Author: admin
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BassDuel
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dick Olsen GAME DEVELOPER:Olsen Outdoors GAME PUBLISHER:Olsen Outdoors Copyright 1993, Dick Olsen BassTour and BassDuel is an excellent fishing game by Dick Olsen, who marketed his games as mail order shareware titles between 1991 and 1995. Although graphically dull, the games attracted a loyal following with…
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Baktinet
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Scienide Digital Artwork GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Scienide Digital Artwork Baktinet is the best PC clone I have ever seen of Nintendo’s popular Dr. Mario series. Similar to Tetris, the object of the game is to remove rows of similarly-colored “pills” or “virii” by…
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Blam! Machinehead
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Core Design GAME PUBLISHER:EIDOS Interactive Copyright 1996, Core Design Blam! Machinehead is an action-filled, bizarre 3D shooter by Core Design with nice graphic effects and a B-Movie flair that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Here’s the plot: an evil DNA has gone berzerk and…
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European Superleague
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:CDS GAME PUBLISHER:CDS Copyright 1991, CDS European Superleague is an obscure and underrated soccer management game (SMG for short) from German developer CDS, released only in Europe. You can manage one of eight European teams on one of three difficulty levels. Similar to other…
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NHL Open Ice 2 on 2 Challenge
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:High Voltage GAME PUBLISHER:Midway Copyright 1997, High Voltage NHL Open Ice is an excellent PC conversion of Midway’s hit arcade game of the same name. Licenced by the NHL and NHL Players’ Association, this two-on-two hockey game features over 120 real-life players from all…
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Alf’s World of Words
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Vision Software GAME PUBLISHER:Vision Software Copyright 1988, Vision Software Alf’s World of Words is a companion title to Vision Software’s Alf’s Thinking Skills, an excellent edutainment game starring one of America’s most famous children TV characters. Like Alf’s Thinking Skills, AWoW was designed for…
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Alf’s Party Kit
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Box Office GAME PUBLISHER:Box Office Copyright 1988, Box Office Alf’s Party Kit is a fun collection of mini applications and games that are designed, as the name suggests, to help kids print invitations and banners for parties and have fun playing mini party games…
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Manx TT
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:SEGA GAME PUBLISHER:SEGA Copyright 1997, SEGA Manx TT is a decent PC port of SEGA’s popular arcade game which was in turn based on the real-life “Isle of Man Trophy Race” motorcycle race. Similar to other racing games, you can play the game in…
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SimCopter
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Will Wright GAME DEVELOPER:Maxis GAME PUBLISHER:Maxis Copyright 1998, Maxis One of the most original – and most overlooked – entries in Maxis’ blockbuster SimCity series, SimCopter is an interesting and fun simulation that lets you get up close and personal with your own city. Games Domain’s…
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Legends
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Krisalis GAME PUBLISHER:Krisalis Copyright 1996, Krisalis Probably the most obscure game from now-defunct developer Krisalis, Legends is an average Zelda-style overhead action/RPG hybrid that has none of the charms of Nintendo’s classic. The game’s best feature is the plot, which is long and quite…
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Dopewars
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ben Webb GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Ben Webb Dopewars is a great clone of John E. Dell’s DOS-based Drug Wars game that was popular on numerous BBS’s in the mid 1990s. Your goal is to amass as much money as possible by buying and…
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Live Wire!
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Radcliffe GAME DEVELOPER:Code Monkeys, The GAME PUBLISHER:Sales Curve Interactive Copyright 1999, Code Monkeys, The Live Wire! is an interesting and somewhat innovative 3D puzzle game that unfortunately is much better as a concept than the actual gameplay. In this action-based game that is similar to…
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Tracksuit Manager 2
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Alternative GAME PUBLISHER:Alternative Copyright 1996, Alternative Tracksuit Manager 2 is a decent soccer management game (SMG) from Alternative Software. While the prequel Tracksuit Manager was one of the best SMGs at the time of its release, this sequel unfortunately offers too little, too late.…
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Microsoft Soccer
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Lobotomy Software GAME PUBLISHER:Microsoft Copyright 1997, Lobotomy Software Microsoft Soccer is definitely one of the worst soccer games ever made – and one of the many first embarrassments for Microsoft when it tried to re-enter the gaming industry in mid 1990s. Games Domain trashed…
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Bubble Bobble Hero 2
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Lonaisoft GAME PUBLISHER:Lonaisoft Copyright 1999, Lonaisoft Bubble Bobble Hero 2 is an excellent and little-known Bubble Bobble clone from Taiwanese developer Lonaisoft. Although the game was translated from Chinese to English (the version you can download here), it was marketed only in a few…
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Snowball Action Puzzle, The
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Fluid Mechanics GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Fluid Mechanics The Snowball Action Puzzle is a neat action/puzzle hybrid from Japan. The idea is simple: you control a 3D duck who must kill all the enemy ducks on each level by throwing snowballs at them while…
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Wild Board Games
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Artech GAME PUBLISHER:Corel Copyright 1995, Corel Wild Board Games is a fun collection of board games for Windows, the fifth in Corel’s line of ‘edutainment’ CD-ROMs for children before the company refocused its efforts on graphical applications in late 1990s. The program includes five…
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Molecule Man
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Robin Thompson GAME DEVELOPER:Mastertronic GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Robin Thompson Molecule Man is a nice Windows remake of a 1985 game of the same name that was published by Mastertronic for the Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Spectrum ZX, and most other 8-bit computers except the PC.…
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Electric Crayon: Dinos are Forever
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Brian Rice GAME DEVELOPER:Merit Studios GAME PUBLISHER:Merit Studios Copyright 1988, Brian Rice At the Zoo and Dinos are Forever are two more entries in Brian Rice’s prolific Electric Crayon series. Like other entries, these programs are electronic coloring books that feature lots of attractive pictures for…
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Electric Crayon: At the Zoo
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Brian Rice GAME DEVELOPER:Merit Studios GAME PUBLISHER:Merit Studios Copyright 1993, Brian Rice At the Zoo and Dinos are Forever are two more entries in Brian Rice’s prolific Electric Crayon series. Like other entries, these programs are electronic coloring books that feature lots of attractive pictures for…
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Classic Arcade Games for Windows
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Impressions GAME PUBLISHER:Impressions Copyright 1995, Impressions Classic Arcade Games for Windows is a good collection of small arcade games for Windows. One of Impressions’ least-known releases, CAGFW includes five arcade games, all of which are variant of arcade classics but still a lot of…
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Bicycle Casino
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Wesley Steiner GAME DEVELOPER:Swfte International GAME PUBLISHER:Swfte International Copyright 1995, Swfte International Bicycle Casino is a great casino game for Windows that features authentic casino rules, many variants, a clean user interface, and excellent graphics and sound effects. Poker, blackjack, baccarat, and roulette are games you…
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Super Mario Pac
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:HermitGames GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, HermitGames Super Mario Pac is one of the best Super Mario clones for PC you will likely find. This is not only because it remains faithful to the simple-yet-addictive gameplay of Nintendo’s blockbuster, but also because the game adds…
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Super Mario XP
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:CnC Darkside GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, CnC Darkside Super Mario XP is a great Super Mario clone from japan. While the graphics is not as good as Nintendo’s original – Mario looks like he has lost a few pounds, and the color palette is…
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Miko-san’s Miracle Board
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:PowerWinds GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, PowerWinds Miko-san’s Miracle Board is an excellent 3D platformer from Japan that is remarkably similar to Pandemonium!, except it is less complex. Similar to Super Mario, your goal as Miko, a cute anime girl, is to run to the…
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Wild Cards
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Artech GAME PUBLISHER:Corel Copyright 1995, Corel Wild Cards is an excellent collection of card games, designed with kids in mind. It does for cards what Corel’s Wild Board Games does for board games: present a good range of popular family card games in an…
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Road Rash
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Papyrus Design Group GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Arts Copyright 1996, Papyrus Design Group Road Rash is one of the rare gems that play much better than it looks. Although very dated when released, the game’s simple charm attracted a small but loyal following. While the game…
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SimCity 2000 Network Edition
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Will Wright GAME DEVELOPER:Maxis GAME PUBLISHER:Maxis Copyright 1996, Maxis Probably the rarest Maxis game in existence today, SimCity 2000 Network Edition is the excellent multiplayer version of Will Wright’s popular SimCity 2000. Released in 1996, the game’s sales figure was so disappointing that Maxis decided to…
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Ultimate Spin Doctor for Windows
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Alvin Mullin GAME DEVELOPER:Callisto Productions GAME PUBLISHER:Expert Software Copyright 1996, Expert Software Ultimate Spin Doctor is an obscure Windows version of ClockWerx, an innovative puzzle gamer that was endorsed by Tetris father Alexei Pajitnov and published by Spectrum Holobyte in 1995. The game remains the same…
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Jazz Jackrabbit 2: The Secret Files
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Nick Stadler GAME DEVELOPER:Project 2 Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:Epic Megagames Copyright 1999, Project 2 Interactive Jazz Jackrabbit 2: The Secret Files is the final release in Epic Megagames’ celebrated Jazz Jackrabbit series, which remains today one of the best shareware platformers of all time. In The Secret…
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Back to Baghdad
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Robert Carter GAME DEVELOPER:Military Simulations Inc. GAME PUBLISHER:Military Simulations Inc. Copyright 1996, Military Simulations Inc. Back to Baghdad was the first and only release from Military Simulations, a small US-based outfit that later modified the game’s source code for use with the US Air Force’s actual…
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Arcade Mania
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Corel GAME PUBLISHER:Corel Copyright 1995, Corel Arcade Mania is a collection of 3 lackluster arcade games from Corel, a company most famous for its Corel Draw series that dabbled in gaming industry with a few titles in the mid-1990s. The game has nothing you…
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Lords of The Realm II
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Lester GAME DEVELOPER:Impressions GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1996, Impressions One of the most underrated strategy games of all time, Impressions’ Lords of the Realm II is in my opinion the best game designed by David Lester, prolific designer and founder of Impressions. This mediaval empire…
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Favorite Games for Windows
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Expert Software GAME PUBLISHER:Expert Software Copyright 1994, Expert Software Favorite Games for Windows is a decent compilation of traditional family games for Windows. The games included are Backgammon, Hearts, Rummy, Yacht (also known as Yahtzee), and Checkers. Each of the games plays well and…
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S.C.A.R.A.B.
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Ratcliff GAME DEVELOPER:Electronic Arts GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Arts Copyright 1997, John Ratcliff S.C.A.R.A.B. is an innovative mix of shooter and strategy genres that sadly received too little attention than it deserves. A spiritual descendant of Simutronic’s excellent but also underrated CyberStrike, S.C.A.R.A.B. is essentially a giant…
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GF Captor Kurara
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:CnC Darkside GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, CnC Darkside We already knew that Japanese freeware developer CNC Darkside had a taste for bizarre fusions: G-Type (R-Type+Gradius), Super Mario XP (Mario+Castlevania)… This time, they took the characters of Card Captor Sakura, and put them in a…
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Out of the Park Baseball 5
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Markus Heinsohn GAME DEVELOPER:Out of the Park Developments GAME PUBLISHER:.400 Software Studios Copyright 2003, Out of the Park Developments The Out of the Park Baseball franchise has become the management sim of choice for the knowing fan. Each edition gets better graphically, becomes easier to play…
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Aliants: The Desperate Battle for Earth
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:StarSoft Development GAME PUBLISHER:Keypunch Copyright 1989, StarSoft Development Aliants is a lackluster action game from Keypunch, maker of numerous budget action games in mid 1980s that were mostly below average. The plot is yet another rescue-the-Earth-from-Alien-invaders cliche, and the action is not much different…
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Creatures 2 Deluxe Edition
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Stephen Grand GAME DEVELOPER:Cyberlife Technology GAME PUBLISHER:Mindscape Copyright 1998, Cyberlife Technology One of the most innovative software programs ever made, Creatures 2 Deluxe Edition is an excellent artificial life simulation that, in my humble opinion, deserves much more praise than Will Wright’s very fun but much…
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Trommy
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Crysus GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Crysus Trommy is a fun board game for one or two players, featuring smart AI and nice graphics. Similar to Othello or Reversi, your goal is to have more stones then your opponent at the end of the game.…
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Words of Power
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Stark Springs GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Stark Springs Words of Power is a fun introductory-level fantasy adventure that sports a nifty magic system, engaging plot, and easy puzzles. The game casts you as a modern-day physics student called Thea Armstrong who has been transported…
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Queen of Swords
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jessica Knoch GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Jessica Knoch Queen of Swords is a worthy winner of the “Best of Show” award in the 2003 IF Art Show, an annual IF competition set up to encourage games that focus on player’s experience and interactivity rather…
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A Stop for the Night
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Joe Mason GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Joe Mason A Stop for the Night is a fun Gothic horror IF that makes up for the confusing navigation system with superb writing that effectively evokes a creepy landscape – much like Anchorhead does on a grander…
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Redemption
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kathleen Fischer GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Kathleen Fischer Redemption is a worthy winner of the “Best of Portrait” award in the 2003 IF Art Show, an annual IF competition set up to encourage games that focus on player’s experience and interactivity rather than on…
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Tinseltown Blues
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chris Hayes GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Chris Hayes Tinseltown Blues is a fun scavenger hunt game in the same style as Infocom’s Hollywood Hijinx, only more fun. David Welbourn says it all in his review at IF-Review: “I just finished playing Tinseltown Blues. Fun…
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City of Secrets
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Emily Short GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Emily Short City of Secrets is yet another superb release from Emily Short, one of the best IF authors today. As of June 2003, this is easily the most ambitious and polished game from the prolific author, not…
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Insight
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jon Ingold GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Jon Ingold Insight is a superbly written sci-fi thriller by Jon Ingold, one of the most celebrated IF authors today. While certain plot devices in the game are reminiscent of Andrew Plotkin’s Spider and Web, Insight is far…
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Katana
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Matt Rohde GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Matt Rohde Copyright 2002, Matt Rohde Of all the real-world settings, the myths and history of China and Japan are some of the most interesting and adaptable to adventure genre. But games that utilize them have been few and far between,…
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Inevitable
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kathleen Fischer GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Kathleen Fischer Inevitable is a fun sci-fi IF from Kathleen Fischer, author of Redemption and Masquerade, two Top Dogs also reviewed on this site. The plot is cliche, but passable: while accompanying an ambassador of the planet that…
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Max Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venus
From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dan Shiovitz & Emily Short GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Dan Shiovitz & Emily Short Max Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venus is a well-deserved winner of Adam Cadre’s Spring Thing 2003. Similar to Robb Sherwin’s A Crimson Spring except…