Something new, something unexpected
I thought it might be a nice idea to randomly select a handful of Atari ST games - something different from what I might normally choose. So I picked five games from the Dream Weavers menu disks catalogue. Everything is available on a floppy disk from
Atari Legend but all can see be installed onto a hard drive thanks to
D-Bug and
8BitChip.
Anyhow, this idea proved fun and with a few shocks too: I had a blast playing four totally new games (and Golden Axe!!). The
video recording shows my
first attempt at each game and I hope you enjoy watching it? Not a walkthrough ;)
Let's take a quick look at each of the Atari ST games I have just been playing...
The Amazing Spider-Man
Okay, the first up is The Amazing Spiderman by Empire Software. Now, I think that I remember playing this a few years ago but wasn't too impressed by the fiddly controls and lethargic pace? However, I must say that this "platformer" has genuinely shocked me because it's an incredible adventure which puts a different spin on the expected genre simply because of Spidey's mechanics. This means we have the expected superhero abilities along with being quite the sneaky saboteur - it's superb walking on the ceiling to creep by our enemies or punch switches with our webs.
There is also a fantastic 8-Bit vibe going on. Especially visually, which might not go down well for those looking for a classy 16-Bit quality, but I think it's perfect. Overall, this is now literally one of my favourite Atari ST games and I cannot possibly explain just how much I've loved being Spiderman!! Makes for a boring recording but this is an absolute GEM.
Edd the Duck!
Next up is Edd The Duck which was aimed more at kids and isn't really something I would normally choose anyhow. It's basically a poor man's Rainbow Islands but it does a pretty good job trying to live up to that class act. Actually, this is a cracking game and a lot better than I had expected but I found the jump mechanic a little off and the difficulty harder than it should be. Good, but it's probably a better idea just to load up Rainbow Islands?
Exterminator
Audiogenic's Exterminator was developed by The Assembly Line and is something I've wanted to play for a while - because it reminded me of Trashman!! This is all about pest control because an entire street is overrun with critters: wasps, spiders and many others. We won't be laying traps or leaving poison because we're quite literally a hands-on kinda guy.
Yep, using a BIG hand, we crush, pound or shoot the critters that emerge from the darkest corners of each room. It's kinda like a nightmarish mix of
Klax and gets even sillier with support for two players - which is tremendous fun. This game is something pointless that every Dad needs to experience with his kids - they'll love it.
A good bug-crunching game that excels in two-player mode and I'm shocked at how much I enjoyed Exterminator. Finally, I must add that The Assembly Line did us proud by supporting the Atari STe with cool DMA sounds!!
Golden Axe
Golden Axe is a beat 'em up that needs no introduction from me. However, it's also one of those games I feel could have been a great chance to show off what the Atari STe was capable of. Sadly, there's no STe support and that was an opportunity lost [imho] but this is where my criticism ends. If you're after an awesome hack 'n' slasher then this is it.
I should make a proper article here on AtariCrypt for this amazing game. A superb game, play it!! :-)
Ivan Ironman Stewart's
Super Off-Road
Virgin's Super Off-Road is another game I wouldn't typically have considered because it looks like a shameless Super Sprint ripoff. However, I am kicking myself because this is great fun and I took to this bumpy racer immediately. It's so much fun tearing around its mucky tracks. It was odd being asked for my date of birth but the game has superb controls and the physics performed very well. Ripping up dirt with Ivan is absolutely brilliant and I had a blast!
What it lacks in originality is compensated by great gameplay and is the perfect end for a great run of ST games.
