POWER UP +

Gentlemen, start your engines

Power Up is an overhead scrolling racer by Marek Cichon of Empty Head. I love that name as it's used as slang over here, but not in a nice way lol. Okay, this isn't a game I've heard of before, but we all love Super Sprint and the Super Cars games, so I was basically expecting more of the same, to be honest.

Sadly, my first impression wasn't good because it felt like a cheap Super Cars ripoff. Well, I never go off first impressions because I'm usually wrong! So, I took the time to configure the many options this game offers!! Then I went back to playtesting it again - through rigorous racing sessions (tough job, this isn't it). Thankfully, it wasn't long before I was ripping around the tracks, wearing a cheesy smile!

Let's show you the first screenshot, which is dead interesting. No, honestly, it is. I swear. Ahem...

There are lots of options, so take time to configure Power Up to suit your computer.

What a power drive!

There are a lot of tracks with various conditions to endure, like road and weather conditions - I enjoyed the wet tracks for sliding around the bends. Okay, it's hardly Ridge Racer, but it's still fantastic fun. Weapons are supported, and cars can fire the world's slowest "rocket", which always manages to hit me! Also, watch out for oil spills left behind by the other drivers that will have you slipping and sliding like a crazy fool.

Controls work well: acceleration is automatic using reverse & two forward gears. Top gear that allows you to hammer past the other vehicles, so you'd better practise cornering! Strangely, weapons are activated using the keyboard, which may be awkward for joystick players. Successful racers will be rewarded with glory and a massive golden cup - before being sucked into the ground. Weird, but it's ludicrously funny!!

Wouldn't it be nice to design your own track rather than what's provided? I know, it'll never happen...

There's even a track editor for the creative, so why not make your own race course?

Aesthetics?

The graphics are pretty much homebrew, but the sprites are detailed, and I cannot deny the amount of work that's gone into the scenery. Those STs with Blitter Chips are supported for better frame rates, but take a look at the configuration to get the best possible performance; otherwise, you will only regret it.

The ST computer can struggle, especially if you're being adventurous with the settings. You'll find yourself glaring in envy at anyone owning a faster computer. Power Up needs that Blitter and loves faster computers with extra clock cycles. Which is good and bad depending on your setup!

Sound effects can be either chip or DMA, and I personally prefer the latter when screeching around the race tracks. I really enjoyed hearing this, and it suits the gameplay. The music is stereo on the Atari STe and supports playback frequencies up to 50Khz - astonishing. I love the audio so much!

Okay, sod it!! Here's a cool screenshot of the gameplay. Happy now? Take a look at this...

I love the humongous variety of different tracks, and they all look darn cool.

The CryptO'pinion?

Power Up has more than its fair share of quirks and requires the player to tweak settings for optimal performance. Even then, it can be sluggish if the settings are set excessively high by a moron. In my opinion, ST owners shouldn't bother, as the Atari STe is the base model because it has a Blitter and DMA audio. However, even then, I'd suggest lowering the audio frequency or going chip for better performance.

For all its faults, this is a great racer I have genuinely enjoyed on both my Atari STe and Mega STe (16MHz). There's a lot here to enjoy, with many tracks that are a scream to race on. Master the controls in a few practice games, and it won't be long before you're tearing around like Dale Earnhardt!!

Super-duper Super Cars-style fun, and I absolutely loved playing this a bunch. Excellent game.

> Grab the download from my Dropbox, fully compiled! And visit Marek's website too.

Gotta love the pile-ups! But then one car will drop some oil, which is so cunning!

- Marek Cichon Interview -

---

Well, it's not really an interview but still very interesting and appreciated. I contacted the developer, Marek Cichon. His website had been online for years so I expected to hear nothing but, within a few minutes, I had a reply! We chatted and I asked a few questions along the way...

Why did you create Power Up and what inspired you?
 - I liked frantic racing games - Rally Speedway on Atari 800 plus track editor.

What did you get from the TOS platform during this time?
 - 6 years of fun and development overnight!

Did Power Up live up to all your expectations?
 - Unfortunately not. It is the homebrew game with a look developed mainly by two friends from the small city Chomutov. We would be successful to release the game till 1992.

Anything planned for the future?
 - We have released another game with the similar graphics for PC called Pixoria (see pixoria.eu)

What Atari computers do you own?
 - American NTSC version of Atari ST from 1985 year (my father bought in in Houston, Tx). I have developed most of my programs, including Power Up, on this computer but using on PAL TV. This meant black and white, unstable display (TV 50Hz, Atari 60Hz). Also a European Atari STE with 2 MegaBytes extended memory!

Easy question, what are Marek's favourite Atari ST games?
 - Vroom, Super Cars 2, Lotus Esprit Turbo challenge, Karateka, Test Drive, F15 Strike Eagle 2. Oh I see that racing wins!

Are you planning any Power Up updates in the future?
 - No. There were two releases Power Up and Power Up Plus with better graphics, shooting and oil slicks to finalise the game.

What retro games are you playing in todays crazy world?
 - I prefer the older Atari 800 games like The Great American Cross-Country Road Race, Rescue on Fractalus, Electra glide.

Are you listed on Demozoo?
 - No, it is Karel Rous (Empty Head), my distributor. I have never met him :-)

What makes Marek tick?
 - When people contact me from Australia, Mexico or UK. Those who play Power Up with my compliments. Thank you Steven.

Relix

A music disk with something extra

Atari ST chiptunes are superb and proven to be timeless, unlike tracker/MOD files (much of the time). We have numerous music disks in our library, and here is Relix by DHS/Paradox. This features some of the most awesome examples of what 505 (aka Nils Feske) has created. It's quite something to hear such a massive selection of quality chip music pumping out of your ST's speakers, so crank up the volume!

Anyhow, this disk has a cool feature that should be standard on all music disks - an AutoPlay function. Yep, you can leave the music disk alone, and it will automatically work through every tune. I love Relix, and it's one of my favourite music disks ever made, which is saying something for a machine like the Atari ST.

Relix download by Dead Hackers Society and Paradox [demozoo]

Credits

---

505 - Music
Dan - Graphics
Evil - Code, Graphics
Paranoid - Code
Zweckform - Graphics

double DD

Don't risk it!

Backing up your files can be a pain in the .. neck .. but you'd be gutted if you lost any precious data! So here is a simple method to duplicate your Ultrasatan's SD card, which is not only effective but takes little effort. The requirements are a Mac with an SD slot and a basic knowledge of the Terminal program.

 - IDENTIFICATION -

Firstly, eject your SD card from the Ultrasatan and slide its "lock" switch to write-protect it. Better to be safe than sorry! Insert it into your Mac (if a warning appears, then click on the "ignore" button).

Load up Terminal.app (within the Utilities folder) and type in this command:

diskutil list

This will display information to help identify the SD card - look for the capacity of your card. Mine is 8GB, as you can see in the clipping below. Thus, my card is "/dev/disk1"

/dev/disk1 (internal, physical):
 #:     TYPE     NAME     SIZE     IDENTIFIER
 0:     *                 8.0 GB   disk1

If you would like to verify this information, type in this command :

diskutil info /dev/disk1

Within the output, you will see a line confirming that this is indeed our SD Card :

Device / Media Name:      SD Card Reader

 - BACK IT UP -

Type this command to back up the SD card (enter your password when prompted)

sudo dd if=/dev/disk1 of=~/Desktop/st-backup.img

Leave it to finish, and after a few minutes, you should have a file on your desktop called "st-backup". Now eject the card from the Apple Mac and reinsert it into your Ultrasatan - not forgetting to slide off the lock switch! I recommend zipping your backup file and storing it somewhere safe, like iCloud or Dropbox.

 - RESTORES -

Perhaps you have a spare SD card idly doing nothing? So long as it's the same capacity as the first, we can easily restore our backup file onto this using the command :

sudo dd if=~/Desktop/st-backup.img of=/dev/disk1

 - AND FINALLY -

There are many different methods to secure your data; this was just one. It's the backup method I personally prefer because the dd command is easy and powerful. I hope this is of some use to Mac & Linux users. Sorry, but I wouldn't know about Windows. Any questions, then just gimme a shout and I'll be happy to help.

Atari STM

I've always had a longing for the sleek Atari STM computer before it became bloated with an internal PSU and floppy disk drive (STFM). I've just bought one off eBay for a meagre £14. It's in superb condition too. Needless to say, I now require an external floppy drive and PSU. I cannot wait to get this beast working :-)

UPDATE: https://ataricrypt.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/atari-stm-continued.html

Double Dragon 3 - Rosetta Stone

Yie Ar Kung-Fu!

To celebrate St George’s Day, I wanted to feature an Atari ST game and thought something dragon-related would be perfect. I tried a few games but wasn’t feeling them, and sadly, nothing else really grabbed my attention. Then I remembered Double Dragon 3. Ahem. Come on, it has got the word "dragon" in the title!

• For all those people left wondering what England's St. George's Day is about 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

After returning from two years of martial arts training, brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee encounter a fortune teller named Hiruko, who sets them on a mission to locate three ancient Rosetta Stones. These are powerful artefacts said to grant immense strength, potentially enough to dominate the world. I guess we must travel the world, kick-assing everyone along the way? Are you up for traveling the world, beating up people?

I reckon so! Well, Double Dragon 3 begins its global adventure in the tough streets of America. From the outset, we’re plunged into the chaos, facing a horde of thugs eager to ambush us. Being a hard dude, the game offers a variety of kicks and punches to unleash onto the enemy hordes. So let's use them!

This game appears to have it all, so let's pause for some screenshots...

You don't mess with guys that look like these two!!

But I gotta laugh at the fun artwork throughout. It's great, but a little creepy!!

Kick him when he's down!

From the outset, it’s clear this game prioritises fake Hollywood action over any pseudo-realism. The villains are fantastic and can attack in groups, creating a frantic experience that’s perfect for a joystick-bashing time. At times, I felt like I was playing Golden Axe, and I thoroughly enjoyed the barrage of silly fighting.

The controls are smooth and responsive, allowing for easy execution of kicks and punches. In fact, DD3 is incredibly easy to pick up and play, giving me that arcade feeling I was hoping for. There’s no learning curve, and even a complete noob like myself gets a thrill from this arcade-style kicker! Occasionally, shops appear offering power-ups like weapons and so on (there's always someone willing to cash in on your pain!!). This adds depth and longevity to the entertainment and proves that beating people up is always incredibly fun.

The gameplay is well-balanced, neither too easy nor overbearing. I soon discovered a jumping/flying kick that’s very effective. However, repeating the same move quickly became boring, so I resorted to my joystick-waggling skills to uncover other hidden moves. Before long, I found a spinning vertical kick - yay! The enemies are a traditional bunch with predictable AI, but their slow movement reduces the overall pace.

It's like a game version of a Chuck Norris movie!! I love it, so here are more screenshots...

Come on, get up and take some more smackin'!! Yeah, I can take on anybody GRR!!

Ah, he's big. Well, they say that the bigger they are... (I hope that's true!!)

The CryptO'pinion?

Double Dragon 3 is a blast full of punches, kicks, and silly thrills. I loved the gritty American streets setting, and the graphics are superb throughout. The controls are very responsive, so flinging your little man with all sorts of daft movements is great. The sound effects are good, but it’s a shame there’s no in-game music.

I’m a total noob to the genre, but I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this beat 'em up, and I highly recommend it. Kick-ass action, so it scores top marks from me. Ya' gotta play this!!

Kick & punch your way using either
floppy disk or your hard drive

Buggy Boy

A 16-MHz Buggy

Buggy Boy is great, and the ST has a fantastic conversion with gorgeous aesthetics that suit its style perfectly. This is a no-frills arcade racer that doesn't take itself seriously - it's simple and extremely addictive. However, there are a zillion videos scattered throughout YouTube land, so I thought I'd make something different. My video emulates it running on my 16MHz Mega STe, which is ludicrously fast. Ie, it's insane!

I don't know why I made this video, but I hope you enjoy this silly recording!! :o)

Stardust

Meh, another Asteroids?

Stardust was released in 1994 by Bloodhouse and is not only one of the last commercial games, but also an STe-only product. Developed by famous names from our demoscene (thank you, Aggression), these guys burnt the midnight oil to deliver a wicked twist on the Asteroids arcade genre. Not only does it play like the old favourite, but it features modern aesthetics for extra zest. So what's the background story?

In the 22nd century, humanity’s relentless push into the stars has inadvertently caused a dimensional tear. A malevolent, ancient consciousness called the Void has emerged, systematically unravelling the fabric of space-time. As the last remnants of our fleet are obliterated, the burden of survival falls upon - you!

Let's take a look at our war plan, which translates to "kill everything and don't die!"...

A clear and accurate war plan, I'm sure you'll agree? lol

Bam! Bam! Bam! Blast the rocks!

Our mission is to dive into the heart of this cosmic war, weaving through debris fields and pulverising the Void’s relentless attacks. With the laws of physics collapsing around you, this is a one-way trip into the abyss where only superior reflexes and a twitchy trigger finger stand between Earth and total erasure.

This war takes place in five levels, with each containing six missions. All are host to a variety of rocks along with the expected baddies. After each level is completed, you must travel through a wormhole-like tunnel onto the next part of the galaxy - like Buck Rogers!! These tunnels are filled to the brim with oncoming rocks for you to dodge or destroy - no easy task, but it's a thrilling moment that I never expected.

Bonus levels regularly appear and feel like a particular Thrust clone. They are optional, but you must be daft to ignore them. Of course, a game like this wouldn't feel right without End-Of-Level Bosses. Each mission has them, and these guys are tough! Much perseverance will be required during these romps.

It's time to stop reading and enjoy the pixels! Let's take a peep at a screenshot...

Check out these outstanding and colourful visuals!! Amazing stuff.

Enhanced gaming!!

Stardust is on another level with gritty, fast-paced gameplay. The basic mechanics are what you’d expect: asteroids, and it feels more or less the same. This is great as you can jump straight in and begin playing without that learning curve. Heck, it's all about dodging and shooting. Are you tough enough?

The controls are familiar: left and right will manoeuvre your spacecraft. Pushing upwards will thrust forwards into hell, and we have a shield that aids during those sticky moments. Finally, our ship's main weapon is more than capable of gratifying rock-blasting!! Nothing wrong here - all this is super-spacey-gun-fun!

This next screenshot does itself no justice. Seriously mind-blowing effects...

Buck Rogers' side event is absolutely exceptional. Impossible not to be impressed.

Enhanced Aesthetics

Stardust is utterly glorious. Everything is bold and colourful with stunningly smooth animations. The rocks are also something else, with jaw-dropping 3D renditions that look beautiful. Not only that, but the display is running in overscan!! It looks so HOT in overscan, which means lots of extra pixels to blast.

Equally impressive is the audio with thumping stereo tunes, accompanied by BAM!! BAM!! BAM!! DMA sound effects. This is one shooter that's gonna blow your socks off. If I can offer one piece of advice: crank up the volume!! Yes, I guarantee you will love everything Stardust delivers, so turn it up high.

This is one of the best-looking/sounding Atari STe games released. Let's have another screenshot...

Look out! Move quick and keep on firing - are your reactions good enough?

The CryptO'pinion?

A spectacular showcase of what the Atari STe is capable of when in the hands of talented people. These guys didn't rehash an old idea or produce a weak Amiga port. No, they unleashed a product that feels fresh and exciting. The effort put into the gameplay, visuals, and audio is far beyond praiseworthy.

Stardust is a joyride of rock-blasting thrills and a perfect shooter. One of the best games I've played.

Download for floppy or hard drive.