Abandonware DOS retro gaming spotlight

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&...

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 ...

GDC Spotlight Awards: the best games of 1998

The Spotlight Awards was a prominent video game awards event held during the 1990s as part of the Game Developers Conference (GDC). This event recognized outstanding achievements in video game development across a wide range of gaming platforms, including PC, console, and arcade systems.By celebrating innovation and creativity within ...

Company profile: Cinemaware

Cinemaware was a video game developer and publisher founded in 1985 by Bob Jacob. The company was known for pioneering a blend of gameplay and cinematic storytelling, drawing inspiration from classic films and television.Cinemaware's titles were especially popular on platforms like the Amiga. Their most iconic games include Defender of ...

Dune: soundtrack added

Dune, released in 1992, is a game developed by Cryo Interactive and published by Virgin Games. It's based on the iconic science fiction novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. In Dune, players assume the role of Paul Atreides, the young scion of House Atreides, as he arrives on the ...

Dreamweb: soundtrack added

Dreamweb is a top-down point-and-click adventure game set in a dark, cyberpunk city. You play as Ryan, a character plagued by strange and violent dreams. The game stands out for its unique top-down perspective, the wonderful soundtrack and the sheer number of items your character can interact with and collect. ...

Interactive Achievement Awards - 1998

The Interactive Achievement Awards (IAAs), now known as the D.I.C.E. Awards, are an annual ceremony that celebrates exceptional accomplishments in the video game industry. Established by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) in 1998, the IAAs recognize excellence across various aspects of gaming, including game design, ...

Electronic Games Arcade Awards - 1982

Electronic Games was the first magazine in the United States dedicated to the video game industry. It was published from October 15, 1981, until 1997 under various titles, including Computer Entertainment and Intelligent Gamer.The magazine is notable for hosting the first Game of the Year Award ceremony, known as the Arcade Awards. ...

Indiana Jones and the Last Videogame

Indiana Jones, the legendary archaeologist and adventurer, has appeared in numerous video games over the years, offering players the chance to dive into quests inspired by the famous film series created by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. One of the earliest games featuring the character was "Indiana Jones in the ...

Feelies: cool items included in the original box

Game feelies are physical items included with video games, especially prevalent during the era of boxed PC games, that enhance the immersive experience for players. These tangible extras provide additional context and lore, or simply serve as fun collectibles that deepen the connection to the game's world and storyline. Feelies ...

The History of adventure games: Zork

Zork is one of the earliest and most influential text-based adventure games in the history of video gaming. Zork was a pioneering work in the genre of interactive fiction.The game began as a project at MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science, where the developers created it on a DEC PDP-10 ...

Interactive Achievement Awards - 1997

The Interactive Achievement Awards (IAAs), now known as the D.I.C.E. Awards, are an annual awards ceremony honoring outstanding achievements in the video game industry. The IAAs were established by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) in 1998 to recognize excellence in various categories within the gaming ...

Circuit's Edge: a cyberpunk adventure-RPG

Circuit's Edge is a cyberpunk-themed role-playing game developed by Westwood Associates and published by Infocom. It was released in 1990 for various platforms including DOS, Amiga, and Commodore 64. Set in a dystopian future, Circuit's Edge takes place in the fictional city of Rhoes Island, a dark and gritty urban landscape ...

Space Quest 1: the beginning of a successful series

Space Quest I: The Sarien Encounter is a graphic adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line, released in 1986. It was created by the duo of Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe, who later became known as the "Two Guys from Andromeda". The game is renowned for its humor and engaging ...

Demo versions: what happened to game demos?

Let's start by emphasizing a crucial point: not every classic game has been "abandoned". With the resurgence of all things "vintage", there's a renewed fascination with retro items, including video games. Consequently, certain companies have acquired entire back catalogs of old games and begun selling them anew. Hence, many captivating ...

The early Batman: the Caped Crusader

Batman: The Caped Crusader is an action-adventure video game released in the late 1980s. It was developed and published by Ocean Software and was available on various home computer systems of that era, including the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Amiga, Atari ST and, of course, DOS. The game was ...

Action-adventure: from Alone in the Dark to Tomb Raider

The action-adventure genre in video games is a dynamic and diverse category that combines elements of both action and adventure. Action-adventure games typically feature strong storytelling elements. Players assume the role of a protagonist or a group of characters who embark on a quest, journey, ...

King's Quest: Quest for the Crown

King's Quest: Quest for the Crown is the first game in the popular series of King's Quest. Developed by Sierra On-line, King's Quest is an early adventure game (one of the first animated adventures), a step up from the classic graphical interactive fiction of the time. The player can use ...

GameSpy's 25 Favorite PC Games of the '90s

"The 1990s were landmark years for PC gaming, giving rise to three of the most deeply ingrained genres on the platform, and delivering memorable classics in the role-playing and adventure genres that the PC had long been known for. To celebrate this monumental decade we've put together some reflections ...

Dungeons, Dragons and pixels: videogames inspired by D&D

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a tabletop role-playing game (RPG) that combines elements of storytelling, strategy, and chance. It was first published in 1974 by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and has since become one of the most popular and influential role-playing games in the world. Dungeons & ...

The fourth King's Quest: The Perils of Rosella

King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella is an adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line in 1988. It is the fourth installment in the popular King's Quest series created by Roberta Williams. The game was originally released for MS-DOS and Apple II computers and later ported to other platforms. ...

GameSpy Greatest PC Games of All Time: The '80s

This is a special feature of the popular (and old!) video games site GameSpy. These games were handpicked by the GameSpy staff to be part of the best PC games published in the 80s. GameSpy Online, often referred to as GameSpy, was a division of IGN Entertainment that provided a ...

Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy

Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy is a fantasy/steampunk adventure video game developed by Virtual Studio and released by Microids in 1999 for Windows, Mac and Playstation platforms. Amerzone: The Explorer's Legacy is an adventure video game developed by Microïds and released in 1999. The game was created by Benoî...

The shareware business model

Shareware is a type of software distribution model that allows users to try a program before purchasing it. It's a marketing strategy and distribution method that was particularly popular in the early days of personal computing, primarily during the 1980s and 1990s.Shareware games were released for free with limited ...

Metroidvania: half Metroid, half Castlevania

Metroidvania is a subgenre of action-adventure video games that combines elements from two popular game series: "Metroid" and "Castlevania" The name "Metroidvania" itself is a portmanteau of these two titles. This subgenre is characterized by several key gameplay and design features: exploration, non-linear progression, upgrades and abilities, ...

The Secret of Monkey Island

The Secret of Monkey Island is perhaps the most popular point and click adventure game developed by Lucasfilm Games and designed by the trio Ron Gilbert, Dave Grossman and Tim Schafer. In Monkey Island you're the would-be pirate Guybrush Threepwood on a quest to become a fearsome pirate in the ...

Sid Meier was a pirate

Pirates! Gold is an open world game designed by Paul Murphy, developed and released by MicroProse Software in 1993 for DOS, Windows 3.x, Mac and also Sega Genesis and Amiga CD32. Pirates! Gold is a remake of the game Pirates, created by Sid Meier in 1987. Pirates! Gold gameplay is a unique ...

Shadowgate, by ICOM Simulations

Shadowgate is an abandoned fantasy-themed adventure game developed by ICOM Simulations and released by Mindscape in 1988 for Macintosh, DOS, and also for Amiga, Apple IIgs, Atari ST, NES. Shadowgate uses the ICOM MacVenture engine (Deja Vu, Uninvited). Shadowgate was later remade in an enhanced version for Windows 3.1.

LA Law: The Computer Game

LA Law: The Computer Game is an abandoned adventure game based on the popular TV series from the 80s and 90s. L.A. Law. LA Law was developed by Synergistic Software and released by Capstone in 1992. LA Law plays like a multiple choice adventure game where you have to build ...