Category: Arcade and Action Games

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:NZP GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, NZP Yet another excellent coffee-break game for Windows from NZP of Canada. From the official site: “This clever puzzle will have you spinning cards all night long! The puzzle consists of 9 disks, each disk having 4 cards positioned…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Phillips & Andrew Pointon GAME DEVELOPER:Hewson GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Andrew Pointon A worthy third-place winner in the first Remakes Competition at remakes.org, Impossaball is a great PC remake of a classic Spectrum/Amstrad game of the same name, originally released way back in 1987 by…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Stephen Curtis GAME DEVELOPER:Codemasters GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Ovine by Design Terra Cognita is a fun fanmade remake that achieves what few remakes manage to do: make the game even more fun than the original. And in this case, the achievement is even more noteworthy because…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Naruto GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Naruto One of the most simple yet strangely addictive games I have come across in quite some time, Pendulumania is a very unique game that will keep you glued to the screen, oblivious to everything else 😉 Well, maybe…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:William Sims GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1998, William Sims Sparks 3 is a fun little 3D puzzle game that is similar to the cross between Rubik’s Cube and NetWalk, one of my most favorite shareware games (also reviewed on this site). The goal is to…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ville M?nkk?nen GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Ville M?nkk?nen Notrium is yet another excellent release from Ville M?nkk?nen, Finnish programmer best known for The Forge and Bikez II, as well as several other superb freeware gems. In his own words: “Notrium is a realtime single…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Mike Kasprzak GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Mike Kasprzak PuffBOMB is a unique and fun puzzler by a lone programmer, coded as an entry in the third 48-hour game competition at Ludum Dare. The game plays like a stripped-down, tiny version of The Incredible Machine:…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Daniel Heck GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Daniel Heck Enigma is a superb puzzler in the same style as Dongleware’s underrated puzzler Oxyd series. In the author’s own words: “…Enigma is a puzzle game inspired by Oxyd on the Atari ST and Rock’n’Roll on the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Rich Carlson & Iikka Ker?nen GAME DEVELOPER:Digital Eel GAME PUBLISHER:Cheapass Games Copyright 2003, Digital Eel One of the most unique arcade games to come along in ages, Dr. Blob’s Organism is yet another wonderful release by Digital Eel, the zany indie developer behind the likes of…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Mindscape GAME PUBLISHER:Mindscape Copyright 1990, Mindscape Block Buster! is a decent Breakout clone from Mindscape. Nothing much to say about this one, except that it introduces an interesting way of giving you bonus items: as a menu on the right hand side of the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jon Ritman & Tomaz Kac GAME DEVELOPER:OCEAN GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Tomaz Kac Head Over Heels is an amazing PC remake of out of the best Spectrum ZX games – indeed for all systems – ever made. Set in a pseudo-3D environment, Head over Heels is…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Midas Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:Prism Leisure Copyright 1998, Midas Interactive Rapanui is a simple Arkanoid clone for Windows, a sequel to an earlier game called Dionakra from the same developer. The idea, like all other Breakout games, is to move the pad to bounce the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Barking Dog Studios GAME PUBLISHER:Crave Entertainment Copyright 2001, Barking Dog Studios Global Operations is a superb tactical first-person shooter that is hugely underrated – most probably because it was overshadowed by Counter Strike, a similar – and much more popular – game which was…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:New Line GAME PUBLISHER:New Line Copyright 1990, New Line Plexu is a terrible PC conversion of an equally bad Amiga game. This real dog is the only game made by New Line before they went out of business – no surprise, given how awful…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Joshua Jensen GAME DEVELOPER:Inland International GAME PUBLISHER:Inland International Copyright 1991, Joshua Jensen The Crusade is a below-average action/strategy hybrid similar to Gauntlet – except not half as much fun. For starters, the plot is quite ludicrous: you are a king who has returned from a long…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ancil Anthropy GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Ancil Anthropy Piquin is a neat and unique game from Ancil Anthropy, game designer who kindly made this game open source as well as freeware. If you think you have seen and played every kind of Pac-Man game,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Thaedeus Zefuldar GAME DEVELOPER:Uptown Productions GAME PUBLISHER:Uptown Productions Copyright 1989, Uptown Productions Wizard’s Doom is a decent third-person puzzle game in the same vein as Soko-Ban, except not as devious or fun. The plot is that you have been captured inside some evil wizard’s castle, and…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Family Productions GAME PUBLISHER:Family Productions Copyright 1995, Family Productions Olmangzolmang Paradise is a neat little shooter from Korea. “Olmangzolmang” means “SD” – stumpy-head style anime, so the game is basically a cute anime shooter featuring SD version of characters from other Family Productions games,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Chait GAME DEVELOPER:Reality Bytes GAME PUBLISHER:GT Interactive Copyright 1999, Reality Bytes Dark Vengeance is a decent action/adventure that tries to breath new life into the hybrid genre invented by Tomb Raider, but ultimately falls short of its ambitious goal due to awkward controls and some…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Narita Sho GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Narita Sho Catast is a fun reflex-oriented action/puzzle hybrid that plays like a cross between Breakout, Tetris, and Laser Light. Your job is to move a cute anime creature called Mirmy around the screen, avoiding falling blocks while…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Daehyun Kim & Akira Higuchi GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Daehyun Kim & Akira Higuchi Wkobo is a superb fanmade remake of Xkobo, one of the best freeware games for Linux systems. Like Xkobo, Wkobo is a fast-paced multiway scrolling space shooter similar to a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Hicom GAME PUBLISHER:Hicom Copyright 1997, Hicom Pushe Pushe is a decent one-screen platform game that plays like a cross between Super Mario and Bubble Bobble, although not nearly as fun as either. You basically control a boy hero as he jumps around each level,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Wrebbit GAME PUBLISHER:Wrebbit Copyright 1997, Wrebbit Puzz-3D: Notre Dame Cathedral is the first entry in a semi-successful series of compurized versions of “Puzz-3D,” Wrebbit’s line of 3D jigsaw puzzles. As with the other titles in the series, Notre Dame is basically a 3D jigsaw…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Studio 3DO GAME PUBLISHER:Studio 3DO Copyright 1996, Studio 3DO Captain Quazar is a fun and little-known game from now-defunct Studio 3DO that combines the frenetic fun of Atari’s classic Berzerk with the wacky cartoon humor of Gunstar Heroes. The plot: as galactic Captain Quazar,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dem Innovations GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1996, Dem Innovations Santaman is a great freeware platformer that deserves to be much better known. The plot: “…The year is unknown. A factory has being used by a gang mutants for a long time and people say strange…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Kingsoft GAME PUBLISHER:Kingsoft Copyright 1992, Kingsoft Bugbomber is a fun and huge puzzle games that features 50 levels of addictive gameplay for either one or up to four players. A clone of Bomberman, Bug Bomber adds to the already addictive gameplay with special blocks…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Bandai GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1990, Anonymous Dragon Spirit is an excellent but little-known PC conversion of a hit arcade game, originally from Bandai but converted by a team of fans. At first glance, Dragon Spirit looks just like any other vertical shooters, except that…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Elysium Digital GAME PUBLISHER:Elysium Digital Copyright 1998, Elysium Digital Games Domain says it all about Cobra Gunship, an addictive side-scrolling shareware shooter developed by Elysium Digital, a small company who stopped making games after this one: “[Cobra Gunship] is a surprisingly enjoyable [game]. It…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Steven Hugg GAME DEVELOPER:HAMCO Software GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1994, Steven Hugg Comet Busters! is a very fun Asteroids clone for one to four players. From the succinct description at MobyGames: “…You must blast all the comet chunks to advance to the next level. But there are…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Johan Peitz GAME DEVELOPER:Free Lunch Design GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Free Lunch Design Alex the Allegator 4 is a fun platformer that harks back to the good old days of 8-bit Nintendo games. Similar to Douglas Circumstance, Alex 4 features excellent anime-style animations, addictive side-scrolling gameplay,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Softworld GAME PUBLISHER:Softworld Copyright 1991, Softworld X-Rock (a.k.a. Rockin’ Magic Ball) is a thoroughly average Tetris variant from Softworld, Taiwan’s most prolific gaming developers. Probably the only reason anyone might want to play this game over numerous other excellent Tetris games (including Triptych, Nyet…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Juna GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Juna Virtual In is a fun little one-on-one fighting game that will surprise you with superb playability despite its small size. The title is a parody of popular fighting game Virtual On, and the game itself uses the robotic…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Rosemary West GAME DEVELOPER:Expert Software GAME PUBLISHER:Expert Software Copyright 1991, Rosemary West Expert Common Knowledge is a fun trivia game designed by Rosemary West, best known as one of the world’s most popular psychics. Basically a text-only trivia game not unlike Trivia Pursuit, this quiz program…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Michael Hart GAME DEVELOPER:Probe Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Fox Interactive Copyright 1996, Probe Entertainment Die Hard Trilogy is a fun collection of 3 different action games based on the three Die Hard movies. While none of the games stands out compared to similar games, as a whole DHT…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:D-Designs GAME PUBLISHER:D-Designs Copyright 1996, D-Designs Piranha from now-defunct Finnish developer D-Designs is an excellent Asteroids clone. Tomer Gabel’s review at MobyGames says it all about this very obscure underdog: “…[This] game really is great – excellent graphics, good (configurable! there’s a concept) controls,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1995, RealTech VR Heroes is an excellent Nibbles clone coded by RealTech, a demo group. Like Nibbles, your goal in the game is to maneuver a small vehicle around the arena, while collecting power-ups and avoiding obstacles, your opponents’ trails,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Eric Robinson & Eric Parker GAME DEVELOPER:SE Software GAME PUBLISHER:Datasoft Copyright 1984, SE Software Datasoft’s Apple II classic Conan: Hall of Volta is one of the best cross-genre action games I have ever played, bar none. I remember spending countless hours on our rickety Apple II,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Matt Nagy GAME DEVELOPER:Acclaim Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:FOX Interactive Copyright 1996, FOX Interactive Alien Trilogy is a lackluster first-person shoot ’em up that is a disappointing waste of the blockbuster license. Very loosely based on the three existing Alien movies, the game casts you as Ripley, space…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Digital Image Design (DID) GAME PUBLISHER:Infogrames Copyright 1999, Digital Image Design (DID) Wargasm is a fun but a bit too short 3D action game in the same vein as Incoming, except with authentic military trappings that fans of DID’s hard-core flight sims can expect.…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:D.K. GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, D.K. Grounstream is another fun RPG/adventure/platformer hybrid from Japan. While it is not as good-looking or as addictive as Akuji the Demon, it is still a very fun game that succeeds in keeping you glued to the screen with…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Rainbow Arts GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Anonymous Pathological is a very polished enhanced fanmade remake of Logical, a neat brainteaser by Rainbow Arts. The official website says it all: “Pathological is a puzzle game consisting of marbles that roll along paths, and interact along…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Zoom GAME PUBLISHER:Time Warner Interactive Copyright 1995, Zoom Zero Divide is an ambitious 3D fighting game that has a lot of potential that is thoroughly wasted by bad controls and repetitive gameplay. The result is a very average game that beat ’em up fans…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:NMS Software GAME PUBLISHER:BMG Interactive Copyright 1997, NMS Software Mass Destruction is an addictive 3D shoot ’em up that would have been much more successful had it not been released a few years too late. Similar to Return Fire, the game offers frenetic top-down…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Epic Megagames GAME PUBLISHER:Epic Megagames Copyright 1993, Epic Megagames One of the best platformers to grace your PC screen, Jazz Jackrabbit was a very successful platformer by shareware standards, released by Epic Megagames in 1993 and spawned a number of well-received sequels. Similar in…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:GT Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:GT Interactive Copyright 1998, GT Interactive Probably the worst FPS based on Build engine ever made, NAM is a terrible shooter that anyone would do well to avoid. Which is a pity, because the Vietnam War setting is one that is…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Danny Boyd GAME DEVELOPER:Danjo Software GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Danjo Software Definitely the best fanmade Pac-Man game I have ever seen, PacManWorlds is a fun game that brings the fun of Pac-Man into the 21st century with excellent graphics, nicely designed themed worlds, and the same…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kojipica GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Kojipica Kururu Kuzushi is a unique Breakout clone that takes the action to 360-degrees by putting blocks in the middle of the field, and adding another paddle to the arena. You move the mouse to rotate both paddles in…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Mike Jackson GAME DEVELOPER:Mad Genius GAME PUBLISHER:Mad Genius Copyright 1998, Mad Genius Gunmetal is a decent first-person action game, similar to MechWarrior 2 in style except much simpler and not as much fun. The plot: it’s 2219 AD, and your job as a pilot in the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kenta Cho GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Kenta Cho rRootage and Noiz2sa are two unique and addictive vertical shooters that breath fresh air into the crowded, clone-proned genre of arcade shooters. What sets both games apart from other shooters are two very innovative design choices:…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kenta Cho GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Kenta Cho rRootage and Noiz2sa are two unique and addictive vertical shooters that breath fresh air into the crowded, clone-proned genre of arcade shooters. What sets both games apart from other shooters are two very innovative design choices:…