Abandonware DOS retro gaming spotlight

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 ...

SimCity 2000: a sequel to THE city building game

SimCity 2000 is a classic city building simulation, part of the popular SimCity series, developed by Maxis and designed by Will Wright. SimCity 2000 is a huge step up from the 2D predecessor SimCity and boasts improvements like: isometric view, underground, water pipes, subways, new buildings like prisons, schools, libraries, museums, etc.

The second Eye of the Beholder

Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon is a first-person party-based role-playing game developed by Westwood Associates and published by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI). Set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, specifically the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, the game follows the story of the adventurers known as the ...

Age of Wonders II: better than the original?

Age of Wonders II: The Wizard's Throne is a turn-based strategy game developed by Triumph Studios and published by Gathering of Developers. It was released in 2002 as a sequel to the original Age of Wonders. The game is set in a fantasy world where players take on the role of ...

Oldies remade: the best remakes of old DOS games

Games developed for DOS or early microcomputers (such as the Spectrum, Commodore 64, BBC Micro, etc.) date back to the 1980s. Simply put, these games are old. Graphics, sound, user experience, and interface were vastly different compared to recent games.Game development has made significant strides over the years, and today&...

Bomb Jack: an arcade classic

Bomb Jack is a classic arcade platformer developed and published by Tecmo in 1984. In the game, players must collect bombs while dodging enemies, all within the confines of a single, fixed-screen layout. The DOS version of Bomb Jack is a port of the original arcade game. Both the arcade release ...

Quest for Glory 2: Trial by Fire - Adventure and RPG combined

Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire is the second chapter in the Quest for Glory series. It’s an adventure game with RPG elements, where players must choose a class—fighter, wizard, or thief—at the very start. Set in a fantasy world inspired by Middle ...

Anachronox: soundtrack added

Anachronox is a 2001 role-playing video game developed by Ion Storm and published by Eidos Interactive with a futuristic, cyberpunk-inspired setting. The story of Anachronox takes place in a galaxy where technology and magic coexist. The game’s protagonist, Sylvester "Sly" Boots, is a down-on-his-luck private investigator who finds himself ...

Might and Magic 7: For Blood and Honor

Might and Magic VII: For Blood and Honor is a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) developed by New World Computing and released in 1999. It is the seventh installment in the long-running Might and Magic series. The game is set in the fictional world of Enroth and takes place in the same ...

Electronic Games Arcade Awards - 1984

The Electronic Games Arcade Awards, also known as the Electronic Games Awards or simply the Arcade Awards, were an annual awards ceremony that recognized achievements in the electronic gaming industry during the 1980s and 1990s. The awards were organized by Electronic Games magazine, which was a prominent publication during that ...