EasyAraMiNT

Putting old hardware to good use

Aranym is a piece of software by Petr Stehlik to create a virtual Atari computer capable of running GEM software at lightning speeds. Most find Aranym rather awkward to set up from scratch, so a fella called Philippe Noble has developed something called EasyAraMint. This is a "ready-to-go" installation using EasyMint 1.18, which provides an incredible multitasking environment using the power of the host, be that a Mac or PC.

As you can see in my "expertly recorded" video, I'm using an old Mac Mini that was donated to me (thanks Mum!). My video shows me using unix 'scp', viewing images/PDF, listen to tunes, and playing Doom before ending with web browsing. Yes, this is as geeky as it gets. Love it!! :-)

EasyAraMint can be installed in minutes. It also comes pre-installed with many Atari programs. Philippe has done an outstanding job with this ready-to-go multitasking OS. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

Aranym and EasyAraMiNT can be downloaded and tinkered with, so let me know what you create!

I accessed another Mac via FTP and chatted online with a friend. What a geek!!



The command line might not look much fun, so I jazzed up my screen with PixArt...

Not all websites display perfectly, but what do you expect for free? :o)



Why not read a PDF document and listen to some background tunes too!

Jug

Big Jugs

This is a scrolling shooter by one of my favourite companies, Microdeal. It's set in the future, and we are tasked to save Spiraeus, a living planet suffering from a nasty tumour that urgently needs to be eliminated. However, the autoimmune system thinks you're a threat, so it unleashes its defences, intent on your demise!!

This sounds really silly, but stick with me because Jug was programmed by Paul Hunter (Armour-Geddon) and is no lazy Amiga port. In fact, quite the opposite and certainly pushes our old STFM to the limit in terms of the visuals. Playing Jug is a strange and frantic affair, as it combines elements from games like Blood Money, Droid, and Return To Genesis. Sometimes combinations like this fail, and sometimes they work.

Check out this screenshot...

Some eye candy is ghastly, whereas others are great examples of beautiful pixel art.

One smooth shooter

Our ship can move left and right and even fly, but this is affected by gravity like in Alien World and requires fuel top-ups. The controls are responsive, but the movements are a bit sluggish, making it hard to dodge the nasties without depleting precious energy. The action is relentless with baddies constantly zipping across the screen in waves of attack; it’s a frantic, never-ending hell. If you crave excitement, you've got it!

However, they aren't the brightest bulbs and appear to move/shoot blindly with little AI, thus it's like they aren't aware of our presence. Weaponry is an upgradeable mixed bag; however, the plasma gun is mounted far too low to be fully effective. How did that happen? Anyhow, replacing that with a laser cannon is lots of fun!!

Playing Jug is never dull, because the action is near-constant and challenging. It will take practice to beat, as the map layout is quite confusing. The enemies increase gameplay to a crazy pace, and this makes the whole journey thrilling. Or at least try to - this is a tough game that will eat away your spare hours.

Well, I'm sick of typing and wanna show off a screenshot...

Look out for teleporters... And when death comes, it's pretty demoscene-y. Which I love!

Aesthetics

The best thing about Jug isn't its humorous name (based on the ship's barrel-chested assets!!) but its visuals, gorgeously designed by Martin Kenwright. It boasts ultra-smooth parallax scrolling with a metallic palette - so you should use a real Atari ST to fully appreciate the graphics breezing across your screen.

The music is a masterpiece by Paul Shields, so leave the main menu be, to enjoy its chiptune. In comparison, the sound effects are overshadowed, but they do their job well enough compared to the stunning music.

Let's see a screenshot of my successful gaming skill...

Arghh, not again? Is it me? Am I actually this bad at games? How could this be? O_o

The CryptO'pinion?

Jug has all the makings of a brilliant shoot 'em up, but some strange mechanics dampened my enthusiasm. Instead, I recommend any of the above-mentioned games along with Uridium, Cybernoid, or Sideways!! The difficulty is overwhelming thanks to a confusing map and the constant enemy onslaught.

Technically superb, but I'm on the fence because it's left me with mixed feelings. Plus, the need to use a trainer. Or am I wrong?? What do you guys think about this game? Well, let me know in the comments.

If you have a hard drive or Ultrasatan, then grab this superb download.

Floppy disk addicts can find Jug on the Atari Legend website.

Finally, and untested by me, here is how to get infinite energy and extra lives:
 Press and hold down the ESC key on the title screen and then use the mouse to click on the right-hand edge of the screen. This should help the game be a little more achievable. You'll need it!!

ZombieCrypt

I've made a horror slideshow!

A few months ago, I conceived the idea of a slideshow based on a zombie or horror theme. I love George A. Romero and movies like Evil Dead and Resident Evil. Not to mention Milla Jovovich!!

I used Imagecopy 4 to convert several JPGs from various movies, but that's where my artistic skills ended! So I asked a few friends if they'd like to donate some gruesome pics of their own. My thanks to the boys listed below for their images and Peter Jørgensen for his awesome slideshow. This program removes the lower border for a cool scroller, plays fantastic YMT music, and can be launched from a floppy or hard drive.

I've enjoyed working on this project, and I hope you ST nutters download it. Let me know :^)

- The Credits -

Production ideas and childishly drawn images are by Meeeee!! :D

Artistic skills: Stuart Johns / Peter Jørgensen / Karim Mezaouri / Aurélien Vaillant

Also, credit to the "unknown" for the images I nabbed off the web!

Slideshow programmed by Peter Jørgensen.

Addams Family theme tune by Vic Wizzy (converted Peter)

- Sample Slideshow Pics -

Hoog

Prepare thyself!

The Atari ST is a computer with a huge public domain library, be it games, programs, utilities, etc. Our archive proves how popular the ST was for both users and creative folk with the talent to code and create art or music. This is what I love about the Atari ST and something I've yet to "feel" from a modern computer.

Believe it or not, Hoog is a shareware platformer released in 1994 by MP Lord - yes, he of Droid fame. It's incredible to look at and feels similar to Creatures but with more of a puzzle theme. Some elements reminded me of Sleepwalker and Lemmings, but whether or not that's a good thing I'll leave you to decide.

That's enough reading for the moment! How about some sexy screenshots to whet your appetite...

Using the balloons, we can float upwards to access places otherwise impossible to reach.

A bundle of stars and a cheeky grin make this platformer something extra special!

Aww, little baby Hoogs!

The objective is simple - rescue baby Hoogs that are trapped inside cages! Sounds so cruel? Yes, it is, and they're trapped, innocently waiting for us to free them. However, these little kiddies are darn stupid and, when released, will blindly wander off through their dangerous new world - and die!! They can get trapped, drown, or fry in burning flames. There's a lot of strategic thought needed when guiding these little babies home.

Hoog himself can walk, jump, and chuck bombs at his foes. However, he's only a short, stubby fella, so he cannot do much without the help of his environment, like helium-filled balloons that offer a chance to reach inaccessible areas. There are various other mechanics to aid; look for springs to bounce high into the air, switches that unlock hidden ledges, and special gateways that transport Hoog long distances in the blink of an eye.

This is a game that is easy to pick up and play. The controls are responsive, without lag or finicky irritations. You're not thrown in at the deep end and gradually taught how to get the best from your environment to save the babies. I was impressed with how each level becomes steadily and progressively harder. I personally get that warm, fuzzy feeling playing this game because a lot of thought went into its creation!

Fancy some more colourful screenshots? I know, I know, of course, you do so here ya' go...

There's that cute, happy face again! How can you not love the graphics :)

Things are hotting up now! Not only the difficulty, but those flames will cook a baby hoog!

Amateur homebrew aesthetics?

Visually, this must be one of the most impressive "PD" games I have ever seen. The entire artwork is astounding and way beyond anything else that I can think of from the ST's homebrew scene. Each level features landscapes of stunning beauty, and I truly do mean stunning. Miles has made lovely use of colour because everything is so bright and cheerful. It's unbelievable, and I recommend sunglasses before you play!

That's not all, the sprites are stunning and even have a Bitmap feel. Animations are lovely with neat attention to detail - like when Hoog smiles during a jump. He even wiggles his bum in flight. Finally, I cannot end without mentioning the smooth parallax scrolling. This is a commercial game, right? What, no, you say?!!

The audio is a treat, proving chiptunes will last forever compared to most tracker tunes. Sadly, there's only one in-game tune, so it gets tiresome after a while. Don't get me wrong, it's a good tune your YM2149 is knocking out, but we needed more. However, I love what we have, and I cannot get it out of my head lol.

Hoog screenshots are great, but we have to end sometime. So here are the final two screenshots...

Use the ledges, but hang on a minute, I see two cute critters below that appear asleep.

When everything is peachy, and fire can't harm him. I'm too cute to burn........... honest!!! <evil grin>

The CryptO'pinion?

Hoog is something rather special, but it isn't easy. It will take practice to figure out the most efficient way to solve the puzzle of rescuing babies. Well, unless you enjoy watching cute critters drown or burn? Perhaps you do? Or is it just me lol? Anyhow, whatever your sadistic preference, this is an utterly superb platformer. It will keep you occupied for many hours with its humorously challenging, addictive gameplay.

Once again, Miles Lord has released a wonderful game that humiliates many commercial companies that rushed through sloppy Amiga ports. This proves what the Atari ST is capable of in the hands of talent; it's a magnificent example of great coding. Hoog is a mind-blowing platformer and one of my favourite ST games!!

- DOWNLOAD HOOG -

Starburst

Let's blow up EVERYTHING!!

Starburst is a shareware game by Chris Skellern that grants us a gratifying opportunity to blow stuff up. In fact, we can blow up everything - and I really do mean everything!! This space-shoot 'em up is based on an old Sinclair QL game, which is pretty cool when you think about it. The objective is to travel the screens to find six power bases and decimate them before attempting the ultimate goal of killing the super brain.

That sounds amazing, right? Pilot your spaceship through lots of rocky caverns, destroying everything that you come across. And, when I say everything, I really do mean everything, so have yourself some fun!! Directional firing is available using the keypad, which I've demonstrated below with a simple animated GIF.

Aesthetically, this game isn't going to blow your mind with its boring 8-bit visuals. However, that's the era I grew up in, so I don't need fancy graphics to enjoy myself. In fact, Starburst reminds me of Harrier Attack - remember that one? The chip music is superb, with in-game sampled sound effects that aren't all that bad.

Starburst is dead simple and explosive fun, so stop thinking and destroy everything. Yes, everything!!

Atari ST games

      

      

A one-floppy compilation

How many Atari ST games can you fit onto a single floppy disk? Well, Peter Putnik has already provided us with the answer: a whopping twenty-three games!! These are heavily compressed on one bog-standard double-density floppy disk. However, a hefty size reduction comes with appropriate decompression times!

There are many classics: Arkanoid, Robotron, The Sentinel, Asteroids, Virus, Tempest, Head Over Heels, Pengy, Jet Set Willy, Crystal Castles, Major Motion, Moon Patrol, Joust, and tons more!! (use the search at the top)

What, you don't believe me? Then you should clickety-click right now and grab the download.

Narco Police

Drugs... Guns... Violence!

I've always had a soft spot for Dinamic. It might be because they were one of those companies releasing games during my twilight ZX Spectrum years, just before playing their Atari ST games. Along with games like Army Moves, they went on to make some belters, one of which is their 1991 hit shooter Narco Police.

In the future... or rather... back in 2003, most of us were apparently heavily dependent on hardcore drugs, and this addiction made the dealers rich and powerful. Actually, I'm now getting a whiff of the recent scamdemic! Anyhow, the various nations of the world all got together to form an elite anti-drug unit: The A-Team. No, I meant NARCO POLICE who have been trained to rid this filth from existence. Yeah!!

Three Narco units are deployed to infiltrate the drug lord's hive located on a remote island off Colombia. It won't be easy because they have invested in security, including marines and combat soldiers. You start with the 'option' of choosing your team's equipment and weaponry. Also, a map of the island allows you to view the landscape and choose the best entrance into its network of underground tunnels. Dare you enter?

Of course, you do, so let's take a look at some earlier screenshots...

Don't forget to visit the armoury before heading out into no-man's land!

There's little to plan, but at least we get to tunnel in like killer worm cops!

Walk... Shoot... Kill

In the tunnels, we encounter henchmen, security systems, and artillery. As we venture deeper, the enemy will surprise us by jumping out from hidden sidewalls or falling down from the ceiling to ambush us. Use the joystick to direct gunfire at their location and unleash an onslaught of revenge!! Controls can take a little getting used to with movement feeling inelegant, but you will get used to dodging grenades in no time.

Other defences cannot be destroyed easily and require a tactical approach. (It's now that you realise your team needed the correct equipment). A terminal is available to enter basic control commands, such as 'C' (which stands for 'chopper'), to display information about your teams. The 'K' command restores vitality. The 'M1' command is entertaining in sticky situations! A command list can be displayed using 'DIR'.

Don't be fooled into thinking this is a simple shooter; hold fire and blindly kill everything? Far from it, and you will need to practice to make any kind of progress. After a few games, I found the controls great, which helped me make headway deeper into the game. Very rewarding, but reading the manual is essential O_o

Is this too demanding for a 16-bit computer to handle? Think again...

Tell me you're not impressed by this floppy disk-based computer from 1985!!!

Aesthetics, long before Doom!

Visually, this is gorgeous, with captivating locations and huge enemy sprites using great animation. Our soldier is stunning as we patrol the corridors - even with our suspect limp. It's not all perfect, as some soldiers almost look like cardboard cutouts waiting to be shot. Other soldiers roll across your screen in slo-mo!

I've always had a passion for 3D shooters (especially the first-person variety) and, even though this is third-person, it's one I have enjoyed since the 90s. Narco Police actually uses a pseudo-3D engine that pushes our 8MHz CPU by using clipped graphics that increase as you walk, giving the illusion of movement. I remember drooling over my ST's keyboard the first time I got to see this in action!

The audio is fantastic with a stomping theme tune for an 80s retro-styled title screen. All in-game sound effects are made from impressive samples; however, it's odd to walk without hearing the sound of my footsteps. Maybe I'm being picky, and perhaps our hero is just too stealthy for his own good!!

This game looks and sounds brilliant, so, erm, here are a couple more screenshots...

Hands up who would love a job as a Narco Policeman? No, me neither! lol

The perspective used in this game is impressive, but that doesn't stop me from dying!

The CryptO'pinion?

This is a Christmas Cracker stuffed full of mayhem to get the blood flowing - all over the walls, usually! Who doesn't enjoy killing henchmen and repetitive tunnel exploration? Sadly, Dinamic made yet another ludicrously tough game. Perhaps too tough? Maybe the Spanish are ultra-hardcore gamers, but I need a trainer!

Having said that, I'm always drawn back into the tunnels, time & time again, because Narco Police is a seriously addictive shooter. Sure, it's always predictable, but in a good way. Even though it's insanely tough, I cannot help but recommend it to those who love guns, loud explosions and plenty of killing.

A fistful of fun, and I love it. It's tough, but this is an excellent shooter!!

Narco Police floppies & hard drive.