Big Nose The Caveman

Big hooter!

We are Big Nose, a fella from prehistoric times, when it was perfectly normal to live in cave squalor. However, once a year, he and his family strangely celebrate Thanksgiving, which means one thing: a yummy Pterodactyl roast dinner. Fortunately, one of these birds was just spotted flying by - now isn't that lucky? So this Jurassic journey takes you through dangerous dinosaur-infested lands looking for that tasty bird to kill, cook and eat with your fellow big-nosed family.

Code Masters released this humble platformer back in 1993, and it was programmed by Neil Hill. The game has us clubbing anything that looks likely to cause harm, plus lots of platform jumping and fighting lame end-of-level bosses. The controls are excellent and very responsive, plus I love the cartoon-like graphics with amazing sprites and decor. However, what I don't like are the bland backdrops, which desperately need a splash of rasters! Sound effects are sparse unless you jump or hit something, but thankfully, the title music is fantastic (what a shame it doesn't play during the game).

Big Nose is a budget platformer, so with that in mind, it feels a little cheap in places, and I'm sure the Atari ST could have done much better. Thankfully, the gameplay is superb and very addictive - it's this that matters the most. I'm sure you might complete this within a couple of hours, but that proves how playable it is. So why not kill a little time and play it?

Big Nose The Caveman is a bucketload of fun, and I think you will all enjoy it a bunch. Fantastic game.

Go on and grab the download of Big Nose the Caveman for floppy or hard drive.

Argh, a dinosaur!! What shall I do...?

Take that, you dino freak!!

Those snakes are pesky things but easy to kill.

The spiders are so cute and have a cunning edge to them too.

This is access to a secret place that allows you to skip through level one. Weird...

This is another secret place that grants you a brisk walk through the next level. Ugh, no thanks!

Chicago 90

DRIVER

Let's start by saying that I'm sure every kid played cops and robbers growing up. Now that we're grown-ups (aka BIG kids), we can do the same using our favourite retro computer. This is thanks to Microïds and their 1989 hit, Chicago 90, which allows us to drive the streets as either the good or bad guys. Easy choice, I say?

As a cop, it's our job to do the chasing, but that role didn't really click with me. It's more fun being the bad guys whenever you get the chance, and it's a good job too because being the bad guy in Chicago 90 is fantastic!! After all, what's better than a car full of swag as you rush to flee the city limits? Gotta earn that freedom!

That's enough reading for the moment, let's take a look at the first screenshot...

You could always be a good guy instead of running from the law? Yeah... that's what I thought!!

Read the flipping manual

Initially, the in-game user interface is rather complex and confusing, especially as a copper. It's a cumbersome design - down the left are many icons, most of which I have no idea what they mean. Also, at the bottom of the screen are two windows; the first is an overhead city map displaying the location of the fuzz. The other is a first-person view that should help avoid crashing into law-abiding citizens. Well, in theory!

So, ignoring the complexity of being a copper, let's be a baddie! This is a game of escape. Ie, can you escape the city and break free of their jurisdiction? The cops chasing are a little daft, with naive AI that isn't exactly Einstein-level, but good enough for a chase. If caught, you're presented with a rather dodgy-looking image representing the scene. I shall say no more about this, but you need to see it for yourself.

At first, the controls feel a little flaky, but after a few practice games, you will be ripping around Chicago in no time. Sadly, collision detection is often suspect, and hitting the landscape causes the car to oddly bounce during that bump. That's not a big deal, really, and certainly adds a dollop of silliness to the chase, without stopping you dead in your tracks. This is brilliant, so the game's momentum isn't halted, nor the fun!

Bouncy, crashy, messy, funny... I don't care! So let's see another screenshot...

Success!! We've finally found the way out of this urban jungle. Now, HIT IT!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Chicago 90's downfall is its weak Police role, which is cumbersome and rather boring. So, that left me with the gangster role, which thankfully, is tons of fun! Driving through the city, running from the cops, is surely an early glimpse into an early GTA experience? It's pretty much fantastic, and I've loved every second.

With a little thought for gameplay objectives and a better UI, this could have been a fantastic venture into a life of crime prevention. As it happens, the cops suck, so we're stuck playing the bad guys, and the only objective is to escape the Chicago maze. Regardless, racing from the cops is always going to be a thrill.

All things considered, I really enjoyed this, so I ended up buying it. A superb game!

Visit Chicago - Driver & GTA style!

8bitchip has a hard drive installable version

Atari Legend has the floppy disks!

Atari Greenlog now has a cool gameplay video.

Dungeon Master

I needed a picture of the Dungeon Master maps, so I created this image to help me to stop getting lost. (right-click the image to open in a new tab - the file is huge!!). Also, I have zipped up an Atari ST folder which contains lots of files plus help and information concerning spells, etc... Clickety click to download it :-)

Also, it's worth taking a peep at issue six of ST Action (I loved that magazine!!) because they featured a fantastic five-page Dungeon Master guide. This can be viewed over on AtariMania.

The Chronicles Of Omega

A game for both Atari STs

Chronicles of Omega was released by ARC/Atari in 1990 and is probably the first commercial game to support the enhanced Atari STe, by making use of the hardware scrolling and DMA Audio. But that doesn't mean the STfm has been forgotten because this displays gorgeous rasters for the sky, which aren't possible on the STe when using hardware scrolling. So each machine has something rather cool up its sleeve!

The lands of Omega were peaceful until the day came when a demon captured all of the children from the village. Play as either Alwin or Irma and battle your way through five evil-infested lands, killing everything in your wake, and defeating Demon Champions (aka bosses). Ultimately, be the hero and save the day!

Here's a handy map of Omega, which I must admit looks like a lovely place to visit...

This map plots Alwin and Irma's journey through the lands of Omega.

Shoot, Shop and Kill

This is a cute platformer with interesting levels that aren't overly large and filled with many ghouls. Walking from left to right, you'll encounter different monsters along your journey, and they're all stuffed with cash. Kill as many as you can and collect their loot, which can be used to purchase power-ups in the Good Witch's shop.

There's always someone willing to cash in on any noble crusade. Well, she pops up during each level to tempt you with her wares. Prices aren't cheap, so you should try to kill as many monsters as possible instead of running scared. Annoyingly, all purchased power-ups are lost after losing a life, which sucks! End-of-level guardians are rather lame and easily defeated, even though they can materialise right where you're standing!

First impressions? This is one of those moments when I can see the potential which wasn't taken advantage of in some respects. There are so many awesome ideas (and some ripped) but this is essentially a decent platformer. With a little fine-tuning, Arc could have had something special on their hands.

The Atari ST has more background colours and gorgeous chip music!

Aesthetics?

So let's look at the graphics and audio, which are different depending on which ST you use...

Visually, Chronicles of Omega is a treat with lovely characters and lush landscapes. Both are rich in colour, and the Atari STe gets to use its hardware scrolling for a smooth 50fps. The older ST hasn't been forgotten, and what it lacks in framerate is compensated for by extra background colours. However, the Atari STe wins by far.

For the audio, both computers take advantage of their strengths: the Atari STe uses DMA samples for the music and sound effects. The older ST uses its YM2149 for stunning chipmusic, which I must say is a million times better than what the STe pumps out. This is too easy; the older Atari ST wins the audio battle hands down.

My opinion? I'd dump the ST in a flash with its fancy rasters for the STe's ultra-smooth hardware scrolling. However, the ST wins the audio battle because Steve Barrett excelled with the quality of his chiptunes over the blurry STe sounds. We all know the Atari STe is capable of better and ARC should have given STe gamers the option to chose between chip or DMA. That would have been perfect.

The Atari STe lacks the background colours but runs at a silky-smooth 50fps.

The CryptO'pinion?

I must admit to being disappointed by this enigma. It plays the same on both models of Atari ST, but is spoiled by the magic wand's mechanics. This is due to its inability to fire more than twice at any given moment, which means walk...shoot...walk...shoot. If you forget, then you're left defenceless in tight situations.

I pushed myself through the fluffy-control pain barrier and (shockingly) found myself enjoying this quirky game. In fact, I managed to reach the final level, and I was genuinely having fun, albeit with the awkward firing. Kudos to ARC for making use of the Atari STe, which certainly makes me wonder why later platformers didn't.

Whatever you're thinking, this isn't a terrible game. Not in the slightest; definitely worth playing!! Okay, there are better platformers for the Atari ST, but give it a shot, and let me know what you think in the comments.

Downloads are available for hard drive & floppy.

Enchanted Land

Not a review, but a moan!

We are Kurgan, a magician who dresses like a weird Santa! He must retrieve the lost magic from the lands of Damiran and battle cutesy creatures in five levels to restore things to how they were. However, this is one of the hardest platformers I have ever played, and it's how the game ultimately fails, but let's continue on.

Level one is incredible, but incredibly tough. It effectively introduces you to the game’s wicked mechanics. Frankly, I struggled to complete it and only managed to see the technical delights of the second stage using a cheat. Unfortunately, each level suffers from unfair mechanics and requires repeated play. If only we had more lives! I found myself unable to play for long, which infuriated me for various reasons.

Enchanted Lands is a showcase product, developed by the legendary Carebears.  It demonstrates the capabilities of our 16-bit computer when handled by those who don’t make excuses. Essentially, it’s a demo designed specifically for the Atari ST, but unfortunately, it lacks actual gameplay (it's our Amiga SOTB).

We all relish a challenge, but this is ridiculous. The mechanics are so unforgiving, turning everything into a chore devoid of enjoyment. Just wait until you encounter those jumping critters or the spiders. Often annoyingly placed just off-screen, they suddenly appear when you get close, draining your precious energy.

Let's see an animated GIF of the lush visuals...

Well, the immense talent that went into the game's development is astounding!

Aesthetics

Visually, this platformer is a Christmas cracker, and I wish every game looked this gorgeous!! It really is like a playable demo running at 50fps with hundreds of beautiful colours. The landscapes are stunning and are complemented by equally gorgeous sprites (they’ll cause all the headaches a gamer dreads).

The audio is every bit as impressive as the graphics. Musically, it’s breathtaking with a range of outstanding chiptunes and lovely sound effects. Mad Max’s music is flawless. Magnificent tunes.

Look, this is our Shadow Of The Beast, so let's see another screenshot...

Let's hop from cloud to cloud, looking for more deadly places to die!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Enchanted Land looks & sounds perfect, but it's incredibly difficult and requires a trainer. Even then, mastering its tricky nature will take ages. I think the difficulty level could sink the Titanic, and that ruins what could have been an exceptional platformer. Technically, it’s a masterpiece, but it’s meant to be a game, not a demo.

I’d definitely consider this our Shadow Of The Beast and something to show friends: look and listen, but don’t expect to actually play it. Harsh, I know, but there are better platformers for the Atari ST.

8BitChip has a hard disk version.
The floppy is over at Atari Legend.

Okay, it's time to cheat your way through this cruel platformer:

On the title screen, type in, "TCB RULES FOREVER"
The screen will flash...

Now you can press keys 1 - 5 to pick a different level.

Also, pressing F2 - F10 for lots of different effects. Enjoy!

See that spider; beware of him. That's all I'll say.

Don't you dare fall into that well.

As you jump, that little critter jumps too, so watch out for that!

That's it, I'm done. And dead lol

Sokoban

Never judge a book...

I love hearing about new games in development for our handsome Atari ST, and today I found out about a brand new Sokoban puzzler. It's written by Peter Lane and is a GEM-based program, so it will work on every model of computer. It features 50 levels, a scale-adjustable display, and options for tons of extra levels.

I've enjoyed taxing my old brain cells with this puzzler. Highly recommended for fans!!

• Download via Atarimania https://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-st-sokoban_30652.html
• Demozoo has the credits & links https://demozoo.org/productions/158370/

Bod

It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of Stephen Jones, aka Bod. More recently, he was the gentleman behind the Atari STe game R-Type Deluxe, an eagerly anticipated upgrade to an already ace game, and was highly regarded as the biggest STe project for years. He demonstrated to the entire retro gaming world just what this machine was capable of - when in the hands of someone with talent and commitment.

I talked with him quite a lot; he kindly supplied screenshots of his progress. I was excited to feature them on my little-known website. Kindness, I shall never forget. Also, his commitment to the Atari ST scene is fully featured on Demozoo where you can view his Fuji portfolio. It's extremely impressive, to say the least.

A great loss.

Prayers and my condolences to his family and friends at this time †