Abandonware DOS retro gaming spotlight

Castle of the Winds: a classic CRPG for Windows 3.x

Castle of the Winds is a fantasy roguelike role-playing game developed by SaadaSoft in the early 1990s for Windows 3.x.The game features a top-down perspective and incorporates elements of dungeon crawling, exploration, and character development. The game uses a simple turn-based combat system.

Gabriel Knight 2: a worthy sequel

Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within is a point-and-click adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line. It was released in 1995 as a sequel to the original Gabriel Knight game, Sins of the Fathers. The game was designed by Jane Jensen, who also wrote the story and script. This time, Gabriel ...

Steel Panthers: turn-based wargame

Steel Panthers is the first game in the Steel Panthers series. It was released in 1995 by Strategic Simulations, Inc. (SSI). This initial release laid the foundation for the series and introduced players to the turn-based tactical wargame experience that would be further developed in subsequent titles. The game focused on ...

Play abandoned roguelike RPGs in your browser

Roguelikes are a fascinating subgenre of role-playing games that have always captured my interest. Defined by features like permadeath and procedurally generated dungeons, roguelikes offer an exceptionally high level of replayability: no two runs are ever the same.The history of roguelikes stretches back to the very early days of ...

Simulating Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe

Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe is a combat flight simulation game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games in 1991. It was designed for MS-DOS systems and later released for Amiga computers. The game is focused on the Luftwaffe's experimental aircraft and secret weapons. Players could choose from a variety of World ...

Castlevania converted for DOS

Castlevania, originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986, was developed and published by Konami. The game was known in Japan as Akumajo Dracula (Devil's Castle Dracula) and was later renamed Castlevania for its North American release. In Castlevania, players take on the role of Simon Belmont, a vampire hunter ...

Ski or Die soundtrack added

Ski or Die is a winter sports-themed video game that was originally released in 1990 for various platforms, including the Commodore 64, Amiga, and MS-DOS. The game was developed by Electronic Arts and was a follow-up to their earlier title, "California Games". Ski or Die features a collection of winter sports events: ...

Robocop: the original video game

Robocop is an abandoned beat 'em up / run and gun shooter game developed and released by Data East in 1989 for a number of platforms, including DOS. Robocop is a conversion from an arcade game released by Data East in 1988 and it was based on the movie of the same name, ...

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 ...

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 ...