Good Atari ST Shmups?
Good Atari ST Shmups?
Were there any good Atari ST shmups? So far, I think the only one that looks decent is Xenon 2... anyone know of some more? thx.
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Herr Schatten
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Xenon II has wonderfully stylish graphics which were amazing when it came out and still are amazing today. It's gameplay isn't really as good, though. But it's in no way a terrible game. Don't let the crappy Mega Drive/Master System/Game Boy ports fool you. Xenon II on ST and Amiga is decent, but it's a typical example of a shmup done by non-shmuppers, so it lacks that extra refinement in the gameplay department. I'd rate it 6/10. (In my book 5 is average, so a 6 means that a game is enjoyable, but in no way exceptional.) A lot of people like the original Xenon better. You might want to check that one out.
Blood Money is another non-shmuppers shmup and it's quite a bit of fun, but this one is much much better on C64. For more in-depth information read my reviews of the Amiga and C64 versions on the main site.
Cybernoid and Cybernoid II are excellent and very original shooters. Highly recommended.
Goldrunner is a very early, very simplistic game, but it's a hell of a lot of fun. Don't expect any depth from the game play, though. And avoid the sequel, which is utter crap.
Oids is a brilliant game and a must-have for every ST owner. It's debatable whether it really is a shmup or not.
Wings of Death is one of my all time favourites. I still think it was well designed and very creative in its use of an energy bar. If you want to be wowed by what is possible on an ST, you should have a look at its sequel Lethal Xcess. Unfortunately, that one fails miserably in the gameplay department, so better leave it alone and play WoD instead. Again, I use the opportunity for shameless self-advertising and point you to my review of the Amiga version.
Z-Out is great on Amiga and a very underrated gem I never get tired to recommend. Thing is, I don't know how the Atari ST version is, as I have only played the utterly excellent Amiga original. The same is true for Silkworm, Star Ray and Swiv, which are all good on Amiga, but which I never played the ST versions of.
The Xenocide Files don't mention it, but I'm pretty sure there was an ST version of Zynaps, a nice little Gradius clone. I happen to love all its other incarnations. (It's good on Amiga and C64, but absolutely great on Amstrad CPC and Sinclair Spectrum. Really!) Sadly, the ST version (if it does exist) is the only one I never played, so I don't know if it's a good idea to recommend it.
And that's about it. The R-Type conversion is pretty decent, too, but since that game is available in , like, a million formats most of which are better than the ST version there's really no point in playing this particular port.
Blood Money is another non-shmuppers shmup and it's quite a bit of fun, but this one is much much better on C64. For more in-depth information read my reviews of the Amiga and C64 versions on the main site.
Cybernoid and Cybernoid II are excellent and very original shooters. Highly recommended.
Goldrunner is a very early, very simplistic game, but it's a hell of a lot of fun. Don't expect any depth from the game play, though. And avoid the sequel, which is utter crap.
Oids is a brilliant game and a must-have for every ST owner. It's debatable whether it really is a shmup or not.
Wings of Death is one of my all time favourites. I still think it was well designed and very creative in its use of an energy bar. If you want to be wowed by what is possible on an ST, you should have a look at its sequel Lethal Xcess. Unfortunately, that one fails miserably in the gameplay department, so better leave it alone and play WoD instead. Again, I use the opportunity for shameless self-advertising and point you to my review of the Amiga version.
Z-Out is great on Amiga and a very underrated gem I never get tired to recommend. Thing is, I don't know how the Atari ST version is, as I have only played the utterly excellent Amiga original. The same is true for Silkworm, Star Ray and Swiv, which are all good on Amiga, but which I never played the ST versions of.
The Xenocide Files don't mention it, but I'm pretty sure there was an ST version of Zynaps, a nice little Gradius clone. I happen to love all its other incarnations. (It's good on Amiga and C64, but absolutely great on Amstrad CPC and Sinclair Spectrum. Really!) Sadly, the ST version (if it does exist) is the only one I never played, so I don't know if it's a good idea to recommend it.
And that's about it. The R-Type conversion is pretty decent, too, but since that game is available in , like, a million formats most of which are better than the ST version there's really no point in playing this particular port.
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Thunder Force
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I still remember the day when I first saw it. The gameplay was average but the sound was amazing. those where the good old days...Herr Schatten wrote:
Goldrunner is a very early, very simplistic game, but it's a hell of a lot of fun. Don't expect any depth from the game play, though. And avoid the sequel, which is utter crap.
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dave4shmups
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^^^
Yeah they did. They were also brilliant for the humble speccy, as was Hewson's other masterpiece 'Exolon'. Great days indeed...
*sighs wistfully, dreaming of garishly-coloured graphics and 20 minute loading times*
Yeah they did. They were also brilliant for the humble speccy, as was Hewson's other masterpiece 'Exolon'. Great days indeed...
*sighs wistfully, dreaming of garishly-coloured graphics and 20 minute loading times*
"What the hell kind of a two-bit operation are they running out of this treehouse, Cooper? I have seen some slip-shod, backwater burgs, but this place takes the cake."
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Herr Schatten
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Yes. The Cybernoid games originated on the Sinclair Spectrum and were ported to C64, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST and Amiga later. All versions are excellent and very playable. If I had to choose, I'd say that the Amstrad CPC and Spectrum versions of the first game are the best by a very small margin. The second game is equally good on all platforms.dave4shmups wrote:Didn't these two also get a C64 release?Herr Schatten wrote:Cybernoid and Cybernoid II are excellent and very original shooters. Highly recommended.
Moonbase is also an interesting shooter for the ST... Moonbase info here
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dave4shmups
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It flat out blew compared to the masterpiece that was the C64 original though... Vertical scrolling only? What the hell was all that about? A 16-bit supercomputer that struggled to handle smooth 8-way scrolling? Nice work Atari. Did they ever put their name to a machine after the 2600 that wasn't fatally flawed in some way or another?Paradroid 90 is a good borderliner for Atari ST that you can try out.
Anyway, as far as ST shmups go, take the Amiga versions, strips out half the colour, replace the soundtracks with Spectrum-powered imitations, and you're there. There's very little to recommend that wasn't also avaiolable in the Amiga in a far superior form.
God, don't get me started. Where has that sense of fun gone anyway? Times like this I feel old and jaded about video games full stop.sighs wistfully, dreaming of garishly-coloured graphics and 20 minute loading times*
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Sly Cherry Chunks
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Thunder Force
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shmupping on the Atari ST...
Now that quality Atari ST emulation (full screen, full speed) is beginning to be available on the PSP, perhaps it's a good time to bump this thread about the best selections on this underrated 16-bit gaming system.
One thing I noticed has not been mentioned yet is the rather good port of Dragon Breed available on this system. Now playable on your PSP
On a similar note, Jaleco's Saint Dragon seems worth playing in ST form.
There's also a quirky port of another Irem classic - Moon Patrol on the ST with mostly redrawn graphics (although not a lot of point on PSP except novelty since PSPMAME plays the superior arcade original anyway).
And already mentioned above, but SWIV (sequel to Silkworm) is rather impressive on this platform... if you're looking for a vert shmup with detailed sprites galore other than the ubiquitous Xenon II.
Now that quality Atari ST emulation (full screen, full speed) is beginning to be available on the PSP, perhaps it's a good time to bump this thread about the best selections on this underrated 16-bit gaming system.
One thing I noticed has not been mentioned yet is the rather good port of Dragon Breed available on this system. Now playable on your PSP
On a similar note, Jaleco's Saint Dragon seems worth playing in ST form.
There's also a quirky port of another Irem classic - Moon Patrol on the ST with mostly redrawn graphics (although not a lot of point on PSP except novelty since PSPMAME plays the superior arcade original anyway).
And already mentioned above, but SWIV (sequel to Silkworm) is rather impressive on this platform... if you're looking for a vert shmup with detailed sprites galore other than the ubiquitous Xenon II.
"Thunder Force VI does not suck, shut your fucking mouth." ~ Shane Bettenhausen
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Tony Gradius
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Well, Steve Bak`s Goldrunner is famed for it`s smooth scrolling. Which was state of the art on the ST because compared to the Amiga the blitter was missing. Nevertheless, to make it only controllable by mouse on Amiga was a fool`s idea. The ST version with joystick control is much better.Marc wrote:It flat out blew compared to the masterpiece that was the C64 original though... Vertical scrolling only? What the hell was all that about? A 16-bit supercomputer that struggled to handle smooth 8-way scrolling? Nice work Atari. Did they ever put their name to a machine after the 2600 that wasn't fatally flawed in some way or another?Paradroid 90 is a good borderliner for Atari ST that you can try out.
Anyway, as far as ST shmups go, take the Amiga versions, strips out half the colour, replace the soundtracks with Spectrum-powered imitations, and you're there. There's very little to recommend that wasn't also avaiolable in the Amiga in a far superior form.
God, don't get me started. Where has that sense of fun gone anyway? Times like this I feel old and jaded about video games full stop.sighs wistfully, dreaming of garishly-coloured graphics and 20 minute loading times*
And Ataris XL was not bad at all. Just compare Archer Macleans Dropzone which was much better than the C64 version.
Fair point, but hostory shows who won that battle eventually. Actually, once the dust had settled, I wonder whether it was the C64 or Spectrum that actually ended up selling most over here. Playground machine wars ruled. I miss them. Oh, wait...And Ataris XL was not bad at all. Just compare Archer Macleans Dropzone which was much better than the C64 version.
