Month: January 1970

  • Bier Revier

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1999, Unknown “Discover a fascinating land in search of the treasures of nature. At six different hunting grounds, your swiftness as a hunter of fresh Licher beer will be challenged. The mouse button is your hunting tool, in the 360-degree…

  • Night Mission Pinball

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Bruce Artwick GAME DEVELOPER:subLOGIC GAME PUBLISHER:subLOGIC Copyright 1988, subLOGIC One of the very few games from subLOGIC that are not flight simulators, Night Mission Pinball is a surprisingly playable, realistic, and highly customizable pinball game. Set with the backdrop of an airport at night, the best…

  • Final Frontier

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Mike Simpson GAME DEVELOPER:Mirrorsoft GAME PUBLISHER:PSS Copyright 1989, Mirrorsoft Final Frontier is a decent futuristic wargame that puts you in control of various robot military units. The game is one of Mirrorsoft’s least known games, and for good reason: aside from the notable fact that this…

  • Tank Wars

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kenneth Morse GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1992, Kenneth Morse One of the best multiplayer freeware titles ever made, Tank Wars is a fun artillery game for 1 to 10 players. The goal will be familiar to anyone who has played Scorched Earth or Gorilla: opponents…

  • Maze Wars

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Amazing Graphics GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1992, Amazing Graphics Maze Wars is a decent 3D maze game that is by no means revolutionary, but deserves mention as one of the first 3D maze mouse-driven games that I quite like 😉 The objective is simple: find…

  • Imperial Space Command

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Edwin Kiser & Scott Jones GAME DEVELOPER:IBM GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1986, IBM Imperial Space Command is a fun sci-fi wargame designed as an internal game for IBM’s employees. The game is a novel multiplayer game that lets up to 8 players (any of whom can be…

  • Muzzle Velocity

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Digi 4 Fun GAME PUBLISHER:Digi 4 Fun Copyright 1997, Digi 4 Fun Games Domain says it all in their review of this ambitious but flawed tank combat game: “Muzzle Velocity is indeed treading the same path as 1944: Across the Rhine, a fact which…

  • Super EF2000

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Martin Kenwright GAME DEVELOPER:Digital Image Design (DID) GAME PUBLISHER:OCEAN Copyright 1997, Digital Image Design (DID) Super EF2000 is the last game made by Digital Image Design (DID), one of the most venerable flight sim companies before it was bought out in 1997. The game is the…

  • Strange Adventures in Infinite Space

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Richard Carlson & Iikka Keranen GAME DEVELOPER:Digital Eel GAME PUBLISHER:Cheapass Games Copyright 2002, Digital Eel Digital Eel’s Strange Adventures in Infinite Space is an incredibly addictive space exploration game that plays like a cross between a board game and Star Control. The game is best described…

  • Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Simon & Schuster GAME PUBLISHER:Simon & Schuster Copyright 1996, Simon & Schuster One of the most underrated chess games ever made, Maurice Ashley Teaches Chess from Simon & Schuster is the best instructional chess programs I?ve ever seen, bar none. International chess master Maurice…

  • Pie Jackers

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Simon & Schuster GAME PUBLISHER:Simon & Schuster Copyright 1996, Simon & Schuster “Youre working the late shift and the call comes in for another double cheese, pepperoni, black olives and onion. Grab the stick and hold on tight. The race is on! And the…

  • International Moto X

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Graftgold GAME PUBLISHER:Graftgold Copyright 1996, Graftgold International Moto X is a nice motorcycle racing game from Graftgold that is relatively obscure on PC, although the Playstation sold considerably better. The game offers standard options racing fans are familiar with: 3 modes of play (practice,…

  • Soultrap

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Microforum GAME PUBLISHER:Microforum Copyright 1996, Microforum PC Gamer says it all about this ambitious 3D platformer that is not as good as Pandemonium!, but is well worth a look: “Attempting to mix elements from first-person shooters like Doom with 3D platformers like Tomb Raider,…

  • Theatre of Pain

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Mirage GAME PUBLISHER:Mirage Copyright 1996, Mirage Theater of Pain is a pretty bad 2D fighting game. Not as bad as Rise of the Robot, but bad enough to make you notice the obvious emphasis of form (i.e. graphics) over content (i.e. gameplay). Your task…

  • Race Mania

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Flair GAME PUBLISHER:Flair Copyright 1996, Flair One of the last games produced by Flair, Race Mania is a fun offroad racing game that plays like a cross between Micro Machines and Flair’s own Rally Championship, except it is not as fun as either game.…

  • Learn to Play Bridge

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Fred Gitelman GAME DEVELOPER:Bridge Base GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1999, Bridge Base Learn to Play Bridge is a solid Windows-based tutorial that teaches the basics of bridge to beginners withwell-designed presentations and clear instructions. Although it’s not a “game” in a sense that you cannot play bridge…

  • Logical Games and Puzzles

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Lovelock GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1994, David Lovelock Logical Games and Puzzles is a great collection of math puzzles coded by David Lovelock, math professor at University of Arizona. The package includes such classroom classics as Factor Game, Hurkle, and Coin Swap, but also…

  • WinHanafuda

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Atlevcah GAME PUBLISHER:Atlevcah Copyright 2001, Atlevcah WinHanafuda is an excellent Windows version of Hanafuda, a traditional Japanese card game. Hanafuda cards are often known as ‘flower cards’, because each suit is depicted by a different flower. There are many rule variations for Hana-fuda, but…

  • WWF in Your House

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Sculptured Software GAME PUBLISHER:Acclaim Entertainment Copyright 1996, Sculptured Software One of the best wrestling games ever made, WWF in Your House is an excellent game developed by Sculptured Software that, for once, offers much greater depth and variety than lackluster ports of Acclaim’s arcade…

  • Touchdown Football

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Intermark GAME PUBLISHER:Intermark Copyright 1996, Intermark Touchdown Football is an average American football game from Intermark that unfortunately was ignored by the vast majority of gamers. It’s not surprising, though: the game doesn’t really offer anything that sets it apart from the competitors. The…

  • Quest for Glory 4 1/2: So You Thought You Were a Hero?

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Unknown Warning: This game contains some racial slurs and other potentially offensive scenes. Although I recognize that the authors probably meant to be funny, they didn’t really handle the nuances so well, so a lot of it comes across…

  • Sky Jaguar

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Friends GAME DEVELOPER:Konami GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1984, Konami Sky Jaguar is an early classic vertical shooter from Konami, released only on some non-PC systems, including the short-lived MSX computer. The game is quite primitive by modern standards, with few level designs, types of enemies, and weapons…

  • Ping Pong

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Friends GAME DEVELOPER:Konami GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1985, Konami Ping Pong is a fun ping pong (more formally known as table tennis) game from Konami, released for the MSX computer in 1985 as well as for Commodore 64, Spectrum, and other 8-bit computers. A faithful translation of…

  • Antarctic Adventure

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Friends GAME DEVELOPER:Konami GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1984, Konami Antarctic Adventure is a very cute and funny game from Konami starring Pentarou the Penguin (who later appears in Konami’s Parodius) who must journey across the Antarctic to deliver his fianc?. The game is played from pseudo 3D,…

  • King’s Valley

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Friends GAME DEVELOPER:Konami GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1985, Konami Kings Valley is a fun platform/maze game from Konami, released for the MSX computer and many other 8-bit console systems except the PC in 1985. The game plays like a more updated version of Montezumas Revenge, except it…

  • Goonies, The

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Friends GAME DEVELOPER:Konami GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1986, Konami The Goonies is a great multi-level platformer game based on movie of the same name. Rob Strongman says it all in his review of the NES version for Classicgaming.com about what makes this game a classic: “The Goonies…

  • Road Fighter

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Friends GAME DEVELOPER:Konami GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1985, Konami Road Fighter is a fun, early top-down racer from Konami based on the hit arcade game of the same name. The game’s simplicity belies its addictiveness: drive your car as fast as you can along devious tracks, passing…

  • Yie Ar Kung-Fu II

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Friends GAME DEVELOPER:Konami GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1985, Konami Yie Ar Kung-Fu II is a superior sequel to Yie Ar Kung-Fu, one of the first really addictive beat ’em up games. In this second game, Konami adds plenty of new enemies, levels, and attack moves. Although the…

  • Freddy Fish

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Mirror Images GAME PUBLISHER:Mirror Images Copyright 1983, Mirror Images Freddy Fish, Fleet Sweep, and Spyder are three arcade oldies by Mirror Images Software, no doubt one of the most obscure game developers ever. Similar to Windmill Software, Mirror Images produced games that were “inspired”…

  • Fleet Sweep

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jake Richter GAME DEVELOPER:Mirror Images GAME PUBLISHER:Mirror Images Copyright 1983, Mirror Images Freddy Fish, Fleet Sweep, and Spyder are three arcade oldies by Mirror Images Software, no doubt one of the most obscure game developers ever. Similar to Windmill Software, Mirror Images produced games that were…

  • Spyder

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ed Weed GAME DEVELOPER:Mirror Images GAME PUBLISHER:Mirror Images Copyright 1983, Mirror Images Freddy Fish, Fleet Sweep, and Spyder are three arcade oldies by Mirror Images Software, no doubt one of the most obscure game developers ever. Similar to Windmill Software, Mirror Images produced games that were…

  • Tombs and Treasure

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Nihon Falcom GAME PUBLISHER:Infocom Copyright 1989, Infocom The only game Infocom published on the console system, Tombs and Treasure is a lackluster adventure/RPG game set in the ancient ruins of Central America. Although the game looks like a typical console-style RPG when you are…

  • Princess Tomato in The Salad Kingdom

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Hudson Soft GAME PUBLISHER:Hudson Soft Copyright 1988, Hudson Soft One of the most overlooked games ever on the NES console, Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom is a fun, quirky, and wholly original adventure/RPG game that should appeal to anyone who likes unique, logical,…

  • River City Ransom

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Technos Japan GAME PUBLISHER:Technos Japan Copyright 1989, Technos Japan River City Ransom (a.k.a. Street Gangs in Europe) is one of the best beat ’em ups ever made for any system, although it is sadly neglected by many gamers due to the unfortunate circumstance of…

  • Shodai Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Technos Japan GAME PUBLISHER:Technos Japan Copyright 1992, Technos Japan Shodai Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun, released only on the Super Nintendo, is a great sequel of Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun, the first game in Technos outstanding beat em-up series that star Kunio and Riki (Alex and Ryan…

  • Stocks & Bonds

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Avalon Hill GAME PUBLISHER:Avalon Hill Copyright 1982, Avalon Hill Stocks & Bonds is an excellent PC port of 3M/Avalon Hills board game of the same name that remains to this day one of the best tabletop stock market simulations ever made. Starting with $5,000…

  • American Civil War: From Sumter To Appomattox

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Frank Hunter GAME DEVELOPER:Adanac GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1996, Adanac Arguably the best simulation of the American Civil War ever made, The American Civil War: From Sumter to Appomattox is the third incarnation in Frank Hunter?s Road from Sumter to Appomattox series that his company Adanac first…

  • Live A Live

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:SquareSoft GAME PUBLISHER:SquareSoft Copyright 1994, SquareSoft Released for the Super Nintendo, Live A Live is one of the most underrated RPGs ever made from SquareSoft, the acclaimed developer of Final Fantasy series. Although the cutesy anime characters and standard isometric perspective may make you…

  • Shadowrun

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Data East GAME PUBLISHER:Data East Copyright 1993, FASA Corp. Shadowrun is an excellent and highly underrated Super Nintendo RPG based on FASAs acclaimed cyberpunk pen & paper and board game. Although its graphically inferior to the SEGA Genesis game that uses the same license,…

  • Wonder Project J

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Enix GAME PUBLISHER:Enix Copyright 1994, Enix One of the best examples of Japanese developers (or more precisely Enix) wonderfully original take on games, Wonder Project J (released only for the Super Nintendo) is a highly underrated game that defies categorization. It is a rare…

  • Pocket Tanks

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Michael Welch GAME DEVELOPER:Blitwise Productions GAME PUBLISHER:Blitwise Productions Copyright 2001, Blitwise Productions Pocket Tanks is a delightful and highly imaginative scratchware game. A brainchild of Micheal P Welch, author of Scorched Tanks and DX-Ball, this artillery based shoot ’em up is his latest creation, which can…

  • Strategic Baseball Simulator

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:D.B. Schmidt GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, D.B. Schmidt The beauty of computer baseball is that it is easy to get the numbers right. Baseball more than any other sport is game of easily seen percentages, averages and potentials. The large number of excellent baseball…

  • British Open Championship Golf

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Looking Glass Technologies GAME PUBLISHER:EIDOS Interactive Copyright 1997, Looking Glass Technologies Probably the most obscure game ever designed by Looking Glass Technologies, British Open: Championship Golf is also a hugely underrated golf game that deserves recognition for the many innovations in the genre best…

  • EVO: Search for Eden

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Enix GAME PUBLISHER:Enix Copyright 1993, Enix One of the most original action/RPG hybrids Ive come across, EVO: Search for Eden is a fun game that throws you millions of years back in time. Starting out as a fish, your task is to climb the…

  • Harvest Moon

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Natsume GAME PUBLISHER:Natsume Copyright 1997, Natsume Harvest Moon is one of the best examples of Japanese developers creative powers. First released for the Super Nintendo in 1997, the game went on to attract a loyal following and spawn many sequels on the Playstation, Gameboy,…

  • Cult

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Lee Blum GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Lee Blum Cult is a simple, yet enjoyable top-down -viewed adventure game. Zack Bon, a special operations officer, must solve a situation involving a strange cult who have barricaded themselves in a villa, and the police suspect they…

  • MissionForce: Cyberstorm

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Dynamix GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1996, Dynamix One of the best giant robot strategy games ever made, bar none. MissionForce: Cyberstorm from Dynamix is a hex-based, top-down, turn-based wargame set in the same universe as Earthsiege, an earlier Dynamix classic. You control a fleet…

  • Warpath 97

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dan Samuel GAME DEVELOPER:Synthetic Reality GAME PUBLISHER:Synthetic Reality Copyright 1997, Synthetic Reality Not to be confused with the Playstation game of the same name, Warpath 97 is a great game of galactic conquest that boasts one of the most intriguing diplomacy modules I have seen. The…

  • Space Bucks

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Lester GAME DEVELOPER:Impressions GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1996, Impressions Space Bucks is one of the most overlooked strategy games from Impressions, maker of the successful Caesar series. Although the game is not as bad as Impressions? notorious Rise and Rule of Ancient Empire, it?s not…

  • Aerobiz Supersonic

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:KOEI GAME PUBLISHER:KOEI Copyright 1994, KOEI One of the very few business simulations released for the Super Nintendo (the version for SEGA Genesis was also made), Aerobiz Supersonic from KOEI is a fun airline management game that is not as complex (in terms of…