Thursday, March 15, 2018

Death Trap



My first ever Anco game!

Anco's Death Trap was released in 1990 and reminds me of a variety of platformers, like Horror Zombies From The Crypt with a hint of Prince Of Persia and Ricky Dangerous. The gruesome cover is nothing short of tremendous so deserves its place in the AtariCrypt BoxArt hall of fame. Also known as my personal collection!

We begin our adventure in a labyrinth of horror and encounter traps, like falling blocks, poisonous chests, spikes and much more. Each map is incredible but it's easy to lose your bearing so I doodled myself a basic route which helped a bunch. Puzzles are simple, like flipping a switch to unlock a door but this might mean backtracking and sometimes you're even required to walk the long way around, which isn't easy when under constant attack.




It's all about the killing!

Yes, evil creatures inhabit this place and can annoyingly appear at the most inconvenient times. Watch out for ghosts who materialise from out of thin air, jumping frogs, bats that swoop in and drop rocks, Egyptian wizards, and many others. I must say, I love the stripy grabbing-hands before the culprit appears to chases you!!

Controls are responsive and keep up with the demands of our adventurer. However, the tighter jumps can be a difficult as you need to tiptoe right to the very end of a platform, which is difficult when constantly chased by creatures! Oddly, our direction cannot be altered during the jump, which can be awkward.

We're armed with a pathetic blade but this can be upgraded with potions - I love the fireball that grants the ability to kill something before it gets close. These potions can be used to conjure spells, recover health, etc.




The CryptO'pinion?

Technically speaking, this spooky adventure impressed me with agile scrolling, beautifully animated sprites, great controls and sampled sound effects (I missed a background chiptune). However, Death Trap is very tough; the maps are huge and I often got wiery of the enemy's constant onslaught which can feel annoyingly unfair.

Well, I suppose you could use a trainer to fudge that but surely that's not right? [Don't Call Me Shirley!!]


- DOWNLOADS -

Back when AtariCrypt was just a baby I recorded this gameplay video.
 Stonish has a great floppy disk and the hard disk version is available thanks to 8BitChip.
 If doodling ain't your thing then Hall of Light has every level mapped.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Sleuth



I've been searching for more...

Yep, after the jaw-dropping Berzerk, I went searching for other variants of the genre to see what might be lurking inside the ST's archives. Eventually, I found Sleuth a PD release by Larry Scholz of MajicSoft in 1993. The year is 2525 and man's existence is threatened by evil cybernetic organisms (yup, robots!) which Dr Spirit has so kindly butchered and made evil. Okay, it's not exactly what you would call an authentic clone (ahem) but the premise is there!

We are Inspector Sleuth and are about to infiltrate the doctor's lair to show these clumps of metal who's in charge! Gone is the randomly generated screens, replaced with a map that is populated by six different models of the doctor's robots. These range from the Hemroid which is a low-level (wait for it) "pain in the butt" to the Hopperoids and their warp technology, so don't get too close. Come on, you must love the humour in this whacky style?

Well, defend yourself using an armour-piercing gun which features a nuclear charge to incinerate all robots from the inside out. You still need to stay clear of the electrified walls and if you hang about for too long then something freaky appears and chases you across the screen. Now we're back on the familiar ground lol.

Overall, is it better than Berzerk? Not on your nelly! Sleuth feels like a tacky ripoff with rubbery controls, dodgy graphics and sounds. However, it's a good game in its own right, and my 8-year-old daughter loved it. I must admit, so did I.



IGNORE the graphics!! Remember, gameplay counts the most. It always does.


Shoot anything that looks... well... weird. Don't think, just shoot!! Enjoy :D

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Bombs And Bugs



Another lost soul has been rescued!

Bombs And Bugs is a multiplayer Bomberman clone developed by Stefan Eilert of Awkward Software. Sadly, the full version was never released but, as of today, it has been found and is downloadable from the AtariMania website. Supporting two or three players, superb power-ups and lots of the jazziest graphics ever seen!

I missed an option for single-player if I'm honest but it's such a brilliant multiplayer. The video shows gameplay by me and our 8-year-old daughter - we both loved it!! It's fun, freaky and always silly. We loved it and so will you guys!

Thursday, March 08, 2018

Atari ST games I HATE!!





My ST love is DEAD!!

Today, I decided it might be 'fun' to play a handful of games I have always hated. Good idea, right? Well, as it turns out, there are lots of games I absolutely hate and there are far more games I am really bad at too. Hmm, I think it's a skill of mine to find these games? Well, here is just a handful of games I hate for these reasons:

First up is Lemmings, a game everybody went crazy for but I couldn't find any joy in herding those docile and idiotic critters. A few screens in, I would soon discover that I had no tolerance for their stupidity and thus, found it irritating. Instead, I would deliberately watch them plummet to their death or explode. Now, that was fun!!

Next is a great conversion of the monster arcade hit, Hard Drivin'. This sure looks the part with its fancy polygons and whacky stunts enticing you to try your luck. However, it never goes to plan for me as I cannot steer the car in anything that resembles a straight line. In fact, I drive and corner worse than a drunk Stevie Wonder.

Next is Strider, a game I saw in ST Format and it looked amazing. They gave it a glowing review so I went out and spent all my pennies. Well, I certainly won't be giving it a glowing review because I cannot stand this platformer for more than a few minutes - without throwing down the joystick!! A terrible Tiertex port. (UPDATE) < < < < <

Yolanda is another platformer and one I've always thought was curiously interesting. The sprites are superb and it has a funny title screen so I've often wondered if it played as well as it looked? Well, this is my experience:

Start the game... Wonder what to do. Die. Start the game again... Run left. Die. Start the game once again... Run right. Die. Start the game one more time... Panic. Die. Reboot the Atari ST. And that's about all there is to it.


  
  


The CryptO'pinion?

In case you're wondering, this post was just for a bit of fun. Well, except for the part about Lemmings which I personally consider to be another lame Amiga port by Psygnosis. Yes, I'm no fan of a software house that had no commitment or dedication to the Atari ST. Ignoring the odd game like Blood Money and Anarchy, they sucked with their rushed ports. My apologies to their fans throughout the world. Sorry, not sorry.

I hope you enjoyed this little article? What ST games do you hate? Let me know in the comments below...

Saturday, March 03, 2018

Racer 2



Dune race onto the Falcon!!

I thought it was time to introduce more 32-Bit games to AtariCrypt, especially as AtariMania's Marko Latvanen has promised to give me his Falcon - Muahahahaha!! (he's since denied that conversation!). Anyhow, I'm happy with Hatari as it appears to emulate that powerful bird pretty well (even on my old Mac). So, what better than to begin with Dune's Racer 2 which was released at Silly Venture 2014 for the stock 16MHz Falcon and just 4MB Ram in 320x240 true colour.

For me, a driving game needs to be an interesting road trip with thrills and excitement to keep me coming back. Yes, my fingers are crossed... Anyhow, Racer provides its motor fun with three types of gameplay: championship, challenge and the good old arcade mode. Each can be played using three levels of difficulty from the beginner to an ace driver.

Wanna see a couple of colourful and (Mmm) absolutely gorgeous Falcon screenshots...



Creepy!! So keep the pedal to the metal when things get too spooky for you to handle.


Hey, I saw that you naughty boy. Don't stop to look at the pretty beach girls!!


Let's race!!

This feels like Crazy Cars 3 or Lotus 2 with its arcade styles and car handling. It works well using either a manual or automatic gearbox so it wasn't long before I was whizzing around the tight corners thanks to the effortless controls. They're dead easy and you can choose either the keyboard, joystick or a JagPad - absolutely brilliant!!

Championship events are tough and definitely put this gamer through his paces so don't expect to complete it on your first attempt. Both arcade and challenge modes offer a great way to quickly practice the laps with also the potential to further yourself by unlocking numerous extra tracks. I probably enjoyed Challenge mode the most if I'm honest.

Optional bonus items can be collected for a myriad of effects: freezing the timer, increasing speed, ejecting your closest opponent, flattening the opponent's tyres, etc. However, joystick players might find reaching for the keyboard each time too much hassle? Perhaps I should try my Jagpad? Oh wait, I've no Falcon... Marko help!! (hmm, he's a rotter!!)

Right then, it's screenshot time and here are a couple of beauties. Well, they're still colourful...



Perhaps I'm boring but I turned off the Bonus feature...


New Race Unlocked? Oh yeah, I love it when that happens!!


32-Bit Aesthetics?

It was the graphics that originally enticed me to play this game - they are knockout and easily on par with other machines in the mid-90s. So many different environments and each is accompanied by its own unique styles, drivers and background tunes. Framerates are constantly superb and can be increased further by disabling the lovely textures. If I had to be picky, the point of view is a tad low and it's also a shame that so few frames are used for when the car is cornering.

The audio is... well... it's an Atari Falcon so it's gonna be nothing less than stunning. The selection of music is incredibly varied and suits each track's style. All sound effects are made using awesome samples so, whether you're skidding, bumping or tearing up the road, it's ear-blasting and always amazing. Love it all, especially the smooth engine noise.

Looks and sounds incredible? Well, isn't that nice? Wanna see a couple more screenshots? Of course, you do...



Some tracks are weirdly different from what I expected...


...whereas others look more "traditional". Don't worry, all are great!


The CryptO'pinion?

What a freakishly awesome race this is!! In fact, I could end my review right now but let's waffle on for a little longer - to say that I've enjoyed this game is an understatement. However, it isn't without faults: slamming into roadside objects can stop you dead - even if that object is a spectator! Starting off from zero feels lethargic, almost as if you're behind the wheel of a Kia. The strangest thing is when the countdown timer begins before the green light appears...

However, let's stop nitpicking because Racer 2 is a stonker with great graphics, roaring sounds, unique tracks, and superb controls. This is one utterly addictive experience and one of the best arcade games I've played. It certainly proves the power of the Falcon and to think this isn't even commercial. An extraordinary racer I highly recommend, even in emulation!!

Falcon peeps should download Racer 2 right now!

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Supa Zazai Da!



Super... what?

Supa Zazai Da is another Gamopat conversion by Templeton, the same genius who graced us with the stupendous Crash Time Plumber. So I couldn't wait to get my grubby mitts on his latest work after reading the superb review by ST Graveyard on Atari Legend. Sadly, I admit to being more than a little disappointed with it because I failed to play more than a handful of - frustrating - games before rebooting my Atari STe with a massive portion of disappointment.

Now, I'll never knock anything powered by Maria Whittaker (yeah!) but this is rock solid and felt too difficult!! And having only one life certainly didn't help, especially when the enemy could fill the entire screen with bullets! Yep, this is a wolf in sheep's clothing and seemed like a bad joke. Dang, I was incredibly bad at it and also genuinely gutted too.

I know, I know, first impressions of a weak gamer. Yes, I think you better read on...



Trust me, this game will destroy you and all your expectations for success!


Don't judge a book by its cover

I later returned and anxiously grabbed my creaky old joystick, determined, but expecting the battle of my life. After many embarrassing failures, I eventually beat the first hoard of cute nasties and somehow even gained extra points thanks to the green particles. But, how I managed to dodge the enemy's bullets, well, it felt like a personal achievement!! The clue is how you navigate through the cloud of bullets, it's easier than you might think (watch the video).

Nevertheless, the scary boss instantly gave me a good drubbing and I was again greeted with the Game Over screen. I defeated him on my next nerve-racking attempt so was close to tears with ecstatic joy!! Once the second level begins you realise there's a familiar and repetitive pattern so I hammered it home and battled my way onto the third and fourth levels, with relative ease. The lesson is to stick with it as it can be conquered and enjoyed!!

Talk about a massive learning curve. Or at least for me? Wow, this game is so rewarding...



However, nobody said those bosses would be easy. Especially when they can fire so much!!


Pixels and Sonics

The visuals scroll along at an ultra-smooth 50fps but it's the outrageously cute sprites, from a wide variety of games, which everyone will adore. Your computer will require a Blitter coprocessor, which is not a problem for the Atari STe and Falcon, but the original ST models might be outta luck (unless you have a later revision or a Mega ST).

Musically, Supa Zazai is fantastic but also very different depending on your hardware: an unnerving chip rattles ST players, whereas the STe gets exhilarating streamed audio (both different and brilliant). As instructed, pump up the volume!

It looks and sounds fantastic is what I'm trying to say about this Blitter-boosted game...



50fps action through and just look at that huge sprite. Impressive, to say the least!!


The CryptO'pinion?

What a journey!! And nothing like I imagined yet it has lived up to all my expectations. Arcade fans are going to drool over their keyboards when playing this - it's fast, fun, thrilling and addictive. Quite simply, Supa Zazai Da is an exhilarating shooter with gorgeous aesthetics and I hope Templeton has many more Atari STe games in the pipeline, I really do.

It's zany, it's crazy, it's insane and I love everything about Supa Zazai Da. An excellent shooter. Please, play it!!


Download Supa Zazai Da! via AtariMania.

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Mario's Quest


Mario's Quest was released in 1993 by Dean Sharples of Silly Software and is basically a Hunchback clone. However, this time we're an unofficial clone of that ridiculous Italian plumber but the gameplay remains pretty much the same. The screens feature lots of tricky jumps, pesky platforms or annoying arrows trying to kill you.

I adore the humble visuals which use a cool 8-Bit design and the music is superb too. However, the controls are far too sensitive so judging exactly where a platform ends - without falling to your death - is nigh on impossible.

Sadly, Mario's Quest is one of the most frustrating games I have played. An infuriating platformer!

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Fractal Landscape Generator




It's time to be creative!

Fractal Landscape Generator was developed by David Billington who gave us an opportunity to develop mountainous worlds. Now, it's worth stopping to read the doc file on the disk before you do anything else - because there is an excellent mini-guide included. I know, I know, nobody reads the manual... but you should this time!

Making a brand new rugged landscape is extremely easy thanks to the fantastic user interface. Not only that, but results can be produced and viewed very quickly, even on an 8MHz computer. Thankfully, the program made great use of my 16MHz Mega STe which is superb and the versatile speeds of Hatari will be a huge bonus!

The 3D part was initially difficult to grasp but don't give up - keep on tinkering and you'll grasp it. Once you're happy, you can then add light-shading, alter various colour parameters, and increase the detail level. Heck, you can even animate a fly-by through your newly created world.

Dabbling in 16-Bit creation was fun and it's impressive to see what wonders I could knock out and to think I found it by chance: Floppyshop ART-3647. It's a nice feeling to find something "new" and this is a great program to get started in fractal landscaping. Give it a go and let me know what you think in the comments below! Enjoy...


- My Own MEGA STE Creations -



Friday, February 16, 2018

Astro Marine Corps



Creepy ass monsters are coming to get you!

Sometimes a game doesn't need a longwinded storyline, cunning puzzles or life-sucking RPG elements. 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 because Dinamic's AMC fits the bill with lots of gratifyingly brutal violence!

This multi-level scrolling shoot 'em up involves nothing more than walking grim alien landscapes to hammer down the fire button and kill everything in sight. Upgradeable weapons use a directional-firing technique and our marine can also crouch and leap high into the air with wiggly legs. We are also equipped with powerful bombs, which are needed when the main gun isn't effective... Hmm, perhaps you should drop a few into the 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 too close to the unassuming caterpillars, these will suddenly grow in size - and teeth!! I think AMC has some of the best enemies ever and the monstrously huge Guardian proves it.

Technically, AMC could have been better. I got a whiff of a rushed port: the scrolling could have been more energetic, and the landscapes look unfinished, but the joystick controls are excellent. However, it is awkward reaching for the keyboard to throw a bomb - especially when mechanoids are chasing. Sigh, with a bit of spit and polish...

Overall, AMC is crude and predictable but it's also thoroughly entertaining with great baddies, crunchy sound effects and tons of action. I loved being an Astro Marine because it's fantastic killing alien scumbags. Superb!!


Waste no more time and install AMG onto your hard drive or grab the floppies.
Stonish has a couple of great Menu disks: Dodgysoft #81 and Flame Of Finland #25.



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


Awe 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. Love it!!


AMG has some huge monsters but the bosses are even bigger. This beast is ginormous!!

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Verminator



Put on your sunglasses!

Jake is a rather odd-looking fella who exterminates bugs in a fantastic fantasy world of weirdness. However, this is as much as I currently know - because I've never played this game before! Verminator is here because of it's pixel art - which is jaw-dropping. So it wasn't long into the first game that I wanted to make this post for our PixelArt section.

Actually, Verminator is granted VIP access because of Nigel Brownjohn's outstanding artistry. He used incredibly bold and rich colours with fine attention to detail for the sprites and backgrounds. This has to be one of the most gorgeous 16-bit games ever created? So perhaps I take time to play it? Yes, I think so too... Watch this space!


8BitChip has the hard drive version and Old Games Finder has the floppies.
Trusteft recorded a video and seemed pretty much impressed by this beautiful game.



Verminator took my breath away when I first booted it up. Ohhh, look at the sexy colours!


Ignoring the detail and colour, this reminds me of the Wally games on my Spectrum.


Hang on, is that a hammer? Let's beat the enemy like a psycho!!


Nigel Brownjohn knew how to use the palette to get the most from low-res. Impressive.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Gribnif Software



Today is a great day!!

Dan Wilga has kindly released NeoDesk and Geneva as freeware which you can download directly from the Gribnif website. I have quickly run through a test installation (within Hatari) and it worked without a hitch. My next project is to install this onto my Mega STe and get this amazing operating system & funky desktop running from an SD Card.

What a fantastic opportunity this is but please don't forget to donate whatever you can. I would love to see your NeoDesk screenshots! Let me know what you guys think of this freebie Geneva/NeoDesk in the comments below...

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Killing Machine


Killing Machine is a vertically scrolling shooter by Atlantis Software released in 1992. We're on a remote planet controlled by a giant brain that identifies you (and your sassy spaceship) as nothing less than an invading bacteria. Vermin, that needs to be wiped out!! The battlefield spans over three levels and is stuffed full of kamikaze enemies out for blood - so don't expect a cakewalk because it demands lightning-fast reactions. And plenty of luck.

The first thing that struck me was the graphics which are uniquely colourful using a sweet palette. The smooth scrolling is slow and steady with impressive enemy sprites zipping across the screen. Sound effects go beyond mere bleeps for some rather raspy samples. Okay, they're not the greatest but the grunge works well and suits the styles.

Killing Machine is brutal and requires lots of practice before you begin to get close to beating the first level. This is a painful learning curve but collecting the power-ups and learning the enemy attack patterns is a must. Don't die a suckers death! Overall, this isn't the best shooter but it's good fun and I've really enjoyed playing it. Recommended.

Stonish has floppy disks (Pure Energy #53)
8BitChip has a version for hard disk installation.
AtariMania has this listed along with scans of the manual.

Thursday, February 08, 2018

Rambo III



Everyone loves 80s Action heroes!

Rambo III was released by Ocean Software and is an overhead shoot 'em up not too dissimilar to other "Gauntlet" games like Into The Eagle's Nest. I'm incredibly excited to finally own my own copy which I proudly add in AtariCrypt's Box Art section thanks to the tremendous Hollywood artwork. This is also one of few that has both a great front and back cover so I decided to take a piccy of both and double-up on our love for movie legend Sly Stallone!

Sly is our musclebound action hero and is about to infiltrate a Soviet base that has Colonel Trautman held captive. Our mission spans over three levels and the first being the rescue before fleeing for our escape in an over-head game similar to a Gauntlet. The final part is a shooting gallery stage that feels a little like an Op. Wolf.



I can't help but admire this superb screen. Yes, it is superb.

Okay, we're in. Grab your knife because it's time to kick ass!!


Run. Shoot. Kill everything!

Gameplay style on the first two levels is the same. Ironically, you shouldn't run around pretending to be just like Johnny Rambo - this will get you killed! Instead, carefully explore the complex and look for the best route through and any useful items like health, ammo and Infra-Red goggles to detect otherwise invisible boobytraps!

Enemies occupy each room but they feel more like automated drones than the Soviet elite as they robotically patrol back and forth. I imagine these guys also suffer tunnel-vision because they are completely unaware of your presence until you stumble directly in their line of sight. If that happens, an alarm sounds and nearby soldiers begin attacking - but at least you have an awesome health meter! An idea that looks kinda familiar ;) Don't be put off by these silly soldiers because it actually works well to distinguish itself from being a mere Gauntlet clone.

I love the careful tactics that are needed - so play more like the real US Army Special Forces instead of the fake Hollywood claptrap. My only quibbles are trying to memorise the humungous map size. It's easy to lose your bearings plus each room will be blindly entered so try and learn where the soldier's patrol otherwise those Ruskies will gang up to give Sly a good kicking. This is what brings me onto pick-ups, there should be more health packs!



Tread carefully because most rooms are heavily guarded with many tunnelled-vision soldiers!

These guys will patrol back and forth so be slow and make sure you don't set off the alarms.


But is it any good?

Graphically, Rambo has a pretty place to covertly explore - perhaps too loud and colourful? There is no scrolling, which is a shame, but this might actually give a close and more confined feeling - which I prefer. I love the sprites and their movements reminding me of a certain WWII shooter!! Music is gorgeous and suits the gameplay.

I understand why Rambo III failed to capture the hearts of most reviewers back in the day. It's Marmite so you'll either love or hate it but I think it's a belting game albeit with the niggles mentioned above. It's not Gauntlet so use a stealthy approach and prepare thyself to spend many hours sneaking about and mapping the level.

Tear your shirt off and grab Rambo 3 on floppy from either Stonish or Old Games Finder (Automation #47). And for those weirdos who don't enjoy making their own maps: Speccy Screenshot Maps / Hall Of Light.


The back of the box is absolutely awesome. Gotta love Sly!!

Wednesday, February 07, 2018

Atari ST



My new Atari ST merch!

I have just received my latest "Atari Games" mug by Peter Jørgensen (Enduro Racer / YMT). No, they're not all the same, just scroll down for the reverse side, below. These cups are superb and it's so kind of Peter to send me these. The mouse mat was a gift from my mate Tom, another ST nutter. Both Peter and Tom made the ZombieCrypt mug - probably because the slideshow I released last year was so awesome? Hmm, probably not lol.

There's now't better than suppin' coffee from an Atari ST mug. Hmm, which one shall I use? :-)

Monday, February 05, 2018

KillThings



It's killing time!

KillThings, by Orm of Digi Tallis, is a 3D first-person shoot 'em up in a similar vein to something like Wolfenstein. Alas, it was never finished, but it is still very playable and I'm impressed by the speed of its 3D engine which is both fast and fluent. What's more, is the mapping screen which works just like the one seen in Doom - love it!!

Sadly, it's unfinished and there is no audio effects and also little to do other than wander stark corridors looking for a bug-eyed stickman to kill. Still, the potential is staggering when you think about what's completed for this development release. I wonder how it might have ended? Oh, there is a level editor if you're feeling bravely creative? Go on, I dare 'ya.

Whilst the gameplay is whizzing about above, let's check out a couple of screenshots of the map and editor...



The mapping tool works like a dream, much like we saw in Doom!

Why not design your own levels using the editor?


The CryptO'pinion?

KillThings was never going to replace Wolfenstein or Substation but I'm fascinated by oddities like this lurking within our archives. Plus I'm impressed with the hopes and dreams of what this developer wanted to create back in the day. But that makes it worse when these ideas die before getting completed. The 'readme' explains a great deal.

But fear not, at least we have this demo which is rather neat and certainly shows what might have been if completed. It's rather cool and can be downloaded from their website, along with the level editor and much more.

I hope that one day, Orm gets back to this project because it's funky cool with massive potential. Enjoyed this!

Sunday, February 04, 2018

Ultrasatan



UltraSatan? More like UltraGOD!

When my hard disk decided to kick the bucket I replaced it with an Ultrasatan. It's built like a tank and incredibly versatile and (obviously) silent - the old hard drive sounded like a Vulcan Bomber!! Of course, I could have bought CosmosEx/Gotek route but I'd rather attempt open-heart surgery than risk breaking my Atari ST.

But what about games?? Not to worry, there are runnable disks thanks to Floppy Image Runner by Peter Putnik who has also adapted hundreds of games to load directly off the Ultrasatan. The D-Bug guys have converted loads of games with stunning menus and cheats - I wish they'd continue on as these are amazing.

Yep, I sure love my Ultrasatan which is a superb clump of hardware and one I cannot recommend highly enough. So visit Lotharek's website for more information and lots of other goodies - get yourself one of these beasts!!

Friday, February 02, 2018

Goin' Down With The Captain



Wait, don't go... Come back!!

Goin' Down With The Captain was developed in GFA Basic by Terry King of Ninth Wave Software and must have one of the silliest titles since those robot monsters invaded our screens! Or is it just my mind? Anyhow, imagine yourself as the unlucky cabinboy onboard a sinking ship who is running around looking for the lifebuoys to save him. Can you help?

Collecting the lifebuoys is easy but you will need to venture deep into the waters to find most because they are all scattered about the ship. Fetch them back to their hangers up on the top deck but you are only able to carry a maximum of two at a time and later levels will require multiple trips into Poseidon's realm. This is a frantic race against the clock!

Sounds interesting, right? Okay, let's take a look at a screenshot...



Leaky pipes, rising water and now a crab has spotted sent us to heaven, ala Monty Mole!


This ain't no killing gameshow!

The flooding is constantly rising due to leaky pipes spurting out water. These can be patched with a sticky plaster but some decks have pump levers to reduce water levels. Flooded decks can still be accessed if you hold your breath and use the air bubbles to top up your oxygen. Any treasures you find are yours to keep but beware of snippy crabs roaming the lower decks who are itching to nip at your toes. There's so much going on but never to a point of being OTT.

The joystick controls are incredible with responsive movements and no learning curve. Brilliantly done. Oh, and using the levers is an entertaining moment that brought back memories of Decathlon albeit waggling up & down!!

It's fun and it's very hectic - trust me! Hey, I think it's time for another screenshot...



Some levels are a little more puzzling with lifebuoys hidden behind locked doors...


Cheap & cheerful

The graphics aren't exactly Bitmap Bros standard but they do their job good enough, albeit with the occasional slowdown. It all looks nice, scrolls great and I must say I've admiration for the palette - especially when underwater.

Audio is in stereo on the Atari STe but I'd much rather have heard the crisp YM chip over poor-quality samples any day. Yep, the music and sound effects are made from low-quality fuzzy samples which I didn't care for. Hence, this is one reason why chiptunes are timeless compared to many MODs. Flame me all you like but it's true.

Sounds like I'm trying to start a fight? Bring it on Commies! For now, let's chill with another screenshot...



Remember, not every door needs to be unlocked - so use your keys wisely before you drown!


The CryptO'pinion?

This is an oddball game with more than a hint of certain other action platformers we've all played before. But I really enjoyed the style of gameplay here, it's fantastic fun with loads of interesting ideas. In fact, it's downright silly at times but you won't mind one bit. Ignore the bland visuals and fuzzy audio because the gameplay is top-notch and that's what matters.

Going Down With The Captain is a great platformer, very challenging, addictive and one of the best PD games there is.

Goin' Down With The Captain can be grabbed at AtariMania

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Megapede


After drooling over Sinister Development's Centipede, there seemed little reason for another so I skipped by Robert Dytmire's Megapede without giving it a second thought. Thankfully, I later went back to enjoy what is nothing less than a fantastic homebrew effort with bosses, extra swarms, level-select and support for adults or kids. Sounds are great but I adore the clunky 8-Bit style visuals with comically cute sprites and enormous mushrooms.

Don't be an idiot like me because this is a fantastic millipede conversion and I absolutely LOVE it to bits!!

Monday, January 29, 2018

Whirligig



Spinning in space

Whirligig was developed by Maelstrom Games of Midwinter fame for Firebird and I've recorded a short video which I thought might be fun to share. Why? Simply because I cannot play Whirligig for love nor money - zipping about in space without ever being able to properly control my direction is agonising. If I happened to kill one of the baddies, it was pure luck because I usually end up killing myself instead!! This is a good game but could so easily have been great with a bit of thought...

Technically, Whirligig is incredibly impressive and I know I could have dug my heels in and mastered the controls. However, I couldn't be bothered which is my mood today. Enjoy my video recording and I promise to try harder next time :o)

* Floppy disks can be nabbed off Exxos [Automation #10] and via Stonish [Klapauzius #1].
AtariMania has links to reviews and the manual. In hindsight perhaps I should have read that? lol

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Alien Blast



A quickie news flash!!

Our Atari world is buzzing with news of Matthieu Isorez giving away his copy of Alien Blast!! Previous public releases crashed on level 3 due to data corruption and we've been needing the original disks/files since. Finally, we have them and can play the later levels - which is exactly how I plan to spend the rest of my Sunday!!!

More to come when I have the time. Thanks to Marko Latvanen @AtariMania for the heads-up :)

Saturday, January 27, 2018

KLAX



Another ST game gets updated

Jamie Hamshere (aka junosix of Droid fame) has released an upgrade of Klax for the Atari STe. This new release uses the arcade game's sampled sound effects which beats the original's chirpy chip by miles.

The game is basically a 3D Tetris which Domark released in 1990. Once again, we're stacking piles of coloured tiles but this time they are travelling towards us and need to be dropped into a bin, making sure they stack vertically, horizontally or diagonally. It sounds simple but this is a brutal game that demands lightning-fast reactions.

What a fabulous upgrade to replace the drab effects with super-duper arcade sounds using the audio coprocessor. I'm sure Tetris and brainteaser addicts will love Klax even more now that it sounds this good!! Nice one Jamie.

AtariMania hosts both the STfm original and this spanky new Atari STe update to download.
Need help? I know I did... just hit the '4' key to play to the final level. Good luck! ;-)