News Archive - 2017

2017-12-29

Thought this is all for 2017? Not so fast. There is still place for one more review from our very young newcomer jeffro11, and the game of his choice is Space Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon, which makes a second review. Well done, welcome to TGOD and happy holidays!

2017-12-24

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If you recognize this and this is your kind of humor, you're in for a treat. Welcome to the game of your dreams – or maybe something you never dared to dream of? References to all your favourite old games galore! Stabs at your least favourite games (i.e. those from Sierra)! All presented in true-colour, high-resolution glory which tries to imitate the pixelized look of old times. Can it get any better?

Well, would be nice if inside this nostalgic fluff, there were also a good game, you know. Herr M. and me tried to judge Thimbleweed Park, the "comeback" game from the makers of classics like Maniac Mansion and Monkey Island, by the quality standards we consider appropriate today – including those positive qualities which we believe may have gone out of style along the way for some reason.

2017-12-19

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…and here is a related game, revisited with a fresh review just one year after the original one has been published in this place. Major updates since then warranted giving Dungeon Mercenary a fresh look – you should as well!

2017-12-15

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It is time for some monster hunting again! After so much action this year, here is something deeper for a change. 26 levels deep if you want to win, to be exact. Or more if you like. Brogue is one of those rare games which not only offer great gameplay, but it virtually invented its very own visual aestetics. Not bad, eh?

2017-12-05

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This world is full of coincidences. Or is it? Castlevania II: Simon's Quest has received a second review from user showhide. While just a couple of days ago, the very same game has been part of pepsiman's efforts to translate English-only reviews. All of this for a game which I have never played personally (no game of the whole series, in fact) – but it seems to be quite a controversial one from what more knowledgable players are saying.

2017-12-03

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As far as I'm concerned, this will be the last golf game for some time. A genre which in itself is not overly interesting to our core audience probably. Nevertheless, many of these games are of historical interest, as they already aimed at the "casual market" before this term was coined. Not all, mind you, but Sensible Golf definitely did not have the dedicated gamer who spends weeks and months to dig really deep into a game in mind.

2017-11-28

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Yes, this is Minigolf. In fact, it is Minigolf Plus! What is the "plus" part? Would you like to know? I bet, who wouldn't want to know such fascinating trivia about a Minigolf game? Thought so. In fact, if you happen to find out, let me know, because I sure as hell didn't.

2017-11-25

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Yes, I actually do like Miniature Golf. All the more in real life, but it can also be fun on the computer. On a rainy day and lacking friends to play with, it's a nice way to pass some time. If you've got the right game for it. Hole in One Miniature Golf is one which is usually recommended. Let's have a look!

2017-11-21

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The long awaited review of the original 1987 AGI release of Leisure Suit Larry: In the land of the Lounge Lizards has been finally nailed by our great adventurer and Sierra lover beranmuden. Oh, Larry, Larry... without you the good old days wouldn't be the same. And who says this game is for adults even? Quite frankly, the best way to enjoy it is to play it as a teenager on a dark night while your folks are asleep...

2017-11-20

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Warlords 3? Didn't I already declare the Deluxe Edition of the second part to be the ultimate version? Indeed, I did. Though what I said was: the best version for those who aren't so deeply into it, as subsequent games introduced gameplay and rule elements which made things too complex for the casual player. So let's have a look what some of these elements are, whether and how they improve the game for expert players. The game's subtitle – Reign of Heroes – should already give you a hint where this is going. Shortly after, Darklords Rising was released – lightly updated once again.

2017-11-18

IF Comp is over and unfortunately, I didn't manage to get through my intended playlist. Not even half of it. I kind of feel bad about it. So bad, in fact, that I didn't vote, feeling that my view wasn't representative enough. Seeing that the worst game of the few I played didn't just manage to break into the top 10, but placed 2nd, I probably should have cast my vote. Too late now. Maybe I'll go back and play the rest anyways. Time will tell. Thanks to the participants!

2017-11-16

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Pool on the computer? Not the most likely match. It's not exactly an action-packed sport. In fact, it is sort of… math-based. Which would make it impossible to attract large audience. So, sssssshhhhh, don't tell anyone! And guess what: this game is actually called Arcade Pool. Weird.

2017-11-10

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Time for a little sci-fi detective story and the very first review by perfectnarcosis, which, though, feels more like a technical guide (no offense, it's just that we are used to some more details as to the plot and gameplay). Mean Streets is a fairly known adventure title in the world of classic gaming. Only it has nothing to do with the 1973 gangster movie starring young Robert De Niro. And I wonder why the game creators ignored this potentially unwanted coincidence...

2017-11-02

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troublemind's next target is The Terminator: Rampage. A sci-fi 3D shooter, which albeit fairly known was poorly acclaimed possibly due to being a slightly improved clone of Wolfenstein 3D and a failed contender for FPS of the year contest where Doom successfully took the lead. Also, the very name of the game doesn't live up well to the content and could almost safely become a bootleg title for Wolfenstein II.

2017-11-01

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And troublemind's next move is Tintin on the Moon. Apparently, one of the many fleeting and less memorable games from the late 80's with a weak plot and rather poor gameplay. However, none of this is nearly as embarrassing as the fact that the PC port of this game supported only CGA cards in 1989, which I would definitely include in the review.

2017-10-31

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It looks like someone wants to contribute some too to the unannounced obscure 3D shooters streak started by Mr Creosote a while ago, but which, though, he seemed to have finished by now. Well, as they say, better late than never. I'm proud to present Curse of the Catacombs by our newcomer troublemind. Thank you, sir, and enjoy your stay on TGOD.

2017-10-28

Just a reminder: the annual IF Competition is still running. I have finished 13 games of my playlist so far, which is roughly half of what I've planned. In two thirds of the allocated time, so I guess I won't make it this year. Nevertheless, that's 13 games which nobody can take away from me again and 13 games which have been (more or less) reviewed right here. Last call if you still would like to play a couple!

2017-10-21

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Is it three-dimensional Speedball? Or rather the Deadly Discs game from Tron? Some bits from here, some from there. Stormball was likely supposed to be a fast-paced sports game on varied pitches causing some geometrical challenges. It is largely forgotten nowadays. Deservedly so?

2017-10-17

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This one looks familiar, doesn't it? But wait, didn't we do Breakout 2.5 years ago? Indeed. So the cooldown period can be considered over now – time for some new stuff. Crillion is actually an interesting variant which works in unexpected ways. It may not be immediately visible, but if you look carefully… no paddle! You'll find out why.

2017-10-14

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Back in more familiar waters and on some of my favourite subjects, too: trains and murder. Actually, this is the classic of the train mystery genre. Murder on the Orient Express, the original novel, set standards about the use of a confined space which still apply. It was turned into a hugely successful film fourty years later, with which this game at hand has much more in common than the 2010 TV adaption with which it shares its star. And it seems yet another film is about to be released soon. Which, of course, the world doesn't need. Though all these poor people involved need to earn their living somehow, don't they?

2017-10-10

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Here it finally is. The last 3D shooter I'm going to force you to read about this year. Promise! Genetic Species also happens to be one of the newest ones covered over the last couple of months.

Longtime readers have have been wondering why I've been doing this at all. Seeing that I have spoken quite negatively about this genre as a whole many times. Did I change my mind? Well, no. I'm still not particularly fond of this kind of shooter. They are much too formulaic, much too reliant on the latest and greatest graphical effects usually. This makes them age badly and even at the time, I didn't care for them.

In my book, this did make me a good candidate to review such games. TGOD was never supposed to be a pure fanboy voice. Having no previous emotional attachment to any of these games may have helped – even if some of the comments weren't what everybody was expecting. And in any case, widening one's own horizon can't hurt, can it?

2017-10-07

I've never heard about this game before (nor seen it here until now), but seeing we get a third review on it makes me think I missed out on something big. Z is the name of the game, and our newcomer is another old-school veteran still loyal to the good old days of his. Thank you, campbell and welcome to TGOD!

2017-10-07

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A bit behind schedule, so I still have two more shooters to go. Which may not be so bad, as they are kind of the antithesis of the brainy adventures announced a couple of days ago. Nemac IV appealed to me quite a bit more than I expected. The fact that instead of the usual artefact collecting, it draws its motivation from gameplay-related considerations probably helped.

2017-10-04

It's that time of the year again! Plenty of new text adventures released for all our playing pleasure. So many, in fact, that it will not be possible to play them all during the judging period. So I took the time to make a preliminary selection. Let's see if I can make it through this reduced list at least. Stay tuned, the article will be updated as I go (without announcements). The first game, I have already finished :)

2017-09-30

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Now things are really getting confusing. Gloom 2 was released as Gloom 3. The next proper sequel should then be Gloom 4 or Gloom 5, shouldn't it? Wrong. It was first announced as Gloom 3 Director's Cut, although the final game actually contained all new levels. It even dropped the series name altogether. Zombie Massacre? Well, who cares after all these years?

2017-09-27

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Yes, I agree. This does not look particularly promising. Even though I have been covering a large amount of crap lately, this is indeed surprising, as this particular game bears the name of a series which actually got my approval early in the run. Gloom 3 (where did Gloom 2 go?) does not come from the same development team. Maybe that is its dirty secret.

2017-09-23

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How about a burger? Yes, sounds good right now, doesn't it? Unless, of course, you are the one being "processed" and eaten, I guess. Though in Hitchhiker's tradition, this is what is exactly what is going to happen. Unless our protagonist manages to trick the advanced, meat-hungry aliens. How does Orion Burger stack up against McDonald's, Burger King and all?

2017-09-21

derceto keeps bombarding us with reviews as they come in pairs now. Another RPG gem he rated 6/6 which is Death Knights of Krynn and technologically boosted Civilization launched into outer space which is broadly known as Master of Orion, which he also rated 6/6. And a big halleluja to that!

P. S. Just a few tips if you are reading this. Please, do not indent your lines, it is done so automatically with each new paragraph, and refrain from extra spacing in-between the words. Thank you!

2017-09-20

It wasn't long before derceto's 3rd review, and now on another classic RPG game Champions of Krynn. As usual, good work.

2017-09-18

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After a short break, back to more 3D shooters which you never knew existed. Testament is even still available for sale from its original publisher! A welcome exception on these days of always running after the next smash hit.

2017-09-16

derceto makes his move again and covers Pool of Radiance, a classic RPG game, which like a multitude of other 80's RPG and AD&D games is not very attractive on the outside, but its internal characteristics may well be rewarding.

2017-09-13

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Whenever I plan a theme of updates, there is a pretty big decision to take. What to include? Just some thematic highlights or try and be as exhaustive as possible? In this case of Amiga 3D shooters, I went for the latter, given that there is a fairly limited selection to begin with. Of course, this approach is much better for documentation/archival purposes. Though it also forces me to wade through some games playing which is about as much fun as… well, imagine some attribute here. Here is my attempt to document Project Battlefield.

2017-09-11

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Believe it or not, but it seems like somebody actually read what I wrote here last time. Shortly after I had put my thing about Deluxe editions here (and I mean very shortly after), a new submission comes in discussing Transport Tycoon Deluxe. Which isn't just a "Deluxe" version, but has also been alluded to in the earlier RRDX review. This actually feels quite good. Thank you, Seppo007!

2017-09-09

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It's Railroad Tycoon Deluxe! You know what the good thing about these non-extended "Deluxe" versions which had a brief moment in the early 1990s is? They give us the chance to give those games a second look without feeling too bad about treading where somebody else (or even yourself) has already gone before. You get the feeling of actually covering a fresh, new game, even if it's not fully true. Very good for motivation!

In this particular case, things are even stranger. I originally reviewed Railroad Tycoon for the site myself. This was in the very early days of the site and when we actually set some standards later on, that review didn't meet them anymore. Wandrell stepped in and provided a new one. Time for me to strike back… using this Deluxe trick ;)

2017-09-06

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dogchainx strikes again with another remarkably detailed and stylish account of Falcon 3.0, a game which he deems the most complex, merciless and realistic of all early flightsims from DOS generation and playing it without a joystick alone is a complete no-go and self-abuse. We'll just take your word for it, man. Thanks for another great review!

2017-09-04

And we receive a second review on the legendary survival horror bestseller Alone in the Dark from derceto. Though, not exactly a newcomer, he's been around since 2014, this is, in fact, his very first review and as such pretty well composed too. Compliments and congrats on your first contribution points, my friend.

2017-09-02

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Germany has basically always been the largest market for point & click adventures. Even at times when the genre was basically dead in the rest of the world. So it should come as no surprise that German developers also were quite active in the genre. Die Sage von Nietoom remained 4th Generation Studios' only game. Although it does show many signs of inspiration from its contemporaries – from plot to interface.

2017-08-29

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I'm slowly running out of things to say about the nth 3D shooter I'm reviewing within a short timeframe. And I'm just only halfway through this run. Citadel, also known as Citadela in its native Poland, is a genre entry which doesn't do many things wrong. Having maybe sold 25 copies worldwide, you probably haven't heard of it. So check it out, but after my poisoned compliment two sentences before, don't expect too much.

2017-08-26

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Uh-oh… a tank driving through a city is usually not a good sign. It usually means either military parade (urk!), war (argh!) or a silly James Bond stunt (noooooo!). Though in computer games, standards are a little different. War can be fun, and Conqueror falls into the niche genre of tank simulators, which makes it quite interesting, actually.

2017-08-22

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Ah, purple blood. So no problem getting this past the censors. Because, you know, if it looks unreal, mindless brutality is no big deal. Mutilating and killing non-human beings is justifyable. Everybody knows that aliens and mutants are all evil anyway. So they do not deserve to live!

…I guess I better stop here. Have fun with Fears. At least try to.

2017-08-19

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Bongo! Actually, I considered this one the perfect opportunity to expand our VIC-20 coverage beyond, well, the one game we have for it. Though when I tried the different versions, I was in for a surprise: it is a much better game on the Plus/4! Since that one also doesn't have that many games yet, and since it does have a special personal distinction in my mind, I went with this later port.

2017-08-15

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Of course, there is still a lot of ground to cover as far as 3D-shooters-which-you-have-never-heard-of-in-your-whole-life (and which frankly, you could have passed away happily without ever learning about) are concerned. Regardless of what you may think or want (as if we ever cared about that here…), we will now cram Behind the Iron Gate down your throat. Bon Appetit!

2017-08-12

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Ah, a Terminator game? A cool shooter? No, it's just a cutscene. In fact, this is a tactical wargame. Still, quite cool, huh? Terminators and Hunter-Killers versus human rebels. Or did someone just get "inspired" a "little bit" there? One way or the other, Space Marines: The Steel Emperor does feature quite a bit of blue-screen acted cutscenes which may very well appeal fans of cheese.

2017-08-08

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See? Death Mask isn't so bad! You don't just move in large steps Dungeon Master style, but have intermediate steps. Which really is a conceptual must-have in the 3D shooter genre. You don't see it yet? No fear, the review explains it. Oh, you haven't even heard of the game and the controversy around it yet? All the more reason to read up on it!

2017-08-05

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Do you even need anything more than this picture to motivate you to learn more about Death or Glory? Could it possibly have an even stronger appeal to "core gamers"? Hardly. Though the same target audience may have the nagging suspicion in the back of their minds that they have seen this image before somewhere else. Definitely not in a computer game. Where could it have been? Or maybe you do know, but you don't care? That would actually be sensible.

2017-08-03

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Well, well, now this finally does look pretty good, doesn't it? It may not be Quake, but given that it does run at acceptable speed on a fairly regular Amiga, Breathless could be considered quite a revelation.

Now, obviously, the big question is whether it also delivers in other respects than graphics…

2017-07-31

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Our foolhardy adventurer jrok invades us again with Zork III review thus finally completing the Zork trilogy on the site. I've always had a certain amount of respect and even envy for people playing text-based adventures, for the reason that I've always lacked passion for such, yet considered this to be my personal kind of deficiency. Well done, fellow scribbler!

2017-07-29

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It's Crime Time! And you're right in the middle of it, being the primary suspect in a murder investigation. Sucks, doesn't it? Then again, what should people think, finding you there with blood on your hands kneeling over the dead body? Maybe you did commit the crime, after all, and it's just a case of amnesia induced by last night's drinking?

2017-07-25

What is this? Why, the severed body parts and guts of an exploding human being flying around, of course!

In a 3D shooter like Gloom, this is the reality you are routinely dealing with. Not much more which these games are actually about. If you would like to see this sort of thing in even more detail, there is even a Deluxe version which offers much sharper images. I can see you're getting pretty excited by now, eh?

2017-07-22

Wait a second! This is not how Alien Breed 3D II looks on the screenshots of other websites. Yet, it is the same game. What you see right here is how it would have looked on your computer if you had tried running it on contemporary, real hardware. What other websites show you is how it looks on an emulator with unlimited speed options thanks to modern-day chips and JIT. I.e. it's a rather good-looking game on screenshots if they are made on non-existent computers. What a sad way to end a series!

2017-07-15

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Oh, yes! This is how I always envisioned Alien Breed to look like! An armed space marine, a door (easily the most defining feature of the whole series!) and, of course, a deadly alien fletching its teeth. In 1995, the series finally went off into the third dimension. What a huge step for even stronger immersion into this thrilling world! If only… well, step in and see for yourself.

2017-07-11

Like anticipated, SB1988 completes the Kyrandia trilogy with the 3rd review on the last game in the series - Malcolm's Revenge. Well done, my friend!

2017-07-10

SB1988 continues his adventure in Kyrandia and treats of the second game of the series Legend of Kyrandia: Hand of Fate. Now, it seems that his next account on the part three of the series is only a matter of time. Then again, maybe not.

2017-07-10

And here comes a new member with another (now 2nd) review on Legend of Kyrandia. Very good start, SB1988, thank you and welcome to TGOD!

2017-07-08

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Ewwww, that doesn't look so good. You just came here to investigate a failure in communication, but it seems this job will not be done fixing a satellite system. Someone (or something?) has been wreaking real havoc here. Could it be the monster lurking there in the corridor on the right? You bet – this one and its 1000 comrades!

Alien Breed: Tower Assault marks the end of the two-dimensional part of the series. Though do not worry, we will extend our coverage to the three-dimensional ones as well. Oh, you didn't know about those? Well, you may have something to look forward to, then.

2017-07-02

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This is the long-awaited sequel? Hummm… not much has changed, has it? Just wait for it, things will look quite different in later levels. If you even manage to reach them. Gameplay-wise, on the other hand, don't expect a big revolution. It is as the title says: Alien Breed II – The Horror Continues.

2017-06-30

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Fun is prohibited!

Actually, if LostInSpace is to be believed, this law (valid in a place called Neutropolis) isn't that big a deal. There isn't much fun to be had in this city, rendered three-dimensionally in typically bad 1990s fashion, anyway. What's not possible doesn't even need to be forbidden, does it? It would be sort of redundant. Though certainly, this realization was not shared by the developers of Normality.

2017-06-23

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Phew… let's hope this fire door will hold. It's positively swarming with aliens on the other side. All of them jumping at me, I doubt my puny machine gun would suffice to stop them. Yes, the Alien Breed Special Edition is much harder than the original!

2017-06-21

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We continue with jrok right away. Not too surprisingly, as it has been referenced in yesterday's new game entry, we get The Superhero League of Hoboken today. Not only is it yet another game penned by Steve Meretzky, but it also fills one of the very few remaining gaps in our Legend Entertainment collection.

2017-06-20

It is only appropriate that today's news come without catchy graphics; A Mind Forever Voyaging (reviewed by newcomer jrok) is, after all, a purely text-based game. At the time, it was political dynamite. But wait… PRISM? Isn't this the name of something entirely different these days? How times change…

2017-06-19

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Yet another contributor returning after a short break. LostInSpace gives a contrasting viewpoint on Kult, reviewed in another version by myself about 15 years ago. To be honest, I can't remember much of the game myself. The noticeable points raised in both reviews seem to be similar, but their evaluation is different. Fair enough. Though after this, I'm not sure I will want to play it again to confirm ;)

2017-06-18

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Look out! Behind you! Whoops… looks like all your heavy weapons loaded with ammunition can't help you now. Alien Breed revitalized the Gauntlet genre in the early 1990s and it was also the game which brought its publisher, Team 17, into the spotlight. Suddenly, they were considered major stars. Deserved or not, you decide.

2017-06-16

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What? A NES cartridge in 2015?? You've got to be kidding me. I mean.. how.. why.. or perhaps it's best to ask BootSector himself who returns after a little coffee break with another enormous and vastly detailed account of a pretty recent Sokoban-styled game called The Incident. Welcome back, brother, and as usual, good work!

2017-06-10

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After so much violent conflict, let's have some love! Careful, though. You may die of pleasure if the Lubicrious Dragon gets his hands on you. Wait, didn't we see this in Barbarella? Well, yes, but unfortunately, this one isn't based on that movie (would be interesting to see). In fact there is no movie connection this time, unlike in the predecessor. Nevertheless, Geisha does satisfy my affection for obscure European Adventure-like games.

2017-06-05

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Now, this looks like a fair fight. A gay waiter against a… Mongolian fire god? Well, we know how mid-90s fighting games were all crazy about mad characters, so it's probably not completely unexpected. Fightin' Spirit even goes one step further and gives these characters special moves which make them look completely different. "Unleashing the inner beast" or something. Fun stuff!

On this high point, I would also like to announce this thematic run closed. Thank you for reading everyone! Soon to follow in this theatre: something completely different.

2017-06-03

And concluding this Friday okgooddays flings two other reviews and breaks the 2014-2017 TGOD record (since my personal arrival) of multiple review submission per day in a hot pursuit of points-to-download! This guy has written and submitted 5 game reviews within just a few hours. Why, aren't we a zealous one! Let's hear it loud for our newborn Speedy Gonzales! And the latest game reviews we got are Syndicate and Sword of the Samurai. Congratulations, okgooddays, and keep up the good work for points sake or not!

2017-06-03

And another one from okgooddays, this time on the legendary Leisure Suit Larry and particularly its VGA remake, one of my all time favorites, too. Keep on keeping on, dude!

2017-06-03

Halt! Who goes there? okgooddays! Wait, it's actually a username? Like, wow dude.. how long did it take you to make that one up? Oops, just kidding. However, I should say, your work has definitely impressed me more than your nick! I have always admired intrepid and enthusiastic contributors who can toss in more than one review at a time and what particularly gladdens me is that it doesn't come from another place (we have had more than just a few cases of plagiarism around here, and those crafty sorts often happen to be quite so generous too). Anyway, I digress. I am now proud to present 7th Guest (a game I still haven't played myself but heard of most of my life) and Grim Fandango by okgooddays. Thank you, friend, and welcome aboard!

2017-05-30

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

This game, you very likely haven't heard about. Capital Punishment was only released on the already dead Amiga platform in 1996 by an otherwise unknown publisher. As if that wasn't enough obscurity, it also had notoriously high hardware requirements, excluding even most of the remaining Amiga users from playing it. Maybe you're about to discover an insiders' tip…

2017-05-26

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Triumph against the gay policeman in the steel factory! Boy, will the steel workers be angry with me now. Better get out of here fast. Master Axe: The Genesis of MysterX not only sports a weird, incomprehensible title, but is also strange in other ways.

2017-05-23

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Another arcade hit ported to a home computer. Often, this did not go well, as many of the qualities which made the original great could not be properly translated to the common hardware found in people's homes. How did Primal Rage do?

2017-05-20

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

A superhero fighting game? What could possibly be a better match? Dangerous Streets even received the honour of being bundled with its console for some time. What an amazing choice! So you may think, if you don't know the game. Nevertheless, a great idea – somebody should really do this in a decent way!

2017-05-16

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Foight! Warriors, also known as Savage Warriors, is the French entry to the genre. At a time when everybody else was going for weird, three-dimensional camera angles, this one goes for some actual gameplay innovations. Whether they were successful and positive, you'll see.

2017-05-13

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Here it is, the first arcade fighting game using digitized sprites! No, it's not the one you thought it is. Pit-Fighter didn't just take a revolutionary graphical approach, but also tried bringing some innovation to the gameplay side.

2017-05-11

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Illegal street fighting – oooooh, how notorious! Tube Warriors represents this seedy underbelly of the dark shadow society by setting itself in… drum roll… subway stations. What an ingenious motif! And they even made the appropriate game matching this stroke of genius.

2017-05-05

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Ouch! Punched right in the balls! Going by the accompanying sound effect, probably with a tazer, too. That's what you get for talking to prostitutes, or actually for even entering the red light district. Hope you learned your lesson, you Human Killing Machine!

2017-05-02

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

What is it with fighting games and gay policemen? Why does each of these games believe it has to have one? Sure, the mid-90s were all about having colourful characters. So Shadow Fighter has a 14-year-old kid, a Terminator 2 knock-off, a giant brute, a kickboxer, a basketballer and… "Yurgen", the gay policeman. Though honestly, the training dummy is a more interesting opponent, because at least, it is original.

2017-04-25

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Now, this is finally what we've been looking for on the Amiga all those years, isn't it? Super Street Fighter II Turbo, released shortly after the previous series entry, looks absolutely amazing. A worthy finale, isn't it?

2017-04-21

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Goodbye, floppy disk! You had a good run, but by the mid-1990s, when Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers came out, your time was rapidly coming to an end. Although this game can actually still be booted and played from floppy. The sequel demanded hard disk installation.

2017-04-18

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Sergeant Slaughter vs. Hulk Hogan! If this match brings up fond memories, this particular WWF Wrestlemania game may be for you. Even though it comes from Ocean. Surprisingly, it is the only decent wrestling game on the Amiga.

2017-04-14

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

It had to happen some day. I tried resisting, because I usually don't see a point to simply reiterate what everybody else has already said. Which is why games like Monkey Island took a couple of years to appear on the site. On the opposite side of the quality scale, we have Rise of the Robots. Today's public opinion is, to put it mildly, homogenous. Though now that we're doing this special, there is no way around it anymore.

2017-04-11

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Let's boogie! Oh, that move got me 100 points – and some glitter on my fat butt cheeks! Uh… well, anyway, Elfmania may definitely send mixed visual messages, but it is actually a full-fledged fighting game. It received mixed reviews at the time of its release and these days, it's mostly faded into obscurity. Time for a re-visit!

2017-04-08

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Instead of the usual gritty (i.e. bloody) theme following Mortal Kombat, let's go for something more light-weight today. Brutal: Paws of Fury is martial arts performed by cartoon animals. Sounds good, doesn't it?

2017-04-05

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

A robot beating up a schoolgirl? Screw fair fighting! And, yes, if you beat her up badly enough, she will undress for you. Metal & Lace: The Battle of the Robo Babes is a Japanese game, after all. Wow, this one will receive tons of clicks!

2017-03-31

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Finally, we can have the long-awaited clash between the fat wrestler and the disembodied ghost! The whole world was waiting to see who will win this fight. Well, maybe not the whole world. Ultimate Body Blows covers a niche fairly popular in the comic book world: the crossover. Superman against Thor, Wolverine against Batman etc. Which works with characters who have a fan base.

2017-03-28

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Body Blows enters its second round, and it's a Galactic one. Will earth's representatives manage to win the title? Or will it go to the much cooler alien opponents?

2017-03-22

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Robots are cool, aren't they? That, and One Must Fall 2097 is actually one of the few PC games we've covering in this special so far. Not because anyone really dislikes the system, but it's really not a genre which it was known and popular for. So thanks to MasterLee for showing us this side of the genre as well.

2017-03-20

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Did you know that martial arts originated in ancient Egypt? According to Fighting Warrior it just might be true! However, other than that there is nothing original about it, and being technically a clone of Karateka, although featuring stick fighting and not karate, it offers pretty much the same boring plot and extremely dull gameplay which raises a natural question: why put shit in a different basket?

2017-03-18

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Fighting wasn't an exclusive phenomenon of the arcades or game consoles, even in the 1990s. Although more and more games appearing on the home computers were indeed ports, there were still original developments. Body Blows came from one of the typical Amiga companies. Can it compete with the popular games of the time or will it be beaten up?

2017-03-16

Taking a chance between the updates in our latest special, I wanted to tell all of you that our side project, the Good Old Days floppies collection, has surpassed the 2000 image sets mark.

For all of you who don't know about it, we are trying to help saving as many floppies as possible by keeping digital images of their contents. We depend on contributor, as our main job is sorting and hashing them, and right now is the biggest project of its kind.

You can take a look at the full list. If you want to contribute feel free to ask in the forum, we depend on you to keep the work going.

2017-03-15

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Oooooh… another really infamous game! Unfortunately, its title screen is actually the best thing about Shaq Fu. The in-game graphics are fairly basic and playability… if this were still the late 90s, I would say "meh".

2017-03-13

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

My next move is The Way of the Exploding Fist, a title which most Spectrum and Commodore veterans are without a doubt closely familiar with. I always thought this game, great and critically acclaimed as it may be, could be just a tiny bit better without introducing dramatic changes and boosting hardware requirements. Like, how about upping the difficulty from kiddie mode to adult?

2017-03-09

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Budokan, for some years, was the most popular fighting game on websites such as this one around the year 2000. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then and it is not quite as popular anymore; yet still far from being forgotten.

2017-03-07

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Everybody has to start small some time. Full Contact was Team 17's first game. So don't expect too much. Also, because some developers actually (deservedly) stayed small/non-notable forever, maybe you shouldn't anyway.

2017-03-05

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

I was a bit on the fence as to which MSX game I should review this time, whether Yie Ar Kung Fu or actually its less famed but quality improved sequel Yie Ar Kung-Fu 2: The Emperor Yie-Gah. I decided to go for the latter since it existed in full glory only on MSX. Moreover, it was very convenient for me to look back at the currently missing original game (MSX & NES only) and give it a quick overview as well as give a small reference to its more celebrated alternative version mostly familiar to Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum veterans.

2017-03-03

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Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

A German fighting game about Shaolin philosophy (and, of course, Kung Fu)? Not the most obvious combination. How does Chambers of Shaolin do?

2017-02-26

Anniversary Fighting Games Special 2017

Aaaand ladies and gentleman! We are proud to announce the grand opening of the fighting season which depending on our enthusiasm may extend up to a few months. During that time you may readily cut in line and cover some of your most favorite (or most hated) 1x1 fighting and beat 'em up games. We look forward to your fine contributions!

And the following game to do the opening is Karateka. Does it strike you as vaguely familiar? Do those sprites and animation remind you of Prince of Persia, even though they are not rotoscoped but simply pixel-drawn? That's because it was made by one and the same guy - Jordan Mechner, and Karateka is really his very first video game. Much as I respect his genius though, I have plenty of reasons to be displeased with this debut... let's find out why.

2017-02-22

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And one more MSX game of my childhood to cover which is called Eric and the Floaters or simply the very first and original Bomberman game from the early 80's.

2017-02-22

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This game, you know. Myst used to be ultra-popular, but have you seen this version? Very unlikely. Also, when did you last play it? Honestly now, how many years? Are you sure it is as good as you remember it to be? Hint: probably not.

For me, the experience went the other way around. After hating the game with a vengeance for more than 20 years, the experience of replaying was actually sort of enjoyable. At least more than I expected.

2017-02-18

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Here is a relatively recent game I ran across quite by accident. You know those sales at certain online games stores which offer basically insane discounts? Hard to resist if something sounds promising enough. I mean, what's the risk? Wasting two dollars? I can live with that.

Of course, if the game is then actually quite a bit of fun, as in the case of The Masterplan, there is nothing to complain about. What certainly also helps is that the game places itself in a genre which isn't nearly as overused as so many others.

2017-02-15

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The following MSX game is not the best I ever played, but it's one of the very first games in my life. I enjoyed it while it lasted (I did my best, I swear!) and I'm glad it wasn't just Tetris. Ninja Kage here is one to test your survival skills... and nerves.

2017-02-14

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Color Lines or just Lines. Now, don't tell me you're not familiar with this game, which plagued every PC-compatible in every office and home all throughout 90's. Don't tell me you hate it too, because you're sick of it and you're not really a puzzle type of a guy, cause I can share the same life story. However, calling this game a bad product just because you don't like puzzles or never worked in the late 20th century office would be quite inappropriate, don't you think?

2017-02-11

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Not much of a surprise here; obviously, after last week's update, the final part of the same series had to appear, too. That being Pacific General. Once again, not the most original game ever, its theme certainly being a downside. Nevertheless, not too bad, either, and for completists, it's a must anyway.

2017-02-08

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Some games I can't go concise about, especially if they are as peculiar and knotty as Avalon. This game is probably the progenitor of all 3rd person adventures released since 1984 for the majority of 8-bit family computers, in our case Spectrum. When you see a gloomy dungeon world with many rooms, doors, monsters, magic and above all sophisticated object and character interaction - know that it's all Avalon's legacy. Little known, but revolutionary nonetheless.

2017-02-07

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Comrade! It's time to defend the motherland against the fascist invasion.

Since we discussed how to treat series' recently, this is part of my attempt to fill some gaps in this regard. Of course, there are some entries into a series which are less noteworthy than others. I'm sure you'll all be able to name a number of examples. So anyway, here is Allied General.

2017-02-05

Our new member Magmon steps in and treats us with two reviews at a time: Tempest 2000 and Doom! But what really kicks ass is that both games were experienced on Atari Jaguar system, a video game console we haven't received any contributions for until this very day! Very well done, Magmon and welcome to TGOD!

2017-02-04

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Ducks Ahoy! Is it Pacman in disguise? Or rather the spiritual predecessor of Lemmings? It's unbelievable how whole genres can be traced back to this gem!

2017-01-31

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Yes, this one's already on the site… wait, something's different! A different guy on the cover and one soldier went missing. How does Lords of the Rising Sun do on the Philips CD-i? Cinemaware plus CD, it should be perfect!

2017-01-28

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Many game titles were hosted by MSX system, only the majority were either not very popular and have sunk into oblivion or were simply a myriad of cross-platform products glorified by other 8-bit family platforms. Penguin Adventure is one of those few rare gems which is known to have existed on MSX computer only and as such is one of the best and most memorable native titles.

P. S. My apologies for having been inactive for so long. I've been a little out of sorts and lost my creative power. I feel it's coming back now, so stay tuned for more.

2017-01-26

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This one comes from 1541 again. Taking one of the recent requests entered to the site, he reviews Dungeon Keeper. This is a good practice – if you want to see what could be good picks to cover yourself, why not head over to the requests page?

2017-01-23

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It makes sense that BootSector's reviews trickle in at a much lower rate than those of some others. Just look at this latest one! It not only covers the intrinsic gameplay of A-Train, but also shows a lot of research about the game's origin, development history and puts it into the context of its time. Really, if there is something you always wanted to know about this game, you will learn it here. Great job, BootSector!

2017-01-21

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These days, with a huge amount of so-called "casual" games out there, it is increasingly hard (if not impossible) to give "objective" ratings to games. What if the target audience doesn't actually want complex gameplay, extensive length etc.? Actually, though, this is not such a new phenomenon as you may think, as The Wacky World of Miniature Golf illustrates once again. Though even today, it is held by the standards of "hardcore" gamers. Not very fair, is it?

2017-01-14

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Is it the Third Man running through the sewers of Vienna? Wait, no, that's a woman. And it isn't Vienna. Nevertheless, it's quite a mystery. More than anything, Caren and the Tangled Tentacles provokes the question: why make a new Adventure game on the C64 these days?

You see, there was this C64 Adventure game competition in 2015. Finally, I got around to playing the entries. Awakening and this one were my favourites. They reached #1 and #3, so you see it's all quite subjective. So why not try out the rest of the games yourself, and maybe even submit reviews of those as well!

2017-01-11

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Two Elvis impersonators performing dangerous chemical experiments? Surely, they cannot be serious! This cannot end well…

Indeed, it doesn't. And now, of course, it is up to a woman to clean the mess up and save the world. Nevertheless, given the amount of cleavage Awakening shows, it is clearly aimed at the male half of the population. Who said there aren't good new releases for the C64 anymore?

2017-01-07

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What's going on there? A graphical glitch, shadowing the sprite? Damn, I hate those in shooters! Oh, wait. Code name: Hell Squad (no, this isn't a typing error) isn't actually shooter. It's an Adventure game. And what you see there is the solution of a puzzle; one which isn't even half bad. Oops, spoiler, I guess. Oh well, you're not going to play it anyway, are you? So no harm done. Still, I invite you to at least read about it or watch the video playthrough. Be prepared for one of the most amazing endings in the history of computer games!

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