Race Drivin'

Lots of games have cool intros but Domark's Race Drivin' must surely rank high as one of the best? It may only last a minute or so but it's a zany mix of Wacky Races and a dollop of Carmageddon thrown in for good measure. A brilliant intro for what is one of the toughest racers - can you drive in a straight line? Well, I know I can't!! O_o

8BitChip has the hard disk installable game and Stonish has the floppy disk Sigma #1.

The History of ULM

U..L..M..!!

I saw a stupid tweet the other day concerning the Atari ST demoscene by someone who was obviously an Amoeba user. Rather than rise to the bait, it inspired me to write this quick post! Besides, we know the ST has a belting scene which is very much alive & kicking! (view recent masterpieces like We Were @ + Strange roboTS). Powerful STuff!!

Later, I chanced upon a web page written by Georges Kesseler of ULM. It details his interesting ST-history which I thought was pure gold and I wondered if it was originally part of an older website? An intriguing read of a great ST coder.

http://www.ulm.lu/ulm_web.html

Page 6

My first PDL

Page 6 is a great slice of Atari history and has a website for the magazine. Their PD Library software is even available to download. I remember buying disks from Page 6 when I first became an Atari ST addict. Of course, their magazine had been going long before then and continued until 1998. True enthusiasts.

"Page 6 is remembered fondly by many Atari owners as a unique and invaluable resource, supporting enthusiasts in the heyday of Atari home computing" - I'd say that sums up Page 6 rather nicely!

Page 6 ~ Atari ST library: https://www.page6.org/st_lib/st_lib.htm

Page 6 ~ Homepage: https://www.page6.org/

SuperFly

Quick reactions needed!

Superfly is a cunning "avoid 'em" scroller controlled with just one button. As the screen automatically begins to scroll, just press the joystick's button to increase your height. This stops you from crashing into oncoming objects along with preventing gravity from crashing you into the ground. This might sound familiar to that Flappy Bird but Superfly is a lot faster, and slicker and was released way back in 2002!!

Without giving away the storyline, you are in control of a submarine and must rescue your kidnapped girlfriend. Please make sure you read the funny write-up included within the download!!

Running at 50fps, Superfly is extremely smooth and the audio is tremendous with gorgeous tunes. I believe the STe's enhanced hardware is detected and successful players can unlock features like a gallery and jukebox. This is an insane game which will have you swearing like a docker! Superfly is wicked, yet with an addictive charisma that compels you to play more. Forget frustrating flappy birds and play Superfly instead.

LINKS

 - Downloads are available for both floppy and hard drive users.
 - Want more? Try the follow-up Santafly!!

Who needs Chrome?

Netscape

Do you require a fully-featured web browser for your Atari computer? NetSurf is an excellent choice and something I've enjoyed using for well over a year. You will need a decent spec running MiNT OS (check out my virtual Falcon). To download NetSurf (click here) and for the bleeding-edge builds (click here).

Leaderboard Birdie

A good walk spoiled?

Well, maybe! But here is Leaderboard Golf which was released in 1986 by Access Software and is undoubtedly one of the least technically impressive games to grace the Atari ST. Let's not be too hasty as this was released all the way back when the ST was just a baby one year old. And the 8-bit computers reign was at its peak.

When loaded, the main menu is rather crude, but functional, and is used to commence a new game. Each game, the course is rendered and played via a third-person perspective - we can see ourselves ready to take each shot. You shall note the golfing jargon on the right and basic information like weather, clubs, distance and a shot meter. These details should help to get that little ball inside the hole as quickly as possible.

The picture I'm painting isn't exactly gleaming, right? I know, I know, but let's view a screenshot...

Select each club carefully and watch out for those high winds!

Slow down and think about it...

With each shot, there is a unique distance to the hole so a different club is always required. Long distances will require a 'wood' and (from what I can gather) they're rated W1-W9 and a 1W will achieve the greatest distances whereas the 9W might produce a more acute shot with less power. The 'irons' feel similar to this golfing noob here at AtariCrypt but you might choose a 9I for a more acute shot when in a troubled rough spot.

Finally, the 'PW' is the pitching wedge and is used for those final moments when accuracy is needed to get that little ball into the hole. What a golfing connoisseur, I am. You shall also note a pole in the ground that is casting a shadow of varying angles and lengths? Use that to help determine the current conditions.

Leaderboard has no save game feature but there are many scorecards inside the box. One of mine (see the picture below) has its pages filled in by the previous owner. I love finding stuff like this!!! I think its great and a piece of ST history is preserved...

I wonder who David is and how much he enjoyed the game?

It's all about whacking a ball really hard?

Leaderboard is a simple but still challenging. It's all about choosing the best club for the shot at hand, of course. Correctly hitting the ball is a balance of lining it up and mastering the power and snap meter. That determines how far you wish your ball to travel and whether it should go straight or curved to the left/right.

Weather will affect the direction and conditions your golfer must face. Plus he also has many of the usual pitfalls to contend with, like the rough, trees, puddles of water and those nasty bunkers. It might be an idea for novice golfers to disable those weather conditions whilst you learn the game's controls and basic mechanics.

Okay, golfing dudes let's take another gander at another amazingly realistic screenshot...

Get that power and snap meter just right for the current shot and weather conditions

Next-Gen visuals!

Visually, I'm sure many will find Leaderboard far too unrealistic and extremely minimalistic compared to certain other ST games. However, Leaderboard has a nostalgia that I love; the way it draws each scene so methodically is superb - bringing back happy memories during a time when it would have impressed everyone.

The sound effects are on par (see what I did there?) with the visuals. They're more than enough for this quiet stroll through the countryside. Spot-fx are used for hitting the ball, selecting the clubs, and hearing the ball drop into the hole. My favourite is the mushy sound as it falls into the water. Lame yet genuinely brilliant!

I tried hard to get a nice screenshot - so appreciate it and take the time to view it properly...

Oh dear, there are lots of pitfalls to avoid on this hole. Can you do it?

The CryptO'pinion?

I think golfing connoisseurs might foolishly turn up their noses at such an old game in favour of something better? I would say stop and think about that. This is one of the most charming and entertaining moments you can experience with an old computer. It's so easy to pick up and play and incredibly addictive.

I hate most sports games and I don't like golf - yet I adore Leaderboard. This is one of the best games - from the earlier years - that you can play for the Atari ST. Truly this looks poor but is superb!! A fantastic game.

Take a swing and download for either floppy or hard disk (HDD is the best for this game)

RoadBlasters

Wanna race? Bring a gun!

Road Blasters - an arcade conversion by US Gold that attempts to recreate the speed and thrills of the original. Imagine a Bullrun Rally event through 50 overcrowded highways! You must win each to progress on to the next. Yep, nothing new but I'm sure you already know that this is going to be tons of fun, right?

What makes this game different from many racers is a combination of driving and shooting. This means your gleaming red sports car has a mounted machine gun. The easiest targets are the yellow cars which are a quick kill, but the motorbikes are a pest because of their tiny size. Occasionally, several jeeps will swarm around you like something from a Mad Max movie. React viciously; take no prisoners. Oh, yeah!!

It's time to break up the reading with a screenshot. And I want one with a green blob...

Bubble City sounds like a cool place - I must drive there!

Carmageddon!

Watch out for hazards like oil spills, roadside turrets, bullet-proof purple cars and those darn proximity mines. Fortunately, you do seem to have friends, a futuristic aircraft frequently flies by with power-ups: speed boost, extra weapons, shields, etc... However, it takes lots of practice to precisely collect these goodies!

At your disposal is a limitless supply of replacement cars but they are all fuel-greedy, so if you run dry then it's game over. Luckily, fuel pods are available to collect by driving through them for a top-up. Your car is equipped with a reserve fuel tank which should only be relied upon as a last resort, but the good news is that it's replenished at the end of each race. Well, depending on your performance of course. So keep practising!

Oh, it sounds very exciting, isn't it? Well, I think it's time for another screenshot...

Fast cars and guns. What more could you ever desire?

Input & Output!

The controls are sharp with responsive steering that retains an arcade feel - as much as possible with a joystick. No complaints as I found the car handled excellently and instantaneously took to it.

Visually, this is an older generation of racer on the Atari ST, more like a Crazy Cars 2 than the third. I never expected arcade-quality visuals but it retains a good feeling of the original whilst not being the best you'll get from an Atari ST. It's colourful but needed more decor. But, for an older racer, I like it.

The sound effects are good and better than Lotus Turbo. I really enjoyed the music. Nuff said.

Now is the time to drive like Knight Ride to collect those goodies from above!

The CryptO'pinion?

I love this arcade speedster, it might not be perfect but at least it's nothing like that dreadful Outrun. And we're armed so that's basically one hell of an added bonus and probably the best of that ilk on the Atari ST.  A much-underrated game that deserves more attention because it's fast, thrilling and the car has a gun.

What more could you want? Absolutely fantastic fun and I love playing it.

There is a fantastic hdd version to download or

the floppies if you desire that authenticity!