S5:e6 Atari ST Halcyon Days of 1989 Part 3: Atari ST Gaming Gems

Our favorite 1989 Console Style Games for the ST

We had an ST when most of the other kids near us had various consoles. We knew our machine could play superior RPGs, Simulations, and Adventure titles, but how did it hold up against the 8 and 16 bit console games of the day? Some ST console-like games were as good, some were not. We've chosen 20 console style games from 1989 for the ST to highlight and talk a little about, but before we get to those we’d like to highlight, let's first look at a list of the top 10 games in all genres from 1989, based on our ratings.

To make these lists we played every single game that has a 1989 release date in Atari Mania’s database, and ranked them based on Sound, Graphics, Game Play and Addictiveness, usings scores of 1-10, then averaged those scores to come up with a rating.

The following list is how the numbers worked out for a top 10. It’s all subjective + math, but we did play all of the games from the year to be certain we were ranking them against their contemporary competition.

Videos for this Podcast:Atari ST Gaming Gems #6 1989 Top 10https://youtu.be/dCBzOatNAng

Atari ST / STE Gaming Gems: Vol 7 - Top Console Style Games from 1989 https://youtu.be/rZ0qsS42av0

Games discussed in this episode:

• Interphase
• RVF Honda
• Gauntlet 2
• Midwinter
• Seven Gates of Jambala (The)
• Ultima V - Warriors of Destiny
• Kick off Extra Time
• SimCity .
• Xenon 2 .
• Stunt Car Racer
• New Zealand Story
• Super Wonderboy
• Pipe Dream/Pipe Mania
• Robocop
• Blood Money
• R-Type II
• Rick Dangerous
• Strider
• Ivanhoe
• Batman The Movie
• Baal
• Atomic Robo-Kid
• JUG
• Onslaught
• Switchblade
• Commando
• Hawkeye
• Skweek

All music, video production. writing and game play by Jeff Fulton with help from Steve Fulton unless otherwise noted.

Music : Past Present Future - Tony Longworth : support Tony's Patreon music https://www.patreon.com/tonylongworth

Theme by Brian TravisTitle: Into The Vertical Blank theme Words & music by Brian Travis (c)(p)2021 Taste This Moment Music ASCAP http://www.briantravisband.com/

Find us here:

http://intotheverticalblank.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/intotheverticalblank

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Atari_VB_Pod

This episode is about the early 1980's Junior High computer lab. A wonderous place where Bank Street Writer and Sands of Egypt were loaded from 5 1/4 inch floppy disks, LOGO and BASIC were viable programming options, and where kids like us could find a place of our own. The story this time is about the computer lab, and also about how sometimes you don't understand the affect teachers have on your life until decades later.

All music, video production. writing and game play by Jeff Fulton with help from Steve Fulton unless otherwise noted.

Music : Everything Has Energy - Tony Longworth : support Tony's Patreon music https://www.patreon.com/tonylongworth

Theme by Brian TravisTitle: Into The Vertical Blank theme Words & music by Brian Travis (c)(p)2021 Taste This Moment Music ASCAP http://www.briantravisband.com/

Find us here:

http://intotheverticalblank.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/intotheverticalblank

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Atari_VB_Pod

In this episode Steve and Jeff turn calendar to 1989 and discuss what it was like gaming on the Atari ST back then. They list and discuss close to 50 games that they purchased and played that year. for the Atari ST Computer.

Games Mentioned in this Episode:

1. Action Fighter (Firebird) - Sega Arcade Port
2. Airborne Ranger (Microprose) - Military Sim
3. Axel’s Magic Hammer (Gremlin) - Multi Screen Platformer
4. BAAL (Psyclapse) - Arcade Platformer / Shooter
5. Bad Company (Logotron) 3D first person fly / drive and shoot
6. Ballastix (Psyclapse) - Sports Marble game
7. BattleHawks 1942 (Lucasfilm) - Battle / Air sim
8. Blasteroids (Mirrowsoft/Imageworks) - Atari Coin-op Conversion
9. Blood Money (Psygnosis) - Hor / Vert Scroll and blast
10. Bloodwych (Mirrowsoft/Imageworks) - RPG 3D
11. Breach (Omnirend) - Squad Strategy . Combat
12. Captain blood (Mindscape) - Adventure /Arcade 2D
13. Commando (Elite) - Capcom Arcade Conversion
14. Darius + (Edge / Softek) - Horizontal Shooter - Arcade conversion
15. Demon’s Winter (SSI / EA) - RPG 2D
16. Double Dragon II (Virgin) - Arcade Scrolling Beat-em-up
17. Dragon Spirit (Domark) - Namco Vertical Scroller Conversion
18. Fighter Bomber (Activision) - Air Combat Sim
19. Forgotten Worlds (ARC / US Gold) - Capcom Horizontal Scroller shooter
20. US GOLD Giants - 1943 The Battle of Midway, Gauntlet II, Out Run, Street Fighter.
21. Hard Drivin’ (Domark) - Atari Arcade Conversion
22. Hostages (Infogrames) - Police Simulation
23. Hound of Shadow (EA) - Graphic Adventure
24. License to Kill (Domark) Shoot’em Up Misc
25. Lost Dutchman Mine (Magnetic Images / Innerphase) - Adventure Arcade 2D
26. Macadam Bumper (Pocksoft / Infogrames) - Pinball . Pinball Construction
27. Microprose Soccer (Microprose) - Soccer with indoor soccer
28. North and South (Infogrames) - Various Historical Arcade Game
29. Pirates (Microprose) - Adventure / Arcade 2D
30. Populous (EA) - World creation and destruction Sim
31. Power Drift (Activision) - Sega Arcade Conversion - driving / racing
32. Precious metal Ocean Compilation - Arkanoid, Captain Blood, Super Hang-on, Xenon.
33. Rick Dangerous (Microplay / Firebird) - Arcade platformer / Multi screen
34. Robocop (Ocean) - Horizontal scrolling blaster . beat em up
35. Roller coaster Rumbler (Tynesoft) - Shoot em up 3D
36. Sidewinder II (Masertronic) - Horizontal Shooter
37. Sim City (Maxis) - Simulation
38. Sleeping Gods Lie (Empire) - RPG 3D
39. Strider (Psyclapse) - Capcom Arcade Port - Horizontal and Vertical scroll and fight
40. Stunt Car Racer (Microprose) - 3D racing
41. Super Wonderboy in Monsterland (Activision) - Sega Port Arcade Platformer / Scrolling / adventure
42. Switchblade (Gremlin) - Arcade Adventure Platformer Multi Screen
43. Thunder Blade (US Gold) - Sega Coin Op Conversion
44. Toobin (Diomark) - Atari Coinop conversion
45. Vincators (Domark) - Atari Coin op conversion
46. Xenon II Megablast (Imageworks) - Vertical shooter

All music, video production. writing and game play by Jeff Fulton with help from Steve Fulton unless otherwise noted.

Music : Dust and Ashes - Tony Longworth : support Tony's Patreon music https://www.patreon.com/tonylongworth

Theme by Brian TravisTitle: Into The Vertical Blank theme Words & music by Brian Travis (c)(p)2021 Taste This Moment Music ASCAP http://www.briantravisband.com/

Find us here:

http://intotheverticalblank.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/intotheverticalblank

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Atari_VB_Pod

s5:e3 Xenon 2 and the Atari ST Halcyon Days of 1989 Part 1

Steve and Jeff are joined by Tony Longworth to discuss Xenon 2: Megablast for the Atari ST, in the first of a multi-part series on 1989 Atari ST gamesPart 2 will be be a discussion of 50+ games from 1989 that Steve and Jeff purchased in the USA and Part 3 will be a survey of some of the hidden gems of the 1989 Atari ST Library

Notes: Tony’s new album - Godless Universe Random Pain

https://tonylongworth.bandcamp.com/album/godless-universe-random-pain

Atari Mania Xenon II

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-st-xenon-ii-megablast_10904.html

Mobygames Xenon II

https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-st/xenon-2-megablast

All music, video production. writing and game play by Jeff Fulton with help from Steve Fulton unless otherwise noted.

Music : Into the Vertical Blank - Tony Longworth : support Tony's Patreon music https://www.patreon.com/tonylongworth

Theme by Brian TravisTitle: Into The Vertical Blank theme Words & music by Brian Travis (c)(p)2021 Taste This Moment Music ASCAP http://www.briantravisband.com/

Find us here:

http://intotheverticalblank.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/intotheverticalblank

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Atari_VB_Pod

S6:e1 Space Sucker - An 80’s Sitcom Takes on Video Games

In this episode the brothers dissect the video game themed episode of Diff'rent Strokes from Oct. 2, 1982, partake in some listener feedback, listen to a new Tony Longworth song and more.

Show Notes:

Different Strokes S5e1https://www.amazon.com/Diffrent-Strokes-Season-5/dp/B099DBR46Q/ref=atv_pr_sw_sc

Ed’s Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/@MissionEdPossible

Brian’s Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/@ballistik_coffee_boy

All music, video production. writing and game play by Jeff Fulton with help from Steve Fulton unless otherwise noted.

Music : The Machines are Listening – Tony Longworth : support Tony’s Patreon music https://www.patreon.com/tonylongworth

Theme by Brian TravisTitle: Into The Vertical Blank theme Words & music by Brian Travis (c)(p)2021 Taste This Moment Music ASCAP http://www.briantravisband.com/

Branding by Daryl Litts

Find us here:

http://intotheverticalblank.com

Itch.io: https://intotheverticalblank.itch.io/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/intotheverticalblank

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Atari_VB_Pod

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@intotheverticalblank