Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Venus The Flytrap



Gremlin predicted this 30+ years ago!

Planet Earth is dying because of mankind's habit of breeding like bacteria and raping all its natural resources to serve our gluttony. Well, some rubbish like that anyhow... But, for this game, the over-use of pesticides has finally killed off all the bugs and left mother nature unbalanced but we have created cybernetic bugs to compensate for our stupidity. Of course, it wasn't long before they went postal so we must eliminate them all before it's too late!

This is a run and kill 'em all platformer spread over fifty levels ranging from the green forests to Death Valley. You're a mechanical bug equipped with a cannon to fight off the foes and this can be upgraded using the power-ups left behind by those crazy insects. These consists of a wide range of improvements like better firepower, silly reversible controls, and even antigrav upside-down walking being possible - and that only serves to give brain ache! Bonus rounds appear each way through a level and flip the game into an exciting shoot 'em up for extra points.

Controls are bang-on perfect with a style that is clean and responsive without ever lagging. The graphics are pretty darn beautiful with smooth scrolling and nicely animated sprites plus it's worth noting all those many extra colours which spruce up what would normally have been a boring background. The music is perfect, something I can listen to all day.

Venus The Flytrap is an extremely enjoyable platformer which has always been on my favourite list. Great game!

* I also recorded a midi version of the game's excellent theme tune.
* An awesome remastered tune by ACC:Xess which completely blows you away!
* Okay, here is a hard drive installable copy of Venus by the mighty D-Bug to download.
* Those that require a floppy disk image should check out Old Games Finder.
* Fancy some level codes? Of course, you do! Simply press the SPACEBAR on the menu screen and then ignore using that handy keyboard because they decided that the joystick would be far better to enter these codes:
     -> The Forbidden Forest...starting level
     -> The Frozen Wastes......MANTIDS
     -> The Dead City..........CICADAS
     -> Wood World.............PSYLLIDS
     -> The Kaverns............PIERIDS
     -> Death Valley...........SATYRID
     -> The Creeping Swamp.....LYCAENID
     -> Tech World.............PYRALID
     -> Translucent Plain......NOCTUID
     -> The Stygian Creek......?

* I believe these cheat codes work fine, however, I have never tried them so YMMV... enjoy:
     -> extra time.............JUPITER
     -> extra ammo.............PLUTO
     -> weapons galore.........MARS
     -> fly like superman......MERCURY
     -> unknown................SATURN

Monday, September 26, 2016

Elvira - Mistress of the Dark



Greatest box art ever made?

"Can somebody help me find my chest?". Yes, I was hooked from the moment I saw this cover and then read that line! This game has the best box art ever I've ever seen. Well, after staring at it for longer than I should have, perhaps I should actually boot it up and play it? Ahem, okay, I have nothing more to add to this fine subject matter!

One of my favourite Atari ST games and probably the best box art in the world...

- DOWNLOADS -

A hard disk version is available from D-Bug. (highly recommended)
Old Games Finder has floppy images for those that love disk-swapping hell.

A little surfing revealed this walk-through.
(untested by me... but now I'm tempted!)

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Car-Vup



Paint by Wheels!

CarVup is a scrolling driving/platformer released in 1990 by Core Designs. We get to play the part of a cheerful car that appears to love painting platforms by simply driving over them. Yes, it's a pretty familiar idea but one which will certainly appeal to the... well... more mature gamer (just like me!) who remembers Painter. #AncientGamer

Each screen has many platforms in need of a new coat of paint and this easy task soon becomes tricky because of the numerous baddies that populate the playing field. Don't think about shooting your way through because there are no weapons (without collecting optional power-ups) so baddies must be avoided. This will be troublesome as your car has no breaks and loves driving constantly in a kamikaze fashion so these mechanics force you to constantly flip direction to find an alternative route whilst frantically searching for that last tile. It's fun, it's frantic, it's pointless - it's Painter!

So, I think it's time for the first screenshot which contains a bunch of handy information...



Follow the instructions and learn the different jumps otherwise its Game Over, buddy boy.


Input & Output

This is a game which would sink like a lead balloon if it had anything less than perfect controls. So I'm grateful they are indeed responsive and well thought out. Best of all, they're responsive and without any annoying lag. Many platforms are difficult to reach so require precise timing, which is made harder when the enemy might be blocking your path. CarVup always requires quick and reactions to avoid losing a life because you never know what might appear.

Each level always looks superb with lots of colours and a lovely cartoony design. Personally, I think Core did a great job throughout with the cute appearance, smooth scrolling and cute sprites. The sound effects are pretty nice and do their expected job well but it's the chiptunes which are all foot-tappingly superb. (press key 'M' to toggle).

Right, it's time for another screenshot and this one is from the game itself you will be happy to know...



Always be on the lookout for dangerous items and strange obstacles or even dodgy enemies!


The CryptO'pinion?

CarVup may not appeal to everyone, especially those old enough to remember how boring Painter was! However, I recommend you give this a try because it's an enjoyable twist on the theme and enjoyable too. I'm an ancient gamer but still found myself enjoying its "just one more go" appeal. Hardly a Grade A release but, definitely worth playing.

And that's about it really, a fun spin on Painter that works very well. Yep, I really enjoyed playing CarVup!


Floppy disks are available via Old Games Finder with a hard disk version by 8BitChip.
The One magazine released a demo version containing extra levels NOT in the commercial release!

If you press the 'Z' key during gameplay then it will stop your car!

Enter these codes into the high-score table :
infinite lives - R.J.TOONE
infinite bumpers - BUMPER
9 lives - PUSSYCAT
faster turn speed - WOOAARRGGHH
level skip - WHOOPSIE
extra points - ARNIECAR
more points - BARMY CAR

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Resolution 101



Bad guys need killing

Resolution 101 was developed by Astral who also made Horror Zombies From The Crypt and Archipelagos. They portray a future that is a crime-ridden hell hole displayed using gorgeous vectors for a grim scenario.

We are an ex-criminal turned good and it's our job to hunt down the bad guys in our anti-gravity squad car. So, just like any Van Damme or Stallone movie, you should expect action and lots of explosions! Use your car radar to help map this urban jungle. Whenever you kill anything, they drop their stash for you to collect - which angers the drug lords that will pop up on your monitor display. It's now that you realise your job is to eliminate everyone!!

Control is best with the mouse: use this to view all around your crazy new world. The left button accelerates and the right fires our weapon. This is an excellent system that works perfectly and is far better than the joystick. The graphics are superb using such a fast and smooth 3D engine. I must say it's great when the drug lord appears on your screen - so comical. The sound effects are great as is the music which I love - you can hit F7 to flip between these.

This is one of the best 3D shoot 'em ups for the Atari ST. It's fantastic with no overly complex (ie, unnecessary) objectives to get in the way of your enjoyment. I really liked zooming through the city, which is always fast for a most satisfying chase.

Quite simply, Resolution 101 is one of the most frantic and enjoyable retro shooters that I have ever played.


Don't miss this fantastic shooter - floppy & hard disk



This baddie looks like something from Dr Who so let's zip around him and zoom away!


That guy looks like my old Computer Studies tutor from college. Spooky!


Each level features great animations of the drug lords taking a hit... Nice developers, really!!

The map of our drug-dealer world!

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Frogger



Turning back the clock to 1981

You know, it feels like I've been beta-testing Frogger forever but, it's finally complete!! Yes, we have the official release of Frogger, by Scott Clifford. Do not expect a cheap knock-off because this is about as accurate as it gets with authentic visuals, sounds and playability. I'm sure every fan of the arcade game will adore this brand-new conversion. Plus it's 2016 and the Atari ST is getting new games released - which is incredible!!

Frogger is such a simple game but let's take a wild stab at the gameplay basics...
Leapin' Frogger! Home may look like it's only a hop, skip, and a jump away, but looks can be deceiving. First, there's a dangerous highway to hop across, full of fast-moving cars & trucks. Then there's a swirling river to leap,  full of frog-eating creatures. How's Frogger going to get home safely? By letting you hop him on his way. Guide Frogger safely through this perilous journey, and you'll jump for joy!

The object of the game is to hop as many frogs to safety as you can - and to score the most points along the way. Each time you bring 5 frogs home, you'll hear a short tune.  Then the game will continue at a more difficult level with your remaining frogs. The traffic will be more difficult to cross. There will be fewer floating objects on the river. Frogger-eating snakes will also appear on the riverbank in progressively more difficult levels. The game ends when no frogs (lives) are left.

Your score is shown at the bottom of the screen throughout the game. Points accumulate as follows:

Jumping Frogger forward = 10 points
Jumping Frogger home = 50 points
Jumping 5 frogs home = 1000 points
Taking a lady frog home = 200 points
Eating a fly = 100 points
Extra points for time left = 10 points (per remaining second)


I always love information screens - plus how authentic is this? Amazing conversion.


2016 and the Atari ST is alive & kicking!

Frogger should work fine with every model of ST computer but it's only been tested on the Atari ST, Atari STe and Mega STe. So please let us know if you have any issues using one of those super-speedy computers that neither Scott nor I could afford. Okay, you can download this amazing arcade game right now from AtariMania. Enjoy gaming like it's 1981!!

It's Frogger. Which is an original classic. Guess what? The Atari ST now has an excellent and authentic version!!

Update: You may be interested to know that Scott is now a member of Effect and has also been interviewed by AtariCrypt!! He has worked on many demo screens that you need to check out, like the amazing Turrican Music Disk. However, he currently has RAIDEN in development specifically for the Atari STe.

Friday, September 16, 2016

[A]tari [G]ame [T]ools



Feel the power of the Atari STe!!

Here are new videos from the current version of "AGT" by Douglas Little. A.G.T. stands for Atari Game Tools and is intended for the much under-utilised Atari STe and each video shows the potential of this engine. It's a jaw-dropper and Doug has a thread on Atari-Forum detailing more information. He also has a bitbucket website for downloads/tutorials.

Doug has an impressive history and AGT has so much gaming potential:

* Full support for the Atari STe hardware.
* 8-way (or 4-way) scrolling.
* Horizontal-only scrolling.
* Overscan- Increased resolutions.
* Vertical-only scrolling.
* Scroll rate from 0 to +/-16 pixels per frame on each axis.
* Map size up to 32768 x 32768 pixels.
* Highly configurable for different kinds of games!
 



I look forward to seeing how our community utilises AGT.
"Happy STE coding"

Monday, September 12, 2016

Demos


Okay folks, I need to select a handful of cool demos for the Atari ST -and- STe computers. I've already chosen about a dozen or so of my personal favourites but I'd love to know which yours are. They don't necessarily need to be predictably famous megademos, anything that oozes a style you love whilst it displays its majestic 68K power!

LINKS

 - It goes without saying, check out ST Survivor's awesome Demo Encyclopedia website!
 - Demozoo is a great place to search for your reminder of any Atari ST/e demos.
 - Check out the AtariCrypt YouTube channel with playlists for both STFM and the STE.

Friday, September 09, 2016

Where Time Stood Still




8-Bits of joy!

Where Time Stood Still is one of those games that bridged my transition from the ZX Spectrum to Atari ST and was developed by legends Denton Designs and published in 1988 by the mighty Ocean Software. In fact, Denton Designs came out from the ashes of Imagine Software - I spent my youth playing/mapping their excellent games! I really miss playing The Great Escape, which sadly never made it onto the Atari ST. #TotallyGutted

Our plane has crashed on a remote plateau somewhere in the Himalayas. Thankfully you, and three passengers, survive the wreck but find yourselves in a land inhabited by prehistoric creatures, dodgy bridges, quicksand slutch, killer rock-hands and even strange tribal dudes who anger easily at their new white friends.

I bet now you're wondering about the graphics? Just don't, you idiot! Read on...



Day and Night doesn't slow down our family of budding adventurers!



Let the adventure begin!

Firstly, familiarise yourself with the user interface that shows health/ammo and will assist during times you consider eating, drinking or resting. The display is simple but will initially be confusing using the character's inventory/etc. Control can be using either the mouse or joystick but oddly, I found the joystick was best.

Your name is Jarret, the classic hero who probably has a chiselled jaw and designer stubble! The other characters are mostly controlled by the computer and follow wherever you go, so long as they're happy! Each person has their own unique personality - Clive is a rich man who moans and tires easily. Gloria and Dirk are a couple in love and I hear Dirk has some nifty language skills too. Well, so long as he has Gloria to keep him happy...

The characters themselves are ace and really do add, well, character to this whole adventure. If you begin and are wondering what to do or where to go - don't. Experiment and take a gander at your surroundings. Check out items and see what you are capable of doing. Here are a few examples of what is initially possible. Common sense not included, bring that yourself!

1. Grab the rope at the start otherwise, you might get into bother crossing a bridge.
2. Surprisingly, it's often possible to run away from dinosaurs!
3. Refill your flask in the river.
4. Just because someone (chubby) is moaning, he can be pushed to continue on...
5. There are two types of natives and the first are the friendly guys!
6. Keep moving in the swamp - don't stop!
7. Wandering hands love a piece of fresh meat!


Right then, this bridge looks completely safe so let's go!



Sounds a bit boring?

Hardly. This game is brilliantly designed and played over an enormous map, so exploration is the key to success. Not only should you make a basic map of the area as you venture out but, take your time, there is much that isn't as it first appears. Look out for anything useful that you think could assist in some way later on. Think ahead.

But be a careful explorer - what's your rush? Who knows what nasties are around the next corner or if the ground is even safe to walk on. Rocks fall, things break and even the natives aren't always guaranteed to be nice. Coming face to face with your first dinosaur is a scary moment so perhaps it's a good idea to be stealthy? A longer route might be a safer route? Hang on, I see woodland nearby that would be great for cover and shelter...

Be a people person, don't forget about your team and their morale. These guys will let you know when they are in need of rest, food, water or suffering an injury. They are quite needy and a bit clumsy too but that doesn't mean you should pander to their every request. Push them a little harder, without being a slave driver because tired people are often grumpy people. And grumpy people are harder to control and often go off by themselves!



Bugger, I've lost all my friends so I'm going to sit here and sulk!



Aesthetics

Visually speaking you might be confused by what your eyes are seeing? No, this isn't a trick using a ZX Spectrum emulator! There are many 16-bit differences, along with improvements like better scrolling and a higher detail level. However, it is basically faithful to the original as much as it could be, without being a boring copy. Or worse, full of bloatware.

The music is by Fred Gray (he of Black Lamp) and is truly amazing so perfectly suits the gameplay style and atmosphere. However, if you so prefer, sound effects can be used instead. Unless you're mad, stick with the chipmusic!



Watch out you don't slip and die!



The CryptO'pinion?

I've been playing throughout the "summer" and made significant progress: my team has made it through the swamps, found a box of dynamite, ran like a girl when hearing a scary T-Rex, and chatted with the locals. Then a hand came out from nowhere and choked me to death which forced a rethink of strategy. However, advancing across the river wasn't a good idea when hungry natives are waiting. Imagine being eaten alive? What a terrible way to go...

As you can tell, I am really enjoying myself and I can sense victory is close? (I hope so). You know, this is what an (almost) open-world game should be like - a huge potential to have your own unique adventure. Where Time Stood Still has it all and I feel I should be wearing a butchered animal skin when playing it? What a fantastic adventure game this is!!

Download for HDD or FLOPPY

Thursday, September 08, 2016

Retro Image Tool



  


Argh, why are there so many different image formats?

Well, I recently found a video by Sascha Springer, aka Anima, who has created a tool to convert any modern picture into the Spectrum 512 format. This can then be viewed on your Atari ST/e with astounding results!!

These three pictures I created for my own Atari STe are in Spectrum format using the extended palette. Fantastic results, I'm sure you'll agree? So give this extraordinary tool a playtest to see what you can create/convert.


Watch the tutorial video before playing with Retro Image Tool (use Chrome).
You can view the SPU image using his slideshow program on your Atari ST/e computer.

Wednesday, September 07, 2016

Pommitus


I recently read a posting by Tatu Salmela, who created Pommitus back in 1996. I contact him, we got talking and I found out he learned to program by reading ST Format and he is still patching and improving Pommitus to this day. Since then, it has been converted from Finnish into English and you can now find a download on AtariMania.

Pommitus is a multiplayer strategy game which involves using calculated tactics to bomb your opponent. At first, I wasn't too keen on the user interface because I often clicked outside the control box, thus mistakingly taking my shot. Thankfully, it soon becomes second nature and is great fun bombing your neighbour to kingdom come! Sounds are minimal but good enough and the mono graphics are sharp and detailed - that's right, you will need a monochrome monitor for the best experience. Being GEM-based, it should work on all Atari computers and even supports those lucky enough to have a maths coprocessor installed!
Oddly, an emulator like Hatari might run Pommitus slower than a real Atari computer but that is easily fixed by flipping the CPU setting to 16 or 32MHz. Nothing ever beats the real hardware...!
I am incredibly impressed with Pommitus and so grateful Tatu shared his works with AtariCrypt. Oh, and also this little tidbit of news - he is developing a new Atari ST game similar to Pommitus which will work in ST Low. It is in the early stages but I am very excited to see yet another Atari ST game in development! Watch this space, folks. :-)

Tuesday, September 06, 2016

Spontaneous Compression



A brand new album

Say hello to the third album by YM-Digital, Spontaneous Compression which was released yesterday and features nine tracks of awesome audio for us all to enjoy. Of course, each track was created using Atari ST computers!!

01. AdraSTea Orbit (16,61 kHz)
02. Cell Synthesis (16,40 kHz)
03. The Lost Confidence (50 kHz)
04. Aomi - The ST Version (16,40 kHz)
05. Yellow Leaves Are Falling (16,40 kHz)
06. Neutralizer II (16,40 kHz) / original composer: Rudolf Stember
07. Digiloo Digiley (50 kHz) / original composer: Kemal Ezcan
08. Draconus - The ST Cover (22,75 kHz) BONUS TRACK / original composer: Adam Gilmore
09. Aomi - The STE Version (50 kHz) BONUS TRACK
Total Time: 32:33 min.

All songs (except "Aomi - the STE version") have been recorded from an ATARI 520ST computer with YM2149 chip.

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

BeGEMeD



Dear puzzle fans, brace yourself!!

Forget playing Candy Crush on your phone because there is something better to play on your Atari STe: BeGEMeD. This is a twist on the Bejewelled theme and has been developed for the Atari STe and Falcon/TT by Alexander de Vries.

Those familiar with the game will love this version because it not only plays brilliantly but looks and sounds the part too. BeGEMeD features amazing graphics in 16 colours by Carnivac. In fact, it's hard to believe that so few colours are used because the screen looks incredible. A talented use of so few colours is very impressive.

Accompanying the lush visuals is music by Dma-Sc, one of my favourite musicians and is mesmerisingly awesome. We also have familiar sound effects as we play with sampled speech that lets us know how awesome we are! Love it all.




ReadMe.TXT

Nice of you to visit this text, it will give you all the basic information you need to know to get started. Don’t worry it's easy so you will get the hang of it very soon!!

We are visiting Jack Bright, the castle lord of a medieval castle. He has already lived there for a lot of years and the castle needs some work. But his cash flow is a little bit on the downside so to earn some cash he has to swap gems for it.

He has lots of them hidden in his castle but it is a real mess. They are just piled on top of each other in no order at all. To swap them for cash he has to sort them out! But he can only do so if he has 3 or more of the same collection.

How does he do that? Well simple, just align 3 or more gems horizontal or vertical. For every successful swap, he earns those coins. Click the gem you van to swap with one of its neighbours and then choose the one you want to swap. Or even better just drag it over the other one by holding the mouse button, it both works...

As the coin meter reaches the top you have earned enough cash to go to the next level. The aim of the game is to reach the biggest high score of course.



The CryptO'pinion?

I contacted Alexander to thank him for developing a great game and... we got chatting... it wasn't long before I was beta-testing a new version. Which was ace of course and I'm thrilled to report numerous bug fixes and extra features.

This has been a blast because Alexander is a cool chap and I'm honoured to have played a (tiny) part in producing what is a fantastic and addictive puzzler. I'm confident with the following statement: BeGEMeD is one of the best Bejeweled games I have ever played. A fantastic game that looks and sounds as good as it plays. Love it.

AtariMania has the latest version to download!

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Saboteur III - The Egyptian Mission



Durell games for the Atari ST?

Saboteur 3 was released in 2012 by Shadow Team for the Atari STe and Falcon. I'll start by saying that I was a huge fan of Saboteur 2 on my Spectrum 128 (not so much the first game oddly enough) so I'm excited to see this for my ST and I'm wondering how it will compare. Well, it's obviously an unofficial fan game based upon the original 8-bit games by legends, Durell Software. Incredibly, it was programmed using GFA Basic. Pretty cool.

This third mission takes us into Egypt looking for fragments of a key to unlock a treasure-filled sarcophagus. However, this might not come as much of a shock, but somebody has rigged most rooms with killer spikes and lots of scary creatures like mummies, bats, and scorpions. So don't expect this to be easy!!



Ok, let's begin the mission... Yeah, that means killing Mommies!


Authentic or different?

Controls are very responsive and I'm impressed with the fluency of our actions which help make this game feel authentically enjoyable. Movements are more or less what you would expect with a few changes - down/fire now makes our ninja hit under the belt without using the old kicking mechanic. Each room is great and a pleasure for this oldskool gamer - I liked the design and kicking monsters to death is always fun. Looking at the map, Saboteur 3 is smaller than the previous game on my old ZX Spectrum but the adventure is still superb.

There are some changes to the gameplay mechanics which irk me a little if I'm being honest. Like falling off a ledge for an instant death rather than simply draining you of your replenishable strength - I miss that bar... I also failed to see the point of spikes that pop up impaling you each and every time, even during mid-jump!! However, the most annoying oddity is the ladders because some simply go nowhere and that's just stupid.



As you progress, things get odd and very difficult! Perhaps too difficult?


Aesthetics

It was never going to look just like the 8Bit games but I still love the graphics here in the ST game. They are different in style yet still brilliantly retro and follow the original theme well using a freakishly odd palette. It takes some getting used to! However, each nasty is nicely animated which makes kicking these creatures to death - a joy!

The in-game music is by Dma-Sc and thus a beautiful example of extraordinary chiptune talent. I still would have liked an option for sound effects to play alongside the music. But I'm now being rather picky, I guess?



Sooner or later, I usually end all my games looking this good! ;o)


The CryptO'pinion?

Saboteur 3 is good but far from perfect. Sadly, I feel hardcore fans will enjoy picking at it because many of the expected Saboteur-characteristics are altered or missing. However, this is still a great game in its own right and I think even Clive Townsend would enjoy playing this alternative conversion? Well, I know I did. A lot!!

Come and get the download if you think you're hard enough!

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Creatures



Cute & Cuddly Gaming

Somewhere in the far reaches of the universe is a planet called Blot. Much like early Eden, this is a wonderful place; everything is perfect and everyone is happy. The inhabitants are little creatures called the Blotians. However, for some peculiar reason, these guys got bored with their paradise and wanted something better so came up with the daft notion of a brand new identity - on a different planet. They're now called Fuzzy Wuzzies!!

Creatures was released in 1992 by Thalamus and programmed by Philip Watts of WJS Design. Yes, he of Leander and Ork, two decent scrolling games you should check out.

What these sad creatures didn't realise was that evil demons already lived on this new planet. And are a very bad-tempered bunch too! Needless to say, they should have been happy where they were because everyone has been captured and awaited a cruel and bloody fate. You are Clyde Radcliffe, your breath stinks terribly but it is your job to rescue all of your simple-minded friends from these vicious fiends! So good luck - you'll need it.

This sounds simply insane and I love that!! So let's view an authentic screenshot taken with my phone...




Actually, this is quite sadistic!

Clyde is the cutest thing and is equipped with a rapid-firing weapon, which is handy because many of the baddies annoyingly take numerous. Power-ups are available, I love the 'wriggler' effect the most but there are many others to choose from. However, your superpower is the funniest weapon of all, press and hold the fire button to breathe bad breath over anything that gets too close. A bad-breathed hero must surely be a first?

A good tip for Creatures is to not rush it. The enemies can take more than a few hits which is a little weird and can often feel a little OTT. Try to kill what's already on the screen before moving on and being overrun by evil cute critters. Okay, that's a simple and obvious tip, but there ya' go. Take it or leave it!

Controlling Clyde is a cinch thanks to great joystick controls and fantastic level designs which are fun to navigate. The monsters come in all sorts and always manage to bring a smile to this ugly mug of mine thanks to great attention to detail and cruel personalities. End-of-level scenes are particularly cruel (but funny) but employ a harsh time limit before a fellow Fuzzy Wuzzy meets their bloody death at the hands of a sadistic demon!

Wait! It's not screenshot time. Oh, no let's jazz this up with a video recording...




Sexy Pixels & Smooth Audio?

I love the lush aesthetics with beautiful colours and stunning artwork - the attention to detail is amazing. Wow, the sprites are as cute as they are evil, this game looks the part alright and never fails to impress. However, everything might look nice, but is spoiled by rubbish push-scrolling! Sure, that method works fine for games like Rick Dangerous, but not here.

The audio is excellent with a cool theme tune that has you bobbing away to its funky beats. I love it. Also, the sound effects are making use of the DMA hardware - if you're lucky enough to own an Atari STe? If so, they are ace!!!

Righto, let's break up the silence! The shock of that push scrolling means we have another screenshot...




The CryptO'pinion?

Creatures is very enjoyable with well-balanced gameplay and a fantastic (and sadistic) sense of humour. However, it was originally designed as a scrolling platformer and a scrolling platformer needs to SCROLL. So, it sadly falls short of the mark compared to other versions as it's hampered by what appears a rushed port. Maybe I'm too fussy? Tell me!

Don't get me wrong, Creatures is worth downloading because it is a good game with a superb theme, humour, controls and audio. However, it's a massive shame they didn't make full use of the Atari STe or even push the STfm like so many other companies did with their platformers already out by 1992. The list is near endless so what was stopping Thalamus?

Help Clyde now and grab it on floppy & hard drive.

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Annex



Yet another FPS game!

Annex is a homebrew first-person shooter published by LAPD in 1995 and attempts to blend together the action of Doom using the gameplay mechanics of Dungeon Master. Nasty aliens have taken control of the science space station, Annex. Guess what? It's our job to kill every last one of them whilst fixing the life support reactors. Oh yeah!

At first, I didn't think this would work using the old 90° turns but it actually works out very nicely. Movement is performed using a combination of the keyboard and mouse: the keyboard walks and activates switches with the used mouse to aim and shoot. As you can imagine, this works well and whenever a bad guy sees you - the speak. This conveniently acts as a nifty "heads-up" alert so you're not taken by surprise. So, annihilate them for a gory blood splatter :-)

The graphics are great but lack variety in both colour and texture, thus things do tend to get a little samey after a while. Sadly, there is also no map function to help us out - the docs do suggest making your own. Yes, this game is fun and I like the way it combines action with adventure but I really need a pen and paper to map it (otherwise, I'll easily get lost!!).

Far from perfect but fans of the first-person shooter genre should definitely take a look. I enjoyed it a bunch.

 * AtariMania has a download available from their Atari ST database.
 * Zogging Hell has a nice selection of the LAPD library.

Friday, August 26, 2016

Floyd The Droid



One of my earliest purchases

Floyd The Droid was developed in 1986 by Paul Lay for Analog Software. We're a droid who loves to explore but this trait got him into trouble so now he's stuck inside a (wait for it) topo-dimensional converter. So you're alone in the void of whatever this existence is and surrounded by weird enemies intent on our death.

This game is simple, shoot everything - robots, spaceships, C64's and more. We begin each game with 75% health and it increases with each enemy we kill. Sadly, it also decreases if you bump into them or if you shoot an Atari logo. Kill everything and move onto the next level to do it all over again at a faster rate. Don't panic!

Interestingly, you can hit F1-F6 to start on the following stages: 1, 10, 20, 30. 40 and 50.

The graphics are basic but it's all about the sprites which are huge and beautiful in their own weird way. The music is insanely awesome. Insane, because it's so zany and weird yet I also leave it playing as I love it. There is also speech which is quite superb for such an early ST game, and it's excellent. A lot of love went into this game.
 - I believe there was a hi-res version in the making but was it ever released?
 - AtariMania lists Floyd The Droid in their database and also Missing One Droid.
 - Atari 8-bit fans may also wanna click here: Floyd the Droid Goes Blastin'.
Overall, it's a little rough around the edges because it's an early title but this is also a piece of Atari ST history. Personally, I enjoy frantically blasting a relentless hoard of invading oddities - it never gets old and it's so addictive. This is ancient retro gaming at its best, so hit that fire button and try to last as long as you can!!


I managed to find the original of Missing One Droid and I just had to buy it!!

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Frontier: Elite II



The End Of An Era...

After a worrying delay, Frontier Elite II was released in early 1994 by Gametek. It was unlike most other games due to its sheer size taking place amongst creation. Yep, that's right a whole universe of near-countless stars to explore which basically meant long gaming nights are ahead (over the decades and through to present day!)

Commander Jameson has sadly left this realm and you came along just in the nick of time to reap the benefits of his will reading. Being his favourite grandson, he left you 100 credits with strict instructions to stay clear of Vegas. He also left you his pride and joy, an Eagle Long Range Fighter - careful, don't scratch it. You now have the means and opportunity to explore the heavens so jump into your spaceship and begin the journey of a lifetime! And I mean that quite literally.

Sounds immense and it was/is so let's check out a couple of screenshots...



There are two basic starting positions and faster computers can even crank up the graphical details.




The Universe Is Yours!

After watching the awesome intro, various menu options are available to begin your first adventure and I advise selecting Option 1 which places you safely in the Ross 154 System. Or more precisely, at the Sirocco starport on the planet Merlin. You have 100 credits and a rather funky piece of 3D called your spaceship so starting at Sirocco is a great place to learn the ropes of the GUI and basic trading skills along with brushing up on your piloting skills.

Frontier is an open-world (space!) sandbox game that doesn't restrict in any traditional sense as you are free to travel almost anywhere and do almost anything you like. However, even gaming folklore doesn't come for free and this style of living costs money. So use the spaceship to provide yourself with a good living by means of job contracts and trading because everyone needs something. This is where you come in to make your hard-earned cash.

It's always about cash but don't let it become the love of money. Chill, and check out some more screenshots...



First things first, let's check out the cool spaceships and find dodgy jobs on the bulletin boards.




Trouble at t'mill?

Frontier's universe has two major factions, and this is the Trekkie part, for me. Firstly, we have the Federation which is based in the Sol system and then we have The Empire which is based within the Achenar system. Both offer a haven to live and trade but aren't exactly the best of friends. Also, outside the safety of their territory, you run the risk of running into pirates who want your precious cargo - and your life!! Who said life was gonna be easy?

These dogfights are difficult to master and possibly the hardest part of the entire game. Gone are the arcade-style controls in favour of realistic Newtonian physics which will affect the control of your spacecraft. So, momentum will first need to be compensated in order for you to slow down, stop or change direction. Perhaps it's now that I should advise saving your game at regular intervals? Learn physics because the pirates are tough cookies.

Do the pirates spoil it? I'll let you decide whilst you view a couple more screenshots...



Check out your local solar system and then see what goods are best to trade in...




Trade, Respect, Fight!

Ultimately, Frontier is all about trade and trying to earn yourself the means for a lucrative lifestyle through the adventures of space and exploring the heavens. Use your galactic map to explore a 3D perspective of creation to plan a route, dig for information to find out what they need, and then buy in bulk to earn lots of cash.

Enjoy your journey but prepare thyself because nothing beats making your first hyperspace jump - very exciting!! This automatically ends once you are within the vicinity of your destination, but the distance to travel is still huge, so don't forget to use the Stardreamer buttons to pass the time quicker! Auto-docking is finally supported and, once you've boarded, get details of goods sold to reap the biggest profits. Also, before you begin looking for another trade route, remember to refuel your ship otherwise you won't be able to make another hyperspace jump!

It's completely up to you how to live but these two screenshots were entirely my doing...



I love is exploring the universe. Hang on, what's that dot? Zoomed in... and saw this beauty!!




But Is It Any Good?

Stick with it and, after earning lots of money, you should consider checking out the Bulletin Board. It's here you can upgrade your ship or search for jobs like transporting passengers, helping to find a missing person, mining, military work or information. Heck, there is even a black market for those without a conscience where you can trade slaves, weapons, narcotics, or even be an assassin. However, this dark lifestyle will definitely take you into dangerous waters so will almost certainly attract the attention of the law. Are you ready for that kinda heat, bad boy?

Frontier is one heck of a game and one with immense potential and I'm hoping this feature will regenerate your interest to play. Frontier is all about progression and making the right choices to build up your own empire. Don't expect to jump into the pilot's seat and see the entire universe in one sitting because will take time, money and commitment. Frontier: Elite II is jaw-dropping and quite literally one of the best games, ever.

Grab yourself a slice of creation and play this immense game which you can find on either floppy or your hard drive. The manual is available on AtariMania and you can catch a glimpse of the 16-bit universe right now......

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Knight Lore



Uh, a Falcon game???

AtariCrypt is all about the Atari ST/e computers but I shall make an exception for its big brother: the 32-Bit Atari Falcon. This is because I was recently contacted by Janez Valant (Swe, of YesCREW) and he mentioned a Falcon release of Knight Lore that might be cool for those who don't know about it. I was one of them. How did I not know about this game?

I'm a big fan of Ultimate's famous isometric Spectrum game from 1984. I can even remember it being released and we were blown away by the next-gen visuals and also how each puzzle was presented as a 3D room. Okay, I had seen similar in 3D Ant Attack but definitely nothing at this new level. To be honest, it was one of those mind-blowing moments in history.

The Falcon version appears to be the complete game, featuring spot-on perfect gameplay too. In fact, it's probably better because there is no slowdown that the Speccy version suffered. However, gone is the lovely monochrome palette for something that is now very colourful. Ahem, perhaps too colourful for my liking? It feels unnecessary.

There was a part of me that didn't believe Janez yet here it is running on my virtual Falcon (Hatari) and it's brilliant. However, I must admit that I'm saddened it doesn't run on the ST/e. Ignoring the tacky colours, I don't see why the ST cannot handle it. Perhaps somebody out there knows the answer but if it's because of the many colours - I'll be very angry lol.

Anyhow, playing this iconic game on the Atari Falcon is fantastic. All I need now is a real Falcon...

 Download Knight Lore and relive 1984 ZX Spectrum style!! 

Friday, August 19, 2016

What's wrong with this picture?



Can you spot two things that are wrong?

Those with a keen eye will notice the larger screen space of my GEM desktop? What about the three resolutions that appear selectable? Well, if you saw these things then you're an Atari ST rock star and I salute you!

Yes, I've been experimenting with a few GEM programs that allow the use of larger resolutions and more cool stuff. Some support interlace to double the vertical resolution but that can look a little odd and hurts my eyes! (use 60Hz!!). Others can create a virtual screen by using the hardware scrolling of the Atari STe. But do you really wanna scroll?

Interestingly, some programs feature overscan. This is a technique used to make use of the empty borders and it sparked my curiosity. Using this extra screen space is excellent and comes without any slowdown. Most GEM programs should work perfectly fine and I'm left wondering why Atari couldn't have made this standard back in 1985?

I've made a bundled download of these programs - please let me know if there are others I've missed.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Magic Boy



Prepare to be amazed!

Magic Boy was released in 1993 by Empire and is one of the cutest platformers I've ever seen. Personally, it reminds me of Rainbow Islands in both its quality and ravishingly charming styles. We are Hewlett, a young boy with a magic wand who accidentally turned all the animals into freakishly cute monsters. Seems plausible to me...

How do these things keep happening? Not to worry, it's our task to restore everything back to normal, so that means venturing forth through many beautiful worlds to tag & bag the nasties. Sounds a little odd, you might think? Well, perhaps you should brace yourself for a shock because it's often the silliest idea that works.

Firstly, check out this screenshot I've taken. Wear sunglasses and take a deep breath...



Magic Boy must be one of the most colourful games on the Atari ST.


Shoot, jump, bag & grab!

Looks great, doesn't it? Well, there are four massive worlds to explore (Sand Land, Wet World, Plastic Place, Future Zone) and each offer eight levels. Things begin relatively easily before lots of cunning tricks and traps are introduced. This is staggered nicely and certainly keeps things interesting - and the player on their toes.

This mild learning curve is nothing much for the easier levels. It's very easy to pick up and play, so you're instantly leaping your way through in no time. Make sure you collect all the power-ups which will aid your progress. Just watch out for anything that looks oddly cute - it's not really. It's very nasty so shoot it and then bag it. Great stuff!!

However, the later levels are tough and I mean really tough!! Those cute critters are actually deceivingly mean and seem to know just when to strike with a perfectly well-timed shot. Also, the level layout increases with the usual moving tiles and others might dissolve or randomly disappear. Infuriatingly difficult which can be a shame sometimes as these later levels are impossible for a guy like me to complete.... without a cheat!



Things are now starting to get serious with cunning-level designs for a tough challenge!


Aesthetics

This is literally one of the most stunning 16-Bit games I have ever played which is thanks to John Dale and Leigh Christian. They have created a game with bright, radiant visuals and so many comical characters. Nothing has been sacrificed and you will see your Atari ST looking this good AND that includes ultra-smooth scrolling.

Sound effects are brilliant and best experienced using an Atari STe. Yes, I said STe but that doesn't mean the ST is lacking. Not one bit. Accompanying music is perfect with a fun-themed high-quality tune, that remains in your head all day. Yes, Magic Boy is most definitely one of the sexiest Atari ST games I have ever played.



Future Zone has some incredible levels to hop through as does the quirky Plastic Place.


The CryptO'pinion?

You won't be shocked to hear that this is one seriously addictive platformer and I loved it. Yup, it's almost perfect and a genuine pleasure to play because it's so much fun and I really cannot think of something negative to say. Okay, okay, that difficulty in later levels is really tough but something weirdly reminiscent of games from the era.

The controls, game mechanics, visuals, sounds ... I love this game so much because it's fun and a thrill to play. Doesn't this just go to prove what the Atari ST/e is capable of when in the hands of talented people? So stop what you're doing and load it up right now because it's one of the best 16-bit platformers ever released.

Grab yourself either the floppy disk or a version to install onto a hard drive/Ultrasatan thanks to Peter over on 8BitChip. For those who wanna flick through directly to the later levels then you will enjoy these codes. On the menu screen, press and hold down the desired keys before pressing fire to begin:

     -> Sand Land......(part 1)  =  S + 1

     -> Sand Land......(part 2)  =  S + 2
     -> Future Zone....(part 1)  =  F + 1
     -> Future Zone....(part 2)  =  F + 2
     -> Plastic Place..(part 1)  =  P + 1
     -> Plastic Place..(part 2)  =  P + 2
     -> Wet World......(part 1)  =  W + 1
     -> Wet World......(part 2)  =  W + 2