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From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:amaginZ GAME PUBLISHER:amaginZ Copyright 2000, amaginZ Valkyrie Fight and its sequel Valkyrie Fight Tag are two superb and highly underrated 2D fighting games based on Tri-Ace’s popular Valkyrie Profile series on the PSX and PS2. VF and VFT are “Doujinshi” games – i.e. an…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Arkano GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Arkano Light in the Darkness is a fun action/RPG hybrid coded in Game Maker. The favorable review by tapeworm (maker of Seiklus) at Gamemakergames.com does a good job of explaining why both RPG and action genre fans should take…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Menne Kamminga GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Menne Kamminga Lemming Ball Z is one of the best and most imaginative blends of two blockbuster games. Who would imagine that pitting the cuddly lemmings from Psygnosis’ classic puzzle series against each other and arm them with…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kevin Lambert GAME DEVELOPER:Monolith Productions GAME PUBLISHER:Monolith Productions Copyright 1999, Monolith Productions Gruntz is an addictive but vastly overlooked puzzle game from Monolith. A bit like Lemmings but with the addition of combat and more focus on puzzles than real-time precision, Gruntz will definitely appeal to…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jez San GAME DEVELOPER:Argonaut Software GAME PUBLISHER:Nintendo Copyright 1992, Argonaut Software One of the most revolutionary games ever made for the Super Nintendo (SNES) console, Star Fox (released as StarWing in Europe) is an addictive and innovative 3D space shooter from Argonaut Software. The concise review…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Driven Phantom Soft GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Driven Phantom Soft Mogura Reverse is another cute horizontal shooter from Japan, where more and more freeware games achieve – and in some cases surpass – the quality of commercial games. Gendo Ikari’s review for Gamehippo.com explains…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Georg Rottensteiner & Oliver Kirwa GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Georg Rottensteiner HitBlock is a fun puzzle game that started life as a remake of C64 game Crillion but ended up offering much more than its predecessor. The premise is simple: use the arrow keys…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Zyrinx GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1994, Technopop One of the few first-person shooters on SEGA’s Genesis console, Zero Tolerance is also one of the most underappreciated gems on that system. Your goal in this sci-fi FPS is to control a team of five soldiers sent…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Novotrade GAME PUBLISHER:SEGA Copyright 1995, SEGA Ecco The Dolphin is the rare Windows 95 version of SEGA’s first game in a classic series that began life on the SEGA Master System in 1992 and is still going strong, with sequels appearing on the Playstation…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Zyrinx GAME PUBLISHER:Zyrinx Copyright 1993, Zyrinx Sub-Terrania is a creative and highly underrated SEGA Genesis game from Zyrinx, maker of Zero Tolerance, another Genesis underdog also reviewed on this site. The banal plot: alien forces have invaded an asteroid mining colony and it is…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Juuso Salonen GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Juuso Salonen Super Secret Ninja is one of the smallest and most entertaining ‘coffee break’ games I’ve ever come across – not to mention unique. In a game that seems to have been inspired in equal parts by…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Corel GAME PUBLISHER:Corel Copyright 1996, Corel Ashes to Ashes is a very banal, sub-par first-person shooter released in 1996 amid other boring Quake clones. Although the game does try to offer something new (for instance, you can operate several types of vehicles including turrets…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Accolade GAME PUBLISHER:Accolade Copyright 1996, Accolade Eradicator is a fun FPS from Accolade that got far too little attention than it deserves. Steve Bauman’s review for CD Mag explains why this derivative underdog is not just another boring Quake clone: “In the gaming business,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ryan Bury GAME DEVELOPER:RjB Software GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, RjB Software Afterlife is a fun and long freeware platformer/exploration game from Ryan J. Bury of RjB Software. “Afterlife is RjB Software’s showcase game, a unique, massive, action-packed adventure starring the daring balloonist Rickard Bronson, the one…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Philips Media GAME PUBLISHER:Philips Media Copyright 1996, Philips Media Mystic Midway – Rest In Pieces is a so-so and little-known PC conversion of Philips’ game of the same name released on their short-lived CD-i system. The game is basically a shooting gallery with a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Acclaim Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Acclaim Entertainment Copyright 1996, Acclaim Entertainment Definitely one of the worst side-scrolling action games ever made, Iron Man/XO Man o’ War in Heavy Metal boldly continues Acclaim’s trend of ruining a good license. This time, you get to play Iron Man…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:COSMI GAME PUBLISHER:COSMI Copyright 1990, COSMI Munch, Invaders, Sanction and Ribet are four simple arcade games included in COSMI’s Top Ten Solid Gold compilation. The only thing these four games in common is the fact that each game is a rip-off of well-known games…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:COSMI GAME PUBLISHER:COSMI Copyright 1990, COSMI Munch, Invaders, Sanction and Ribet are four simple arcade games included in COSMI’s Top Ten Solid Gold compilation. The only thing these four games in common is the fact that each game is a rip-off of well-known games…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:COSMI GAME PUBLISHER:COSMI Copyright 1990, COSMI Munch, Invaders, Sanction and Ribet are four simple arcade games included in COSMI’s Top Ten Solid Gold compilation. The only thing these four games in common is the fact that each game is a rip-off of well-known games…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:COSMI GAME PUBLISHER:COSMI Copyright 1990, COSMI Munch, Invaders, Sanction and Ribet are four simple arcade games included in COSMI’s Top Ten Solid Gold compilation. The only thing these four games in common is the fact that each game is a rip-off of well-known games…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Richard Jordan GAME DEVELOPER:Ultimate Play the Game GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Richard Jordan Jetpak – Solar Crisis is a superb Jetpac remake from Richard Jordan, maker of Klass of ’99, one of the best fanmade remakes ever made. The author said this is his fourth attempt…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Binary Zoo [2004] GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Binary Zoo [2004] DUO is a fun “retro” 2D vertical shooter that features frenetic gameplay with minimalist/abstract graphics that seems to be all the rage lately. In a twist to normal shooters, your ‘ship’ in DUO is…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Binary Zoo [2004] GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Binary Zoo [2004] DUOtris is a fun Tetris variant that merits attention of fans of falling-block games, even though the interface takes some getting used to. Shockedfrog’s thorough review at his site summarizes the pros and cons…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Bitmap Brothers GAME PUBLISHER:Mirrorsoft Copyright 1990, Bitmap Brothers Cadaver is a fun isometric puzzle/adventure game from Bitmap Brothers. The first non-action Bitmap Bros. game, Cadaver lives up to the company’s reputation of producing games with detailed graphics, addictive gameplay, and an intuitive user interface…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Bitmap Brothers GAME PUBLISHER:Mirrorsoft Copyright 1990, Bitmap Brothers The Payoff was released in 1991 as an “expansion disk” to Cadaver, a fun puzzle/adventure/action hybrid from Bitmap Brothers. The game picks up right where Cadaver left off, offering additional four levels of action, puzzles and…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Bitmap Brothers GAME PUBLISHER:Image Works Copyright 1988, Bitmap Brothers Xenon was the first game from Bitmap Brothers, a classic vertical shooter that immediately put the small UK outfit on the map. Excellent graphics, catchy soundtrack, and gameplay turned the game into best-seller on Commodore…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Bitmap Brothers GAME PUBLISHER:Image Works Copyright 1990, Bitmap Brothers An even better shooter than its original, Xenon 2 is a SHMUP masterpiece from Bitmap Brothers, although this PC version did not sell nearly as well as its Amiga counterpart. Piloting the “Megablaster” ship, your…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Messhof GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Messhof Bool is a very creative and unique action game that takes some time to figure out at first, but will gradually grow on you. In the author’s words: “in this game you rescue yellow balls with a crane…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Tommy Visic GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Tommy Visic Glace is a polished, long, and fun freeware platformer that harks back to the golden days of Super Nintendo. The story: in a strange galaxy inhabited by aliens, two made scientists named Dr. Frog and Dr.…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kenta Cho GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Kenta Cho Among freeware SHMUP designers, few names have become associated with quality as Kenta Cho of Japan. His games are consistently addictive, unique, and eminently replayable thanks to creative uses of the D programming language and BulletML,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:DOE Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:DOE Entertainment Copyright 1997, DOE Entertainment Egyptia is a very obscure puzzle game from German developer DOE Entertainment. Your goal is to navigate dozens of rooms inside a pyramid to uncover the hidden gold of the Pharaohs. The game plays like…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Pixelogic GAME PUBLISHER:Interplay Copyright 1998, Pixelogic Crime Killer is a fun and much-overlooked arcade racing/shooter game from Interplay, coded by Britain’s Pixelogic. The premise: in the future, you are the son of a cop who died in the line of duty. Determined to follow…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ikiki GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Ikiki Nikujin is a fun ninja-style freeware platformer from Ikiki, the lone Japanese designer who brought us Teppoman, among other cool 2D side-scrolling games. Nikujin retains the same minimalistic approach as Ikiki’s previous games: bare-bones graphics, smooth but simplistic…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Young Chung GAME DEVELOPER:Ninano Software GAME PUBLISHER:Ninano Software Copyright 1993, Ninano Software One of the strangest Tetris games I have ever come across, 1993tris by Korean developer Young Chung, who later founded a very innovative but short-lived one-man shareware company called Ninano Software. 1993tris adds dozens…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Binary Zoo [2004] GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2005, Binary Zoo [2004] Billed as a game that is “part Asteroids, part Robotron, and part PaintShop Pro,” mono from freeware developer Binary Zoo amazingly fits the bill quite well. Although not a revolutionary game by any means,…