Author: admin
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G-Darius
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Cyberfront Studios GAME PUBLISHER:Taito Copyright 2001, Taito G-Darius is an excellent PC port of the great PlayStation game of the same name, developed by Taito and published by THQ in the U.S. in 1998. This PC version was ported and released only in Japan…
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RayCrisis
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Taito GAME PUBLISHER:Taito Copyright 2001, Taito RayCrisis is a good-looking vertical shooter from Taito that is not as good as G-Darius or games in the Gradius series, but still packs enough variety to warrant a look. This download is the rare PC version that…
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Virus: The Game
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Kidum Multimedia GAME PUBLISHER:Interplay Copyright 1997, Kidum Multimedia Virus: The Game is a classic example of great idea gone to waste by horrendous execution. Games Domain’s uncompromising review of this unique underdog says it all: “Virus is a strategy game, well hidden in a…
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Campaign II
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jonathan Griffiths GAME DEVELOPER:Empire Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:Empire Interactive Copyright 1994, Empire Interactive Veteran wargamer M. E. Brooks spares no punches in his criticism of this inferior sequel to ambitious Campaign: “This simulation of modern conflict took a mediocre gaming system (Campaign) and completely flummoxed it. Covering…
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RayStorm
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Taito GAME PUBLISHER:Taito Copyright 1996, Taito The Year is 2219. The place, Earth. Alien beings from the Secilia System have arrived in our solar system. Their objective, is to obliterate and take over the Earth with their Battle Cruisers, Mechs and Fighter Crafts. Only…
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Maven
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Brian Sheppard GAME DEVELOPER:Sheppard Company GAME PUBLISHER:Sheppard Company Copyright 1994, Sheppard Company Maven is an excellent PC Scrabble program by Brian Sheppard. Maven is not only one of the first Scrabble game that provides a good enough challenge for expert players, but is one of the…
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Championship Backgammon
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jason Vollmer & Craig Chellstorp GAME DEVELOPER:Spinnaker GAME PUBLISHER:Spinnaker Copyright 1987, Spinnaker Championship Backgammon from Spinnaker is an excellent early backgammon computer game – probably the first to offer a competent AI (a computer player named “Max”) which is strong enough to challenge frequent players. There…
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Battle of Austerlitz, The
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Stephen Beckett & Steven Krenek GAME DEVELOPER:Cornerstone GAME PUBLISHER:General Quarters Software Copyright 1989, Cornerstone An early computer wargame that depicts one of Napoleon’s most famous battles, The Battle of Austerlitz is an innovative game that boasts real-time play and an easy-to-use interface. But like the authors’…
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Xtron
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Keypunch GAME PUBLISHER:Keypunch Copyright 1991, Keypunch Xtron is a dead average Space Invaders clone by Keypunch – one of the first commercial clones of its kind. Nothing more to say, really — if you like Space Invaders, this is a competent clone that will…
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Guilty Gear X
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:ARC System Works GAME PUBLISHER:Cyberfront Studios Copyright 2001, ARC System Works Guilty Gear X is a very interesting fighting game. It introduces plenty of new ideas to the genre, is the first high-res 2D fighting game ever released, and is probably the best 2D…
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Front Page Sports: Football Pro ’95
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Patrick Cook GAME DEVELOPER:Dynamix GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1995, Dynamix Front Page Sports: Football Pro ’95 is the definitive version of Dynamix’ excellent FPS: Football series – at least until Internet play included with the FPS: Football Pro ’97 version. All the great features of this…
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RayForce
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Taito GAME PUBLISHER:Interplay Copyright 1996, Taito RayForce (released as Layer Section outside Asia) is an excellent vertical shooter that began an series that would spawn RayStorm and RayCrisis. The game is a 2D shooter with excellent scaling and animation effects, including the nice camera-panning…
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Starshift
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jetro Lauha GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1998, Jetro Lauha Starshift is a fun freeware Crazy Taxi-style game from Jetro Lauha, the author of excellent caveflyer KOPS. Your goal in this fun space arcade game is to visit all the platforms on each level to pick…
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Dreamstars 3
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jai Shaw GAME DEVELOPER:Anonymous GAME PUBLISHER:Anonymous Copyright 2002, Jai Shaw One of the best modern spiritual sequels of Atari’s classic Asteroids, Dreamstars 3 has just about everything you could wish for in an Asteroids game: ability to build and customize your own ship (e.g. choose your…
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Sting!, The
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:NEO Software GAME PUBLISHER:JoWood Productions Copyright 2001, NEO Software The Sting! (Der Clou 2 in Germany) is a little-known sequel to The Clue!, one of the most unique and compelling adventure/strategy games of all time. The game took the best things about The Clue!…
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Teenage Lawnmower
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Seth Robinson GAME DEVELOPER:Robinson Technologies GAME PUBLISHER:Robinson Technologies Copyright 2002, Robinson Technologies Teenage Lawnmower is a unique blend of action and business simulation. The official PR blurb says it all: “You’re seventeen and your life is a living hell. Between your alcoholic mother and her abusive…
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DDM Soccer ’96
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Digital Dreams Multimedia GAME PUBLISHER:Digital Dreams Multimedia Copyright 1996, Digital Dreams Multimedia DDM Soccer ’96 is a nice shareware soccer game from Digital Dreams Multimedia, a Spanish shareware/budget games developer. Although it looks merely like a budget clone of Sensible’s classic Sensible Soccer on…
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H.U.R.L.
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Millennium Media Group GAME PUBLISHER:Millennium Media Group Copyright 1996, Millennium Media Group H.U.R.L. is an awful first-person shooter that tries to bring the appeal of DOOM-style carnage to kids – by replacing violence with non-violent action, and ugly monsters with cartoony ones. Chris Mullen…
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Assault Rigs
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Psygnosis GAME PUBLISHER:Psygnosis Copyright 1996, Psygnosis Assault Rigs is a fun 3D tank game that combines the best elements of Battlezone and – yes – Pac-Man. In this fun action game, futuristic tanks duke it out in a furious deathmatch, gathering up as many…
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Living Ball
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Bitewise Computer GAME PUBLISHER:Bitewise Computer Copyright 1995, Bitewise Computer Living Ball is an interesting and innovative pinball game that unfortunately is long on concept, but short on gameplay. Billed as “world’s largest pinball game,” the game definitely matches that claim: each of the three…
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Pray for Death
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Lightshock GAME PUBLISHER:Virgin Interactive Copyright 1997, Lightshock Pray for Death is a little-known one-on-one fighting game that is quite decent, despite the fact that it is not much more than a ripoff of Killer Instinct: “realistic” moves, lots of gore, and the ability to…
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Wizard’s Quest
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Garrett Donner & Andrew Walters GAME DEVELOPER:Avalon Hill GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Andrew Walters Wizard’s Quest is an excellent Windows version of an oldie Avalon Hill board game, first released in 1979. Unlike Avalon Hill’s classics like Advanced Civilization, Wizard’s Quest is a much simpler and…
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TigrisGame
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Reiner Knizia & Craig Moffitt GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Craig Moffitt TigrisGame is an excellent fanmade computer adaptation of Euphrates & Tigris, Reiner Knizia’s classic board game that ranks among one of the best games of its kind ever made. If you have never…
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Castle Adventure
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kevin Bales GAME DEVELOPER:Keypunch GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1985, Kevin Bales One of the most memorable ASCII games of the bygone BSS era, Castle Adventure is a fun parser-based maze adventure designed by Kevin Bales, and later released (“stolen” in fact) by Keypunch as part of their…
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Arcade #1
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Keypunch GAME PUBLISHER:Keypunch Copyright 1986, Keypunch Arcade #1 is one of Keypunch’s many game packages in which the company essentially stole freelance designers’ works (most released as freeware or shareware on various BBS’s), took out all credits, and sold them as the company’s own…
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Brutal: Paws of Fury
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:GameTek GAME PUBLISHER:GameTek Copyright 1995, GameTek One of the more successful Mortal Kombat-inspired fighting games, Brutal: Paws of Fury is an innovative game that features cartoon animals doing kungfu moves. With names like Foxy Roxy, Kung Fu Bunny, and Psycho Kitten, the game has…
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Brutal: Paws of Fury Remix
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Doctor M GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Doctor M Brutal: Paws of Fury Remix is an outstanding fanmade remake/update of GameTek’s excellent fighting game of the same name. Coded with Elecbyte’s excellent MUGEN engine, the game takes the best elements of all versions of GameTek’s…
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TMNT: Tournament Fighters Remix
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Pioupiou GAME DEVELOPER:Konami GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Pioupiou One of the best examples of a good MUGEN fighting game that isn’t simply a clone of others, TMNT: Tournament Fighters Remix is a good PC remake of an old SEGA Genesis game, released by Konami. The game…
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J-Dar-II
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Daddelkingz GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Daddelkingz One of the best examples of what Elecbyte’s powerful MUGEN fighting game engine can do, J-Dar-II is a fun vertical 2D shooter for DOS. The game offers three difficulty levels to suit your preference, and a unique power-up…
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Pontifex II
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Alex Austin GAME DEVELOPER:Chronic Logic GAME PUBLISHER:Chronic Logic Copyright 2002, Chronic Logic Pontifex II is the superior sequel to Pontifex, a unique bridge designing game that is deservedly in our Hall of Belated Fame. If you love Pontifex, this sequel will not disappoint. Your goal, as…
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Cameleon 98
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jari Komppa GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1998, Jari Komppa Cameleon 98 is a fun board game from Jari Komppa, entered in 1998’s “Disccover” game coding competition in Finland. The game deservedly became a finalist in the competition, and went on to win several “game of…
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Survival in New York City
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Bert Lewis GAME DEVELOPER:Keypunch GAME PUBLISHER:Keypunch Copyright 1986, Bert Lewis Survival in New York City is a marginally above-average interactive fiction title, included in Keypunch’s Swords and Sorcery package. Given Keypunch’s notoriety as the company that kept stealing other people’s games (mostly public domain works released…
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Metal Blade
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Retsuzan GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Retsuzan Yet another outstanding fighting game made with ASCII’s Fighting Game Maker application (never released outside Japan, unfortunately), Metal Blade has it all: unique and well-designed characters, fluid animations, tons of cool fighting moves, and even a great soundtrack…
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Dawn Patrol: Head to Head
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Rod Hyde & Mark Shaw GAME DEVELOPER:Rowan GAME PUBLISHER:Empire Interactive Copyright 1995, Rowan Dawn Patrol: Head to Head is the modem version of Rowan’s Dawn Patrol, released in 1995 – about one year after the original game’s release. The gameplay remains the same: the game is…
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Ski Free
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chris Pirih GAME DEVELOPER:Microsoft GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1991, Chris Pirih If you ever used Windows 3.1, you have probably come across Ski Free at some point. Ski Free deserves to be ranked alongside Minesweeper as one of the best “coffee break” games for Windows ever made.…
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Ski King
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Scott Haag GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1996, Scott Haag Ski King is a fun freeware game coded by Scott Haag in 1996. The idea is simple: ski down all 50 hills in the game without hitting the trees. For every 10 hills you get past,…
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Card Hunter Sakura 2
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:DK Software GAME PUBLISHER:DK Software Copyright 2001, DK Software Card Hunter Sakura 2 is a fun fighting game based on Card Captor Sakura, a popular Japanese manga and subsequent anime series. One of the better Dojin soft releases (i.e. unofficial fanmade games), CHS2 will…
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Battle Nation
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Alexandre Moreira GAME DEVELOPER:Namco GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Alexandre Moreira Battle Nation is a great fanmade game based on an arcade classic by Namco called Battle City, which is in turn based on Atari’s Combat. The basic idea: control a tank to destroy all enemy tanks…
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Aya
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Hiroshi Yamashita GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Hiroshi Yamashita Aya is an excellent freeware Go program coded by Hiroshi Yamashita. The game’s AI ranks approximately around 12 Kyu in Japanese system, which means it should prove very challenging to a casual Go player. Aside from…
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Thor Trilogy, The
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Todd Replogle GAME DEVELOPER:Apogee GAME PUBLISHER:Apogee Copyright 1990, Todd Replogle The Thor Trilogy is a fun early shareware ASCII-based action/adventure game, similar to ZZT. One of Todd Replogle’s earliest games at Apogee before he went on to design classics like Cosmo’s Adventure, The Thor Trilogy contains…
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TankWars 2.0
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Hyperman ML GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Hyperman ML TankWars 2.0 is a fun artillery game for up to 10 players. The goal will be familiar to anyone who has played Scorched Earth or Gorilla: opponents attempt to destroy each others tanks by firing various…
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Carnage (Freeware)
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Andrew Robinson GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1999, Andrew Robinson Carnage is a fun freeware remake of two classic Amiga games: Biplane Duel and Dogfight, which are in turn inspired by the classic Sopwith PC game. The aim of this game for 2-8 players is to…
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Marshmallow Duel
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Duncan Gill GAME DEVELOPER:Anonymous GAME PUBLISHER:Anonymous Copyright 1997, Duncan Gill Marshmallow Duel is a simple-looking 2D multiplayer action game that is much more fun than it looks. Although only playable with 2 human players, the game is one of the best 2-player games you will have…