Crawly Crypt Collection 2/crawlyvol2.bin/falcon/misc/update_8/data/text/pd.asc

Text File | 1995-01-16 | 8KB | 141 lines

FALCON PD AND SHAREWARE REVIEWS

Just a quick file containing the latest programs I have come across
for my Falcon.  All available from the FOG PD library, complete
catalogue elsewhere this issue.


RAPE THE DSP
'rape' is a brand new DSP soundtracker module player from Animal Mine
and Aura.  Version 1.00 can load and play all known 4 channel tracker
music and depacks Atomik and Ice packed modules too.  There are
plenty of module players available but this is quite simply the best
because it doesn't use much of the CPU and therefore you simply will
not notice it is there at all, apart from the superb background music
of-course!  It doesn't have the features of Desktracker, but it
doesn't slow your computer down either.  Very recommended.

BACKWARD 2.7
Cyrille Dupuydauby releases another update to this legendary ST
emulator.  It can now handle NTSC and PAL toggling for Multisync
monitors, RGB's and TV's alike.  It will Autoboot recognised disks so
save on set-up time, the keyboard reset is always available, even
from inside the games, the new TOS patches for the Falcon are in
there, improved priviledged error handling, disk oriented system
calls are corrected and a whole host of other new features.  So, do
the right thing, update and register.

SPLITTER version 2.00
I believe this was given away with the recently deceased Atari ST
User magazine, but my copy came over the net so I am not sure if it
is shareware or not.  Anyway, Splitter v2 from Uncensored Software
lets you take files bigger than a normal capacity disk and split them
up for easy transport.  The block size can be specified and the
rebuilding process is simply a matter of having all the split files
in the same location and clicking 'build'.  There is also a TTP
version which takes its input via a CLI, a very good idea indeed.
I have used it a few times and the result seems to be promising.

R.C.A Encryptor v1.0
This program written by the Jolly Roger will encrypt and decrypt any
file using a password system.  It seems to make a nice mess of any
text or picture file and executables give tos errors when run.  The
solution is to have the password and run the program through this
little system.  It works, but as to how usefull it is?  Who knows.

APPLICATIONS CHECK LIST PROGRAM
Every so often, Heiko Hartmann will release a new update to his list
of Falcon compatible Application programs onto the Internet.  This
list contains details on how compatible the application is, which
screen resolution to run it under and if it works with MultiTOS or
not.  At present the list contains details of over 250 applications
from Cubase to GNU-Zip both popular Shareware titles and commercial
(mainly the latter).  This list is rather unfriendly and requires you
to sit in a text processor scanning through for the program you want.
 This 'shell' seeks to solve the problem with an easy to use
interface, you just type in the name of the program and it will scan
the file for it.  You can update the list as and when Heiko does by
replacing the one with the shell, simple as that.  It only works on a
VGA monitor (but will be fixed soon) and doesn't use GEM.

MOON SPEEDER DEMO
This is a non-playable demo of a game that should be available from
November 1994.  It starts by showing you 8 different 'speeders' all
rotating around this moonscape with various speeder stats on the
screen.  It then loads a demo track called Crossroads and the demo
really kicks in.  The track opens up before you looking very much
like those SNES Mode 7 games (ie F-Zero) and the large vector
speeders fly off into the track, you follow the green speeder as it
zooms around the 'moon' bumping into other speeders, taking hard
corners and jumping craters.  There are plenty of interesting little
samples thrown in as well as the great music that plays in the
background.  The graphics are superb and it moves at a very decent
speed.  Pressing the function keys from 1 to 8 lets you jump into the
cockpit of a different speeder.  If only this was playable, oh boy it
would be a dream come true!  As it is we will have to wait and I hope
they release this soon, it looks awesome.  VGA and RGB, needs 4 meg,
works from a floppy drive.

STAR DUST DEMO
Another game demo I recently received was a new title from software
house BloodHouse, the game Star Dust has been available on the Amiga
for a while now, but demo crew Agression have decided to convert it
to the STE and Falcon and the result is quite amazing!  This demo is
a playable section of the final game, it is the Warp Sequence and
involves you flying your starship down a large tunnel avoiding the
spikes and blowing away the spinning aliens.  The tunnel is larger
than the physical (overscanned!) screen and you can move around
inside it.  This is very hard to explain but once you play it you
will understand!  The music is brilliant as are the sound effects, I
just wish I could play more of the game!  One to look out for.

NOMEMTST
This small little program will turn off the memory test at boot-up
making loading so much quicker.  There is no way to turn it back on
again though, but the full assembler source code is provided.

F.M TERMINAL
This Falcon only comms programmed was developed by Brian Freeman in
Hisoft C.  I have only used this briefly, but in the time I did use
it everything seemed to function perfectly.  There are the usual
settings for baud rate, modem type, an auto dialer, upload and
download's, ASCII uploads, ZModem, YModem, XModem and YModem-G plus
two slots for any future protocols which I thought was a nice idea.
You can set the buffer size on the serial port and is has full
emulation for ASCII, VT52, ANSI and IGS.  There is also a capture
mode and on-line help files.  Everything seem's to function as it
should and this is a recommended little program for anyone new to
comms.

TURBO GIF v1.3
This GIF displayer from Sascha Springer is different in that it is
the fastest I have ever seen!  It uses the DSP for optimised loading
and display times, it even worked with NVDI installed and on my VGA
and RGB from any resolution as it seems to change accordingly.  If
the GIF is bigger than your resolution you can move around the
picture with the mouse and it is blindingly fast and smooth.  What's
more Turbo GIF is Freeware!  Highly recommended, get this installed
instantly.

STOOP v1.01
Fed up with the limitations of Superboot or ICD ?  Then give Stoop a
place in your auto folder and forget all your worries.  Phil Hodgkins
has created an invaluable aid to any Falcon owners life.  You can
configure which auto programs are to be executed, which ACC's are to
be loaded, which resolution to boot into (including all Falcon and ST
settings) or you can define one of the 27 buttons along the bottom,
simply click one of those (or press the hot-key) and it will do the
rest, change rez, install the right utils and boot the program.  This
is a dream come true.  For example I have Atari Works as a button,
all I need do is click on this (or press F1) and it loads up Speedo,
removes undeed ACC's and boots me into Atari Works.  Plus I also have
Deluxe Paint as a button, it removes NVDI, removes Speedo (should it
be there), puts me into ST LOW and boots DPaint.  All from a single
mouse click.  Put this in your auto folder and don't look back, send
off the £10 registration today and enjoy the benefits of this great
little program.


Well that just about wraps up this article, rush out and get copies
of all the above from any decent (and up to date) PD library and
enjoy the benefits they bring.ə