Author: admin
-
Savoir-Faire
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Emily Short GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Emily Short Yet another excellent IF title from Emily Short, Savoir-Faire is an absorbing and innovative game that brings the word “old skool” to new level. The brief summary at Baf’s IF Guide says it all: “In 18…
-
Fight Man
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Zhu Zhi GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Zhu Zhi Fight Man is the ninth entry in Zhu Zhi’s popular Xiao Xiao series of Flash animation featuring kung fu-fighting stickmen that is fast becoming a modern cult classic. Zhu Zhi makes a game starring his characters…
-
1893: A World’s Fair Mystery
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Peter Nepstad GAME DEVELOPER:Anonymous GAME PUBLISHER:Anonymous Copyright 2002, Peter Nepstad 1893: A World’s Fair Mystery is a well-written, atmospheric, and even educational text adventure reminiscent of Infocom’s Sherlock: Riddle of the Crown Jewels. As the name suggests, it is 1893, and the World’s Columbian Exposition is…
-
Crack Attack
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Daniel Nelson GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Daniel Nelson Crack Attack is a good remake of Nintendo’s popular Tetris Attack game, offering both faithful gameplay to the original and LAN capability. If you have never played Tetris Attack, here is the summary of the rules:…
-
Friendlyware
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Friendlysoft GAME PUBLISHER:Friendlysoft Copyright 1987, Friendlysoft Definitely one of the best “all-in-one” software collection ever released, Friendlyware is a great collection of 30 excellent BASIC programs, ranging from applications, to different kinds of games. The applications include an eye & hearing test, personal biorhythms,…
-
Dynamite
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Parsec Development GAME PUBLISHER:Webfoot Technologies Copyright 1997, Parsec Development One of the less exciting shareware games from Webfoot, Dynamite is a decent, if uninspired, clone of Bomberman. Up to 4 players battle each other to the death by strategically laying and detonating bombs and…
-
Driver’s Education ’98
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ken Embery GAME DEVELOPER:Dynamix GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1998, Dynamix One of the last titles published under Sierra’s “Discovery Series” brand, Driver’s Education from Dynamix is an excellent edutainment program designed to teach youngsters the basics of safe driving: including the rules of the road, laws,…
-
Apple Panic
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Olaf Lubeck GAME DEVELOPER:Brderbund GAME PUBLISHER:Brderbund Copyright 1982, Brderbund Apple Panic is a very early Lode Runner-style platformer that is not as good as that classic, but merits mention as one of the first platformers made for PC. It is also the first PC game designed…
-
Bungaru WA
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:E. Hashimoto GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, E. Hashimoto “So Icy Tower has got a Japanese cousin”, I first thought. But, after playing some more times, I can say that, while the basic concept is the same, the two games are very different. In Bunguru…
-
Kimaru
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:E. Hashimoto GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, E. Hashimoto This is a strange little golf game, played with a side view, and holes resembling more the screens of platform games. Using Left and Right arrow keys, you must decide the power of the shot, and…
-
Ikachan
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Pixel GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Pixel Ikachan is a charming and interesting platformer from freeware developer Pixel in Japan. As a tiny squid, your goal is to survive in the dangerous oceans and grow up to be a more powerful octopus. In an innovative…
-
Star Command Deluxe
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Metropolis GAME PUBLISHER:GT Interactive Copyright 1998, Metropolis A lackluster sequel to the much better Star Command Revolution, Metropolis’ earlier ambitious RTS-in-space, pre-StarCraft era. In most respects, Star Command Deluxe is just your typical harvest-resources/build-army/destroy-enemy-forces RTS game, but there are some innovative features that set…
-
Dethkarz
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Beam Software GAME PUBLISHER:Melbourne House Copyright 1998, Beam Software Dethkarz is an excellent futuristic racing game that rivals, if not exceeds, UBI Soft’s better-known POD in the fun department. The game’s name purposefully sounds like “Death Cars” to signal its style as a “combat…
-
Darklight Conflict
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Rage Software GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Arts Copyright 1998, Rage Software Darklight Conflict is an excellent space action game that offers impressive space physics despite the mindless nature of its gameplay. You play the Human, a Navy pilot abducted by the Repton aliens to fight in…
-
Privateer 2: The Darkening
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Erin Roberts GAME DEVELOPER:Origin Systems GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Arts Copyright 1996, Origin Systems Privateer 2: The Darkening is an excellent sequel to Origin’s classic Wing Commander: Privateer, although Origin made the unfortunate decision to sacrifice gameplay depth in favor of slick full-motion video sequences a la Wing…
-
Nightmare Creatures
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Pascal Barret GAME DEVELOPER:Kalisto GAME PUBLISHER:Activision Copyright 1997, Kalisto Nightmare Creatures is a great horror action/adventure game in the same vein as Resident Evil, but with much more emphasis on action than puzzles. Aside from some annoying quirks, such as the lack of proper save game…
-
G-Netix
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:ISM Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:ISM Interactive Copyright 1994, ISM Interactive The only simulation of its kind released outside medical circles, G-Netix is an excellent and extremely comprehensive simulation of genetic engineering. The program is more of a simulated lab/software toy than a game: you are…
-
HR2: The Simulator
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Artdink GAME PUBLISHER:Artdink Copyright 1995, Artdink One of the more obscure games from Japanese developer Artdink, HR2 is a unique and interesting tower building simulator that shares a similar goal as Maxis’ SimTower, but with a completely different emphasis. While your goal is to…
-
Kin Yeo Fighting Game
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Softstar GAME PUBLISHER:Softstar Copyright 1995, Softstar Kin Yeo Fighting Game is another entry in the long line of solid 2D fighting games from Softstar, Taiwan’s leading game developer. The game features 13 heroes from Chinese mythology and folklore you can choose from, excellent VGA…
-
Cowhunter
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Alex Amsel GAME DEVELOPER:Tuna Technologies GAME PUBLISHER:Xicat Interactive Copyright 1999, Tuna Technologies Cowhunter is a silly shooting gallery game that offers a no-frills shooting action with cows as targets. There are three modes of play, none of which is particularly captivating, but all of which should…
-
NBA Hangtime
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:High Voltage GAME PUBLISHER:Midway Copyright 1997, High Voltage NBA Hangtime is a superb PC port of Midway’s hit arcade game NBA Jam (Midway’s own port of which is also available for download from this site). Developer High Voltage Software did a great job with…
-
Q-Lat 2
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Janne Kivilahti GAME DEVELOPER:Piste Games GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Piste Games Q-Lat 2 is a great arcade game with a unique premise. Borrowing elements from billiards, pinball, and a little Marble Madness, the game’s objective is to make all the balls explode by turning them all…
-
Swing
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Software 2000 GAME PUBLISHER:Software 2000 Copyright 1997, Software 2000 Swing is one of the better Tetris clones released commercially. The falling block routine remains the same, but made much trickier by the addition of weight element. Your goal is to match three or more…
-
Close Combat 2: A Bridge Too Far
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Keith Zabalaoui GAME DEVELOPER:Atomic Games GAME PUBLISHER:Microsoft Copyright 1997, Atomic Games Considered by many wargamers to be the best in the series, Close Combat 2 is a classic real-time tactical-level wargame from Atomic Games, makers of the renowned V for Victory games. Adrenaline Vault’s wargame expert…
-
Dragoon: The Complete Battles of Frederick The Great
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Erickson GAME DEVELOPER:Art of War GAME PUBLISHER:Battlefront.com Copyright 1998, Art of War Dragoon: The Complete Battles of Frederick The Great is an excellent squad-level wargame from independent developer Art of War, now changed its name to Boku Strategy Games. Wargame veteran Robert Mayer says it…
-
Backgammon Professional
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Oxford Softworks GAME PUBLISHER:Oxford Softworks Copyright 1998, Oxford Softworks Backgammon Professional is a superb backgammon program by Oxford Softworks, a company famous for excellent computer algorithms in PC conversions of popular board games. All the features that backgammon players could hope for are here:…
-
Fast Attack
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Software Sorcery GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1996, Software Sorcery One of the most obscure games Sierra published is Fast Attack, a highly underrated, but unfortunately very buggy, submarine simulation developed by Software Sorcery, a now-defunct company that consisted of experienced former US Navy officers…
-
Solitaire Deluxe
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Brad Fregger GAME DEVELOPER:Publishing International GAME PUBLISHER:Interplay Copyright 1995, Publishing International Solitaire Deluxe is a greatly updated version of Solitaire Royale. Designed for Windows 95 and above, this solitaire collection contains 24 different games, ranging from popular games such as Golf and Klondike, to lesser-known games…
-
Casino Tournament of Champions
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Capstone GAME PUBLISHER:Intracorp Copyright 1995, Intracorp Casino Tournament of Champions is yet another game in Capstone’s long line of casino products which began with Trump Castle in 1990. Like the Trump Castle games, CTC boasts all your favorite casino games and a comprehensive tournament…
-
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dave Dientsbier GAME DEVELOPER:Iguana Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Acclaim Entertainment Copyright 1998, Iguana Entertainment One of the first action games that look better on PC than the console, Turok Dinosaur Hunter is an excellent and innovative first-person shooter that is much more of an action-oriented exploration title than…
-
In Pursuit of Greed
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Brady Hunt GAME DEVELOPER:Mind Shear GAME PUBLISHER:Softdisk Publishing Copyright 1995, Mind Shear In Pursuit of Greed is a decent first-person shooter (FPS) set in the distant future. Despite pixellated graphics and repetitive first few levels, the game gets considerably better and more interesting in later levels.…
-
Close Combat
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Keith Zabalaoui GAME DEVELOPER:Atomic Games GAME PUBLISHER:Microsoft Copyright 1996, Atomic Games Games Domain’s strategy/war editor Tim Chown says it all in his comprehensive review of this excellent start to Atomic Games’ real-time squad combat series, set in World War II: “The game runs best at 800×600…
-
3D Table Sports
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Mass Media GAME PUBLISHER:Time Warner Interactive Copyright 1996, Mass Media 3D Table Sports is an okay collection of indoor sports games. Indoor sport games are few and far between, and although this is not a bad game, it is unfortunately not a game that…
-
Battle for Normandy
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Landrey GAME DEVELOPER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) GAME PUBLISHER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) Copyright 1983, Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) One of SSI’s earliest games, Battle for Normandy is a hex-based, turn-based wargame based on more or less the same engine as Tiger in the Snow and Knights…
-
Vigilante
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Yves Rizoud GAME DEVELOPER:Irem GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Yves Rizoud Vigilante is a superb remake of IREM’s 1988 arcade game of the same name that does what all remakes should do: enhances the gameplay while maintaining the same ‘feel’ and atmosphere of playing the original. Coded…
-
Electric Crayon: World of Nintendo
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Brian Rice GAME DEVELOPER:Merit Studios GAME PUBLISHER:Merit Studios Copyright 1991, Brian Rice World of Nintendo is another entry in an underrated Electric Crayon coloring book series. This is a fun, albeit simple, animated coloring books featuring famous characters from Super Mario series. Designed for toddlers, the…
-
Node Warriors
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Garrett Greer & Josh Rodgers GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Garrett Greer & Josh Rodgers Node Warriors is an excellent fanmade version of Wizard of the Coast’s addictive board game RoboRally. The official plot goes as follows: “it is the year X002. The internet as…
-
24 Games for Windows
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Hattan GAME DEVELOPER:Expert Software GAME PUBLISHER:Expert Software Copyright 1995, Expert Software 24 Games for Windows is a great collection of 24 games for Windows 95, comprising some action/arcade games, some card games, and many board/puzzle games. The card games are nothing special: all 4 games…
-
Space Tripper
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Pompom Games GAME PUBLISHER:Pompom Games Copyright 2002, Pompom Games For a start, this is one of the best-looking shareware games I have ever seen, so full credit to the guys at PomPom for raising that often all-too-low bar. Secondly this is one of the…
-
Mutant Storm
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Pompom Games GAME PUBLISHER:Pompom Games Copyright 2002, Pompom Games I’m not sure where to start when reviewing this game, much as I cannot really think where I would start in a review of say, Space Invaders or Asteroids. Let’s start with those classics, at…
-
Game of the Amazons, The
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Walter Zamkauskas & Michael Keller GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1995, Michael Keller The Game of the Amazons is an excellent PC version of “El Juego de las Amazonas,” an original, chess-based board game invented in 1988 by Walter Zamkauskas of Argentina. In this two-player game,…
-
SEGA Bass Fishing
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:SEGA GAME PUBLISHER:Empire Interactive Copyright 2000, SEGA SEGA Bass Fishing is an excellent bass fishing simulation that has been unfortunately ignored by PC gamers, perhaps due to the mistaken “it is probably not in-depth or realistic” attitude associated with the game’s console origins (this…
-
Hellfire Zone
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:GameTek GAME PUBLISHER:GameTek Copyright 1995, GameTek Hellfire Zone is a lackluster isometric/first-person that looks and plays similar to Electronic Arts’ older Jungle Strike, except not nearly as much fun even though it is much newer. As a pilot of an Apache helicopter, your mission…
-
Tomak Save the Earth, Again
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Seed9 Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Seed9 Entertainment Copyright 2001, Seed9 Entertainment Tomak Save the Earth, Again is a fun side-scrolling shooter in the same style as popular Metal Slug series. Developed by Korean company Seed 9 Entertainment, TSTEA was released in limited quantities only in Korea…
-
Warhead
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Glyn Williams GAME DEVELOPER:Activision GAME PUBLISHER:Activision Copyright 1989, Glyn Williams One of the most underrated Elite-inspired space combat games ever made, Warhead is a cult classic Atari ST game published by Activision in 1989. The plot: Earth is being attacked by Sirius-5, and your job –…
-
Real Blackjack
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Daniel Sejzer GAME DEVELOPER:Villa Crespo GAME PUBLISHER:Villa Crespo Copyright 1990, Villa Crespo Real Black Jack is an excellent early blackjack game from Villa Crespo, coded entirely in Microsoft’s BASIC language. Although it plays just like any other blackjack game, Real Black Jack is much more comprehensive…
-
Grid Runner
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Radical Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Virgin Interactive Copyright 1997, Radical Entertainment Grid Runner is a fun futuristic sport game that was much more successful on console systems. You play Axxel, a space investigator sent on a mission with your partner Tara to an asteroid field to…