Super Stario Land

Hang on, is this Mario on the ST?

I was recently talking to a good friend who loves the NES game, Super Mario Brothers. However, this is something I've not played because I had the ZX Spectrum before moving up to the glorious Atari ST. He swore at me saying it was the best platformer ever made and other nonsense like - I didn't know what I was missing. Thankfully, he has now been sectioned but his silly opinion got me thinking about Super Stario Land which is (cough...cough) similar.

I remember playing this platformer a few years ago but struggled to progress very far. So, I decided to give it another bash over the weekend and shockingly, my skills had not improved!! So I rebooted my ST after only a few games to enable the trainer option which I hoped would compensate for my poor reactions. In fact, I had the bold intention to record a "longplay" but those darn flying fish put a frustrating end to that idea, which was so disappointing!

Why is it I'm always so bad with every game I love? Anyhow, let's crack on with a couple of screenshots...

Stario left the house without a weapon? What a fool...



Now he's gotta squish the nasties using his boots!

A platformer without a gun?

Released in 1995 by Top Byte Software, this ranks as one of the last commercial games released for our beloved Atari ST. For those living on another planet for the last couple of decades, Super Stario Land is basically a shameless Mario ripoff - it doesn't even try to hide that fact at all. It was programmed by Adrian Keylock who did an excellent job considering no enhanced hardware was used. Yup, it's as smooth as silk on any Atari ST computer.

Stario can walk, run (hold the fire button) and jump over his blocky 2D landscape. Many of these blocks can be nudged for extra points and sometimes a weird bonus - I love the one that makes you grow twice the size/strength and I will never refuse that much-needed 1UP bonus. The levels are populated by lots of cute critters that can be killed by stomping on their heads, although some require a double jump whilst others are immune. Very original, isn't it?

Your environment is very much a "Mario" clone using the expected bric-a-brac with tube-like structures, water, moving platforms and much more. Everything was intended to feel this "familiar", but what interested me was the levels themselves which follow a particular design using randomly generated stages for larger levels. Sadly, this design will often backfire for a weird Deja Vu feeling as you explore the same bit of landscape... more than once.

Hey, I shouldn't moan because that feature provides a unique game so let's see more screenshots...

Watch out for falling rocks!!



Every critter is so cute and detailed, even the evil flying fish!!

How does it look, sound and play?

The graphics are designed by none other than Richard Davey, of the legendary LGD and kind supporter of AtariCrypt. He's certainly taken the time to get that console look just right - everything from the blocks, the landscapes, and those incredibly detailed sprites. Plus, the baddies are really cute, it's almost a shame to squash 'em. Well, almost lol.

Audio can be flipped between the default sound effects and chip music by simply pressing F9 key. The effects are quite good but there's not enough going on so you're left feeling empty and wanting far more pizazz from your old ST. Thankfully, nothing compares to the gorgeous Big Alec tunes which are beautiful. So that's an easy choice!!

The joystick controls are excellent and incredibly responsive without any lag. However, having said that you should get in a few practice games - to master the enormous level of inertia. I wish I had a pound for every time I slid off the edge of a moving platform to my doom! After a few plays, things will soon become second nature.

It's screenshot time but these are for all those ST nutters in Australia. Don't believe me? Check 'em out...

Enter 'australia' into the high score table and you get a rather unexpected bonus game!!



This is freaky and quite impossible to play but hilarious at the same time.

The CryptO'pinion?

No game is perfect and Super Stario Land has a few niggles which disappoint. For me, those flying fish are the worst because they appear to follow unpredictable patterns so they are really annoying (ie, deadly). Getting by them is impossible to judge correctly so it feels like pure luck IF you manage to make it through. Which is a bit rubbish!

Having said that, this platformer is a blast and certainly ranks as one of the best for the ST. However, I'm unsure just HOW to recommend it because if you're a fan of the NES game then you'll probably hate what is a shameless ripoff. Others may not approve of its old 8-bit style compared to traditional 16-bitters like Rolling Ronny, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, etc/etc.

Stario is authentically Mario in many aspects which is great for a 1985 computer without the necessary enhanced hardware. It feels original, scrolls great, sounds great, and the controls are simply divine. Overall, I cannot recommend Super Stario enough because it's blummin' great and infuriatingly addictive so enjoy what is nothing short of excellence!!

Super Stario The Mario Wannabe

can be run from floppy or your hard drive.

Fuji Boink ASCII

Always read the documentation!

I really enjoy digging through the ST's deep archives to see what forgotten goodies I can find and here is one of the best I've ever seen. It's called Fuji Boink ASCII and deceivingly appears to be nothing but a humble text file. Sadly, I've no idea who to credit for this piece of GFA Basic wizardry, but what I do know is that it's absolutely brilliant and definitely not what I expected to "read" after double-clicking the icon.

I love finding stuff like this!!

Color Clash

To compensate for the lack of sounds, I decided to add a background tune - by The Phantom.

ZX Spectrum colour clash?

No, Colour Clash is a puzzler released in 1992 by AnimalSoft and stars Antonius the chameleon who has been captured by a mad scientist. Yup, there is usually some crazy fool trying to rule our world and this one has decided to force a chameleon to complete a maze. The task? To find dead flies - and eat them.

The first room is easy to demonstrate the basic mechanics whilst giving a feel of how to control Antonius. Here we learn that he can jump but can only eat the flies from a horizontal direction. Also, there are always nasties to avoid which can cause our critter to explode into pieces with a touch. Ouch, this game is so unique!

You'll need to stop and think a lot so check out a couple of screenshots for an idea of what to expect...

(top) I found it easy. But (lower) is something that had me stumped for a *long* time... sigh!

My brain hurts!

It's not until the later levels that you realise we can gain a few extra abilities to help us out. These are enabled by collecting coloured cards that not only change our chameleon's appearance but also activate a new ability:

* Red allows us to reach high places by inflating ourselves like a balloon!
* Green is pretty cool because we can now use our tail as a weapon.
* Blue gives us a long and sticky tongue which is great for moving objects.
* Yellow turns us back to our default colour and we can also jump.

Figuring out how each room can be completed is taxing on the old brain cells. This kind of game will catch you out about planning the best route - and how best to use your special abilities. After all, any card can only be collected (and used) only once. This means that whenever you return back to default, you cannot switch to another colour unless there is a card to collect. Thankfully, there is no time limit!!

Colour Clash has a password feature - so blow on a trumpet whilst dancing naked in the streets!! This is a fabulous addition and something I wish more games had as it makes your progression far more achievable. No longer will you need to restart from scratch each and every time. Well done AnimalSoft, top marks.

Fancy another couple of screenshots. Of course, you do so here you go...

(top) is easy and so obvious! But (lower) is the dreaded level 11 which has me stumped!!

Input & Output

The joystick controls are dead simple to move Antonius and the fire button performs a leap (or a special ability). Pushing upwards will pause the game where you can also access the menu bar which provides three choices: DEF means default and will turn Antonius back to his default colour of yellow. NOT will do nothing and return you to the game. KIL explodes our loveable chameleon if ever you need to restart.

Aesthetically, we have a basic appearance with little audio. That may seem naff to some, but no game needs spanky visuals to be enjoyable (especially a puzzler). However, having said that, and in true AnimalSoft tradition, the sprites are gorgeous - cute and beautifully drawn. However, I do wish there was a background tune.

It looks like an Amstrad game (with superb sprites) but I'll dump more screenshots on you...

(top) is so frustratingly obvious, but (lower) is tricky and requires serious thought.

The CryptO'pinion?

I've enjoyed this brain-blaster and that's not something I often say about a puzzler thanks to my short temper! As I write, I still cannot beat level 11, which has me stumped!! However, the game loses none of its appeal during these moments. Each day I've found myself staring at my monitor - baffled but optimistic.

A torturous puzzler and one I thoroughly recommend, even if they spelt colour clash incorrectly :^)

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A shout out to one of our kind Patreons who suggested I play something by AnimalSoft. Richard Davey, you were absolutely right about AnimalSoft and their cunning puzzler!!

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My Level Codes

Level 1  - Starring

Level 2  - Antonius

Level 3  - Coloring

Level 4  - Rainbows

Level 5  - Bestowed

Level 6  - With The

Level 7  - Enormous

Level 8  - Quest Of

Level 9  - Escaping

Level 10 - From The

Level 11 - EvilOnes
Level 12 - ????????

Update

See the comments for every level code (credit Pelle).
This image of all 36 levels was donated by Richard Davey.

A massive /|\ thank you to both guys!! :-)

Ironman Challenge III

Running The Gauntlet!

A couple of years ago, I asked Mike (The New Retro Show) to play Atari ST games. An alternative selection that I knew would push this bloke to his limits. It was fun watching him endure Fire And Brimstone!!

Two years is long enough, so I challenged him to an "Ironman" video which he agreed to! I picked games from the PD/Shareware scene, four platformers and three conversions of arcade classics: Clod Hopper, Crapman, Frogger, Hector vs The Mutant Vampire Tomatoes From Hell, Hoog, Space Monsters and Winglord.

Watch the video of Mike torturing himself playing these games!

My thanks to Mike for taking on the challenge. Oh, and this video is actually an early screening just for Atari ST gamers and it will not be made public until this Wednesday!! One more thing... Mike, I've got some cool (and cruel) ideas for a fourth challenge if you're interested? Go on, I dare ya!

    
Three belters: Winglord (Atari STe), Crapman and one of the latest games released for the ST, Frogger!

  
Hoog is one mightily impressive jaw-dropping platformer and Clod Hopper feels so authentically 8Bit.

  
Hector... must be one of the best titles ever and who doesn't love a fantastic conversion of Panic?

Gameboy

Taking a break from the norm

Handheld console fans rejoice, for the "Gameboy" has arrived on the Atari ST thanks to a piece of cool public domain software by Ingo Linkweiler. Well, umm, no it hasn't really but, instead we have a program that features three games: Tetris, Pacman and Snake. It runs in GEM - any resolution - and can be installed as an ACC (which I preferred).

Open the ACC and hit any key to begin. The cursor keys can be used to control all three games: in Tetris, Left/Right moves the falling blocks, Up turns them around while Down drops 'em to the floor. Pacman uses these keys to make haste around his maze of weird 'ghosts'. Whereas Snake is quite the discrepancy but, I oddly enjoyed it. A lot!

The Atari ST has hundreds of nifty ACCs and many of which are games. That's kinda cool when you think about it and I love finding little nuggets of ST history like this. Gameboy is a fantastic ACC and I think Ingo created something of a good idea here, especially with Tetris. Sadly, Pacman's controls are quite tanky and Snake is certainly an (ahem) challenge! But, what did you expect in 20Kb? Exactly. So this program is worth checking out because I loved it and my opinion rules. Ahem.

Click here if you're dying to make GEM cool again. Let me know what you think!

Gameboy Emulator

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Wait, don't go!! The fun doesn't need to stop if you're willing to reboot your Atari ST and quit its little green desktop for something different? If so, then The Untouchables have something rather neat for you. It's called the "Gameboy Emulator" and it looks the part with a version of Space Invaders and Tetris which includes a sampled background tune.

Okay, their Space Invaders is harsh and hardly complete but it's smooth and very likeable, at least for the one game. Yes, I said one game (hit ESC afterwards). Tetris is excellent and very impressive. It reminds me of what I saw on a friend's Gameboy back in the day. Yup, definitely a nice albeit fake emulator and I liked a lot.

Clickety-Click to see more and download the Nuntundu Uboy.

Nesulator

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Hang on? Were you just about to leave this amazing Atari ST website? Shame on you... Okay, for those brave enough to stay, you may be interested in an emulator by Ed Cleveland? To be honest, it's very power-hungry and requires a lot of processing power - a lot more than the stock 8MHz ST can deliver. Also, it's beta and wasn't ever finished so there's a lot to be desired. However, it's fun and my Mega STe performed well but I am wondering how a Falcon or TT would be... sigh!

Take a look at NESulator and remember to check out the "Emulation" section on this cool website :)

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 disks (see what I did there?) and ended up loving the goods 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. So, here we are!

I remembered friends telling me about this 3D racer by Geoff Crammond - I was told a mix of Evel Knievel and (a playable version of) Hard Drivin'. However, I simply couldn't control my buggy for love nor money and failed to see what the attraction was. I placed it in the same category as the above or even Powerdrome. Yep, nice ideas but impossible to control.

With that in mind, two things become apparent. 1) how wrong I can be about so many different things (as the wife often reminds me). 2) Like a fine wine, my gaming skills have bettered with age. 3). Maths ain't my strong point.

Okay, enough! 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...

Well, thanks to Stonish (now Atarilegend - see link below) for this floppy disk - 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. 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 tracks, with varying degrees of success. Well, I'm being kind there: The Stepping Stones is a killer which I think everybody should foolishly attempt, Kamikaze style!! The Draw Bridge looks easy but has a nifty trick up its sleeve... and The Big Ramp features a ginormous monster gap which can only be jumped by going over 200mph. There might only be 8 tracks but they are all beauties and this game was proving itself a classic.

Right then, I 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 game is fun fun fun!!

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

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. Additionally, you can compete against friends and even hook up your ST to another glorious Atari computer. Maybe you have an Amiga friend? Nah, I didn't think so but it is an option. ;)

Success will come because this game is playable! A simple 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 racer lacks the polished flair and 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 rather bland but this simplicity is what keeps the motion 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 a bit). In fact, I'd love to see this game improved with STe DMA effects just like we've seen in other games over recent years [subtle hint directed at Jamie, Jon, and Peter!!]

So it looks & sounds weirdly acceptable but moves like a dream, which matters the most. 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 which are a thrill to compete on. Whether you choose to master the tricky stunts (in Practice mode) or jump straight into a league battle, I guarantee hours of fun. The physics are spot-on perfect and that's something you need to experience. The stunt aspect is very addictive, unlike Hard Drivin. Dear Mr Crammond, you did it again and delivered a racer which is both exciting and bucket loads of fun!!

Overall, 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 use of that 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. Greetings to all my fellow STe Nutters out there!

Let's check 'em out

 + Uridium - Peter has performed his usual magic and transformed this old 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 - This is what the original should have been like all along! One of the best-enhanced games.
 + 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 very different but it's still a BRILLIANT fps game.

  

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

  

 + Pac Mania - The original was good but this blows it out of the water!!
 + R-Type Deluxe - Good old Bod did us proud right until the end. 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 odd game this. Very odd...
 + Obsession - Best pinball game on any ST? Very possibly because this is a jaw-dropper Christmas cracker!