1632 ATARI podcaST

It's always nice to see someone doing something creative for the ST scene and here is Atari 8-bit legend, Wade with a new podcaST. Obviously, this is about the Atari ST and by a guy that didn't originally care for it. Interesting? Maybe, so let's check this out and his re-discovery of the best 16-bit retro computer! <clickety click>

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

An isometric DRIVER?

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

As a cop, it's our job to do the chasing but I didn't really click with that role. However, I always prefer to be a bad guy which is much better. After all, what's better than a car full of swag as you rush to flee the city limits? Gotta earn that freedom! At first, the controls feel a little flaky, but you will soon be rip-roaring around Chicago in no time.

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

Sadly, collision detection is often suspect and the car oddly bounces during a bump when going too fast. The cops are a little simple with naive AI that isn't exactly Einstein-level but good enough to give you a thrilling chase. If caught, you're presented with a rather dodgy-looking image of the scene... I shall say no more about this but you need to see it.

Initially, the in-game user interface is rather complex, and especially confusing if you choose to be the police. Why I've no idea! Anyhow, down the left are many icons - most of which I have no idea about! Along the bottom of the screen are two windows - the first is an overhead city map which displays the location of the fuzz. The other is a first-person view (from inside your car) and should help avoid crashing into law-abiding citizens. Well, in theory!

Bouncy, crashy, messy, funny... I don't care really because it's fun! 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 I personally found cumbersome and rather boring. So, that left me with the gangster role which is fantastic and tons of fun! Driving through the city, avoiding cars and 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, this could easily have been a fantastic venture into a life of crime. As it happens, we're just stuck in the Chicago maze frantically looking for an escape. However, racing away from the cops is always going to be a thrill and I enjoyed this a lot - so I ended up buying it. Dear nutters, this is an excellent game!

Visit Chicago - Driver & GTA style!

8bitchip has a hard drive installable version

Old Games Finder has all 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 stop me from 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

The Carebears made a game!

We are Kurgan, a magician who dresses like a weird-looking Santa! He must retrieve the lost magic from the lands of Damiran and battle all kinds of cutesy creatures over 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.

We all love a challenge, but this is ridiculous - the mechanics are so unforgiving and make everything a chore without any enjoyment. Just wait until you meet those jumping critters or the spiders, which are often annoyingly placed just off-screen, and will suddenly appear when you get close and zap away your precious energy. Did they playtest it?

Level one looks incredible but is also incredibly tough. However, I guess it does a neat job of introducing you to the game’s wicked mechanics. TBH, I struggled to complete it and only got to see the technical delights of the second stage by using a cheat. Sadly, this level is hampered by more unfair mechanics and therefore needs to be played over and over; if only we had more lives. Argh, I found myself unable to play for long, which infuriated me for a variety of reasons!!

I consider Enchanted Lands a showcase product. Developed by the legendary Carebears who show the world just what our 16-bit computer is capable of when in the hands of people who don't make excuses. The game is almost a demo designed specifically to show off the Atari ST. They just forgot the gameplay!

Do you want to see a screenshot? No? I understand. How about an animated GIF to enjoy 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 I booted up looked this gorgeous!! It really is like a playable demo with hundreds of beautiful colours on screen. The landscapes are stunning and are complemented by equally gorgeous sprites (they will cause all the headaches that a gamer dreads). A stunning game!!

TCB certainly can program! To a level most software companies can only dream of. Did I mention everything scrolls along at an eye-popping 50fps scrolling? Beautifully programmed with jaw-dropping visuals.

The Audio is every bit as impressive as the graphics. Musically, it is breathtaking with tunes (and sound effects) that are perfectly suited. My ears can find no faults with everything Mad Max produced. Magnificent tunes.

Look, this is our Shadow Of The Beast. A lovely showcase product, but not much gameplay...

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

The CryptO'pinion?

Enchanted Land looks and sounds perfect, but it's immensely tough and desperately demands using a trainer. Even then, you will spend aeons trying to master the game's cunning temperament. I personally think the difficulty level could sink the Titanic!! It's this overkill that spoils what could have been an outstanding platformer. Sigh.

These guys certainly knew their stuff. Technically, it's a masterpiece, but it's supposed to be a game and not a demo. And a game without much enjoyment, or an enjoyable challenge, isn't something I desire. I would definitely say this is our Shadow Of The Beast and something you load up to show friends. Look and listen, but don't expect much to actually play.

There are better platformers for the Atari ST, and I'm gutted to write that. Truly, I'm absolutely gutted.

8BitChip has a hard disk installable version.
The floppies can be found via Old Games Finder.

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!

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/