Abandonware DOS retro gaming spotlight

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 ...

Japanese Role-Playing Games (JRPG)

JRPGs, or Japanese Role-Playing Games, are a subgenre of role-playing video games that originated in Japan. They are characterized by a distinct style of storytelling, gameplay mechanics, and visual aesthetics. JRPGs often place a heavy emphasis on narrative and character development. They frequently feature intricate plots, richly developed ...

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 ...

Wizball in a world without colors

Wizball is a  shoot 'em up video game developed by Sensible Software and originally released for various home computer platforms in 1987. The game was published by Ocean Software. In Wizball, players control a wizard who rides a magical green ball. The wizard's mission is to restore color to ...

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 ...

The best DOS and Windows game designers of the past

During the formative years of the gaming industry, games were typically crafted by a compact team of programmers, with a central figure known as the "designer" spearheading the creative vision. Charged with conceptualizing the initial idea and mapping out the gameplay mechanics and content framework, the designer played a pivotal ...

Albion, by Blue Byte software

Albion is a science fiction role-playing game (RPG) developed and published by German studio Blue Byte Software. It was released in 1995 for MS-DOS and later for Amiga. Albion is notable for its blend of traditional RPG elements with a unique setting and storyline. The game takes place on the planet ...

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 ...

What are fan-made games?

Fan-made games are video games created by fans, often as a tribute to existing franchises, characters, or game mechanics. These games are typically developed by enthusiasts who have a passion for a particular series or genre and want to express their creativity by making their own game within that universe....

Morrowind: the best of the Elder Scrolls games?

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is a critically acclaimed open-world action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios. It was released in 2002 and is the third installment in the Elder Scrolls series. The game is set in the fantasy world of Tamriel, on the island of Vvardenfell in the ...

Premier Manager: one of the earliest football management games

Premier Manager was released in 1992 by Gremlin Interactive for the Commodore Amiga and MS-DOS platforms. It was one of the earliest football management simulation games and allowed players to take on the role of a football club manager in the English football league system. In Premier Manager, players were responsible ...

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 ...

Lemonade Tycoon: the remake of an unknown classic

Lemonade Tycoon is a business simulation game that allows players to run their own virtual lemonade stand and try to turn it into a successful and profitable business. The game typically involves setting prices, managing inventory, adjusting recipes, and dealing with factors like weather and customer satisfaction. The objective of ...

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 ...

1001 Video games you must play... abandonware version

1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die is a book that compiles a list of notable video games from various platforms, genres, and time periods that are considered significant in the history and development of the medium. The book is part of the "1001 Before You Die" series, which ...

Hardball: digital baseball

Hardball is a popular series of baseball video games published by Accolade from 1985 (Hardball! was the first game) to 1998 (Hardball 6). If you are a baseball fan and a video games enthusiast, you can't miss them!

MegaTraveller 1: The Zhodani Conspiracy

MegaTraveller 1: The Zhodani Conspiracy is a science fiction role-playing game (RPG) released in 1990. The Zhodani Conspiracy is the first installment in the MegaTraveller series and was developed by Paragon Software. MegaTraveller 1 takes place in the Traveller universe's Third Imperium, a vast interstellar empire. The plot revolves around a conspiracy involving ...

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, ...

Mario Bros VGA: a remake

Mario Bros VGA is a fan made remake of the original Mario Bros by Nintendo, the game that popularized the character of Mario, the italian plumber first saw in Donkey Kong. Mario Bros VGA is a fixed-screen platform arcade game that truly shines when played in co-op with a friend.

Princess Maker 2: a fantasy life simulation

Princess Maker 2 is a life simulation anime-style game developed by Gainax in 1993. In Princess Maker 2, the player is the father of a young princess and must tutor and raise her to the age of 18 by scheduling jobs, school classes and programming other activities. The princess is defined by attributes (strength, ...