Author: admin
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Dead Reckoning [Freeware]
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Andrs Pelez & Nick Montfort GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Andrs Pelez & Nick Montfort Dead Reckoning is an excellent text adventure from Spain, superbly translated into English by Nick Montfort. Emily Short’s superb (as usual) review at IF-Review explains why fans of post-mortem or…
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Dangerous Curves
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Irene Callaci GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Irene Callaci Dangerous Curves is a great murder mystery that can proudly stand tall beside Infocom’s early detective games (e.g. Witness and Suspect) and will make any old-timer recall those classics. In many ways, Dangerous Curves is a…
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Castle Ralf
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Doug Clutter & Steve Vance GAME DEVELOPER:Douglas Associates GAME PUBLISHER:Douglas Associates Copyright 1992, Douglas Associates One of the early shareware text adventures, Castle Ralf is a fun dungeon romp first released in 1987. The official blurb of this funny but very difficult game: “…When the drawbridge…
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GC: A Thrashing Parity Bit of the Mind
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Baggett & Carl de Marcken GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1994, David Baggett & Carl de Marcken A fun, if esoteric, math-heavy text adventure game by David Baggett (of Unnkulia series fame) and fellow MIT friends. Carl Muckenhoupt’s short review at Baf’s Guide says it…
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Return to Ditch Day
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Michael Roberts GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Michael Roberts Return to Ditch Day is a fun sequel to Michael Roberts’ earlier Ditch Day Drifter, a short “example game” coded to showcase the first version of TADS. Like the first game, Return to Ditch Day was…
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ASCII and the Argonauts
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:J. Robinson Wheeler GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, J. Robinson Wheeler ASCII and the Argonauts is a funny and ingenious throwback to, and parody of, classic Scott Adams games – yes, those fiendishly limited VERB-NOUN games that nonetheless were a blast to play. In the…
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Gumshoe
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Mike Oliphant GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1996, Mike Oliphant Gumshoe is a relatively short but fun detective text adventure. Although the plot could use more intricacies and the writing more detail, Gumshoe is still fun enough to compel you to the end. As a private…
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Hard Hat: The Rebellion
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Damaged Games GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Damaged Games Hard Hat and Hard Hat 2 are excellent 2D platformers based on robot from CAPCOM’s popular Mega Man (Rockman in Asia) franchise. In the author’s words, “…the game is a single player game where you play…
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Hard Hat 2: War Ensemble
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Damaged Games GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Damaged Games Hard Hat and Hard Hat 2 are excellent 2D platformers based on robot from CAPCOM’s popular Mega Man (Rockman in Asia) franchise. In the author’s words, “…the game is a single player game where you play…
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Resurrection: Rise 2
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Mirage GAME PUBLISHER:Acclaim Entertainment Copyright 1996, Mirage Resurrection: Rise 2 is the sequel to Rise of the Robots, one of the worst one-on-one fighting games ever made. While this sequel is far from a Top Dog, it still shows that Mirage spent a lot…
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Mad Trax
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Rayland Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:Project 2 Interactive Copyright 1998, Project 2 Interactive Mad Trax is a decent space racing game that unfortunately brings little innovation to the crowded genre. Sharky Extreme’s review explains quite well why this is merely an average underdog: “The idea for…
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Round 42
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Mike Pooler GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1986, Mike Pooler One of the best Space Invaders clones ever made, Round 42 is also one of the first freeware games I really like. The name comes from the fact that there are 42 rounds of battle against…
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Stick Soldiers 2
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Tim Cowley & Dylan Allison GAME DEVELOPER:WhitespaceUnlimited GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, WhitespaceUnlimited Stick Soldiers 2 is the sequel to Stick Soldiers, a fun multiplayer shooter reviewed elsewhere on this site. This time, the 2D graphics has been enhanced with more animations, and you have even more…
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Ski Stunt Simulator
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Michiel van de Panne & Cedric Lee GAME DEVELOPER:Motion Playground GAME PUBLISHER:Motion Playground Copyright 2001, Motion Playground One of the best “physics-based” games I have ever played, Ski Stunt Simulator is a great game that superbly emulates the physics involved in performing acrobatic ski stunts. In…
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Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:SEGA GAME PUBLISHER:SEGA Copyright 2000, SEGA Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine and Columns III: Revenge of the Columns are two excellent Windows version of SEGA’s popular SEGA Genesis puzzle games. The games are both Tetris-style “falling blocks” games, but with some differences. Dr. Robotnik…
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Columns III: Revenge of the Columns
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:SEGA GAME PUBLISHER:SEGA Copyright 2000, SEGA Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine and Columns III: Revenge of the Columns are two excellent Windows version of SEGA’s popular SEGA Genesis puzzle games. The games are both Tetris-style “falling blocks” games, but with some differences. Dr. Robotnik…
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Virtua Cop
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:SEGA GAME PUBLISHER:SEGA Copyright 1996, SEGA Virtua Cop is a decent PC conversion of a hit arcade game of the same name by SEGA. Your objective in this 3D shooting gallery is simple: as a cop, move through various areas of a city, eliminating…
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Beats of Rage
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Senile Team GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Senile Team One of the best beat ’em up games I have ever played, bar none, Beats of Rage is a superb fanmade tribute to Streets of Rage, SEGA’s classic coin-op game that was never released on PC.…
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Claw
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Garrett Price GAME DEVELOPER:Monolith Productions GAME PUBLISHER:Monolith Productions Copyright 1997, Monolith Productions Claw is a fun but little-known side-scrolling 2D platformer game from Monolith. The Adrenaline Vault’s detailed review explains why action fans should take a look: “Based roughly during the 15th century, Claw takes us…
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Tile World
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Brian Raiter GAME DEVELOPER:Epyx GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Brian Raiter Tile World is a superb freeware “emulator” of Chip’s Challenge, a classic tile-based puzzle game reviewed elsewhere on this site. If you have never played the original Chip’s Challenge, read my review of that game first…
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Timekeepers
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Vulcan Software GAME PUBLISHER:Vulcan Software Copyright 2002, Vulcan Software Timekeepers is a fun but little-known Windows remake of an Amiga-only underdog of the same name. Although not as complex as Lemmings, Timekeepers will draw you in with charming graphics and addictive levels that are…
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Parkan: Iron Strategy
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Nikita GAME PUBLISHER:Monte Cristo Multimedia Copyright 2001, Nikita Parkan: Iron Strategy is an ambitious blend of first-person shooter, real-time strategy, and combat simulation from Nikita, a prolific Russian developer. Although it falls far short of the likes of Battlezone and Hostile Waters in many…
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Little Pythagoras
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kenneth Moodie GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1992, Kenneth Moodie Little Pythagoras is a fun and educational text adventure for the Macintosh. You play Pythagoras, a clever young man trying to make a living in rural Greece, long before he became famous for a theorem. In…
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Sacrifice
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Eric Flannum GAME DEVELOPER:Shiny Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Interplay Copyright 2000, Shiny Entertainment Sacrifice is a tremendous masterpiece from Shiny that ranks as one of the most unique and compelling strategy games ever made. Despite a plethora of glowing reviews from critics, the game’s sales figure was merely…
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Liberation Army
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Koushi Okada GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Koushi Okada Liberation Army is a unique and compelling blend of real-time strategy, tactical planning, and shoot ’em up from Japan. Your objective as an army commander is to defeat the computer-controlled opponent by leading your “mechs” and…
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Ambush in Sector 9
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Pug Fugly GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Pug Fugly Ambush in Sector 9 is a great “retro” style shooter from Pug Fugly Games, programmed in Game Maker. Although the game is rather short, you will be having a lot of fun with blasting various spaceships…
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Fish Fillets
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Altar Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1998, Altar Interactive Fish Fillets is a fun and unique puzzle game from Czech, originally published only in Czech but has been much more widely circulated since the developer released it as open source freeware under the GNU GPL…
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Shark! Hunting the Great White
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Sunstorm Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:WizardWorks Copyright 2001, Sunstorm Interactive Shark! Hunting the Great White is a surprising fun underwater “shark hunting simulation” from Sunstorm Interactive, the company that brought the world numerous renditions of the extremely popular Deer Hunter series. The game has been largely…
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Kaiser Kitty
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Radix GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Radix Kaiser Kitty is a fun third-person arcade-blended puzzle game starring a cat. Your job: find and retrieve the stolen “Kitty Edge” blade, a ” a ceremonial blade passed down through generations of Kittyland rulers.” You do this by…
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Seafarers of Catan 3D
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jason Fugate GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Jason Fugate Seafarers of Catan 3D (“Sea3D” in short) is a superb multiplayer-only PC version of one of the world’s best tabletop strategy games of the same name. If you are a strategy fan and have never played…
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TZ-Colony
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Thomas Zeh GAME DEVELOPER:Anonymous GAME PUBLISHER:Anonymous Copyright 1997, Thomas Zeh TZ-Colony is one of the best M.U.L.E. clones I have ever seen. Originally released as shareware with a steep price tag of US$25 for the registered version, TZ-Colony does not credit M.U.L.E. anywhere in the game,…
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Rollcage
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Attention to Detail (ATD) GAME PUBLISHER:Psygnosis Copyright 1999, Attention to Detail (ATD) Rollcage is a fun futuristic racer from Attention to Detail (ATD), a short-lived UK developer. Published by Psygnosis in 1999, the game did not sell very well despite introducing a number of…
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Battle Chess for Windows
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Michael Quarles GAME DEVELOPER:Interplay GAME PUBLISHER:Interplay Copyright 1991, Interplay Battle Chess for Windows is a little-known Windows 3.1 version (which works well in Windows XP and above) of Interplay’s classic chess game. The game is identical to the original (1988) release of Battle Chess in every…
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Supercars
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Magnetic Fields GAME PUBLISHER:Gremlin Copyright 1990, Magnetic Fields Supercars is a fun top-down racing game stylistically reminiscent of – and probably influenced by – Super Sprint series. Designed by a talented group of programmers who later produced the Lotus series of games (only the…
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Jumper 2
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:YoMamasMama GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, YoMamasMama Jumper 2 is a great platformer/puzzle hybrid coded in Game Maker. Although I find the game too difficult for my deficient reflexes, interesting level designs and the cool skid/jump maneuvers keep me coming back for more (masochistic) fun.…
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Search and Rescue
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Allan Kirkeby GAME DEVELOPER:InterActive Vision GAME PUBLISHER:InterActive Vision Copyright 1997, InterActive Vision Search and Rescue is a fun helicopter simulation offering a variety of mission type that is not commonly depicted in games: rescue operations. Billed ambitiously as “the greatest and most realistic helicopter flight sim…
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Typogun
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Pondwater GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Pondwater Typogun is a fun and very professional-looking freeware typing game – a rare breed. Putting a unique twist on the overhead action genre, Typogun puts you in control of a stationary ground terret that must defend itself against…
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Tango Strike
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Beau GAME DEVELOPER:Fallen Angel Industries GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Fallen Angel Industries Tango Strike is a superb freeware gem from Fallen Angel Industries, makers of such “klik” classics as Douglas Circumstance and Streambolt (of which you can read my reviews elsewhere on the site). The game’s…
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RedCat 2
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Davilex GAME PUBLISHER:Davilex Copyright 1995, Davilex RedCat 2 is a decent 2D platformer from Holland. The plot: Princess Dana has been kidnapped by a group of mice (!) led by an evil wizard. As the hero RedCat, you must rescue her by defeating hundreds…
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Guldkorn Expressen
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Thomas Villadsen & Uffe Jakobsen GAME DEVELOPER:SilverRock Productions GAME PUBLISHER:SilverRock Productions Copyright 1991, SilverRock Productions Guldkorn Expressen is a fun freeware advertising game from Denmark – one of the first promotional games that are actually fun to play, and approaches commercial titles in terms of graphics…
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Letter-Go-Round
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Hi-Tech Expressions GAME PUBLISHER:Hi-Tech Expressions Copyright 1988, Muppets Inc. Also released as Sesame Street ABC (but of course with Sesame Street characters instead) for the NES, Letter-Go-Round is a decent educational title aimed at kids aged 4-8. The game includes six spelling-related mini-games: upper…
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Simpsons: Virtual Springfield, The
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Digital Evolution GAME PUBLISHER:Fox Interactive Copyright 1997, Fox Interactive Virtual Springfield is a disappointing ‘game’ from FOX Interactive. Set in the Simpsons universe, this CD-ROM takes you on a virtual-reality tour of Springfield – more specifically, about 50 famous locations ranging from Moe’s Tavern…
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A Boy and His Blob: Trouble in Blobolonia
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Crane GAME DEVELOPER:Absolute Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Absolute Entertainment Copyright 1989, Absolute Entertainment A Boy and His Blob: Trouble in Blobolonia is a unique puzzle/action/adventure masterpiece designed by Pitfall creator David Crane, released only on the NES in 1989. There are many gushing reviews of this underdog…
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Over Horizon
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:HOT-B GAME PUBLISHER:HOT-B Copyright 1991, HOT-B Over Horizon from developer HOT-B is one of the most underrated shoot ’em ups on the NES console. Reminiscent of R-Type in many ways, Over Horizon introduces many neat features to the crowded genre, such as speed-up of…
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Thunder Brigade
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Bluemoon Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:Interactive Magic Copyright 1999, Bluemoon Interactive Thunder Brigade is an ambitious but ultimately disappointing ground combat game from Bluemoon Interactive. The game suffers from being rushed out of the door and the unfortunate timing: it was made when publisher Interactive Magic…
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Metroid Redemption
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Richard Gonzalez GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Richard Gonzalez Metroid Redemption is a great fanmade platformer set in the universe of Metroid, Nintendo’s immensely popular series. Beanjo’s excellent review at Gamemakergames.com says it all: “Metroid Redemption is an original fan game based off of the…