Friday, June 23, 2017
Phobia
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Bod
It is with great sadness I inform you of the death of Stephen Jones, aka Bod. More recently he was the gentleman behind the Atari STe game R-Type Deluxe, an eagerly anticipated upgrade to an already ace game and was highly regarded as the biggest STe project for years. He demonstrated to the entire retro gaming world just what this machine was capable of - when in the hands of someone with talent and commitment. Something we as Atari STe owners appreciate more than most.
I remember talking to him last year and he kindly supplied screenshots of his progress I was excited to feature them on my little-known website. Kindness I shall never forget. Also, his commitment to the Atari ST scene is fully featured on Demozoo where you can view his Fuji portfolio. It's extremely impressive, to say the least. A great loss.
Thursday, July 06, 2017
Bold / Wiliness III
I contacted Laurent to thank him for Bold and another game I download - a Dungeon Master clone called Wiliness 3. I've only just started to play that, but boy is it a cracker. Laurent is a really nice guy who I enjoyed talking with - I urgently suggest fans of either shooters or RPGs, should play Bold and Wiliness 3.
Here's the link to the Atari ST section of his current website along with his superb YouTube video.
The Bold web page has the download and a nifty walkthrough of each level.I made a video but I hate YouTube so advise you don't watch and instead PLAY the game :-)A cheat code is mentioned in the interview with Laurent within Alive Magazine #09.Chris Swinson, aka Exxos, sells Blitter chips but I've now exhausted my hardware knowledge...
The Wiliness web page has the download and a BUCKET load of help and information!!Finally, check out Walls Of Illusion and the newly updated Dungeon Master games for the Atari STe.
Monday, September 28, 2020
Recovery
The Atari ST cannot scroll
Well, don't be so quick because here is Recovery, a shoot 'em up by New Deal Productions. Oddly, it's something I've not heard of until the other day! It takes us on a *Fantastic Voyage* through the lower bits of some poor soul in need of medical assistance. I assume we're trying to help him recover from something nasty as we begin at the bottom and work our way up through the liver (I think), and then onto the heart before finally smashing through the old grey matter.
Recovery is much in the vein of something like Menace or R-Type but runs at a far quicker pace with many of the patient's body parts whizzing around the screen. It's like Anarchy and just as tough - almost nigh on impossible when trying to dodge everything. But our ship is spritely and we're armed with a laser so shoot first and never ask dumb questions.
I love finding something 'new' to play and this is an exciting shoot'em up...
It's a shooter. So, shoot everything!
Each part of the body is a separate stage and also incredibly long, almost to the point where you think it will never end! However, they all feel much the same with a vast array of different "aliens" to avoid or kill. These use a variety of attack patterns but touching any reduces energy levels, so bad pilots ultimately end up losing yet another life. Strangely, there is no end-of-level boss. A beastly tumour would have been nice to destroy - a sentence I thought I would never say!
The joystick controls are excellent - very fast and responsive without any sluggishness. Our main weapon is a laser beam and quite effective too - pressing and holding fire shoots this laser and kills anything in front of you. Sadly, there are no other types of upgrades or special weapons so all we have is one laser and nothing more.
Thankfully, our sleeping patient appears to have popped many pills, which you'll see floating through his body just waiting to be collected. These can boost your weapon's rate of fire, energy and shields which are all displayed in the status bar. I never figured out what "LIGH" is for - I hit every key but nothing, nada, zip. Does anyone know?
Okay, let's take a break from reading and view another lovely screenshot...
Aesthetics?
Visually, this is a mixed-body bag that isn't quite as healthy as you would hope. Don't get me wrong, a scroller needs to scroll and each parallax layer moves very smoothly. However, the backgrounds can be quite bare-bones, but there are tons of funky sprites which only goes to prove how weirdly wonderful we are on the inside. Maybe!
Hitting F4 flips between 50/60Hz which speeds things up even more - if you can handle it?
Sonically, this is going to appeal to lovers of chip music. To be blunt, it's quite simply fantastic and foot-tappingly awesome so makes you realise just how cool your ST is. However, those insane people amongst us might wish to turn it off and hear sound effects. No problem, just hit F2/F3 but why would you ever wanna do that? I know, because you're stupid.
Okay, you've guessed it - stop reading and enjoy another gorgeous screenshot...
The CryptO'pinion?
Recovery is a damn good shoot 'em up and also technically impressive. It slaps the faces of all those lazy programmers that said the ST cannot scroll. However, gameplay could be better as each stage feels overly long with zillions of frantic 'aliens' constantly buzzing about. This static style doesn't seem to go anywhere, so it gets samey after a while. Also, our weapons cannot be upgraded which is a massive disappointment but not as much as having no bosses to fight.
Okay, I'm sure you can tell that this isn't the greatest shoot 'em up but it's far from being the worst. I've enjoyed blasting through some fella's intimate body parts all in the name of science fiction. Recovery is definitely worth booting up for a quick game or two. If only to see who can survive the longest, good luck with that because you'll need it.
Check out these screenshots before deciding whether to download for hard disk or floppy...
Friday, December 31, 2021
A Box Of Surprises!
Santa has been!
Possibly the best thing about running with this crazy idea of an Atari ST website is the amazing friends I've made along the way. One of the first is a fella from Norway who has supported me over the years and it's his latest donation that blew me away: a large box of Atari ST games that the original owner was going to throw away!
Now, it's been a terrible few months here and I'm ashamed to admit that this generous gift came over a year ago. Yep, I'm absolutely gutted it's taken me this long to get around to sharing this box of goodies with you all. However, I do remember him subtly warning me that their quality was... ahem... a little rough.
Sadly, most jewel cases are badly broken with sharp edges. I doubt even an eBay seller could get away with exaggerating their condition lol. I don't care because I love anything for the Atari ST (there's a shocker) and the inlays are preserved plus all floppies work. So this collection will be kept safe for as long as I'm breathing.
Finally, there is a game that isn't in a broken jewel case - Mean 18 by Accolade. This is in great condition so definitely the star of the show and something I'll cherish. Before scrolling down, click on these 4 pictures...
Skidz
How does a little community service sound in your game? Well, in Skidz we're picking up litter whilst riding a skateboard or bike. Avoid all the usual silly dangers along the way whilst also collecting top-ups for energy and time... Ugh, I hate time limits in most games. Anyhow, the levels are fantastic with various opportunities to leap ramps and more. The scrolling is nice and smooth plus the graphics are constantly superb for each stage.
Skidz reminded me of Back To The Future II somewhat and isn't really the kind of game I normally play if I'm honest. However, I enjoyed it quite a lot plus I appreciate the effort that went into its creation - it ain't no lame conversion. So, a good start to the box and also possibly something I'll return to someday? Maybe. We'll see...
Wanna take this for a ride then click here for the floppy disks.
Liberator
Here's one that should be familiar to all who follow the prattle I post here on AtariCrypt. I won't repeat myself all over again so take a look at the review to see what I thought of it a couple of years ago. How time flies!
Go on, I know that you're curious so click the link above and download it.
Rock'n Roll
This isn't something I've ever played and didn't know what to expect. It feels like a weird cross between an overhead Marble Madness and Gauntlet. Except we are a ball that's stuck in a maze for some odd reason and I assume we need to escape. Who cares? I'm annoyed already by this game, but I guess I should plod on...
The intro is ace and not unlike a couple of demos we all know and love. The game itself takes a little time to grasp because of the feel of movement using awkward controls. Oddly, I never found the mouse a good option. Getting around the maze is easy after a while and I found keys whilst swerving my way into hazards and secret rooms.
The graphics are actually very good with smooth scrolling albeit at the expense of a smaller play area. Barry Leitch wrote the music and it's excellent, although it grates after a while because you feel like it needed to alternate.
This isn't something I would ever have bought back. The concept will possibly appeal to Marble Madness fans but I found it a galling experience. I simply don't have the patience for stuff like this. I think I hated it.
Don't let my negative nelly attitude put you off, grab the floppy disks and take it for a spin (ugh).
Skyfighter
The Atari ST has a great number of decent vertically scrolling shooters so I'm a bit perplexed that I have never played Skyfighter before. The gameplay and style reminded me of Plutos or Xevious but it's all a bit drab with slow scrolling and too few enemies to shoot down. Well, that's hardly a good start, is it?
Control is best using the mouse as it's far easier to move around the screen and shoot with either the cannon or bombs. Dropping bombs on fuel pods will top up your ship's reserve but that can be a tricky task in itself. This concept of refuelling worked well in River Raid but less so here because you must stop concentrating on the bad guys to make a careful detonation. Very fiddly so expect to get shot down in later levels.
After completing the level, you shall be quizzed. Yep, the computer will ask you a basic question about the stage that's just been played. It's a nice idea but rather pointless although very rewarding. To think your commander will send you out to war understocked with weaponry if you get the question wrong. Quite funny...
The graphics and sounds are boring and I'm sure any 8-bit computer could have done better. To me, Sky Fighter feels rushed in every respect but I had fun for 10 minutes. However, I would rather play Flying Shark.
Don't listen to me, grab the floppy disks and take this for a test flight yourself.
Bombuzal
Here's another one I have already featured but this time it wasn't so much a review but rather something that I wanted to share within our Pixel Art section. Why? Because it's got amazing graphics and I wanted to celebrate that wondrous fact. Bombuzal is a beautiful looker and a great puzzler too, so check it out right here.
Don't miss out on this wonderful puzzler. Click the link above and download it right now!
Forgotten Worlds
This is one of those arcade conversions that should never have been. Don't get me wrong, I think Tim Round (of Dragon Breed and R-Type 2 fame) did a great job with this. Except for the botched controls.
Even if you had never played the arcade original, it's obvious that the home computer game doesn't feel right. Shooting straight, whilst moving up and down, is fine but what about shooting in the other directions? Well, you need to hold the fire button to get our guy to rotate that attacking move. It's too weird and very clumsy.
I'm gutted because everything about this conversion is class. I love the presentation from the arcade and both the graphics and sounds are excellent. However, I simply cannot control the darn thing for love nor money. Why didn't they compromise and create something new or compromise, aka Ikari Warriors? You know what I mean...
A beautiful game ruined by the controls. What a shame!
Grab the floppy disks or a brilliant version for hard drive installation by D-Bug.
Impact
Going old skool... If you enjoy Breakout then Impact is gonna make you grin like a Cheshire Cat because it's brilliant. Audiogenic aren't exactly a big name on the Atari ST but John Dale and Martin Day came up trumps.
A good Breakout needs to be fast and smooth with responsive controls and lots of power-ups to keep you interested. This has got the lot and it's so aesthetically pleasing considering its just bricks and balls. A fantastic Break-Out and most certainly one of the best there is for any computer. I guarantee you will love it.
Waste no more time and grab the floppy disks or better still a hard drive version by D-Bug.
Battle Chess
This is one of those games I first got to see on a friend's Amiga. However, since I cannot play chess, I never bothered to 'find' the Atari ST version. Although I cannot play the game, I do enjoy watching the computer move all the pieces. The pixel art is gorgeous as are the animations but I think I like the busy bee mouse pointer the most!!
The kind of game that makes you wish you were lazy and learnt to play chess. Or is it just me?
Download the floppy disks and get battling!
Joust
Come on now, tell me you don't adore this classic game? And the Atari ST game is practically arcade perfect. Anyhow, this has already been featured and was part of a special posting comparing it to other console conversions. I should do more like that... Check it out. (pssst, you might also like Winglord, best on Atari STe)
The D-Bug lads have done it again with a superb hard disk version and the floppies are here.
Targhan
Now we're talking! This is a belting hack 'n slasher in a time of barbarians and bloodied swords. I've always loved Targhan and it's one of those games I periodically boot up for a quick couple of plays. It's simple, it's fun and it sure doesn't take itself seriously. Walk along, see a bad guy? Kill him with your mighty sword. Oh yeah!
We can run, leap like a girl, dodge attacks, climb ladders/ropes and explore as we please in a near-open world style. It's that freedom I love plus the constant enthusiasm for gratifying violence. The controls are responsive and a cinch to learn using the joystick. Attack moves can be performed only when holding down the fire button:
The graphics are great with huge sprites and decent animation along with background aesthetics like flying birds. Sadly, the limitations of the 16-colour palette mean everything is tinted a glaring red. That's a shame because hundreds of ST games feature palette-splitting routines to increase the number of on-screen colours. For example, to separate the play area from the status bar so each part of the screen has a separate palette.
The audio is pretty cool with a fuzzy sampled tune bleating away on the title screen. But things get far better in-game thanks to the sound effects which are superb. Lots of Barbarian-inspired grunts, screams, chinks, footsteps and more. Some are rather strange though - killing a bat produces a peculiar explosion sound.
I personally feel this is one of the better hack & slashers for the Atari ST. It's just downright good fun!!
Download the floppies to hack and slash your way to victory!
European Soccer Challenge
Ignoring the fact that I almost lacerated myself on a sharp corner of the box, I booted it up expecting good things. The Atari ST seems to excel with these games, just look at Sensi Soccer, Kick-Off, Goal and Speedball.
The game is viewed overhead but the pitch always has a way to feel cramped and cluttered with too many players fumbling for the ball. The action is sedate and feels like they're trying to run through a field of thick glue. I thought the game was much faster? Its speed reminded me of the ZX Spectrum game, Match Of The Day!
I know, I know, I'm not a soccer fan so what do I know? Well, I partially enjoyed playing Team a while back because it had a large playing area and was fast. But this is one of the worst things I've ever played albeit with great sound effects. They think it's all over. Well, for European Soccer Challenge, it most definitely is. Don't bother.
If you fancy a kickabout then grab the floppy disks from here.
Blasteroids
This is another I have already featured here on AtariCrypt and, I must say, I had a blast with it. Pun intended! Okay, it's not quite as good as Stardust but it's incredible and a bucket-load of fun. Check it out.
Out Run
This is a racer that's no stranger to most Atari ST owners out there who naively wasted their precious cash. The driving angle is too low and complemented by the worst framerate any game has ever delivered. Tidbit: scientists have proven that if you play Out Run for more than 30 seconds your eyeballs will burst. Fact.
Why anyone would boot this up I've no idea. The Atari ST has far better alternatives: Crazy Cars 3, Lotus Esprit 1 or 2, Vroom, etc... Or go slapdash in a fantasy land with Buggy Boy. Or challenge yourself in Stunt Car Racer. Heck, we even have a brand new remake of Pole Position for the Atari STe by Jonathan Thomas.
Thankfully, there is a rumour of an upgraded version in the pipeline for the Atari ST. It's a work-in-progress by Peter Jørgensen of Manic Miner fame. I have played a few betas and it's much faster, smoother and better looking than the drivel Probe/US Gold produced. An exciting project and I hope he manages to finish it one day.
Download the floppy disk or this hard drive installable version from D-Bug.
Mean 18
Along with Leader Board, this is one of the oldest golf games for the Atari ST and the screenshots certainly help to prove that. But wait, don't be put off by these naff DOS-like visuals because this is actually a cracker.
There are three courses with two difficulty levels: experts choose their own clubs with trickier controls so it's probably more fun as a "novice". The 'action' is viewed from a third-person perspective and the balls are whacked using a 3-click method: once to begin, again to select the power and the final click to hit the thing in a straight line.
Compared to Microprose Golf, it might not have much appeal at first glance but it's a cracking golf game so ignore the frightful graphics and take it for a spin. Ugly as hell but I love this game a bunch. Plus the condition of the slimline sleeve/box, along with the contents, is superb so this is definitely the best of the entire package for me!
It won't ever be as cool as my original but you can grab the floppies from here and play it.
The CryptO'pinion?
If ever there was a mixed box of goodies then this is it. Okay. not all games will appeal to everyone and Outrun was always going to be a disappointment but at least the floppy disk still works. Perhaps I should use that as a blank? Thankfully, Targhan, Joust, Blasteroids, Battle Chess, Impact, Bombuzal and Mean 18 are all corkers.
Those with keen eyes would have noticed that there were loose floppies? Captain Blood and Pro Tennis Tour. The first is an astronomical game I should properly feature someday soon. Whereas the other is tennis, a repugnant excuse for a sport. Plus it's the only floppy disk that doesn't work so I'll get Fast Copy on that asap!
Thanks to Loggins for this wonderful gift. Each dangerously broken box will eventually be replaced and carefully preserved within the AtariCrypt archives. Yes, even European Soccer Challenge. Greetings to everyone that helps support AtariCrypt (see the scroller at the top of this page) and also to you for being here right now :-)
Stay Atari and all the beST for 2022.