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                               "4ster" by Checkpoint
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system .. ST, STe, Falcon, 1 MB RAM, STeem

credits . code - Defjam
          gfx  - mOdmate
          msx  - 5o5

size .... 4 KB (what else?)

release . 1o/2oo3

url ..... http://checkpoint.atari.org

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At last, here  it comes. Defjam took  quite a long time for finishing touches on
his winning 4K intro from the  ERROR IN LINE 2oo3 Party  and you know how it is,
to see a  demo on the  big screen, see it winning and never see it again for the
public... So it's no question  that all people were anxious to see it again, now
on their systems at home.

Defjam included  a final version, a cache-off-version and  the party  version at
the archive, so any  Atari user  should find  a little version  that runs on his
machine. Long words, short sense, lets check it out.

The following lines represent the final version...

After clicking onto the file a loading screen appears showing the loading status
of the demo, strange  idea for  a 4K intro, that  should be loaded in parts of a
second... ;) The status  bar is growing  quite slow  and you get a hot ass while
waiting.

Then the  screen makes place for some  some blue background  and you can see the
credits  scroll from left  to right in a delayed font. This one is followed by a
Checkpoint logo with a blue/violet bumpmapper. And... have I mentioned that also
some YM music is playing? This one isn't  a real  burner but better  to see such
effects with some noises as in silence, and 5o5 did a good job in squeezing some
sounds into just 5oo bytes, woah.



Tunnelmania on ST...

Anyway, the title of the demo is displayed in the  blurred way as the credits in
blue colours, followed by a  mapped rotating tunnel. Defjam furthermore shows us
his own way of  humour, as he brings  even more  little breaks, as "4K", "?" and
finally a yes, always between the single effects that are still to come...
Being a superior coder isn't enough, showing to  other coders that you know what
you are with a blinking eye... that is coolness, hehehe.

Ok, cut the crap, we see  some more  effects, just as  some moving fieldlines, a
face  distorter  that features  a downscaled  part of mOdmates "Try to beat dis"
UCM intro picture and last but not least a 4plane rotative zoomer.

After that one the demo loops to the credits part again. Wow, after long silence
and the final release of "Posh" Defjam  shows us once more that  he isn't on his
end so far to squeeze out even more stuff of the little 68ooo.

Some short words about the  differencies to the party version. This version does
not feature the credits and break  screens, has  several errors, misses the face
in the bitmap distorter and  finally crashes after the rotative zoomer (at least
here...)

Final words... Without  any  doubt we  can count  Defjam's 4K intro  to the most
               remarkable ever done  on the ST, featuring several new school fx,
               some glimpse  of design and even a chip music... but I doubt that
               he matched it to blow  new life into  the starving 4K competition
               on the Atari...
               Hum... what is Defjam doing at next? A 256byte multipart?!

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