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Best Atari ST Public Domain/Shareware/Freeware games?


Zap!

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This computer may have been the king of this genre! There were so many great games. The Dave Munsie games especially come to mind. Nearly all were fantastic. There were also many great ones that were totally under the radar, such as House of the Rising Sun, Dan Winslow's Hero, and countless others. So, what are your favorites?

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I would have to look through my collection, but off the top of my head:

 

Skystrike - a 2D air/air + air/ground combat simulator that I found addictive

 

There is a recent Pole Position port that is well done.

 

I also remember enjoying a bunch of games that were fairly basic, but had high production values (for the time) -- Robotz, Boing

 

Monopoly by David Addison-  This is fun because it doesn't waste your time with a lot of BS animation like most monopoly games, and you can actually play a fast game of monopoly!   Even more so if you play on an emulator you can speed up.

 

 

 

 

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Lists like this are always very subjective. Other thing is: are games like Llamatron really to consider as separate game ? Technically it is it, for sure, but it is basically something just 'heavily inspired', remake in best case. I think that when we say 'best' should consider originality too. And that's really not easy part.

So, I would certainly put 'Revenge of the Mutant Camels' before Llamatron on this list. Tastes are different, but Camels are Minter's idea (there is Attack of ...), while Llamatron is frantic Robotron ? .

Another very nice one:  Herman .

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9 hours ago, Zap! said:

 

Great article, only I hate that you called PD/Shareware "indie games." That's millennial hipster speak. :D

That's because I tried to find a term that I hate less than "homebrew" :D , and maybe attract some readers that weren't familiar with the old terms. Glad you enjoyed the article.

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12 hours ago, Zap! said:

Great article, only I hate that you called PD/Shareware "indie games." That's millennial hipster speak.

an indie game is still a commercial game.   The proper millenial hipster term for shareware should be "paleo-crowdfunded" game ;) 

Edited by zzip
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On 6/18/2019 at 9:42 AM, ParanoidLittleMan said:

Tastes are different, but Camels are Minter's idea (there is Attack of ...), while Llamatron is frantic Robotron ? .

 

No, Llamatron has some significant differences from Robotron, even though the basic core gameplay is the same.

 

As for me, no ST freeware/shareware list is complete without Droid.

 

Edited by Sauron
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From Little Acorns (text adventure with graphics and wicked sense of humour), Dark Wars (DM Clone), Paths of Glory (Legend clone), Bio Hazard (Xenomorph like), Towers (DM Clone) and Walls of Illusion (DM Clone) would be my PD/ Shareware favs (they are all adventure type games). Mystic Well was also a pretty nice Dungeon Master like game if you can get past the graphics. Also liked 'Going down with the Captain', which isn't remotely like the title suggests (more plugging holes on a sinking ship), The Obscure Naturalist (defies genre) and Spectral Sorcery (puzzle game). Because the ST's scrolling could often be somewhat lack lustre, I was always pulled towards strategy and adventure games on the platform more than shooters.

 

On 6/19/2019 at 6:01 PM, ataricrypt said:

I've got some listed here that might tickle your fancy?
https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/search/label/PD

I hadn't seen Crash Time Plumber before. The graphics look pretty damn good. Will have to check it out.

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11 hours ago, Zogging Hell said:

From Little Acorns (text adventure with graphics and wicked sense of humour), Dark Wars (DM Clone), Paths of Glory (Legend clone), Bio Hazard (Xenomorph like), Towers (DM Clone) and Walls of Illusion (DM Clone) would be my PD/ Shareware favs (they are all adventure type games). Mystic Well was also a pretty nice Dungeon Master like game if you can get past the graphics. Also liked 'Going down with the Captain', which isn't remotely like the title suggests (more plugging holes on a sinking ship), The Obscure Naturalist (defies genre) and Spectral Sorcery (puzzle game). Because the ST's scrolling could often be somewhat lack lustre, I was always pulled towards strategy and adventure games on the platform more than shooters.

 

I hadn't seen Crash Time Plumber before. The graphics look pretty damn good. Will have to check it out.

I'm sure you'll love it. Takes some practice to beat it after about level 4 or 5. But can you beat it without cheat for extra lives? I can. Ahem. Honest.

;)

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3 hours ago, ParanoidLittleMan said:

Thanx Zogging Hell to mentioning scrolling - Heartland 2000 - excellent 4 way scrolling, even on bare ST . Huh - rating is 10 at Atarimania ? Only little flaw: needs 1MB.

 

That game looks bonkers, like Treasure Island Dizzy on amphetamines! (if the original wasn't weird enough). Pity the levels look a bit empty of baddies, looks like it would make a good engine for a Sonic style game :)

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On 6/19/2019 at 6:01 PM, ataricrypt said:

I've got some listed here that might tickle your fancy?
https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/search/label/PD
 

Hope there's something here for you?

I usually play Megapede every other week - awesome game that which always gets my vote :)

That's an awesome website with a ton of information.  There are a ton of games mentioned in this thread that I haven't even heard of.  My go-to homebrews are r0x, Gianna Sisters STe, Duckdash and I'm going to include Skulldiggery - it was originally a commercial release but a full version was also released on a magazine disk later in its life when it went out of vogue which is where I found it.  It's my #1 desert island game for the ST and a game I believe everyone should play.

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  • 1 month later...
On 6/17/2019 at 10:00 AM, zzip said:

 

Monopoly by David Addison-  This is fun because it doesn't waste your time with a lot of BS animation like most monopoly games, and you can actually play a fast game of monopoly!   Even more so if you play on an emulator you can speed up.

 

 

 

I loved this, and played the hell out of it, but there's a bug in it that doesn't keep track of what Chance or Community Chest cards have been played.  As a result, I've had games where I've had 6+ "Get out of jail free!" cards.

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