Stunt Car Racer

Cunning STunts

Stonish are having a fantastic year with tons of new additions to their database. I downloaded a few of these cracking menu disks (see what I did there?) and ended up playing through the goodies found on Supremacy #7: James Pond, a Steve Bak classic. Action Fighter, hey, this is good. The Mystic Well, one for geeks! But it was Stunt Car Racer that had me hooked. Well, it's a classic 16-bit racer that hasn't aged at all.

Back in the day, I remembered friends telling me about a new 3D racer by Geoff Crammond. It's a cunning mix of Evel Knievel and (a playable version of) Hard Drivin'. Some games age like a fine wine. This is one.

Let's take a peep at all the drivers. A weird bunch, although High Flyer looks cute...

Genius track design with incredibly cunning tricks and a motley crew to race against!

30 years later...

I booted up Stunt Car Racer and attempted a couple of practice laps, like it was 1989 again. To my surprise, I didn't crash or fall off the track!!! So I played another game and even participated in a league challenge, which I won. Now, I began gleaming with pride because this wasn't like me at all. Normally, I suck at all games. Yup, this success went straight to my head, and I started to get very excited - not easy at my age!

So I dared myself on and practised several different types of wicked tracks, with varying degrees of success. I'm being kind there: The Stepping Stones is a killer, which I think everybody should foolishly attempt, Kamikaze style. It's insane!! The Draw Bridge looks easy but has a nifty trick up its sleeve... I'll not spoil that. And The Big Ramp features a ginormous monster gap, which can only be jumped by going over 200mph. Are you fast enough? There might only be 8 tracks, but they are beauties, and this game proves itself a classic.

Wanna see some gameplay screenshots? Are you up for that? Of course, you are...

I love the way you are dropped in!

Now the fun begins against a blocky opponent.

I thought I was catching him up...

Sigh, I skidded into the dirt - only to watch him zoom away!

This is fun fun fun!!

Practice mode is great for learning the ropes and mastering those difficult parts of most tracks, but I found myself jumping straight into the league to compete against a computer-controlled opponent. These guys are well-balanced - the computer ain't no slouch, but nor is it Jimmie Johnson (ie, impossible to beat). Additionally, you can compete against friends and even hook up your ST to another glorious Atari computer. Or... maybe you have an Amiga friend to link up with? Nah, I didn't think so, but it is an option. ;)

Stunt Car Racer is controlled using the joystick: pushing up accelerates, whilst fire enables turbo boost for extra speed. Pulling down breaks (and can reverse), which comes in handy after falling off the tracks. Turning left or right isn't overly sensitive, but precise and natural, so comfortably realistic. Thus, instantly playable! Mastering the buggy's controls isn't tedious like other similar racers. In fact, it's rather rewarding.

Success will come because this game is playable! A trait often overlooked, and here I triumphed...

    
You win some, you lose some... Stick with it, and you'll be their hero (click 'em)

Aesthetics!

Graphically, this lacks the polished pizzazz of Lotus 2 or Crazy Cars 3. Thankfully, that is actually a good thing because the framerate doesn't suffer from unnecessary aesthetics. The graphics may look bland, but this simplicity is what keeps the action smooth. I'd rather have that any day compared to nicer aesthetics.

Sadly, the sounds aren't exactly the best I've heard from my ST: there are numerous effects, but that engine noise could have been better (I found myself turning the volume down). I'd love to see this improved with STe DMA effects just like we have in other games [subtle hint directed at Jamie, Jon, and Peter!!]

So, it looks & sounds weirdly acceptable, but moves like a dream! It's screenshot time...

This is always a cool glimpse at the next track, which I love.

In fact, I'd go as far as saying that these images are some of the best in the entire game ;)

The CryptO'pinion?

Stunt Car Racer is fast and furious with wonky tracks that are thrilling to race on, thanks to the spot-on perfect physics. Whether you choose to master the tricky stunts (in Practice mode) or jump straight into a league battle, I guarantee hours of fun. The stunt aspects are addictive, unlike Hard Drivin'. Mr Crammond delivered a truly wonderful racer, which is both incredibly exciting and bucket-loads of fun!!

This is one of the very best Atari ST racers and is worth nothing less than a glorious rating of 10/10.

I suggest you bob over to Atari Legend

and download this, plus many more ST goodies!!

Atari STe games [part two]

Making more use of the enhanced hardware

I'm sure you were expecting this video. I've put together a second recording that features even more Atari STe games from the Crypt archives. Once again, just a few seconds of each is shown, accompanied by the same groovy background tune by Tomchi. If you missed the first video, click here. Enjoy!!

---

Let's check 'em out...

• Uridium - Peter has performed his usual magic, transforming this clunky shooter into a beauty.
• Operation Garfield - I dare you not to laugh at this silly shoot 'em up!
• Zool - Good on the ST and even better on the STe. Different to Sonic and fun for a few hours.

  

• Giana Sisters - One of the best-enhanced games, 10x better than the original.
• Chronicles of Omega - More colours on the STf but smooth as silk on the STe and with DMA audio.
• Substation - Doom for the ST? Well, no, it's not, but it's still a BRILLIANT game.

  

• Stardust - Now we're talking, play this Asteroids and tell me it's not mind-blowing!!
• Heartland 2000 - An Easter Egg with legs, but look how smoooooth it runs!!
• Zero-5 - The STe goes Star Wars on us, and it's utterly superb. What a cracking game.

  

• Pac Mania - The original was good, but this blows it out of the water!!
• R-Type Deluxe - Good old Bod did us proud. I miss him and thank him for the pics.
• Team - I ain't a soccer fan, but check out this in overscan. Wow!!

  

• Sliders - Looks weird, scrolls like silk, but can you play it? One very odd game.
• Obsession - The best pinball game? Very possibly because this is a jaw-dropper, alright!

  

Atari STe games [part one]

Let's get ready to rumble!

I've put together a video recording of 14 Atari STe games. Of course, this isn't complete because there are more games. In the interest of keeping things short and sweet, my video shows a few seconds from each game. With a groovy background tune by Tomchi, which is just gorgeous! I hope you enjoy my humble presentation.

---

Come on, man! Get to the games...

• Bombaman - Everyone loves Bomberman, and this is a Christmas cracker we both loved.
• Escape 2042 - I bought this, and so should you. This is incredible. Frustratingly incredible :)
• Pacman On E's - The little yellow fella pops ecstasy pills for a furious take on the classic!

  

• Alien Blast - Skip by those old bugs to enjoy a tremendous Alien-infested shoot 'em up.
• Death Chase - Quite possibly the best STe game I've ever played. Pure gold, this one!
• Ultimate Arena - Punch like Chuck Norris and kick like Bruce Lee in this beat 'em up.

  

• Pole Position - A near arcade-perfect conversion of one of the best racers ever. It is superb.
• PouifOuf - Those graphics might look familiar, but the gameplay is furiously different - Wow!!
• Top Banana - This game is weird, but it's weirdly good.

  

• Crackman/Dealer - A different twist on the old pill popper and something you will instantly love.
• Whitewater Madness - Ignore the old demos, play the newly discovered full version - an AtariCrypt first!
• Roger - The STe shows us exactly what it's capable of, and Spot shines for a truly superb game.

  

• Jinks - Something my mind cannot fathom, and PP totally destroys that jerky STf original.
• R0X - Zoom through the heavens, scaping giant rocks, all for a massive arcade adrenaline rush!

  

Mole Mayhem

Monty Mole is back

Er, no. Mole Mayhem is a platformer by Croft Soft Software. The city of Moledonia is under attack from a dictator who intends to blow everyone to kingdom come. We are Philby, an agent working for the Moledonia Underground Intelligence Corporation, who must destroy all bombs before everything goes BOOM!!

Each screen has bombs that need to be neutralised, and there's usually a particular route through which you need to figure out. Also, look for hazards like electricity and hidden ledges - which you either can't see or might first appear as part of the background. Some levels have teleporters to blindly transport you to another area - so make sure you have that route planned!! Once all the bombs have exploded, you can exit.

Controls require precise timing for the wider gaps; otherwise, Philby falls to a bloody death. Humorously, falling short of that fatal threshold has him squeaking - to let us know how close he came to dying? Philby can jump upwards or sideways (depending on how he stands), and detonating a bomb is done by pushing up. This mole ain't daft, he will protect himself using his superhero cape as a shield of steel - Batfink style!

Graphically, there's little to write home about, but I like the humble appearance, which is functional and works well. Sound effects are played using the DMA for jumping, detonation, death, etc. Sadly, there's no background chip music, so it's more or less silent when not leaping about. I expected more from my Atari...

Mole Mayhem is simple and progressively challenging, but I ran out of lives before I could reach the later levels. Thankfully, it has that "just one more go" appeal, but I wanted a password system because it's frustrating having to restart from the beginning. An addictive platformer that I have thoroughly enjoyed!!

Oddly, there are few sites to download this from, but the mighty Demozoo has it safely archived.

   
Detonating bombs is easy when wearing a cape, but sometimes it can be a faff to reach them.

   
Some obstacles require good timing, and others take you where no man has gone before!

Hellgate

Wait, what? Is this DOOM?

Hellgate is a first-person shooter for the Atari ST/e created in 1997 by David Walters of Smartsoft. It's an impressive attempt to develop Doom using STOS. Of course, it'll take more than a humble 8MHz processor to deliver decent frame rates, especially given that a friend's 25MHz PC wasn't that good.

Wait a moment... Hold your horses, Marine!! Did I just say that Hellgate was developed using STOS?? That is something else!! Okay, don't get me wrong, this is a brilliant tool that has certainly proved itself more times than I care to mention; however, can it actually handle a 3D engine running at a decent framerate?

Please remember that this is shareware, and I have only found an 'unregistered demo' that may not reflect the completed product. This is also missing a few bits 'n' bobs like a rocket launcher and extra episodes. Sadly, after scouring the internet, I failed to find the registered version, so I'm praying the full game isn't lost!! Please, can anyone help to find the full release?

Enough of my boring blabbing (for now) because we have a couple of screenshots to view...

I like the iWatch menu. Apple, you need to learn from this!

A familiar screen after romping through the first level and successfully killing everything!

I'm getting a Doom vibe!!

The year is 2196, and we humans have somehow terraformed the ice giant Neptune. The planet's largest city is plagued with extremely high crime levels, so our mission is to investigate this. Now, I'm no military expert, but I think that means we grab a weapon and kill everything in sight. Well, I'm sold, so count me in!!

Firstly, we need identification, so enter your name into a simple but sweet screen. The audio is great, but I'll say no more to risk spoiling it (I thought it was cool). Next, there are three difficulty levels to choose from:

• Dead Easy: which the documentation hilariously says is for kids and your granny!
• Well 'Ard: which is kinda like an equivalent of Doom's "Hurt Me Plenty".
• Suicide: is for those with Godlike skills, but even the docs advise against this nightmare!

Pssst!! Hey, you... Do you fancy a couple more sexy screenshots of STOS Doom...

The pistol is good and does its job as something just to get you started.

Nothing compares to the shotgun. Just ask Doomguy, he'll tell ya!

Let's play...

Once you begin, everything feels familiar to ID's iconic shooter. The episode screen displays where you are in Neptune's city complex, and the in-game status bar shows health, armour, ammo, keys and even your ugly mug in the middle. Well, there's no shame in using a tried-and-trusted format? (I like it!!)

The controls are performed using the mouse: pushing upwards to walk forward, and pulling back on your chunky tank does the obvious. Left/right allows our marine to look around the city - unless holding the right button to strafe. The keyboard is used to flip between your weaponry and open doors.

Yup, you're stuck using the mouse, which is incredibly frustrating at times, especially during the first few games. Well, nothing is perfect, and it does work quite well, but I cannot help but wonder why David didn't implement the alternative WASD. Anyhow, the mouse only works well once you have practised.

Hardly a crushing blow, is it, but not ideal, so let's take a gander at some screenshots...

Look out for medkits, armour, and ammo to help fight off the hordes.

What? No zombie guys or imps? No, we have these blocky robotic dudes!

An honourable ripoff?

Fans of Wolfenstein 3D and Doom will instantly feel at home as we begin the mission with only a pistol. Our armoury can ultimately include a Shotgun, Minigun, Rifle, and Rocket Launcher. However, I never got to see the Rifle as I lost my bearings, which you can see at the end of my video recording (scroll back up).

That takes me onto the automap: there isn't one. As much as I tried hitting TAB - nothing!! Perhaps it was me, but I got lost and desperately needed to figure out where to go, especially while recording my video!

Look out for pickups to boost health/ammo, and there are hidden rooms just as in Doom and Wolfenstein! This is how I found the shotgun on the first level, a fantastic find! Also, some doors are locked and need a specific key to unlock. There is nothing shockingly new, but Hellgate's familiarity is no bad thing whatsoever.

Righto, let's not get sarky and just introduce two more flourishingly sexy screenshots. Ahem...

Keep an eye out for secret rooms, just like we did in ID's Doom and Wolfenstein.

Yep, that provided me with armour, health and the shotgun. What a find!!

486 Aesthetics?

Graphically, things are poor compared to Doom (which is understandable), but also compared to ST shooters like Wolfenstein, Destruction Imminent, and Substation. Everything looks crude, with a sluggish framerate and more than a few glitches. Interestingly, the robotic enemies are made from polygons, which is kinda cool and not what I was expecting. However, they are a bit thick, and I'd have preferred demonic bitmaps!

The sound effects are sparse, using fuzzy samples for firing, pickups, doors, etc/etc. The robotic enemies scream when dying - freaky but cool!! Sadly, there's no music for ST dudes, but STe owners can enjoy lovely Mad Max chiptunes alongside the effects. This actually works incredibly well and suits the mood and style.

Two more screenshots before the much-anticipated opinion that you're eager to read...

Two missing episodes lost? I hope we find the registered game one day :(

Here ends my game... the screen turns red, and I fall to the ground. DEAD!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Hellgate was interesting, but it's not as good as other FPS shooters for the Atari ST. A faster computer, like my Mega STe, compensated for the poor framerate but couldn't fix the wonky mechanics, bugs, or the psychic robots who always seemed to know my movements before I did. Ultimately, the mouse controls are the real problem, as the game desperately needs a keyboard. What a shame (needs hacking!!).

Hellgate is fun, but I doubt I'll return to it anytime soon. However, let's remember this is unfinished and developed by one guy using STOS, and that fact alone blows me away. All credit to David.

Download Hellgate and give it a playtest. Let me know what you think in the comments.

- Download Hellgate -