Showing posts with label 1996. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1996. Show all posts

Friday, June 19, 2020

Serenade #78



I really enjoyed the STAX #90 feature so figured I would do another one! This time we delve into the Serenade archives to see what's lurking on one of their amazing 85 "PD" disks - nothing quite like keeping it legit? Anyhow, menu #78 appeared to stand out from the crowd with lots of cool games crammed onto one disk.

This is quite a simple menu compared to others from their catalogue but there is stereo music for those lucky enough to own an Atari STe. In fact, it's one of few mods which hasn't aged badly at all, so it's a massive thumbs up from this chiptune guy. Also, the scroller is very interesting - apparently, Man Utd did well against their arch-rivals!

The entire Serenade library can be downloaded from Stonish with credits/etc on Demozoo.



- DEADLAND -

A platoon of little stickmen have crash-landed on the planet Ursula Minor and this place is crawling with Ursulan Soldiers who are eager to kill you without mercy! Also, there are dangerous natural disasters to avoid so it's best we don't hang about and quickly repair our spaceship to escape this hellhole. This means piecing that together (JetPac-style!) before anyone can be safely evacuated. Sounds very easy, right?

Deadland first feels similar to Rebellion or Cannon Fodder: control the direction of your active soldiers using the mouse and a right-click turns them into trigger-happy Rambos. The planet is crawling with enemies and constantly frantic so it's tough learning to battle whilst planning construction work - that might also leave some vulnerable? It's easy to lose your bearings and, just when you're getting to grips, your men drown in a mud pool!!

The enemy is relentless so you cannot expect to wander about easily killing anything without taking a more strategic approach. Each member of your team is listed on the right-hand side of the screen for a health condition and other abilities. Don't forget to look after these guys - green is never good outside of the GEM desktop. There is a lot to master whilst here, especially whilst defending against enemies, incoming rockets, mines /etc.

I really enjoyed Deadland and the concept is great but this isn't something you can easily pick up and play. It takes time and a map would have been nice as would using the cursor keys to scroll. Yep, I have struggled to get to grips with Deadland but it's an excellent strategy and potentially rewarding. If you're brave enough?




- TRAPPED II -

I couldn't get this to work on my Atari STe - blank screen! So I switched to emulation to discover a nifty Tron game. I've never been much of a fan of the genre but I gotta admit that it's good and features different game styles, screen layouts and even a few power-ups (which I didn't expect). There's not much to look at (shock) and I imagined the sound effects would grate, but they didn't. After all these decades, I actually enjoyed a Tron game!




- MANIC MINEFIELD -

Minesweeper was another fad that I have always failed to appreciate and Manic Minefield appears faithful to what I remember with gameplay that's about as enjoyable as I expected. Anyhow, after a few games I enjoyed this crude imitator even though I never won a single game! Actually, I would often feel robbed of a win because I'm sure the ST cheats!! Then it rubs salt into your wounds using a fuzzy sound sample to mock your lack of success. Interestingly, the board size, wallpaper, /etc can all be altered in the Options screen, which is kinda cool.

Manic Minefield is okay and I imagine fans will enjoy it? But I doubt it's something I will play again...




- FRANK & THE LOST AUBERGINE -

Never would I have imagined loving a game's title more than "Hector vs The Mutant Vampire Tomatoes From Hell" yet here is Frank And The Lost Aubergine which is superb!! It's a fast-paced platformer developed using the STOS Missing Link extension and has us frantically running around screens crammed with monsters and gems.

Collect every gem to proceed onto the next level but watch out for the baddies. These can be killed by dropping a well-timed bomb directly in their path - difficult but doable. Or you could just slam into them albeit at the expense of losing one of your 50 lives. Yep, 50 and you'll need them all because there are lots of monsters!

Movement is very fast - too fast!! It's extremely difficult to position just where to stand when you wish to leap off a ledge. In fact, leaping over the wider gaps is close to impossible and it takes too many attempts. I love a platformer that tests your patience, skills and dexterity but it simply doesn't work here. A good idea poorly executed.




- DELUXE INVADERS -

I love Space Invaders and I'm confident nothing will ever beat Sinister Developments' fantastic conversion which is arcade-perfect using authentic effects!! However, this is a conversion of Roklan's 8-Bit Deluxe Invaders by one of the biggest ST legends. I've never played the Roklan game so was hoping for something different.

There are two game modes: slow and fast. The slower game looks superb with colourful aliens invading your screen and can be sped up by flicking over to 60Hz - something you should consider. The faster version is better to play but appears boring in comparison, so I went looking for green cellophane to wrap around my monitor!

Sadly, I didn't feel it with Deluxe Invaders and much preferred the original if I'm brutally honest. Okay, it's a good game but, there are better "Invader" games for the Atari ST. Sigh, I'm also a bit deflated about that fact if I'm honest.




- NIBE -

This is a great snake game I featured this a couple of years ago so I'll copy and paste it:

NIBE is a Nibbler/Snake game by Marc Bourlon that features an ever-greedy snake who wants to chomp his way through lots of apples. However, this gluttony makes him grow longer with each bite so it becomes harder protecting him from bumping into walls or even his own tail. It's our job to help him eat his way through lots of screens - and many are pretty cruel in their design. You can even change the game's speed (if you dare!!)

Graphics are humble and suit the retro theme plus I love its title screen - which is actually a good intro. Sadly, there are no sound effects so Mad Max music plays throughout - never a bad thing!! Overall, Nibe is pretty straightforward and also extremely challenging thanks to a sinister design. Stick with it because the basic mechanics are spot-on and Nibe will certainly test your reactions, patience and concentration so prepare thyself to be tormented!!

I really enjoyed this olde game but beware, it's tough. Probably too tough for you!!!




- MULTRIX -

Groan, another Tetris game? Yup, and it's not that good I'm sorry to say so play BLAT or Teserae instead.





- The CryptO'pinion -

Well, that wasn't the awesome ride through the Atari ST history books that I first imagined. In fact, it was a little bit of a letdown if I'm honest! Not only did I have compatibility problems with a couple of games (Atari STe) but this was a true mixed bag of joy, disappointment and even a few stinkers thrown in for good measure!

It all depends on what you like but, for me, Deadland and Nibe are the best reasons to click download.

Thursday, June 13, 2019

ST Collection #8



Ignore the name, this one is cool!

Here's another menu disk that I really like, ST Collection 8 by Typhoon. As you can imagine, it features loads of intros by the likes of Cynix, Fuzion plus also a few other oddities: I love the strangely funny Sonic Demo and Dune's Faith features spectacular artwork, stunning effects, and audio to die for!! MJJ's Trisogames is always great but I must admit it was Pascal Ganaye's Strip Tetris that caught my attention (naughty boy)

As you'd expect, it's just Tetris but we're also treated to a 4-bit glamour girl who removes her clothing the better you perform. Hmm, that didn't come outright, but I'm sure you know what I mean? Gameplay is pretty good and my old man reactions did pretty well in the video recording. This is a nice conversion of the boring old classic!

There's lots of cool stuff on this disk and Demozoo has the credits and download. Check these out:




Monday, July 02, 2018

Overdrive


Feeling the need for speed, I booted up Overdrive by Ross McNaughton which he developed in 1996 using STOS. It's an overhead racer similar to Super Cars or Power Up and features 25 GEM-green tracks!

After listening to the horrendous title music [nails on a blackboard] you're asked for your initials before viewing a diagram of the first track. The physics are pretty dodgy but controls are easy to learn so it's not long before you're tearing up the asphalt. However, that's about as deep as it gets because your opponents are like laid back Sunday drivers! Plus there are no differing road surfaces, weather conditions, car repairs, etc...

Okay, I'm probably being too harsh because Overdrive isn't commercial and there is a level of fun to be had here. Sadly, it's too easy so gets repetitive very soon and that green colour hurts the eyes. It's not long before things feel monotonous and hence why I abruptly ended my recording. Enjoyable for a few minutes but nothing more...

Go on!! I dare ya to download Overdrive and play it. Let me know what you think!

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 :)

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Death Chase - The Remix



This is a STOS game. Wait, come back!!

That's right, Death Chase was programmed in STOS which is something that can produce some neat results but (more often than not) tends to leave me feeling cold with jerky scrolling and terrible gameplay. Anyhow, here is something that I first thought might have been a remake of Mervyn Estcourt's awesome ZX Spectrum racer. Alas, it isn't.

Actually, it's a vicious top-down shooter developed in 1996 by Daniel Fielding for the Atari STe and seems to take much inspiration from a variety of different action/shooters. Heck, it even supports both solo and an incredible cooperative two-player mode. Yep, this is starting to sound awesome already, whether you're playing solo or not.

We are a little guy roaming Rogue-like rooms and initially armed with a pistol. Our job is to explore several screens and all of which are inhabited by killer cyborgs armed to the teeth. Death Chase is loud, exciting and bursting with big explosions and many baddies. It's intense!! Come on, we have guns and lots of bad guys to kill. Oh yeah, bring it on :)

Wanna see a screenshot from my (one-player) game? No? Well, here you go anyways...



Each room holds so many possibilities for a whole new level of violence. It never gets dull!!!


Guns and loud violence?

Our armoury is huge with a possible 18 weapons ranging from pistols and shotguns to rocket launchers and lasers. Star Wars fans will enjoy using the lightsaber? Weapons, ammo and health are found in most rooms, so inspect lockers or look on tabletops. However, beware of potential traps like mines or even TNT crates.

The deaths are hilarious when you zap, slice or blow up the enemy and there will usually be a bucket load of blood splattering through the room! Heck, even your own death can be a fun experience when a shotgun-equipped Eliminator blasts you across the screen. This leads me to the brilliant continue option so you can try again - without restarting from the beginning. However, you lose the cool weapons and start with the pistol.

This is a loud and fascinating game stuffed with violence and I love it! Screenshot time...



Death Chase is insanely good fun and bucket loads of it too. Either solo or with a friend.


Two types of killer cyborgs

Security Guards - these are common and wear a blue uniform but have no intention to serve and protect. Their armour is weak but they can use a range of devastating weapons and will often attack as a pack.

Eliminators - these are the toughest and stand out like sore thumbs in yellow body armour. They can carry a range of advanced hardware, like a mini-gun or a rocket launcher. Also, they don't care who gets in their way - even unlucky Security Guards can be torn to shreds during a pursuit. Interestingly, these guys aren't restricted to the room and love chasing through the screens. So beware because running away like a chicken has little benefit.

What, only two enemies? Ignore that and enjoy what is a thrilling shoot 'em up...



Only one guy stood between me and that ammo. So I fried him alive. Mwahaha!!


Controls, Gfx, Audio

Similar to Rogue, movements are performed within a grid layout. I would not recommend using the joystick as it's far too sensitive. Initially disappointed by that, I tried the keyboard as suggested in the docs. This works better than I ever imagined: the A and D keys are used to turn anti/clockwise. W walks us forward with the Spacebar used to select from an array of weapons (read the docs). Finally, banging on the Right Shift key is the best of all and provides an enormous amount of gratifying blood-soaked violence (love that double-barrel shotgun). Fascinatingly violent!!

The graphics remind me of how today's developers seem to think "retrogaming" looked in the day. Okay, it ain't no Enchanted Land but I'm impressed by the perfectly blocky pixel art which is a style perfectly apt to the theme.

The audio is equal to the visuals with a bunch of incredible Mad Max chiptunes that play alongside crystal-clear DMA samples. So not only are there amazing chiptunes to hear but there is a range of excellent sound samples for every effect. These were all recorded using Microdeal's Stereo Master from movies like The Evil Dead. Killer stuff!!

Keyboard. Keyboard. Keyboard. Keyboard. Keyboard. Got that? Okay, screenshot time...



Death Chase is almost like a nightmarish and blood-soaked version of Rogue. Love it!!


This is why we play Atari!!

Every so often, a game comes along that not only takes you by surprise but completely blows you away with its excellence. Something that first appeared quite simple, gimmicky, or perhaps even senseless. Heck, it doesn't do itself any favours concerning the terrible joystick controls. But then you play it and its style is captivating and complemented by exciting bloody visuals and fantastic sound effects. And you find yourself having another go. And another...

I cannot stress how much of a thrill it is to experience such a psychotic shooter. It looks, sounds and plays brilliantly - and with an option for a two-player co-op. The ability to continue on, after dying, is a superb feature that guarantees hours of fun. I love this barbaric game and Death Chase is one of the best I have ever played. Well done Daniel Fielding.

Yes, I said that. Not only is this a brilliant Atari STe game but it's one of the best games I have ever played. Ever.

Stop everything - download now!!

Friday, September 08, 2017

PouifOuf



English translation, please?

PouifOuf is a French word I imagine, but no online translator seems to know what it means! Well, it's also the name of a unique platformer developed by Le Glod for the Atari ST using the old favourite, GFA Basic. Firstly, don't go off the visuals because it really is nothing like you might imagine and there are no magic pockets too!

This familiar-looking kid must run around, almost like a headless chicken, collecting items scattered around each screen. The style is fast and frantic which reminds me of a cross between Roger and CarVup. However, we can ONLY walk left or right, which means there is no way to jump or use any weapon with our idle magic pockets. But don't worry, there are several platforms with "springboards" to walk on. When used, these propel us upwards to reach those higher places. It's now you realise the cunning thought needed to beat its design.

Curiously interested or have you already walked away? Well, here's a screenshot for those still here...


Hang on, is that the Bitmap Kid I see? The little fella is running around collecting everything!


Boing!!!

This is a great platformer but also very different from what I expected to play. It's a little crazy and there are lots of silly enemies who love to get underfoot and make our life hell. They aren't lethal but will humorously bounce you around the screen like a pinball. The emphasis here is fun which is a breath of fresh air.

Sometimes, fruit items will fall from the top of the screen but don't appear to do much more than offer a little visual diversity for extra points. I'm not sure but I can only assume PouifOuf is an unfinished project so I would love to know more about this hidden GEM. I have contacted Le Glod but heard nothing back as yet... Anyhow, collect all items because we can only move on to the next level once everything is collected. Yeah, yeah this is all basic stuff but it's darn good fun!!

Glad you stayed? Of course, you are because this game is different and so playable. Here's a screenshot...




Aesthetics

The visuals are lovely and everything scrolls very smoothly and perfectly compliment the ultra-fast gameplay requirements. Okay, ignore the ripped graphics and enjoy the blistering speeds. Note, I cannot stress this highly enough, play using real hardware for the smoothest possible experience. Wonderful programming for a wonderful experience.

Sound effects or music can be activated at any time using the F-keys but I prefer the gorgeous chiptune.

It zips about like a drunk driver on a busy high street so let's check out one final screenshot...



Use the springboards but watch out for the baddies who will make you tumble!


The CryptO'pinion?

What a game!! Yep, I've really enjoyed playing this game which I found a refreshing surprise. And nothing like I first imagined but this had me smiling like a Cheshire Cat thanks to the fantastic playability. I might not be able to pronounce "PouifOuf" but I know a fun game when I see it - and this is a blummin' furious platformer.

Simple gameplay that's so much fun. I cannot recommend it highly enough so grab yourself a copy now!

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Whipper Snapper's Race



Hang on, this ain't Cannon Fodder!

What do you get if you merge together "Horace Goes Skiing" with Cannon Fodder? Easy, it's called Whipper Snapper's Race by Petr Sumbera of New Design. This was developed using Omikron Basic and stars Max - a dude who goes skiing through many vertically-scrolling levels through places that look (umm) very familiar...

Navigate left/right to pass each obstacle as you ski - but don't bump into anything otherwise, you fall flat on your bum! Pushing up will reduce your speed whilst pulling down will increase it and fire will perform a leap into the air. Passwords are used to access the "missions" without having to start over from the beginning. Yes!!

Graphically, I could never complain because it looks just like Cannon Fodder and has superb attention to detail. Of course, it's all ripped and unoriginal but I do not care! The music is in stereo by Tomas Kucera and sounds funky - I'm sure you will leave it playing for a long while. In-game sound effects are ace but I won't spoil that surprise for you!

Skiing in Cannon Fodder... never been so much fun... (sorry!). Thanks to the great controls, this is so easy to pick up and play but also remains very challenging too. Whipper Snapper's Race is a very silly skiing game and shockingly addictive!!


I've made a floppy disk for those stuck in 3.5" hell :^)
Download the hard drive-installable game from Demozoo!
Wow, Petr's website is still up and running after all these years!!






Wednesday, September 07, 2016

Pommitus


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

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

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Merry Christmas



Mario on the Atari ST?

Super Stario Land was released in 1995 by Top Byte and might remind you of a certain game featuring a daft Italian plumber? Yep, it's pretty darn similar but this isn't merely a cheap clone but a great game in its own right that offers fantastic entertainment. It's a delight to play with controls that are both easy and responsive so feels authentic.

The graphics scroll by at a smooth 50fps with fine attention to visual detail, if small by ST standards. Sound effects are pretty chirpy and suit the console style but, if you press F9, then music will play by Big Alec. I love this game. It's like having a Nintendo with a keyboard! It's hard but it's also a brilliant platformer which is great fun.




What? You wanted more Italian plumber fun?

Stario's Christmas was released in 1996 and is basically more of the same - but within a Christmassy winter wonderland appearance. It's equal, in every way, to the first so if you enjoyed that then you're sure to love this.

Yep, two superb platformers to play over the holidays. Merry Christmas everyone †


Download hard disk versions via 8BitChip
and the floppies via Old Games Finder.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Destruction Imminent



Who needs a PC?

Not me, I've never owned one. Anyhow, let's talk gaming... Destruction Imminent was released in 1996 by Cunning & Devious Games for the Atari ST/e and is a first-person shooter, similar to a typical Wolfenstein clone. In fact, it's incredibly reminiscent of that early 90s era thanks to the familiar look and gameplay styles. The gameplay takes place in a similar environment too where we are fighting against the hoards using a range of familiar weaponry. Let's call it inspired?

First things first, before you play - watch the intro play through. It's actually pretty cool and is accompanied by gorgeous music whilst it introduces the monsters we will encounter. These are a scary bunch and pretty freaky too!!

It's time to stop reading and take a look at a couple of screenshots of the robots and rock monster...



The robots can be really tough opponents at times.


Rock monster! I'll say no more...



Enter the dungeon!

From the start, the atmosphere is predictable with each level overrun by strange creatures - but not to worry because there are lots of weapons ranging from the pistol to the more powerful machine gun, rocket launcher and plasma rifle. There are a wide variety of monsters with some oddballs - the Rock Monster is like a crude Daroou from Dungeon Master. He's oddly cute and looks like he's made from gingerbread! Anyhow, just kill him and free your monitor from that pixel art.

Controls are superb: cursor keys are used for walking, CTRL fires weapons and SHIFT allows you to run away like a cowardly chicken. Also, side-stepping is possible - which is always needed. The Function Keys are used to flip between weapons/health. Sadly, the mouse isn't supported but the wooden movement from a keyboard is responsive and just like Wolf3D.

Okay, wanna see some more of the enemies you'll be up against? Of course, you do...



Things are getting creepy with bugs!


There are also bats. Surely, you're not scared? Come back...!!



Jerky Aesthetics?

Surely the humble 8MHz Atari ST isn't powerful enough to properly run a first-person shooter? You need at least a 25MHz PC, right? Well, ignoring the drab user interface, the visuals are very impressive using a fast 3D engine that won't fail to impress. This makes full use of texture mapping, light-sourced sprites and a decent framerate. Power without the price!

As for the audio, thankfully, this is equally impressive using sound effects and cool tunes. Everything is even better when run using the Atari STe thanks to its stereo DMA coprocessor. This game is awesome so colour me impressed!

Yep, it looks and sounds excellent which is always nice to have so let's check out the last two monsters...



Mutants? Nah, they're not scary! In fact, they look like me on a Monday morning!


Gotta love the pixel artwork - stunning!



The CryptO'pinion?

This game is a LOT of fun: the weapons are great and exploring demon-infested worlds is always fascinating. There are no complaints from me, as I cannot take anything away from what is an extraordinary example of what the Atari ST/e is capable of knocking out - when in the hands of talented people who care about their product. No lame port here.

Play it on the Atari STe if you can and enjoy what is nothing short of a brilliant first-person shooter.


Destruction Imminent
download from my Dropbox ]