Hang on a moment! We already know where RISC OS is – don’t we?
The RISC OS game playing community has just gained another first person shooter, thanks to NO RISC – NO FUN‘s Franck Martinaux, who has just announced the release of a port of Rise of the Triad: The HUNT Begins.
As with Hatari, the Atari ST emulator also available from NO RISC – NO FUN, the game is currently only available for computers running RISC OS 5.18 or later on at least a Cortex-A8 processor – which, for the moment, means systems based around the BeagleBoard and PandaBoard. At least, according to Franck, until he gets his Raspberry Pi.
Rise of the Triads was originally released in 1995 by Apogee Software (aka 3D Realms), for MS DOS based PCs. The game started life intended as a sequel to another well known game – Wolfenstein 3D, from id Software. It was originally going to use its predecessor’s own code, but with new level designs, characters and graphics, with the intention being to release it as an add-on pack, with the title Rise of the Triad: Wolfenstein 3D Part II.
However, over time the project evolved into something more, and the titular connection to Wolfenstein 3D was dropped – though the technical connection wasn’t; it would no longer be an add-on pack, and instead use a much improved version of that game’s engine. The enhancements – which included such things as breakable glass walls, fog, dynamic lighting and more – are things now taken for granted in first person shooters, but debuted in Rise of the Triad.
In the full game, you are part of an elite team called HUNT (High-risk United Nations Taskforce), and you can play as any one of five different people, each with different abilities. Your objective is to put a stop to the plans of a maniac, and in doing so save millions of people.
The HUNT Begins was the title given to the first “episode” of the game, released as shareware and containing ten levels. In this version, you take on the role of only one of the five – Taradino Cassatt – and it is this version that is available for download from the NO RISC – NO FUN website. The download includes the shareware WAD, making it ready to play on suitable RISC OS systems straight away.
