Category: Simulations

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Rich Banks & Paul Butler GAME DEVELOPER:Artech GAME PUBLISHER:Three-Sixty Pacific Copyright 1992, Artech A quirky action-oriented sub simulation that’s disappointing given Three-Sixty’s expertise in realistic wargames and reputation established with Harpoon. Although Three-Sixty obviously tries to imbue the game with realism, the game comes across as…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Larry Barbu GAME DEVELOPER:Spectrum Holobyte GAME PUBLISHER:Spectrum Holobyte Copyright 1991, Spectrum Holobyte Here’s your chance to prove Gorbachev right — or wrong. Your initial choice as either Ligachov, Yeltsin, or Gorbachov affects your initial posture in domestic and foreign policy which you can adjust at any…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chris Newman GAME DEVELOPER:Mindscape GAME PUBLISHER:Mindscape Copyright 1984, Mindscape Most likely the only courtroom simulation in existence that lets you be the judge as opposed to the lawyers, Crime and Punishment is a unique and intriguing sim that is a result of many years of research…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Craig DeRouen GAME DEVELOPER:SoftServ, Inc. GAME PUBLISHER:COSMI Copyright 1987, COSMI Sequel to excellent but little-known Inside Trader, Corporate Raider is also an excellent stock market simulator. This time, however, you are owner of a company as opposed to an outside investor in Inside Trader. This role…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Eastman GAME DEVELOPER:Virgin Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:Virgin Interactive Copyright 1990, Virgin Interactive An excellent but hardly-known sim, Conflict achieves what it sets out to be in the title: a political simulation of age-old conflicts in the turbulent middle east. Set foreign, economic, and military policies to…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dani Bunten GAME DEVELOPER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) GAME PUBLISHER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) Copyright 1985, Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) Cartel$ & Cutthroat$, aside from being master designer Dani Bunten’s first game for the PC, is notable for being one of the first business sims in existence that…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Realtime Games GAME PUBLISHER:Rainbird Copyright 1988, Realtime Games Carrier Command is an excellent simulation that almost perfectly captures the excitement (and aggravation) of war by combining action and straetegic elements with revolutionary 3D wireframe graphics. Put in command of a futuristic aircraft carrier replete…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Capstone GAME PUBLISHER:Capstone Copyright 1990, Capstone An ambitious game based on Tom Clancy’s famous political thriller, Cardinal of the Kremlin lets you assume responsibilities of all the major characters in the novel: your job is to rescue FBI spy “The Cardinal,” neutralize Russia’s “Project…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Trevor Chan GAME DEVELOPER:Enlight Software GAME PUBLISHER:Interactive Magic Copyright 1995, Enlight Software The best business simulation ever made– period. Definitely THE game to get if you were to buy only one business sim in your lifetime. You can control every aspect of your company, from building…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Peter Adams & Rich Banks GAME DEVELOPER:Artech GAME PUBLISHER:Three-Sixty Pacific Copyright 1991, Artech Blue Max is a fun World War I flight sim that features interesting campaigns with a variety of missions ranging from standard bombing runs to executing aerial maneuvers. The game boasts crisp VGA…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Rich Banks & Paul Butler GAME DEVELOPER:Artech GAME PUBLISHER:Accolade Copyright 1988, Accolade Although it is really a flight simulation, Blue Angels’ focus on the exciting world of air shows makes it closer to a sports game than a flight sim. Instead of shooting downs MIGs or…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Earl Long GAME DEVELOPER:StarSoft Development GAME PUBLISHER:Keypunch Copyright 1987, Keypunch Black Monday is a simple stock market simulation that manages to capture some aspects of the real market despite its primitive engine. The goal of the game is simple: amass the most amount of money (and…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:FormGen GAME PUBLISHER:FormGen Copyright 1994, FormGen This is a simulator of the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. The Flight model is relaxed, so its easy to get into. The graphics are VGA, but they won’t surprise you a bit. There are several scenarios and a campaign…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Game ON GAME PUBLISHER:Game ON Copyright 1999, Game ON Billionaire is one of the better Monopoly clones. You can buy properties and establish your own chain of companies, and make your opponents pay enormous rents. You can take loans and invest in the stock…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Mike Moskowitz GAME DEVELOPER:Swifte International GAME PUBLISHER:Swifte International Copyright 1994, Swifte International Big One, The is an innovative (and only?) game that simulates the effects of an earthquake hitting Los Angeles area. It is your job as mayor to restore order to the city with public…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Lawrence Holland & Noah Falstein GAME DEVELOPER:LucasFilm Games GAME PUBLISHER:LucasFilm Games Copyright 1988, LucasFilm Games Ohh boy this was my first flight sim. Back then, I didnt even have a joystick, but this one really made me buy one. The whole premise for this game is…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:D.C. Ward GAME DEVELOPER:Realtime Games GAME PUBLISHER:OCEAN Copyright 1990, Realtime Games Battle Command was the followup to the classic 3D war simulation Carrier Command that put you in charge of an advanced aircraft carrier. In Battle Command you command a tank. Unlike its excellent predecessor, Battle…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chris Crawford GAME DEVELOPER:Chris Crawford GAME PUBLISHER:Chris Crawford Copyright 1990, Chris Crawford As policymaker, you must achieve a precarious balance in this game between the needs of growing industries and natural ecology through adjusting various environment-related policies. Until Maxis’ SimEarth, this was the ONLY game of…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chris Crawford GAME DEVELOPER:Chris Crawford GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1989, Chris Crawford This update of Chris Crawford’s seminal Balance of Power for Windows 1.0 features up-to-date information, 18 new countries (bringing the total to 80), and “multipolar level” in which countries can go to war of their…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chris Crawford GAME DEVELOPER:Mindscape GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1985, Chris Crawford Balance of Power is among the first political simulation that emphasizes diplomacy and politics over outright aggression. When he first released this seminal game in 1984, Crawford single-handedly established the political simulation genre and left a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:John Grey GAME DEVELOPER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) GAME PUBLISHER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) Copyright 1987, Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) A simulation of the World War II Ploesti oil raids, the player had to join his B-24 to the formation, fly to the target and inflict maximum damage.…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Mike Brunton GAME DEVELOPER:MicroProse GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1992, MicroProse This hugely underrated flight-sim adds a novel element to the genre: the pilots’ personalities. True to the real-life characteristic of the B-17, a veritable “flying fortress” of WW2 bomber that houses a team of 10 pilots and…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Tatsuo Nagahama GAME DEVELOPER:ArtDink GAME PUBLISHER:Maxis Copyright 1992, ArtDink One of the very few Maxis games that didn’t become a smash hit, A-Train a great conversion of Railroad Empire, Japan’s classic game of railroad empire building. Although similar in concept to Railroad Tycoon, the difference here…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Digital Integration GAME PUBLISHER:Interactive Magic Copyright 1995, Digital Integration Digital Integration’s first successful foray into the helicopter simulator market was very successful. Sporting a very realistic flight model which could be dumbed down to beginner levels, Apache Longbow had everything. The cockpit is very…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dr. Peter Favaro GAME DEVELOPER:Activision GAME PUBLISHER:Activision Copyright 1983, Activision Alter Ego is one of the rare games that’s not only outstanding in every respect, but, like Fool’s Errand, is so original in concept that it’s hard to categorize. You play your own alter ego in…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dr. Peter Favaro GAME DEVELOPER:Activision GAME PUBLISHER:Activision Copyright 1983, Activision Alter Ego is one of the rare games that’s not only outstanding in every respect, but, like Fool’s Errand, is so original in concept that it’s hard to categorize. You play your own alter ego in…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Digital Integration GAME PUBLISHER:Digital Integration Copyright 1990, Digital Integration A solid modern flight sim that is DI’s most arcade-ish sim ever, Airstrike USA still features DI’s hallmarks of excellent flight models and details, despite the dumbed-down version of instrument panels and trigger-happy gameplay. Great…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ed Grabowski GAME DEVELOPER:Impressions GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1992, Impressions Air Bucks is an excellent business simulation game from the company now famous for Caesar series. The game succeeds in capturing the ins and outs of the airline industry without bogging the player down with details.…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Alan Zimm GAME DEVELOPER:Internecine GAME PUBLISHER:RAW Entertainment Copyright 1989, Internecine Arguably the best RAW Entertainment game and one of the most comprehensive naval simulations ever designed, Action Stations! is a very comprehensive simulation of surface warfare before and during World War II (between 1922-45). In the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Charles Moylan GAME DEVELOPER:Big Time Software GAME PUBLISHER:Avalon Hill Copyright 1997, Big Time Software Games Domain review says it all about this underrated strategic flight simulation:”Achtung Spitfire (AS) is billed as the “prequel” to Over the Reich (OtR) since it covers the time period from 1939-1943,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Damon Slye GAME DEVELOPER:Dynamix GAME PUBLISHER:Dynamix Copyright 1988, Dynamix One of the first 3D tank simulator also remains to this day one of the finest. Designer Damon Slye created a game that offers both realism and great gameplay without sacrificing the fun factor. Control modern U.S.…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Mike Beaton & Sam Littlewood GAME DEVELOPER:Argonaut Software GAME PUBLISHER:MicroProse Copyright 1992, Argonaut Software You wait intensely. Your ears are cocked to the radio. You double-checked every switch in your F-22 cockpit. Everything is green. You are flying in a lazy racetrack pattern well outside the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jim Zuber GAME DEVELOPER:Blue Chip GAME PUBLISHER:Blue Chip Copyright 1987, Blue Chip Last game in Jim Zuber/Blue Chip’s superb line of business simulations, Millionaire Release 2 is the second and far superior release of Millionaire, a great stock market simulation. Although at first glance the game…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jim Zuber GAME DEVELOPER:Blue Chip GAME PUBLISHER:Blue Chip Copyright 1986, Blue Chip Tycoon: The Commodity Market Simulation is, as the name suggests, a simulation of the commodities market. The game puts you in the shoes of a commodities trader who buys and sells various futures (a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Jim Zuber GAME DEVELOPER:Blue Chip GAME PUBLISHER:Blue Chip Copyright 1986, Blue Chip Baron: The Real Estate Simulation is, as the name suggests, a simulation of the real estate industry. The game is undoubtedly the best simulation of this industry I have ever seen, and given its…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:KOEI GAME PUBLISHER:KOEI Copyright 1994, KOEI One of the very few business simulations released for the Super Nintendo (the version for SEGA Genesis was also made), Aerobiz Supersonic from KOEI is a fun airline management game that is not as complex (in terms of…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Enix GAME PUBLISHER:Enix Copyright 1994, Enix One of the best examples of Japanese developers (or more precisely Enix) wonderfully original take on games, Wonder Project J (released only for the Super Nintendo) is a highly underrated game that defies categorization. It is a rare…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Avalon Hill GAME PUBLISHER:Avalon Hill Copyright 1982, Avalon Hill Stocks & Bonds is an excellent PC port of 3M/Avalon Hills board game of the same name that remains to this day one of the best tabletop stock market simulations ever made. Starting with $5,000…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Martin Kenwright GAME DEVELOPER:Digital Image Design (DID) GAME PUBLISHER:OCEAN Copyright 1997, Digital Image Design (DID) Super EF2000 is the last game made by Digital Image Design (DID), one of the most venerable flight sim companies before it was bought out in 1997. The game is the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Digi 4 Fun GAME PUBLISHER:Digi 4 Fun Copyright 1997, Digi 4 Fun Games Domain says it all in their review of this ambitious but flawed tank combat game: “Muzzle Velocity is indeed treading the same path as 1944: Across the Rhine, a fact which…