Raptor: Call of the Shadows arrives on Amiga with AGA and RTG support

Raptor: Call of the Shadows has made its way to the Amiga. Not through a remake, reboot or heavily modified edition, but as a new optimized port of the original 1994 DOS shooter. For Amiga owners with the right hardware, that means the full Raptor experience can now run under AmigaOS, complete with its scrolling stages, weapon upgrades, shop system and 27-level campaign. There is a catch. This isn’t a game aimed at a standard Amiga 1200 straight out of the box. Raptor was a demanding PC title in its day, and the Amiga version still needs some serious processing power behind it.

Raptor started life on DOS

Raptor: Call of the Shadows first appeared in 1994, developed by Cygnus Studios and published by Apogee Software. It’s a vertically scrolling shoot ’em up, but there’s a little more going on than simply holding down the fire button and hoping for the best. You pilot an advanced combat aircraft through a series of missions, destroying enemy aircraft, tanks, installations and other targets while earning money along the way. That money matters.

Between missions, you can spend your credits on new weapons, extra shields and other equipment. The result is a shooter where the aircraft gradually becomes more capable as the campaign moves on. Lose expensive equipment and you’ll feel it. Save enough cash and you can turn the aircraft into something far more dangerous.

The full game is split into three areas: Bravo Sector, Tango Sector and the Outer Regions. Each contains nine waves, giving Raptor 27 stages in total.

Later levels throw tougher enemies, heavier ground defences and larger bosses at the player. You can also return to completed sectors while keeping your equipment and cash, although the game increases the challenge when you do.

The Amiga version needs some muscle

The new port targets accelerated 68k Amigas rather than stock machines. It’s compiled for the 68020 and above, but realistically, faster hardware is where it makes the most sense. A 68040 or 68060-class processor is recommended for more conventional accelerated Amigas, while modern options such as PiStorm and Vampire hardware are much better suited to the job.

Memory requirements depend on how you’re running it. The RTG version calls for roughly 16 MB of Fast RAM, while the AGA build can work with around 8 MB. AmigaOS 3.x is the target environment. For graphics, the port supports RTG as well as AGA, with SAGA support also making it suitable for Vampire systems. Sound uses SDL and AHI, including digital effects and WAV music playback.

One important detail is that the original Raptor game data is still required. This isn’t a complete replacement package containing the commercial game files. Instead, the new Amiga code handles the platform side of things while using the original game’s assets and data.

AGA support is still developing

The AGA version is currently considered experimental. That means users looking for the most established experience will probably get better results from an RTG configuration for now. Development hasn’t stopped, though, and AGA support remains part of the project.

The game has also been tested on hardware including PiStorm and Vampire systems, along with AmigaOS 3.x setups. Performance depends heavily on the machine.

A PiStorm system using RTG can reach Raptor’s intended frame rate of around 23.3 frames per second. Vampire V4 hardware has also been shown running at roughly 24 frames per second. That gives a good idea of the level of hardware the game likes. A slower classic accelerator may run it, but CPU speed quickly becomes the deciding factor.

Joystick support makes sense for Amiga

The port supports joystick control and now uses it as the default option. Keyboard and mouse controls are still available, so players aren’t locked into one setup. Some menu functions may still work better from the keyboard depending on the hardware you’re using, but the actual game supports the controls you’d expect for movement, firing and weapon selection.

For a shooter like Raptor, joystick support is obviously a useful addition. The original PC game was closely associated with keyboard and mouse play, but the Amiga has always been comfortable with this kind of action game on a stick.

Raptor isn’t targeting stock Amigas

This release makes the most sense when viewed as an Amiga port for modern accelerated systems. It’s not trying to squeeze Raptor into the limits of a basic A1200. Instead, it takes the original DOS game and gives faster Amiga hardware a way to run it without changing the basic structure of the game itself.

The campaign is still there. The shop is still there. So are the upgrades, large enemy waves, ground targets and bosses. For anyone running a PiStorm, Vampire or suitably fast classic accelerator, Raptor: Call of the Shadows is now another substantial PC-era shooter available on Amiga hardware. And with AGA support still being worked on, the port isn’t standing still yet.

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