first off, thanks for all the replies.
looking at the screen shot mepmepmep linked too, that is definitley not the game.
the screen did not scroll. all the action took place on a single screen, but trust me, it was done right.
please don't hate me, but it could have possibly been an atari ST game. i owned both systems at the same time, and loved them both deeply. of course the amiga won me over as it was clearly a superior machine when it came to graphics (my line of work).
the game i'm thinking of also was commercially released. it was not a demo or freeware, and the quality showed. it had super tight visuals, game play, and design.
don't know if that helps ring any bells.
i've checked some amiga game list on-line, but they all seem incomplete. although they brought back tons of memories. airball anyone?
