Navy Moves

Mission U-5544

Dinamic released Navy Moves in 1989, and as you all are probably aware, I'm a big fan of theirs, so I'm eager to boot up Army Moves' sequel. As are McArra, an elite agent sent on a covert mission to destroy a rogue nuclear submarine before it can upset the global balance of power (ie, BOOM WARS). Like many Dinamic games, Navy Moves is split up into two parts. Part One is itself divided into three stages.

Beginning at sea, McArra races across mine-infested waters, and this opening section immediately feels a little like Army Moves. The aim is simple: ride the choppy sea and leap over the mines. However, in practice, it's brutally difficult as the mines are packed tightly together. (In fact, this setup weirdly reminded me of a scrolling nightmare version of a room from Jet Set Willy called West Wing Roof). Weird, right?

Anyhow, one mistimed jump sends you back to the start. IF you reach one of the checkpoints, the challenge worsens with enemies attacking from both sides of the screen. You'll never beat this part of the game, as it's absolutely impossible!! The second stage is underwater as McArra puts on his scuba gear and descends below the surface. From what I have seen online, this section is excellent and reminds me of Thunder Jaws. The third stage is a horizontal shooter, like Menace, and again, it appears genuinely impressive.

You guessed it, I only got to see the first stage of Part One! Sigh, let's see a screenshot from that...

The dreaded first stage of Part One. Why, Dinamic? Why???

Operation Cephalopod

Part Two takes place inside the submarine and can be selected from the main menu, provided you know the "secret code". McArra must fight his way through a network of connected rooms towards the reactor, where a bomb needs to be planted. Officers, marines, and flamethrower-wielding troops patrol the corridors, turning every section of the sub into hostile territory. Anyone in your way has to go, but it's the officers who matter, as searching their bodies reveals the security codes needed to venture further.

However, it's not simply a case of charging forward with guns blazing. Most fallen enemies can be searched, which means every encounter has some meaning - especially when your ammo is running low. Progress becomes a balance of advancing through the rooms, conserving ammunition, and making sure no useful body is left unchecked - the key element of this entire stage. Planting the bomb at the reactor is only half the mission, because you still have to retrace your steps and escape the submarine before it blows up.

Sneak around, kill baddies, and rob their bodies of loot. Very excellent!! It's screenshot time...

You know, I'm starting to think McArra was modelled on someone famous? Hmm...

CryptO'pinion

I have always had a soft spot for Dinamic, as they brought plenty of quirky titles to the Atari ST. You can feel their oddball charm all over this one, but that first stage almost feels as if the developers deliberately sabotaged their own work. I never got to see the second and third stages of Part One.

Dinamic was never known for taking it easy on us, but Navy Moves feels excessive even by their standards. Thankfully, Part Two is accessible via the main menu, but it's very challenging. Still, running through a submarine, gunning down guards, and racing towards the reactor is thoroughly enjoyable.

If I had bought this game in 1989, then I'd probably have been quite annoyed at the opening stage, especially if I didn't know the code for Part Two. And that's not very good, is it? So, forget playing Part One unless you’re a gaming legend with superhuman joystick skills. That's certainly not me, so I'd recommend you download Navy Moves to play only Part Two. This is a great run-and-gunner that you will love to bits.

• Floppies can be downloaded from Atari Legend.
• D-Bug has a great version that's hard-drive installable.
• If you want access to Part Two, then check out my PDF magazine: ST Cheaters Unite.
• There are many more Dinamic games on the Crypt. Check 'em out!
• Risky Business has a superb playthrough video. He actually beats the first stage of Part One. So maybe it's just me? Anyhow, you've also gotta see the ending. Seriously, don't miss that scene :^)
• We need someone to hack Part One so we can play stages 2 and 3. Get in touch!!

The part of the game is so great, but why play properly? Just kill henchmen!

Army Moves

Reliving Christmas 1987

The last time I played Army Moves was probably on my Spectrum +3 just before moving up to the Atari ST. I remember it being part of Ocean's Live Ammo (that was a great compilation). It was extremely sluggish, very hard, and I was rubbish at it. Yep, so I never managed to beat the first level (stop laughing).

Army Moves was developed by Dinamic, who brought us After The War. It has many ideas borrowed from a variety of great(er) games, and it begins with us trundling over a damaged bridge in a surprisingly well-armed jeep. This can fire an infinite supply of rockets at the constantly attacking enemies whilst hopping over potholes in the hope of safely reaching the other side. Hmm ...cough cough... Moon Patrol.

I think that we need a screenshot of this unoriginal opening level...

The jeep is brilliant, with good handling and fantastic jumping ability! Yeah!! ;)

When variety isn't the spice of life!

The following level has us flying a helicopter over enemy territory protected by planes - blindly shooting whether you're in their sights or not. The controls are lethargic, making it difficult to avoid their shots. Don't forget to manually land on the helipad at the end - otherwise, you suffer a suckers' death!

The next part is more of the same, which is disappointing (and tough). It's only now that you realise I've used a trainer, because there was no way I could complete this stage without one. The final levels take us through the jungle, avoiding grenades and silly buzzards, before it flips into something resembling Joe Blade.

The first level is the best, while the others are too difficult with too many enemies. Ultimately, it's a Dinamic game, and that means ridiculously tough, so you won't beat stage two without resorting to a cheat.

Wanna see a screenshot? How about one that feels odd as it scrolls in the wrong direction...

Reversed scrolling is weird and doesn't feel right, so it makes stage two quite frustrating!!

Speccy aesthetics

Visually, I like Army Moves, but that's probably because I'm fondly reminded of my colour-clash days on the Speccy? The graphics are barebones, but I must admit, everything scrolls along nicely, and I like the detail in the sprites. The helicopter levels feature parallax scrolling, which is a neat touch I appreciated.

David Whittaker's music plays throughout and isn't his best work, but it's still good enough. Nuff said.

Brace yourself for the final screenshot...

Honestly, I swear that jeep doesn't only leap whenever I need a screenshot!

The CryptO'pinion?

I liked some of Dinamic's ideas, but it tries too hard to be cool. They spoiled it with ludicrously long levels, which is made worse by being sent back to the start after losing a life!! Ignoring the enjoyable Jeep stage, I find it difficult to recommend this game - just play Moon Patrol, Silkworm, or Joe Blade instead.

Army Moves could have been great, but it feels like a rushed 8-bit conversion with a fistful of frustration. Unlike the Spectrum game, our conversion feels like a glammed-up quick port and one that lost much playability thanks to faster mechanics; scrolling, enemies, etc. What was Dinamic thinking?

The first level is the best, but the rest of the game is too difficult to be entertaining.

Wear camo and grab the floppies or hard disk version!

Guardian Angel

Dimamic get Dynamic!

Freddy Hardest is our Guardian Angel for Dinamic's scrolling beat 'em up in the Big Apple, which actually ain't too dissimilar to After The War. Manhattan always seems to be the perfect setting for a grim future with crime and gangs. I don't know why, but it's got that Deathwish vibe and setting nailed so perfectly.

I've always had a soft spot for Dinamic, and I think it's because I played their Army Moves on disk (instead of tape) back in my Spectrum +3 days (a short-lived machine that died after a few weeks... sigh). What a new and exciting experience that was, albeit rather short-lived. Still, it wasn't long until I got my first ST!

They've released some great ST games, and you can find them by using the search option on any page. Anyhow, we begin our Death Wish at the docks and are instantly assaulted by waves of 80s-styled thugs! Some have brought their toys, like baseball bats and knives. Where's Charles Bronson when you need him?

The docks are a great place to go looking for trouble, as you can see...

Ahh, nuts! That guy is big, and I hear sneaky footsteps behind me!

Yee, aw that sucka!

As a beat 'em up, we move around crime-infested streets using left/right. The fire button performs a punch, which you'll find is good against the weaker Sailors. Pulling down allows us to stomp on rats but offers little benefit against tougher dudes. Pushing up will unleash the fury of your infamous high kick, which is your only powerful move. Energy levels will automatically replenish IF you get a chance to stand still.

Guardian Angel doesn't take itself seriously and has you laughing at the silly antics you see on-screen. I love how the baddies turn into zapped skeletons for a split second when dying - it's like a Tom and Jerry cartoon. Watch out for "Death Star", a forklift trucker called Ricky Chang, who is the world's worst driver!! However, my favourite is being kicked out of your yellow boots when suffering a final death blow. Hilarious!

That's this game to a tee, it's stupid but brilliant. The kind you play after a bad day at work...

What? You think ganging up is going to scare me away - not on your nelly!!

Aesthetics

The gameplay window is small, with much of the screen taken up by pointless decor. However, I do like the backgrounds, even if they're too colourful for a bleak city scene! Sprites are large and well-detailed with basic animation, but there are some cool scenes - Ricky Chang will always make me laugh. Fantastic!!

Forget the terrible theme tune. Thankfully, all in-game effects are made from good and meaty samples, with the chainsaw guy being superb. In fact, I really love the excellent variety of sampled sound effects.

This game has sound and vision that will rock your 16-bit world, and I love it all...

Now, this is a proper title screen with outstanding artwork.

The CryptO'pinion?

Guardian Angel is a bucketload of humour, matched by responsive controls, superb sprites, and sound effects. Sadly, it's typically Dinamic with incredibly tough gameplay and having only one decent attack move is insane! However, I have enjoyed it with a trainer enabled, but that's a bad thing, right?

You guys need to play this beat-em-up regardless of the trainer. Hilariously entertaining!!

Atari Legend has Medway Boys #85 Floppy Disk

Narco Police

Drugs... Guns... Violence!

I've always had a soft spot for Dinamic. It might be because they were one of those companies releasing games during my twilight ZX Spectrum years, just before playing their Atari ST games. Along with games like Army Moves, they went on to make some belters, one of which is their 1991 hit shooter Narco Police.

In the future... or rather... back in 2003, most of us were apparently heavily dependent on hardcore drugs, and this addiction made the dealers rich and powerful. Actually, I'm getting a whiff of the recent scamdemic now! Anyhow, the various nations of the world all got together to form an elite anti-drug unit: The A-Team. No, I meant NARCO POLICE who have been trained to rid this filth from existence. Yeah!!

Three Narco units are deployed to infiltrate the drug lord's hive located on an island off Colombia. It won't be easy because they have invested in security, including marines and combat soldiers. You start with the 'option' of choosing your team's equipment and weaponry. Also, a map of the island lets you view the landscape and choose the best entrance to its network of underground tunnels. Dare you enter?

Of course, you do, so let's take a look at some earlier screenshots...

Don't forget to visit the armoury before heading out into no-man's land!

There's little to plan, but at least we get to tunnel in like killer worm cops!

Walk... Shoot... Kill

In the tunnels, we encounter henchmen, security systems, and artillery. As we venture deeper, the enemy will surprise us by jumping out from hidden sidewalls or falling down from the ceiling to ambush us. Use the joystick to direct gunfire at their location and unleash a revenge onslaught!! Controls can take a little getting used to, with movement feeling inelegant, but you will get used to dodging grenades in no time.

Other defences cannot be destroyed easily and require a tactical approach. (It's now that you realise your team needed the correct equipment). A terminal is available to enter basic control commands, such as 'C' (which stands for 'chopper'), to display information about your team. The 'K' command restores vitality. The 'M1' command is entertaining in sticky situations! A command list can be displayed using 'DIR'.

Don't be fooled into thinking this is a simple shooter; hold fire and blindly kill everything? Far from it, and you will need to practice to make any kind of progress. After a few games, I found the controls great, which helped me make headway deeper into the game. Very rewarding, but reading the manual is essential O_o

Is this too demanding for a 16-bit computer to handle? Think again...

Tell me you're not impressed by this floppy disk-based computer from 1985!!!

Aesthetics, long before Doom!

Visually, this is gorgeous, with captivating locations and huge enemy sprites animated beautifully. Our soldier is stunning as we patrol the corridors - even with our suspect limp. It's not all perfect, as some soldiers almost look like cardboard cutouts waiting to be shot. Other soldiers roll across your screen in slo-mo!

I've always had a passion for 3D shooters (especially the first-person variety) and, even though this is third-person, it's one I have enjoyed since the 90s. Narco Police actually uses a pseudo-3D engine that pushes our 8MHz CPU by using clipped graphics that increase as you walk, giving the illusion of movement. I remember drooling over my ST's keyboard the first time I saw it in action!

The audio is fantastic with a stomping theme tune for an 80s retro-styled title screen. All in-game sound effects are made from high-quality samples; however, it's odd to walk without hearing my footsteps. Maybe I'm being picky, and perhaps our hero is just too stealthy for his own good!!

This game looks and sounds brilliant, so, erm, here are a couple more screenshots...

Hands up who would love a job as a Narco Policeman? No, me neither! lol

The perspective used in this game is impressive, but that doesn't stop me from dying!

The CryptO'pinion?

This is a Christmas Cracker stuffed full of mayhem to get the blood flowing - all over the walls, usually! Who doesn't enjoy killing henchmen and repetitive tunnel exploration? Sadly, Dinamic made yet another ludicrously tough game. Perhaps too tough? Maybe the Spanish are hardcore gamers, but I need a trainer.

Having said that, I'm always drawn back into the tunnels, time & time again, because Narco Police is a seriously addictive shooter. Sure, it's always predictable, but in a good way. And, even though it's insanely tough, I cannot help but recommend it to those who love guns, loud explosions, and plenty of killing!!

A fistful of fun, and I love it. It's tough, but this is an excellent shooter.

Narco Police floppies & hard drive.

Risky Woods

Spanish Games

I'm digging up another oldie video from my YouTube channel (subscribe!!), and this time it's Risky Woods, developed by Dinamic - the ones who gave us a Marine with wiggly legs. This time, we are Rohan, a knife-wielding chap from somewhere called The Lost Land, a once-peaceful place protected by Monks.

The monks guarded the wisdom of the Lost Land until Draxos showed up and ruined everything! He brought his legions of armies and turned the monks into statues. Nobody is safe; children are crying, and evil roams the lands. What can we do? Of course, we are going to enter the woods, free the monks, and defeat Draxos. It's gonna be a tough challenge, but come on, kids are crying. It's time to kick some demonic ass!

I know, another silly story for another day in retro gaming land. So, let's play...

Hurry and free all the monks to save the land from the evil Draxos!

Sexy platforming!

Risky Woods is a scrolling platformer that has us leaping platforms, frantically banging on the fire button to kill everything in sight. Each level is stuffed with enemies who are only too eager to rush onto the screen, but there are lots of bonuses. Just don't forget why you're here; the monks need to be freed before you exit.

This game feels like a cross between Ork and Black Tiger. I love how responsive the controls are, and they need to be - many enemies are constantly rushing onto the screen at a frequent pace. It's quite overwhelming, but great fun without ever crushing your spirit. Think Black Lamp and you've got the idea.

Each level is superbly designed and stunning with lush environments, high details, and fancy effects. However, it's the sprites that I love because they are large and superbly animated - just look at those skeletons!! Slain enemies leave behind gold coins to collect for use in the shop to purchase much-needed weapons.

It plays well and looks great. What, you need another screenshot to prove it? Okay...

There's no denying the stunning artwork, which is some of the best I've ever seen.

Aesthetics

Visually, this is a beauty with stunning landscapes, raster backdrops, and superb spooky sprites. The level of artwork is impressive, and I dare anyone to say otherwise. The scrolling is responsive and smooth, but I can’t help wondering why they push the boat out and implement STe support.

Like the visuals, the sonix do not disappoint with great chiptunes by Jose Martin. The sound effects are nice, though nothing remarkable - they do their job. Yeah, it's the superb music that works wonders.

A gorgeous game like this needs many levels, as this mini-map so kindly displays...

Check out the map that shows your torturous journey through the Lost Lands.

The CryptO'pinion?

My problem with this game is its difficulty. The constant wave of enemies is overwhelming and made worse by the need to crouch down and collect dropped coins during combat, rather than simply walking over them. Also, touching an enemy causes you to drop all your loot and temporarily lose the ability to fire!

Despite all that, this game is an absolute blast! It’s thrilling, frantic, and incredibly addictive. The joystick controls are fantastic and perfectly complemented by the stunning visuals and impressive special effects. This game truly showcases the STf's capabilities and is one of the best platformers available.

Downloads for floppy and hard drive.

2026

Dust off your joysticks

We’re all still cold with winter and barely into the new year, yet the Atari ST scene has already tried to warm us up by delivering three brand-new games, with one even taking advantage of the STe. As if that wasn’t enough, Jonathan Thomas has also been teasing us with his next project over on X, and if you don’t know who that is, shame on you - go and play Pole Position or Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge immediately.

So here we are; it’s still only January, and I’m thrilled by the Fuji passion 2026 is already bringing. Yes, I used AI to create the logo as I cannot draw. Don't dwell on that too much; there are three cracking games you should play. Let's take a quick look at each before you click the download links...

---

Babaliba, by Carles Oriol

This is a remake of the original ZX Spectrum game published by Dinamic Software back in 1984 (I love their Atari ST games!!). Sadly, I suspect this game never really made its way out of Spain, as it’s one I’ve never encountered before. The Atari ST version retains the look and feel of the 8-bit original, but with bugs squashed, visuals improved, and a map added to help you survive the maze (you'll need it).

We play as Johnny Jones, a fella with a big nose, dropped into a top-down labyrinth that will feel instantly familiar to fans of Sabre Wulf or Feud. Ignoring his large nose, the goal is to explore, find treasure, use keys to unlock new sections of the map, and deal with monsters using screen-clearing bombs. All while trying (I think) to rescue a princess along the way. Just don’t hang around after dropping one of those bombs!

You can download the game from his GitHub page and also follow him on X.

This is so authentically Speccy, and wow, Johnny really does have a big nose!

PuckMan, by Laurent Gaillard

The first Atari STe game of 2026 is a fresh spin on the little yellow pill popper. Everything you desire is here: that gorgeous retro theme, frantic ghosts chasing you through the maze, tight, responsive controls, and smooth gameplay that feels like an arcade experience. Laurent has even added overscan support, using the top and bottom borders to stretch the display ratio, which makes it feel more like a proper arcade cabinet in this respect. And yes, it’s STe-only as the Blitter and DMA audio are also put to excellent use.

No need to play solo as both 1 and 2-player modes are supported, which my daughter absolutely loved. I feel this plays much like the original and easily ranks among the best "Pac-Mans" I have tried on my Atari. Just don’t forget to press 'C' to insert coins, then press '1' or '2' to choose the number of players.

You can download Pac... sorry... PuckMan from his itch.io page.

PuckMan is a screen-filling beauty for the Atari STe.

Vlak, by Baky

Finally, we have a 1993 MS-DOS take on the classic Snake formula. Once again, I've not seen this one before, but the core of the game is instantly familiar - it's Snake! Only this time, we are a train, gobbling up objects instead of just fruits. Each pickup adds a wagon, and as your train grows, the challenge comes from avoiding crashes - not just with walls, but with yourself (as I often find out). Once the level is cleared, an exit opens, letting you move on to the next screen, where things get much trickier.

The download is available from Atari Portal.

Hilariously addictive, but very hard after the opening level. Be warned!

Astro Marine Corps [AMC]

Creepy monsters are coming to get you!

Sometimes a game doesn't need a long-winded storyline, puzzles, or be a life-sucking RPG. Sometimes all you want is a huge mother of a weapon (with unlimited ammo, of course) and lots of baddies in need of urgent annihilation. Be happy as Dinamic's AMC fits the bill with lots of gratifyingly brutal violence!

This multi-level scrolling shoot-'em-up involves nothing more than walking through grim alien landscapes and hammering the fire button to kill everything in sight. Upgradeable weapons use directional firing, and our marine can crouch and leap high into the air (with wiggly legs). We are equipped with powerful bombs, which are needed when the main gun isn't effective (perhaps you can drop a few into a crater).

The aliens are an obscene bunch of misfits ranging from man-eating plants to mechanoids that even Robocop would run away from. Don't get close to the unassuming caterpillars; these will suddenly grow - with teeth!! I think AMC has some of the best enemies, and the monstrously huge Guardian proves it.

Technically, AMC could have been a pinch better; the scrolling is good, but the landscapes look average. The joystick controls are excellent. However, it is awkward reaching for the keyboard to throw a bomb - especially when mechanoids are chasing. With a bit of spit and polish, this would have been aces.

AMC is crudely predictable, but thoroughly entertaining. It features ace baddies, crunchy sounds, and loads of action. Being an Astro Marine is thrilling because I love killing the alien scum. Fantastic game!!


Install AMC on your hard drive.Grab the floppies from Atari Legend.

Killer mechs are tough, so grab the power-ups ASAP!!

The plant life is out to get you in this crazy game, so watch out where you walk!!

Look, everyone, it's a strange little worm. No, wait... ARGHHH it's growing!!

This thingamabob is absolutely superb. Look at the detail in his eyes and teeth!!

Getting a screenshot with a power-up was tough. I need more hands!

Resistant to your gun, so how are you gonna get by that?

Turrets in the ceilings, aim up - quick!!

AMC has huge monsters, but the bosses are even bigger. This beast is ginormous!!

Oh dear, I was happily walking when a giant plant appeared from beneath me...

After The War

Muscles and big boots

After the War was released in 1989 by Dinamic Software, and it's (partly) a fantastic beat 'em up, similar in style to Double Dragon 3. We are Jonathan Rogers, aka Jungle Rogers, and we must assassinate Professor McJerin, who is today's nutcase. Worryingly set in the near future, during a post-apocalyptic Manhattan, where you must kill all the bad dudes and escape to somewhere better than this hellhole! Sounds easy, right?

The game is split into two parts: the first is a scrolling beat 'em up. The second is a bizarre shoot-'em-up platformer. Upon playing part one, the first thing that struck me was the amazing graphics!! Huge sprites, great colour, and good scrolling. I adore the backgrounds and find the artwork apt for the grungy scenario. The sound effects are very cool, made up of low-quality grunts and thumps, with silly cries when someone is killed. It is worth mentioning the awesome title theme, which I think is utterly superb!

Controls are easy to master and offer: a punch, a flying kick, jumping, and a get-me-outta-here rollback. Strangely, the keyboard is needed to activate another type of kick and a nut-crushing low punch, especially useful for dogs! Sadly, I found flipping between the two sets of controls an awkward killjoy.

Part two is playable only after the first is completed. Our musclebound hero is now equipped with a giant weapon as he heads off into the underground. Gamestyle is a platform shooter where we need to blast everything, even the pesky rats! The controls aren't great, and the directional aiming is overly complicated. This stage is okay, but I found myself stressing over the controls instead of having fun, which isn't ideal.

After the War is two games in one, which may sound great, but it's not. The beat 'em part is superb with decent graphics, sounds and lots of violence - I enjoyed playing it a bunch!! But that's more than can be said about the second part, which doesn't work as there is too much going on. It's not enjoyable, if I'm honest.

Download this game, if only for the beat 'em up stages, and you have yourself a winner. Tons of fun!!

• Update September 2017: 8BitChip has a new hard drive installable download!
• Atarimania has the floppy disk version.
• Who fancies a couple of cheats...

          --> Fancy the code to part two: 101069 (tested and works)

          --> Inf.energy in part one, press keys: ALT, 1, B (untested)

          --> Inf.energy in part two, press keys: ALT, 1, M (untested)

It's time to kick ass and chew bubble gum... No, wait... Wrong game!

As I didn't like the second part, here is another screenshot from the better game!