Classic Personal Computer (PC) Games

Author: admin

  • Alley Cat

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Bill Williams GAME DEVELOPER:IBM GAME PUBLISHER:IBM Copyright 1984, IBM If there were an award for “most enduring gameplay per KB of data,” Alley Cat would have won my vote. In what seems like an incredible feat of programming, Bill Williams was able to pack hours of…

  • Alpha Waves

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Christophe de Dinechin & Fr?d?rick Raynal GAME DEVELOPER:Infogrames GAME PUBLISHER:Infogrames Copyright 1990, Christophe de Dinechin An excellent action game similar in graphics style to Virus but much more unique in gameplay, Alpha Waves is hard to describe– the physical objective of the game is to maneuver…

  • Al-Qadim: The Genie’s Curse

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Herb Perez GAME DEVELOPER:Stormfront Studios GAME PUBLISHER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) Copyright 1994, Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) A fun action-oriented RPG, Al-Qadim puts you in a role of a hapless Arab merchant returning home to wed his beloved, only to find that not all is well in…

  • Alter Ego: Female

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dr. Peter Favaro GAME DEVELOPER:Activision GAME PUBLISHER:Activision Copyright 1983, Activision Alter Ego is one of the rare games that’s not only outstanding in every respect, but, like Fool’s Errand, is so original in concept that it’s hard to categorize. You play your own alter ego in…

  • Alter Ego: Male

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dr. Peter Favaro GAME DEVELOPER:Activision GAME PUBLISHER:Activision Copyright 1983, Activision Alter Ego is one of the rare games that’s not only outstanding in every respect, but, like Fool’s Errand, is so original in concept that it’s hard to categorize. You play your own alter ego in…

  • Altered Destiny

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Michael Berlyn GAME DEVELOPER:Accolade GAME PUBLISHER:Accolade Copyright 1990, Accolade Designed by Michael Berlyn (of Infocom’s Infidel and Polarware’s Oo-Topos fame), this is a bizarre text-parser/graphical adventure game with a cliche premise: after being sucked into your TV by a powerful alien, it is up to you…

  • Alternate Reality: The City

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Phillip Price GAME DEVELOPER:Datasoft GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1991, Datasoft This is yet another Commodore 64 classic that failed to attract a following among PC crowd. An immensely detailed RPG (with various weather effects!) on an epic scale, Alternate Reality, like Might and Magic, integrate science and…

  • Amazing Spider-Man, The

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Wood & Richard Horrocks GAME DEVELOPER:Paragon Software GAME PUBLISHER:Paragon Software Copyright 1989, Paragon Software A fun platform game featuring Spider-Man, this game makes good use of his unique superpowers: you can climb walls, throw spider bombs, and shoot grappling hooks. Enemies are numerous but dumb,…

  • Amazon

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Michael Crichton GAME DEVELOPER:Telarium GAME PUBLISHER:Telarium Copyright 1984, Telarium As an agent of the NSRT (National Satellite Resources Technology), you happen to be the first witness of the sad fate suffered by all members of an archeological expedition sent to uncover the fabled Lost City of…

  • Amazon: Guardians of Eden

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chris Jones & Doug Vandegrift GAME DEVELOPER:Access Software GAME PUBLISHER:Access Software Copyright 1992, Access Software An underrated “cinematic adventure” by the company famous for Tex Murphy games, Amazon is a fun romp in the style of B-movies in the 50s. As a hapless scientist who willingly…

  • Amber: Journey Beyond

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Frank Wimmer & Susan Wimmer GAME DEVELOPER:Hue Forest Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Hue Forest Entertainment Copyright 1997, Hue Forest Entertainment If I haven’t made clear already, let me say it again: I *don’t* like Myst and the clones of lifeless worlds it inspired. Myst to me is just…

  • Amberstar

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Karsten K?per & Jurie Horneman GAME DEVELOPER:Thalion GAME PUBLISHER:Thalion Copyright 1990, Thalion An Amiga hit that failed miserably on the PC, Amberstar is a novel top-down RPG that combines conventional RPG elements with adventure-game puzzles and ingenious riddles. The hallmarks of Amberstar, other than its excellent…

  • American Challenge: Sailing Simulation, The

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chris A. Lutes Jr. & Thomas F. Snyder GAME DEVELOPER:Tom Snyder Productions GAME PUBLISHER:Mindscape Copyright 1986, Mindscape Perhaps the earliest “realistic” sailing game, American Challenge pits your mettle and sailing skills against other computer-controlled opponents in sailboats or motorboats. Wind direction, waves, and weather effects all…

  • Amnesia

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Thomas Disch GAME DEVELOPER:Electronic Arts GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Arts Copyright 1986, Thomas Disch This is a lengthy and complex IF based on an intriguing premise: waking up one day, you suddently find yourself having an amnesia, with no recollection of who you are. Along the way, you…

  • An American Tail: Fievel Goes West

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Capstone GAME PUBLISHER:Capstone Copyright 1994, Capstone A fun game for kids based on the Disney movie of the same name, Fievel Goes Westfollows the adventures of a young mouse Fievel as he searches for his family in the New World. Both the interface and…

  • Anacreon: Reconstruction 4021

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:George Morimisato GAME DEVELOPER:TMA GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1988, TMA Anacreon: Reconstruction is, without a doubt, one of –if not THE– best strategy games ever made. It was released in the 1988 and bombed, mostly due to its high price and ASCII graphics. It is a 1…

  • Ancient Art of War at Sea, The

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dave & Barry Murry GAME DEVELOPER:Evryware GAME PUBLISHER:Brderbund Copyright 1987, Brderbund Barry and Dave Murry follows up on the ground-breaking Ancient Art of War (AAOW) with Ancient Art of War in The Sea, a logical offshoot. Although the game engine remains virtually unchanged, much more content…

  • Ancient Art of War in The Skies, The

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dave Murry & Barry Murry GAME DEVELOPER:Evryware GAME PUBLISHER:MicroProse Copyright 1990, Evryware In 1992 MicroProse published the brothers’ last game in the series, The Ancient Art of War in the Skies, which disappointed fans because it introduces arcade elements into the game, isn’t as deep as…

  • Ancient Art of War, The

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dave & Barry Murry GAME DEVELOPER:Evryware GAME PUBLISHER:Brderbund Copyright 1984, Brderbund Before Dave Murry and Barry Murry designed the seminal The Ancient Art of War in 1984, best-selling wargames like SSI’s Kampfgruppe bear no resemblance to best-selling strategy games like M.U.L.E. As a result, strategy gamers…

  • Annals of Rome

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:A. D. Boyse & J. G. Langdale-Brown GAME DEVELOPER:PSS GAME PUBLISHER:PSS Copyright 1986, PSS This early precursor to Impression’s superb Caesar series is a complex strategy/war game that, unlike its contemporaries, emphasizes economic and personnel aspects as much as military ones. Contend with internal affairs, including…

  • Anvil of Dawn

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Dreamforge Intertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) Copyright 1996, Dreamforge Intertainment Definitely a “return to form” for Dreamforge after a string of disappointing RPGs, Anvil of Dawn is an RPG masterpiece that’s sadly ignored despite winning CGW’s “RPG of the Year” award. In this…

  • Apache Longbow

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Digital Integration GAME PUBLISHER:Interactive Magic Copyright 1995, Digital Integration Digital Integration’s first successful foray into the helicopter simulator market was very successful. Sporting a very realistic flight model which could be dumbed down to beginner levels, Apache Longbow had everything. The cockpit is very…

  • Apocalypse Abyss

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Software Visions GAME PUBLISHER:Software Visions Copyright 1994, Software Visions A somewhat uninspired shareware puzzle game, Apocalypse Abyss doesn’t have much you haven’t seen in many other puzzlers. You must guide a dwarf to the exit of each room through a variety of obstacles, pushing…

  • Arachnophobia

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:BlueSky Software GAME PUBLISHER:Disney Copyright 1990, Disney This PC adaptation of the bizarre Disney movie of the same name is fun, if a little too frustrating due to unintuitive controls and way too many spiders. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has hired your extermination…

  • Arctic Moves

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Dinamic Multimedia GAME PUBLISHER:Dinamic Multimedia Copyright 1993, Dinamic Multimedia Arctic Moves is a good platform game that puts you in the role of a futuristic commando sent to infiltrate terrorists’ bases in the Arctic. Although the gameplay is no diferent from a zillion other…

  • Are We There Yet?

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Carol Manley GAME DEVELOPER:Manley Associates GAME PUBLISHER:Accolade Copyright 1991, Manley Associates Although it utilizes the same engine as The Fool’s Errand, Are We There Yet? isn’t as original or as fun to play as that classic. However, it is a pretty good puzzle game, featuring a…

  • Armada 2525

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:R. T. Smith GAME DEVELOPER:Interstel GAME PUBLISHER:Interstel Copyright 1991, Interstel Interstel ended its troubled career on a strong note that unfortunately went unnoticed: Armada 2525 is a space strategy game that looks and feels like a solid update of the venerable Starfleet, although computer AI is…

  • Armada 2525: Deluxe Edition

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:R. T. Smith GAME DEVELOPER:Anonymous GAME PUBLISHER:Anonymous Copyright 1992, R. T. Smith In this updated version of his solid space strategy game, released after Interstel’s demise, R.T. Smith adds a lot of gameplay options (including multiplayer mode) and vastly improved graphics that makes a good game…

  • Armaeth: The Lost Kingdom

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Real World Soft GAME PUBLISHER:Grand Slam Copyright 1993, Real World Soft Armaethis a fun budget adventure game in the style of Sierra’s venerable King’s Quest that delivers far more gameplay than many full-priced games, although at times the “similarity” is so great that you…

  • Armor Alley

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Arthur Britto GAME DEVELOPER:Information Access Software Technologies GAME PUBLISHER:Three-Sixty Pacific Copyright 1990, Three-Sixty Pacific Armor Alley is without a doubt one of the most fun and complex multiplayer action games ever made. The premise is simple: eliminate the opposing team from the playing field. The execution,…

  • Arnhem

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:R. T. Smith GAME DEVELOPER:Cases Computer Simulations GAME PUBLISHER:Cases Computer Simulations Copyright 1987, Cases Computer Simulations R.T. Smith, the creator and programmer for the fabulous game Encyclopedia of War: Ancient Battles, created a trio of World War Two games a few year earlier for the Spectrum…

  • Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Bob Bates GAME DEVELOPER:Infocom GAME PUBLISHER:Infocom Copyright 1990, Infocom Bob Bates’ last game for Infocom before he founded Legend Entertainment is interactive fiction at its best. As Infocom’s last IF, the game also featured their best parser ever (too bad it was never to see the…

  • Artura

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Mastertronic GAME PUBLISHER:Mastertronic Copyright 1989, Mastertronic The place is ancient Britain. You are Artura, son of the Pendragon. Your quest: To rescue Nimue, beautiful apprentice to Merdyn the Mage, and keeper of the secret of the ancient treasures lost long ago. She has been…

  • Asghan: The Dragon Slayer

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Silmarils GAME PUBLISHER:Silmarils Copyright 1998, Silmarils After the Time Warriors flop, Silmarils wisely revamped their promising 3D engine and came up with this enjoyable action/adventure game which puts you in the shoes of Asghan, intrepid warrior prince who vows to kill the dragons to…

  • Ashes of Empire

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Mike Singleton GAME DEVELOPER:GameTek GAME PUBLISHER:GameTek Copyright 1993, GameTek Ashes of Empire is an intriguing espionage action/strategy fusion inspired by the tumultous events in Eastern Europe in the early ’90s. As Mike Singleton’s last and biggest game, Ashes of Empire features a much-improved engine first seen…

  • Assault Trooper

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Juha Kauppinen GAME DEVELOPER:Webfoot Technologies GAME PUBLISHER:Webfoot Technologies Copyright 1997, Juha Kauppinen Assault Trooper is a fun isometric real-time game that’s like Cannon Fodder meets X-COM : command your troops through top secret missions all over the globe. The game is fun and the action furious,…

  • Asterix and Obelix

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Infogrames GAME PUBLISHER:Infogrames Copyright 1996, Infogrames This outstanding platform game from premiere French developer Infogrames feature, appropriately enough, France’s best-known cartoon character Asterix the Gaulish soldier. The usual platform obstacles abound, but they are modified to fit the games’ context (e.g. fight the Romans…

  • Astrofire

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Owen Thomas GAME DEVELOPER:ORT GAME PUBLISHER:ORT Copyright 1994, ORT A great update of classic Asteroids game, this incarnation sports colorful VGA graphics, smooth mouse-based controls, and lots of weird-looking asteroids and other enemies to shoot at. For those who don’t know Asteroids, it’s a mindless shoot-em-up…

  • Atomix

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Henrik Nordhaus GAME DEVELOPER:Thalion GAME PUBLISHER:Thalion Copyright 1990, Thalion Atomix is a fun puzzle game with inventive education twist: your task is to combine atoms to form the required chemical molecule, e.g. 2 Hydrogen atoms and Oxygen for water. Each level also has a time limit…

  • A-Train

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Tatsuo Nagahama GAME DEVELOPER:ArtDink GAME PUBLISHER:Maxis Copyright 1992, ArtDink One of the very few Maxis games that didn’t become a smash hit, A-Train a great conversion of Railroad Empire, Japan’s classic game of railroad empire building. Although similar in concept to Railroad Tycoon, the difference here…

  • Fanta Vision

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Brderbund GAME PUBLISHER:Brderbund Copyright 1988, Anonymous Fanta Vision is an excellent graphics application that allows you to design your own movies by drawing pictures, animating them, and adding sound. The program was very sophisticated for its time (1988), considering the range of options it…

  • Avish: Searching for The Exit

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dvir Besserglick & Gonen Dukas GAME DEVELOPER:BUG Multisystem GAME PUBLISHER:BUG Multisystem Copyright 1993, BUG Multisystem In this fun puzzle game, you take the role of Avish, an absent-minded professor who gets lost in the university’s library. On each room you need to find a key to…

  • B.A.T. 1

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Computer’s Dream GAME PUBLISHER:UBI Soft Copyright 1990, Computer’s Dream One of the best cult classic games ever made, B.A.T. is a fun cyberpunk romp through the underworld of crime and corruption. As agent for B.A.T., an ultrasecret organization serving the Confederation of the Galaxies…

  • B.A.T. 2: Koshan Conspiracy

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Computer’s Dream GAME PUBLISHER:UBI Soft Copyright 1992, Computer’s Dream The follow-up to Konami’s underrated B.A.T. 1 improves upon its predecessor in every respect, including a more intelligible plot that actually *develops* into an interesting pan-galactic drama. However, as in the first game you still…

  • B-17 Flying Fortress

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Mike Brunton GAME DEVELOPER:MicroProse GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1992, MicroProse This hugely underrated flight-sim adds a novel element to the genre: the pilots’ personalities. True to the real-life characteristic of the B-17, a veritable “flying fortress” of WW2 bomber that houses a team of 10 pilots and…

  • B-24 Combat Simulator

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Grey GAME DEVELOPER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) GAME PUBLISHER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) Copyright 1987, Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) A simulation of the World War II Ploesti oil raids, the player had to join his B-24 to the formation, fly to the target and inflict maximum damage.…

  • Babel

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ian Finley GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1997, Ian Finley This superb science-fiction game casts you as a research scientist who woke up with amnesia. This overused premise quickly develops into a deep and engaging plot that involves mad scientists, science gone wrong, and even psychic…

  • Bad Blood

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chris Roberts GAME DEVELOPER:Origin Systems GAME PUBLISHER:Origin Systems Copyright 1990, Origin Systems Bad Blood may well have been Origin’s first RPG that tried to appeal to the action crowd by offering action-based gameplay and minimal statistics. It didn’t quite succeed on that count mainly because the…

  • Bad Dudes

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Quicksilver GAME PUBLISHER:Data East Copyright 1988, Data East Another excellent conversion of a coin-op classic by Quicksilver, Bad Dudes is a Double Dragon style platform classic which more than makes up for its lack of variety with a lot of enemies, long levels, and…

  • Bad Mojo

    —

    by

    admin
    in

    From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Vincent Carrella GAME DEVELOPER:Pulse Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Acclaim Entertainment Copyright 1996, Pulse Entertainment No doubt one of the most unique and disturbing an adventure ever, Bad Mojo‘s premise is refreshingly original: you are a misanthropic, selfish young man who’s turned into a cockroach by the powers that…