Abandonware action games sorted by release date
Action video games are all about speed, fast moving and dexterity. The main action varies according to the kind of game, which can include jumping from platforms, running, beating up other human players or computer controlled adversaries, etc.
If the action is focused on shooting adversaries, the game belongs to the shooter genre. There's also the action-adventure genre, where the action elements are less intense and the gameplay incorporates one or more adventure elements such as inventory management, puzzles and a lot more thinking in general.
There are quite a lot of action sub-genres. In maze games, the action takes place in a labyrinth (the mother of all maze games is Pac-Man). Platformers are action games where you're going to spend most of the time jumping on some kind of platform (Bubbgle Bobble, Prince of Persia). There's also two types of games that involve physical combat: fighting games and beat 'em ups. Fighting games are all about 1 vs 1 combat in a single screen (Street Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat). In beat 'em ups (Golden Axe, Double Dragon) you have to fight hordes of enemies and advance to the next level.
Action games
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DOS19883.8/5 Technos Japan
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DOS1988protected4.1/5 Cinemaware
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DOS19884.1/5 Probe Entertainment
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DOS19884/5 Bubble Bus Software
Starquake is a weird DOS science fiction platform game developed by Bubble Bus Software in 1988 and designed by Stephen Crow and Dave Collins. The Commodore 64 version boasts a wonderful soundtrack. Unfortunately, the PC version comes with CGA graphics and no soundtrack.
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DOS19883.8/5 Capcom
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DOS19883.8/5 Silent Software
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DOS19883.8/5 Brian A. Rice
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DOS19893.9/5 Westwood Studios
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DOS19894.1/5 New Era Software
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DOS1989remake4/5
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DOS19893.9/5 Polarware
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DOS19894.1/5 Taito
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DOS19893.2/5 Arcadia Systems
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DOS19893.8/5 California Merchandising Concepts
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DOS19894.1/5 Palace Software
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DOS19893.8/5 Psygnosis
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DOS19893.8/5 Software Toolworks
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DOS19893/5 Konami
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DOS19894.2/5 Taito
Bubble Bobble is perhaps one of the most popular (and cute!) platform arcade games of all times. The goal of Bubble Bobble is simple: clear each screen from various monsters and reach the final stage. In order to get rid of enemies, dinosaurs Bub and Bob can spit bubbles to trap them, then pop the bubbles to kill them.
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DOS19894.1/5 Electronic Arts
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DOS1989freeware3.6/5 Apogee Software
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DOS19893.3/5 Apogee Software
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DOS19893.6/5 Micro Forté
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DOS1989freeware3.5/5 Apogee Software
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DOS19893.6/5 Apogee Software
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DOS19894.1/5 Denton Designs
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DOS19893/5 Emerald Software
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DOS19894/5 Codemasters
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DOS19894.1/5 Atari
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DOS19893.7/5 Dynamix
Ghostbusters 2 is an abandoned action game based on the movie of the same name, set in New York. Ghostbusters 2 was developed by Dynamix and released by Activision in 1989. It's part of a series of games based on the popular Ghostbuster franchise, being the olny one developed for DOS.