Author: admin
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World War 2: Battles of South Pacific
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Quantum Quality Productions (QQP) GAME PUBLISHER:Quantum Quality Productions (QQP) Copyright 1993, Quantum Quality Productions (QQP) The “lost sheep” of QQP, World War II was released with even less fanfare than QQP’s usually modest ad campaigns, perhaps because the company was hyping its more ambitious…
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World’s Greatest Baseball Game, The
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Epyx GAME PUBLISHER:Epyx Copyright 1986, Epyx A disappointing game that really could have been better, The World’s Greatest Baseball Game offers only a handful of teams to choose from, no tournament play, and irresponsive controls. It plays like a half-baked game that was released…
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Wreckers
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Heap GAME DEVELOPER:Denton Designs GAME PUBLISHER:Audiogenic Copyright 1991, Audiogenic Wreckers is a fun isometric action/adventure game that features innovative multiple-level map, the ability to choose multiple characters to control, and fun gadgets to find and use. The game starts on a spaceship, where your peaceful…
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Xatax
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Pixel Painters GAME PUBLISHER:Pixel Painters Copyright 1994, Pixel Painters Xatax is a side-scrolling shooter that doesn’t add any revolutionary concept to the genre, but does what it does well: furious action, tons of power ups, endless waves of enemy ships, and well-designed levels. A…
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Xenoball
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Teacy GAME PUBLISHER:Homebrew Software Copyright 1995, Homebrew Software Xenoball is a neat puzzle game that is like Pipe Dreams meets Marble Madness: you control a living, rolling red ball that must lay track portions to make a path to the exit. Levels get harder…
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Xixit
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Thomas Pytel GAME DEVELOPER:Optik GAME PUBLISHER:Optik Copyright 1995, Optik One of the most addictive Tetris variants ever, Xixit is like Tic-Tac-Toe meets Tetris: arrange the falling colored blocks to make 3 in a row in any direction to make them disappear. Like Tetris, Xixit is easy…
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X-Men: Madness in The Murderworld
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Paragon Software GAME PUBLISHER:Paragon Software Copyright 1989, Paragon Software A great side-scrolling arcade game featuring all the X-Men and their cool powers, Madness in Murderworld pits the team against their arch-enemies Arcade and Magneto in Murderworld, the deadly amusement park of terror. The game…
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XQuest 2
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Mark Mackey GAME DEVELOPER:Atomjack Production GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1996, Atomjack Production Definitely one of the most least-known gems ever, this is a flawless conversion of Crystal Quest, the Macintosh cult classic. The premise of the game is simple: with your mouse, gobble up as many gems…
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X-Tetris
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Anonymous GAME PUBLISHER:Anonymous Copyright 1995, Anonymous Although it won’t win any educational award, X-Tetris has got to go down in history as one of the most imaginative Tetris clones ever created. The concept is quite simple and intuitive– match a falling guy with a…
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Zaxxon
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Steve Bjork GAME DEVELOPER:SEGA GAME PUBLISHER:SEGA Copyright 1984, SEGA The first isometric shooter in my memory brought the arcade’s furious action, cool “powerups,” and simple fun to the PC. The shadow that the plane casts on the ground is cool, too.I remember playing this for days…
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Zeliard
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Game Arts GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1993, Game Arts Amidst the flurry of imported games that resulted from Sierra’s deal with Japanese publisher Gamearts are Sorcerian and Zeliard, two quirky action/RPG titles with strong “console” feel. Definitely “light” games in that there is few…
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Zeppelin
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Sven Vogelgesang GAME DEVELOPER:Ikarion GAME PUBLISHER:MicroProse Copyright 1994, Ikarion This unique strategy game quietly sank when MicroProse brought it to the U.S., despite garnering considerable following in Europe. This game is similar to Impressions’ Air Bucks in that it is a business sim, only here you…
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Zig Zag
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Anthony Crowther GAME DEVELOPER:Quantum Quality Productions (QQP) GAME PUBLISHER:Quantum Quality Productions (QQP) Copyright 1993, Quantum Quality Productions (QQP) One of the most unique and entertaining word puzzle games I’ve come across, Zig Zag is best described as Mastermind with a difference: the task of deducing the…
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Zillions of Games
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Zillions Development GAME PUBLISHER:Zillions Development Copyright 1999, Zillions Development Touted as the world’s “first infinitely-expandable board gaming system,” Zillions of Games actually lives up to its lofty claim. I’ll let the company’s own blurb speak for itself: “[the game] uses an absolutely unique “universal…
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Zona 0
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Rafa Gomez GAME DEVELOPER:Topo Soft GAME PUBLISHER:Topo Soft Copyright 1991, Topo Soft Zona 0 is a fun puzzle / action game that is a faithful translation of the game “Light Cycle” in the classic movie Tron (this is the game most people think of when they…
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Zulu War
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jeff Lapkoff GAME DEVELOPER:Incredible Simulations, Inc. (ISI) GAME PUBLISHER:Incredible Simulations, Inc. (ISI) Copyright 1996, Incredible Simulations, Inc. (ISI) As the clouds of the rainy season in Natal disappeared, a new storm brewed on the border between the British colony and Zululand in 1879. By January 11,…
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Sport of Kings
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ed Ringler GAME DEVELOPER:SporTime GAME PUBLISHER:Virgin Interactive Copyright 1991, Virgin Interactive Unarguably the best horse racing simulation ever, Sport of Kings (formerly released by Omni-play as Omni-play Horse Racing) was designed by the master of sport sims, Ed Ringler. As can be expected from his works,…
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Ultra Games GAME PUBLISHER:Konami Copyright 1989, Konami The first game based on a hot TV cartoon series of the same name from Konami is a fun, but frustrating, platform title that mixes top-down view with standard side-scrolling action. Practically every adolescent boy that owned…
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Privateer: Righteous Fire
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Origin Systems GAME PUBLISHER:Origin Systems Copyright 1993, Origin Systems So you think you’re a hotshot pilot. A clever entrepreneur. A notorious pirate, you’ve destroyed the Steltek Drone, secured the alien artifact, and outfought ond outsmarted everyone in your way. Now, you’re taking a well-deserved…
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Day of The Pharaoh
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Chip GAME PUBLISHER:Rainbow Arts Copyright 1989, Chip Day of the Pharaoh is a solid action-oriented strategy game set in the exotic land of ancient Egypt. The game is best described as Centurion: Defender of Rome in Egypt, if not as good: it has strategic…
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Hexsider
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Frederic Senegas GAME DEVELOPER:UBI Soft GAME PUBLISHER:UBI Soft Copyright 1990, UBI Soft One of the most unique puzzle games ever made, Hexsider is a fun and very challenging mix of roboting programming and chess. The game, in the designer’s own words: “.. is an adventure/puzzle game…
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Jump
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Zigurat GAME PUBLISHER:Zigurat Copyright 1992, Zigurat Jump is a cute little Space Invaders clone from Spanish developer Zigurat. The game plays like a standard shoot-em-up, except that instead of shooting up at incoming aliens, you instead jump down at blocks beneath your feet to…
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Rambo III
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Taito GAME PUBLISHER:OCEAN Copyright 1989, OCEAN One of Taito’s best games, Rambo III is a fun top-down action game that is very faithful to the testosterone-filled movie it was based on. In case you have missed the movie (lucky you), here is a brief…
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Nemesis: The Go Master
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Bruce Wilcox GAME DEVELOPER:Nemesis Enterprises GAME PUBLISHER:Nemesis Enterprises Copyright 1991, Nemesis Enterprises This is a solid Go game that isn’t as good as Ishi Press’ Go Simulator, but has more teaching options. From a review at British Go Association: “[Nemesis: The Go Master] is primarily a…
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Disc
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dominique Sablons GAME DEVELOPER:Loriciel GAME PUBLISHER:Loriciel Copyright 1990, Loriciel Disc is a fun futuristic sport game that is reminiscent of the Disc game in Bally Midway’s Tron arcade game, one of my personal favorites. You can be played against the computer or another human player. The…
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KA-50 Hokum
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Simis GAME PUBLISHER:Domark Copyright 1992, Domark Ka-50 Hokum is a unique and probably the least known flight sim from Simis, makers of Flight Sim Toolkit. This game gives you a base ship with a few helicopters and their armament with which to wage your…
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Krusty’s Super Funhouse
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Scott Williams GAME DEVELOPER:Audiogenic GAME PUBLISHER:Virgin Interactive Copyright 1993, Audiogenic Krusty’s Super Funhouse is a short, introductory-level platform game starring Bart’s hero Krusty the Clown from The Simpsons cartoons. Vibrant graphics and imaginative level design, unfortunately, aren’t enough to relieve the tedium of waiting for something…
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Simpsons, The
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Konami GAME PUBLISHER:Konami Copyright 1991, Konami A great conversion of the arcade game of the same name, based on one of the world’s most popular cartoon series of all time, Konami’s The Simpsons features great graphics (for its time, of course), fluid animation, and…
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Simpsons: Bart’s House of Weirdness, The
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Distinctive Software GAME PUBLISHER:Konami Copyright 1992, Konami A fun action game with minimal adventure elements, The Simpsons: Bart’s House of Weirdness is a cross between a toybox and a game, starring the world’s most famous brat. The action begins with Bart being grounded yet…
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Simpsons: Bart vs. The Space Mutants, The
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chris Coupe GAME DEVELOPER:OCEAN GAME PUBLISHER:Acclaim Entertainment Copyright 1993, OCEAN An fun platform game that doesn’t quite live up to Konami’s classic The Simpsons, Bart vs. The Space Mutants is a solid conversion of the NES port of the same name, starring once again TV’s most…
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UMS II: Nations at War
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ezra Sidran GAME DEVELOPER:MicroPlay GAME PUBLISHER:MicroPlay Copyright 1990, Microplay A superior sequel to Rainbird’s Ultimate Military Simulator (UMS), UMS II: Nations at War features improved campaign mode, and much more control over units. Veteran wargamer M. Evan Brooks defends the game against critics in his synopsis:…
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UMS
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ezra Sidran GAME DEVELOPER:Rainbird GAME PUBLISHER:Rainbird Copyright 1988, Rainbird A poor man’s Empire, UMS is a very ambitious abstract wargame that attracts a minor following among hardcore wargamers, but fails in the bigger market. M. Evan Brooks sums it up in his synopsis: “A visual feast,…
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Tigers on The Prowl
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Scott Hamilton GAME DEVELOPER:HPS Simulations GAME PUBLISHER:HPS Simulations Copyright 1994, HPS Simulations In M. Evan Brooks’ words, Tigers on The Prowl is: “…a detailed simulation of World War II’s Eastern Front, this program has growth potential. Initially bug-ridden, its designer has labored in a Herculean fashion…
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Tom & Jerry
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Sean Puckett GAME DEVELOPER:Hi-Tech Expressions GAME PUBLISHER:Hi-Tech Expressions Copyright 1993, Hi-Tech Expressions Continuing Hi-Tech Expressions’ deluge of platform games based on cartoon characters is Tom & Jerry, the second game based on popular cat-and-mouse pair. Nothing revolutionary here, just good ol’ platform action that fans of…
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Mario Teaches Typing
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Interplay GAME PUBLISHER:Interplay Copyright 1992, Interplay A great typing tutorial that is best described as Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing for kids, Mario Teaches Typing is a full-featured typing program that has something for everyone, although kids with no typing experience will get the most…
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Ranx
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Albin Michel GAME DEVELOPER:UBI Soft GAME PUBLISHER:UBI Soft Copyright 1990, UBI Soft Ranx is a very strange cyberpunk action game starring you as an ugly cyborg named Ranx, who’s big on muscles but very low on IQ. Your job is to help him escape his despicable…
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Shrapnel
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Adam Cadre GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Adam Cadre Adam Cadre is increasingly making his mark in the interactive fiction community as modern-day Implementor (what Infocom authors used to call themselves). Ben of the Trotting Krips said it much better than I ever could about…
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Eagle’s Rider
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Microids GAME PUBLISHER:Infogrames Copyright 1991, Microids Eagle’s Rider is a fun sci-fi shooter from Microids that sets itself apart from other shooters with innovative semi-360-degree movement. I call it “semi” because your ship can still move only in 4 cardinal directions. The game, however,…
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Monday Night Football
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Data East GAME PUBLISHER:Data East Copyright 1990, Data East Monday Night Football is a fun action-oriented football game from Data East that sports excellent VGA graphics, sounds (although they won’t work in most new computers), and good controls. Gameplay is fast and simple: select…
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Dream Team: 3 on 3 Challenge
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Data East GAME PUBLISHER:Data East Copyright 1991, Data East Another solid action sport game from Data East, Dream Team: 3 on 3 Challenge plays like a good remake of Electronic Arts’ Jordan vs. Bird, except that the players you control are more generic, and…