Category: Strategy and War Games

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ali Atabek GAME DEVELOPER:Interplay GAME PUBLISHER:Interplay Copyright 1996, Interplay One of the most underrated strategy games ever made, Interplays M.A.X. (short for Mechanized Assault & Exploration) is an incredibly addictive game that offers a novel and excellent combination of real-time and turn-based modes that will please…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Quicksilver GAME PUBLISHER:Interplay Copyright 1992, Interplay Follow-up to Interplay?s classic Castles, Castles II: Siege and Conquest is an excellent sequel that expands both scale and scope of the original classic. No longer are you a noble who is content with defending your own territory…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Scott Bennie GAME DEVELOPER:Interplay GAME PUBLISHER:Interplay Copyright 1991, Interplay Perhaps the first truly accessible strategy game about the Middle Ages, Castles is a classic from Interplay that offers many hours of addictive gameplay. As a prominent English noble living in the 12th century, your mission is…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:reLINE Software GAME PUBLISHER:reLINE Software Copyright 1995, reLINE Software Similar to Bullfrogs better-known Theme Hospital, Biing! is a humorous Germanonly business simulation about running a hospital and making money by treating patients from more or less weird illnesses and injuries. But thats where the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Julian Gollop GAME DEVELOPER:Mythos Games GAME PUBLISHER:MicroProse Copyright 1997, MicroProse After disappointing fans of X-COM (or UFO: Enemy Unknown in Europe) with Terrors from The Deep, the uninspired sequel that should have been sold as an add-on, Julian Gollop and his team at Mythos Games brought…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Strategic Studies Group (SSG) GAME PUBLISHER:Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) Copyright 2000, Strategic Studies Group (SSG) Warlords Battlecry is the last and undoubtedly most underrated entry in SSGs celebrated Warlords series, long heralded as the best fantasy wargames for die-hard wargamers everywhere. Battlecry marks a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Patrick Cook GAME DEVELOPER:Dynamix GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1997, Sierra On-Line One of the most amazing turnarounds in computer gaming history, Outpost 2: Divided Destiny is a great space strategy game that is everything its awful predecessor was not: a solid and entertaining conquer-the-universe game with…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Bruce Balfour GAME DEVELOPER:Sierra On-Line GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1994, Sierra On-Line Outpost is one of the most over-hyped and worst fiascos in Sierra’s history, and a game so poorly executed it should never have been released. How awful is the game? Ty Brewer says it…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Greg Hassett GAME DEVELOPER:Chip GAME PUBLISHER:Chip Copyright 1990, Chip One of the most obscure strategy games ever made, Journey to The Center of The Earth is an interesting but frustratingly difficult adventure/strategy/action hybrid based on the celebrated novel of the same name by Jules Vernes. As…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Gamos GAME PUBLISHER:Infogrames Copyright 1991, Gamos Simple solo or two-player brainteaser developed by Russian company GAMOS. Also known as Filler, which describes the game principle fairly well. You have to fill a board of different colored tiles starting from your corner by choosing from…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Infogrames GAME PUBLISHER:Infogrames Copyright 1990, Infogrames One of the most underrated sci-fi strategy games ever made, Full Metal Planete is a wonderful hex-based games that successfully bridges the gap between serious wargames (e.g. Reach for The Stars) and light-weight strategy games (e.g. Nuclear War).…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Infogrames GAME PUBLISHER:Infogrames Copyright 1989, Infogrames North & South is a competent PC translation of Infogrames? most famous Amiga game. In simplest terms, it?s a tongue-in-cheeck American Civil War strategy-cum-arcade game, with characters from a popular French comic strip called Les Tuniques Bleues. The…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Impressions GAME PUBLISHER:Impressions Copyright 1994, Impressions Front Lines is a hypothetical wargame that strongly resembles QQP’s venerable The Perfect General series, combining the elements of board game warfare with good graphics and sound. Set in the next century, the game simulates tactical-level ground combat,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dan Spracklen GAME DEVELOPER:Activision GAME PUBLISHER:Activision Copyright 1991, Activision Sargon V is a solid chess game with outstanding training options and good presentation, offering both 2D and 3D boards. Billed a chess game for expert, the game indeed plays a very good game of chess, with…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:ERE Informatique GAME PUBLISHER:ERE Informatique Copyright 1988, ERE Informatique Most likely the worst game from quirky French developer ERE Informatique (which later became Cryo Interactive), Teenage Queen is a strip poker– nothing more, nothing less. But ERE games are nothing if not unique, and…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Andrew Ewanchyna GAME DEVELOPER:ApeZone GAME PUBLISHER:ApeZone Copyright 2001, Andrew Ewanchyna One of the most underrated and unknown “4X” space strategy games ever made, Starships Unlimited is an incredibly addictive game that plays like a unique cross between Master of Orion and Homeworld. The game claims to…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Anonymous GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1999, Anonymous WARNING: This game contains sexual scenes that are not appropriate for kids. Please use your judgment before playing the game! Tenshindo (a.k.a. Queen of Tinshendo ’95) is a fun Hentai card game with a bit more class and…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Steven Jones GAME DEVELOPER:SDJ Enterprises GAME PUBLISHER:SDJ Enterprises Copyright 1993, SDJ Enterprises This is the enhanced Windows 3.1 version of SDJs underrated Dracula in London board/adventure game hybrid, first released in 1993. As MobyGames points out, “…the ASCII graphics and CGI color have been replaced with…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chris Whittington GAME DEVELOPER:Oxford Softworks GAME PUBLISHER:Oxford Softworks Copyright 1993, Oxford Softworks Complete Chess System (CCS) is an excellent hardcore chess program from Oxford Softworks that sold reasonably well in UK but is literally unknown elsewhere. In addition to running on one of the strongest chess…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Paul Murphy GAME DEVELOPER:Microprose GAME PUBLISHER:Microprose Copyright 1993, Firaxis Pirates! Gold is the excellent remake of 1987?s Pirates!, Sid Meier?s classic game of swashbuckling on the high seas. Despite the pedigree of the original version, the game suffered the same fate as Railroad Tycoon Deluxe when…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Robert Bonifacio & Dan Burke GAME DEVELOPER:Mindcraft GAME PUBLISHER:Mindcraft Copyright 1992, Mindcraft Tegel’s Mercenaries is the inferior prequel to Mindcraft’s sci-fi tactical combat game Strike Squad. Aside from passable plot (you control a team of mercenaries working for Tegel, space-age corporate bully) and decent VGA graphics,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:David Kittinger GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1979, David Kittinger Mychess was developed by David Kittinger. Anyone whos not a fan of chess may not know that David is among the best computer chess designers today. After Mychess and its sequel, he developed the popular Chessmaster…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Impressions GAME PUBLISHER:Sierra On-Line Copyright 1996, Impressions Rise and Rule of Ancient Empires is an ambitious Civilization-style strategy game from Impressions/Sierra that unfortunately falls flat from uninspired gameplay and poor AI. Tim Chowns review for Games Domain makes clear what is wrong with this…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Bruce Shelley GAME DEVELOPER:MicroProse GAME PUBLISHER:MicroProse Copyright 1993, MicroProse Railroad Tycoon Deluxe (RDX) is an excellent updated version of Sid Meier’s classic Railroad Tycoon, a game of robber barons at the turn of 20th century. Despite a host of new features and graphics, RDX sold very…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Graeme Devine GAME DEVELOPER:Virgin Interactive GAME PUBLISHER:Virgin Interactive Copyright 1991, Virgin Interactive Spot is a fun Othello-style game starring 7Up’s Spot character. In this board game for one or two players, your objective is to occupy as many tiles as possible by placing your pieces on…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Software Toolworks GAME PUBLISHER:LucasArts Copyright 1993, Software Toolworks Star Wars Chess is a lackluster animated chess game similar to Interplay’s Battle Chess. The SEGA CD version of the game, released a year later, is better known and better-sold than this rare PC version. Each…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Software 2000 GAME PUBLISHER:Software 2000 Copyright 1991, Software 2000 A decent puzzle game that is best described as Othello in 3D. In this board game variant, you and the computer player take turn placing Kengi (small aliens) on the game board. Each player scores…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Capstone GAME PUBLISHER:Capstone Copyright 1993, Capstone Another poor game from Capstone, whose record of releasing terrible games is probably unmatched in PC gaming history. The concept is interesting enough, as MobyGames description puts it: “[Terminator 2: Judgment Day – Chess Wars] is a chess…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Chussana Pun-ngoen GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1994, Chussana Pun-ngoen One of the better Thai chess games on the market, this is version 2.2 of Chussana Pun-ngoen’s Thai Chess program. For those who are unfamiliar with Thai chess (and that’s most of you ), here’s a…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kai Sausmikat & Henrik Schmidt GAME DEVELOPER:Vicious Byte GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1999, Vicious Byte One of the best freeware giant robot game ever made, Titans of Steel is a solid, well thought-out tactical wargame reminiscent of FASA’s Battletech board game. Basically an unofficial remake of classic…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Klaus Breuer GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1996, Klaus Breuer No relations to the similar-named Infocom game (Mechwarrior), MechWar is almost a direct port of the popular FASA board game featuring futuristic mechs. Despite being an unauthorized version, Mechwar includes almost all the mechs that fans…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Bullfrog GAME PUBLISHER:Bullfrog Copyright 1996, Bullfrog Undoubtedly the worst game Bullfrog ever released, Gene Wars is a prime example of a great concept botched by poor implementation. The concept, as with all Bullfrog’s games, is very intriguing: in this mission-based real-time game, your task…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Datasoft GAME PUBLISHER:Datasoft Copyright 1987, Datasoft 221B Baker Street is a solid computer version of an underrated board game of the same name, which is similar to Clue! but with more challenging cases and innovations that evoke the feel of Holmesian London. As in…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Starbyte GAME PUBLISHER:Starbyte Copyright 1990, Starbyte Saralon is an entertaining Chinese-flavored puzzle game. Uses some ideas from Activision’s earlier classic Mahjongg game Shanghai, though with different rules and offers more than enough of its own to not be considered a clone. Nicely presented; fun,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Aaron Hall GAME DEVELOPER:Malfador Machinations GAME PUBLISHER:Shrapnel Games Copyright 2001, Malfador Machinations One of the best turn-based “4X” space strategy games ever made Space Empires IV is a massive space strategy game for Windows. You control your empire in an ever-changing and hostile galaxy. All the…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Mindscape GAME PUBLISHER:Mindscape Copyright 1995, Mindscape & Namco Metal Marines is a unique RTS (Real Time Strategy) war game that is a fun and challenging game once you get used to the frantic pace of gameplay. This Windows game has a lot going for…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dennis Hassabis & Peter Molyneux GAME DEVELOPER:Bullfrog GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Arts Copyright 1994, Bullfrog One of the most original strategy games ever made, Bullfrog’s Theme Park is a fun “light” business simulation that fulfills a childhood dream of many people: manage a theme park. While the game…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Bullfrog GAME PUBLISHER:Electronic Arts Copyright 1997, Bullfrog Theme Hospital is a highly original game that unfortunately sports too many monotonous levels and too easy gameplay to sustain long-term play value. As the name suggests, game puts you in charge of a hospital, and your…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Kou Shibusawa GAME DEVELOPER:KOEI GAME PUBLISHER:KOEI Copyright 1995, KOEI The last game in KOEI’s acclaimed Romance of The Three Kingdoms series to be released in English, Romance of The Three Kingdoms IV: Walls of Fire ends in a disappointing note for long-time fans of the series,…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Mark Lewis Baldwin & Bob Rakosky GAME DEVELOPER:White Wolf Productions GAME PUBLISHER:New World Computing Copyright 1996, White Wolf Productions A disappointing end to the illustrious Empire series that began in 1978, Empire II: The Art of War feels like it was rushed out the door long…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Lothar Schmitt GAME DEVELOPER:Blue Byte GAME PUBLISHER:Blue Byte Copyright 1991, Blue Byte Battle Isle is a futuristic tactical wargame, the start of the series and a predecessor to History Line (a.k.a. The Great War). In fact, players of History Lines will be able to pick this…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Blue Byte GAME PUBLISHER:Blue Byte Copyright 1994, Blue Byte Battle Isle II follows upon the formula Blue Byte previously used in Battle Isle and History Line, but with some heavy changes. The result is a game that LOOKS familiar to Battle Isle veterans, but…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Avalon Hill GAME PUBLISHER:Avalon Hill Copyright 1981, Avalon Hill One of the oldest naval wargames ever made, Avalon Hill’s Battle for Midway (a.k.a. Midway Campaign) is a very primitive ASCII wargame written entirely in BASIC that simulates the battle of Midway Island in World…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Winfred Stappert GAME DEVELOPER:Magic Bytes GAME PUBLISHER:Magic Bytes Copyright 1992, Magic Bytes Decent conversion of Magic Bytes’ Amiga game of the same name, Sexy Droids is a very simple jigsaw variant that’s downright boring. Two players, one of which could be the computer, take turns opening…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Gottardo Zancani GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Gottardo Zancani Hoplites, named after the heavily-armored troops of ancient Greece, is an excellent, although unofficial, computer version of SPQR, a cardgame-style tabletop wargame from GMT Games, which is considered among grognards one of the best renditions of…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Wizard Games GAME PUBLISHER:Wizard Games Copyright 1994, Wizard Games Billed as “a comedy adventure game that is never the same twice,” Rockstar is in fact a fun, and very unique, all-text strategy game from Wizard Games. You play an aspiring rock star who just…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Hudson Soft GAME PUBLISHER:Hudson Soft Copyright 1995, Hudson Soft Nectaris is one of the most obscure sci-fi strategy classics of all time. If you like Battle Isle by Blue Byte, you will definitely enjoy this game. Actually, Battle Isle was very much inspired (although…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER: GAME DEVELOPER:Strategy First GAME PUBLISHER:Strategy First Copyright 1999, Strategy First Disciples: Sacred Lands is a great fantasy strategy game that has obviously borrowed concepts from the genre’s Top Dogs, Warlords and Heroes of Might and Magic, but also introduces a lot of new ideas to…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Ian Bowes GAME DEVELOPER:Freeware GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 2000, Ian Bowes Hana-fuda is a solid Windows 95/98 version of a traditional Japanese card-matching game of the same name. Hanafuda cards are often known as ‘flower cards’, because each suit is depicted by a different flower. There are…

From the Database of Home of the Underdogs GAME DESIGNER:Dave Thielen GAME DEVELOPER:Windward Studios GAME PUBLISHER:Freeware Copyright 1997, Windward Studios Enemy Nations is one of the best and most sophisticated real-time strategy games ever made. It’s also a game you’ve probably never played, because its slated publisher went out of business shortly after the game’s…