Author: admin
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Chronicles of Jaruu Tenk, The
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Passfield & Steven Stamatiadis GAME DEVELOPER:Gee Whiz! Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1999, John Passfield & Steven Stamatiadis Billed as a “revolutionary screen entertainment package,” The Chronicles of Jaruu Tenk is a neat and quite unique simulation that is part “life simulation” a la Little Computer…
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Shakii The Wolf
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Family Productions GAME PUBLISHER:Microforum Copyright 1998, Family Productions Shakii the Wolf is a fun platformer designed specifically for kids (6 years old and older). The story goes as follows: “Shakii The Wolf once ruled the peaceful Kingdom of Shake until the evil, almost invincible…
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Red Thunder
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:EdenSoft GAME PUBLISHER:Incredible Simulations, Inc. (ISI) Copyright 2000, EdenSoft The first and unfortunately last entry in EdenSoft’s ambitious “Victory in the East” wargame series, Red Thunder is a good operational-level hex/turn-based wargame for die-hard wargamers. The year is 1944. The Soviet Red Army is…
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Space Dude
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:FormGen GAME PUBLISHER:FormGen Copyright 1996, FormGen Space Dude is a funny and quirky action game from FormGen. Billed as “an interactive animated motion picture where you control the action”, it is really a loop of mini games tied together by cut-scenes to advance the…
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Rebel Runner
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Family Productions GAME PUBLISHER:Microforum Copyright 1996, Family Productions Rebel Runner is a decent platformer from Korea that offers good value for money but is marred by awkward controls and choppy animation. The plot is entirely optional, so there’s no need to go into the…
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Silpheed (SEGA CD)
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Game Arts GAME PUBLISHER:Game Arts Copyright 1994, Game Arts Silpheed for SEGA CD is a cosmetic update of the 1988 game of the same name, also developed by Game Arts and published to great acclaim by Sierra outside Asia. Although this SEGA CD version…
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Flightmare
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Peter Adams GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1984, Peter Adams One of the earliest shareware games (although you don’t get extra gameplay features from registering), Flightmare lets you pilot a prop plane to fight off a band of vandals before they reach your city. Although the…
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Snarf
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Everett Kaser GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1988, Everett Kaser Snarf is a fun action game where you try to find your way through a maze without getting overrun by the swarms of snarfs that run through it. The game is similar to Pac-Man, with a…
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Modern Problems
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Malcolm Michael & Joe Cassavaugh GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1993, Malcolm Michael & Joe Cassavaugh Modern Problems is a fun and very unique puzzle game that challenges you to figure out not only how to solve the puzzles, but also what their rules are. There…
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Witches
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Remco de Korte GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1998, Remco de Korte Witches is a unique and wacky chess-like strategy boardgame. Your goal is to move your witches onto the magic pattern on the magic kitchen-floor in order to win the yearly contest for the leadership…
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Norow
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Remco de Korte GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1997, Remco de Korte Norow is a unique boardgame where you must occupy as much squares on the board as possible without having more then two squares in a row. The official rules: “…the game itself is very…
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Pastel Fantasy
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:K. Shimizu GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1998, K. Shimizu Pastel Fantasy is fun little puzzle game that plays like Tetris – or more accurately Same Game since it does not require any reflexes). Your job is to clear the screen by clicking on pastel creatures…
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FlowerPower
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Remco de Korte GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1998, Remco de Korte FlowerPower is a fun puzzle game with a simple premise: collect all the flowers on each level to increase “flower power” (ugh) while avoiding the “Bad Lieutenant” who follows you around. The catch is…
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Water Wonder
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Carolyn Moyer GAME DEVELOPER:Digital Playground GAME PUBLISHER:Digital Playground Copyright 1996, Digital Playground Water Wonder is a unique computerized board game based on the actual board game of the same name. Designed primarily to teach kids about different states of water (steam, liquid, and ice) and how…
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Crimsonland
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Tero Alatalo GAME DEVELOPER:10tons entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Reflexive Entertainment Copyright 2002, 10tons entertainment Crimsonland is an excellent clone of Phobia II, spiced up with a few nice innovations: mouse aiming, loads of weapons and gaining allout-ish ‘perks’ by killing a load of aliens. Like in Phobia II,…
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Porrasturvat
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jetro Lauha GAME DEVELOPER:tAAt GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Jetro Lauha Winner of the game development competition in Assembly 2002 and deservedly so, Porrasturvat (Stair Dismount in English) is a quirky and strangely addictive little game by Jetro Lauha, the designer of caveflyer classic KOPS. The idea…
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No One Lives Forever
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Monolith Productions GAME PUBLISHER:Fox Interactive Copyright 2000, Monolith Productions No One Lives Forever is a great FPS with many humorous quirks. The box describes the plot better than I could: “Assume the role of Cate Archer, a beautiful but deadly Operative working for UNITY…
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Super Tour 3
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Miguel ?ngel Haza Baena GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Miguel ?ngel Haza Baena Possibly the best (and maybe only) cycling management simulation ever made, Super Tour 3 is a very comprehensive and feature-rich freeware sport simulation for Windows 95 and above. Coded entirely by one…
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CrossWorld: LA Times Edition
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:GameTek GAME PUBLISHER:GameTek Copyright 1993, GameTek CrossWorld: LA Times Edition is a fun and comprehensive crossword puzzle game for DOS. Featuring a whole year’s worth of crossword puzzles from LA Times, the game also includes a full-featured crossword creator you can use to make…
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Squeezils
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Protozoa GAME PUBLISHER:Inscape Copyright 1997, Protozoa Squeezils is a fun and innovative 3D action game from Protozoa, a small and now-defunct developer better known for making short eye-catching 3D animated clips in mid-1990s. Although billed as an action adventure, the game is really a…
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Rally Challenge
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Silver Lightning GAME PUBLISHER:Silver Lightning Copyright 1996, Silver Lightning Rally Challenge is a decent shareware rally game from Silver Lightning Software decent being the operative word. Endorsed by some of the worlds biggest rally teams, the game features 3 famous cars: the Subaru Impreza…
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Commando Enhanced
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:dynamite! GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1998, dynamite! Commando Enhanced is an excellent remake of Commando, Data East’s classic shoot ’em up. The game is in turn a remake of Commando 32K, a smaller remake created for the Mekka 32k competition. Similar to the original classic,…
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Sapiens
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Didier Guillion GAME DEVELOPER:Loriciel GAME PUBLISHER:Myriad Software Copyright 1998, Myriad Software Sapiens is a unique and quite open-ended simulation of prehistoric human life. First released for the Atari ST and CPC in 1991 by Loriciel, the game is now self-published by the original designer as shareware…
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Gridrunner++
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jeff Minter GAME DEVELOPER:Llamasoft GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Jeff Minter One of the best designers ever, Jeff “Yak” Minter is famous for designing numerous classic action games for early 8-bit systems such as the Atari 800 and Vic-20. Gridrunner++ is Yak’s PC remake of his own…
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Snowboard Racer
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Hammer Technologies GAME PUBLISHER:Midas Interactive Copyright 1999, Midas Interactive Snowboard Racer is a fun snowboard racing game from Hammer Technologies. The game offers 3 different competitions that all require the main ?ingredients? of snowboarding: high downhill speed and acrobatic jump skills. In “Boardercross” competition,…
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Go Kart Challenge
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Data Becker GAME PUBLISHER:Data Becker Copyright 1999, Data Becker Go Kart Challenge is a decent go-kart racing game from Data Becker. The game features a good range of options: three levels of difficulty (Hobby, Amateur, and Pro), three types of drivers (essentially different body…
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Orbital Sniper
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jari Komppa GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Jari Komppa Orbital Sniper is a great freeware coffee break game from Finland with a simple premise: shoot potential assassins from a bird’s eye view to protect VIPs. The plot was basically devised only to explain how you…
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Black Moon Chronicles
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Cryo Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:Cryo Interactive Copyright 1999, Cryo Interactive Not to be confused with the more recent MMORPG of the same name, Black Moon Chronicles is a fun fantasy real-time strategy game based on “Chroniques de la Lune Noire,” a French comic series of…
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Super Star Trek
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Matuszek & Tom Almy GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Tom Almy One of the best-loved earliest computer games, Super Star Trek is a cult mainframe classic spacecraft simulation played by countless college students in mid to late 1970s. Celebrated for its emphasis on authentic-sounding…
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OpenTrek
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jason Shankel GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Jason Shankel OpenTrek is a very cool 3D update of the classic Super Star Trek game, also on this site. For more information on what the game is about, read my review of Super Star Trek on this…
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Proliferation
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dion Kurczek GAME DEVELOPER:Silicon Commander GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1999, Silicon Commander Proliferation is a great game of nuclear conflict set in the near future. The premise: “[nuclear capability worldwide] has escalated, and many smaller states now possess tactical nuclear missiles. The state of affairs has polarized…
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Ants
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Nemecek GAME DEVELOPER:Gemtree GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, David Nemecek Ants is a fun card-based strategy game with interesting gameplay mechanics, but is unfortunately too easy to warrant repeated play. The game is a freeware remakes of Arcomage, the card game from 3DO that is in…
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Nerf ArenaBlast
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Visionary Media GAME PUBLISHER:Atari Games Copyright 1999, Visionary Media Best described as Unreal Tournament for kids, Nerf ArenaBlast is a surprisingly fun first-person shooter that will appeal to both kids and adults. I say “surprising” because it is hard to imagine that a FPS…
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Tennis Antics
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Pure Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Pure Entertainment Tennis Antics is a great tennis-like game developed by Pure Entertainment and distributed free of charge on the company’s Freeloader.com website. Losely based on tennis, Tennis Antics is more about collecting arcade-style power ups and using…
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Becher Bar
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Nemecek GAME DEVELOPER:Gemtree GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, David Nemecek Becher Bar is a fun bar simulation game similar to Pizza Tycoon, except you are managing a bar rather than a restaurant. You first start with leasing or buying property for your bar, then decorate the…
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International Bridge Contractors
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:William Hileman & Philip Case GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1986, William Hileman International Bridge Contractors is a great version of the 1979 BASIC games coded by Philip Case for the TRS-80 computer. The game was recompiled and expanded with more features by William Hileman and…
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Focus
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Sid Sackson & David McCammond-Watts GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1999, David McCammond-Watts Focus (a.k.a. Domination) is a fun and unique board game invented by Sid Sackson, the legendary creator of Diplomacy, Acquire, and dozens of other classic board games. Bob Claster, maintainer of the one…
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Space Strike
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Michael Abrash GAME DEVELOPER:Datamost GAME PUBLISHER:Datamost Copyright 1982, Datamost Space Strike is a great commercial Space Invaders clone. Although its not that different from Ataris classic (and indeed, you might mistake the game for Space Invaders if you hadnt look at the title screen), the game…
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Tamper
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Atanak GAME PUBLISHER:Atanak Copyright 1989, Atanak Tamper is a unique and innovative stock market game that combines elements of board game and traditional stock market simulation into an original and fun experience. The game is quite straightforward: as a stock trader, your goal is…
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Starball
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:GameTek GAME PUBLISHER:GameTek Copyright 1995, GameTek Starball is an interesting and unique pinball game from GameTek that unfortunately doesn’t play as well as it sounds. Based on Starball Special Edition game on Atari ST, the premise is unique to say the least: in addition…
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Bridge Crew
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Robert Cox GAME DEVELOPER:Mithril Software GAME PUBLISHER:Mithril Software Copyright 2000, Mithril Software Bridge Crew is an excellent spacecraft management similar to Super Star Trek and subsequent games, i.e. as spaceship commander, you will explore galaxies and engage in combat with other ships. The catch is that…
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Joust
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Newcomer GAME DEVELOPER:Williams Electronics GAME PUBLISHER:Atari Games Copyright 1983, Williams Electronics Joust is a faithful PC conversion of Williams’ coin-op and Atari console classic done in-house by Atari as part of their “Atarisoft” brand. The objective should be familiar to everyone except those who started…
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Dig Dug
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Namco GAME PUBLISHER:Atari Games Copyright 1983, Namco Dig Dug is a great PC port of Namco’s coin-op classic of the same name, ported by Atari. You are Dig Dug, an intrepid gardener whose soil is infested with pesky Pookas and fire-breathing Fygars. You’re armed…
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Moon Patrol
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Atari Games GAME PUBLISHER:Atari Games Copyright 1983, Atari Games Moon Patrol is a great PC port of Ataris classic coin-op and Atari console game. In one of the earliest 2D platformers, your goal is to blast aliens flying overhead while jumping over rocks and…