Category: Arcade and Action Games

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Nikita GAME PUBLISHER:Nikita Copyright 1995, Nikita Honey Lines is a neat little puzzler from Russia’s Nikita, one of the country’s oldest and largest developers that went out of business in 2002. The game is a decent variant of Gamos’ superior Color Lines: your goal…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Nikita GAME PUBLISHER:Nikita Copyright 1995, Nikita Russian developer Nikita released a number of budget arcade games for Windows 95 in 1995, none of which is well known outside Russia. Similar to older games by CHAMProgramming or Windmill, Nikita’s Windows titles are essentially clones of…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Nikita GAME PUBLISHER:Nikita Copyright 1995, Nikita Russian developer Nikita released a number of budget arcade games for Windows 95 in 1995, none of which is well known outside Russia. Similar to older games by CHAMProgramming or Windmill, Nikita’s Windows titles are essentially clones of…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Nikita GAME PUBLISHER:Nikita Copyright 1995, Nikita Russian developer Nikita released a number of budget arcade games for Windows 95 in 1995, none of which is well known outside Russia. Similar to older games by CHAMProgramming or Windmill, Nikita’s Windows titles are essentially clones of…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Subsino GAME PUBLISHER:Subsino Copyright 1993, Subsino Silk is a fun adult Qix-style game from Subsino, a Taiwanese developer. Your goal on each level is to use the arrow keys and spacebar to “draw” lines from the edge to expose a hidden picture of a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Spidersoft GAME PUBLISHER:Expert Software Copyright 1994, Spidersoft A banal pinball game developed as a “budget” pinball title by Spidersoft, 21st Century’s partially owned developer. Pinball expert Martin Mathis says it all in his uncompromising review: “Multi-table package with four themes. Scrolling 2D view in…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Nikita GAME PUBLISHER:Nikita Copyright 1995, Nikita Vira is an excellent and unique puzzler from Nikita, one of Russia’s best game developers that is practically unknown abroad. Like all good puzzle games, the game is easy to learn, but hard to master. In this level-based…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Epic Megagames GAME PUBLISHER:Micro League Copyright 1994, Epic Megagames Silverball Plus 2 is a pretty good pinball game by Epic Megagames, published by Micro League in 1994. From the information page at MobyGames: “Silverball is basically a commercially published version of the game Epic…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Andrew Pointon GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Andrew Pointon PANgIC Plus is an excellent fanmade remake of Pang (a.k.a. Dinosaur Balls). In the designer’s own words: “[PANgIC Plus] is a true “old-school” arcade blaster – no levels, no bosses, just lots of things to shoot…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Software Storm GAME PUBLISHER:Software Storm Copyright 1995, Software Storm One of the more innovative Arkanoid/Breakout clones, Breakfree is essentially 3D version Breakout with some interesting twists. The object of the game is to break free from each level by destroying all the breakable walls…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Martina Pau?ulu GAME DEVELOPER:Elite Systems GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Martina Paučulu Bombjack is an excellent fanmade conversion of Tecmo’s classic arcade game of the same name. The game is much better than Mighty Bombjack, the official PC conversion made by Elite Systems in 1990. If you…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Unique Development Studios (UDS) GAME PUBLISHER:21st Century Entertainment Copyright 1997, 21st Century Entertainment Slam Tilt is an excellent pinball game from 21st Century Entertainment, best known for Pinball Fantasies and Pinball Illusions. Fans of these classics won’t be disappointed with Slam Tilt, although this…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Cosmos Designs GAME PUBLISHER:Cosmos Designs Copyright 1993, Cosmos Designs Super Nibbly is a decent and very little known PC conversion of the Commodore 64 and Amiga game of the same name, which were only slightly better known than this PC port. The game is…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Raoul Said GAME DEVELOPER:MindStorm Software GAME PUBLISHER:Pack Media Copyright 1994, MindStorm Software In Search of Dr. Riptide is a fun shareware platformer from Raoul Said, designer of Pea Shootin’ Pete. Similar to his other underdog, ISODR is fun, colorful, and nicely animated. As a naval officer,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:George Broussard GAME DEVELOPER:Apogee GAME PUBLISHER:Softdisk Publishing Copyright 1993, Softdisk Publishing ScubaVenture is a fun, early Apogee platformer by George Broussard that relates to id’s blockbuster Wolfenstein 3D in an interesting way. Here is the lowdown from Lon Matero’s superb Apogee Page: “Apogee’s Vice President George…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Keith Schuler GAME DEVELOPER:Apogee GAME PUBLISHER:Softdisk Publishing Copyright 1990, Softdisk Publishing Paganitzu and Chagunitzu is a pair of fun action/puzzle games programmed by Keith Schuler. In both games, your goal is to help a hapless hero go through rooms of puzzles and traps to find treasure…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Keith Schuler GAME DEVELOPER:Apogee GAME PUBLISHER:Trilobyte Copyright 1991, Apogee Paganitzu and Chagunitzu is a pair of fun action/puzzle games programmed by Keith Schuler. In both games, your goal is to help a hapless hero go through rooms of puzzles and traps to find treasure and a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Q-Lympics IQ Marathon is a great little puzzle game from Q-Lympics of Germany, coded as a stand-alone Macromedia Flash game. The idea is simple: on each level, you must maneuver a white cow to reach a fire hydrant. The…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Astros GAME PUBLISHER:Gremlin Copyright 1997, Astros SandWarriors is a fun but very obscure 3D shooter from Astros, published by Gremlin in 1997. Although the game sports many innovations and fun gameplay, it was bogged down by poor frame rates on computers at that time…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Effigy Software GAME PUBLISHER:Effigy Software Copyright 1996, Effigy Software In the crowded field of PC pinball games, there has been a number of “experimental” titles released by daring developers who used unique approaches that defy pinball conventions. Most of these games, such as Starball…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Michael Speck GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Michael Speck LMarbles is a very nice puzzle game inspired by Thalion’s classic Atomix. Your goal is to move different colored marbles to replicate the arrangement given to the right of the screen. It is not as easy…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Billy Huynh GAME DEVELOPER:Anonymous GAME PUBLISHER:Anonymous Copyright 1994, Billy Huynh PokerTris is a great remake of a never-released Nintendo game called Super Square Deal (see related link below to get that game). Actually, I am not sure whether it is a remake or not, since the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jeff Anderson GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1994, Jeff Anderson HoverTank is a fun two-player split screen tank battle game, just like Atari’s classic Combat, but with better graphics and more power-ups. You start out at either a random or a predetermined location depending on the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Pop Software GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1992, Pop Software The Rift is a decent little vertical shooter in the same vein as Space Invaders. The game was never sold, but given as “free gift” to people who registered Pop Software’s shareware products. There isn’t much…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Spidersoft GAME PUBLISHER:21st Century Entertainment Copyright 1997, 21st Century Entertainment Pinball 3D-VCR (released as Total Pinball 3D in the U.S.) is a decent pinball game from 21st Century. As one can expect from masters of the genre, the game looks good, plays well, and…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Spidersoft GAME PUBLISHER:21st Century Entertainment Copyright 1997, 21st Century Entertainment Electronic Pinball is the last pinball game from 21st Century Entertainment before quietly going out of business in 1998. As the company was going through financial troubles while developing the game, it is not…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Ikarion GAME PUBLISHER:Ikarion Copyright 1996, Ikarion Pinball Wizard 2000 is an excellent application that allows you to create and play your own pinball tables. Although the English version was never made, this German game is not difficult to understand and use, thanks to the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Tritone GAME DEVELOPER:Alpha Helix GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1996, Alpha Helix Ravage is an excellent shareware vertical shooter game from Alpha Helix, the maker of cult classic The Last Eichhof freeware shooter. While The Last Eichhof was humorous, wacky shooter, Ravage is a typical sci-fi shooter that…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Time Warner Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:Time Warner Interactive Copyright 1995, Time Warner Interactive Endorfun is a fun psychadelic puzzle game that plays like Tetris on acid. Well, not really – but you get the idea 🙂 The objective in the game is to maneuver a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Beam International GAME PUBLISHER:Beam International Copyright 1987, Beam International Bedlam is a fun Space Invaders-style vertical shooter that packs a lot of gameplay variety in less than 200KB of space. Although the 4-color CGA graphics unfortunately looks too pale compared to the colorful Spectrum…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Patrick Dublanchet GAME DEVELOPER:ERE Informatique GAME PUBLISHER:ERE Informatique Copyright 1987, ERE Informatique Eden Blues is a neat action/adventure game from ERE, French developer known for making quirky titles. From MobyGames’ description: “In this real-time adventure you are a prisoner of jail guarded by droids. And you…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Atlantean Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:Atlantean Interactive Copyright 1996, Atlantean Interactive One of the worst games I have ever played, Island Peril is a campy FPS that you shouldn’t ever play… unless you are curious about how bad a game can get. How bad is the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Hannu Kankaanp?? GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Hannu Kankaanp?? Tunnels of the Underworlds is a fun multiplayer ‘caveflier’ game from the lands of cavefliers: Finland, of course 🙂 Developed by a small group who call themselves GigaMess, TOU boasts excellent, hi-res SVGA graphics, smooth animations,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kirath GAME DEVELOPER:Cassiopeia GAME PUBLISHER:Cassiopeia Copyright 1989, Cassiopeia Block-O-Mania is an excellent Soko-Ban-style game from Cassiopeia, a now-defunct shareware developer based in The Netherlands. The object of the game is to push all blocks onto the right storages: red blocks onto red storages, green on green,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Unique Development Studios (UDS) GAME PUBLISHER:21st Century Entertainment Copyright 1996, 21st Century Entertainment After publishing a number of excellent pinball games that they developed in-house, 21st Century Entertainment decided to outsource the development to a third party company, in this case UDS of Sweden.…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Horner GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1997, David Horner Drain Storm is a fun puzzle game that is highly reminiscent of our Hall of Belated Fame entrant DROD, except its puzzle structure is much less rigid, meaning it won’t make you pull out your hair…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Flair GAME PUBLISHER:Flair Copyright 1990, Flair Turn ‘n Burn is a lackluster 2D top-down shoot ’em up from Flair. The gameplay is nothing you haven’t seen before: blast all the baddies on each level, then move on to the next. It’s a bit reminiscent…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1992, AmigaFun & Playstone Design More of a historical curiosity than a classic game worth preserving, Mysterious Worlds is a rare DOS version of the Amiga game of the same name that was included on the coverdisk of an AmigaFun…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Peter Balch GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1994, Peter Balch Marble and Tristate are two excellent and unique brainteasers that play like a cross between three classic board games: Black Box, Mastermind, and Nonogram – all rolled into one. Your objective in Marble is to roll…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Peter Balch GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1996, Peter Balch Marble and Tristate are two excellent and unique brainteasers that play like a cross between three classic board games: Black Box, Mastermind, and Nonogram – all rolled into one. Your objective in Marble is to roll…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Prestige GAME PUBLISHER:Prestige Copyright 1992, Prestige Catch ‘Em is an interesting platform/action game from Prestige, much better known on the Amiga. Adrian Simpson gives a good description of the game in his review for the Amiga Games Database: “If you could only use one…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Kaiko GAME PUBLISHER:Software 2000 Copyright 1992, Software 2000 Super Gem’Z is a fun puzzle game by Kaiko, a short-lived German developer who released several games for the Amiga before disbanding the company in 1993. A mixture between Gem’X, Kaiko’s previous game, and Bomberman, your…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:1 AM Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:1 AM Entertainment Copyright 1998, 1 AM Entertainment Bonkheads is a fun 2D action game designed for kids. The Troll brothers Grag and Thog must rid their home of annoying pests in each of the 144 levels that comprised Trollsville.…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Titus GAME PUBLISHER:Titus Copyright 1996, Titus Metal Rage is a lackluster 3D shooter from Titus. It remains probably Titus’ least known game, but you will discover why very soon after you start playing: this is a sub-par game that is not fun to play,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Bepposoft GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Bepposoft The Line from Bepposoft is a fun platformer with a very unique and fascinating premise which translates into a unique gameplay as well. Imagine a one-dimensional world comprising of just one line, as depicted in Abbott’s classic book…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Teemu Hynninen GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Teemu Hynninen “The future, mankind has left its home planet of Earth in search of new inhabitable worlds. Such places were indeed discovered and colonized. Life seemed to exist all over the galaxy. Intelligent lifeforms weren’t to be…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Gremlin GAME PUBLISHER:Interplay Copyright 1996, Gremlin Re-Loaded is a fun top-down action game from Gremlin, published by Interplay. The game is a slightly inferior sequel to Loaded, a reasonably successful Playstation game that was never ported to the PC. The original Re-Loaded on the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:SegaSoft GAME PUBLISHER:SegaSoft Copyright 1998, SegaSoft Flesh Feast is basically an inferior clone of Raven’s Take No Prisoners, despite having better graphics. In this 3D action game, you play up to three different groups of people who are trapped on an island and can’t…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:E. Hashimoto GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, E. Hashimoto Akuji the Demon is an excellent freeware platformer from Japan that puts many commercial titles to shame. The storyline alone is already a twist on the familiar “hero kills foozle” plot: you play a demon (albeit…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:James Wheeler GAME DEVELOPER:Capstone GAME PUBLISHER:Intracorp Copyright 1995, Capstone Witchaven is a decent first-person shooter from Capstone/Intracorp that introduces a few innovations to the genre at the time (1995 – the era of Duke Nukem 3D and DOOM), but falls flat with repetitive gameplay and poor…