Monday, March 15, 2021

TRS-80 emulator



Let's go back to the days of Starsky & Hutch and Asteroids!

Most people might think it's pretty stupid to emulate a retro computer - using a retro computer? Thankfully, not me because I have found something rather incredible called 2nd Life. It's a TRS-80 Model III emulator by Sander Berents and is something I stumbled on purely by chance. What luck! So, I figured I should give it a good playtesting.

I've never actually owned/used a TRS-80 and I imagine few made it outside of the US? Anyhow, Tandy and RadioShack released the first model in 1977 and it was a huge hit for those wealthy enough to have lots of spare cash burning a hole in their pockets. Back then, I would have been six years old and too young to care about something like this :-)

Okay, let's begin with a screenshot of the credits. Oh yeah, it's screenshot time...



It's sadly impressive that something this good wasn't released earlier in the ST's life.


What's a RadioShack?

Like you, I love my Atari ST, even when it pretends to be something else, be that a Sinclair, Commodore or even a peculiar clunk of hardware by RadioShack (I used to love the Tandy stores). Anyhow, a TRS-80 emulator sounded far too tempting not to boot up so I read the docs and hit the web to learn how to operate this ancient beast.

First things first do read the docs and take a look at the FAQ text file to understand which options to enable/disable for the best performance and compatibility settings. You will also find two more disk images with compiled and BASIC games but you'll be best with a 16MHz computer to enjoy something close to native speeds.

2nd Life requires ST High resolution and is very easy to use. Along the bottom of the screen, are four floppy disk drive icons - click to highlight Drive 0 and use that as the TRS operating system boot drive. The second drive icon can be used for anything like games or other images that you may have downloaded from the net.

Lots of features and is very versatile. Plus it can play many different games too which matters more...



One of the first things I booted up was Donkey Kong. Okay, it looks terrible but plays well.


Old but not that much different

Using the TRS-80's DOS commands feels a little quirky but is fairly easy to learn. For example, DIR will display the directory of a disk and it can be expanded with extra options and filters, as you'll see in the video:

DIR 0 - will produce the contents of Drive 0
DIR 1 - will produce the contents of Drive 1. Easy, right?
DIR 1,/BAS - this displays the same list but filters for BAS files.
CAT 1 - this provides an alternative way to load programs!

We're gonna get a little more complex now but it's worth it to watch the dancing alien:

BASIC RUN "DANCING/BAS,1"

The command looks worse than it actually is. Breaking it down, it simply instructs the computer to load up the BASIC program. Then that will load/run the file "DANCING/BAS" which is stored on Drive 1. Easy!

This is starting to be fun so I went searching for a game like Menace or R-Type. Ahem, screenshot time...



Sea Dragon is a terrible mess of ZX81 blockiness but it is a brilliant shoot 'em up!


Get to the games already!

Ultimately, we're here to play some TRS-80 games and I gotta tip my hat to this old piece of 70s kit. There are some great games in its library and there's a good reason I chose Sea Dragon as the video thumbnail. Like any old computer, there's a wealth of vintage games from the era: Pacman, Invaders, Frogger, and so on. I'm a geek, so I enjoyed the thrill of playing with something that's almost as old as me. No rude comments, please!

Performance-wise, the humble 8MHZ Atari ST will successfully emulate and run everything you throw at it. However, it's going to struggle with the games as it's simply not fast enough. Personally, my Mega STe is the basic and minimum requirement and produces near-perfect speeds, generally speaking. So, 8MHz will be fine but 16MHz will get you gaming. Hardly a shock and just the same as with other emulators we have within our library...

Don't forget to read the docs as README.TXT is there for a reason... Okay, I'll nag no more! 



Yes, this really is Frogger. Hopper has awful collision detection but is a pretty good game.


Games! Give me games!

One of the best games I played was Sea Dragon, which is a fantastic scramble through watery canyons. Sadly, I wasn't impressed with Penetrator I struggled with jerky graphics and twitchy controls. It was a shock to see a chunky version of Donkey Kong with huge black and white blocks but the gameplay is superb and that's what matters. However, the blocks worked great for Armored Patrol and the wealth of PacMan games!

There are a few games bundled with 2nd Life and many are great but sooner or later you will want more. Thankfully, there are some great websites with disk images stuffed full of games and I managed to find racers, lots of different Space Invaders, Zork and even Temple of Apshai - which is nothing at all like the Atari ST version and its "turn-based" element caught me off-guard, in a nice way. But boy, is it slow - even on a real TRS-80. Yikes!

Most (all?) disk images found on the internet won't be compatible with the Atari ST. Thankfully, Sander has a utility to convert these for 2nd Life and it works a treat from what I've seen so far. Hence, how I got to play Hamburger Sam, Berserk, erm Robot Attack and the sluggish Temple of Apshai.



He might not be yellow but he's on the TRS-80 as Gobbler!


The CryptO'pinion?

I initially expected the TRS-80 to be nothing more than a cumbersome piece of ancient hardware that I wouldn't particularly enjoy. I couldn't be more wrong, this is a machine that appears to have more power and versatility than I would ever imagine. It's a great computer and it's no wonder those plucky Americans snapped it up!

2nd Life is an equally fantastic piece of software and I'm impressed with how well it runs in terms of its speed and compatibility. The inclusion of a utility to convert disk images into a format that 2nd Life can recognise is a wonderful addition and opens up the possibility of playing everything there is. Techies can go further: font editor, altering the keyboard layout, linking computers via parallel ports and even tinkering with a disassembler debugger...

The TRS-80 is a great machine and it is so impressive to see the Atari ST flip back in time so easily and reliably. This is a fantastic emulator - however - you will need a >16Mhz computer to start gaming like it's 1977 and my Mega STe felt close to the speed of a real TRS-80 (from what I've seen online). I have really enjoyed using 2nd Life and I'd love to hear what hardware and performance you guys are getting, so let me know in the comments below.

GitHub has the download which includes the source code for those uber-geeks amongst us :-)



- MORE SCREENSHOTS -



Look what I found and it's quite different to the Atari ST game. Quick, kill the Ant Man!!


This is Astro and it's a BASIC game. No, I mean it's written in BASIC and it's good.


Hamburger Sam, based on BurgerTime but felt more like Mr Wimpy to me. Love it.


This is Speedway and it's kinda like an early Spy Hunter or Major Motion. Hmm...


Runner demands quick control action - you'll regret not reading the FAQ text file!


I only ever played Penetrator on the ZX Spectrum... and this isn't as good!


Hang on, is that Berserk? No, it's Robot Attack and completely different. Honest.


Limit Zero is absolutely superb and something you should play!!


ScarfMan? Okay, it's getting silly now...


Lunar Lander is a cracking conversion but too slow for an 8MHz ST to handle.

Saturday, March 06, 2021

Frenetic




Core Blimey!

Those with a good memory may remember already seeing Frenetic here on AtariCrypt about five years ago? However, my review was, ahem, less than favourable. If I remember correctly, the graphics were nice and I thought the gameplay was well-balanced. Yet, I oddly rated it as nothing more than a cheap & nasty Amiga port. Well, that was a long time ago and I figured that I needed to revisit Core's vertically-scrolling shoot 'em up. Let's see if I was wrong.

Frenetic transports us slap-bang into the 23rd Century with soulless scientists still debating over the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Well, as often happens in the world of sci-fi gaming, life on Earth is under attack from such creatures. This time it's by pesky aliens from a planet called "Mozone". Hmm, anyhow it's our duty to head into the unknown to pave the way for the safe travel of Earth's vessels and help prevent the extinction of humanity. Sounds like fun?

Before we begin, how about a screenshot? Yeah, let's do just that so here you go...



Giant trees and rocks throughout level one and it's pretty much green throughout!



Big levels, Big Guns and Big Monsters. Gameplay?

There are eight ginormous levels stuffed with hundreds of aliens out for human blood. Some will stroll into your line of fire whereas others swirl majestically onto the screen. So, it's obvious what to do - bang on the fire button and kill as many as possible. Power-ups are available along the way to upgrade your ship's firepower and can also bless that with different types of upgrades: improved forward firepower, speed, side armaments, shields, etc. Sadly, the pickups areas are few, so I was often left vulnerable and underpowered after losing a life. Yes, all power-ups are gone after dying.

Hang on a moment, do you have a friend? Well, there is an option for two-players which is brilliant and certainly comes in handy on those harder levels. Sadly, I have no friends... Sniff... boohoo...

Finally, each stage has the expected end-of-level boss and these are huge beasts. When I say huge I really do mean it. They will take lots of time and firepower to defeat, but most aren't really that difficult (beyond the time required to kill) unless you have previously lost your power-ups. Then you can expect the battle to last a long time... a very long time!

It's time for another screenshot so how about one that looks creepy and very alien in its design...



Later levels might look funky but the gameplay remains exactly the same!



Aesthetics

The backgrounds are generally excellent on most levels, especially the first with tons of colour and artwork I really liked. The enemies move spritely with different attack patterns and the bosses are ginormous creatures taking up most of the screen. Sadly, the scrolling isn't great which is disappointing because the Atari ST has many similar games with smoother framerates. In fact, I'd say that the graphics look better in these screenshots compared to when actually playing.

The music is by Martin Walker and is brilliant - I love it!! Not only that, but it works well alongside the sound effects too I thought. Sadly, that same tune plays throughout which is incredibly disappointing and a massive shame because Martin's one-track is quite excellent. We needed more as I know I would have enjoyed listening to more of his work.

So, it looks pretty and sounds great so let's celebrate with one final screenshot of a funky boss...



Some of the bosses are great and some are... rather rubbish!



The CryptO'pinion?

Well, in hindsight, it looks like I wasn't wrong after all? At best, this is an average shoot 'em up but, if you can find a friend, then it will be a little more bearable. Well, for a few games anyhow. Frenetic needed more progression, more power-ups and more pizzazz. It's boring. So boot up something like Xenon, Wings Of Death, SWIV or Flying Shark.

What I liked: the first couple of levels have well-balanced gameplay and I even reached the third stage - without cheating believe it or not! However, the best feature of all is the two-player mode which is fantastic and certainly helps to (partially) compensate for the things I am now about to moan about.

What I didn't like: the power-ups are needed to defeat the bosses but these are lost after losing a life and new pick-ups are very scarce. Each level is a long slog without variety, excitement or progression and the repetative tune becomes irritating. Basically, I'm getting a nasty whiff of a cheap Amiga port.

Reading this back, I feel that I'm being too harsh? Or perhaps I'm in a bad mood today? Okay, am I wrong? Is this a great shoot 'em up and I'm talking nonsense? Feel free to let me know what you guys think in the comments below.



Rob & Lee, coder and artist for Frenetic. Gee whiz thanks, guys. It's a lame ending screen too!

Friday, March 05, 2021

Yet Another Atari RAM Test


Have you got a spare couple of hours?

It's been yonks since I posted anything in our Software section so here is a Ram utility that I think is the bee's knees. Yet Another Atari RAM Test, by Christian Zietz, rolls through a number of intense tests that execute in-depth algorithms to help diagnose potential problems with our beloved Atari computers. Let's hope it finds nothing!

I won't pretend to understand the technical wizardry but I love finding utilities like this. I want my ST healthy so, I've had it running for what feels like a lifetime and it's still not (yet) found any errors. This is excellent news but, I'm thinking that this program could be helpful to anyone experiencing weird anomalies or peculiar crashes?

Yes, I enjoy finding nifty programs like this lurking in the ST archives and I hope YAART proves helpful if you're suffering from any hardware problems? The download comes ready to support the ST/STe/TT/Falcon but take a moment to read the text file and also try to boot cleanly with as much spare Ram as possible (read YAART.TXT)

I hope you guys have healthy Atari computers? Let me know in the comments below. Good luck!!

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Ripped Off #87



Little madmen!

'Unnamed Intro' is quite a remarkable screen created by The Fingerbobs and used by Ripped Off for their 87th disk. This is one of those intros I have always loved because it's one of the most bewitching things I have ever seen. An astounding animated journey for dozens of little men, each one running around their whacky world is simply fascinating. It's different and I love that, so this makes for a mesmerising and entertaining treat.

Go on, pick any one guy and follow him throughout his silly journey. Brilliant STuff, I am sure you will agree!! :-)

Credits and download on Demozoo for Ripped Off #87 and Unnamed Intro.

Ripped Off Menu #087

Alex Herbert - Music
Caped Crusader - Code
Oberje - Code
Pixar - Graphics (Font)
Ronnie T. - Graphics
Stick - Graphics, Text, Other (Compilation, Packing)

Fingerbobs Intro

Griff - Code (Tracker-replay)
Oberje - Text
Pixar - Graphics, Text
Ray Norrish - Music
The Caped Crusader - Code, Text

Sunday, February 21, 2021

Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge


Looks like 2021 might not suck after all?

Today is a great day because I've just been given the honour of playtesting a preview of Jonathon Thomas' enhanced Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge for the Atari STe. He's been working on this project for a while, on and off, to improve the original racer in a number of different ways using the often idle enhancements of the Atari STe.

After "mulling it over", he's returned to this project with fresh ideas and assistance from our (fantastic) community over on Atari-Forum. In fact, he came back stronger and managed to develop a playable release after only a few weeks!! Oh, and for those wondering yes, he is the same racing fella behind Pole Position.

Okay, let's stop and take a deep breath. Right, do you feel better now? Good. Let's view some screenshots...



The practice track. I need this more than you realise...

We begin in Italy and Mmm look at that sky!


In fact, Italy is looking a little better these days all thanks to the Atari STe palette.


Put the pedal to the metal!

Yes, everyone loved and still loves Lotus Esprit because it's a frantic racer with fast graphics, cool music, great driving mechanics and even allows another player to join in. Okay, those collisions lose too much precious speed and I hate the person who decided to leave dangerous rocks on the road but, this is a thrilling racer alright. Who doesn't enjoy zooming passed cars or sliding around each of the curvy and hilly corners?

However, there are a few limitations in the ST game that aren't immediately obvious during the frantic racing. Well, these have obviously bugged Jonathan enough for him to take on the challenge to fix them...

"It wasn't until recently that I realised how much of a massive difference there is between the Amiga and ST versions - the magazines of the time didn't seem to make much (if anything) of this difference in their reviews of the time. I've been meaning to take a closer look at the Lotus code on the ST for a number of years now, but it was upon realising the degree of difference between the two versions (along with a relatively quiet period at work) that I decided something needed to be done!"

There is no excuse for a lame port. Is this that? I'll let you decide whilst you view these screenshots... 


Mexico now has a skyline quite apt to the feel of this country.

Okay, let's try not to crash into any objects when trying to grab a screenshot!

Oh, bummer!! Playing and capturing screenshots is a tough job.


Judder be gone!

It's funny, but I hadn't really paid much attention to these issues myself and it wasn't until I went back to the original that I could tell what was going through his mind. For me, the nicest improvements are to the sky and how the cars move across the track. However, the game feels fresh and is far better than I ever imagined...

1) The tracks are quite barren and devoid of much detail so the Blitter will now render the road and pit lanes with extra details to lane markings and widened rumble strips.

2) The sky was one solid colour which was okay but that has now been replaced by a 16-step gradient that makes full use of the enhanced STE palette.

3) Cars and scenery move smoothly without the old judder of side to side in 16-pixel blocks.

4) The already zippy framerate has been improved with more tweaks on the way!

5) Thankfully, the Ben Daglish chiptunes are staying but the effects are going to be replaced with samples pumped through the DMA hardware. (with a possibility of DMA sounds and YM music together!)

Also, minor improvements are being considered to the rev counter, fuel indicator and player two will soon have the new sky gradient. There is also the possibility of new and extra trackside scenery being added. Heck, he's even mentioned that there might be a few new tracks on the way too - oh yes!!

Okdoke, it's time for the last run of screenshots of this wonderful new version. Try not to drool... 

 


Iceland and everything looks rather chilly.


Ahem, there was ice on the road. Honest.


Check out those widened rumble strips!


The CryptO'pinion?

Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge was originally programmed by Shaun Southern and Andrew Morris and is an excellent racer. However, Jon has improved it to the level Lotus should have been all along for the Atari STe and I cannot express just how exciting it's been to see this project develop, especially over recent weeks.

The new colours, speed and smoothness all help give this racer a new coat of paint so bring on the extra framerate and sampled DMA sound effects! Yes, it's shocking just how fresh it feels running on the Atari STe so I'm really looking forward to what comes next. My greetings to Jon. Watch this space for the next release...

For more information check out Jon's YouTube channel and his thread over on Atari-Forum.


Vroooooom!! Let's head off into that Spanish sunset...


Wow, look at that lovely sky. And those dodgy billboards.


Tap the breaks, hit the accelerate and corner like you're a Ridge Racer!

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Jim Power in Mutant Planet



Your name is Power, Jim Power!

Jim Power In Mutant Planet was released by Loriciel in 1992 where we play as a member of the Special Warfare Unit. These are in charge of the President's personal security and (of course) his daughter was kidnapped by evil beings who infest a Mutant Planet. So it is our mission to kill everything, rescue the girl, and save the day!!

I must admit, I don't recall seeing this advertised or reviewed back in the day. Did it ever make it across the channel to UK shores? I find it quite flabbergasting that such a platformer is unheard of back in the day (well, to me). I think the 1992 version of myself would have slobbered an Olympic swimming pool's worth of drool over this?

Ah well, let's crack on and take a gander at a cool screenshot with a skeleton...


Check out that skeleton artwork. This game is a looker alright and never fails to impress me!!


I think I love Mr Power!

We begin in a rather funky environment that reminded me a little of Enchanted Land and Flimbo's Quest. It's a strange world of whacky colours, creepy vegetation and lots of enemies out looking for blood. At first, I thought this was going to be an easy platformer, but it soon picks up the pace to become quite a challenge. Yes, I struggled many times!!

There are a total of five levels with two being shooters and even a few peculiar boss screens:

The platformer parts are easily the best with a cruel design that feature many pitfalls and near-countless enemies like mutated animals, birds, zombies, spiders and even spitting plants. Each level is absolutely huge with mini-bosses halfway through (dead easy to defeat) and then a mega-boss at the end.

The shoot 'em up levels are far weaker by comparison and they basically involve nothing more than trying to stay alive as you dodge or shoot anything that appears in your line of sight. The scrolling is fast, and the enemies are faster but I feel they often took far too many shots to be killed, which meant it felt unbalanced. However, I did enjoy the flappy bird-style part towards the end of level 4 which was a surprise! 

He's gone green! He's angry!! Look out The Hulk for Jim Power is here with another cool screenshot...



Press and hold that fire button to unleash your fury and zap everything on-screen!


Gimme a gun and a spare hour

The controls always feel spritely and suit the game style. I love the way you can easily hop from platforms without ever feeling the uncertainty of plummeting to your death because of stodgy mechanics or a sluggish display. Dying allows you to restart from the nearest checkpoint which is a great idea that grants a few seconds of invincibility - this comes in handy for running past a difficult scene. Trust me, you will love this feature which is needed more than you know!

Thankfully, we're equipped with a gun and that can be upgraded along the way by collecting the power-ups. We also have the limited option of using a smart bomb by pressing down the fire button but these are best left for the bosses or perhaps later trickier scenes that you're struggling with? This smart bomb has a fantastic feature - the ability to carry it. Yes, you can carry what is nothing less than a nuclear weapon and release it at the right moment you choose. A devastating skill.

Along with the power-ups, there are bonuses to collect which help provide a little help. These can be earned by shooting a weird floating object or a hidden part of the background. The clock gives extra time, a shield should be obvious and 1Ups are always a relief to find. Never leave a key behind unless you enjoy the fun of backtracking...

Fancy another screenshot? Of course, you do so here's one that reminds me of Strider...



The first level is varied and full of traps - it really is a dangerous world out there!


Aesthetics

Loriciel mocks the supposed hardware limitations with ease for a smooth-scrolling colour-galore platformer. Each level looks superb with stunning landscapes and super-duper sprites - some reminded me of a Strider-style. Throughout, the gameplay is fast and very smooth so it puts to shame Psygnosis and their lame excuses. The bosses are ginormous beasts, taking up the entire screen, and sometimes more, so it's impressive how well it constantly performs.

Sadly, I'm a bit miffed that the might Loriciel didn't bother to use the Atari STe enhancements :/

The audio will not dishearten thanks to the amazing talents of Chris Hülsbeck who provides a thumping title tune and stunning in-game chip music. There is the option to hear sound effects only, but I really wouldn't bother with that afterthought. I personally thought they weren't anything close to the boppin' chip music!

Okay, that's the unimportant stuff out of the way and we've just enough time for one more screenshot...



The second level's colours might look odd in a screenshot but it's much better when playing!


The CryptO'pinion?

Jim Power is excellent but it's not perfect. Whilst the first level is absolutely fantastic, later levels suffer some infuriating mechanics which make them impossible - without a trainer for extra lives. However, the shoot 'em up stages are a bit rubbish and felt nothing more than a stocking filler. Also, there is no support for the enhanced hardware lurking unused inside the Atari STe which is a shame because this would have been a great opportunity to really shine.

As a platformer, it's quite unoriginal yet a hugely immense bundle of fun. Personally, it blows me away how much effort Loriciel devoted to making this platformer as good as possible - this ain't no lame port. Ultimately, ask yourself this - do you want a platformer that is fast, fun and addictive? Guess what, you've got it right here. And a shooter too ;)

Download for Hard drive or Floppy.

Sunday, February 14, 2021

BBC #48


No, it means Bad Brew Crew

Okay, I thought it was about time I featured another Menu Disk and here we have the 48th release by Bad Brew Crew. The menu itself is quite good with their logo, scroller and some rather nice digi-music to enjoy before deciding which game to play. There are two options Skull & Crossbones and California Games for the Extreme fans!

Demozoo and Atari Legend have more from the Bad Brew Crew incl. downloads!

Onto the games, and I think I remembered liking Skull & Crossbones because I have always enjoyed hack 'n slashers and this one features pirates! Surely a win? Anyhow, I doubt I would have ever booted up California games back in the day because joystick-waggle and/or athletics isn't exactly something that interests me.

So, I guess this menu disk is a perfect choice to experience something new and familiar? Let's play...



- Skull & Crossbones -


Hoist The Jolly Roger!

I need a parrot on my shoulder and speak every sentence with an "ARRR!" for we are about to hit the high seas for an exciting swashbuckling adventure with nasty pirates, treasure and fair maidens in need of rescuing ARRR!! ARRR matey, a wizard has stolen our booty ARRR and we need to get it back ARRR!! This shouldn't be hard as pirates are usually crippled with a wooden leg and missing an eye ARRR so let's kill all the scurvy scum ARRR!!

Okay, I think we should now drop the ARRR... Skull & Crossbones is based on the arcade game that had us frantically fighting pirates with nothing more than our trusty sword. We are One Eye and have suffered a humiliating theft of our booty by a nasty wizard. Wizards and pirates? What an odd combination, but let's crack on and play!

Hang on, we cannot even think to begin this without seeing a screenshot! So, here ya' go...



Maybe it's just me but I thought Hulk Hogan had seen better days!


Time to be Errol Flynn!

Skull & Crossbones is basically a 2D platformer for one or two players. Yup, two people can take part at once which is potentially superb. The adventure begins on our ship which has been boarded by a couple of pirate goons that need slicing and dicing. Only after, are we able to jump aboard the wizard's ship but that crafty magician blasted us back onto our ship - just in time to watch your booty stash disappear before your very eyes.

Each level is basically the same with different graphics but it's fun repeatedly killing a barrage of sea-faring enemies: pirates, soldiers, ninjas, and even a few silly monsters. Getting around each level is quite cumbersome for what's basically a 2D fighter and feels trickier than it should at times. You are able to move in all four directions with attacking and blocking moves. Just bang on the fire button whilst moving in a particular direction:

Attacking

Pressing the fire button and moving left/right plunges your sword in their chest.
Pressing the fire button and moving up + left/right pokes them up their noses!

Blocking

Pressing the fire button and pushing up performs an upwards block.
Pressing the fire button and pushing down performs a downwards block.

Also

Pressing and holding down the fire button turns Red Eye around.
I even managed to stab backwards once or twice in my blind panic!
Apparently there are a couple of special moves which I never managed to suss out. 



A few hopeful, unresponsive jabs and poof!! Yep, a pirate goes up in smoke.


Argh, I'm dead. Again!

Now that you're clued up in the art of battle, you should practice because this is a tough game to master. Each enemy often attacks in turn, which prevents the screen from getting cluttered or confusing. Killed enemies drop a little treasure to reclaim. However, the bigger guys are really hard to defeat like the executioner and an annoying pirate hiding inside a barrel. I found both of these irritatingly difficult and managed to lose many lives!

Keep your eyes on the health meter; the more hits you sustain the more blood pumps out from your bleeding wounds (which is actually pretty cool). What's not cool is the game's terrible difficulty thanks to its cumbersome and sluggish controls. Attacking is quite basic but gets rather repetitive after a while plus I didn't care for the defence moves which offer little benefit. However, I guess there's only so much a one-buttoned joystick can do?

The concept is enjoyable and follows the arcade rather well. Killing pirates is fun but I felt that the difficulty was too high from the second stage. Those soldiers are tough nuts and seem to attack with great speed which feels unfair. Enabling a trainer helped, and I managed to reach the third stage which was a painstaking journey.

16-Bit games seem to be made for tough people? Perhaps I'm too soft? Hmm, let's see another screenshot...



Eventually, I'm back up on deck and there's a girl who needs rescuing. Yep, I'm in!


Graphics and Sounds

To look at, Skull And Crossbones is cartoony with lots of colourful locations and detailed sprites. Sadly, it bombs when actually playing thanks to jerky scrolling and dreadful animation. The scrolling often works against the player from the start - jumping onboard the wizard's ship leaves you open to attack by pirates still offscreen!

Sound effects are basic but the music is quite literally brilliant with excellent chiptunes by Matt Furniss.



We're now plundering a castle and this big fella is nigh on impossible to kill. I'm losing interest...


The CryptO'pinion?

Skull & Crossbones looks the part and could have been a great release with a little more effort. Sadly, the stodgy controls ruin what might have been; not only is it incredibly sluggish but One Eye is often awkward to manoeuvre. I had some fun but the difficulty, later on, is way off and ruined any chance of progress.

The best thing about Skull & Crossbones is the two-player option, which is a brilliant addition and certainly helped compensate for its shortcomings. Unfortunately, I'm getting a distinct whiff of a lame port which is incredibly disappointing. Golden Axe, Guardian Angel and Double Dragon III are all far better choices.





- California Games -


BMX? Nah, I'll stick with my Grifter!

I remember the advert with the girl's legs for this sporty Epyx released back in 1989. Sadly, I never played the game as I'm not really a fan of such things, so I must admit I'm quite sceptical about booting it up today.

Athletic events aren't something that I particularly like and I remembered breaking my Quickshot II joystick playing Daley Tompson's Decathalon back in the mid-80s. How pointless! But, upon booting up California Games, I was presented with an array of alternative games which was a pleasant surprise for this couch potato!

In light of that revelation, I think we should take a gander at the first screenshot...



Practice! Otherwise, you'll fall flat on your face only to be hit by the rolling skateboard!


Run, Jump and Throw Something... Yawn?

No, none of that boring stuff here, California Games has taken a different approach with a handful of unexpected events. All are completely different from each other, which is something I liked the sound of. I mean, frisbee throwing? I never saw that one coming but I gotta admit I like the style of these Californians!

One to eight players can take part in six extreme events like surfing, skateboarding and BMX biking. Executing each event properly earns you the most points and it's all about the highest scores in this tournament.

Half Pipe Skateboarding

Here we push up when the skater is going up the ramp and push down when, well, I think you get it? Moving left/right or pressing the fire button just at the right time will perform stunts like a hand plant or kick turn. It's all rather childish and probably one of the least stimulating games imaginable yet, I quite liked it!

Foot Bag

This is one of the most peculiar sporting games I would never have imagined to be real. Imagine a soccer player keeping the ball in the air - but with a little bag. And that's about it. What a lame event but the ST does a grand job of trying to make it fun. It's all rather silly and quite difficult timing your movements just at the right moment. Oddly entertaining and I enjoyed it, but try not to his the seagulls (lol brilliant!!)

Surfing

Now we're talking. This is about the only sport I associate with California and it doesn't disappoint. The learning curve is possibly the highest of all the games but, don't give up because riding these waves is exhilarating. Who would have thought that balancing on a board in shark-infested waters would be enjoyable? Plus we don't need to worry about trying to slip into a wetsuit on a beach of perfect bodies.

Roller Skating

I expected this game to suck, but it didn't. As an event, it's pretty weak and possibly the easiest but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. Pushing up/down gains speed and then you need to avoid or hop over hazards like pavement cracks! Yeah... Okay, this is nothing special but I possibly played it the most?

BMX Racing

Now we're talking, blokes with bikes in the dirt! A game with easy controls to master and a course that's fun and great to play. Sometimes it gets a little too tight, which is unfair, so that's when my man ends up eating the dirt. The physics are pretty terrible but I kept on coming back for more and I'm sure you will too!

Flying Disk

Somehow this kiddy game is now a serious event? Anyhow, along with Surfing, this is a tough one to master thanks to the controls - it took ages to stop dropping the frisbee on my feet!! Not to mention the art of successfully throwing it far enough. Hmm, feels like Frisbee version of Leaderboard to me!



This event sets a great example for the kids as she kicks and screams like a baby. Brilliant!!


Joystick Waggling Fun?

Thankfully, you won't break your joystick with this game as each event requires a specific control with precise timings to perform certain actions or stunts. However, you should ignore any temptation to jump straight in to win a trophy. It won't happen. Practice first and learn what to do with each event, it's harder than you realise.

However, because each event is so different, so are the controls. There is little consistency, each has its own style and technique to master. I admit to being a bit of a geek(!) so I made notes to remind me what to do and when. This worked, but I admit the irregularity makes for a massive learning curve greater than I imagined.

I'm not sure about over-complicating anything. Especially the controls! So let's have another screenshot to view...



Now we're talking! Great controls and dodgy physics make this so much fun.


Graphics and Sounds

Graphically, it's okay with summer backdrops and interesting locations but I got the impression it was limited by its 8-Bit roots. Summer Olympiad is much nicer but the BMX and Frisbee stages are good with decent scrolling. I enjoyed the attention to detail that makes each background entertaining - seagulls flying dangerously close, people boating, sharks and creepy critters lurking underneath the skateboarding pipe. Lovely little touches!

The in-game sound effects are often a weird mix of chip and samples which works fine albeit without blowing you away. Music is by the late, great Ben Daglish and is something that proves chiptunes will live forever.



It's okay fella, nobody looks good in shorts but what's with those ape arms?


The CryptO'pinion?

The concept of "extreme" sports for the Atari ST has proved itself to be a cracking idea and is something I feel Epyx executed well. The sheer variety of mixed events is a splendid change from the usual sorts. Getting grabs with each game's controls is the biggest challenge but, stick with it and make yourself some basic notes!

California Games will appeal to everyone, whether you enjoy sports games or not. Trust me, I'm a couch potato so I know. Ultimately, it will shine brightest when the family are gathered around your Atari ST compared to plodding through solo. What an excellent game and also a nice surprise to boot up something different.



- The CryptO'pinion? -


The Bad Brew Crew never released a dodgy disk as they always have quality intros and BBC #48 is no exception. As for content, this is a decent floppy disk which I've thoroughly enjoyed from the moment I heard the intro's music. Although there are only two games on the disk, each is huge and offers a fantastic opportunity for multiplayer fun.

Of course, Skull & Crossbones was pretty much a dreadful Amiga port but it's actually a million times better with a friend. California Games is superb even though a part of me still cannot believe it's based on real events! Anyhow, I think Epyx produced an excellent game which I highly recommended, especially with friends & family.

And now y' all gotta scroll all the way back up to the top for the download links... :^)

Thursday, January 28, 2021

Jon Garry

Jon Garry is the man behind one of the best and most liked alternatives of Pacman, H-Mec. The maze is still there but gone are those dozy ghosts in favour of a sinister AI that gave it a Lode Runner feel.

And it worked so well H-Mec appeared on an ST Action cover disk!

I think H-Mec was a hit because it was instantly playable and addictive. In fact, it is a simply great game and one that sported superb visuals & audio. Oh, and was exclusively available for the Atari STe!!

Yes, his first game and already he was making good use of the enhanced hardware - extra colours, Blitter, smooth scrolling and DMA audio. Later on, a sequel was released along with a new game called Oh No! Not More Radioactive Mineshafts. H-Mec II was basically more of that winning formula but his Mineshaft game was something new and much underrated with simple gameplay mechanics yet, immensely addictive. And I loved it.

I was eager to contact Jon for an interview and he agreed. Heck, he actually seemed giddy about the idea and was a pleasure to chat with, a great bloke. I was impressed to discover the part his Dad played in this - come on, he sold the family car! However, what was he thinking about games like Ghouls 'n Ghosts! Whaaaaat??

I'd like to thank Jon for being a great sport over the last few months and I hope y'all enjoy this interview!


- The Jon Garry Interview -


Hello Jon, tell us all about your hiSTory

My coding life began on the ZX Spectrum when I was about 8. Funnily enough, around 1982, my Dad sold the family car to buy us the computer and that's where I first got the coding bug. How he got that past Mum, I've no idea! He thought that computers were the future and bought it for us to play on. I cut my teeth learning to program and the first game we played was Manic Miner which had a huge impact on me. From the moment I saw it, heard it and played it I loved it. The colours, the sound, the humour, the obstacles, the names of the levels!

I think of Manic Miner as the "Sgt Pepper" of computer games so, 1982 was where my coding journey started. Whilst I loved this, I wanted to know how to make it myself. Fairly soon, I went from "Guess the number" to understanding screen coordinates, variables, algebra, sprites, etc. In short, I taught myself a lot of maths and, by the age of 10, I was able to make a platform game more like "Lode Runner" than Manic Miner, which never happened.

Christmas Day around 1989 I guess when we got our Atari STe, our brand new "16-bit" computer and we couldn't wait to plug it in! We were lucky that my Dad had a bonus from work and used that to buy us the STe. I think it's the most important present that I ever had, just because of the impact it had on my life. I can't thank them enough for that. They weren't flush with cash and used that bonus to treat us to an extra present.

By the time the Atari came, I understood BASIC and the maths behind games. This helped me move back into programming — wanting to make my own version of games I was seeing on the STFM and Amiga. I was used to only having BASIC on the Spectrum so it was strange to find you could choose your language on the ST.

I found STOS too slow so that was out of the window. By the same token, the effort needed to learn Assembly seemed huge. I didn't know C at the time and it seemed difficult to use the tools. However, when I came upon GFA Basic, I started coding. GFA was surprisingly fast on the Atari STe, probably not much slower than C.

In the meantime, I'd started to see what the STe could do on demo disks and more people were getting them. So, I was getting introduced to the idea that the Atari STe could — easily - have full-screen smooth scrolling, lots of action on the screen, digi-music, no borders and a 256 colour palette.


Hey Jon, you're in luck! Manic Miner has been released for the Atari ST (by Peter Jørgensen)


What games did you play?

I just didn't code all the time and still did lots of other non-computer things. I was — still am — a huge football fan and spent hours with friends playing Kick Off 2 and Player Manager. To this day I still think those games were almost perfect — simple, fun and once you'd got around the ridiculous speed of the games they were utterly addictive. I think our Mum and Dad must have bought tens of joysticks after we wrecked them lobbing the keeper!

I also loved playing Castle Master, Terry's Big Adventure, Xenon 2, Stunt Car Racer, Continental Circus, Toki, Millennium 2.2, Speedball 2, Mega Lo Mania, Wonderboy, Vroom, Giana Sisters to name a few!

I loved Ghouls N Ghosts and Ghost N Goblins on the arcade, but the ST ports were poor. Well, any game on the STFM just wasn't as smooth as the arcades, or in truth even compared to the Amiga. I thought they were the 'past' and basically were no good for arcade games and that the STe was the future. So, the combination of coding, watching demos and seeing the STe as the future paved the way for what would become H-Mec!


Tell us about H-Mec

From memory, the first 'application' I wrote was ProbeST which allowed you to 'rip' music and graphics from games. ProbeST was actually a great help in ripping music to use in the two H-Mec games! In terms of H-Mec, I think that technically it was quite impressive for its time. It couldn't run on the STFM, certainly not smoothly.

All the coding for H-Mec was in GFA Basic - a superb language at the time. It supported the Blitter chip which meant that I could use this chip to do full-screen smooth scrolling using about 20% (from memory) of the CPU. This meant that I could 'afford' 20% for digi-chip music and the rest for the rest of the game. To see that full-screen smooth scrolling with the music and the gameplay was quite something at the time.

So, you have a game that is smooth, great graphics, great music and is quite playable. I sent it off to a few PD libraries to share. I thought it was a good game, but didn't expect much more than a few decent reviews. Just after I posted the disks, we all went on a family holiday for a couple of weeks.


What happened next?

When I came back, I had about 30 letters waiting for me telling me how they'd loved the game on the ST Action cover disk... but I never sent it to ST Action! I was puzzled! So I went to our local newsagents and sat on the shelves was ST Action. As you'll know, ST Action was 'the' ST gaming magazine which always had commercial game demos on the cover disk but for that month it was H-Mec.

For anyone to remember this game after all these years is touching. It's hard to explain but something I created as a 17-year-old is still available on the internet and someone is asking about it.

My game competed with commercial games! The review said something like 'this game was too good to review so we put it on the cover disk!'. This was an STe-only, PD game on their cover disk and I was blown away. I got loads of letters from all over Europe and the UK for weeks afterwards which was brilliant!


Forget Pac Man, the ghosts here are brutal and never give up until you are dead meat!


Where did the name H-Mec come from?

From memory, it came from the noise of a dog barking in the local park I used to walk past to get the bus!
I remember hearing a dog bark, and it sounded like "H-Mec" and it stuck with me for some reason. It didn't mean anything as such but I guess to me at the time it also sounded slightly modern too! :)


So what about your other games?

H-Mec 2 was just adding some other ideas on really — the pointed traps and graphics. I'd gone to University to study Computer Science and I just didn't have time anymore. I think it was just added a few things like the spikes, updating the graphics and (rather primitive) AI. I had too many other things to do then!

Radioactive Mineshafts was a quick idea — it certainly didn't take long to write. I didn't think it was good enough to release as a full game (see the falling block graphics). The penguin character and the jumping action were the start of a platform game — remember, I was hugely influenced by Manic Miner - which didn't happen.

Funnily enough, I always thought it was a better game than H-Mec and in recent years when I've played, I still feel the same. I just think it was on the same disk as H-Mec 2 and was pretty much overlooked. A few years ago, I did think about porting it to phones as I think it would work where you could tilt the phone to control the penguin!


Which game are you most proud of?

Without a doubt, H-Mec. After I did my degree, I applied to do a Masters degree in Multimedia. I went for an interview with the Doctor who was running the course and his first question was "What is multimedia?". I spoke about graphics, music, animation, co-ordinating them as well as computer science aspects. Of course, it led to H-Mec and the magazine reviews. He was impressed by the reviews and we spent a lot of time talking about it. H-Mec got me a place on the course to my Master's degree, and basically kick-started my professional career. 

A few years later, I remember thinking it was quite an achievement to have written the game. Especially when I think about how much I'd taught myself. Remember, there was nothing in schools to teach kids anything about programming. I taught myself from magazines and library books — there was no internet! To go from ZX Spectrum basic to understanding blitter chips, CPU cycles, ripping music and spending months working on a game was really hard work. The reviews it received were astonishing and I am really proud of the work I did.

My Dad was right about computers being the future and both myself and my brother work in IT. If my Dad hadn't sold the Beetle or used his backpay differently, my life would have been different. So, H-Mec definitely is the one I'm most proud of — technically impressive, decent gameplay, great reviews and helped me enormously!


I see this screen a lot but it always makes me smile thinking about H Mec's "grilling" lol


Inspirations?

Demos were definitely a huge inspiration. Whilst H-Mec isn't a demo it shares some of their traits — the big palette, smooth scrolling, and the intro screen look like a demo disk. H-Mec was a platform game to start with, but it was just easier to do mazes rather than something like Rainbow Islands!

I'd say, on the whole, I am still proud of the work I did and it definitely surpassed any expectations I had!

Also, quite a few people did donate which was very kind and generous. I had enough to pay for a few nights out which was great! I also had quite a few football pennants from around Europe sent to me as 'thank yous' as well which was lovely. I had all of them up on my bedroom wall for many years after!


What was it like being a part of the ST scene?

I loved it! Whilst a lot of the Atari ST scene was done through posting disks, I was also a member of a very social ST Club in Oldham. This club was based at the Bowling Green in Hollinwood, eventually moving to the Lancaster Club in Failsworth and, every week, about 50+ people would turn up armed with STs, TVs and 4-way plug sockets! You'd have rooms, where each plug socket had a 4-way in and each socket on the 4-way had a 4-way in which had 4 ways in with all these ST's and TVs plugged in!

The club was very friendly and had a real mixed bag of members. People from 8 to 80, some were there just to play Kick Off 2 every week, others to swap games, others came to chat and others had connections to the Pompey Pirates and download games on a primitive internet. It was very, very social and was enormous fun. Just lots of people, of all ages and backgrounds, with an interest in the Atari ST coming together to chat and have a good time. Nowadays, it would all be on the internet and nowhere near as social. I do miss those days.

Through ProbeST and H-Mec, I got in touch with other people around Europe too - Germany and Finland in particular. The PD Libraries were great and I'd regularly swap disks with people who ran them. All this would be done on the internet today, but I think that it was more personal back then as you had to -write- to someone. Whether it was the club in Oldham or the letters to Europe I do feel privileged to have experienced it.


Jon and Sally?

In terms of the handles I had, I can't quite remember them, to be honest. I was obviously Jon, and Sally was our dog haha! I think the names were probably to make it look like lots of people had worked on the games but in reality, it was me coding and others did the music and graphics. Sadly, Sally the dog died although she did extremely well for an Irish Red Setter and lived till she was about 17.


Imagine yourself back in the day knowing people who had contact with the Pompey Pirates!


Did you make music with your STe?

Whilst I can play a bit on the keyboards and I can play the guitar, I never wrote music on the Atari. At University, I did do some sampled music for fun, but nothing decent. I was a big fan of "Count Zero" who I thought made the best Atari music. I loved his version of the end of Tubular Bells and it's no surprise it's used in everything I did!


Very creative!

At the time, I didn't consider making games to be particularly creative, but as I've got older I have a different perspective. In my teens, I thought being creative was about painting, films, playing music or drama, etc. Not programming. But when you write a game from scratch it's one of the most creative things you can do!

You start with a white screen and nothing happens. You then create a world — the visuals, the sound, what it looks like and the rules. And how each screen flows from one part of the game to another. It's a VERY creative process and when you play a good game, you can tell that someone has really thought about the whole experience.

I'd also written some other tools that kind of grew out of H-Mec as well. ProbeST, was well-received when it was pushed out to PD libraries. It was written by me and my friend Clover at the time. We had lots of ideas, but most didn't come to fruition. It's probably just like someone in a band — you start 500 songs and finish one!


Any unfinished games lurking in the attic?

No, but I started a football manager game and I thought if I could combine Championship Manager with the in-game graphics of "Football Manager" I used to play on the Spectrum, it would be a winner. Sadly, it never went anywhere but it did give me an appreciation of what's involved.

I honestly used to start a new game every week, but most of them didn't go far. Writing a game from end-to-end takes effort and determination and I fully respect anyone who's actually done it. It probably took the best part of a year from start to finish to do H-Mec. Obviously, I wasn't working on it all the time, but it's a real effort to make games.

As I've said, the Spectrum was an influence on me and a game that we loved was "Lords of Midnight" and the sequel "Doomdark's Revenge". I must have started 100 versions of these on the Atari but again, nothing came of it. As soon as you try to make a copy of a game, you really get to see what absolute geniuses people are.


This didn't make it to the top of Jon's list, but I thought this was a darn excellent 'hopper'


What happened after your STe days?

I went to University in 1993 and I didn't have the time anymore to write games. I moved away from home, I stopped going to the club and the letters became harder to keep up with. Still, I used my Atari to write code and essays for a couple of years until I had to get a PC - which again, my parents got for me. It had an astonishing 8MB DX processor (a good one at the time) and a hard drive.

However, compared to the Atari it was such a big, clunky, noisy, ugly machine that couldn't do a lot and the graphics and sound were TERRIBLE. Windows wasn't a patch on the GEM Desktop, but it felt like I had to move. I was learning languages like Pascal, Smalltalk, Assembly and Ada which weren't available on the ST. I was genuinely amazed that Windows was seen as the future at the time, as it was truly awful not to mention - unreliable and slow. The languages just didn't have the power of GFA Basic either!

However, in recent years as Windows improved and emulators appeared I started looking back at the games on Hatari. It really is great to go back and play the games I remember as a kid! Some haven't aged too well but I still get the buzz seeing the old classic games. However, I could never quite get H-Mec to work and maybe, part of me didn't want to be embarrassed by what a 17-year 'me' made!

But part of me wanted to see it and I saw your YouTube video. It's a peculiar feeling though. Remember, this is me in my mid-forties looking back at a game I wrote as a 17-year-old so you will be looking at yourself back in time. When I look at it, I am quite proud although I can see that 16/17/18-year-old boy in there. I can still see 'me' in the game and what I was thinking. I do think 'he/me' was a very good programmer - I'd hire him today!


What are you doing today?

Nowadays, I'm a professional programmer who pays the bills writing web applications and business software. I haven't written games for many years now, but I feel incredibly lucky to work as a programmer.

If you'd had asked me what I wanted to be as a 10-year-old, other than a footballer, I would have loved to have been a computer programmer. I think if you asked my parents, I bet they'd agree that selling that old VW Beetle was one of the best decisions they made!


This is a photo from around 1991 of Jon and his mate "Booze" playing Kick Off 2.


And Finally...

It's funny really, but when you got in touch it brought back a LOT of memories. I could have written a book! As I said, I was touched that you got in contact and it's quite something to think that something I did nearly 30 years ago is still available on the internet. I can absolutely guarantee that most people won't be able to say that! The fact you and others are preserving that slice of late 80s and early 90s culture should be applauded.

I've been very lucky in my life that my parents supported me and my brother, selling the family car, getting us the Spectrum and later the ST and the life it's given us. I feel very lucky to have been part of a wonderful scene in the late 80s/early 90s and met some fantastic people. I genuinely feel very honoured that you asked to do this interview and I send a very heartfelt "thank you" for bringing back many wonderful memories!


This interview was a pleasure and Jon is a great bloke. Fancy reading more Atari ST interviews?