Showing posts with label Thinkers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thinkers. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Toogle


Argh, I keep saying Toggle!

Decades after being told the Atari ST had died, here is yet another brand new game thanks to Côté Gamers. It's a puzzler by demo crews Dune (José Martins) and Sector One (François Galea & Denis Huguet). Each screen has a 5x5 board of large square tiles and the challenge is to flip these in order to display the correct pattern. Easy Peasy!

This is done by group-selecting a particular number of tiles and flipping them over until you obtain the desired pattern correctly (which is shown opposite side of the screen). You are able to select these tiles in either a vertical or horizontal line but not diagonally. I know this sounds like a really superficial idea and one that is probably very easy?

Well, wait a minute because you're only allowed X number of moves (indicated on the right) and that means staring at the screen - before making a stupid mistake - as each action must always be the correct one. Yes, Toogle is very demanding but it would be boring if it were easy, right? Are you ready to be tortured and entertained in equal measure?

Visually, this ain't no Enchanted Land. But that's a good thing, right? Okay, let's check it out...

Level 6 is actually one of the easier boards to fix. It's almost like the game is spelling out a word ;-)


Six Juicy Tips

1) Take a gander at the instructions in the title menu for initial guidance.
2) Toogle is very simple, but that doesn't mean you should go rushing in like an idiot.
3) Stop. Look at the screen for what feels like an eternity and think.
4) Mull over each move that you might be thinking about - how will that affect the next move?
5) Take care to note how many moves you're allowed. A cruel but necessary limitation.
6) Basically, you're dead unless you can think like a Vulcan. Or reboot the ST!

Basically, this is a game of learning. Then trial and error. And then more trials and more errors but, it's always entertaining and has that addictive factor you cannot deny. In other words, this game puts you through agony but somehow you keep on coming back for more! Just take your time, think and you'll get the hang of it. Or cry trying (bring a tissue).

On that tearful note, let's take a gander at another funky screenshot...


I was proud of myself for finally completing this one. Only took about 25 attempts!


Aesthetics

Graphics are by Mic of Dune so everything looks very cheerful with colourful, bold visuals. I don't know of many games that have a scroller and jazzy background smoothly whizzing about all over the screen - is this a demo or a game? Either way, Toogle looks downright superb and crammed with 16-bit sex appeal without any distraction.

Music has been composed by Mathieu Stempell, aka DMA-SC, and he's given us two outstanding chiptunes which are both absolutely chip-tastic!! You can listen to either tune, at any time, by pressing the F1/F2 keys. Never ever press F3. Yep, killer tunes once again and my only gripe is wanting more from this incredible musician.

I think this is possibly the best-looking and best-sounding puzzler ever made for the ST? Truly, stunning stuff!!

I got so close to beating this screen. I'll smash it next time!!


The CryptO'pinion?

I'm often sceptical of puzzles, as they demand much of my spare time, but Toogle is as sweet as it is sour using an elegant design that hides its devious soul. There are screens that had me stumped for aeons and remembering that agony is almost unbearable! Level 3 had me stumped for longer than I care to admit but I breezed through others.

So, if you're wondering why I would purchase something so sinister. Think again. Toogle is unique in many respects and a tough brainteaser that entertains by design. I love its style so if puzzlers are your thang, then I highly advise you to head over to Côté Gamers website and grab yourself a boxed copy. Quite simply, this is a fantastic game.

Sigh, I doubt that I'll beat all the puzzles or reach level 99? Hang on, there's an envelope inside the box...

The box is nice and I love the colours. Plus today I finally learned what 'jeu' means... doh!

Hmm, I wonder what sadistic reason Cote Gamers had for sealing this envelope? ;-)

Guys, this is the one time you really must read the flipping manual!!

The disk design is superb but "a 3D printed stress reliever". What's one of those? heh

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Old Towers



Yet another brand new game!!

On Christmas Eve, totally out of the blue, came a brand new game for the Atari ST by Andy Noble. It's a conversion of a RetroSouls' Sega Megadrive game which takes place inside a massive tower filled with nasties, puzzles and many yellow dots that need collecting. Personally, I was instantly reminded of Nebulus and Yopaz IceStar.

Old Towers is actually a simple concept and one that works incredibly well. We are in control of a cute little guy(s) who runs around a vertical tower collecting yellow pills like our friend from that maze. He can run in all four directions but, once he begins to move, his momentum continues in that direction until coming into contact with a wall or object. Once all the yellow items are collected he can head towards the exit tile and onto the next level.

Sounds cool, right? Yep, so let's check out some screenshots of this funky little game...



Look at him move! So fast he leaves a blur of light that Superman would be proud of.


Starting level 6 introduces a new concept of solo/multi-control for the player!


Zip-Zap Crazy Fast!

As you play the first few levels, you will get a feeling for how the game thinks and the challenges it presents. The earlier levels break you into the style of control, how to solve puzzles and the thought processes you need to employ to beat it. The difficulty soon increases but I'm pleasantly surprised there is no timer as that would only pressurise the player into making mistakes. This lack of a timer is excellent and enhances the experience enormously.

It's a hazardous tower! Monsters roam, spikes are always going to hurt, and some rocks will spit out a dart in the style of Rick Dangerous. Thankfully, these aren't crowding the levels and only help to make the game challenging rather than impossible. However, I cannot speak for the later levels - blame my lacking skills for that!

Thankfully, there are helpful parts of the tower we can use to assist us: some blocks only appear after passing through their placeholder. Arrowed areas allow you to pass through, but only in the direction that they are pointing. Angled panels will throw you around the tower without any control. Useful but how will you stop?

Take a look at my video recording to see how well this game plays. Tell me it isn't fun zooming through the levels at a speed that puts Sonic to shame? Also, my video shows how I finally sussed out level 10 (slow brain!) but then I made a stupid blunder and died right before completing it... Enjoy!! 

No screenshots can do the gameplay any justice but, just to be awkward, here are some anyways...



Notice the square placeholder on the right? Zip over that to turn it into a rock. Very handy!


Level 8 is when my old brain began to stress! How can I reach the yellow square to exit?


Input & Output

Directional controls are sharp and responsive for quick action when zapping around the screen like a crazy fool. Hitting the fire button flips over to the other character - if he's knocking around. It's great having a helper inside the tower. Also, if the joystick doesn't work for you then there is an option to redefine your own keys.

Hitting ESC not only gives the option to quit but can restart a level after you realise you have gotten yourself stuck in a corner! Hold down the fire-button activates the option to scroll the screen without you moving. This helps view what's ahead without accidentally bumping into something deadly.

Graphically, this is hot. It looks great with a cracking design and funky colour palette. The animations are nice with smooth scrolling that keeps up with the pace of the gameplay. In fact, Old Towers gave me an odd C64 feel, which I really liked, but with a ton more colour. I don't get that either but it's how I feel. I love the visuals!!

Sonix are neat with nice effects and YM tunes blurping away by Oleg Nitkitin. During the game, we have a rendition of the Popcorn tune which I've always found quite irritating but it grows on you I must admit. The title screen music is brilliant and plays whilst rotating through a number of the intro screens. This is beautiful chip music.

So it looks and sounds brilliant which means I'm gonna dump some more screenshots right here...


An arrow hits my head on the 9th level. It's a killer so don't rush!! Just listen to those sound effects...


It may have taken me a couple of attempts but here is proof I finally made it to level 10 :)


The CryptO'pinion?

What an amazing treat it is to play something new, especially as it was completely unexpected. Okay, I'm not the biggest fan of puzzle games, my skills in the video certainly prove this, but what the video doesn't show is just how much enjoyment I got from this game. Old Towers is polished and thoroughly entertaining whilst challenging the player to use their mind and reactions equally. I think I'll be playing this a lot over the holidays...

I would like to thank Andy for going to the effort of converting this game over to the often-forgotten Atari 520ST. Check out his website which includes a download link. Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy this fantastic puzzler.

I managed to reach the 8th stage on my first play. In fact, I would have done much better but for all the eating and drinking I needed to do. Ahem, honest... burrrrrp!! Merry Christmas everyone :)

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Randomazer



Thomas has been busy again!

It's always exciting to hear of another brand new game in development for the Atari STe and we've just been given an early playable demo of Randomazer. It's by Thomas Ilg, the same fella who gave us a fantastic conversion of Frogs which should also work fine on the Falcon and Mega ST (check your STFM for an empty Blitter socket).

As you have probably guessed, Randomazer features randomly generated mazes where we guide colourful baubles around the screen and safely home. It sounds simple, and it is, but it's not - especially with multiple balls! There are four different game modes, tutorials, buckets of levels and also cool actions that can be applied to destroy walls and teleport. The graphics are designed by none other than STS with sweet tunes by xFalcon.

These type of puzzlers aren't really my cuppa tea because I simply haven't got the patience for something like this!! However, I have actually enjoyed playing Randomazer which is something that both Thomas and I are probably shocked to hear!! Why, I hear you scream?

Well, after suffering through Marble Madness, I wasn't initially keen with Randomazer. At first, I struggled and it destroyed what little patience I managed to muster! But the tutorials are helpful so I managed to get a grip of this intriguing puzzler which has elements of Lemmings in some respects. Yep, I still find it infuriating (sorry Thomas!) but it's unique and oddly very addictive!

It's incredible to think a brand new Atari STe game is born from what was a basic maze generator only a couple of months ago. I wish Thomas much success with this but please remember that it is a Work-In-Progress. Any feedback, help or other ideas will be appreciated so click the link and get this baby playtested right now :-)

Update: the game is pretty much finished albeit marked as a beta as I write. You can download it right now from Thomas's website for free with the final release only hours away and the boxed version available to pre-order!! Also, it's worth checking out Stickhead's fantastic new video showcasing the current game. Enjoy!!




Use those green arrows to safely guide your ball home (the green square)


I never thought I'd see "perfect" when I first started to play this tough game!!


Woo!! Things are getting difficult now and what are those buttons at the bottom? Hmm...


Hang on, I can blow up walls? Let's try that for starters!!! :D

Saturday, November 02, 2019

Quadralien



Oh no, I've gotta use my brain?

Quadralien is an action-enhanced puzzler released by Logotron and, once again, we find ourselves on board a spaceship that's about to go into a nasty radioactive meltdown. This time it's thanks to a pesky race of Quadraliens who must be stopped before everything goes boom. Next time, I think I'll just stay at home.

I must admit that Quadralien wasn't something I was looking forward to playing. I remember being completely bemused by this puzzler back in 1988 so I was dreading booting it up again - and then having to write something interesting!! So, cautiously, I inserted the floppy disk into my Atari ST and braced for an embarrassing moment of gaming torture. I only hoped my nightmares didn't return to haunt me... At my age, I need all the sleep I can get!!

Anyhow, let's begin this feature with a couple of nifty screenshots that will probably make no sense...



Click the red square to see detailed information for each of the six droids. Choose wisely!




Let's get to work...

Each level is viewed and played from above - Gauntlet-style you might say. We are in control of two droids that need to clean up the Quadralien's mess. Actually, there are a total of six droids but only two are usable at once. Each has its own individual characteristics to take into account: magnetic structure, the ability to carry waste, battery, weaponry...

Initially, I found that unnecessary because I felt blind - in terms of planning ahead for an unknown level. Hmm, it didn't seem to work very well... However, I later found a fantastic series of videos by sushicalmagi who nicely explains each droid along with the basics of the gameplay. It's worth watching, especially if you have no instructions manual like me!

Okay, here are two more screenshots. Apologies to all those expecting Gauntlet...


So much radioactive stuff to zap or pick up... use those "I" terminals to see the services it offers.



Confused? You will be!

Six chambers make up a level and their objective differs: in the first room we are tasked to clean the radioactive materials to lower the temperature but the later levels involve puzzles to tax the old brain cells. Quadralien uses a passcode system to lock the harder levels which I thought was a neat idea for the long run.

Okay, my first game was quite a mind-blowing affair because there's so much clutter on-screen, which bewilders me!! My advice is to take it slow and experiment with your droid: familiarise yourself with the room, find water, play with magnetised objects, zap/collect toxic waste - and use the console. Actually, these are excellent and stuffed full of detailed stats, and full toxic decontamination, and can also recharge your battery to full power.

There is a lot to this game, which is great value for money but also a time-eater. Screenshot time...


The console is your friend who can help out in a number of different ways - like a good scrub!



By Jove, I think he's got it

After a couple of games in, things began to fall into place and I was enjoying myself. Getting around is easy using the joystick and it's a lot of fun zapping the nasty stuff with your laser. Also, the spacebar is used to collect toxic waste and hitting F4 activates a nifty Geiger counter on all lucky droids. F5 flips between your two chosen droids and F3 allows you to pan your location without moving, which is more useful than you might first assume...

Also, there are some rather odd magnetic mechanics which can be useful, annoying or humorous and that depends on your choice of droid so learn your environment before blindly running around. However, there are other objects to be wary of like magnetic tracks, forcefields and those impetuous Quadraliens!

Okay, you're starting to show interest? Rightly so, this game is something else...


It's good to know your environment and Quadralien is bursting with much to learn. Study hard!



Aesthetics

Graphically, for a puzzler, this is amazing and I liked its crisp, clean design using bold colours. It's quite futuristic in some ways and reminded me how I thought a 16-bit game would look - back when I was a ZX Spectrum guy. Okay, I'd have liked scrolling but the flick-screen works nicely and I'm thankful push-scrolling wasn't used!

The sound effects are great but it's that funky Dave Whittaker music that wins it hands down. Listen...





The CryptO'pinion?

We are now at that point where I write why I loved or hated a game. However, I'm doing something different because of Quadralien's enormous learning curve which I initially failed to master many moons ago. Sometimes we're quick to judge and I feel I fell into that trap because of Quadralien's massive learning curve.

Anyhow, I recently took a week off work with the family to eat, drink and walk the fells of northern England. I returned fresh, raring to go, and booted up my ST to give this puzzler another shot and, you know what? I actually enjoyed it for the first time in over 30 years. In fact, my older brain seemed to cope a lot better too!

Quadralien may offer the usual end-of-world scenario but it also feels very different and with some interesting mechanics. Sure, there's a huge learning curve, but I suggest trying your best to master that otherwise you'll do what I almost did and miss out on nothing less than a class Atari ST game. Dismiss this cracking puzzler at your peril.

AtariMania has the floppy download and 8BitChip obviously has the hard disk version.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Color Clash

To compensate for the lacking sounds, I decided to add a background tune - by The Phantom.


ZX Spectrum colour clash?

No, Colour Clash is a puzzler released in 1992 by AnimalSoft and stars Antonius the chameleon who has been captured by a mad scientist. Yup, there is usually some crazy fool trying to rule our world and this one has decided to force a chameleon to complete a maze. The task? To find dead flies - and eat them. I bet you didn't expect that, right??

The first room is easy and nicely demonstrates the game's basic mechanics whilst giving a feel of how to control Antonius. It's here we learn that he can jump but can only eat the flies from a horizontal direction. Also, there are always nasties to avoid which can cause our critter to explode into pieces with just a single touch. Ouch, this game is so unique!

You'll need to stop and think a lot so check out a couple of screenshots for an idea of what to expect...



(top) I found it easy. But (lower) is something that had me stumped for a *long* time... sigh!



My brain hurts!

It's not until the later levels that you realise we can gain a few extra abilities to help us out. These are enabled by collecting coloured cards that not only changes our chameleon's appearance but will also activate a new ability:

* Red allows us to reach high places by inflating ourselves like a balloon!
* Green is pretty cool because we can now use our tail as a weapon.
* Blue gives us a long and sticky tongue which is great for moving objects.
* Yellow turns us back to our default colour and we can also jump.

Trying to figure out how each room can be completed is very taxing on the old brain cells. This is the kind of game that will catch you out so many times with regard to planning the best route - and how best to use your special abilities. After all, any card can only be collected (and used) only once. This means that whenever you return back to default, you cannot switch to another colour unless there is a card to collect. Thankfully, there is no time limit!!

Colour Clash has a password feature - so blow on a trumpet whilst dancing naked in the streets!! Yes, this is a fabulous addition and something that I wish more games had because it makes your progression far more achievable. No longer will you need to restart from scratch each and every time. Well done AnimalSoft and top marks from me!

Fancy another couple of screenshots. Of course, you do so here you go...



(top) is easy and so obvious! But (lower) is the dreaded level 11 which has me stumped!!



Input & Output

The joystick controls are dead simple to move Antonius and the fire button performs a leap (or a special ability). Pushing upwards will pause the game where you can also access the menu bar at the top of your screen which provides three choices: DEF means default and will turn Antonius back to his default colour of yellow. NOT will do nothing and return you to the game. KIL explodes our loveable chameleon if ever you need to restart.

Aesthetically, we have a rather basic appearance with little audio. Now, that may seem a little naff to some, but no game needs spanky visuals to be playable, especially a puzzler. However, having said that, and in true AnimalSoft tradition, the sprites are gorgeous - so cute and beautifully drawn. However, I do wish there was a background tune...

It looks like an Amstrad game (with superb sprites) but I can't help but dump a couple more screenshots on you...



(top) is so frustratingly obvious, but (lower) is tricky and requires serious thought.



The CryptO'pinion?

I've really enjoyed this brain-blaster and that's not something I say often about many puzzlers thanks to my short temper! As I write, I still cannot beat level 11, which has me stumped and is driving me nuts! However, the game loses none of its appeal during these difficult moments. It's true, each day I've found myself staring at my monitor - baffled but happy.

A torturous puzzler and one I thoroughly recommended, even if they spelt colour incorrectly :^)

I would like to shout out a huge thank you to one of our kind Patreons who suggested that I should play something by AnimalSoft. Richard Davey, you were absolutely right about both AnimalSoft and this cunning puzzler!!


Level Codes - can you help??

Level 1 - Starring
Level 2 - Antonius
Level 3 - Coloring
Level 4 - Rainbows
Level 5 - Bestowed
Level 6 - With The
Level 7 - Enormous
Level 8 - Quest Of
Level 9 - Escaping
Level 10 - From The
Level 11 - EvilOnes
Level 12 - ????????

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Muzzy



Wait, come back!!

Muzzy was featured in ST Format (#58) and is a budget puzzler by Enigma Software Developments. It caught my eye because I liked the old skool visuals, plus it's something I've never actually played before. I believe it should be compatible with both the ST and STe (sadly, it crashes on my STFM but works dandy on the STe but YMMV - the download).

An intro kicks things off at the start accompanied by stereo music on the Atari STe. Playing my first game was quite confusing and I wasn't sure what to do but I soon learnt the game's crazy personality. The object is always the same: collect every gem before being whisked off to do it all over again on the next zany screen.

Of course, the difficulty constantly increases as does the variety of silly mechanics and vicious enemies who can kill you instantly. So fight back by blowing up these pesky critters using bombs. That is always going to be great!

The trusty joystick is used to control little Muzzy which is simple and easy but first feels overly sensitive. Stick with it because pushing against something, whilst pressing fire, will be the most complex action you will learn.

Visually, I doubt Muzzy will blow you away with its tiny sprites and meagre 8-Bit style. By ST standards, they suck. But since when have graphics ever made a game better? (Yes, I'm talking to you, Dragon's Lair). The audio is basic and it's disappointing that the DMA wasn't used for lots of jazzy sound effects. Having said that the old YM does an excellent job.

Muzzy is a strange game with many weird levels that make little sense - it's very different from what I expected. Attack each screen with a 'trial and error' to see what solution will work best. In my video recording, the last screen had me stumped but it was actually annoyingly obvious - but that's Muzzy for you!!

It looks peculiar, I know. But get it downloaded because it's great fun and something unexpectedly different.



Saturday, January 27, 2018

KLAX



Another ST game gets updated

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

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

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

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

Friday, September 01, 2017

Jumping Jack'son



A game with attitude!

Jack is a fella who simply wanted to chill out and listen to a few of his favourite records but he never got the chance because the soul of Rock 'n Roll is somehow trapped and now manic classical instruments roam the land looking for blood. Of course, your blood... Yep, if ever there was ever a strange idea for a game then this is it!

Jack's world is viewed top-down and made up of square tiles which he can hop on. There are also special groups which can produce a record if you turn them all the same colour. This must correspond to an unused turntable so, for example, a red record for a red player. The song will gradually compile as each record player is activated - which means that the level is only complete once all are working. Sounds weird but it works really well.


Never would I have imagined such a silly game would be so brilliant!


Not your normal game...

Each level is like a jigsaw and isn't always continuous, so the use of a transporter may be required but be careful because you don't want to bump into a baddie! They are instruments that chase if you get close and will kill you using a humorous "Pif-Paf" cartoon-like effect which is fantastic. There are many items to collect for extra points and other features: wear a pair of cool shades... or rest to safely gather your nerves on a chequered tile...

Also, why not try dropping a couple of your old cassettes on the floor to block an instrument dead in his tracks. Well, for a few seconds but it gives a desperately needed break nobody uses those old tapes anyhow! As you progress, the maps become more technical and offer a great challenge in this insane musical world of craziness!



Can you beat my Hi-Score? Nah, I didn't think so!


Aesthetics

Infogrames have worked their magic and produced another jaw-dropper. I normally start with the graphics but not today because this game is a blast. Sound effects are superb and these go to making up the thumping tune which is great. Other sound effects for the instrument monsters is excellent and I love when some begin to violently bash out their sounds if you get too close. Sigh, just imagine if they'd have used the DMA hardware...

The graphics are constantly amazing throughout each and every level. Constant, rich in colour backgrounds with the funniest of musical sprites chasing. The scrolling is ultra-smooth and I even loved the high-score table which is almost like a funky demo screen! Hey, check it out above, can you beat my first-attempt score?



Oh no, something mean and green is attacking me!


The CryptO'pinion?

Jumping Jack'Son is superb and has lots of great, unique humour. Come on, there's nothing like an angry trumpet chasing you down the screen! It's also one of the prettiest puzzlers on the Atari ST that presents itself as a timeless classic and still feels fresh and innovative today. It's obvious a lot of love went into making this game and I cannot stress enough just how highly recommend this game comes. A personal favourite. 10/10.

Download for hard drive or floppy.

Saturday, July 29, 2017

Quartet


Only this morning did ST Survivor ask me for a video recording of Quartet, a new game based on the original, by Photonstorm. The task is to place pieces of four faces, into four slots, in four separate areas with bonuses awarded for a whole face. Watch my video recording and you will see that it's simpler than it reads - and very addictive!

Saturday, June 17, 2017

BLAT


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

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

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

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

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

Monday, January 23, 2017

Grap


Marko Latvanen, of AtariMania, kindly sent me a game developed by Tangram programmer, Mark Luthe, for the German magazine ST Magazin. Grap first appears as a Tempest clone but is actually a puzzler which I'm sure will appeal to the brainiacs? It was originally sold through the publication as a "budget" mail-order back in 1990 but hasn't been available since. I am very excited by this rare and fascinating find and I hope you enjoy playing it :-)

The only place you shall find Grap is on the excellent AtariMania website.
Computer Magazine Archive has more on ST Magazin (you'll need Google Translate)
Thinkers might wanna check out our "Puzzle" section right here on AtariCrypt :)

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Head Over Heels



Going back to my Your Sinclair days!

I stumbled upon Head Over Heels by pure chance today. It's been donkey's years since I played this on my old ZX Spectrum and seeing it again is a heartwarming reminder of my 8-bit days. However, I shockingly cannot remember completing this tough isometric adventure and I certainly don't ever recall playing the Atari ST version!

Head Over Heels is far more complex than it first appears, two characters who each have their own skillset solve the puzzles. It's superb to see this again after all these years and anyone that loves the "filmation" genre will surely be in heaven. The graphics are Spec-tacular with superb details and more colour than my old rubber Speccy could ever have dreamt of. A huge and intriguing adventure offering many sleepless nights!

AtariMania features this within the ST database including an interesting tidbit too! Download Head Over Heels from 8BitChip as this supports a trainer and hard drive installation. Also, here is an extremely interesting website for the ZX Spectrum version with maps, videos, and more which should prove helpful.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Unheart


Unheart is something that I've been meaning to feature for far too long. It's actually pretty new and was only released in 2014 at Silly Venture by Masters of Electric City. It's based on the original PC game, Heartlight which happily mixes Sokoban with a dollop of Boulder Dash to produce a riveting and refreshing brain-teasing challenge.

In fact, Boulder Dash fans should look elsewhere because this is actually a Sokoban game and a brilliant take on that idea too. We are a dwarf who enjoys digging his way through caves looking for love hearts. Watch out for falling rocks that might block your path or worse, a head-crushing blow. You might even come upon a bomb as you crawl through the soft soil but be careful, because these will detonate when impacting something hard, like a wall or rock. Heck, there are even balloons that will float upwards potentially pushing whatever gets in their way...

Don't worry if you get stuck, hit ESC will humorously explode our dwarf so we can restart. Also, a level-skip function is used to bypass those brain-destroying levels with the option of coming back later (yeah right). The difficulty remains a constant throughout - high - with cunning map designs causing the most intense problems!

The graphics are simple yet superbly detailed using a gorgeous C64-like palette. The status bar is displayed using overscan, which is always going to be a great thing for obvious reasons. The chip music is on another level. It is breathtaking and perfectly suits the gameplay - I just wish there was more.

Unheart is so much fun and pushes you to think differently than you would imagine. Its difficulty remains a constant throughout - high - with cunning map designs causing the most intense problems to overcome. Thankfully, with unlimited retries - and the ability to skip troublesome levels - you aren't distracted and will keep on coming back for more. Unheart is challenging, distinctively brilliant and one of the beST puzzlers on the Atari ST.

- SCREENSHOTS & DOWNLOAD -


Some levels look so simple yet they are not. Perhaps well-placed explosions will help here?


I spent ages on this level and yet it is so easy to complete!! Sometimes physics helps a bunch.


Another level that appears so simple - and is - but that didn't stop me from pulling out my hair!!


I can imagine Boulder Dash fans loving the first level, but not so much the others!


Grab the download from Demozoo and Silly Venture!

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

BeGEMeD



Dear puzzle fans, brace yourself!!

Forget playing Candy Crush on your phone because there is something better to play on your Atari STe: BeGEMeD. This is a twist on the Bejewelled theme and has been developed for the Atari STe and Falcon/TT by Alexander de Vries.

Those familiar with the game will love this version because it not only plays brilliantly but looks and sounds the part too. BeGEMeD features amazing graphics in 16 colours by Carnivac. In fact, it's hard to believe that so few colours are used because the screen looks incredible. A talented use of so few colours is very impressive.

Accompanying the lush visuals is music by Dma-Sc, one of my favourite musicians and is mesmerisingly awesome. We also have familiar sound effects as we play with sampled speech that lets us know how awesome we are! Love it all.




ReadMe.TXT

Nice of you to visit this text, it will give you all the basic information you need to know to get started. Don’t worry it's easy so you will get the hang of it very soon!!

We are visiting Jack Bright, the castle lord of a medieval castle. He has already lived there for a lot of years and the castle needs some work. But his cash flow is a little bit on the downside so to earn some cash he has to swap gems for it.

He has lots of them hidden in his castle but it is a real mess. They are just piled on top of each other in no order at all. To swap them for cash he has to sort them out! But he can only do so if he has 3 or more of the same collection.

How does he do that? Well simple, just align 3 or more gems horizontal or vertical. For every successful swap, he earns those coins. Click the gem you van to swap with one of its neighbours and then choose the one you want to swap. Or even better just drag it over the other one by holding the mouse button, it both works...

As the coin meter reaches the top you have earned enough cash to go to the next level. The aim of the game is to reach the biggest high score of course.



The CryptO'pinion?

I contacted Alexander to thank him for developing a great game and... we got chatting... it wasn't long before I was beta-testing a new version. Which was ace of course and I'm thrilled to report numerous bug fixes and extra features.

This has been a blast because Alexander is a cool chap and I'm honoured to have played a (tiny) part in producing what is a fantastic and addictive puzzler. I'm confident with the following statement: BeGEMeD is one of the best Bejeweled games I have ever played. A fantastic game that looks and sounds as good as it plays. Love it.

AtariMania has the latest version to download!

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Sokoban



Never judge a book...

I love hearing about new games that are in development for our beautiful Atari ST and today I found out about a brand new Sokoban puzzler. It's written by Peter Lane and is a GEM-based program so it will work on every model of Atari computer and features 50 levels, a scale-adjustable display and the options for tons of extra levels. Absolutely brilliant. I've really enjoyed taxing my old brain cells with this cracking puzzler. Highly recommended for puzzler fans!!

Saturday, November 14, 2015

YOPAZ IceStar



A brand new GEM game!

Yopaz is a new Sokoban-themed puzzler by Cedric Bourse that stars a happy chap who loves to collect stars. It's a GEM program but slick, very smooth and even features ambient sounds on 4MB Atari STe computers.

Taking place within the vacuum of space, all movement follows the laws of physics: once Yopaz begins travelling, he is committed to that direction until hitting an object. So think and take your time because you will need to use the ice blocks to manoeuvre and collect all the stars. There are other oddities, like blocks that aren't ice but will instead teleport you to a different place entirely. It always pays to study the screen before taking action. Think before you move.

Also, there is an advanced mode for those with a sadistic desire to punish their brains even more on levels that are incideously cunning. This is a brain-killing choice (I'm too scared!!). You have been warned!!

Cedric Bourse, aka Orion_ (not Orion), has a website where you can download a playable demo and he is only asking for $4 to purchase the full game. An incredibly cheap asking price for such a brilliant puzzler! A puzzler which is fun - love it.

Sunday, June 07, 2015

Laserball 2015



Wear your thinking head, Worzel

Laser Ball was initially released in 1991 by Thomas Ilg and then updated in 2014 with bug fixes and larger screens. After months of tinkering and making even more improvements, we have the completed product: Laserball 2015. The game can be downloaded for free with the option of buying a boxed version - which is what I had to get!

This is a puzzle game which first appears simple in nature but turns out to be furiously challenging. If you've ever played Deflektor and the like, then you will immediately have a grasp on the basic concept. The game has many screens of increasing difficulty with all featuring a laser gun shooting out a beam of light in a straight line.

In order to complete a level, that beam must be redirected onto a red ball using mirrors and other objects. That means using the various mirrors by tilting them to redirect the light towards distinct directions. These can be physically moved in all four directions - and move continuously until blocked by an object or wall. So, it's paramount to stop and think.

Righto, let's take a gander at a screenshot of the first level that gently breaks you in (he says)...



This is the first level where I learned a lot about when and how to move those mirrors.


My brain hurts!

It's your calculative thinking that chooses where to place the mirrors in order to align the beam of light just right - so it can blast that red blob! However, doing so proves a LOT harder than you first imagine thanks to each screen's design. As you progress, you'll see lots of different types of objects that can either aid or restrict your options. For example:

Closed doorways need to be activated using the beam before they can be used. Easy that, init!
Some objects cannot be moved - except by the beam of light. I now hate timers even more.
Some eliminate walls and others present hidden functions. Dare you experiment?

Watch out for the timer. Sigh... Yes, there's a timer which I didn't like at all - I felt rushed which spoilt the fun for me (so I would like to personally thank Thomas for implementing a feature to disable it). Finally, try not to zap a bomb otherwise it's game over - but you can always come back to a particular level without replaying the previous screens. There is an insane number of levels to wade through - which should keep you busy for weeks! No, months.

Feeling brave? Think this game is easy? Okay, let's take a look at the next screenshot to shut you up...



A timer or not, this level is a ticking timebomb. Look closely and you'll see what I mean!!


Aesthetics?

Visually, this is a nice looker thanks to its clear-cut display style that suits the cute theme. However, let's face it, puzzlers are rarely jaw-dropping and how can they be? With that in mind, I think Laser Ball actually has excellent graphics. Each screen is without unnecessary clutter whilst also featuring an appealing type of youthful style that I really admire.

Sadly, there aren't many sound effects (ahem) beyond the few key clicks and funny jingles... But that doesn't matter in the slightest because Laserball features charming chip music by xFalcon that suits the game perfectly. It's beautiful.

So, it looks nice and sounds great! I think it's time to celebrate that fact with the final screenshot...



And now things change once again with new mechanics I couldn't grasp at first. Killer game!!


The CryptO'pinion?

I've learnt many things about myself playing Laserball both, as a gamer and as a person. Like my patience - or rather lack of it!! The fact that I can spend so much time on any level - constantly replaying it over and over. But then be utterly flabbergasted at what is often a simple solution that I failed to work out. Argh, it's so infuriating!!

But this is a fascinating puzzler too and I've been quoted saying, "Probably one of the best thinking games ever released for the Atari ST". You know what? I think that humble sentence pretty much nails it and definitely sums up this game. And that's saying something when you consider just how many awesome puzzlers are already out for the Atari ST!!

- Download Laserball for floppy & hard drive -


  
Update: check this out!!! Thank you, Thomas, for making this new level :-)