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Four-F for the Atari ST, Now Available! |
In Fruitware's new game for the Atari ST and emulators, you'll get the chance to help Fruitman prove that it takes more than brawn to prove yourself: You need brains too!
Four-F will immediately be compared to the popular Lynx and PC game, Chip's Challenge. The goal is the same: Wander the many levels collecting items to make your way to the next level. There are many icons and traps that you must avoid, including the negative point bonus, invisible blocks, moving blocks, reversing controls, and others. However, there is one thing that separates Four-F from Chip's Challenge: You cannot backtrack your steps. Each step you take leaves behind another impenetrable block! Kind of like a mix between Snake (or Tron Light Cycles) and Chip's Challenge.
Where Can I Get It?
Exclusively at The Atari Times! Download Four-F for play on the Atari ST and the IBM-PC through various ST emulators! It's only 100K!
Screenshots
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The Fruitware logo. Pretty cool, huh? ;-) There's even a little animated sparkley on the "S" in "presents." |
Here's the title screen. Here you can Start the game, go to the Options screen (right) or get Info about the game. |
The options screen. The little graphic changes depending on the MODE and TYPE of game you choose. |
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| This is an in-game shot of a Random mode game. The pink blocks are the ones left behind by Fruitman, the main character. These blocks can be changed into many different colors. | Here is level 4-1 from the Contest game. Try to collect the fruit without backtracking! The white icons allow you to take 5 steps without leaving a block behind. This is necessary to complete this level. | This is the same level 4-1 from the previous picture, except it is the 'Fill-In' TYPE. Each step you take will reveal just a little more of this picture. I wonder what it could be? |
Four-F Features
Four-F also features some neat things that make it stand above Chip's
Challenge. First of all, there are two modes: Random and Contest.
The Contest mode features 100 pre-designed levels to complete. Each
level is even more dastardly than the last. Random mode throws you into
a completely randomized maze and a certain point value must be achieved
before you can move on to the next one.
Another great feature is that you can add .NEO and .PI1 files to the main Four-F directory. When you choose the Fill-In mode, the image will be drawn on the screen as you move Fruitman around the maze.
Four-Fhas a built-in screen saver called R-Gon (Random Polygons). It's basically the same as the Mystify screen saver familiar to Windows users, but R-GON gives you more control of the polys than Mystify does.
Last, but certainly not least, Four-F has a BUILT-IN level editor! How else do you think all of the levels were created? A great feature of the level editor is the ability to play the level without having to exit the editor to run the main game. This has saved me hours of development time! Of course, to FIND the editor, you'll have to complete the 100 Contest levels!
There are many other little touches in the game. Passwords to save your progress, an animated high score table, melting screens, and the ability to change the controls between the mouse, joystick, or keyboard! Everything but the kitchen sink was thrown into this game!
A Little History
Four-F was started in 1993 using the then popular STOS Basic program.
I coded the main game in only two weeks, but spent a great deal of time
afterwards tweaking and polishing the game. It
was about 95% completed when I moved on to other things. Music and a few
levels were really the only thing keeping the game from completion.
That, and the game was 'trapped' on my Atari ST's hard drive.
Then I recently discovered that I already had a copy of the source code on my PC's hard drive! So I got back into the swing of things, added the remaining levels, added a few cheats and features, and then finally released Four-F after an 8 year development! (Ok, it wasn't really THAT long. There was a 7 year hiatus in there.)
Download Four-F for play on the Atari ST and the IBM-PC through various ST emulators! You can also get it on AtariLegend.com!
Questions? Comments? Let me know!