DBA Magazine #06

Synergy's famous DBA Magazine intro helped to create one of those moments in time when everything changed. I've probably watched it several hundred times over the years and it never gets dull. It's magnificent with beautiful visuals and groundbreaking SIDtastic audio by Joris Maarten de Man. One of my favourite intros ever made.

This jaw-dropping experience can be yours by downloading from Demozoo but... come on, use a real Atari ST!

Credits:

BAT - Code, Other (FX Design)

Rapido - Code

Scavenger - Music, Other (FX Design)

Zanac - Graphics

Switchblade

It looks like Ricky D. has a new bandana?

Switchblade was released in 1989 by Gremlin Graphics and programmed by Simon Phipps. Yes, he of the Atari ST classic Rick Dangerous. Okay, we are a little dude called Hiro who wears a bandana and can kick hard. He must explore the UnderCity to locate sixteen broken fragments of the Fireblade to reap revenge on today's evil entity - Havoc! This beast has been on a savage rampage, after being dormant for 10,000 years. So it's time for us to save the day... again!

I'm always worried when a big name makes something that is along similar lines to what they're famous for. After all, this is another platformer so, will we get another carbon copy of Rick Dangerous or will it be different?

Hmm, I worry too much so let's begin with a couple of cool screenshots...

Wow, that is in-your-face aggression alright!

Hmm, looks easy enough. Just gotta drop down a couple of levels. Hang on, what's that?

Get ready for a great adventure

We begin on the planet's surface before taking the leap (fall) into the orientally inspired UnderCity. This labyrinth is made up of lots of individual rooms and exploring each is fascinating and enjoyable. Tread with caution because you never know what baddies might materialise from out of thin air. Your route is completely "free-roaming", which I love.

Look out for dodgy blocks that might crack with a single kick: these can unveil health and weapon power-ups or may even lead you on into hidden rooms of even more goodies. Boss characters appear regularly, the first is easy to kill whereas later ones can be quite frustrating and beaten only with patience and lots of well-timed jumping. The only negative is the immense size of the map which isn't - visually - diverse so I often needed to backtrack after getting lost.

The controls are superb with the usual movements like running, jumping and climbing ladders but there are also three kinds of attack. Tapping firing allows you to punch like a weak Arnold Schwarzenegger but you should notice a white combat meter along the bottom/right? This helps with two kicks: holding the fire button for a mere second (so the meter isn't at full strength) will perform a high kick Jean Claude Van Damme would be proud of. Holding it down indefinitely performs a powerful Chuck Norris sweeping kick. Master these moves before you begin exploring!

Stop drooling!! Yes, I can see you. Okay, let's view a couple more screenshots...

Wake up, there's something creeping up on you mister!



Tighten that bandana, Rambo. Now, go and kick his monster ass!

NESthetics!

Visually, I doubt Hiro will blow your socks off but it's clean and well-designed with a great 8-bit Nintendo style I thought. Underneath its unassuming graphics is a rather functional design with mysterious rooms. The characters are excellent with nice details that I adored. Also, the game self-maps in a similar fashion to Ranarama or even Rogue.

Switchblade has killer audio with brilliant chiptune from none other than Ben Daglish. Or you could decide to hear sampled sound effects? I love both and couldn't decide which I preferred in the end (a good predicament to be in?)

In most respects, Switchblade looks and sounds different and superb. Love it. Screenshot time...

Yes, there's a Ricky D. vibe plus a dollop of Saboteur and NES thrown in for good measure.

The level guardians are either daft or just plain awkward to hit - I wish they would keep still!!

The CryptO'pinion?

Switchblade is awesome. It's got a great adventure element that blends well with the action. Plus the lack of a linear structure is perfect for an explorer like me who is eager to see what's around the next corner. Thus it keeps you enthralled throughout. This is one of the few games I've completed and I will definitely come back to it again (and again).

As with Rick Dangerous, this is certainly one of the best platformers available for the Atari ST.

Fancy picking up the gauntlet to help Hiro find the scattered fragments?

It will involve deep exploration, fighting lots of silly monsters and several freaky boss dudes?

Grab the floppy or hard disk installable games right away and enjoy this incredible game.

Tip: you might find these maps useful to properly enjoy this beautiful platformer.

BoinkSave

What, an Atari ST screensaver?

I've been digging through the archives again and found an interesting piece of software on Atari ST User's cover disk from August 1992. It's a screensaver by Damien M. Jones and works brilliantly to save your old CRT from burning an image of the GEM desktop. This can also be fully configured to use other graphics along with altering the timeout.

I love finding programs like this and we all adore a good Boink so, I thought this was excellent. If you don't have the cover disk lying about, like geeky old me, it can be grabbed off the Zogging Hell website. I hope you download it.

Of course, something like this is pointless but come on, it's incredibly and utterly fantastic!! I love it :-)

Tempest 2000 Music Demo

Remembering the Atari Jaguar...

Tempest 2000 is an incredible psychedelic experience and sure made the Atari Jaguar roar like the beast it was always meant to be. The ST demo group 'Effect' released this cool music disk for the Atari STe. This has sure brought back many happy memories from the 90s when I first got my Atari Jaguar. Yup, a belting musicdisk this one!!

Credits and the download link...

Alastair Lindsay - Music

Blaze - Graphics

Jovis - Graphics

Kevin Saville - Music

ST Addict - Graphics

Tronic - Code

Wizzcat - Code (Tracker-Replay)

Grab the download via Demozoo and crank up the volume!!

Battle Command

If the tanks succeed, then victory follows

Late last year I planned to feature BattleZone but couldn't get to grips with it no matter how much I tried. I found it sluggish with lifeless controls that didn't feel right. In fact, I hated it and came away quite upset by this deduction. However, I still had an urge to jump into a tank and kill something with a big gun! How was I going to scratch this itch?

Of course, it can only be Ocean's very own Battle Command - which I've recently bought. The story goes that two factions are at war, and we are in control of a heavily armoured Mauler who must complete a variety of different missions that have us trawling the landscape looking for enemy tanks to shoot. And much more. But let's not kid ourselves! Yup, let's stop right now because this is basically a shameless BattleZone ripoff and it appears proud of it too.

Okay, before we begin, Battle Command is crammed with cool spinning 3D objects. Like this one...

I think this is excellent and shows they went the extra mile but not at the expense of gameplay.

Let's take it for a test drive

First, the controls are absolutely superb so it was easy to control my tank using the mouse for acceleration, turning and firing. It's worth taking the time to arm your tank properly and I had a preference for heat-seeking missiles. Inside the game's box is a nifty reference card that details the extras like: the damage display, a detailed map, and the chance to view our tank from outside - this offers cool perspectives, if kinda pointless. But I loved it all nonetheless!

For those who value a challenge, there is a huge mission selection ranging from the starter levels, through to more advanced tasks like protecting a bridge, accompanying a transport, and even recovering a U-Bomb! Before any missions, the briefing screen will detail the necessary information and weaponry options - accompanied by more 3D animation. Don't let the thought of tough missions fool you, this is an arcade game through & through.

Unlike Battlezone, this game has a nice framerate to compliment the controls and mechanics. You can take this game seriously, but, it's also fun roaming the landscapes looking for enemies. The difficulty is always challenging throughout the many assorted ranges of different missions so you're never likely to get bored. And, if you require even more of a challenge, then Battle Command will not disappoint as it features many strenuous missions to test your nerve.

This game isn't just an arcade blaster, it's much more. So let's celebrate with some more cool 3D...

You wouldn't believe how much swirling 3D there is!

Aesthetics

Battle Command has excellent 3D which reminds me of a cross between the obvious - along with Mercenary for some peculiar reason. I was hooked from the moment I saw each mission's 3D imagery swirling. Seeing our tank dropped into play by an aeroplane clinches it!! The in-game framerate isn't exactly Resolution 101 but everything is smoother than many games and the enemy crafts are great up close. It's an understatement to say I admire the graphics!

Music is amazing on the title whilst the game begins to show off its 3D. Sound effects during gameplay are good but certainly nothing like Starglider, for example. They do their job well enough to break the silence.

Right, let's take a look at some of these gorgeous graphics. Carry on scrolling...

Screenshots are great but this looks even better moving in-game!

Another mission begins and I admire the beautiful intro.

Don't dawdle and keep your wits about you at all times!

The CryptO'pinion?

Battle Command is a great tactical shoot 'em up and a lot of fun but, it's not perfect. What I didn't like was the immense size of the play area which felt like a slog for my little tank (and now I sound like Hubert Gruber!). This means opponents feel like they're a zillion miles away - not good for a 320x200 display to cope with. Also, making distant attacks would be impossible but for some suspect collision detection - that actually balances things out rather well. Hmm...

With the bad stuff out of the way, I enjoyed BattleZone... oops... Battle Command. This game is a stonker and I've enjoyed blasting everything in sight. Even the trees feel the wrath of my uncontrollable insanity. Battle Command is adventurous and bucket loads of fun with eloquent controls. A brilliant action shooter and one of the best in my collection.

Get it downloaded (floppy or hard disk) and then jump inside your tank to kill every last enemy!!

There's nothing quite like flaunting your Atari ST collection! :D

This is the reference card I previously mentioned.

Muzzy

Wait, come back!!

Muzzy was featured in ST Format (#58) and is a puzzler by Enigma Software Developments. It caught my eye because I liked the oldskool visuals, plus it's something I've never played before. It should be compatible with both the ST and STe (it crashes on my STFM but works dandy on the STe but YMMV - the download).

An intro kicks things off at the start accompanied by stereo music on the Atari STe. Playing my first game was quite confusing and I wasn't sure what to do but I soon learnt the game's crazy personality. The object is always the same: collect every gem before being whisked off to do it again on the next zany screen.

The trusty joystick is used to control Muzzy which is easy. At first, it feels sensitive but stick with it because pushing against something, whilst pressing fire, will be the most complex action you will learn. Of course, the difficulty constantly increases as does the variety of silly mechanics and enemies (who kill you instantly). So fight back by blowing up these pesky critters using bombs. That is always going to be great!

Visually, I doubt Muzzy will blow you away with its tiny sprites and 8-bit styles. By ST standards, they suck. But since when have graphics made a game better? (I'm talking to you - Dragon's Lair). The audio is basic and it's disappointing that the DMA wasn't used for the sound effects but, the old YM does an excellent job.

Muzzy is a strange game with many weird levels that make little sense - it's different from what I expected. Attack each screen with a 'trial and error' method to see what solution works In my video recording, the last screen had me stumped but it was actually annoyingly obvious - but that's Muzzy for you.

To sum up, I'd say it is infuriatingly good fun!!

ST Globe

By 1999 we will be living on the moon!

In a time long ago, when there were no search engines, we had to read something called a "book". If we wanted to chat with friends then that would mean leaving the house to meet up - in person - for a real conversation. Crazy times, right? Well, I've found something cool that takes us back to this early disconnected age (that we loved to return to).

ST Globe was developed by Jean Pierre Cazes which you will find on the Page 6 website. I thought it was rather amusing (respectfully) but very interesting. It definitely put Encyclopædia Britannica to shame [ahem]. However, my daughter was having none of it and prefers to use Siri or Google. Sheesh, what's up with kids these days, uh?

Grab yourself ST Globe and pretend the Internet isn't real.