Category: Arcade and Action Games

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dave Collier GAME DEVELOPER:Konami GAME PUBLISHER:Konami Copyright 1989, Konami Rush ‘N Attack (known as Green Beret outside the U.S.) is a fun side scrolling platform combat game that sets Konami’s standards for excellent military action titles. While not up to the standards of later games (e.g.…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Anthony Lambert & Nick Leaton GAME DEVELOPER:Mindware GAME PUBLISHER:Rainbird Copyright 1987, Rainbird A unique action/strategy game that is hard to categorize, Tracker is a fun futuristic gameshow that pits man against machine in a maze-like arenas. You control a fleet of starships that fly through hallways…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Konami GAME PUBLISHER:Konami Copyright 1989, Konami A good PC conversion of Konami’s hit arcade game of the same name, Contra is a Vietnam war platform game that features Rambo-style one-man commando against seeming the entire planet’s enemy population, complete with colorful explosions, varied enemy…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Taito GAME PUBLISHER:Taito Copyright 1988, Taito An okay conversion of Taito’s lesser-known arcade game of the same name. There is not much more I can say about Renegade— the game will be familiar to anyone who has spent numerous quarters on Double Dragon or…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ian Downend & Paul Carruthers GAME DEVELOPER:Logotron GAME PUBLISHER:Astral Copyright 1988, Astral Quadralien is a very unique action/puzzle hybrid that combines robotic programming with dexterity. The plot is an interesting sci-fi meltdown scenario: Astra, the last and largest of mankind’s fission reactors is rapidly breaking down…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Steven Green GAME DEVELOPER:Grand Slam GAME PUBLISHER:Software Toolworks Copyright 1992, Software Toolworks A fun action game based on the hit movie of the same name, Hunt for The Red October casts you as Jack Ryan, the CIA officer in the movie who suspects that the USSR…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:California Dreams GAME PUBLISHER:California Dreams Copyright 1989, California Dreams Tunnels of Armageddon is a fun futuristic racing game with a twist: instead of racing headlone on predetermined tracks, your goal is to collect various objects inside the tunnel by knocking them off the walls.…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Palace Software GAME PUBLISHER:Epyx Copyright 1987, Epyx Rad Warrior is an early Palace Software (Barbarian) release that sets itself apart from other platform titles of the same period with puzzle elements and fluid animation. Despite 4-color CGA graphics, Rad Warrior takes full advantage of…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Grand Slam GAME PUBLISHER:Grand Slam Copyright 1992, Grand Slam Die Hard 2: Die Harder is an okay shooter from Grandslam based on the hit movie of the same name. The game is essentially 3D target practice: you shoot the baddies from a first-person perspective,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Dynamix GAME PUBLISHER:Activision Copyright 1989, Dynamix Die Hard is a fun first-person shooter from Dynamix that broke new grounds in several ways, although they apparently not enough to attract most gamers’ attention. The game is based on the hit movie of the same name…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Taito GAME PUBLISHER:Taito Copyright 1989, Taito One of the better conversions of Taito’s arcade games, Operation Wolf, like its arcade counterpart, is a furious first-person shooter that goes beyond a typical 3D target practice with fluid animations, a wide variety of enemies, and fun…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Pandora Software GAME PUBLISHER:Mindscape Copyright 1987, Mindscape Perhaps best described as Wolftenstein 3D from top-down perspective, Into The Eagle’s Nest is neither as addictive nor revolutionary as that id classic, although it embodies the same find-keys-to-unlock-doors puzzle element mixed with standard shoot-everything-in-sight gameplay that…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Manley Associates GAME PUBLISHER:Capstone Copyright 1992, Capstone In this sequel to Home Alone Kevin McCallister has again lost his family, this time in New York City. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, as with the first game, is a faithful adaptation of the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Manley Associates GAME PUBLISHER:Capstone Copyright 1991, Capstone A fun platform game based on the hit movie of the same name, Home Alone casts you as 7-year-old Kevin who is left alone in the house as his parents absent-mindedly left for vacation. His immediate problem:…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ronald Millar GAME DEVELOPER:Silicon & Synapse GAME PUBLISHER:Interplay Copyright 1992, Blizzard Entertainment The Lost Vikings is one of the most charming and unique puzzle games you’ll ever come across, despite some console-style quirks. Three stalwart Vikings are accidentally sucked into an alien spaceship during one of…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ken Jordan GAME DEVELOPER:SEGA GAME PUBLISHER:SEGA Copyright 1984, SEGA Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom is a simple but fun CGA shooter based on SEGA’s arcade game of the same name. It’s probably best described as Zaxxon from a first-person perspective as opposed to isometric. Gameplay is…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Damon Slye GAME DEVELOPER:Dynamix GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Arts Copyright 1986, Dynamix One of the true pioneers of real-time, first-person shooter (FPS) genre, Arctic Fox is a fun game that is also notable for being one of Damon Slye (Aces of Pacific)’s first designs at Dynamix. There’s even…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Tynesoft GAME PUBLISHER:Tynesoft Copyright 1990, Tynesoft Beverly Hills Cop is an adequate action game based on the hit Paramount movie of the same name that launched Eddie Murphy to stardom. The plot is simple: as member of the Los Angeles police force, your job…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Subway Software GAME PUBLISHER:Tynesoft Copyright 1989, Tynesoft Mayday Squad is a fun CGA hostage rescue game similar to Mindscape’s classic Hostage but with more options and variety despite inferior graphics. The Red Legion has taken control of the Lutonian Embassy and issued 143 non-negotiable…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Probe Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Virgin Interactive Copyright 1992, Virgin Interactive Viz is a funny, politically incorrect action game based on a popular British magazine of the same name. For the uninitiated, Viz is produced in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. According to the official website, Viz…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ralph Russell GAME DEVELOPER:Maxis GAME PUBLISHER:Brderbund Copyright 1990, Brderbund Skychase is a fun 2-player action game that plays like a cross between classic boardgame Battleship and arcade flight simulations. The controls are as easy as it gets: just press two keys to start white-knuckle dogfights between…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Hi-tech Expressions GAME PUBLISHER:Hi-tech Expressions Copyright 1993, Hi-tech Expressions One of the very first games designed for young girls, Barbie Super Model is a fun game starring the world’s most recognizable doll. The objective is simple: help Barbie become the world’s best model. The…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Andrew Plotkin GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1999, Andrew Plotkin System’s Twilight is a wonderful puzzle adventure for the Macintosh, designed by the incomparable Andrew Plotkin (affectionately known in the IF community as “Zarf,” Andrew is most famous for excellent IF games, including So Far and…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Cliff Johnson GAME DEVELOPER:Inline Design GAME PUBLISHER:Inline Design Copyright 1991, Cliff Johnson Probably Cliff Johnson’s best game since The Fool’s Errand, created at the height of his creativity, 3 in Three is a charming, unique puzzle adventure that unfortunately is very little known due to its…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Cliff Johnson GAME DEVELOPER:Philips Media GAME PUBLISHER:Philips Media Copyright 1995, Cliff Johnson Merlin’s Apprentice is a delightful collection of challenging puzzles designed by Cliff Johnson, of The Fool’s Errand fame. The premise is not as original as Cliff’s previous games, but is well executed: you are…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Cliff Johnson GAME DEVELOPER:Philips Media GAME PUBLISHER:Philips Media Copyright 1996, Cliff Johnson The second game Cliff Johnson (Fool’s Errand) designed for Phillips Interactive is virtually identical to Merlin’s Apprentice, with ancient Greek myths as the backdrop this time instead of Arthurian legends. The game’s premise is…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Riordan GAME DEVELOPER:Tribal Dreams GAME PUBLISHER:Interplay Copyright 1998, Interplay Of Light and Darkness is a very unique blend of puzzle, action, and adventure that will prove too esoteric to most gamers to enjoy. The game’s great premise and beautiful artwork will, at first, lead you…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Nick D’Mahe GAME DEVELOPER:Addictive GAME PUBLISHER:Prism Leisure Copyright 1989, Addictive Hotshot is a fun futuristic sport game that plays like a cross between Arkanoid and regular pinball. The object is to score more points than your opponent, by attracting a plasma ball and firing it with…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Tomahawk GAME PUBLISHER:Coktel Vision Copyright 1990, Coktel Vision One of Tomahawk / Coktel’s few action games, Cougar Force is a decent platform game starring you as member of Cougar Force, an elite commando team. Your mission is to penetrate the criminal’s fortress to retrieve…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Loriciel GAME PUBLISHER:Loriciel Copyright 1991, Loriciel A fun platform game from Loriciel, Golden Eagle features fluid animations that rival Jordan Mechner’s classic Prince of Persia games, as well as an intriguing blend of action with elements from adventure and puzzle genre. The plot in…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Tony Zurovec & Mark Vittek GAME DEVELOPER:Origin Systems GAME PUBLISHER:Origin Systems Copyright 1996, Origin Systems Definitely one of the best action games ever made, Origin’s Crusader: No Remorse is a perfect use of the 3D isometric engine used in the abysmal Ultima VIII: Pagan. The premise…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Tony Zurovec & Mark Vittek GAME DEVELOPER:Origin Systems GAME PUBLISHER:Origin Systems Copyright 1996, Origin Systems Joe Hutsko of GameSpot wrote such an excellent and thorough review of this excellent underdog that I’d like to just quote it here verbatim: “There’s no point in opening here with…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chuck Sommerville GAME DEVELOPER:Epyx GAME PUBLISHER:Epyx Copyright 1990, Epyx More commonly known as the best game in Microsoft’s Windows Entertainment Pack series and one of the most innovative games ever made for any system, Chip’s Challenge was actually first released by Epyx in 1990 with little…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Tsunami Media GAME PUBLISHER:Tsunami Media Copyright 1992, Tsunami Media Wacky Funsters is a fun tongue-in-cheek game from Tsunami that is entertaining, although lacking in long-term play value. There is even a semblance of a plot: King Wacky of the Funsters gaming realm has summoned…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:xLand Games GAME PUBLISHER:Epic Megagames Copyright 1994, xLand Games Heartlight Deluxe is one of the better Supaplex clones, although level design leaves much to be desired. Your task is to guide the little elf Percival through 60 levels, each of which is full of…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Adam Pedersen GAME DEVELOPER:Adept Software GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1993, Adept Software In Jetpack, you play an adventurer without personality, who must gather all gems from a level to proceed to the next one until you’ve finished all hundred of them. The action is executed in a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Adam Pedersen GAME DEVELOPER:Adept Software GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1992, Adept Software Squarez resembles Tetris in a sense that you must assemble sets of blocks in specific patterns so that they dissappear to make room for more blocks (repeat ad infinitum if you’re lucky or skillfull). As…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Microids GAME PUBLISHER:Infogrames Copyright 1991, Microids Eagle’s Rider is a fun sci-fi shooter from Microids that sets itself apart from other shooters with innovative semi-360-degree movement. I call it “semi” because your ship can still move only in 4 cardinal directions. The game, however,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Albin Michel GAME DEVELOPER:UBI Soft GAME PUBLISHER:UBI Soft Copyright 1990, UBI Soft Ranx is a very strange cyberpunk action game starring you as an ugly cyborg named Ranx, who’s big on muscles but very low on IQ. Your job is to help him escape his despicable…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Sean Puckett GAME DEVELOPER:Hi-Tech Expressions GAME PUBLISHER:Hi-Tech Expressions Copyright 1993, Hi-Tech Expressions Continuing Hi-Tech Expressions’ deluge of platform games based on cartoon characters is Tom & Jerry, the second game based on popular cat-and-mouse pair. Nothing revolutionary here, just good ol’ platform action that fans of…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chris Coupe GAME DEVELOPER:OCEAN GAME PUBLISHER:Acclaim Entertainment Copyright 1993, OCEAN An fun platform game that doesn’t quite live up to Konami’s classic The Simpsons, Bart vs. The Space Mutants is a solid conversion of the NES port of the same name, starring once again TV’s most…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Distinctive Software GAME PUBLISHER:Konami Copyright 1992, Konami A fun action game with minimal adventure elements, The Simpsons: Bart’s House of Weirdness is a cross between a toybox and a game, starring the world’s most famous brat. The action begins with Bart being grounded yet…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Konami GAME PUBLISHER:Konami Copyright 1991, Konami A great conversion of the arcade game of the same name, based on one of the world’s most popular cartoon series of all time, Konami’s The Simpsons features great graphics (for its time, of course), fluid animation, and…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Scott Williams GAME DEVELOPER:Audiogenic GAME PUBLISHER:Virgin Interactive Copyright 1993, Audiogenic Krusty’s Super Funhouse is a short, introductory-level platform game starring Bart’s hero Krusty the Clown from The Simpsons cartoons. Vibrant graphics and imaginative level design, unfortunately, aren’t enough to relieve the tedium of waiting for something…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Taito GAME PUBLISHER:OCEAN Copyright 1989, OCEAN One of Taito’s best games, Rambo III is a fun top-down action game that is very faithful to the testosterone-filled movie it was based on. In case you have missed the movie (lucky you), here is a brief…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Zigurat GAME PUBLISHER:Zigurat Copyright 1992, Zigurat Jump is a cute little Space Invaders clone from Spanish developer Zigurat. The game plays like a standard shoot-em-up, except that instead of shooting up at incoming aliens, you instead jump down at blocks beneath your feet to…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Frederic Senegas GAME DEVELOPER:UBI Soft GAME PUBLISHER:UBI Soft Copyright 1990, UBI Soft One of the most unique puzzle games ever made, Hexsider is a fun and very challenging mix of roboting programming and chess. The game, in the designer’s own words: “.. is an adventure/puzzle game…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Origin Systems GAME PUBLISHER:Origin Systems Copyright 1993, Origin Systems So you think you’re a hotshot pilot. A clever entrepreneur. A notorious pirate, you’ve destroyed the Steltek Drone, secured the alien artifact, and outfought ond outsmarted everyone in your way. Now, you’re taking a well-deserved…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Ultra Games GAME PUBLISHER:Konami Copyright 1989, Konami The first game based on a hot TV cartoon series of the same name from Konami is a fun, but frustrating, platform title that mixes top-down view with standard side-scrolling action. Practically every adolescent boy that owned…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Rafa Gomez GAME DEVELOPER:Topo Soft GAME PUBLISHER:Topo Soft Copyright 1991, Topo Soft Zona 0 is a fun puzzle / action game that is a faithful translation of the game “Light Cycle” in the classic movie Tron (this is the game most people think of when they…