Friday, July 28, 2023
Dementia
Friday, January 06, 2023
Street Fighter
A disgruntled gamer
Back in the summer of 1988, I was the only guy in college with a ZX Spectrum. Don't get me wrong, I loved my old Speccy but I had grown out of it and spent much of that year dreaming of Atari's new supercomputer. It was tough seeing magazine game reviews because the Atari ST games appeared to have graphics lightyears ahead of the current competition.
However, I will always remember the advert for Street Fighter because it featured screenshots taken from various systems, the Atari ST being one. It was a jaw-dropping moment seeing such amazing details and bright colours (the image above). In reality, the advert was a lie because that image was actually taken from the arcade version!!
Not that it mattered because this beat'em up was something of a shambles thanks to Tiertex chimps randomly hitting their keyboards until they thought it was ready for release. I honestly don't know how they got away with this product - it's not only the jerky scrolling and laughable animations but the control system is sluggish and vastly unresponsive.
Of course, after months of yearning for the Atari ST, I finally got one at Christmas. Ignoring Street Fighter, this slab of grey power lived up to all my hopes and desires and you can imagine the joy on my face when I first got to boot up Xenon, Buggy Boy or Beyond The Ice Palace. Magical moments in my history. (Atari STFM Super Pack)
If you're still interested in playing Street Fighter then you are obviously insane, but here are the links...
8BitChip has the download for hard drive/ultrasatan installation.
Floppy disks can be found using Old Games Finger (Automation #41)
Wasabim has recorded a fantastic YouTube video!
Type "STREETCHEAT" on the title screen and you can hit the Help key to skip levels.
Maybe you're curious how Street Fighter would have performed on the Atari STe? (unfinished)
Hey, why not check out our Pixel Art & Beat'em Up sections, go on and click the links!
Even though a trainer was enabled, I endured much pain to get these screenshots! I wanted to play through until the end, but it seemed to go on forever so I was thoroughly braindead and gave up. Anyhow, we're here for the (static) pixel art so I'll stop moaning about that advert and game. Dare I ask if there are fans of the ST beat'em up out there!
I hope you enjoyed this silly little post by a disgruntled gamer remembering US Gold's misleading advert? O_o
Saturday, July 25, 2020
Mr. Do! Run Run
Yep, I love the graphics and the sweet pixels were created by Gary Felix who was responsible for Exolon and Future Sports. Now, ignoring the rather lame animated intro (sorry Gary), the title screen that follows demonstrates what to expect. And that means peculiar and freaky pixels - especially if you hate clowns? Meh, I don't see what all the fuss is about.
This is the campest title screen I've ever seen. It's absurd but very colourful.
The overhead display is superb for a clear view of the task ahead.
Check out those melon monsters! But look, I can see logs just waiting to be knocked.
This gameplay is fairly similar to PacMan but Mr Do is also writing a line as he moves (think Qix). Use this to draw a box and turn the pills into fruits: repeat the process to flip them into oranges, lemons and eventually pineapples for extra points. Yes, it is 'familiar' but the gameplay mechanics are excellent and provide a frantic adrenalin rush as you busily race around the screen. The level is completed once all the balls are collected or the baddies are dead.
Now, although this is a Pixel Art feature, I feel I cannot continue without mentioning the music by Wally Beben. I'm often amazed at what the YM can produce but I feel he knocked the ball out of the park with truly outstanding arcade-style sounds. His chip music truly does suit the gameplay and sounds ace. Check it out and click on the green arrow below...
Personally, I think this is one of the most overlooked arcade conversions for the Atari ST. And it looks superb too!!
Friday, November 30, 2018
Another World
Our adventure begins with a nice intro that nicely explains how our unfortunate hero, Lester Chaykin, managed to find himself in such a strange world. Okay, we're not talking Race Drivin' standards (and the elevator scene is boring) but it's definitely worth watching. I also like the sound effects which are a lot clearer on the Atari STe. Nice!!
You know you're in for a great adventure the moment this beast appears!!
We start in deep waters so hurry!! Before something reaches up to get you!
We didn't last long before getting captured and banged up with another fella. I hope he's friendly!!
Its attention to detail like this which is so impressive, like on the first screen with that ugly beast on a distant ledge who looks rather ominous - it then turns around and sees you. Scary stuff!! Also, when trapped in jail, I love to watch those distant prisoners working in the background. And what about when Lester flops to the ground after a slug slashes his leg? Brilliant stuff and Another World is surely one of the best-animated games from the early 90s?
However, it's because of the visuals why Another World takes its rightful place within our Pixel Art section. I hope you approve of my screenshots which I think helped demonstrate why I love these pixels so much? A truly wonderful game so grab yourself some of Eric Chahi's cartoon styles on either a floppy disk or for your hard drive.
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Fred
The intro is fantastic - our fearless knight is tragically zapped into a midget by an angry dwarf. Shocked by this, he shakes his fists at his foe but, they cannot help themselves and burst out laughing. Then, adding salt into Fred's wounds is a little gnome who completes Fred's ridicule. This is what I call a brilliant opening intro.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Verminator
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!
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.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Bombuzal
Well, this is quite a simple puzzler that requires us to detonate a collection of red bombs. Each screen contains a number of squares we can use to help calculate our best route but watch out for traps: crumbling tiles that can be walked on only once before they disappear forever, so don't get yourself stranded!
Other tiles might be too slippery to walk on whilst some can transport you to another location. Slotted tiles allow us to move selected bombs to a different location, usually to avoid being caught up in an explosive chain reaction. I like Bombuzal, it's a fun game to tax the old brain cells and it's got fantastic pixel art too!
Wow, this must be one of the brightest and happiest games on the Atari ST.
This is interesting and being able to flip POVs is neat. But I prefer it in 3D myself...
I love its pixel art. Isometric styles always look cool but this one also uses the palette perfectly.
Oh no, watch out for crumble tiles and (so many) other hazards. This 3D world is dangerous!
Tuesday, August 08, 2017
Darkman
There are movie scenes - like dodging the oncoming traffic or covertly sneaking pictures for a disguise (which will produce hilarious results for such a sinister game). This dark theme continues through to the end with a short comic strip. This game is a great example of extraordinary 16-Bit artwork thanks to the talent of James Clarke/Mister X, Darkman!!
- Floppy disks can be downloaded off Stonish and I recommend Now 5 #7.- A hard drive installable version of Darkman is available via D-Bug.- AtariMania list the other works of James Clarke and the ominous Mister X.
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Flying Shark
I remember getting this on an ST/Amiga Format cover disk back in my college days - much to the envy of my Miggy mate!! It's actually a pretty faithful representation of the coin-op with great graphics, ace music and excellent gameplay. The play area doesn't slide left/right (like in the arcades) but that's not required due to our wider resolution ratio.