Cannon Fodder [WIP]

Fodder Reborn

When Cannon Fodder hit the shelves in 1993, it wasn’t just another game - it was an instant cult classic. Rightly so, it's a cool mix of action, strategy, and a dollop of dark humour thrown in for good measure. I loved the game, and even had the Atari Jaguar version, which played better than I imagined it would using the pad.

The game has us commanding a tiny squadron of soldiers, leading them through jungles, deserts, and snowfields, looking for enemies to blast to smithereens. We could use machine guns and grenades, blowing up little huts and generally running around like the A-Team, killing everything. So much fun!

I was thrilled when Cannon Fodder eventually arrived on the ST. However, this joy was short-lived as it became evident that we had been saddled with a lazy port without proper horizontal scrolling. For me, this has always been a bitter pill to swallow for over three decades. I’m not interested in excuses; a bad workman always blames his tools. Confusingly, this was the same person who gave us Sensible Soccer. Wow!

Fast forward three+ decades, and we finally have a proper Cannon Fodder with horizontal scrolling thanks to Krzysztof (kTz) Jarzyna of Retro Blitter Team (you need an Atari STe or an ST w/Blitter). No need to rub your eyes in disbelief, as it's true - no more jarring screen flips! Now, the battlefield scrolls as your squad advances. So, Cannon Fodder is fully playable without the need to look over our shoulders at the Amiga fanboys. Not only that, but Hospes will soon improve the intro's graphics and feature background music!!

I'd like to tip my (virtual) hat at Krzysztof as he's obviously worked hard hacking away at the code to find ways to improve it. It's still a WIP, but after all these years, we have a fully playable game. That makes me very happy!! So gear up, as we’re finally entering battle in a version the Atari always deserved!!

Here are loads of links to the new game, along with loads of other cool stuff...

• Retro Blitter Team's Cannon Fodder is available for download (*WIP*).
• This ultra-sexy new version has been added to my list of Enhanced Games. Check it out.
• Fancy something different from war? How about skiing with Whipper Snapper Race?
• I couldn't finish without mentioning this classic Golden Dawn intro!!
• kTz and Hospes are featured on Demozoo.

I made a little video, just to show the horizontal scrolling.

If in doubt, lob a grenade as quickly as possible!!

Finally, after decades, I'm actually playing through Cannon Fodder!

Shall I risk wading across the water or look for a better route?

The desert proves tough with hidden traps, so don't get blown up!

The Dukes of Hazzard comes to the world of Cannon Fodder!!

Very tough now, especially with guys off-screen accurately firing at me!

Cannon Fodder [Atari STe update]

Ugh, another lame Amiga port

Cannon Fodder should have been far better for the Atari ST. Alas, it was a rushed, lame-ass port. However, cry no more tears for Peter Putnik has upgraded the game to support audio playback of 25KHz digital music - yes, during gameplay. This is making use of the DMA audio hardware lurking inside the Atari STe, and (because it's a coprocessor) there is no CPU usage. Thus, zero impact on the game's performance whatsoever.

Storage requirements are too much for a floppy! So an Ultrasatan or other hard drive device is needed to store the music - this can be anything - instructions are included on how to use convert something from your library. It's dead easy to do using Audacity. Click on my teaser video, above...

What an incredible upgrade! It's something else to experience the game with real music blasting out from your speakers. However, I'm gutted that our lame-ass Cannon Fodder is a pile of rubbish with flick-screen scrolling. Sensible Software should be ashamed of themselves for releasing such a terrible port.

I hope Peter uses this technology again for other Atari ST games. The possibilities are endless!!

U P D A T E

After all these years, we now have a decent version. Yes, with scrolling!!

https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/2026/03/cannon-fodder-wip.html

Whipper Snapper's Race

Hang on, this ain't Cannon Fodder!

What do you get if you merge "Horace Goes Skiing" with Cannon Fodder? Easy, it's called Whipper Snapper's Race by Petr Sumbera of New Design using Omikron Basic. The game stars Max - a dude who goes skiing down many vertically scrolling levels in places that look (umm) spookily familiar...

Navigate left/right to pass each obstacle as you ski—but don't bump into anything else; you'll fall flat on your bum! Pushing up will reduce your speed, pulling down will increase it, and firing will perform a leap into the air. Passwords are used to access the "missions" without starting over from the beginning!!

Graphically, I could never complain because it is Cannon Fodder with superb attention to detail. Of course, it's all ripped and unoriginal, but I do not care! The funky stereo music is by Tomas Kucera, and I'm sure you will leave it playing for ages. In-game sound effects are ace, but I won't spoil the surprise for you!

• Sing with me? Skiing in Cannon Fodder... Never been so much fun....... (sorry!)

Okay, this is an easy one to rate. I'm sure you've guessed already what I think? Well, thanks to the great controls, this is effortless to pick up and play, but that doesn't mean it's easy. Later missions are challenging yet always fun. Whipper Snapper's Race is a very silly skiing game and shockingly addictive!!

I cannot recommend this ludicrous game highly enough. Play it now.

I've made a floppy for those stuck in 3.5" hell :^)

Download the hard drive-installable game @Demozoo!

Petr's website is still up and running after all these years!!

Cannon Fodder

  

I've just stumbled upon a nifty program for Cannon Fodder. It's an intro that offers cheats like infinite ammo and level select, and was created by "Dr D" from The Casualty Dept. I've copied it to my Atari ST, and it works like a charm! Now, I'm not bothered about the infinite ammo/men, but being able to start on any level is superb & opens up the game. Highly recommended for those playing via floppy disk - enjoy!! :-)

[ Clickety-Click and Download ]

D-Day

Rule Britannia!!

A couple of years ago, I managed to buy myself a mint copy of D-Day by US Gold. This is a war game on four disks, so it's a pain to someone (like me) who's been spoiled by the luxury of an Ultrasatan. However, I couldn't find a hard disk version anywhere, so I did what any sane person would do - I asked Peter Putnik.

Later, during the World Cup (and after a couple of beers), I had myself the hard disk adaptation of this wonky war game. Launching it from my Satan is a dream compared to the floppies, and I'm really grateful for Peter's commitment to the ST scene. So, what did I think of US Gold's take on this historic moment?

Before we begin, June 6th 1944 is a moment in time that we are unable to comprehend but will never forget. This video recording and game review is just my humble way to say thank you to those who have served.

We need to see a screenshot, so let's kick it off with the topography of this historic area...

Overlord offers a crude yet incredible insight into the situation on the day. Quite frightening!

Operation Neptune

A map of Normandy during D-Day illustrates enemy positions and planned missions, enabling their execution. This is like a campaign mode for the entire Overlord Operation, and each event features by time as it unfolded. However, it's confusing to newcomers, and even the manual recommends you start by playing the individual missions first. I love their honesty, so I did exactly that and began each part in turn.

The idea of these mini-games is great. They are broken up into four categories: Tank, Bomb (the most sluggish planes ever!), Paratrooper, and Infantry soldiers. Splitting them up is brilliant and allows you to skip directly to your favourite. Also, no matter the game, there are always several missions to choose from.

Wanna hear more? Good! So let's take a look at each of the mini-games right now...

There is a wealth of information and statistical detail to check out in the main game.

Mission #1 - Tank

The first game is Tank, a WWII twist on the Battlezone format, and looks like another ST title, possibly because they share the same programmer, Pascal Jarry! There are lots of missions, and the first instructs us to destroy every bunker on the beach - a lot harder than it sounds! There are loads of missions, but it's quite buggy, and I suffered a few crashes. At one point, I even managed to get myself stuck in a tree!

Performance is poor and lacks engine noise (which is weird), but I have to admit that I had a bunch of fun driving the little tank. Make sure you hit the function keys for the different modes of operation, and also a cool outside perspective. Overall, it's worth playing a couple of missions, but sadly, it feels like a rushed add-on.

An average game that could have been far better, so I rate this 5.5/10.

The big boys are here, and we're taking no prisoners!

We're out roaming the countryside - looking for a fight.

Mission #2 - Bomb

This next game is truly eye-opening. How did it manage to slip past the US Gold Quality and Control debt? (lol). Again, there are lots of different missions, and I chose to fly at night to bomb a bridge. Well, that was theory, anyhow, but I literally had not even the slightest chance of hitting it. Not in a million years!

Controlling the plane is strange. There are basic instruments to help with your noble adventure, but it's all a bit rubbish. It's nothing like I would expect, so you're left feeling blind, which makes completing any mission nigh on impossible. Calling it a sluggish 3D engine is a massive understatement; I reckon an Oric 1 could perform better. It’s definitely the weakest game, so I won’t be playing it again.

I am really struggling not to be too cruel here, but I must rate Bomb at 2/10.

Wow, I really don't know how to describe this part of the game... So poor.

Mission #3 - Paratrooper

We parachute in, either solo or with troops, into a dangerous warzone. Firstly, getting them safely on the ground is crucial, but be mindful of the challenging wind conditions. Despite the ludicrously bad gameplay, guiding your men to safety is surprisingly rewarding. My daughter enjoyed it and thought it was good - bonus!

Unlike the Bomb game, this game is so bad that you need to play it. Weird, right?

I don't know why I enjoyed this game so much. I have no answer, and rate it at 6/10.

Weeee, one man gets tangled and falls to his death, but the others land safely!

Mission #4 - Infantry

I enjoy overhead action/strategy games, and this is styled similarly to the likes of Cannon Fodder or Rebellion. However, don’t be fooled; it’s more of a slower-paced tactical game where stealth is key to survival.

Many missions involve guiding stickmen through fields, avoiding enemy bunkers, tanks, and more. The gameplay is crude, and the enemy AI is like a robotic turret (ie, not very good, but deadly!). Each enemy unit has a specific position on the screen, and once spotted, they relentlessly bombard that area. It’s your job to sneakily find an alternative route and pick them off with your machine gun, grenades, or mortar.

The controls are surprisingly imprecise, and getting the soldiers to stand exactly where you need them is half the battle. It’s also annoying when they take the long route around an obstacle, often putting them in the line of fire and causing them to die. The graphics are quite Cannon Fodder-ish, but of a very crude type. I might be a terrible pixel artist, but I honestly think I could have done better. The sound effects are made from crunchy samples and add to the atmosphere, but the constant noise might give you a headache.

I should stop complaining because, despite its flaws, this game is incredible. It reminded me of what I'd call (a lite) Stonkers on the ZX Spectrum. Infantry is nothing more than finding a safe route through the map and picking off the enemy one by one. It’s very simple and not much more, but I genuinely enjoyed myself more than I can explain. I played the game for several hours. Yes, I know, I’m mad!

It's crude and ridiculously unrealistic, but I loved it!!! So I'm giving Infantry a 9/10.

We're on the beach in one mission, and raising everything to the ground on another!

The enemy won't move, but they're sure out in great numbers. Can you kill everyone and escape?

The CryptO'pinion?

If there was ever a mixed bag of goodies, then this is it. The Operation Overlord sections are rich in depth and provide a unique historical perspective for eager gamers. However, D-Day feels like it was hastily programmed, which is odd considering the credits. Technically, it fails to utilise the Atari ST hardware effectively and is riddled with sluggish, buggy code. Very surprising. While D-Day is somewhat tacky, I thoroughly enjoyed playing Infantry. Therefore, I recommend it just for that, especially on such a significant historical day.

Grab the floppies via Atari Legend

8BitChip has the new HDD version!

Looks pretty good, right? Well, this was recorded using my beefy Mega STe.

I'll say no more...

Diamond Edge

I love Hi-Soft!!

Isn't Diamond Edge a brilliant program? One of its features is 'Test Disk', which scans for potential problems. Only the other day, this saved my bacon because Drive C (a 32MB partition) suddenly reported itself as 22MB. Why, I do not know, but Diamond Edge came to the rescue and fixed several serious errors!!

I have found it particularly useful to optimise (defrag) the partitions in order to better stream audio for (storage) demanding games (Cannon Fodder / Xenon II) or other programs like ST Video Player. I defrag the drives on a monthly basis. Don't get me started with Undelete, another superb part of the Diamond Edge suit.

Diamond Edge is one of the most fundamental utilities for all Atari computers equipped with a hard drive. Anodyne has Diamond Edge freely available to download, along with the manual, too.

Which is simply excellent!!

PP's Enhanced Games

New game updates!

Everyone knows Peter Putnik has adapted hundreds of games for hard disk installation. These include extras, like bug fixes, TOS compatibility, 4MB patching, Mega STe/Falcon support, etc. However, some are also super-charged with cool coding that utilises the Blitter coprocessor and DMA for audio that will blow your mind.

Are you interested in games being better on your Atari STe? You should be!

I thought it would be a nice idea to compile a brief overview of his enhanced games here on AtariCrypt. Oids and Uridium are particularly impressive as they significantly improve on their original versions. I also enjoyed playing my own music during a game of Xenon 2 (you can convert your own music).

There is something here for everyone, and I hope you find this useful. Let me know what you think.

Let's play.

Let's take a look at some of these enhanced games that you can download and play right now...

• Xenon II - updated for the Atari STe and features DMA-streamed music. Turn up the volume!
• Cannon Fodder - enhance this lame port with your own DMA-streamed music.
• Prince of Persia - the DMA hardware is used to replay the game's sound effects.

  

Did you enjoy that? Well, here are three enhanced FTL games that are nicely improved...

• Dungeon Master - far cleaner samples are heard thanks to the DMA hardware.
• Chaos Strikes Back - again, the DMA hardware allows cleaner sample playback!
• Oids - double framerates deliver a smoother experience when rescuing the stickmen.

  

Let's take a peek at three more that aren't exactly favoured well by the average ST gamer...

• Jinks - this jerky game is weird, but at least it now uses the smoother STe scrolling.
• Menace - I cannot thank Peter enough for replacing that horrendous yellow ship!
• Uridium - Blitter-boost that sluggish ship and add DMA-streamed background music while you're at it!

  

Now let's take a little run-around with these three you might never have expected to boot up...

• Giana Sisters - this Zamuel_a enhanced game now comes with optional DMA streamed music!!
• Hard 'n' Heavy - gone is that embarrassing flip-screen, thanks to the Blitter.
• Road Runner - Improved and Blitterized for faster scrolling for this funny game.

  

Okay, let's end in style! Here are two ST classics and a PC classic, too! Ooh, nice...

• Goldrunner - Some might not like this, but I hit the F3 key to disable the fuzzy speech!
• Gauntlet - this sluggish hack 'n slasher gets big improvements, but still needs extra CPU grunt.
• Wolfenstein 3D - Ray's jaw-dropping FPS now has bugs removed with decent save game support.

  

Lotus Esprit music disk

Pedal to the... Musix!

It's been half a decade since the enhanced version of Lotus was released. Where does the time go? You may recall that Jon Thomas took the original game and completely revamped it with his coding expertise, creating a dedicated Atari STe version. While the chip music stayed the same (not that I’m complaining), the improvements to the game were incredible. It showcased what our machine is capable of when in the right hands.

Well, the Atari ST community stays ever active, since I just spotted an X/Twitter update from "Chris Hospes," who created a music disk featuring his remixes of Shaun Southern's soundtracks. It's superb and offers a fresh new way to enjoy these banging tunes (right now, in the background - as I write this text!).

I asked Hospes what prompted him to make such a release, and here's what he said...

The main reason was sadness that, after doing so much work on the Lotus STe version, the music still sounds like “crap.” (Hey, I love chip! -Steve). We are in the 21st century and have unlimited disk space, so it hurts that the author of the conversion didn't decide to sacrifice 20 MB of HDD space for the audio track. After all, we have great versions of Giana Sisters, Xenon 2, and Cannon Fodder. But even in the new version of Lotus for Atari STe, the old Yamaha bleeps.

I’m also currently working on my own remixes of music for other ST games that deserve a new life. I'm looking for (coding) assistance in replacing the old chipmusic from these games.

I've recorded a teaser video that plays a minute or so from each track. Why only a teaser? Well, nothing beats downloading it for yourself, especially on real hardware! So, what are you waiting for? Go and grab this download and enjoy listening to these outstanding tunes on your Atari STe. Here are the links you need...

• Download this music disk from Atarimania.
• Follow Hospes on X/Twitter, and get in touch if you can help him out.
• Enjoyed that? Good. The Atari ST/e has loads more music right here.
• What, you missed the enhanced version of Lotus Esprit? Tut, Tut, Tut!! Better click here then.
• We have listed many more enhanced games for the Atari STe :)

The Golden Dawn Mod Disk #14

MCIBTYC!!

The Golden Dawn released many PD and Mod Disks for the Atari ST during their time (Demozoo link). However, this particular disk is something quite different and features a humorous hack of Cannon Fodder. Click play to watch little ST soldiers graffiti the Amiga HQ, which obviously escalates into war. Of course, this will end in bloodshed :-)

A superb idea and one that represents the tensions between ST and Amiga users back in the day. Well, mainly Amiga users because we ST guys were too busy enjoying our machine rather than looking over our shoulders! After the intro, this disk is stuffed with cool tunes and supports various playback options, including stereo playback on the Atari STe.

Thanks to STompy for this piece of gold, and get it downloaded right now. Fantastic stuff!!

Credits

Incubi - Text, Other (Compilation)

Lucid Dream - Code

Stoo Cambridge - Graphics

The F.U. Man - Code

Serenade #78

I enjoyed the STAX #90 feature, so I figured I would do another one! This time, we delve into the Serenade archives to see what's lurking on one of their amazing 85 "PD" disks - nothing quite like keeping it legit? Anyhow, menu #78 appeared to stand out from the crowd with lots of cool games crammed onto one disk.

This is a simple menu compared to others from their catalogue, but there is stereo music for those lucky enough to own an Atari STe. In fact, it's one of the few mods that hasn't aged badly, so a massive thumbs up from this chiptune guy. The scroller is very interesting - apparently, Man Utd did well against their arch-rivals!

Serenade's library can be downloaded from Stonish with credits/etc on Demozoo. Let's begin...

- DEADLAND -

A platoon of little stickmen has crash-landed on the planet Ursula Minor, and this place is crawling with Ursulan Soldiers who are eager to kill you without mercy! Also, there are dangerous natural disasters to avoid, so it's best we don't hang about and quickly repair our spaceship to escape this hellhole. This means piecing that together (JetPac-style!) before anyone can be safely evacuated. Sounds very easy, right?

Deadland first feels similar to Rebellion or Cannon Fodder: control the direction of your active soldiers using the mouse, and a right-click turns them into trigger-happy Rambos. The planet is crawling with enemies and constantly frantic, so it's tough battling whilst planning construction work - that might leave some vulnerable? It's easy to lose your bearings and, just when you're getting to grips, your men drown in a mud pool!!

The enemy is relentless, so you cannot expect to wander about easily killing anything without taking a more strategic approach. Each member of your team is listed on the right-hand side of the screen for their health condition and other abilities. Don't forget to look after these guys - green is never good outside of the GEM desktop. There is a lot to master here, especially whilst defending against enemies, incoming rockets, mines /etc.

I enjoyed Deadland and the concept is great, but this isn't something you can easily pick up and play. It takes time, and a map would have been nice, as would using the cursor keys to scroll. Yep, I have struggled to get to grips with Deadland, but it's an excellent strategy and potentially rewarding. If you're brave enough?

- TRAPPED II -

I couldn't get this to work on my Atari STe - blank screen! So I switched to emulation to discover a Tron game. I've never been a fan of this genre, but I gotta admit it's good. It features different game styles, screen layouts and even a few power-ups (which I didn't expect). There's not much to look at (shock), and I imagined the sound effects would grate, but they didn't. After all these decades, I actually enjoyed a Tron game!

- MANIC MINEFIELD -

Minesweeper was another fad that I have always failed to appreciate, and Manic Minefield appears faithful to what I remember, with gameplay that's about as enjoyable as I expected. Shockingly, after a few games, I enjoyed this crude imitator even though I never won a single game! I often felt robbed of a win because I'm sure the ST cheats!! Then it rubs salt into your wounds using a sound sample to mock your lack of success. Interestingly, the board size, wallpaper, /etc can be altered in the Options screen. Which is kinda cool.

Manic Minefield is okay, and I imagine fans will enjoy it. But I doubt it's something I will play again...

- FRANK & THE LOST AUBERGINE -

Never would I have imagined loving a game's title more than "Hector vs The Mutant Vampire Tomatoes From Hell", yet here is Frank And The Lost Aubergine!! It's a fast-paced platformer developed using the STOS Missing Link extension and has us frantically running around screens crammed with monsters and gems.

Collect every gem to proceed to the next level, but watch out for the baddies. These can be killed by dropping a well-timed bomb directly in their path - difficult but doable. Or you could slam into them, albeit at the expense of losing one of your 50 lives. Yep, 50 and you'll need them all because there are lots of monsters!

Movement is very fast - too fast!! It's difficult to position where to stand when you wish to leap off a ledge. In fact, leaping over the wider gaps is close to impossible and takes too many attempts. I love a platformer that tests your patience, skills and dexterity, but it simply doesn't work here. A good idea poorly executed.

- DELUXE INVADERS -

I love Space Invaders, and I'm confident nothing will beat Sinister Developments' fantastic conversion. That is arcade-perfect using authentic effects!! However, this is a conversion of Roklan's 8-Bit Deluxe Invaders by one of the biggest ST legends. I've never played the Roklan game, so I was hoping for something different.

There are two modes: slow and fast. The slower game looks superb with colourful aliens invading your screen, and can be sped up by flicking over to 60Hz - something you should consider. The faster version is better to play, but appears boring in comparison, so I went looking for a green cellophane to wrap around my monitor!

Sadly, I didn't feel it with Deluxe Invaders and preferred the original if I'm brutally honest. It's a good game, but there are better "Invader" games for the Atari ST. Sigh, I'm also a bit deflated about that fact.

- NIBE -

This is a great snake game. I featured it a couple of years ago, so I'll copy and paste it:

NIBE is a Nibbler/Snake game by Marc Bourlon that features an ever-greedy snake who wants to chomp his way through lots of apples. However, this gluttony makes him grow longer with each bite so it becomes harder protecting him from bumping into walls or even his own tail. It's our job to help him eat his way through lots of screens - and many are pretty cruel in their design. You can even change the game's speed (if you dare!!)

Graphics are humble and suit the retro theme plus I love its title screen - which is actually a good intro. Sadly, there are no sound effects so Mad Max music plays throughout - never a bad thing!! Overall, Nibe is pretty straightforward and also extremely challenging thanks to a sinister design. Stick with it because the basic mechanics are spot-on and Nibe will certainly test your reactions, patience and concentration so prepare thyself to be tormented!!

I really enjoyed this olde game, but beware, it's tough. Probably too tough for you!!!

- MULTRIX -

Groan, another Tetris game? Yup, and it's not that good, I'm sorry to say, so play BLAT or Teserae instead.

- The CryptO'pinion -

That was not the awesome ride through the Atari ST history books I first imagined. In fact, it was a little bit of a letdown, if I'm honest. Not only did I have compatibility problems with a couple of games (Atari STe), but this was a true mixed bag of joy, disappointment and even a few stinkers thrown in for good measure!

It all depends on what you like, but Deadland and Nibe are the best reasons to click download.

“The ST Can’t Scroll”

Really?

One of the things we have all heard time and time again, both now and even back in the day, is that the Atari ST cannot scroll. I’ve never really understood where that came from. Because when I unwrapped my ST on Christmas morning back in 1988, I was straight into games like Xenon, Beyond the Ice Palace, Black Lamp, Return to Genesis, Thundercats, Wizball, and Zynaps. All of them scrolled - and they scrolled well. That was just the start, as the months passed, I got to play R-Type, Robocop, Baal, Pac-Land, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Custodian, The New Zealand Story, Jug, Blood Money, StarRay. And that list goes on (and on, and on...).

Sure, there were some stinkers - lazy ports that got the quick ‘n’ dirty Amiga-to-ST treatment, with zero care and even less optimisation. Especially in the 1990s, and when that happened, some developers shrugged and blamed the hardware. “The ST can’t scroll,” they’d say. More likely: the programmer didn’t have the time or the talent to do the job properly (ouch!). I'm still waiting for someone to Blitterise Cannon Fodder!

However, it's deeper than a handful of poorly converted games. So, where did this myth come from? Well, the standard ST was never going to churn out loads of games running at 50fps because it doesn’t have hardware scrolling, after all. But does that automatically mean anything running slower is rubbish? Not at all, but somehow, that excuse stuck - and even now, decades later, people still repeat it like it’s a fact.

Since I’m clearly not bored of moderating the abusive comments after posting about STDOOM & DOOM8088ST, I figured it was time to put this tired old myth to bed. I’ve made a 'gameplay' video showing several ST games that scroll fine – and yes, I could’ve included many more, but I think the point’s been made.

When the ST is in the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing and actually gives a TOS, it delivers. You might say, a bad workman blames his tools? Just STay Atari, and enjoy my recording! :-)