Category: Arcade and Action Games

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Sierra On-Line GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1993, Sierra On-Line Sierra’s adventure games have always included little arcade sequences that, for the most part, offer a fun diversion from puzzles at hand. Crazy Nick’s Picks games are collections of these games-within-a-game with a budget price…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Sierra On-Line GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1993, Sierra On-Line Sierra’s adventure games have always included little arcade sequences that, for the most part, offer a fun diversion from puzzles at hand. Crazy Nick’s Picks games are collections of these games-within-a-game with a budget price…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Sierra On-Line GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1993, Sierra On-Line Sierra’s adventure games have always included little arcade sequences that, for the most part, offer a fun diversion from puzzles at hand. Crazy Nick’s Picks games are collections of these games-within-a-game with a budget price…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Sierra On-Line GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1993, Sierra On-Line Sierra’s adventure games have always included little arcade sequences that, for the most part, offer a fun diversion from puzzles at hand. Crazy Nick’s Picks games are collections of these games-within-a-game with a budget price…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Mindscape GAME PUBLISHER:Mindscape Copyright 1989, Mindscape Before Twinsen’s Odyssey and long before Alone in the Dark, Contraption Zack is among the first games that successfully combined physical puzzles, action, and adventure elements into a fine game. Your job is to help Zack the clueless…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Rainbow Arts GAME PUBLISHER:Rainbow Arts Copyright 1989, Rainbow Arts Yet another successful European game that failed to make a splash in the U.S., this game is a 3D tank simulation that is simply a lot of fun to play. With more emphasis on “action”…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Quicksilver GAME PUBLISHER:Data East Copyright 1985, Data East A poor conversion of Data East arcade game of the same name. There are many things wrong with Commando that make the game much inferior to the arcade original. For starter, the control is very limited:…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Silmarils GAME PUBLISHER:Silmarils Copyright 1990, Silmarils The second survival game after Le Fetiche Maya, Colorado casts you as feerless adventurer who must deal with the Indians and wildlife in your search for the legendary Cheyenne goldmine. In addition to standard weapons, special objects such…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Pyramid GAME PUBLISHER:Pyramid Copyright 1992, Pyramid Color Buster is a fun and addictive puzzle game that, like all classic puzzle games, is easy to learn but difficult to master. Your goal in each level is to merge color boxes into one but pushing them…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Kalisto GAME PUBLISHER:Kalisto Copyright 1992, Kalisto Similar to an old Milton Bradley board game, Cogito is a nice little puzzle game for Windows in which you must use the vertical and horizontal levers to arrange the pieces to match the given pattern. The number…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Alvin Mullin GAME DEVELOPER:Callisto Productions GAME PUBLISHER:Spectrum Holobyte Copyright 1995, Callisto Productions Clockwerx is a delightful action puzzle game of split-second thought and timing. The plot: someone must journey into the inner workings of the great Clock of the Universe to repair it. The player must…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Keypunch GAME PUBLISHER:Keypunch Copyright 1987, Keypunch A small and fun CGA action game similar to Big Top o’ Fun with a simple goal: perform 4 circus events individually or in the International Competition where judges will induct you to the Hall of Fame if…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Russian Soft GAME PUBLISHER:Russian Soft Copyright 1991, Russian Soft One of the best examples of how Russians vent their anger (or maybe not), Choose An Enemy is a fun mildless action game from little-known developer Russian Soft. The goal is simple: rescue your girlfriend…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Hi-Tech Expressions GAME PUBLISHER:Disney Copyright 1989, Hi-Tech Expressions This is a fun platform game developed in by Hi-tech Expressions, starring adorable chipmunks Chip & Dales as they don the role of rescue rangers. Avoid the menacing dogs and traps along the way. Overall, a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Microids GAME PUBLISHER:Microids Copyright 1989, Microids This is a fun action game designed by one of the most prolific UK companies who, unfortunately, never got a start distributing their games in the US. In this game, choose to be either gangster or police and…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Bitmap Brothers GAME PUBLISHER:Virgin Interactive Copyright 1992, Infogrames From one of the masters of the action genre comes this excellent top-down action game that is fun in solo mode and exceptional in 2-player. Choose from a handful of mercenaries, each with his/her own weapons,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Incentive GAME PUBLISHER:Domark Copyright 1990, Incentive Fans of Incentive’s breakthrough Castle Master 1 won’t be disappointed with this sequel, which improves upon its predecessor by having more of everything: bigger world to explore (this time, a dank underground crypt under the castle you explored…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Incentive GAME PUBLISHER:Domark Copyright 1988, Incentive Incentive’s early action/adventure already showcases the robust 3D engine (named Freescape)that is revolutionary for its time (and pushed the capabilities of any machine it was released on to the limit). As either the prince or princess, your job…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Sensible Software GAME PUBLISHER:Virgin Interactive Copyright 1994, Virgin Interactive Definitely one of the best-loved underdogs of all time 🙂 This charming little game puts you in command of a 3-soldier squad in a variety of missions. The standard shoot-everything-in-sight formula is enhanced by a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Lee GAME DEVELOPER:Ebenel Enterprises GAME PUBLISHER:Ebenel Enterprises Copyright 1983, Ebenel Enterprises I played this game endlessly with my little brother on our state-of-the-art IBM XT. We were hooked by the fluid animations, cool fighting moves, endless enemies, and well-drawn oriental backgrounds. It also has a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ray Kaestner GAME DEVELOPER:Data East GAME PUBLISHER:Mattel Electronics Copyright 1982, Data East Burger Time delivers fast and furious action with a novel concept: create hamburgers without spilling the contents or missing ingredients. Another great and timeless classic. (Food for thought: I spent countless hours as a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Silmarils GAME PUBLISHER:Silmarils Copyright 1992, Silmarils Another innovative game from Silmarils, Bunny Bricks is billed as “the first cartoon-style, arcade, brick-breaking baseball game to star a rabbit”– and I can’t think of a more succinct description 🙂 With the help of his friends, Bunny…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Alexei Pajitnov GAME DEVELOPER:Spectrum Holobyte GAME PUBLISHER:Spectrum Holobyte Copyright 1994, Spectrum Holobyte Breakthru! is a neat puzzle game that puts a new (but not original) spin on the Tetris concept. This time, clicking on a tile will make it disappear along with neighboring tiles with the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Silmarils GAME PUBLISHER:Silmarils Copyright 1991, Silmarils Boston Bomb Club is without a doubt one of the most unique puzzle games ever created, although not necessarily one of the most comprehensible. As one of the world’s most famous scientists in the 19th century, your favorite…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Capstone GAME PUBLISHER:Capstone Copyright 1990, Capstone This is a fun game featuring the Bill & Ted characters of Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter in the 1989 movie by Nelson Entertainment. As Bill and Ted, you’re going to the same whacked-out, time-warped trip through human…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jon O’ Brien & Mike Lamb GAME DEVELOPER:OCEAN GAME PUBLISHER:Data East Copyright 1990, OCEAN Everyone’s favorite hooded vigilante is back, but he’s not better than ever. Or, more precisely, his previous outing with OCEAN. You’re out on a five-level mission to –what else– rid Gotham City…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jon Ritman & Jonathan Smith GAME DEVELOPER:OCEAN GAME PUBLISHER:Data East Copyright 1988, Data East Batman: The Caped Crusader is the second of 3 games from OCEAN featuring the hooded hero (after 3D and before The Movie), with 2 separate scenarios and the action laid out in…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Probe Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Acclaim Entertainment Copyright 1996, DC Comics This is a platform game based on the hit movie of the same name. Batman Forever uses Acclaim’s Mortal Kombat engine, which started to show its age in 1996 but is still capable of delivering…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Palace Software GAME PUBLISHER:Palace Software Copyright 1989, Palace Software A marked improvement over the original, Barbarian 2 features vibrant EGA graphics (although the drawn characters still move like broken marionettes), and the ability to play as either the Barbarian or the Princess (no doubt…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Palace Software GAME PUBLISHER:Palace Software Copyright 1988, Palace Software This is actually a game I played the original of on the Amiga when Palace Software were churning out similar titles and, not meaning to offend any PC fans, the Amiga version is a lot…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Accolade GAME PUBLISHER:Accolade Copyright 1989, Accolade This is a fun collection of five bar games: Liar’s Dice, Wet ‘n Wild, Last Call, Air Hockey, and Pick-up Artist. Includes both single and tournament play. While some games rely more on reflexes than strategy, others do…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Electronic Zoo GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Zoo Copyright 1991, Electronic Zoo The Ball Game is a fun isometric puzzle game that is best played against your friends (or foes). Gameplay is a unique blend of checkers, scrabble, and the Japanese game of Go, with many creative…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Quicksilver GAME PUBLISHER:Data East Copyright 1988, Data East Another excellent conversion of a coin-op classic by Quicksilver, Bad Dudes is a Double Dragon style platform classic which more than makes up for its lack of variety with a lot of enemies, long levels, and…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dvir Besserglick & Gonen Dukas GAME DEVELOPER:BUG Multisystem GAME PUBLISHER:BUG Multisystem Copyright 1993, BUG Multisystem In this fun puzzle game, you take the role of Avish, an absent-minded professor who gets lost in the university’s library. On each room you need to find a key to…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Henrik Nordhaus GAME DEVELOPER:Thalion GAME PUBLISHER:Thalion Copyright 1990, Thalion Atomix is a fun puzzle game with inventive education twist: your task is to combine atoms to form the required chemical molecule, e.g. 2 Hydrogen atoms and Oxygen for water. Each level also has a time limit…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Owen Thomas GAME DEVELOPER:ORT GAME PUBLISHER:ORT Copyright 1994, ORT A great update of classic Asteroids game, this incarnation sports colorful VGA graphics, smooth mouse-based controls, and lots of weird-looking asteroids and other enemies to shoot at. For those who don’t know Asteroids, it’s a mindless shoot-em-up…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Infogrames GAME PUBLISHER:Infogrames Copyright 1996, Infogrames This outstanding platform game from premiere French developer Infogrames feature, appropriately enough, France’s best-known cartoon character Asterix the Gaulish soldier. The usual platform obstacles abound, but they are modified to fit the games’ context (e.g. fight the Romans…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Silmarils GAME PUBLISHER:Silmarils Copyright 1998, Silmarils After the Time Warriors flop, Silmarils wisely revamped their promising 3D engine and came up with this enjoyable action/adventure game which puts you in the shoes of Asghan, intrepid warrior prince who vows to kill the dragons to…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Mastertronic GAME PUBLISHER:Mastertronic Copyright 1989, Mastertronic The place is ancient Britain. You are Artura, son of the Pendragon. Your quest: To rescue Nimue, beautiful apprentice to Merdyn the Mage, and keeper of the secret of the ancient treasures lost long ago. She has been…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Arthur Britto GAME DEVELOPER:Information Access Software Technologies GAME PUBLISHER:Three-Sixty Pacific Copyright 1990, Three-Sixty Pacific Armor Alley is without a doubt one of the most fun and complex multiplayer action games ever made. The premise is simple: eliminate the opposing team from the playing field. The execution,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Carol Manley GAME DEVELOPER:Manley Associates GAME PUBLISHER:Accolade Copyright 1991, Manley Associates Although it utilizes the same engine as The Fool’s Errand, Are We There Yet? isn’t as original or as fun to play as that classic. However, it is a pretty good puzzle game, featuring a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Dinamic Multimedia GAME PUBLISHER:Dinamic Multimedia Copyright 1993, Dinamic Multimedia Arctic Moves is a good platform game that puts you in the role of a futuristic commando sent to infiltrate terrorists’ bases in the Arctic. Although the gameplay is no diferent from a zillion other…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:BlueSky Software GAME PUBLISHER:Disney Copyright 1990, Disney This PC adaptation of the bizarre Disney movie of the same name is fun, if a little too frustrating due to unintuitive controls and way too many spiders. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has hired your extermination…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Software Visions GAME PUBLISHER:Software Visions Copyright 1994, Software Visions A somewhat uninspired shareware puzzle game, Apocalypse Abyss doesn’t have much you haven’t seen in many other puzzlers. You must guide a dwarf to the exit of each room through a variety of obstacles, pushing…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Wood & Richard Horrocks GAME DEVELOPER:Paragon Software GAME PUBLISHER:Paragon Software Copyright 1989, Paragon Software A fun platform game featuring Spider-Man, this game makes good use of his unique superpowers: you can climb walls, throw spider bombs, and shoot grappling hooks. Enemies are numerous but dumb,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Christophe de Dinechin & Fr?d?rick Raynal GAME DEVELOPER:Infogrames GAME PUBLISHER:Infogrames Copyright 1990, Christophe de Dinechin An excellent action game similar in graphics style to Virus but much more unique in gameplay, Alpha Waves is hard to describe– the physical objective of the game is to maneuver…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Bill Williams GAME DEVELOPER:IBM GAME PUBLISHER:IBM Copyright 1984, IBM If there were an award for “most enduring gameplay per KB of data,” Alley Cat would have won my vote. In what seems like an incredible feat of programming, Bill Williams was able to pack hours of…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Paragon Software GAME PUBLISHER:Paragon Software Copyright 1987, Paragon Software For its second game, Paragon made its first attempt at an action/RPG hybrid. Almost everything about the game is primitive, from the plot to simplistic gameplay (which comprise mostly static combat scenes that are seemingly…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Robert Crane GAME DEVELOPER:Interactive Binary Illusions GAME PUBLISHER:Apogee Copyright 1993, Interactive Binary Illusions An instant hit for Apogee after its release as shareware and subsequent commercial game under the new name Alien Carnage, Halloween Harry is a great platformer that features cool weapons, numerous levels, tough…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Computer Systems Odessa GAME PUBLISHER:Computer Systems Odessa Copyright 2000, Computer Systems Odessa The Alchemist is one of the most addictive and beautiful puzzlers I’ve come across in quite a long time. As is typical of excellent puzzle games, the game concept is quite simple:…