Unlike many of you, my first experience with Defender wasn’t in the arcades but on my ZX Spectrum. That little machine wasn’t exactly a powerhouse, but it was versatile and capable of handling this arcade shooter. I could be wrong, but I'm sure it was Defenda by Interstella Software, released in 1984. I absolutely loved it, though I wouldn’t exactly call myself skilled. Oh, what a shocker - Steve is rubbish at a fast-paced shooter!!
Fast forward a good few years, and along comes ARC with Defender II, developed by none other than Jeff Minter. Oddly enough - and I know this is practically sacrilegious coming from an Atari ST guy - whenever I hear his name, I immediately think of the Jaguar's Tempest 2000. I spent countless hours playing that trippy game in 1994/95. And half the time, I’d just leave it running in the background!! But anyway, back on topic - Minter programmed Defender II for the ST in 1990, and it’s everything you’d hope for, with loads of extra visual flair jazzing up the arcade classic. Not only that but the two original games are included as well.
Yes, Defender and Stargate are included, but my focus is Defender II. Don’t get me wrong, having all three games in one is incredible, but if I’m being brutally honest, they’re pretty similar. That statement might get me slapped by a purist, but hey - whatever! At the end of the day, I fire it up to play Defender II.
Let's have a break for some screenshots that really don't do the action any justice...
As a base comparison, this is the original Defender. It's zany, zappy, and FUN!
Defender II explodes all that zappy'ness into a zillion Llama-crushing pieces.
Defender II
From the golden era of Space Invaders, Asteroids, and Pac-Man came a furious shooter called Defender. The objective is always the same: little men wander the planet’s surface, innocently going about their business - until aliens swoop in from the skies, intent on abducting them for some bizarre, probe-related experimentation. We can’t let that happen! So, we skim the planet’s surface, blasting every last alien into smithereens. It’s a wonderfully simple concept, like so many old games. Straight to the action and I love that.
The controls weren’t quite what I expected, Defender II uses a combination of mouse and keyboard. Moving the mouse adjusts altitude, the left button thrusts, and the right changes direction. So how do you shoot? That’s done with the Shift key, which you can hold down for rapid firing. And because this is Defender, I naturally want a smart bomb to clear the screen when things get tough - just hit Control, and hey presto, BOOM!!
But there’s more gun love just waiting to be discovered - pressing Alt unleashes an electrical weapon called the Smart Laser, which instantly fries anything nearby. It’s powerful but has limited fuel reserves, so I tend to use it early on when the screen is flooded with (far too many) enemies for my meagre reflexes. Thankfully, every 10,000 points earn you a fuel top-up, along with an extra life and another smart bomb.
Jeff Minter didn't hold back and cranked up the mayhem, making Defender II an even more exhilarating arcade experience. And it doesn’t stop there - we have an optional AI Drone, a handy companion that mirrors your actions for much-needed extra firepower. Hitting the Spacebar toggles its functions between this standard mode into a powerful "toothpaste" laser (stronger beam), up-shooter, and bombing mode.
Defender II goes beyond anything I expected from a mere Defender clone. Jeff has transformed it into something else entirely. The AI Drone is a brilliant addition, but for me, the true game-changer is the Smart Laser. With that, your experience - and progress - improves more than you ever thought possible!
It's about now that you should leave to boot up your Atari ST to play. Wait, don't go just yet...
The training mode is superb as it introduces you to everything very nicely.
Completing a wave results in this nifty info screen with bonus rewards.
Aesthetics
It’s hard to imagine a game from the early 80s could be dramatically improved. After all, it’s Defender - a game where a black background takes up 95% of the screen. Well... hold my beer... because ARC’s version is an absolute visual feast, far beyond anything the original ever was. The credit for these sexy pixels goes to Wayne Smithson and Simon Butler, though, at first glance, they might not look like much.
What I mean is, that the magic happens only when triggered by playing the game - firing and obliterating enemies. These actions turn boring old Defender into a psychedelic explosion of party pixels. It’s pure visual chaos - stunning and borderline hypnotic. At first, I found myself watching the dazzling display rather than playing - so I kept dying! When playing properly, the action never lets up, throwing an eye-popping, high-energy spectacle at you from start to finish. Honestly, it’s one of the best-looking games I’ve seen.
The audio is almost as impressive, packed with superb sound effects that belch and burp loudly with every move you make. The laser - easily the most frequently heard sound - has more of a machine-gun vibe, though it takes a backseat whenever explosions and other effects are heard. It’s a shame the DMA hardware wasn’t utilised, but honestly, I have no complaints - Defender II is as loud and obnoxious as it is visually glamorous.
Interestingly, the theme music was created by Martin Walker using Microdeal's Quartet. I love what musicians have managed to produce with that, and I only wish it had been used more often. Superb music.
Right then, I'm yapped on enough so carry on scrolling for the ultimate opinion you're dying to read...
Having 3-in-1 is tremendous Minter value. Play the originals - they're damn excellent!
Of course, it's Defender II I prefer - there's nothing quite like it!
The CryptO'pinion
Disregarding the fantastic value of three games in one, this is an absolutely stupendous product. Defender II is a monumental shooter - a true masterpiece, perhaps even superior to StarRay or Anarchy?
It’s not just the frantic speed or the jazzy visuals that make this version so brilliant; it’s the innovative new weaponry that transforms the basic gameplay without ruining it. The drone is a worthy addition, offering several attack modes (though, in my humble opinion, it’s best left as it is). It’s the smart laser that really tips the balance, elevating the game from being great to truly exceptional. This underrated feature is a must-use, as it compensates for slower reactions and lets you progress deeper into the later missions.
I’m sure you’ve all guessed it by now: I’m giving it a massive 98% and awarding it the AtariCrypt SMASH accolade. Defender II is arguably the best horizontally scrolling shooter for the Atari ST. Wow, that's a bold statement alright so let me know what you guys think in the comments section below.
Right, waste no more time and click these links to play Defender II...
I'm always excited to meet people from the ST world, both past and present. I'm especially thrilled about this interview as it transported me back to the ST's later days, including my emulator years after migrating to the Apple Mac (PPC/1997).
So far, I've interviewed 16 incredible ST guys, which has been an absolute honour. So, let me present the 17th with great pleasure. Yep, it's Rich who you will know as the brains behind the Little Green Desktop! Not only that, but he's also the fella behind those cute visuals in Stario, a gorgeously cute (cough) Mario ripoff.
I found it interesting to discover his motives and passions for the Atari ST. He knows his games and favours some crackers too (do you remember me playing Color Clash?). Not only that, it was fascinating to discover how he came to love the demoscene and its culture. Hearing of his history concerning the MSX and Speccy +3 was fascinating. At least this lead the way to the mighty Atari ST and its Super Pack.
I found Richard kind and enthusiastic although I was shocked by his "modesty" regarding those pixel skills I admire so much. Especially when you consider the Calvin and Hobbes factor. My gratitude to Richard for his time and I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I have? Hey, after you've finished reading this, check out even more interviews?
Richard is featured within the Demozoo archives where you can view more of his excellent work.
Richard Davey ~ The Interview
Hello Richard, tell us all a bit about yourself
I was born in 1975 and for as long as I can remember, if we went around to friends or family and they had a computer or console. That would be me lost to the sirens' call of the devices :) We'd travel to the seaside on holiday, and I'd vanish into the arcades until my money was exhausted. Once it was so I'd just stand there mesmerized, watching others play. They were captivating to me in a way nothing else was.
To this day, I can remember visiting a friend who owned a BBC. He ran a program on it, which was an animated demo featuring dancing skeletons. They would take their heads off, roll them down their bony arms, and flick them back on again, all in time to music. I was enamoured that a computer could do this. I pestered my parents for a home computer. I didn't care which one. I just wanted one!
They relented and bought a Toshiba MSX. It had many wonderful games, including lots of Konami cartridges such as Antarctic Adventure, Hyper Rally, and Yie Ar Kung Fu. It also came with several books on BASIC programming, which I devoured. The first program I entered, I didn't realise you had to press RETURN at the end of each line, so I just moved the cursor down. Strangely enough, it didn't work :)
However, I didn't know any other kids who owned an MSX, and I was frustrated at being unable to swap games at school. So we "upgraded" to a Spectrum +3, with those crazy expensive disks. Of course, in retrospect, it wasn't an upgrade at all. The MSX is significantly more capable, with a great keyboard and some staggering games that load instantly thanks to the cartridge. The +3 was a technical step down, but the volume of games available to me exploded. Interestingly, MSX content is extremely collectable these days, with good-quality items going for hundreds! And I sold ours just to get a Speccy. Ahhh, the joy of hindsight.
It's a shame that no MSX photo was ever taken. At least we have a later capture with his Falcon!
Tell us about the years that followed
It was less than a year after getting the +3 when I started seeing the Atari ST appearing in anger in magazines like C+VG. To this day, I still remember the C+VG issue that had Xenon on the cover (issue 77, March 1988) and the screenshots inside of it. The graphics were like nothing I had ever seen before. A world apart from the Spectrum and even the MSX.
I knew I had to have one. I saved money from my paper rounds and odd jobs, and combined with a birthday, I took the bus into the city with my Mum one weekend, visited a large department store, and bought the Atari ST Super Pack. I carried it home on the bus, beaming from ear to ear. My life had changed forever.
The Super Pack came with a large bundle of games, including Xenon, Thundercats, Buggy Boy, and Ikari Warriors, all of which sucked-up hours of my life. It also came with a few real duffers like Chopper X and Road Wars! But even those were graphically way beyond the Spectrum I was used to.
Using a mouse was great, and I enjoyed the power of GEM and the loading speed from disk compared to tape. In August 1989, I bought issue 1 of ST Format, and the cover disk contained a demo of Bloodwych, GFA Basic, and what I thought was an amazing sampled sound demo: Stringray.
That, combined with menu disks from the likes of the Pompey Pirates, introduced me to the demoscene. It felt like the disks could hold so much content back then. In terms of actual bytes, of course, they couldn't, but if you look at it from the point of view of the variety of content you could fit on them, they were absolute gold mines.
Previously I had been all about playing games on the MSX and Spectrum, with a little artwork and coding - but the ST represented something different. A new computing era for me. Perhaps it was my age? Perhaps I was just mature enough to be able to explore the creative side of computing now? I was growing as a person, the ST was there, growing with me, showing me all of these great new avenues and communities I never even knew existed. And I dove head-first into it.
The power and versatility of the Atari ST must have been mindblowing at that time. It eventually led to projects like Stario and many more throughout the 90s.
This is a games website, so what are your faves?
Like lots of gamers, I struggle to maintain a consistent list of favourites. Remembering one title sparks off the memory of another, and soon that list has grown beyond its original bounds. So instead, here are some games that sit very fondly in my mind for several different reasons:
Buggy Boy - this came with my ST and I played it for hours! It's a superb racing game and one of those rare titles that I feel has aged well.
Bloody Money - there's something addictive about this shooter. I think it's the slow pace, it's almost sedate in nature but dials up the challenge little by little.
Turrican 2 - the raster sky effects! The music! The speed! That final level, when you're escaping the exploding thunderball in your spaceship! Just perfection.
Dungeon Master - do I need a reason? It's Dungeon Master, for goodness sake!
Oids - this game is sublime. A wonderful take on Thrust with a brilliant level editor and great animations. The way you can melt the poor oids with your thruster still makes me grin.
Dynabusters+ - this PD game is a brilliant take on Bomberman with great sampled sounds.
Flood - this sits alongside Captain Dynamo as one of those often overlooked but sublime to play platform games.
Golden Axe - there aren't many arcade conversions I rate on the ST, but this is up there with the best of them.
Hunter - definitely responsible for my love of sandbox gaming. Who can forget all of those great vehicles at your disposal?
Nitro and Super Cars 2 - they are in the same camp of great overhead racing games. I like my cars to have guns, otherwise I'm just not interested.
Special Forces - a tactical espionage/infiltration game from Microprose. I lost hours to this when I should have been doing my GCSEs!
Robotz - if you own an ST, you know how great this PD game is.
Me - how odd that he didn't mention Stario ;)
Richard has great tastes and we share many favourite Atari ST games.
Let's talk about Stario and how this came about
I was talking to James (of Top Byte) one day, and he told me about this game he had been sent. It was a complete rip of the NES Mario Bros, right down to the graphics! He wanted to release it but knew he legally couldn't. I said I'd be happy to look at the graphics, and we took it from there.
I received a few disks and set about making sure it wasn't entirely Nintendo's pixels that Atari players would see on screen. I used Deluxe Paint ST because it was (and remains) my favourite art tool on the ST, although I actually did the graphics on my Falcon running under ST emulation. It was a real challenge to maintain the speed of the original, the sprites used dramatically limited bit planes. For all of them, I had 3 colours maximum I could use (from a fixed palette of 16).
Going legit...
I was a big Calvin and Hobbes fan, so I redrew Mario to look like a little pixel version of Calvin. The other creatures I modified as best I could. Strange spikey monsters, frogs, etc. You can tell I was losing steam when it came to the tiles? Because those are very similar to the Nintendo originals. All in all, it only took a few weeks to do. I shipped them back, and that was that.
I did have a little interaction with Adrian (the developer), via his Dad, who requested a few changes. But what you see in the final game is largely the first pass at it all.
Looking at it now, the graphics aren't very good. A real pixel artist could have done a much better job, even with the bitplane limitations. Thankfully, when people play it, they mostly focus on how fast and smooth it is - and because it feels responsive and moves well, they can forgive the amateur graphics.
Any regrets about making the change?
No, it would have been taking the piss to release it with the actual Mario graphics still in it! Plus, I don't think any magazines would have reviewed it. So it was sensible to change the graphics. I'm glad I found the old disks with the Mario graphics on, though, so they eventually got released anyway.
Top Byte/Top Dollar
I liked James (who ran Top Byte). He was an enthusiastic guy and had a knack for cultivating a good little community. That is what the Atari was all about at that point. The big commercial companies had left, and it was the grassroots communities that held it all together. I'd talk with him for ages over the phone.
On the downside, I never saw a penny for my work on the game :) So I've no idea how many copies it sold. I doubt it was big numbers, but it did review well, so likely a few hundred copies at least.
Me - I see you have a boxed version. Wanna donate it to the Crypt?
Rich - It sits proudly on my gaming shelf, where it will remain :)
Of course, I tried bribing Rich, but sadly, he had none of it. Damn!!
What about other games?
I've never done any serious commercial games. Although to be honest, I never tried to either. I was too fascinated by the PD and demo scene. Games were more just for creating and throwing out there fast, to share with friends, not for 'making money' with them.
Robert Annett, a friend from the Storm / STOS days, and I worked on a couple of games - with me on the graphics. We released Super Tet and Shockwave. He did most of the heavy lifting. I just pixel-pushed for them. Shockwave was a good Asteroids-style game and published as licenseware by New Age PDL, whom I traded disks with a lot at the time. Super Tet was released in 1992 and was a standard Tetris game, although even now, I still like the graphics I did for it. DPaint fills for the win.
Fun fact: the digitised face in the middle of the playfield is Sting. I didn't even like Sting's music, I just had his head on a disk for some reason, and it slotted in well.
I've also worked on other games over the years, including Dopewars, some graphics for Biohazard 2, and a strategy game called Outrider. I was clearly stealing other people's art there! The title screen is obviously a scan from White Dwarf magazine, which I then drew a logo over. And the lady on the credits screen was nicked from an art disk. The 3D intro was taken from the PC. I don't actually remember which game, but I stole the cockpit and 'mini-screens' animation - and then I coded the star field effect and the planet appeared.
The game itself was a fun little strategy title. I did the in-game graphics, which was a nice change of style. Small buildings, tanks, UI, etc. Again, it's not exactly great. I'm absolutely not a good artist! Even so, I enjoyed making it. If I remember correctly, the game was actually called Battle for the Stars. We renamed it to Outrider for Top Byte. There are other silly games, too, like Octopod and GoSub! I still have the graphics lurking around.
All images are kindly supplied by Rich. The middle two are of the unreleased game Blasto.
Tell us about the demos!
I adored the demoscene, and I still do. Storm was never a serious demo group. It was more just a collection of friends, both in school and people I traded disks with. We all used STOS and wanted to make demos with it. So, we did. There are only really two megademos to our name, and I use that term very loosely as the first one didn't even have a proper menu system!
The second demo, Cor Blimey, was mostly the work of Robert Annet and his older brother, who developed a number of the screens and compiled the whole thing together. There were a few STOS crews back then, such as the Radioactive Hedgehogs, and it was a fun rivalry. Although the release of the Misty and Missing Link extensions kind of put paid to that.
The demoscene was and still is all about the community. Sure, there were the technical challenges and one-upmanship, of course. Bragging rights were a big part. But I think most would agree it was the friendships built up and within the demo groups that endured long after the machines fell out of grace.
Storm pushed STOS quite well and Richard created the face image using Crackart (1999).
You appear to enjoy diskmags?
I loved disk magazines! I loved reading them, and I loved helping create them. The ST had loads of great mags: ST News, Maggie, Ledgers, Power Mag, STOSSER, Ictari, etc. They fascinated me, and I spent many a fun evening reading and writing for them.
I bought one of the first Atari Falcon 030s on the market. It was crazy expensive. I had worked for months to save up for it! Yet it was and remains the pinnacle of Atari home computing. I enjoyed many years with my Falcon, running the Falcon Owners Group, a big PD library, publishing a magazine, and squeezing every last drop of love out of that machine before the PC finally took over the world. I still have a Falcon today, which I recently renovated (recapped, new parts, etc) - but perhaps that's a story for another day?
The first 3 (maybe 4) issues of Falcon Update were printed. I've sent you issue 1 and some pics from 2 and 3, but I have not scanned the whole of issue 2. I did scan the whole of issue 3 but don't have the time to convert it to a PDF right now.
The diskmag used a magazine shell that I coded in GFA Basic 3 on my Falcon! I bet it would work on Hatari, might be worth trying. I worked with Anthony Jacques to create a Falcon-specific shell, which was based on the Windows 95 concept of using a start menu. It was nicely coded, lovely for the time - but sadly never used and never released. I did release the prototype shells years ago, but no actual magazine was made using it.
Me - I cannot wait for Rich to complete PDF issues 2 and 3!!
Again, I think it all comes back to the social aspect. I know I keep harping on about this, but for me, that is what made the ST and Falcon special. It wasn't the machines themselves (although that did play their part). It was the people I met while using them. Some of which I'm still in contact with today.
Richard is right, the ST/Falcon has an incredible community to this day!
I couldn't end without asking Rich questions about LGD
Ahhh, good old LGD :) I created the first version of the site back when emulation was really taking off. PaCifiST had been released, and I loved it! I still had most of my Atari disks and a few CDs or burned games, and I was working for an ISP, helping look after their servers and working on web development full-time. So it was the perfect marriage at the perfect time.
When it came to creating the site, I knew it had to look like GEM. I also had all of the Pompey, Automation, Medway, etc. disks available. So I stuck them on my PC in the office of the ISP I worked for and ran an FTP server. When I put the site live, it utterly saturated the bandwidth on our line! So I had to introduce some rate limits, but the ball had started rolling, and visitors to LGD spread like wildfire.
Lots of other ST sites were popping up at the time: Demonburps ST Emporium, Lunar Jetmans site, etc. It was fun to be part of all of this. Like the old community was coming back together again, this time via the web and emulation. I contacted the developer of PaCifST, and LGD became its official home. After which, we added WinSTon (one of my all-time favourite ST emulators), and it grew from there.
LGD itself went through a few variations over the years, adding in the games database, the magazine scans, the YM player music, the TOS ROMs, and more. You have to remember back then, most people were still connecting via dial-up, so a nice speedy site was important. It was a wonderful few years, and I met a lot of famous ST legends thanks to it. I'm pleased with the role it took in bringing the Atari ST back into the public consciousness. Plus, I still believe it did it elegantly, much more so than most other sites at the time :)
And yes, I really ought to get around to fixing it one day. I've gone into the ancient PHP code and had a look a few times over the years, but wow, it's really old. I mean decades old. And I've never justified the time it would take to redo it so it could run on a modern server. One day, perhaps...
An iconic moment and website for many of us back then. Much loved!!
What are you up to these days?
I run my own company, Photon Storm (named after the classic Jeff Minter ST game!), and my day job is the creation/maintenance of the game framework Phaser. This allows developers to create games in and for the browser, although you can take them out to Steam and mobile stores. It's open source, heavily inspired by my love of the Atari, the demoscene, and all things retro, and is financially supported by its great community.
It may be 4 decades later, but that excitement and thrill I got from computers and gaming back in the 80s has never left me. And I'm very happy that I can bring this to fresh new developers today. It's like everything has come full circle. I guess some things just never change :)
Hey, before you go, how about some insider photos from Richard's years throughout the 90s? These photos are excellent but the PDF of Falcon Update is unbelievable. My gratitude to Rich for everything and thank you for taking the time to answer all my Qs over such a long period of time - we eventually got it done! :)
Hearing of new games is always exciting sadly, it always feels that other vintage computers get the support that our 16-bit fuji lacks (hey, whatever happened to AGT). Anyhow, I've been following the Cosmos Chronicles on/off for many moons but it's originally a French Gamopat game - that means I understood now't as I know little beyond "bonjour" and "jeu"! So I eagerly awaited an English version I could playtest.
Well, you knew this was coming, the international edition of Cosmos Chronicles is out. It's beta v0.95 so it may feature a few problems in translation - but that's nothing your feedback cannot fix! I've played a little after work today and, I must say it's impressive. You might say it's Ultima-impressive; very much worth the wait!!
The game was coded in GFA Basic, a tool that never ceases to impress. The credits are...
Wanna see a couple of screenshots about the background story? Yeah, come on and gander at these babies...
It's a bit "empty" and soulless I thought. Are you still interested?
I'd say so! This is a strange baseline but carry on scrolling...
Frontier, Ultima, Sundog, whaaaaat?
I instantly got that Ultima V vibe but there is more to this game than first meets the eye. Roguelike comes to the Atari ST and what's more, it looks the part with a style I love. Yes, it does draw heavily on the imagination but that's the best way - I don't want anything "better" as this would bloat and spoil the whole experience. Also, I cannot help but mention the audio surprise when first booting up - thank you Count Zero!!
The game is completely free to download. However, please consider contributing a little of your hard-earned cash to help support Dr Floyd/Gamopat for the hard graft that's obviously gone into the production of this tremendous game. I truly mean this, because the game is promising!! I'm hugely excited about it :)
Here is the download link with a copy & paste of the basics. Plus some of my fabulous screenshots...
The whole universe in your ATARI ST: 200 billion galaxies, hundreds of billions of stars and planets in each galaxy. The possibility of visiting every patch of grass or rock on every planet, houses, caves, the ultimate open world. The ability to eat, drink, poop, shower, repair your ship, booze in the pub, fight in arenas, play in casinos and arcades, pray to the Gods, buy condoms, go on space trips, slalom between asteroids, see things no one has ever seen at the edge of space, to infinity & beyond.
The uncompromising #ROGUELIKE
- Persistent universe
- You only have one true life
- There's no going back. You die, it's over... just like in real life ;)
A combined tribute to the following
- ULTIMA IV and V, for gameplay & visual rendering (which draws heavily on the imagination)
- ELITE and ELITE FRONTIER (for the open world and space trading)
- SUNDOG (for futuristic adventure and numerous gameplay possibilities/interactions)
Atari computer compatibility
- ATARI STF
- ATARI STE (supports Blitter)
- ATARI MEGA ST
- ATARI MEGA STE 8-16Mhz
- ATARI TT (a little fast)
- FALCON 030 (too fast?)
So, first things first, we need to seek out the farm as there's trouble afoot!
As you can see, these aren't friendly soldiers at all and kill your family.
Look inside the house for a weapon and let's kick their arse!
The English breaks up a little in places but you get the general gist. Hey, check out that rabbit!
The family are slain but there's no time to mourn as we go looking for anything useful.
Yeah, I found a cave and hoped for treasure but all I found were demons!
"High Energy" is something I lack, especially as I've just reached the big 5-0. Well, it's also the name of a 1990 Infogrames compilation - released when I was a spotty teenager. Included is Fire And Forget, Hostages, North & South, Teenage Queen, and TinTin On The Moon. Quite a rich, varied collection with much potential.
I've never heard of this compilation before, so perhaps it was only released in France? Let me know in the comments below. Okay, I gotta say that I'm very eager to get cracking with this promising French release!
Before we do, let's see the Infogrames logo which I think is rather unique and very cool...
Fire & Forget
Here we have a racer by Titus that feels technically similar to other, old generation, ST racers, especially their own Crazy Cars. This time our car has received a weapons upgrade to blast everything into smithereens. Hmm, this makes me think of another oldie that I really enjoyed, RoadBlasters by US Gold.
Anyhow, why is the future never portrayed in a positive light for many 16-bit games? Well, once again, the world is in turmoil (ironic, eh?) as the big cities have been destroyed with millions of people slaughtered. Thankfully, some survived and luckily, you are one of them! Our mission is to operate a powerful weapon called Thunder Master, which happens to be a supped-up shiny red sports car that gets about 5 miles per gallon!
The mission takes us to various places around the globe with a simple objective - drive and shoot. The roads are crammed with zillions of bad guys in vehicles like tanks and planes with many obstacles to shoot. Two players are supported with the second taking charge of an aircraft instead of a car. Each player has unlimited lives and ammo but fuel consumption is drastic and doesn't last long without collecting the supplies lying in the road.
Talking about fuel, isn't it odd that this depletes at a staggering rate, regardless of speed? Anyhow, completing each track is pretty easy and an enjoyable romp destroying your foe by merely holding down the fire button. There are three levels of difficulty but the format remains pretty much constant as it gets harder.
Tips!
Sometimes I try to help you guys out with a few expert tips because I'm probably the best gamer you'll ever know. Yes, it's true. Absolute gaming legend. Anyhow, the only tip I can give you is: play Roadblasters instead. A similar game that is miles better than Fire & Forget. Okay, it's not perfect and feels really old compared to Crazy Cars 3, Vroom, Lotus 2, and others but it's great fun and that's what matters the most.
Aesthetics
The graphics and sounds are fine with decent artwork used in the menus. However, the game's framerate is shocking. Objects will appear and then, within an instant, are gone due to the low framerate that bursts eyeballs after 10 minutes of gameplay. Yes, I think we might have another Outrun on our hands?
The audio is not bad with crude samples but I appreciated the effort. However, the pessimist within cannot help but wonder how many cycles were wasted that could have gone into making the game visually better.
The CryptO'pinion?
Fire & Forget offers racing, guns, and missions around the globe (although that's nothing more than a change in aesthetics for the most part). The actual driving feels totally unrealistic, even for an arcade-style racer and the roads are overly cluttered with baddies and nasty objects so expect many infuriating explosions!
Sadly, Titus has made the ST perform like a 2mhz computer with a framerate that destroys any chance of long-term enjoyment. There are other, far better, racers available for the Atari ST. You have been warned!
Not the best of starts was it? Let's take a look at some screenshots from my first play...
Titus takes us to all the troubled hotspots throughout the world. Phew, it looks like Blighty is fine!
Ignore the colours and that ludicrously bad framerate because the car is awesome!
My first attempt at a one-handed two-player game (to get some screenshots) was a disaster!
My first game was terrible but I made it onto the high-score table!!
Hostages
Now we're talking. Hostages is something I cannot describe without using the word - "classic". When I say that, I really do mean it because this is as good now as it was back in the day. This game is all about strategy and covert operations as terrorists have taken over an Embassy and are holding lots of frightened hostages prisoner. Yes, a familiar tale and one that has been translated into a computer game quite brilliantly I think.
The rescue mission is Operation Jupiter and we have been commanded to enter the building, kill the terrorist scum and guide all the hostages to safety onto the top floor. You can forget to take the Arnie approach as that will only get you and your men killed. So, think more like Who Dares Wins and you get the idea.
Operation Jupiter is split into stages; the first is getting a small team of snipers in place, who will then eliminate any terrorists they see standing near a window. However, before they can get into position, they need to carefully make their way to specific key areas in the street. This means avoiding the enemy searchlights which is absolutely brilliant. I love nipping into the shadows to avoid being seen - and shot at! Be slow and methodical.
Once they're all in position, we can take a sweep of the embassy just to see if any terrorists are dumb enough to stand near a window. Scan the sides of the building and patiently wait to see who might be walking by. It's worth going slow and possibly making a second sweep of each side of the building. Voyeuristic and tense!
Now we can send in the second squad who burst through the windows like something from a Hollywood movie. Once inside, they will search each part of the building like a Doom marine using a crude but effective 3D perspective. The hostages are easily recognisable - they're the ones who have peed their pants. Guide them to safety one by one without being seen. It's a lot harder than it sounds so you should learn to use the map.
Don't expect a hero's welcome unless all successfully completed their mission.
Tips!
Use the practice mode before jumping straight in. The first level is harder than you might think, so slow down and watch the motion of those spotlights which are predictable. This is a game that takes patience so, whatever level you're at, don't rush or panic. Finally, learn to master the awkward controls when scouring the rooms for hostages and nasty terrorists. The map helps a bunch and shows you the direction you're facing.
Aesthetics
Graphically, this is fantastic and shows just how advanced the (then) new 16-bit computers were compared to their 8-bit counterparts. Each scene is dark and moody, yet compelling with a natural feel to the situation. The artistry is stunning and seeing something as simple as a shadow behind a window is superb.
Animations are quite funny compared to later games but I love what they did. A faint image of a soldier sneaking into the darkness or leaping over a wall is excellent. Equally impressive are the cutscenes which I really enjoyed between each stage. Cracking 80s-style TV and I loved it all so very much I gotta say.
The audio is mind-blowing from the intro which helps create the dramatic buildup using deep thumps as our team of kick-ass soldiers emerge. It doesn't end there as lots of samples are used throughout each of the stages for maximum effect. Guess what? Just like the visuals, I've nothing to moan about. Excellent stuff!!
The CryptO'pinion?
Playing Hostages is unique and is way ahead of its time in my humble opinion. The format of how the action takes place and the methods of different mini-games to complete the mission is excellent. It certainly paved the way for future tactical-based games in many respects. I think I'll have another game now, without getting Mike killed this time! (why is it always Mike who dies?). Hostages is fantastic, a must-play!!
We begin by getting the snipers in place to dodge searchlights and hide in the shadows.
Check the map to verify your positions are correct. I still say 'Mike' sounds rather odd...
Okay, let's take out some of the more stupid terrorists dumb enough to stand near a window!
The next three men abseil and burst through the windows to enter the Embassy.
Now the fun really begins but remember, don't shoot the hostages. Unless they're annoying!
North & South
This is an alternative reenactment of the barbarous American civil. There are lots of the silliest challenges to win a comical take on the Civil War. Like Hostages, this is quite unlike anything I'd previously seen at the time and is stuffed with gorgeous art and sound. Plus it features lots of humorous touches that I find hilarious.
Firstly, one or two players are supported which is great and probably better than battling against the computer. Whichever side you choose, you're playing as the Captain in charge of cavalry, infantry and artillery. It's now you should decide whether you want Indians, Mexicans, reinforcements and weather problems plaguing your troops. I say yes, the more stuff we have, the better. They each add their own brand of humour and effect.
A map of eastern America is displayed that shows the location of each country's troops and the current situation. Choose whether you wanna invade the South or protect your independence from the North before planning the strategy of your war through a series of questionable conflicts. Perhaps you might also prefer to rob a train and cash in to help fight against the enemy in greater numbers before jumping straight into the hell of war?
Using the map, we can move and advance our troops from State to State, waiting for the right time to do battle somewhere in this huge country. Depending on that location, wars are fought on a different style of the battlefield using small units of cavalry, soldiers and artillery. These battles are fantastic with head-on collisions I could enjoy all day long. They're simple and silly so hardly realistic (best without the computer's assistance?)
Watch out for reinforcements from Europe via the sea and it's always worthwhile not venturing too far west into Indian territory. However, the presentation of this retaliation is brilliantly executed with a random outcome. The Mexicans won't get involved too much, other than attacking Texas and you'll probably lose men in the process. Storms wander the landscape and make it impossible to do much until it's passed. Each adds a little extra fun.
The war is only won when the victors have successfully beaten their brethren down into the bloody mud...
Tips
Play arcade and enable all the extras for more fun: Red Indians, weather, etc. The computer is way too tough so I play against myself. The battles are more fun and the entire game lasts a lot longer too. For a strategy game, my advice might appear quite contradictory, but, stop thinking and have fun with the 1860s.
Aesthetics
North & South has some of the most glamorous cartoon visuals. Throughout, there is a high level of humorous artistry which I find stunning thanks to how each scene is presented using bright colours and lovely animations. The overhead battles are my favourite, what's better than running down troops on horseback?
The audio is magnificent with a quirky intro tune that is unforgettable. It paves the way perfectly because it's nothing like I imagined for something based on the troubles of a young America. Sound effects are a big deal and massively entertaining with great quality and humour. So, do the French have a sense of humour? ;o)
The CryptO'pinion?
I wouldn't describe North And South as a serious war game. It was never meant to be that. There are elements but, it's a simple affair with battles, fort invasions, etc. These are more arcade than tactical. In fact, I could bang on all day about the battles, humour, funny sounds, etc but this isn't what makes North & South a great game. Of course, they are valid points, but I feel North & South is a simple concept, perfectly executed.
An extremely enjoyable, unrealistic reenactment of the American Civil War. Something to play time & time again. It's absolutely superb and will appeal to all equally. So boot up North & South and enjoy a masterpiece.
What a cool menu screen this is. Click around the screen to see what's what.
The map that oversees the war. Watch out for Red Indians, ships, dozy Mexicans, etc...
Let the battle commence with artillery, mounted soldiers and grunts all battling it out.
My first game went rather well, I thought. And then displayed this beautifully animated image.
Hmm, perhaps they're right? Watch out for him on the right-hand side of the screen...
Teenage Queen
For some odd reason, Teenage Queen gave me a Cuddly Demo vibe and I've no idea why! Anyhow, yes we get to play strip poker against a young girl, which sounds dodgy to me. Oddly, I'm unsure whether I've played any card game on my Atari ST, let alone strip poker against a sexy young girl in some rather risky positions!
Let me be honest, I've no idea how to play poker so, the games I endured were hit-and-miss. However, I did land lucky a few times and made a little progress but that was purely by accident. Generally, she beat me each and every time so I wasn't able to get many screenshots, which was probably a good thing thinking about it...
Ignoring the adult aspect, this is a decent game and not too difficult, even for me! The user interface worked like a charm utilizing both mouse buttons to bet, raise, flip cards and so on. A good card game albeit pervy.
Tips
She has more chance of losing her nerve if you bet high. Why does this sound wrong? Play something else.
Aesthetics
I guess the graphics had to be good to attract the right kind of player? The artwork is stunning even though it was initially peculiar to see the girl drawn rather than digitised. Thanks to the talent of Jocelyn Valais, it actually works brilliantly and the curious amongst you can view more screenshots over on Demozoo.
The audio is made from French samples, obviously, for everything you hear including the girl's voice and her playful laughter. However, this sexy giggle is a little too much after a while and feels creepy and wrong.
The CryptO'pinion?
I doubt Teenage Queen is something I'll return to but that's possibly more to do with my lack of interest in cards and gambling? The artwork is stunning and the user interface works a treat so I'm sure the poker aspect will appeal to all interested? Don't get me wrong, it's a good card game but not really my cup of tea.
Right from the start, it looks great but the audio might creep you out!
She looks familiar...
I bluffed my way into winning as I had no idea what I was doing!
TinTin On The Moon
Who remembers the Herge cartoons as a kid? Tbh, I never liked them but let's keep an open mind and jump straight in. Firstly, you must watch the intro! It's brilliant and I think they did a fantastic job to get everything onto a floppy disk. The game begins with us having left Earth into the darkness of space avoiding asteroids. Weirdly, there are coloured balls that need collecting before we can proceed to the next stage.
Once we have enough, the game flips into a platformer with TinTin's gang in need of rescuing, I think. Actually, I didn't know what was going on but eventually, I saw various friends tied up in need of rescuing. There are also bombs that need defusing, fires to put out and some baddies to try and avoid (or extinguish).
To rescue your fellow cartoon friends, walk over them. They'll jump up and suddenly jet off somewhere... to do something... The bombs can be defused using the same method but what about those fires blazing away? Use an extinguisher but watch your back for bad guys roaming the place who are very quick on the draw.
The controls are fine but using a fire extinguisher reveals how clumsy this game can be. Putting out a fire can be awkward, especially when near a ladder or simply standing too close to the flames. Bad guys are best eliminated by falling on them I found otherwise they tended to shoot me before I had a chance to act.
That's about as far as I dared venture with this confusing part of the game, sorry. It's quite boring really.
Tips
If you like the look of the 3D space shooter then play Galactic Conqueror instead. So cynical, right?
Aesthetics
Visually, I really liked the look and style which never fails to disappoint using great backgrounds and nice sprites. Animations are superb too and who doesn't love seeing little Snowy run, sit and bark at the baddies? However, Tintins's animations are fluffy: he walks with a shuffle and looks like he's about to fall over. Weird!
Audio is once again of a high standard with lots of samples for everything. They are excellent but I must admit that the rocket scenes were tiresome with that whaaaaaay-like sound effect. I didn't like that at all lol.
The CryptO'pinion?
This is the least impressive game in the compilation which is shocking when you consider that disaster by Titus. Perhaps I'm being harsh? But this felt rather wishy-washy with little guidance so not always obvious what to do. I only managed to playtest for a short while because I was bored to be brutally honest.
We begin in space and there are coloured balls to collect...
Hey, I see Snowy the dog! But why does TinTin look like he's going to fall over all the time?
There are fires, captured friends and baddies lurking about the place. Where's my shotgun?
Yikes, I'm actually seeing stars. Quite a cool effect actually!
The CryptO'pinion?
As it turned out, this is an unusual bundle of ST joy. Hostages and North & South are outstanding strategy games that will eat away your free hours - in a good way! Two classic games you should play - no slog, all enjoyment. However, High Energy isn't perfect with TinTin possibly only appealing to his fans? Fire & Forget is best (ahem) forgotten and Teenage Queen features great artwork but the audio will make your skin crawl.
I enjoyed High Energy but unsurprisingly, there are only two games worth playing. Thankfully, they are corkers and still excellent today. Agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments. Each game can be downloaded from websites like Atari Legend, AtariMania, with some adapted for hard drives by D-Bug and PP.
