Core Designs Early Success on the Atari ST (1988-1993)
Favicon 
intotheverticalblank.com

Core Designs Early Success on the Atari ST (1988-1993)

Full Text and Foot Notes Core Design emerged as a prominent British video game developer in 1988, founded by a team of experienced individuals who had previously worked at Gremlin Graphics.1 While the company later achieved global recognition for the groundbreaking Tomb Raider series 1, their earlier work laid the foundation for their future success. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Atari ST held a significant position in the home computer market. Known for its relatively affordable price point and versatile capabilities, the 16-bit machine found popularity among gamers, musicians, and those interested in desktop publishing.5 Core Design’s journey began in Derby, United Kingdom, in May 1988.1 which places the company within a thriving UK game development scene of the time. Many of its founding members had previously honed their skills at Gremlin Graphics, a more established entity in the industry.1 This prior experience equipped them with valuable industry knowledge and technical expertise, influencing their early projects and choice of the Atari ST as primary 16 bit platform. Initially operating under the name Megabrite, they underwent a rebranding in October 1988, adopting the name Core Design1 in an  effort to establish a distinct identity within the competitive gaming market. Before venturing into self-publishing, Core Design engaged in various projects, including converting games for other publishers like Activision,  on titles such as Action Fighter and Dynamite Düx, and Gremlin Graphics, including Skidz and Impossamole.15 This initial phase of working on conversions and for other publishers provided crucial experience with the Atari ST hardware and software, allowing the team to build a portfolio and achieve financial stability before releasing their own titles. Terry Lloyd, a key artist and game designer at Core Design, confirmed this early work in an interview with Atari Legend, noting that Jeremy Heath-Smith’s industry connections were instrumental in securing these initial opportunities.15 The first Atari ST game that Core Design was involved with was Action Fighter, released in 1989.16 While developed by Core Design for the Atari ST, it was published by Firebird.16 Action Fighter is an overhead vehicular combat game that originated as a Sega arcade title in 1986 16, highlighting Core Design’s early experience in porting arcade games to home computers. Contemporary reviews for the Atari ST version were mixed. ST Action gave it scores of 57% in November 1989 and 60% in October 1993.21 Computer + Video Games rated it 71% in December 1989, while The Games Machine gave it 56% in the same month.21 Atari ST User offered a score of 5/10 in January 1990.21 On MobyGames, the average score is 2.7 out of 5.16 One user review on MobyGames praised the conversion but noted graphical glitches and color clash, while another described it as an excellent Spy Hunter clone.16  Later in 1989, Core Design developed Switchblade, which was published by Gremlin Graphics for the Atari ST in December.1 This continued the trend of Core Design developing for other publishers on the Atari ST, with their relationship with Gremlin Graphics appearing to be significant during this early period.15 Switchblade is a side-scrolling action-platformer.23 Contemporary reviews for Switchblade were also somewhat mixed. The One magazine was quite impressed, giving it an 88% score and calling it “brilliant”.26 Zero magazine rated it 86%.23 However, ACE magazine gave it a score of 51%, and Aktueller Software Markt was less enthusiastic with a 39% rating.23  In 1990, Core Design developed Axel’s Magic Hammer, which was also published by Gremlin Graphics, likely in late 1989 or early 1990, for both the Amiga and Atari ST.1 Terry Lloyd mentioned that Axel’s Magic Hammer was inspired by games like Alex Kidd and Mario and was developed as a spare-time project with Andy Green.15 The game is a platformer where the player controls Axel, who wields a magic hammer.27 Contemporary reviews for the Atari ST version show a variety of scores. Computer and Video Games (CVG) rated it 83%, while The One gave it 80%.29 ST Format provided two different scores of 76% and 68%.29 Aktueller Software Markt was less impressed, giving it a score of 33%.29 A more recent review from AtariCrypt described it as an enjoyable and addictive platformer, giving it an 80% rating.35 Terry Lloyd, a key figure in the company’s early days, noted that the Atari ST offered significant advantages over earlier 8-bit systems, which empowered their graphical ambitions.15 He also shared that Axel’s Magic Hammer was a passion project inspired by classic console games.15 Torvak the Warrior, released in 1990, marks a significant point as it was both developed and published by Core Design for the Atari ST.1 This transition to self-publishing indicates a growing independence for the company. Torvak the Warrior is a hack and slash platform game where players control Torvak, a barbarian.39 Contemporary reviews were generally positive. ST Format gave it a 70% score, with the reviewer noting some annoying features like the weapon speed.42 AtariCrypt described it as a very good and fun scrolling platformer/beat-em-up, praising its smooth scrolling and graphics, and gave it an 82.5% rating.41 Also in 1990, Core Design published Corporation, though it was developed by Dementia.1 This was Core Design’s first published game 15, indicating an expansion beyond just development. Corporation is a first-person shooter, known as CyberCop in the US 46, and is considered one of the earliest examples of the genre.46   Both ST Action and ST Format gave it review scores in the 80s but surprisingly, ST Format also seemed to rate it as one of the most disappointing games of the year.  Monty Python’s Flying Circus: The Computer Game was developed by Core Design and published by Virgin Games in 1990 for the Atari ST.1 The game, a scrolling shoot ’em up based on the popular TV series, was released on the Atari ST on September 3, 1990, in the UK.49 Contemporary reviews were generally positive. ST Format rated it 84%, and The One gave it 85%.58 Atari ST User scored it 75%, while CVG gave it 80%.52 ACE magazine rated it 65%, and Power Play gave it 43%.52 A user review on GameFAQs awarded it a perfect 10/10, calling it an “energetic crowd-pleaser”.57 Impossamole, a platform game and the sixth in the Monty Mole series, was developed by Core Design and published by Gremlin Graphics in 1990 for the Atari ST.1 Contemporary reviews were less enthusiastic. CVG gave it a 70% score, noting that it lacked anything special to make it stand out.61 The One simply described it as “average”.62 Very telling of the way the Winner rewrite history is that way  Core’s Rick Dangerous, released on the Atari ST  by Firebird as it’s primary platform in 1989, is heralded as an Amiga classic when sold more copies the ST in it primary release, before the budget title shot upo the Amiga charts years later. It’s one of Simon Phipps first games and while it has Euro platformer written all over it, it’;s so charming and cool, it makes up for the blind jumps are rote memorization needed  to succeed,Rick Dangerous 2, the sequel to the popular Rick Dangerous, was developed by Core Design and published by MicroProse in 1990 for the Atari ST.1 The Atari ST version was released on January 1, 1990.63 Contemporary reviews were positive, with The One rating it 90% and Zero magazine giving it 84%.65 On MobyGames, the average score is 3.5 out of 5, with one user review criticizing the trial-and-error gameplay and clunky controls.64 CarVup, a platform/puzzle game where players control a car that paints platforms, was developed and published by Core Design in November 1990 for the Atari ST.1 It was inspired by Jaleco’s arcade game City Connection.68 Contemporary reviews were very positive. The One awarded it 90%, calling it “tremendously fun”.68 ST Format gave it 79%, describing it as “eminently playable and outstandingly absorbing”.70 Amiga Computing rated it 83% and found it “refreshing”.71 In 1991, Core Design developed and published Frenetic, a vertical scrolling shoot ’em up for the Atari ST.1 The Atari ST release date was December 30, 1991.72 Contemporary reviews were somewhat mixed. The One rated it 71%, while Games-X gave it 80%.81 AtariCrypt described it as an average shoot ’em up.74  I personally like this one more than the reviews and find it to be one of my favoriteST vertical flying shooters Chuck Rock, a side-scrolling platform game featuring a caveman, was developed and published by Core Design in 1991 for the Atari ST.1 Contemporary reviews were very positive. The One and Atari ST User both rated it 91%, and Games-X awarded it a perfect 100%.87 ST Graveyard gave it a score of 3.75/5, noting that it lacked excitement.84 The average score on MobyGames for the Atari ST version is 82%.87 1991 also saw the release of the Gremlin published, Core developed follow up to Switchblade, Switchblade 2. A game I find much more fun than the original and closer to a console game, and show improved game mechanics that the same team would employ later Wolf Child and beyond. Thunderhawk AH-73M, a 3D action/simulation helicopter game and the first in the Thunderhawk series, was published by Core Design in 1991 for the Atari ST.1 The developer is listed as unknown, but looks to have been designed by Mark Avory and Mark Price (their only ST game creditis) , and sent into  core where they made internal adjustments to release the game.   .38 Contemporary reviews were positive. The One rated it 87%, and a user rating on Atarimania gave it 8.1/10.90 Every Game Going described it as the “best helicopter sim on the ST”.91 War Zone, a top-down scrolling action game, was developed and published by Core Design in 1991 for the Atari ST.38 The Atari ST release date was January 1, 1991.96 Contemporary reviews were generally positive. The One rated it 86%, while Atari ST User gave it 78%, noting that it was unoriginal.97 The average score on MobyGames for the Amiga version is 77%.98 Note that another game with the same name was released by Prism Leisure, and it it a horizontal scrolling vehicle shooter, but definitely not the same game. 99 In 1992, Core Design published Heimdall, an action role-playing game set in Norse mythology, developed by The 8th Day.1 The Atari ST release was in 1992.104 Contemporary reviews showed a range of opinions. ACE magazine gave it a score between 50-55%.104 Every Game Going described it as an “engrossing role-playing game”.106 A review of the Mega CD version on Sega-16 criticized its graphics and controls.105 Doodle Bug, a colorful 4-way scrolling platformer, was published by Core Design in 1992 for the Atari ST.1 It was developed by Mutation Software.38 ST Review described it as “great fun to play”.109 Atari Legend rated it 4.5/5, calling it a “hidden gem”.110 In a review published last year, we game  it an 83.8% score, considering it “another gem from Core”.41 Adrian Cummings, the developer behind Doodle Bug , was primarily an Amiga developer, he assisted programmer Bob Brooks in figuring out a way to make a very colorful ST version while keeping a decent frame rate.  This colorful technical masterpiece for a plain old ST is shown here on the ST Platform that game developers should have been targeting at the time, the MegaSTE. The SDT version is well done, but a little sluggish compared to the Amiga and STe running the ST game, but it is one of my absolute favorite ST games Wolfchild, a platform game where the protagonist can transform into a wolf, was published by Core Design in February 1992 for the Atari ST.1 The developer is listed as unknown 38, though Simon Phipps was involved in its development.113 A review on GameFAQs for the Atari ST version was lukewarm, stating “Not bad, not very good either”.114 A review of the SNES version on Classic Games Net was similarly unenthusiastic.115 Several unreleased or prototype games for the Atari ST were also associated with Core Design during this period. Chuck Rock II: Son of Chuck was mentioned as unreleased for the Atari ST, despite a preview in ST Review magazine suggesting a September 1992 release.116 However, Core Design reportedly never started development on the ST version, focusing on Sega platforms instead.116 Darkmere was listed as “Previewed/MIA” for the Atari ST 117, eventually being released only on the Amiga in 1994 after development delays.1 A prototype of Dominion, a brain/logical puzzle game, exists from August 27, 1992.117 Developed by Chris Shrigley, the prototype lacks music.144 Jaguar XJ220, a racing game released on Amiga and Mega-CD, had a “WIP” version for the Atari ST that was ultimately cancelled in 1992 to focus on the Amiga version of Darkmere.117 A development demo from September 1992 was later made available in 2009.145 Premiere, an arcade platformer released on Amiga and CD32, was listed as “Unreleased” for the Atari ST, with some sources suggesting it was never planned for the platform despite a preview in ST Review.1 Finally, Retro was an unreleased 3D futuristic sports title planned for both Amiga and Atari ST, inspired by Speedball 2, but it was eventually cancelled.117 Core Design’s contribution to the Atari ST gaming landscape was notable, featuring a mix of games developed for other publishers and a growing number of self-published titles. The company explored a variety of genres on the platform, including platformers, action games, shoot ’em ups, simulations, and even published an early first-person shooter developed by another studio. The critical reception of their Atari ST games was varied, with titles like Chuck Rock and CarVup receiving high praise, while others like Impossamole and Wolfchild garnered more moderate responses. The existence of several unreleased projects demonstrates the company’s ambition and the dynamic nature of game development during this period. Ultimately, while Core Design is best remembered for their later success, their work on the Atari ST in the late 80s and early 90s played a crucial role in their evolution as a significant force in the British video game industry. Game TitleRelease YearGenreAverage Review Score (if available)Torvak the Warrior1990Hack and Slash Platformer70-82.5%CarVup1990Platform/Puzzle79-90%Frenetic1991Vertical Scrolling Shoot ’em Up71-80%Chuck Rock1991Side-Scrolling Platformer82-100%War Zone1991Top-Down Scrolling Action77-86%Doodle Bug1992Colorful 4-Way Scrolling Platformer83.8-91%Doodlebug (Big Bash II)1993Colorful 4-Way Scrolling PlatformerN/A Game TitleRelease YearPublisherAction Fighter1989FirebirdSwitchblade1989Gremlin GraphicsAxel’s Magic Hammer1990Gremlin GraphicsMonty Python’s Flying Circus1990Virgin GamesImpossamole1990Gremlin GraphicsRick Dangerous 21990MicroProseThunderhawk AH-73M1991Core DesignHeimdall1992Core DesignWolfchild1992Core Design Game TitleStatusGenreKey Development DetailsChuck Rock II: Son of ChuckUnreleasedArcade Platformer (Scrolling)Previewed but likely never in production for ST, focused on Sega versions.DarkmerePreviewed/MIAAdventure – RPG (3-D)Released on Amiga only after delays and rewrite.DominionWIPBrain – Logical / PuzzlePrototype exists (1992.08.27), developed by Chris Shrigley, no music in prototype.Jaguar XJ220WIPRacing – CarsCancelled to focus on Amiga Darkmere, development demo available.PremiereUnreleasedArcade Platformer (Scrolling)Previewed, but some sources claim it was never planned for ST, released on Amiga.RetroUnreleasedSports – MiscellaneousCancelled 3D futuristic sports game, inspired by Speedball 2. Works cited Core Design – Wikipedia, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_Design Rest In Play : L’histoire de Core Design (Tomb Raider, Rick Dangerous) et interview de son fondateur, Jeremy Heath-Smith – Superpouvoir.com, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.superpouvoir.com/rest-in-play-retour-sur-core-design-tomb-raider-et-entretien-avec-jeremy-heath-smith-ceo-et-fondateur/ Interview: Jeremy Smith, Adrian Smith, Core Design (PrimaGames …, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.tomb-of-ash.com/interview-jeremy-smith-adrian-smith-core-design-primagames-2000/ Core Design History – Virtual Lara, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.virtuallara.com/core-design-history.html The Atari ST – Nostalgia Nerd, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.nostalgianerd.com/the-atari-st/ Atari ST – Wikipedia, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_ST Atari ST Details – LaunchBox Games Database, accessed May 11, 2025, https://gamesdb.launchbox-app.com/platforms/details/76-atari-st What was so great about the Atari ST? : r/retrocomputing – Reddit, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/retrocomputing/comments/1gm8yg4/what_was_so_great_about_the_atari_st/ What is the Atari ST like? – AtariAge Forums, accessed May 11, 2025, https://forums.atariage.com/topic/368849-what-is-the-atari-st-like/ Atari ST Upgrades: Retro Computer Adventures with the Atari 520 STFM, accessed May 11, 2025, https://retrogamecoders.com/atari-st/ Atari computers — What went wrong? : r/atarist – Reddit, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/atarist/comments/173sxwo/atari_computers_what_went_wrong/ LGR – Atari ST Computer System Review – YouTube, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3boqpQBfsLA Was the Atari ST a good computer? – Quora, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.quora.com/Was-the-Atari-ST-a-good-computer Atari 520ST Review in Creative Computing – By Paul Lefebvre – Hacker News, accessed May 11, 2025, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40740602 Interview with Terry Lloyd | Atari Legend, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarilegend.com/interviews/78 Action Fighter (1986) – MobyGames, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.mobygames.com/game/8921/action-fighter/ Action Fighter – Wikipedia, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_Fighter The Little Green Desktop – List ST Games – Atari ST, accessed May 11, 2025, https://atari.st/list.php?developer=6&action=developer Rick Dangerous – AtariUpToDate, accessed May 11, 2025, https://atariuptodate.de/en/6495/rick-dangerous gamefaqs.gamespot.com, accessed May 11, 2025, https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ast/949411-action-fighter/reviews/171274#:~:text=Action%20Fighter%20is%20part%20of,for%20a%20different%20graphic%20section. Atari ST Action Fighter – AtariMania, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-st-action-fighter_s9824.html Core Design – LaunchBox Games Database, accessed May 11, 2025, https://gamesdb.launchbox-app.com/developers/games/40-core-design Switchblade (video game) – Wikipedia, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switchblade_(video_game) Switchblade (1989) – IGDB.com, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.igdb.com/games/switchblade Switchblade II Review for Atari ST – GameFAQs, accessed May 11, 2025, https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ast/949656-switchblade-ii/reviews/144186 Switchblade – Quick Look – Atari ST – YouTube, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHmyZlYbFq8 en.wikipedia.org, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axel%27s_Magic_Hammer#:~:text=Axel’s%20Magic%20Hammer%20is%20a,the%20Amiga%20and%20Atari%20ST. Axel’s Magic Hammer – Wikipedia, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axel%27s_Magic_Hammer Axel’s Magic Hammer (1989) – MobyGames, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.mobygames.com/game/12486/axels-magic-hammer/ Axel’s Magic Hammer Images – LaunchBox Games Database, accessed May 11, 2025, https://gamesdb.launchbox-app.com/games/images/41123-axels-magic-hammer Axel’s Magic Hammer – Atari ST game, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarilegend.com/games/axels-magic-hammer Axel’s Magic Hammer : Hall Of Light – The database of Amiga games, accessed May 11, 2025, https://amiga.abime.net/3354 Atari ST Software – The Centre for Computing History, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/cgi/archive.pl?type=Software&platform=Atari%20ST Axel’s Magic Hammer – Atari ST Gaming, accessed May 11, 2025, https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/2024/11/axels-magic-hammer_17.html Atari ST Gaming: Axel’s Magic Hammer – AtariCrypt, accessed May 11, 2025, https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/2024/11/axels-magic-hammer.html Axel’s Magic Hammer (Atari ST) – Everygamegoing.com, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.everygamegoing.com/litem/Axels-Magic-Hammer/118717/ ataricrypt.blogspot.com, accessed May 11, 2025, https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/2024/11/axels-magic-hammer.html#:~:text=Axel%20is%20a%20humble%20platformer,mention%20we%20have%20a%20hammer. The Little Green Desktop – List ST Games – Atari ST, accessed May 11, 2025, https://atari.st/list.php?publisher=113&action=publisher Torvak the Warrior – Wikipedia, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torvak_the_Warrior Torvak the Warrior – Core Design, accessed May 11, 2025, https://core-design.com/torvakthewarrior.html Atari ST / STE Gaming Gems: Vol 5 – 20 more well crafted games – Into The Vertical Blank, accessed May 11, 2025, https://intotheverticalblank.com/2022/04/25/atari-st-ste-gaming-gems-vol-5-20-more-well-crafted-games/ Torvak the Warrior – Quick Look – Atari ST – YouTube, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug5zE6gNCZM Atari ST Gaming: Torvak the Warrior – AtariCrypt, accessed May 11, 2025, https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/2023/07/torvak-warrior.html Chuck Rock Review for Atari ST: Chuck! I Think You Know What I’m Trying To Say – GameFAQs, accessed May 11, 2025, https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ast/952206-chuck-rock/reviews/98982 Published games – Core Design Ltd. – Giant Bomb, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.giantbomb.com/core-design-ltd/3010-318/published/ The Story and Games of CORE Design – From Lara Croft to Chuck Rock and Beyond | Kim Justice – YouTube, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJsZPpMCnZk The Adventurers (1992) – MobyGames, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.mobygames.com/game/20557/the-adventurers/ Tetris (Atari ST) Retro Game Review | HackerNoon, accessed May 11, 2025, https://hackernoon.com/tetris-atari-st-retro-game-review Buy Monty Python’s Flying Circus game for the Amiga 500, Amstrad CPC464, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and Spectrum 48K/128K/+2/+3 | Everygamegoing, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.everygamegoing.com/zxdbRedirect/3260/ Monty Python’s Flying Circus: The Computer Game – Wikipedia, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python%27s_Flying_Circus:_The_Computer_Game Monty Python’s Flying Circus: The Computer Game – Core Design, accessed May 11, 2025, https://core-design.com/flyingcircus.html Monty Python’s Flying Circus (1990) – MobyGames, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.mobygames.com/game/1482/monty-pythons-flying-circus/ Monty Python’s Flying Circus : Core Design Ltd. – Internet Archive, accessed May 11, 2025, https://archive.org/details/msdos_Monty_Pythons_Flying_Circus_1990 Monty Python’s Flying Circus – Spectrum Computing – ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware, accessed May 11, 2025, https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/0003260 Monty Python’s Flying Circus – Spectrum Computing, accessed May 11, 2025, https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3260/ZX-Spectrum/Monty_Pythons_Flying_Circus Monty Python’s Flying Circus – Software – Game – The Centre for Computing History, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/18416/Monty-Python-s-Flying-Circus/ Monty Python’s Flying Circus Review for Atari ST: An energetic crowd-pleaser that’s sure to satisfy in every conceivable way. – GameFAQs, accessed May 11, 2025, https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ast/948187-monty-pythons-flying-circus/reviews/70298 Atari ST Monty Python’s Flying Circus – AtariMania, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-st-monty-python-s-flying-circus_33373.html Impossamole – Wikipedia, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impossamole Impossamole – Atari ST game, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarilegend.com/games/impossamole Impossamole – Quick Look – Atari ST – YouTube, accessed May 11, 2025, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8gP8YdsAcPs Impossamole (Gremlin) Review | ST Format – Everygamegoing, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.everygamegoing.com/larticle/impossamole-000/49029 Rick Dangerous II – AtariUpToDate, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atariuptodate.de/en/6496/rick-dangerous-ii Rick Dangerous (1989) – MobyGames, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.mobygames.com/game/2932/rick-dangerous/ en.wikipedia.org, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Dangerous_2#:~:text=Atari%20ST%20reviews%20were%20also,in%20its%20October%201990%20review. Rick Dangerous 2 – Wikipedia, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Dangerous_2 Car Vup – AtariUpToDate, accessed May 11, 2025, https://atariuptodate.de/en/7691/car-vup CarVup – Wikipedia, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CarVup Atari ST Gaming: Car-Vup – AtariCrypt, accessed May 11, 2025, https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/2015/05/curb-crawler.html Car-Vup (Core) Review | ST Format – Everygamegoing, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.everygamegoing.com/larticle/car-vup-000/49668 Car-Vup – Amiga Reviews, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.amigareviews.leveluphost.com/carvup.htm Frenetic (1991) – IGDB.com, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.igdb.com/games/frenetic Frenetic – Atari ST game, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarilegend.com/games/frenetic Atari ST website: Frenetic – AtariCrypt, accessed May 11, 2025, https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/2015/10/frenetic.html Frenetic Releases – MobyGames, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.mobygames.com/game/32185/frenetic/releases/atari-st/ List of Atari ST games – Wikipedia, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Atari_ST_games Frenetic, Atari ST, Trusteft Retro Weekend – YouTube, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shiza0Ov09o Atari ST Vertical Flying Shooters Part 4 1990 and 91, accessed May 11, 2025, https://intotheverticalblank.com/2024/02/17/atari-st-vertical-flying-shooters-part-4-1990-and-91/ Frenetic – Atari ST / STE – YouTube, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrIj6p4Is6U Frenetic (Game) – Giant Bomb, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.giantbomb.com/frenetic/3030-2763/ Frenetic (1991) – MobyGames, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.mobygames.com/game/32185/frenetic/ Frenetic – Atari ST [EU] – VGCollect, accessed May 11, 2025, https://vgcollect.com/item/188177 Chuck Rock (1991) – IGDB.com, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.igdb.com/games/chuck-rock Chuck Rock – Atari ST game, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarilegend.com/games/chuck-rock Chuck Rock – release date, videos, screenshots, reviews on RAWG, accessed May 11, 2025, https://rawg.io/games/chuck-rock Core Design – LaunchBox Games Database, accessed May 11, 2025, https://gamesdb.launchbox-app.com/publishers/games/521-core-design Chuck Rock reviews – MobyGames, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.mobygames.com/game/7428/chuck-rock/reviews/ Thunderhawk AH-73M (1991) – IGDB.com, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.igdb.com/games/thunderhawk-ah-73m Thunderhawk AH-73M – Core Design, accessed May 11, 2025, https://core-design.com/thunderhawk.html Atari ST Thunderhawk AH-73M – AtariMania, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-st-thunderhawk-ah-73m_37169.html Thunderhawk AH-73M (Core) Review | ST Format – Everygamegoing, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.everygamegoing.com/larticle/thunderhawk-ah-73m-000/49711 WARZONE GAME ATARI ST COMMODORE AMIGA CORE DESIGN LTD 1990 VINTAGE RETRO ADVERT | eBay, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.ebay.com/itm/146556231771 War Zone – Atari ST game, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarilegend.com/games/war-zone War Zone (Core) : Hall Of Light – The database of Amiga games, accessed May 11, 2025, https://amiga.abime.net/1664 Buy Warzone game for the Atari ST | Everygamegoing, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.everygamegoing.com/lgame/Warzone/124989/ War Zone – AtariUpToDate, accessed May 11, 2025, https://atariuptodate.de/en/5482/war-zone War Zone – Quick Look – Atari ST – YouTube, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_tn9-e5cIw War Zone (1991) – MobyGames, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.mobygames.com/game/11937/war-zone/ War Zone – Atari ST game, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarilegend.com/games/war-zone-paradox Warzone (Atari ST) – Everygamegoing.com, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.everygamegoing.com/litem/Warzone/152800/ Paradox Software – MobyGames, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.mobygames.com/company/3973/paradox-software/ Buy War Zone for AST – retroplace.com, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.retroplace.com/en/games/134231–war-zone Heimdall (1991) – IGDB.com, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.igdb.com/games/heimdall Heimdall (video game) – Wikipedia, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heimdall_(video_game) Heimdall – Sega-16, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.sega-16.com/2007/01/heimdall/ Heimdall (Core) Review | ST Format – Everygamegoing, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.everygamegoing.com/larticle/heimdall-000/49130 List of all Atari ST games – MobyGames, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.mobygames.com/platform/atari-st/year:1992/sort:date/page:1/ Buy Doodlebug for AMIGA – retroplace.com, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.retroplace.com/en/games/28045–doodlebug Doodlebug – Quick Look – Atari ST – YouTube, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR2Mk6EumPM Doodle Bug – Atari ST game, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarilegend.com/games/doodle-bug-bug-bash-2 The Story of Doodle Bug (Adrian Cummings, Rob Brooks, Mutation …, accessed May 11, 2025, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iqqkDafIYl4&pp=ygUUI2Rvb2RsZWJ1Z2Nocm9uaWNsZXM%3D http://www.simonphipps.com, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.simonphipps.com/games/wolfchild/#:~:text=The%20original%20version%20of%20the,to%20want%20to%20go%20away. Wolfchild – Simon Phipps, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.simonphipps.com/games/wolfchild/ gamefaqs.gamespot.com, accessed May 11, 2025, https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ast/950377-wolfchild/reviews/3583#:~:text=Saul’s%20howl%20when%20he%20transforms,average%20to%20be%20remarked%20upon.&text=This%20game%20has%20some%20fine,the%20ending%20is%20annoyingly%20short. Wolfchild review – Classic-Games.net, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.classic-games.net/snes/wolfchild/ Chuck Rock 2: Son of Chuck (Atari ST) – Games That Weren’t, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2025/03/chuck-rock-2-son-of-chuck/ List of Atari ST Games : Core Design, page 1,, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarimania.com/list_games_atari-st-p_total-page-step-publisher_17-1-25-1777_S_G.html The Adventures of Quik & Silva – Wikipedia, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Quik_%26_Silva List of Atari ST Games : page 89,, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarimania.com/list_games_atari-st-p_total-page-step-sttype_7102-89-25-st_S_G.html Atari ST Gaming: March 2025 – AtariCrypt, accessed May 11, 2025, https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/2025/03/ Atari 8-bit adventures from ‘UK Atari Computer Owners Club’, accessed May 11, 2025, https://forums.atariage.com/topic/292449-atari-8-bit-adventures-from-uk-atari-computer-owners-club/ Atari | Official Games, Consoles, Merch & News – Atari®, accessed May 11, 2025, https://atari.com/ Atari ST Gaming: Dungeon Adventure – AtariCrypt, accessed May 11, 2025, https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/2024/03/dungeon-adventure.html ST role-playing games – Atari ST/TT/Falcon Computers – AtariAge Forums, accessed May 11, 2025, https://forums.atariage.com/topic/30309-st-role-playing-games/ The Adventurers Demo – First Impressions – Steam Deck HQ, accessed May 11, 2025, https://steamdeckhq.com/news/the-adventurers-demo-first-impressions/ Atari ST Review – issue 05 – AtariMania, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarimania.com/mags/pdf/atari_st_review-issue_05.pdf [PC/Atari/Amiga?][late 80’s/early 90’s] Top-down single player adventure/RPG game, possibly featured in Dragon Magazine – Reddit, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/tipofmyjoystick/comments/1cuzfkt/pcatariamigalate_80searly_90s_topdown_single/ Dungeon Master (1987, Atari ST) – GameTripper review, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.gametripper.co.uk/games/atari-st/dungeon-master/ ATARI ST adventure games – AtariAge Forums, accessed May 11, 2025, https://forums.atariage.com/topic/34932-atari-st-adventure-games/ Best Adventures on the Atari ST? – AtariAge Forums, accessed May 11, 2025, https://forums.atariage.com/topic/185011-best-adventures-on-the-atari-st/ Homebound: My Top Ten Atari ST Games – The Late Night Session, accessed May 11, 2025, https://thelatenightsession.com/2022/04/05/homebound-my-top-ten-atari-st-games/ The Top 50 Atari ST Games – The Joy of Sticks, accessed May 11, 2025, http://thejoyofsticks.co.uk/the-top-50-atari-st-games An Introduction to the Atari ST – 10MARC Atari 1040ST Special – YouTube, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmOm2yem9Ao The Adventurers – A Review – Home – All Things Nerdy – Nerd Bloggers, accessed May 11, 2025, http://www.nerdbloggers.com/nerdbloggers/2011/4/6/the-adventurers-a-review.html Atari Legend: Atari ST games, reviews, interviews, news and more, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarilegend.com/ Atari ST Chuck Rock II – Son of Chuck : scans, dump, download, screenshots, ads, videos, catalog, instructions, roms – AtariMania, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarimania.com/pgesoft.awp?version=31316 List of Atari ST Games : Unreleased, page 1, – AtariMania, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarimania.com/list_games_atari-st-p_total-page-step-licence_175-1-200-18_S_G.html Darkmere – Wikipedia, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darkmere Darkmere: The Nightmare’s Begun (Game) – Giant Bomb, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.giantbomb.com/darkmere-the-nightmares-begun/3030-16860/ Darkmere (1994) – MobyGames, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.mobygames.com/game/14587/darkmere/ Darkmere: The Nightmare’s Begun : Hall Of Light – The database of Amiga games, accessed May 11, 2025, https://amiga.abime.net/277 Darkmere – LaunchBox Games Database, accessed May 11, 2025, https://gamesdb.launchbox-app.com/games/details/23940-darkmere Darkmere – Amiga Reviews, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.amigareviews.leveluphost.com/darkmere.htm Dominion (Aug 27, 1992 prototype) – Hidden Palace, accessed May 11, 2025, https://hiddenpalace.org/Dominion_(Aug_27,_1992_prototype) Atari ST Jaguar XJ220 – AtariMania, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarimania.com/pgesoft.awp?version=24657 Jaguar XJ220 (video game) – Wikipedia, accessed May 11, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_XJ220_(video_game) Jaguar XJ220 – Atari ST game, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarilegend.com/games/jaguar-xj220 The Birth of an Icon, the XJ220 – Curated, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.wearecurated.com/blog/the-birth-of-an-icon-the-xj220 Jaguar XJ220 – Core Design, accessed May 11, 2025, https://core-design.com/jaguarxj220.html Atari ST Premiere : scans, dump, download, screenshots, ads …, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-st-premiere_31313.html Premiere (1992) – MobyGames, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.mobygames.com/game/17465/premiere/ Premiere (Core Design) Review | Amiga Power – Everygamegoing, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.everygamegoing.com/larticle/premiere-000/45739 Core Design, accessed May 11, 2025, https://core-design.com/article144.html Retro (Commodore Amiga and Atari ST) – Games That Weren’t, accessed May 11, 2025, https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2021/09/retro/