Author: admin
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Yacht Racing Simulator
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Geoff Brayford GAME DEVELOPER:Anonymous GAME PUBLISHER:Anonymous Copyright 1986, Geoff Brayford In September 1983, the whole of Australia was in a state of jubilation after Australia II ended the New York Yacht Club’s 132-year domination of the America’s Cup. This was clearly the inspiration for this little…
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Reel Fish’n
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Roger Damon GAME DEVELOPER:Interstel GAME PUBLISHER:Interstel Copyright 1989, Interstel In Reel Fish’n you play the owner of a small business who is trying to juggle work with his hobby of fishing. At the start of each week, you examine the weather forecast and decide when to…
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Marble Cooking
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Negative GAME PUBLISHER:Negative Copyright 1996, Negative Marble Cooking is one of the most unique and fun action-oriented puzzle games Ive ever come across, Hentai (i.e. adult in Japanese) elements notwithstanding. You play a little witch who must hunt down a demon lord she has…
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Super Stardust
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Housemarque GAME PUBLISHER:GameTek Copyright 1996, Housemarque Super Stardust 96 is an excellent arcade shoot em-up that combines addictive gameplay with breath-taking ray-traced and fully animated 3D graphics, digital music and sound effects, to give you the blast feast of your life. Your objective is…
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Magic Polalamin
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Black Fish GAME PUBLISHER:Black Fish Copyright 1998, Black Fish Magic Polalamin is a fun top-down anime shooter from little-known Japanese developer Black Fish. The game features great graphics, smooth animations, and near-flawless gameplay that great shooters are known for. The hallmark of Magic Polalamin…
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Rise and Rule of Ancient Empires
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Impressions GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1996, Impressions Rise and Rule of Ancient Empires is an ambitious Civilization-style strategy game from Impressions/Sierra that unfortunately falls flat from uninspired gameplay and poor AI. Tim Chowns review for Games Domain makes clear what is wrong with this…
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Manic Miner
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Matthew Smith & Andy Noble GAME DEVELOPER:Bug-Byte Software GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1999, Andy Noble Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy are without a doubt the two BEST games ever made for the Sinclair Spectrum computer in mid-1980s. Designed by Matthew Smith and published by Bug Byte…
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Jet Set Willy
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Andy Noble GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1999, Andy Noble Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy are without a doubt the two BEST games ever made for the Sinclair Spectrum computer in mid-1980s. Designed by Matthew Smith and published by Bug Byte / Software Projects, these…
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Earthsiege 2
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Dynamix GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1996, Sierra On-Line Earthsiege 2 is a much-improved sequel to Dynamix/Sierras Earthsiege, and marks the companys third entrant into the giant robots genre (after Battledrome and Earthsiege
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Pool Champion
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Mindscape GAME PUBLISHER:Mindscape Copyright 1996, Mindscape Pool Champion is a unique and innovative pool simulation that unfortunately suffers in the marketplace from the mere fact that Celeris/Interplays Virtual Pool is technically superior and better-marketed. The idea behind the game is original, and is one…
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Lemmings 2: The Tribes
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:DMA Design GAME PUBLISHER:Psygnosis Copyright 1993, Psygnosis Lemmings 2: The Tribes is a great sequel to Psygnosis famous puzzler Lemmings, although it never was quite as popular. Everyones favorite furry critters are back, and this time, they come with all new abilities and much…
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Lemmings Chronicles, The
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Psygnosis GAME PUBLISHER:Psygnosis Copyright 1994, Psygnosis Third official entry in DMA Design/Psynosis celebrated puzzler series, The Lemmings Chronicles (a.k.a. All New World of Lemmings in Europe) is a disappointing entry that feels like a rushed product that was made just to cash in on…
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F-15 Strike Eagle III
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Andy Hollis GAME DEVELOPER:MicroProse GAME PUBLISHER:MicroProse Copyright 1992, Firaxis F-15 Strike Eagle III is the last and best in MicroProse’s F-15 Strike Eagle series. In this outing, you will pilot the F-15 Strike Eagle in three theatres of operation: Iraq (Desert Storm campaign), North Korea, and…
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Island of Danger, The
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Richard Carr GAME DEVELOPER:Carr Software GAME PUBLISHER:Carr Software Copyright 1991, Carr Software The Islands of Danger remains this day one of the most unique and memorable text-mode game ever written. As one of the first shareware titles programmed by Richard Carr, IoD bodes well for his…
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Stained Glass
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kent Brewster GAME DEVELOPER:Anonymous GAME PUBLISHER:Anonymous Copyright 1991, Kent Brewster Stained Glass is a wonderful and original shareware card game that was the inspiration behind Nick Schlott’s Tesserae, a commercial game published by GameTek in 1991 that features VGA graphics but same concepts. J. Michael Ambrosio’s…
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Common Ground
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Stephen Granade GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Stephen Granade Common Ground is a captivating and original work of IF that breaks new ground by introducing an intriguing concept previously unseen in the genre (and not seen again until J. Robinson Wheeler?s Being Andrew Plotkin). Similar…
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Losing Your Grip
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Stephen Granade GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1998, Stephen Granade Losing Your Grip is an ambitious, outstanding work of ?serious? IF which casts you as Terry Hastings, a troubled man who is trying to come to terms with his life. The game is presented in five…
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Heroine’s Mantle
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Andy Phillips GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Andy Phillips One of the best IF games ever, Heroines Mantle is a wonderful puzzle-intensive IF that proves how it is possible to design solid puzzles without sacrificing the plot. It is also one of the most challenging…
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Galatea
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Emily Short GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Emily Short Galatea is, in short, one of the most amazing games I?ve ever played, in any genre. If you think adventure games in general cannot be non-linear, Galatea will change your views forever. The game is based…
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Peter and The Wolf
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:7th Level GAME PUBLISHER:IBM Copyright 1995, 7th Level Peter and The Wolf is one of the best children’s titles ever made, and a great rendition of Prokofiev’s classical music masterpiece. Non-classical music fans may not know that Peter and The Wolf has long been…
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Flight Light
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:subLOGIC GAME PUBLISHER:subLOGIC Copyright 1995, subLOGIC Flight Light by subLOGIC is a solid civilian flight simulator that isn’t on par with the companys acclaimed ATP series in terms of realism, but achieves its goal of introducing newcomers to the world of flight simulation. The…
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Aisle
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Sam Barlow GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1999, Sam Barlow Well-deserved XYZZY Award winner in the Best Use of Medium category, Aisle is highly original piece of IF that invents a whole new category of games. Its also one of the most successful experimental IF games…
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Rematch
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Andrew Pontious GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Andrew Pontious Amazing, simply amazing. When Sam Barlow released Aisle, a highly original “experimental” IF in 1999, many people, including me, thought that the idea, while interesting, would be impossible to adapt to a puzzle-intensive IF game. After…
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Bubble Trouble
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:K. Handelmann GAME DEVELOPER:Ferox Software GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Ferox Software Not to be confused with a Macintosh puzzle game of the same name, Bubble Trouble is a cute little Missile Command clone, with attractive graphics, rocking soundtrack, and smooth gameplay. The objective is simple: make…
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Su-27 Flanker
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Eagle Dynamics GAME PUBLISHER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) Copyright 1996, Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) Su-27 Flanker is a very accurate and detailed flight simulation of the Russian Su-27, developed by Eagle Dynamics, a Russian team, and SSI. It doesn’t have flashy textured graphics, which were…
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Sky Runner
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Cascade GAME PUBLISHER:Cascade Copyright 1987, Cascade Oldie shoot em-up by Cascade Games, in which you’re up to the task to save mankind from a narcotic drug called “Sky”. Simple arcade fun– very similar to Titus’ Offshore Warrior, but with smoother graphics and gameplay. Lack…
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S.C.Out
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Kalisto GAME PUBLISHER:Kalisto Copyright 1992, Kalisto Decent puzzle game by Atreid Concept (Kalisto), S.C. Out is a Chip’s Challenge – style game that features an option to create and play your own levels. The premise is simple: navigate your ship on a 2D board…
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Titan
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Titus GAME PUBLISHER:Titus Copyright 1989, Titus An early game by Titus, Titan is a fairly unorthodox Arkanoid / Breakout clone that unfortunately doesn’t play as well as the concept would lead you to believe. The best way to describe Titan is to think of…
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Wings of Fury
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Lance Wall GAME DEVELOPER:Unlimited Software GAME PUBLISHER:Brderbund Copyright 1989, Brderbund Wings of Fury is a fun, albeit repetitive, action/simulation game in the style of old side-scrolling classic Sopwith. You fly an F6F Hellcat fighter, and your task is to escort a damaged aircraft carrier to Allied…
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Silent Hunter
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) GAME PUBLISHER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) Copyright 1996, Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) Silent Hunter is a classic WWII submarine simulation that today remains one of the few titles that could give Dynamix? Aces of The Deep a run for its money.…
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Daffy Duck
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Hi-Tech Expressions GAME PUBLISHER:Hi-Tech Expressions Copyright 1991, Hi-Tech Expressions One of the few education titles from Hi-Tech Expressions, and therefore one of its rarest releases, Daffy Duck is a so-so spelling game starring popular Looney Tunes characters Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and more. The…
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Snow Strike
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Epyx GAME PUBLISHER:Epyx Copyright 1989, Epyx One of the most obscure Epyx games ever made, Snow Strike is an okay arcade-oriented flight sim set in one of the more exotic theatres of operations: Columbia. Your mission is to pilot F-14 fighter on covert operations…
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Mychess
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Kittinger GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1979, David Kittinger Mychess was developed by David Kittinger. Anyone whos not a fan of chess may not know that David is among the best computer chess designers today. After Mychess and its sequel, he developed the popular Chessmaster…
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Obliterator
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Psygnosis GAME PUBLISHER:Melbourne House Copyright 1989, Psygnosis Obliterator is a fun early side-scrolling platformer from Psygnosis that is notable for being the first Psygnosis game to include music (although the PC speakers, naturally, pale in comparison to Commodore 64 version). This sci-fi platformer features…
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Apache Strike
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Denny Thorley GAME DEVELOPER:Activision GAME PUBLISHER:Activision Copyright 1989, William Appleton Despite the name, Apache Strike is not a realistic simulation of Apache helicopter, but a straightforward first-person shooter. Your goal in this Rebel Assault precursor is simple: shoot the aliens that are (what else) invading the…
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Judge Dredd
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Probe Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Acclaim Entertainment Copyright 1995, Probe Entertainment Despite being one of UKs most popular cult comic books, Judge Dredd never fared well when licensed to other mediathe movie starring Sylvester Stallone as the beefy judge is one of his worst, and the…
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Ghosts ‘n Goblins
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:CAPCOM GAME PUBLISHER:CAPCOM Copyright 1988, CAPCOM Ghosts ‘n Goblins is a competent PC port of one of the best side-scrollers ever made. You play Arthur, noble knight (apparently before he was crowned King of Camelot) on a trek through haunted lands to rescue his…
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We’re Back: A Dinosaur’s Story
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Hi-Tech Expressions GAME PUBLISHER:Hi-Tech Expressions Copyright 1993, Hi-Tech Expressions We’re Back: A Dinosaur?s Story is among a handful of games based on movie licenses that break the trend: the game is actually better than the movie. While it doesn’t rival the best of Disney’s…
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Savage Warriors
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Kalisto GAME PUBLISHER:Mindscape Copyright 1995, Mindscape Another good idea botched by actual execution, Savage Warriors is a side-scrolling fighting game that has several nice ideas, none of which enhances the gameplay. The game’s premise is simple: 10 fighters are plucked out of their time…
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Premier Manager 3
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Gremlin GAME PUBLISHER:Gremlin Copyright 1995, Gremlin Third in Gremlin’s effort to dislodge Championship Manager from the throne of soccer management games (SMG), Premier Manager 3 is a good try that unfortunately falls short in many areas, particularly unrealistic match results. Excerpts from Tim Chown’s…
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Eight Ball Deluxe
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:LittleWing GAME PUBLISHER:Amtex Copyright 1995, LittleWing Second in Amtex’ line of computer pinball games (after Tristan Pinball) and the first to simulate an actual pinball machine, Eight Ball Deluxe is an excellent replication of a popular Bally Midway pinball machine of the same name.…
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Earl Weaver Baseball 2
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Eddie Dombrower GAME DEVELOPER:Mirage Graphics GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Arts Copyright 1991, Eddie Dombrower One of the best baseball series ever made, Earl Weaver Baseball nevertheless was very short-lived– only 2 were released in the span of 5 years. In every respect, both games are pioneers of the…
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Micro League Football Deluxe Edition
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Micro League GAME PUBLISHER:Micro League Copyright 1992, Micro League Micro League Football Deluxe Edition is another solid football simulation that follows Micro League’s notoriety of giving their games confusing names. This is actually version 1.5 of the Micro League Football engine, with identical graphics…
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Micro League Baseball: The Manager’s Challenge
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Micro League GAME PUBLISHER:Micro League Copyright 1991, Micro League Micro League Baseball series are surprising little games for their time that sport graphics and gameplay improvement with each new version. The games offer a selection of history’s most powerful teams and you can pit…
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Ryder Cup Golf
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:OCEAN GAME PUBLISHER:OCEAN Copyright 1993, OCEAN A decent golf simulation of the famous tournament of the same name, Ryder Cup Golf is long on ambition, but short on actual delivery. True to the actual Ryder Cup, the game lets you play as US or…