Abandonware action games sorted by release date
Action video games are a genre of video games that emphasize physical challenges, hand-eye coordination, and reaction time. These games typically involve fast-paced gameplay, where players control a character who must navigate through a dynamic environment filled with obstacles, enemies, and other challenges. The primary focus is on the player's ability to react quickly and make split-second decisions.
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Night Breed
DOS1990
Ninja Gaiden
DOS1990 beat 'em up
Ninja Gaiden, released in 1988 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and later to other platforms, is a side-scrolling action-platformer developed by Tecmo. It follows the story of Ryu Hayabusa, a skilled ninja on a quest fo...
Ninja Gaiden 2: The Dark Sword of Chaos
DOS1990 beat 'em up
No Exit
DOS1990 fighting
Onslaught
DOS1990 beat 'em up, platform
Pharaoh's Tomb
DOS1990
Pinball Magic
DOS1990 pinball
Prince of Persia
DOSMac OS1990 platform
Prince of Persia is an abandoned DOS platform game set in Middle East, developed and released by Broderbund in 1990. Designer Jordan Mechner created a game that made a lasting impression of gamers thanks to a clever use of a ...
Rastan
DOS1990 platform
Return to Kroz
DOS1990freeware maze
Kroz returns, and with it, your CRT monitor’s worst nightmare: ASCII graphics! Return to Kroz takes you back to a time when @ meant “you,” and everything else was trying to kill you. Using only your wits, a whip,...
Rick Dangerous 2
DOS1990 platform
Rick Dangerous 2 is a clear example of a sequel done right. Developed by Core Design and released in 1990 on a plethora of platforms, Rick Dangerous 2 is a classic platform game with a (linear) story. The first levels can be playe...
Shadow Knights
DOS1990 platform
StarBlade
DOS1990
Super Solvers: Challenge of the Ancient Empires
DOS1990 platform, reveal the picture
Temple of Kroz
DOS1990freeware maze
The Amazing Spider-Man
DOS1990 platform
The Amazing Spider-Man is a side-scrolling action game developed by Oxford Digital Enterprises and published by Paragon Software for MS-DOS, Amiga, and Atari ST. The plot revolves around Spider-Man trying to rescue Mary Jane Watso...
The Bugs Bunny Hare-Brained Adventure
DOS1990 maze
The Final Crusade of Kroz
DOS1990freeware maze
The Flintstones - Dino: Lost in Bedrock
DOS1990 platform
The Punisher
DOS1990 racing: unusual vehicles
Tom and the Ghost
DOS1990 platform
Trog
DOS1990 maze
Xenocide
DOS1990
3D-Maze
Windows 3.x1991 maze
Ah, 3D-Maze. If you used Windows 3.x, you probably saw this lurking in the corner of your screen savers like a digital minotaur. Released in 1991, it’s not quite a game, but everyone played it anyway. You walk endlessly thro...
Aldo's Assault
DOS1991 platform
Think of Aldo's Assault as what happens when Mario forgets his plumber license and joins a bootleg army. This 1991 DOS gem throws you into a side-scrolling frenzy of ladders, barrels, and the kind of platforming logic that predate...
Arachnophobia
DOS1991
You don’t need to hate spiders to fear Arachnophobia (1991), but it helps. Based on the movie of the same name, it tasks you with exterminating wave after wave of creepy crawlies in a town that’s clearly being punished...
Arctic Adventure
DOS1991 platform
Arctic Adventure is the sequel nobody asked for to Pharaoh's Tomb, except this time you’re freezing your butt off. As Nevada Smith (not a typo, it’s his real name), you platform-hop through icy ruins in search of... so...
Baby Joe in: Going Home
DOS1991 platform
In 1991, DOS gamers were treated to the weirdest parenting simulator ever: Baby Joe in: Going Home. You play as Baby Joe, an infant inexplicably left to crawl through caves, forests, and other extremely child-unfriendly terrain. W...
Bananoid
DOS1991freewareremake block breaker
Is it Breakout? Is it Arkanoid? No — it’s Bananoid, the fruitiest bat-and-ball clone you never asked for. With bananas, monkeys, and psychedelic colors, it feels like someone laced Pong with banana peels and Saturday m...
Blade Warrior
DOS1991 beat 'em up
Blade Warrior (1991) is a side-scrolling beat 'em up that looks like it was illustrated entirely in heavy metal album covers. You’re a silhouette of rage, cutting through demonic hordes in a world where nobody believes in co...