hope so because Navy Seals is a rewarding game, albeit brutal. In fact, brutal might be too namby-pamby a description for this?
Gamers were tougher in the 80s and 90s. Navy Seals prove that fact.
Hard drive installable versions are available from both D-Bug and 8bitchip.
