Abandonware DOS retro gaming spotlight

The Best DOS Platformers: Beyond Jazz Jackrabbit and Commander Keen

When people talk about DOS platformers, the same two names almost always pop up: Jazz Jackrabbit, the green rabbit with more charisma than most human protagonists, and Commander Keen, the boy genius with a stun gun and a space helmet. But the DOS platformer world of the ’90s was ...

Who is Brian Fargo?

Brian Fargo is a seasoned video game designer, producer, and entrepreneur, widely recognized for his influential role in the gaming industry as the founder of Interplay Entertainment. Among his most iconic contributions is Wasteland, a post-apocalyptic RPG, and he also served as executive producer for the original Fallout and Fallout 2.

The first Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel

Police Quest: In Pursuit of the Death Angel is an adventure game released in 1987 by Sierra On-Line, designed by former police officer Jim Walls. In the game, you play as Sonny Bonds, a police officer in the fictional city of Lytton, California. The story follows Bonds as he investigates a ...

Loom: soundtrack added

Loom is a graphic adventure game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games (LucasArts). Loom is distinctive for its interface, which revolves around musical notes and spells. The protagonist, Bobbin Threadbare, is a young weaver who can use a magical distaff to play musical drafts to interact with the world. The ...

Electronic Games Arcade Awards - 1993

The Electronic Games Arcade Awards, often called the Electronic Games Awards or simply the Arcade Awards, were annual accolades celebrating achievements in the electronic gaming industry during the 1980s and 1990s. These awards were organized by Electronic Games magazine, a leading publication of the era.Winners were chosen through a ...

Theme Hospital, by Bullfrog

PC Powerplay review (1997): "Theme Hospital is a very rewarding game. It definitely has a hook-managing a score of things at once, admiring the amazing detail and AI the Bullfrog have put into the game, all while doing what's most natural to human beings, trying to make money, has a definite ...

Battle Arena Toshinden: fight in 3D!

Battle Arena Toshinden was the first game in the Toshinden series and was originally released for the Sony PlayStation in 1995 and later for DOS. Battle Arena Toshinden introduced 3D graphics to the fighting game genre, allowing characters to move in a three-dimensional space. The game featured a diverse roster of ...

Micro Machines: a little racing game

Computer and Video Games review (1994): "I loved Micro Machines on Amiga and well, it's a shame the PC version can't match it. I've been looking forward to this for some time but the scrolling is jerky, the sound is sub-standard and the whole shebang is so slow it's like the ...

Ultima 7: soundtrack added

The Ultima VII soundtrack is, in my opinion, one of the most atmospheric and memorable scores in classic RPG history. It was released in 1992 with Ultima VII: The Black Gate and includes the all time classic "Stones". Ultima VII is regarded as one of the greatest RPGs of all ...

Abandonware DOS favorite games from the 1980s

In my personal history with video games, there are many that would deserve the title of the best or at least my personal favorite. Creating the perfect ranking is difficult, and this one certainly isn’t. Many of these games have, over time, been recognized as milestones in their ...

Atomix: a puzzle for nuclear physicists

Zero Magazine Issue 7 (1990) - "Atomix is rather like Lego for the nuclear physicist. You're presented with a maze around which atoms are scattered and you have to build the molecule shown at the corner of the screen within a certain time limit by moving them horizontally or vertically. Things are ...

Command and Conquer: Red Alert

Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game developed by Westwood Studios and published by Virgin Interactive in 1996. It is part of the Command & Conquer series and is set in an alternate history where World War II never occurred, leading to a different global conflict. ...

Black and White: the last good game from Bullfrog?

Game Revolution review (2001): "Black & White has captivated the entire GR staff with its amazingly creative and unique gameplay, graphics and humor. It's the sort of game that comes around once every few years and totally changes the gaming landscape. Take heed, heathens - there's a new god in town."

Populous 2 Trials of the Olympian Gods: the perfect god-game?

Populous 2: Trials of the Olympian Gods is an old sandbox strategy god-game. As the title suggests, the setting is more of less ancient Greek mythology and you're a god (hence the god-game label). Populous 2 is the sequel of the much acclaimed Populous, designed by Peter Molineaux. Populous 2 was developed ...

Electronic Games Arcade Awards: The best of 1980

Electronic Games was the first magazine dedicated to the video game world, published in the United States. Electronic Games ran from October 15 1981 to 1997 under different titles (Computer Entertainment, Intelligent Gamer, etc).The magazine is notable for holding the first Game of the Year Award ceremony, called (obviously) the ...