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### Homebrew Retrospective [Atari ST(E)/Falcon]

#### Reviewed By J. Monkman

Since the release of issue #04 I've been busy reliving some of the happiest days of my youth thanks to the recent acquisition of an Atari STE (upgraded to 4MB of RAM and complete with a 540MB SCSI hard disk and Iomega Zip drive). Back when I was a kid I could have only dreamt of possessing such a comparatively high spec machine (mine was a somewhat limited floppy-only 512KB STFM), but now as an adult I'm in a finally in a position to discover first-hand what I was missing all those years ago.

Let's be honest - during the 16-bit computing golden age Atari failed to achieve the same level of commercial success as the Commodore Amiga, but this doesn't mean that the Atari range were poor in comparison. Sure, it lacked some of the raw power of Commodore's opus and the GEM operating system appears more basic and less flashy than the Amiga Workbench, but from the point of view of a serious user or coder, the Atari's simple and clean design makes it far easier to master (a fact that anyone who's had experience with configuring hard disks or setting up auto booting programs on both computers will be hard pushed not to agree with). In fact, this was the main attraction and deciding factor for me in coming back to Atari after all these years - unhappy with the bloated and buggy nature of Microsoft Windows and endless headaches caused from messing around with start-up sequences and libraries in UAE, I craved the simplistic system design of the Atari, and this is why I now have one as a second computer.

Anyway - I digress. Back to the subject matter, the Atari ST(E) may have been dropped by all but a handful of software houses in the early 90's, but the strong homebrew scene continued pumping out releases, filling in the void left by the lack of commercial support and in some cases even surpassing what was thought possible on the somewhat limited platform. Even more surprising is the fact that the scene is still going today, with groups like Paradize and Reservoir Gods releasing a handful of new productions each year and the D-Bug cracking/packing group re-releasing hard disk installable commercial games patched for the entire Atari range (including the 32-bit Falcon). Not bad for a machine that's over two decades old, and clearly there's a few more years left in the old grey box yet!

Before looking back at some of the Atari's gaming highlights in this issue's Homebrew Retrospective, I've one last point to address; if it wasn't for my experience growing up with the Atari then RGCD would not exist. The 16-bit underdog introduced me to homebrew gaming; the challenge of seeking out high quality indie software almost twenty years ago planted the seed that has continued to grow to this day, resulting in the disk magazine you are reading right now. So if you've never played Atari in the past, get yourself a copy of STEem (or even better, a real machine), plug in that Competition Pro and load up some of these...

### Chu Chu Rocket [Atari ST(E)/Falcon]

#### http://www.reservoir-gods.com/

Unofficially ported from the 128-bit Sega Dreamcast, the Reservoir Gods conversion of Chu Chu Rocket is an undisputed homebrew masterpiece. Supporting up to four players via a combination of joysticks, mice, keyboard and Jaguar-pads, this superb homage to Sega/Sonic Team's classic also includes competitive computer-player A.I., puzzle, co-op, battle and challenge modes, unlockable extras and some fantastic 16-bit renditions of the original graphics and audio. The only downside to this release is that it requires an upgraded Atari to play it at it's best (2MB RAM minimum for the full-audio version) and on 8MHz machines the game does suffer from slow-down in four-player mode - but otherwise this is probably one of the most impressive Atari releases available, and I'm happy to hear that (after a three-year hiatus) the Reservoir Gods have returned to the platform with some exciting new productions in the pipeline.

### Clogged Up [Atari ST(E)/Falcon]

#### http://www.reservoir-gods.com/

Here's another recent release from the Gods, who yet again have done what they do best; taking a simple idea, incorporating it into a stylish game with loads of options and play modes, and making it as fun as possible in the process.

Clogged up is based on the popular Rush Hour puzzle game in which your goal is to get a trapped car (or clog in this case) to the exit by manoeuvring obstacles out of your path within a target amount of moves. It's easy to pick up and learn, but very challenging to master (especially the later puzzles).

The game features the trademark Reservoir Gods graphical and audio polish, with but we all know that great presentation alone maketh not a great game. In single player mode it plays exactly as you'd expect, but Clogged Up's stand out feature is the awesome two-player battle option; something that is wholly original (as far as I'm aware) to this Atari version of the game. In this mode the screen is divided into two and each player is initially tasked with jumbling up their opponent's grid as much as possible (during a limited period of 'shuffle time'). After this, the grids are swapped over and the first player to make it to the exit wins the round (the puzzle setting giving the tried and tested Rush Hour formula a fresh twist).

It may be a far from complex concept, but Clogged Up is beautifully executed and a great two player experience to boot (groan).

### Crapman (A Game For Real Heroes) [Atari ST(E)/Falcon]

#### http://www.atarilegend.com/games/games_detail.php?game_id=3265

Despite the poor (and misleading) title, Synergy's Crapman is without doubt the very best Pacman clone I've yet to play on a 16-bit system. Gorgeous audio and visuals combined with some fiendish level designs, clever incorporation of the HUD to maximise the size of the on screen maze and an awesome co-op two player mode result in it being a flawless pill-munching and ghost-running experience.

There's not much more I can say about this release - it's Pacman after all. Although Crapman is near perfect in every respect, it's still a clone of a game that's been done to death on every platform (and the score below represents this fairly).

### Cybernetix [Atari ST(E)]

#### http://www.atarilegend.com/games/games_detail.php?game_id=1543#

This one's old but gold - I remember being totally blown away when I first played this game on an ST Format coverdisk back in the day. After waiting for the Shareware notice to pass and soon-after being presented by a stylish yet mute menu screen, I was in awe when the computer screamed out 'ENTERING SECTOR!' and 'ATTACK WAVE DETECTED!' for the first time as I was thrown into the hardcore blasting-action of this superb Defender-meets-Asteroids hybrid.

In Cybernetix the players goal is simple; pilot your ship through the horizontal scrolling zone, destroying every asteroid and relentless attack wave in each sector before moving on to the next level. Rinse and repeat.

The asteroids occasionally release blue crystals when destroyed; these can either be collected for a score bonus or you can wait for one the robot drones patrolling each level to gobble them up. Leave a drone alive to collect a couple of crystals and you are rewarded with a weapon or ship power-up upon blasting the little bastard into space dust - and believe me, you'll need all the help you can get. Take too long, and more and more enemies swarm into the sector (including highly aggressive Assassin craft), and the later levels have you up against alien space stations, huge motherships and weaving in and out of enemy fighter formations in intense dogfight stages.

Unfortunately, the Atari version of Cybernetix was developed with the stock ST in mind and therefore is not STE enhanced - which explains the lack of music and noticeable slow down when the sampled speech and sound effects play. Vision later moved on to the Amiga and PC platforms (releasing about a dozen or so games in total, commercial and freeware) - and I still owe Paul and Ron that £5 shareware fee. The Amiga version of this release is definitely superior, but considering it's age and the limited target platform, Cybernetix on the Atari is still impressive even today.

### Dynabusters+ [Atari ST(E)/Falcon]

#### http://www.atarilegend.com/games/games_detail.php?game_id=981

Another game that receives nil points for originality but high marks for style and sheer fun, Dynabusters is a two/six-player Bomberman/Dynablaster clone for the Atari ST(E) and Falcon (with 1MB or over). Coded by an established and respected demo group at the end of the Atari's commercial life as a Shareware release, Dynabusters+ is a superb game that has really stood the test of time favourably. Featuring some of the best in-game audio I've ever heard on the Atari and some impressive visual effects, Dynabusters+ holds it's own in the over-populated world of bomberman clones thanks to some it's highly entertaining power-ups (including the ability to kick bombs over walls), varied arena designs and the aforementioned expertly integrated voice samples and six-channel sound.

TSCC later went on to start work on a very promising Micro Machines clone (as featured in the first issue of RGCD), but sadly the group left the Atari game-development scene before it was anywhere near complete.

### Metal Link [Atari ST(E)/Falcon]

#### http://www.atarilegend.com/games/games_detail.php?game_id=6055

A list of popular homebrew games wouldn't be complete without the compulsory Tetris clone, but unlike the other games mentioned in this retrospective, Metal Link wasn't actually popular in the Atari scene until very recently. Rediscovered in a Greek Atari enthusiast's floppy collection a year or so back, it appears that Metal Link was never widely distributed - which is a shame as it's a really well presented and entertaining clone. It's worth noting that there were a few compatibilty and aesthetic issues with the initial re-release, but thanks to the charitable work of Klaz (http://www.klapauzius.net/) and GGN of D-Bug the majority of these have now been fixed for this exclusive RGCD version.

So what makes Metal Link stand out from the rest of the over-populated Tetris crowd? Well, aside from the superb graphics and audio, not a lot - it's pretty much a straight remake of the original game (the only noticeable difference I've identified is the added challenge of awkward block patterns for you to build around on the later levels). Despite the few remaining (and documented) bugs, Metal Link is hugely playable and puts the official Mirrorsoft port to shame. Highly recommended.

### Pooz [Atari ST(E)/Falcon]

#### http://pooz.atari.org/

As stated already in the introduction to this Retrospective, when the commercial software houses left the Atari the homebrew developers and bedroom coders moved in to meet the remaining gamers demands - and here we have another clone of a game that never made it officially to the platform; a high quality homage to Viacom's Zoop.

Using a similar design ethos as the Reservoir Gods, Paradize have created a Zoop port that would have amazed Atarians if it was released back during the machine's glory days. The winning formula of superb presentation, simple yet fast-paced arcade mechanics, varied single and multiplayer game modes and loads of unlockable extras (including two ace little mini-games) result in a piece of quality software that I'd happily pay for.

If you've got an Atari with 1MB, you need a copy of Pooz in your collection.

### Robotz [Atari ST(E)]

#### http://www.atarilegend.com/games/games_detail.php?game_id=472

As with Cybernetix, Robotz is another freeware title that I have fond memories of from my youth - and regardless of it's flawed nature it remains to date one of my Atari homebrew favourites and is more than worthy of a long-overdue modern update/remake.

Playing the role of the last surviving crew member of the deep space exploratory craft DARWIN8 following a vicious attack by a band of nasty alien Dalek-wannabe's, your goal is to clear each screen of the invading robotz within a time limit. Armed with what appears to be the futuristic equivalent of a spud gun, the only way you can achieve this is to destroy the alien generators on each level - thus downing the robotz shields and rendering them vulnerable to your pathetic weaponry (until destroying the generators your shots will only briefly stun the robotz). Oh and don't touch any of the walls - they've been electrified and will kill you on touch. Oh, the life of a deep space explorer, moan, etc.

It doesn't sound like much (and the random placement of robotz and generators means that some levels are really easy whereas others are almost impossible), but it's a fun little game and another personal coverdisk favourite from those halcyon days when 16-bit computers were considered cutting edge technology.

### Starball [Atari ST(E)]

#### http://www.atarilegend.com/games/games_detail.php?game_id=2784

On the Sega MegaDrive and PC-Engine you had Devil Crash. On the Atari ST, and again credited to the homebrew scene, you have Starball (or perhaps that should be STarball?).

Now, I'm not going to pretend to be an expert in the field of pinball games (because - well, to be frank I completely suck at both real pinball and it's computer-based equivalent), but nonetheless I can remember Starball causing a bit of a stir upon it's release back in the early 90's. Unlike the Amiga, the Atari didn't have any proper pinball games (Obsession, which was released a little while after Starball was the closest thing the ST had to Pinball Dreams or Fantasies), so Starball was understandably cherished by many Atari owning pinball fans.

Baring many similarities to Devil Crash, Starball is several screens in height (with each section having it's own flippers, bonuses and enemies to dispose of) and there are a number of special bonus screens that can be reached by a skilled player. Presentation wise, the visuals are of commercial quality, and although the sound is limited, Starball remains one of the best games of its type on the Atari platform - quite an achievement for a bedroom coder's debut game release.

### SuperFly [Atari ST(E)/Falcon]

#### http://www.reservoir-gods.com/

Yet another Reservoir Gods release, and probably their most popular to date. SuperFly is at heart a one-key cave-flier featuring some superb visuals and audio, alternative game modes, several worlds (each seeing you at the cockpit of a different vehicle), unlockable extras and a quirky back story.

Progress through the game requires the player to collect experience points (awarded by achieving impressive flight mileage) - and the automatic saving means that every time you load up and play SuperFly you add a few more points to your profile. The only downside to the game is that the targets set to unlock some of the best play modes are a little high, but it's so easy to pick up and play every now and then that (with a little perseverence) it won't take long before you've opened up the full game.

SuperFly is available in two flavours; original, and the festive-themed SantaFly (both included here on disc).

### The Apathetic Games Collection [Atari ST(E)]

#### http://www.dbug-automation.co.uk/

Finally, The Apathetic Games Collection from the Bad Brew Crew gets a long-overdue write-up. Originally planned as part of a never-finished megademo (Total Apathy), the three games in this collection have been overlooked for far too long - they're not even included on the more-or-less definitive database at Atari Legend. Recently re-released by the D-Bug cracking/patching group (see the seperate article for more details), the compilation consists of three classic game ports/conversions; Beebris (Tetris), Light Cycles (Tron) and Zolyx (Qix/Zolyx).

Technically, Beebris is the most impressive game of the collection. Yes, it's yet another Tetris clone, but the reason it gets an honourable mention here is because (in our opinion) this is the definitive version to play on the Atari. Metal Link may look nicer, but Beebris comes out top with it's multiple game modes - including the original Arcade mode that was lacking in Mirrorsoft's official port (in fact, this is the only version of Tetris available for the Atari ST range that plays like the original coin-up). Add to that the optional enhancements such as bombs and a few new shapes, the techically impressive use of the lower border, background rasters and a superb soundtrack, it really makes you wonder why Beebris has gone unnoticed by so many for so long...

Next on the compilation is Light Cycles, or 'Light Cycles in Overscan' to give it it's full name. Unsurprisingly, Light Cycles is a Tron clone - and aside from the noteworthy addition of a cpu-controlled opponent (most Tron games don't bother with a one-player mode) it's all pretty standard as far as game-play goes. However, technically the game is slightly more impressive; Light Cycles is one of the few Atari games that uses the entire screen (including the borders), resulting in a huge play area.

The last game in the collection didn't actually exist as an executable program until very recently - it was only during a discussion with ex-BBC member Cyrano Jones/Law that I was informed that he still had the source code to another nearly-finished and unreleased Total Apathy screen. Following my eager request to play the game, a short while later I received an email with Zolyx attached with CJ's permission to include it with this collection for RGCD.

Those of you with an 8-Bit background may recognise Zolyx as being the name of Firebird's home-computer re-imagining of Taito's Qix, and this is a direct conversion for the Atari ST coded by Andy The 'Arfling in the early 90's. Although fully playable, the official word is that it's unfinished - apparently Andy wanted to add a few extras that never made it, and the fact that the percentage calculation occasionally freezes the game for a second gives me the distinct impression that there's some optimisation (or bug fixes) that could have been made. However, it's a nice little game to round up this collection and certainly worth a play or two.