«Auf Wiedersehen Monty» for Atari 8-bit computers | Download
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Following its acclaimed presentation at the summer edition of the Silly Venture 2024 festival, the classic platform game «Auf Wiedersehen Monty» (Gremlin Graphics, 1987) was officially released for Atari 8-bit computers.
This is the fourth title in the Monty Mole series and has been adapted from the Commodore 16 version. The plot follows the adventures of Monty the mole, who must escape across Europe in an attempt to raise enough money to buy the Greek island of Montos, where he hopes to eventually find refuge.Players must navigate multiple screens and collect traveler's checks to secure Monty's freedom. Some areas of the game are only accessible through the use of plane tickets, which can be collected throughout the adventure.
The port for the Atari XL/XE computers was created by the atariBDSM group. It features an improved graphics engine, high resolution text mode, and colorful sprites that reflect the effort made to maintain the quality of the original.
The atariBDSM group, consisting of Krzysztof "Rastan" Wróbel ("Count Ulrich von Chain") and Marek "Konop" Konopka ("Marquise Liebling Pejcz"), both responsible for the code and graphics, and Michal "Miker" Szpilowski (responsible for the music conversion), has managed to recreate the game experience in an impressive way.
The port is not a simple conversion; it is a reverse-engineered adaptation of the C16 version, just like the group's previous project, Monty on the Run. The game runs in a high-resolution text mode with 32 columns, a feature that distinguishes it from other titles of the same era.
In addition, “Auf Wiedersehen Monty” features around 20 rooms, each of which has been carefully coloured individually, highlighting the detail and dedication of the development team. The game’s sprites are also coloured, which is especially noticeable in this type of graphics mode, allowing up to 4 software sprites on screen along with the character Monty, adding up to a total of 5 objects in the rooms. A highlight of the port is the music. The Atari version features the original C-64 theme tune, which has been ported to the new system. However, the original C-16 theme tune has also been retained and can be played during gameplay, giving players the ability to choose between the two soundtracks at the title screen.
Also new in this port is the ability to adjust the color scheme using the 1, 2, and 3 keys to toggle between a monochrome mode, the PM color map, and an emulation of the C-16 color palette (the latter requiring the VBXE card).
As we reported a few days ago, "Auf Wiedersehen Monty" was distributed by the company Retronics on a cassette as part of a special package for those who purchased a "Strong Support" ticket for the Silly Venture 2024 SE festival.
It is worth remembering that, in 2019, atariBDSM had already released "Monty on the Run", the third installment of the saga; which demonstrates its commitment to the preservation and adaptation of these classics for the Atari 8-bit community.
CONTROLS
S - pause the game
G - resume the game
ESC - abort the game
Auf Wiedersehen Monty for Atari 8-bit computers
Download | 23 kBWith information and images from Silly Venture.
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