Category: Simulations

Very well executed helicopter simulator. This game featured 4 helicopters that the player can use on varied missions: AH-64A Apache Gunship – Attack helicopter with tons of firepower UH-60 Blackhawk – Gunship/Cargo/Passenger Helicopter which replaced the venerable Huey of the Vietam War. V-22 Osprey – Just recently in service Vertical Take-off and Landing Aircraft..converts from…

Chuck Yeager’s Air Combat is a 1991 computer aircraft simulation game produced by Electronic Arts. Chuck Yeager’s name appears since he was a technical consultant in the game and his digitized voice is featured in the game, giving encouragement and praises before and after missions. The game is characterized for its good balance of an…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Headroom GAME PUBLISHER:Mixx Entertainment Copyright 1997, Headroom Graduation is a great “life sim” from Japan that is almost as good as Princess Maker 2, although it is far less known in the West. The English translation is quite horrible, but at least there are…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kirk Ewing GAME DEVELOPER:Traffic Management GAME PUBLISHER:Traffic Management Copyright 2004, Traffic Management No doubt one of the most controversial games ever made, JFK Reloaded is a shareware game made by a Scottish company called Traffic Management that lets you recreate the assassination of President John F.…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:P.F. Magic GAME PUBLISHER:Mindscape Copyright 1996, P.F. Magic One of the best and most underrated “virtual pet” programs ever made, Oddballz is a great program that deserves much more notice. Description from HOTU contributor David J. and a comprehensive review at MacNN says it…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:BAO Ltd. GAME PUBLISHER:Microsoft Copyright 1995, BAO Ltd. BAO’s Flight Simulator Flight Shop (FSFS) is a great add-on for Microsoft’s Flight Simulator 5.1 that not only ‘fixes’ many bugs and incomplete features in the original release (such as blocky coastlines and ATC features), but…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jeffrey Ventrella GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Jeffrey Ventrella Gene Pool is a very cool artificial life simulation from Jeffrey Ventrella, designer of Darwin Pond which was reviewed earlier on this site. The blurb on the designer’s official game page says it all: “Gene Pool…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Mr. Chubigans GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Mr. Chubigans The Sandbox of God is a fun “god simulation” from Mr. Chubigans that is inspired by Grow, a fun on-line Flash game coded by Japanese group EYEZMAZE, although Mr. Chubigans curiously chose not to credit this…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Brad Wardell GAME DEVELOPER:Stardock Systems GAME PUBLISHER:UBI Soft Copyright 2004, Stardock Systems The Political Machine is a fun 2004 US election simulation from Brad Wardell/Stardock Systems, makers of excellent underdogs like Galactic Civilization and Entrepreneur. Using a modified version of the engine that underlies our HOBF…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Maxis GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Arts Copyright 1998, Maxis Yet another entry in Maxis’ popular “Sim…” series, SimSafari is a fun game for kids that let you build your own park and camp area, populating them with animals of your choice. As befits a game designed…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Soji Yamakawa GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2004, Soji Yamakawa Fans of diehard flightsims should stop reading about now, this is not the game for you. However, those wishing more entertainment than realism might be interested in YS Flight, CaptainYS’s ambitious project. As the game features…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Graphic Simulation GAME PUBLISHER:Graphic Simulation Copyright 1997, Graphic Simulation F/A-18 Hornet 3.0 is Graphic Simulation Corp (GSC)’s first flight sim released on PC, and it is a very realistic and highly underrated sim. Jim Pedicord’s review for CD Mag explains why die-hard armchair pilots…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Gilman Louie GAME DEVELOPER:MicroProse GAME PUBLISHER:Hasbro Copyright 1998, G2 Interactive Arguably THE most realistic flight simulation ever created, Falcon 4.0 suffers many bugs at the time of release, but fortunately thanks to a “leaked” source code in 2000, the game is now being actively updated and…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Allan Kirkeby GAME DEVELOPER:InterActive Vision GAME PUBLISHER:InterActive Vision Copyright 1997, InterActive Vision Search and Rescue is a fun helicopter simulation offering a variety of mission type that is not commonly depicted in games: rescue operations. Billed ambitiously as “the greatest and most realistic helicopter flight sim…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Rick Rashids GAME DEVELOPER:Microsoft GAME PUBLISHER:Microsoft Copyright 2000, Microsoft Allegiance is a superb and innovative massively multiplayer space combat simulation from Microsoft that pushes the genre’s envelope in many areas. In contrast to most multiplayer space combat games, Allegiance stresses the importance of team-based decisions and…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Graphic Simulation GAME PUBLISHER:Empire Interactive Copyright 1997, Graphic Simulation F/A-18 Korea is an ultra-realistic flight simulation that deserves much more notice than it received. The comprehensive review at GameSpot says it all about this underdog that rivals Falcon 3.0 in breadth and depth: “As…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Advanced Productions GAME PUBLISHER:Advanced Productions Copyright 1997, Advanced Productions Fading Footsteps is a very little-known “wolf simulation” along similar lines as Sanctuary Wood’s Wolf, but is a much inferior game (and therefore somewhat deserving of its obscurity status). Billed as one entry in a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Damon Slye GAME DEVELOPER:Dynamix GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1990, Dynamix Arguably the best WW1 flight sim ever made, Red Baron is the legendary game from Damon Slye of Dynamix. Offering you the chance to be a pilot in World War One, Red Baron featrures 28 different aircraft…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Munchhoff & Janz GAME PUBLISHER:Munchhoff & Janz Copyright 1997, Munchhoff & Janz Metersteiner Beer Manager is a very well designed but little-known shareware business game from Germany that tackles an attractive business that is rarely depicted in a PC game. Mark Silva of RealBeer.com…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Oleg Petrov GAME DEVELOPER:Space Dream Factory GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Space Dream Factory One of the best fanmade game ever made and definitely a strong testament to what a group of dedicated fans can do, Danger and Opportunity is the amazing – and completely free –…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Looking Glass Technologies GAME PUBLISHER:EIDOS Interactive Copyright 1995, Looking Glass Technologies After revolutionizing the 3D dungeon romp genre with Ultima Underworld and its sequel, Looking Glass Technologies turned their attention to the genre that is the perfect match for their powerful physics engine: flight…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Thomas GAME DEVELOPER:DataCal GAME PUBLISHER:DataCal Copyright 1992, David Thomas Capitalist Pig is one of the most fun – and the most obscure – business simulations released in the early 1990s. In this innovative game that foreshadows Capitalism Plus years later, your job is to start…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Charles Moylan GAME DEVELOPER:Big Time Software GAME PUBLISHER:Big Time Software Copyright 1993, Big Time Software Released in 1993 only for the Macintosh, Flight Commander is a great beginning to what would become Big Time Software’s highly underrated and unique line of air combat tactical simulations on…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Software Sorcery GAME PUBLISHER:Time Warner Interactive Copyright 1994, Software Sorcery AEGIS: Guardian of the Fleet is a fun but little-known submarine simulation from Software Sorcery, published by Time Warner in 1994. Featuring over 100 missions in 7 battlesets and a training area, as well…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Vicarious Visions GAME PUBLISHER:Vatical Entertainment Copyright 2000, Vicarious Visions One of the most overlooked space simulations, Terminus is a great – and very realistic – futuristic space simulation from Vicarious Visions that strives to be the next generation of Elite – and mostly succeeds…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Don Gilman GAME DEVELOPER:Advanced Gaming Systems GAME PUBLISHER:Advanced Gaming Systems Copyright 2003, Advanced Gaming Systems Harpoon Classic 2002 Gold Edition is definitely the best – and most underrated – versions of Harpoon Classic series, which is hands down the most realistic naval simulation ever made for…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Mekada GAME PUBLISHER:Mekada Copyright 1998, Mekada One of the most obscure car-related games ever made, Gearhead Garage is an interesting ‘game’ that is actually less interesting than it sounds. Like the semi-popular toy line it was based on, the goal in Gearhead Garage is…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Psygnosis GAME PUBLISHER:Psygnosis Copyright 1996, Psygnosis Combat Air Patrol is a very disappointing flight sim from Psygnosis – perhaps a good proof that the company should stick to what they do best: addictive action games. The review at Games Domain elaborate on why the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Domark GAME PUBLISHER:Domark Copyright 1995, Domark Tank Commander is a fun and highly underrated tank combat game from Domark. The review at Tanksim.com says it all: “Tank Commander was released in 1995 as a multi-play capable tanksim. The graphics are pre-Pentium and just adequate.…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Paul Grace GAME DEVELOPER:Jane’s Combat Simulations GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Arts Copyright 1996, Jane’s Combat Simulations A very good “bang for the buck” flight sim, ATF: Advanced Tactical Fighters is an excellent sequel to U.S. Navy Fighters as well as the first game released under EA’s “Jane’s Combat…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Brent Iverson GAME DEVELOPER:Electronic Arts GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Arts Copyright 1994, Brent Iverson One of the first entries in Electronic Arts’ successful flight sim series and the first flight sim to be released on CD-ROM, U.S. Navy Fighters is a fun flight sim that may disappoint die-hard…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Will Wright GAME DEVELOPER:Azeroth GAME PUBLISHER:Maxis Copyright 1994, Maxis One of the rarest versions of Maxis’ genre-defining SimCity series, Simcity Classic is a good Windows 3.1 version of the original game, ported by Azeroth. The review on MobyGames says it all “The Good:The original SimCity is…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Andy Hollis GAME DEVELOPER:Jane’s Combat Simulations GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Arts Copyright 1997, Jane’s Combat Simulations Longbow 2 is a new and improved sequel to EA’s bestselling AH-64D Longbow, one of Jane’s best releases. The game’s graphics engine is now 3D accelerated, and an amazing dynamic campaign engine…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Aaron Massey GAME DEVELOPER:Mallard GAME PUBLISHER:VSCI Software Copyright 1995, Mallard The latest and most complete version of Aaron Massey’s lunar colony simulation that started with Moonbase and followed by Lunar Command. Although Lunar Commander 2 does not look very different from its 1993 version, the game…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Unique Development Studios (UDS) GAME PUBLISHER:Paradox Entertainment Copyright 2000, Paradox Entertainment Airfix Dogfighter is a fun flight simulator that is perfect for the kid in all of us. James Kay’s review for the Games Domain says it all about this quirky underdog: “Almost every…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Robert Dietz & Peter Beemt GAME DEVELOPER:Software Toolworks GAME PUBLISHER:Software Toolworks Copyright 1985, Software Toolworks Description at MobyGames says it all about this quirky piece of software gaming history – made back when Software Toolworks was still called “Software Library” 🙂 “Probably the first retro-collection ever…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Passfield & Steve Stamatiadis GAME DEVELOPER:Gee Whiz! Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, John Passfield & Steve Stamatiadis Halloween Spirit Board is a cool “electronic toy” from the folks behind The Chronicles of Jaruu Tenk, a neat screen saver that I also reviewed on this site.…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jetro Lauha GAME DEVELOPER:tAAt GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2003, Jetro Lauha Without a doubt, Porrasturvat (Stair Dismount in English) was one of the most original freeware underdogs of 2002. But how do you code a sequel to a unique game whose purpose is to cause as much…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Domark GAME PUBLISHER:Domark Copyright 1997, Domark One of the most obscure flight simulators ever made, Out of the Sun is a competent World War 2 simulator from Domark, the second and last in its ambitious series of Macintosh-only sims that started with Flighting Nightmares…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Anark GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Arts Copyright 1997, Anark One of the most unique games ever made, Galapagos: Mendel’s Escape is a fascinating artificial life simulation that combines intricate puzzles, fantastic Escher-like worlds, and advances in AI technology to create a captivating game, although impatient gamers…

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…

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…

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…

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…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Divide by Zero GAME PUBLISHER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) Copyright 1996, Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) Great Naval Battles V: Demise of the Dreadnoughts: 1914-18 is the final entry in SSI’s long line of good World War sea battle simulations. The game is essentially the same…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:LAGO GAME PUBLISHER:LAGO Copyright 1997, LAGO Airline Simulator 97 is a superb passenger airplane simulator by an Italian developer LAGO. Thanks to an agreement with subLOGIC right before they were bought out by Sierra, LAGO was allowed to include parts of subLOGIC’s famous Airline…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Robert Wesson GAME DEVELOPER:Wesson International GAME PUBLISHER:Wesson International Copyright 1990, Wesson International Tracon and Tracon II are two classic ATC games from Wesson, years before their efforts culminated in Tower. The description at MobyGames says it all about this pair of pioneers in aviation software: “Tracon…