Syndicate – Something Odd!

Syndicate: The Atlantic Accelerator

A screenshot from the game Syndicate showing a world map interface, displaying a green grid map with red-highlighted continents and a focus on the Atlantic region. The top right corner shows the time "12:319:85MC". At the centre, a blue circular icon and a yellow square with a black skull and crossbones symbol are connected by a line, indicating a mission or event. Bottom text reads: "ATLANTIC ACCELERATOR 44001650 UNKNOWN". Buttons labelled "BRIEF" and "MENU" are visible. — The Syndicate World

The Atlantic Accelerator is the final level in the game Syndicate. This game was developed by Bullfrog, and published in 1993 by Electronic Arts, who went on to publish a few more games.

This final level is insane. The mission briefing warns that you are completely outgunned and outmanned, and it finishes with a “good luck” message.

As soon as you enter the map you’re assaulted by enemy syndicates wielding mini guns. You have to pause the game and then frantically select all your agents, put on shields and fight back. It can take more than a few goes to get this right. This video shows how easy it is to be overpowered. Jump forward to about 4:00. Warning, it’s loud!

This video below shows how it’s done. Select all agents and put on shields. Select agent 3, enable panic mode and let him or her take out the nearby enemy with a laser. Mop up the rest with lasers.

An idea I picked up from a comment on that video is using plenty of shields and a flamer (flame thrower). The enemy syndicate stop firing after a certain length of time, which makes mopping them up easy. This worked mostly, but in the end there were two enemies left who refused to stop firing. Cross fire was more effective at reducing the numbers of enemy, however.

Syndicate Plus. The benefits of shields. Make sure you switch before it runs out.

These last two guys kept firing, I got bored. Shields and flamers takes a while.

I finished this game in the mid-nineties. I bought it a good few years ago on GOG and I finished it again, but this was probably my first play through in a decade. Still a great game after all these years.

When Bob Started a Syndicate

The other day I was reading through the very last issue of Ace Magazine when I came across an "In the Works" preview of a game called Bob. It was the temporary name given to a work-in-progress game by developers Bullfrog.

It meant nothing to me until I saw the screenshots.

That looks very familiar! It was the classic Bullfrog game, Syndicate!

Bob looked like a much more complex game than Syndicate turned out to be so I'm glad the game was tweaked and tuned before release. It's one of the few games I've actually finished, except for the American Revolt add-on. I never even managed to complete the first level in that! I haven't found much online that links the name Bob to Syndicate but this great RPS article does. That was published in 2008 and it's amusing to see the comments wishing for a remake of the game. We got them, they didn't make quite the same splash as the original.

Syndicate had the veneer of strategy. You could separate out your agents and send them off in different directions, but really, the most fun was to be had when all four were rocking gauss guns and causing all sorts of mayhem!

The very last level in Syndicate was really hard. You'd last all of about 10 seconds before succumbing to superior firepower until you figured out the right strategy to complete it. If you've already played it, or know you'll never do so, check out the video below:

Syndicate was followed by the American Revolt add-on. It comes packaged with the GOG release so you've no excuse not to try it, except that it's hard as nails. I don't feel bad saying that I had no idea how to complete the first level until I saw this ..

Syndicate Wars followed as a proper sequel some time later, but IMO it comes nowhere near being as immersive and addictive as the original Syndicate. I didn't like the graphics and it didn't sit right with me at all.

A modern remake of Syndicate came out in 2012, which I bought in 2014, but it only runs on Windows so I haven't played it much.

In 2015 a spiritual successor to the original Syndicate was released, Satellite Reign. It looks beautiful, and the screenshots have that Syndicate vibe but to play it is painful.

On a more positive note, there's also Free Synd, a GPLed implementation of the Syndicate game engine. The last release was in 2016 however.

The original 1993 version of Syndicate is available on GOG. I highly recommend it. Even if your computer isn't powerful it's bound to be better than even the most expensive home PC or Amiga of the time. GOG have packaged the game with Dosbox so it's a one click install and run. The game is cheap and well worth checking out if you're a gamer.

A disappointing Syndicate

It was to be expected. The new remake of Syndicate isn’t going down well with reviewers. You’re better off with the original version where you can enjoy hours of fun with a minigun or whatever you’re having. Who needs tactics? Just send all your guys in and mow down all the baddies! (Except in the Atlantic Accelerator where you need lasers but that’s another story..)

Syndicate on Thursday

One of my favourite Amiga games of the 90’s was Syndicate. The PC version will be available on GOG.com from next Thursday. Great little shooter, go buy it! (via)

11 minute of Syndicate and it looks boring as hell

It’s an early level from the game but it’s so disappointing. Your player rolls around the level with arms outstretched holding a handgun. I hope the final game is better than the impression this gameplay teaser gives.

Syndicate HD Announce Trailer

The remake of ye olde DOS based game Syndicate will be coming in February 2012. Here’s the “announce trailer” and I like what I see! The original still plays just fine in DOSBox and it’s well worth tracking down. Hopefully gog.com will start selling it before the sequel comes out. (via)

Hours of fun with Syndicate

Have Macbook. Check.
Have DOSBox. Check.
Have external mouse. Check.
Have Syndicate. Check.

Syndicate is a game I played a lot in the early nineties. I was never any good at games (some things never change!), but this is one of the few games I stuck with and managed to finish. The original game came out in 1993 for DOS and the Amiga. It was on the Amiga that I first came across it but the DOS version is easier to run these days. Luckily both versions are exactly the same.

What do you need? First of all, download the latest version of DOSBox. It’s available for Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and many other operating systems.

Now look for the game itself. You can download Syndicate in many places so search for it using Google. Some would describe it as abandonware as the game can’t be bought any more but it’s a legal grey area. Bullfrog still own the copyright to the game so if you don’t own a copy downloading it is, strictly speaking, an act of piracy.

Unzip Syndicate in a convenient location and launch DOSBox. The familiar DOS prompt will open, on the Z: drive so mount the Syndicate directory using the command of the same name. If you’ve installed it in /games/Syndicate/ use the following:

mount c /games/Syndicate

Now change to drive C using

c:

You may need to edit synd.bat if it’s there (to set up your sound card) or just run main.exe as I did. The game will launch and probably run a little too quickly. Slow it down with CTRL-F11, and use ALT-Enter to enter fullscreen mode. CTRL-F12 will speed it up again, handy for researching new weapons and mods. 🙂

In fullscreen mode, you’ll swear you’re using an Amiga again! Enjoy what must be one of the best shoot ’em ups, ever!

There’s also an opensource version of Syndicate. It hasn’t been updated since 2007 though. Anyone with game coding experience want to lend a hand?

As a special bonus, here’s the Atlantic Accelerator. It’s the very last level in the original Syndicate. This guy makes it appear really easy but it’s not. This level takes quite a bit of time to master! Just read his video description for all that he went through.

Or better yet, check out this video of American Revolt. Wow, all those enemy syndicate guys descend on you like flies to a …