Monday, June 19, 2017

Roger



Another Atari STe game, anyone?

Spot... Erm, sorry, Roger is a fast-paced 25-level platformer released by Tobe of MJJ. It offers a frantic run through various Sonic-like levels collecting jewels for our rather demanding girlfriend, Georgette. However, this "platformer" has many jewels - without any ladders or (very few) ledges... So how will Roger complete her task?

Bubbles, of course! All he needs to do is jump on one and, when it bursts, the force thrusts him upwards. If there's another bubble, then the cycle continues and he uses that speed and momentum to reach each of the jewels. Roger has limited health, so it's advisable to avoid the sharp spikes that burst on contact to drain valuable energy. Thankfully, power pills can be collected to compensate for that but they are few and far between.


This is what it's all about and Georgette is pretty much a babe with her luscious red lips!


Quick Reactions R Needed!

Use the joystick to walk left or right and the fire button helps Roger leap with joy via the bubbles. Once you begin bubble-jumping, it's "simply" a matter of altering your trajectory towards the next bubble, whilst collecting the nearby jewels, as you zoom through the air. Previously burst bubbles will reappear after a second or so and that aspect cunningly allows you to revisit the areas that you might have missed during your insane journey.

Want a tip? Learn the level layout as you're hopping about like a crazy fool!

Are you getting a little worried about how deranged this game sounds? It's not nearly as stupid as you are thinking because the mechanics of bubble-hopping work brilliantly. In some ways, I got a Sonic vibe from it but, unlike that silly hedgehog, Roger is zooming around your screen in all directions. It's a maddening thrill and you'll love it.


Check out that stride, gotta love those lanky legs!


How's it look and sound?

The graphics are a mixed bag; Roger's sprite is superb with side-splitting animation and I could watch those lanky legs for hours!! The framerates are frighteningly fast with smooth scrolling thanks to the Blitter coprocessor. Sadly, the in-game decor is quite a disappointment thanks to drab backgrounds that only change every 5 levels.

Sound effects are crisp and perfectly suited to the style: I like the explosion sound for the spikes and magnificent chipmusic plays throughout. Well, I say magnificent but that's because I cannot think of a better word - WOW - I could listen to them all day long!! This certainly proves that chip music will last forever and rightly so.



Finally, a different background after the first few levels and it's much nicer too.


The CryptO'pinion?

Roger is quite a unique experience and feels like an airborne Boulder Dash meets Sonic. Yes, it's weird and something I would never have expected but it's also easy to pick up and play. Just learn the location of those jewels: that might take some practice and will be a little disorientating at first, but stick with it and I guarantee you won't be able to put down the joystick. Hopping from bubble to bubble is stupid but frantic fun.

Roger's gameplay is legendary. Extremely addictive with an extreme adrenalin rush!! Play this.

Roger can be found lurking on Demozoo and Pouet for floppy disk and hard drive installation.
Tobé excellent archive is fully detailed on Demozoo, although he did stray a little ;-)

Saturday, June 17, 2017

BLAT


I sometimes enjoy the occasional brain teaser and Blat is a twist on the Columns genre which was released for the Atari STe by The Infamous Cabbage, aka Chris Vance. Yep, I'm sorry STF dudes but this game is only playable on an STe because of the cool samples which are played using the DMA hardware. Interestingly, this brain-blaster was released on June 17th, 1992 so is 25 years old today. So let's sing, "Happy Birthday, BLAT"

Falling columns of coloured blocks will need reordering during their descent and, if we can successfully match them up, then it's KABOOM!! This explosion earns us lots of points and helps clear the board space for the oncoming blocks, so the more we match the greater the points. Diagonal rows are the most rewarding and you will receive a smart bomb when matching five or more. It's advisable to keep these until the later (faster) levels!

There are 15 levels in all but it won't be long until you're grateful for keeping a stockpile of smart bombs because this isn't an easy game and it soon picks up the pace for an extremely harsh difficulty. Thankfully, there are other items to help, like the clocks which can slow the pace right down - two is good but three is much better. There are also sticks of dynamite, lightning bolts and even indestructible blocks. Many of these can be paired so try positioning a light fuse next to the dynamite for a massive explosion that conveniently destroys many other blocks.

This is a polished product with gorgeous sound effects and is so addictive. Actually, I'm surprised it's PD and not shareware. I've thoroughly enjoyed playing BLAT even if I couldn't get anywhere near level 15 - and it's doubtful I ever will. Highly recommended, especially for those wanting a REAL challenge!! Great game.

Stonish have Serenade #1 floppy disk (it features Teserea, another which you may like).
AtariMania has Blat listed in their database with the readme conveniently available.

Friday, June 16, 2017

Amiga!!



Hell froze over!

Sorry guys, I'm leaving the Atari ST scene because I prefer a slower computer and have therefore decided to switch. Okay, okay, don't sweat it because this image shows a clip from the infamous "Amiga Emulator" by Philip Nelson. It's really nothing more than a bit of fun and found on the Stonish website - I recommend Quartet #30.

Right then, enough of this silliness... let's boot up the ST and enjoy a faster and better 16-bit computer!!