Abandonware DOS retro gaming spotlight
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Interactive Achievement Awards - 1997
1st September 2024adventure, RPG, shooter, sports, strategy, top games and awardsThe 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 ... -
Demo versions: what happened to game demos?
29th June 2024action, adventure, puzzle, RPG, shooter, simulation, sports, strategyLet'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 ... -
Jagged Alliance 2: squad tactics at its best
30th March 2024RPG, strategyJagged Alliance 2 is a turn-based tactical role-playing strategy game developed by Sir-Tech and released in 1999 for Windows. It is the sequel to the original Jagged Alliance and has earned a reputation as one of the best games in the turn-based strategy genre. Set in the fictional country of Arulco, Jagged ... -
Pharaoh: city building in ancient Egypt
9th March 2024simulation, strategyPharaoh is a city building strategy game that is part of a group of games that uses the same interface and the same gameplay style: Pharaoh, the Caesar series and Zeus. Here's a couple of excerpt from reviews of old video game magazines. -
GameSpy's 25 Favorite PC Games of the '90s
24th February 2024action, adventure, puzzle, racing, RPG, shooter, strategy, top games and awards"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 ... -
GameSpy Greatest PC Games of All Time: The '80s
27th January 2024action, adventure, RPG, simulation, sports, strategy, top games and awardsThis 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 ... -
The shareware business model
6th January 2024action, adventure, puzzle, racing, RPG, shooter, simulation, sports, strategyShareware 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 ... -
God games: from Populous to Black and White
2nd December 2023simulation, strategyA god game is a genre of video games where the player assumes the role of a deity or god and has control over various aspects of the game world. In these games, players typically have god-like powers and influence over the environment, characters, and events within the game. The ... -
CODiE Awards 1999: Starcraft, Unreal, Lego Loco
25th November 2023shooter, sports, strategy, top games and awardsIn 1999 we surpassed 6 billion inhabitants in the whole world. In Europe, the new currency - called EURO - replaces national currencies. In the USA, Napster is released, and if you don't remember it, go looking for it on Wikipedia! Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 5 (five!).Movies released in 1999: Star Wars: The ... -
Dune 2: The Building of a Dynasty
28th October 2023remakes and sequels, strategyDune II, released in 1992, is a pioneering real-time strategy game developed by Westwood Studios. Set in the world of Frank Herbert's Dune, players command noble houses in a battle for control over the planet Arrakis. With base-building, resource management, and tactical combat, the game introduced key elements of the genre ... -
Crusader: No Regret
21st October 2023RPG, strategyPC PowerPlay (1996) wrote: "The creators of the game obviously had a great time with the concept and as such have produced a very polished final product. For those people who have played the first game there will be no disappointment in the sequel, and for those who have not previously ... -
Sid Meier was a pirate
30th September 2023adventure, remakes and sequels, simulation, strategyPirates! 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 ... -
StarCraft: RTS by Blizzard
24th June 2023strategy, top games and awardsStarCraft is a classic RTS (Real-Time Strategy) game developed by Blizzard Entertainment and released in 1998 for Windows and Macintosh. StarCraft takes the Warcraft experience to a sci-fi setting with an interesting story, three very different races (the militaristic Humans, the alien Zerg and the religious Protoss) and one of the ... -
Classic game spotlight: Laser Squad
28th April 2023strategyLaser Squad is an abandoned turn-based strategy/tactical game designed by Julian Gollop (the mind behind the X-COM series). Laser Squad was developed by Target Games Limited and released by MicroLeague Multimedia in 1992 for DOS and other 8-bit systems. Laser Squad is considered as a precursor of X-COM: Ufo Defense.... -
Populous 2 Trials of the Olympian Gods: the perfect god-game?
11th March 2023simulation, strategyPopulous 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 ... -
BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception
14th January 2023RPG, strategyAccording to Infocom, the game is designed for the 13 to 19 year old market and we agree. It could also be used to introduce younger kids into role-playing on the computer. BattleTech is made to be solved in about 35 hours, but it can easily be finished in around 20. It depends on ... -
Jagged Alliance 2: like X-Com in South America
30th November 2022RPG, strategyI'm a fan of the original X-COM. I think it's one of the best turn-based tactics games ever released for DOS. Unfortunately, games like X-COM are not many. Jagged Alliance 2 has a similar tactical component: you give turn-based orders to a team of mercenaries, mission after mission. There's no management ... -
Star Trek: Birth of the Federation
7th September 2022strategyStar Trek: Birth of the Federation is a turn-based strategy video game set in the Star Trek universe. The game was developed by MicroProse Software and published by Infogrames for Windows in 1999. Players take on the role of one of five major Star Trek races: the United Federation of Planets, ... -
X-COM Apocalypse: a different X-COM
27th August 2022remakes and sequels, simulation, strategyX-COM: Apocalypse is the third installment of the very popular X-COM franchise. After X-COM: Ufo Defence and Terror From the Deep, fans expected another smash hit. Apocalypse is quite different under many aspects, from gameplay to aesthetics. X-COM Apocalypse was designed by Julian Gollop (the same designer that brought the ... -
The first Civilization
13th August 2022strategyI clearly remember the first time I played Civilization. It was, perhaps, the first time I played a 4X game (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate). It took me a fair amount of time to learn the mechanics, understand the pace of the game, the gameplay and to finally beat the computer ...