Category: Simulations

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Robert Wesson GAME DEVELOPER:Wesson International GAME PUBLISHER:Wesson International Copyright 1989, 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…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Tom Glass GAME DEVELOPER:Epyx GAME PUBLISHER:Epyx Copyright 1983, Tom Glass One of the rarest Epyx games ever made, Oil Barons is a fun turn-based business strategy game for one to eight players. From Mobygames’ description: “…[the] object of the game is to accumulate the most wealth…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Tom Scheffler GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1989, Tom Scheffler Girlfriend Construction Set is an interesting early “girlfriend simulation” program that isn’t realistic (I doubt we could ever be able to simulate human relationship realistically in a game – let alone with 1989 technology), but is…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Travis Spomer GAME DEVELOPER:Green Eclipse GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Green Eclipse Stocks & Shares is a fun and free bite-sized stock market simulation – meaning that a complete game won’t take you more than a few minutes to complete. The realism can’t be compared with true…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ade Carless GAME DEVELOPER:The Software Refinery GAME PUBLISHER:Gremlin Copyright 1998, The Software Refinery One of the best space trading/adventure games I have ever come across, The Software Refinery’s highly underrated Hardwar is arguably the truest spiritual successor to Ian Bell/David Braben’s Elite. A lengthy but comprehensive…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Falken Verlag GAME PUBLISHER:Magic Bytes Copyright 1988, Falken Verlag Wall$treet is a fun but very obscure stock market simulation developed by German publisher Falken Verlag, who was better known as a book publisher (and now owned by Random House). Published only in Germany and…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Gordon Walton GAME DEVELOPER:Digital Illusions Inc. GAME PUBLISHER:Digital Illusions Inc. Copyright 1994, Digital Illusions Inc. PT Boat Simulator is an excellent improved version of PT-109, an outstanding submarine sim published by Spectrum Holobyte in 1987. After developer Digital Illusions disappeared from the gaming industry for several…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Wells & Douglas Stastny GAME DEVELOPER:Smoke and Mirrors Studios GAME PUBLISHER:Smoke and Mirrors Studios Copyright 1997, Smoke and Mirrors Studios Fleet Tactical Combat Simulator is an excellent shareware simulation by small developer Smoke and Mirrors Studios that offers a very detailed tactical combat engine that…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Mackoy GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Mackoy BVE (short for Boso View Express) is an excellent freeware train simulation from Japan that is much better than many commercial releases, and is considered by many avid fans to be the most realistic PC train sim to…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Software Sorcery GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1996, Software Sorcery One of the most obscure games Sierra published is Fast Attack, a highly underrated, but unfortunately very buggy, submarine simulation developed by Software Sorcery, a now-defunct company that consisted of experienced former US Navy officers…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Artdink GAME PUBLISHER:Artdink Copyright 1995, Artdink One of the more obscure games from Japanese developer Artdink, HR2 is a unique and interesting tower building simulator that shares a similar goal as Maxis’ SimTower, but with a completely different emphasis. While your goal is to…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:ISM Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:ISM Interactive Copyright 1994, ISM Interactive The only simulation of its kind released outside medical circles, G-Netix is an excellent and extremely comprehensive simulation of genetic engineering. The program is more of a simulated lab/software toy than a game: you are…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:EGOSOFT GAME PUBLISHER:THQ Copyright 1999, EGOSOFT I’d love to be able to recommend this game, honestly I would. This is one of the only space trading sims I’ve seen released outside of the Privateer and Elite series of games, certainly the only one I…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Falcon GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1994, Falcon Wasteland Rebels is a fun little ASCII-based battle simulator based on Japan’s popular Macross (called Robotech in the West) universe. In this Rebellion (your side) vs. the Ranzei (enemy side) galactic conflict, the gameplay is deceptively simple: you…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Keith Cox GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1990, Keith Cox Starlord is a fun early spaceship simulator similar to EGA Trek, but with a much less complex gameplay. You control a spaceship on a long voyage through space, fighting evil Imperial ships, repair and refill your…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Pro One GAME PUBLISHER:Pro One Copyright 1994, Pro One The submarine sim experts at Subsim.com says it all in a very thorough review about this marginally average, little-known WWII U-boat submarine sim: “The package containing the Grey Wolf – Hunter Of The North Atlantic…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Rod Hyde & Mark Shaw GAME DEVELOPER:Rowan GAME PUBLISHER:Empire Interactive Copyright 1995, Rowan Dawn Patrol: Head to Head is the modem version of Rowan’s Dawn Patrol, released in 1995 – about one year after the original game’s release. The gameplay remains the same: the game is…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jonathan Griffiths GAME DEVELOPER:Empire Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:Empire Interactive Copyright 1994, Empire Interactive Veteran wargamer M. E. Brooks spares no punches in his criticism of this inferior sequel to ambitious Campaign: “This simulation of modern conflict took a mediocre gaming system (Campaign) and completely flummoxed it. Covering…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Scott Davis GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Scott Davis Mars Simulation Project is an excellent freeware Java program that simulates how a potential human settlement on Mars might operate. The official description sounds too good to be true: “…[the] simulation is a multi-agent artificial society…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Erik Bethke GAME DEVELOPER:Interplay GAME PUBLISHER:Interplay Copyright 1999, Interplay The 14 Degrees East division of Interplay has made every trekkie’s dream come true with Star Trek: Starfleet Command. An opportunity of a lifetime awaits as you take the helm as captain of not only the Enterprise,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Peter Jackson & John Muckstadt GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1995, Cornell University More of an educational tool than an entertaining “game,” The Distribution Game is a good simulation game of a two level distribution system – the warehouse and the retailers. As owner of a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Peter Jackson & John Muckstadt GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1995, Cornell University More of an educational tool than an entertaining “game,” The Transportation Game is a good simulation of a regional distribution system. As a dispatcher in this turn-based simulation, your goal in the game…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Simis GAME PUBLISHER:Grolier Interactive Copyright 1998, Simis Xenocracy is an excellent but much overlooked space simulation, probably due to the combination of inadequate marketing (publisher Grolier Interactive has always focused more on touting their line of reference/educational CD-ROMs) and the huge number of higher…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Edward Lerner GAME DEVELOPER:Electronic Arts GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Arts Copyright 1987, Edward Lerner This is the first version of Edward “Ned” Lerner’s Chuck Yeager’s Advanced Flight Trainer, a popular non-military flight sim. The game lets you test pilot 14 different airplanes in different modes: racing, formation flying,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Carlo Comis GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Carlo Comis DarwinBots is no doubt one of the most comprehensive “artificial life” programs ever made. Here are some excerpts from the official site to give you an idea of how complex the program is: “The DarwinBots universe…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Stian K. S?le GAME DEVELOPER:Insane Arts GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Stian K. S?le Simsheep 2 is a humorous ‘virtual pet’ simulation in the same vein as Tamagotchi or Creatures series. You are put in control of every facet of a sheep’s life, from simple things like…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Robert Cox GAME DEVELOPER:Mithril Software GAME PUBLISHER:Mithril Software Copyright 2000, Mithril Software Bridge Crew is an excellent spacecraft management similar to Super Star Trek and subsequent games, i.e. as spaceship commander, you will explore galaxies and engage in combat with other ships. The catch is that…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Atanak GAME PUBLISHER:Atanak Copyright 1989, Atanak Tamper is a unique and innovative stock market game that combines elements of board game and traditional stock market simulation into an original and fun experience. The game is quite straightforward: as a stock trader, your goal is…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Nemecek GAME DEVELOPER:Gemtree GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, David Nemecek Becher Bar is a fun bar simulation game similar to Pizza Tycoon, except you are managing a bar rather than a restaurant. You first start with leasing or buying property for your bar, then decorate the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jason Shankel GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, Jason Shankel OpenTrek is a very cool 3D update of the classic Super Star Trek game, also on this site. For more information on what the game is about, read my review of Super Star Trek on this…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Matuszek & Tom Almy GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Tom Almy One of the best-loved earliest computer games, Super Star Trek is a cult mainframe classic spacecraft simulation played by countless college students in mid to late 1970s. Celebrated for its emphasis on authentic-sounding…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Didier Guillion GAME DEVELOPER:Loriciel GAME PUBLISHER:Myriad Software Copyright 1998, Myriad Software Sapiens is a unique and quite open-ended simulation of prehistoric human life. First released for the Atari ST and CPC in 1991 by Loriciel, the game is now self-published by the original designer as shareware…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jetro Lauha GAME DEVELOPER:tAAt GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, Jetro Lauha Winner of the game development competition in Assembly 2002 and deservedly so, Porrasturvat (Stair Dismount in English) is a quirky and strangely addictive little game by Jetro Lauha, the designer of caveflyer classic KOPS. The idea…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Passfield & Steven Stamatiadis GAME DEVELOPER:Gee Whiz! Entertainment GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1999, John Passfield & Steven Stamatiadis Billed as a “revolutionary screen entertainment package,” The Chronicles of Jaruu Tenk is a neat and quite unique simulation that is part “life simulation” a la Little Computer…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Juergen Reusswig GAME DEVELOPER:Max Design GAME PUBLISHER:Sunflowers Copyright 1998, Sunflowers The German design firm Sunflowers, publisher of the earlier Holiday Island, strike gold (and ore for that matter) once again with 1602 A.D.. 1602 is presented in the trading sim style of earlier games such as…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Grace GAME DEVELOPER:Gaping Wolf Software GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1992, David Grace Hunter’s Law is a unique and fun “simulation/adventure” that plays like what Wolf would have played like, had it been released in 1992. You play two characters in the game: one, a scientist stationed…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Jaeger Software GAME PUBLISHER:Philips Media Copyright 1996, Jaeger Software Strategy Plus says it all about this fun dogfighting underdog: “Fighter Duel is an excellent first person stand alone and modem play PC world War II dogfighting simulator. It runs liquid smoothly (except very close…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Rowan GAME PUBLISHER:Empire Interactive Copyright 1996, Rowan Navy Strike is an ambitious flight simulation from Rowan that tries to add elements of strategy in typical flight sim gameplay. The result is an uneven game that will appeal only to veteran flight sim and strategy…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Trevor Chan & William Massy GAME DEVELOPER:Enlight Software GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2001, The Sloan Foundation Virtual U is a unique and realistic university management simulation the first and so far the only game of its kind. Designed to foster better understanding of management practices in U.S.…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Bill Stealey GAME DEVELOPER:iEntertainment Network GAME PUBLISHER:iEntertainment Network Copyright 2000, iEntertainment Network Warbirds III is an extremely good flight sim, designed mainly for multiplayer gaming, but can be played offline aswell. The successor to Warbirds 2.xx (incremental releases were made), this is a WW2 flight simulation…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dirk Plate GAME DEVELOPER:dP Software GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2002, dP Software Schiffbruch (German for “Shipwreck”) is a great survival simulation/strategy/adventure game similar to Robinson’s Requiem. The premise is as follows: you are stranded on a deserted island in the middle of the Pacific. Your job, naturally,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Magnavox GAME PUBLISHER:Magnavox Copyright 1981, Magnavox The Great Wall Street Fortune Hunt is the third and last game in Magnavox elaborate Master Strategy series for the Odyssey&#178, which are complicated epics that incorporated board game elements and complex rules with simplistic video game components.…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jeffrey Ventrella GAME DEVELOPER:Rocket Science Games GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1997, Jeffrey Ventrella Developed by Rocket Science before the company folded and now released as freeware by its designer, Darwin Pond is an excellent, innovative artificial life simulation. Like other life sims, the game is an electronic…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jeff Marlow GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1993, Jeff Marlow Computer Underground is a fun freeware game about — you guessed it — a hacker’s life. Similar to games such as Neuromancer or more recently Uplink, your goal in CU is to become the greatest hacker…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Myo Thant GAME DEVELOPER:ISM Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:ISM Interactive Copyright 1997, ISM Interactive Virtual Surgeon: Open Heart is the fourth and unfortunately last medical simulation game designed by Dr. Myo Thant, a Timonium oncologist whose first game Life and Death became an instant classic when it was…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Paul Woakes GAME DEVELOPER:Novagen GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2005, Paul Woakes MDDClone is an amazing clone of C64/Spectrum classic Mercenary (both the original game, Escape from Targ, and The Second City mission disk) and its sequel Damocles and all mission disks for Windows. Originally designed by Paul…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Core Design GAME PUBLISHER:Core Design Copyright 1995, Core Design Firestorm: Thunderhawk 2 is a fun light chopper simulation from Core Design that is reminiscent of NovaLogics Comanche series in many ways. Namely, its a fast-paced action game that shouldnt be mistaken for the next…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ken Allen GAME DEVELOPER:Spectrum Holobyte GAME PUBLISHER:MicroProse Copyright 1996, Spectrum Holobyte Top Gun: Fire at Will is a fun action-oriented flight sim from Spectrum Holobyte, designed to attract flight sim beginners to the genre with fun missions based on the hit movie and excellent graphics. Die-hard…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Bruce Artwick GAME DEVELOPER:subLOGIC GAME PUBLISHER:subLOGIC Copyright 1990, subLOGIC Flight Assignment: A.T.P. (short for Airline Transport Pilot) from SubLOGIC is a classic civil flight simulator that was a breakthrough in the genre in many ways. For starter, the game offers a very vast scope: you can…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1980, Anonymous Jetset is a primitive ASCII-only flight simulator program coded entirely in BASIC. This version is coded from the BASIC codes printed in an early BYTE! Magazine, sometime around 1979. You control the plane from a first-person perspective, watching…