Retro games, abandonware, freeware and classic games for PC and Mac
Author: GN Team - Published: 20 December 2019, 7:59 pm
Warhead is a space combat sim created by Glyn Williams and published in 1990 by Activision for Amiga and Atari ST.
Just like Elite, you play the game from the cockpit of your ship, with a first-person perspective and 3D-filled vector graphics. But the game is mission-based, with a plot that connects them all. Warhead is probably the first space sim with this structure since Wing Commander was released after it.
One of the main characteristics of the game is realistic physics. For example, no gravity or friction is stopping your ship, so once you have impressed a speed, your vessel won't stop unless you use the engines to go in the reverse direction. This makes the controls more complicated compared to arcades games. Thank god you can use several pre-programmed autopilots to perform standard tasks.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 16 December 2019, 2:14 am
Premiere is a platformer developed by The 8th Day and released for Core Design in 1992 for the Amiga. It was also ported to CD32 in 1994.
In this game, you are Cluth Gable, a movie editor who fell asleep while working one night. Six reels of the film are stolen, and Cluth has to retrieve them.
Each game level has a different set: Wild West, Sci-Fi, Black & White, Horror, Cartoon, and Fantasy. The 8th Day already did a great job with the graphics of Heimdall, their previous title. But Premiere has even better graphics and animations. The intro sequence is like an animated movie. Regarding the game, just look at the screenshots, and you will realize that the backgrounds and the sprites are simply fantastic. The animation is fluid, with plenty of frames for each move.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 12 December 2019, 9:01 pm
Super Skidmarks is a racing game created by Acid Software for the Amiga, released in 1995. Codemasters also released a Genesis / Mega Drive version.
The game is the sequel to Skidmarks (in fact, it's also called Skidmarks 2), and like the predecessor, was developed in Blitz Basic by Chris Blackbourn. The gameplay and graphics are similar: birds-eye view, small isometric cars (resembling matchstick boxes), and plenty of drift.
Skidmarks 2's new features include hi-res graphics (handy because you see a more significant portion of the track), 3-players split-screen (yes, 3, not just 2), or eight players simultaneous play with null-modem cables connected Amigas. You can also choose to race with a wheeled cow (yes, cow) or with a caravan attached to your car (sounds stupid, but extremely fun). But Skidmarks 2 best feature is its playability, which is simply perfect. Super Skidmarks is the typical game that is brilliant to play and extremely fun to watch. Just be sure to call your friends.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 11 December 2019, 8:26 pm
Golden Axe II is a fantasy side-scrolling beat 'em up created by SEGA in 1991 as a sequel to one of the most famous arcades of all time.
While the original Golden Axe was first released as a coin-op and then ported to several home computers and consoles, Golden Axe II was created for the SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive and was never ported to other home consoles or computers. Golden Axe 2 was a Genesis exclusive.
The reception was not so positive, many criticized the lack of originality. Golden Axe II is more of an enhanced version rather than a sequel. But "enhanced version" means there are improvements, right? In fact, there are quite a few of them: you can now decide the amount of mana you want to use for your magic; the spells are different (the dwarf has a kind of earthquake, which is much more appropriate); the back attack is now more powerful; enemy AI is a bit better (not exceptional), and you can decide where to throw the enemies. The gameplay is also faster, and the controls are more responsive.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 8 December 2019, 10:47 pm
Lode Runner is a puzzle platformer created by Douglas E. Smith and released initially for the Apple II, Commodore 64, Vic-20, and Atari 8-bit in 1983. It's one of the most popular video games ever created.
Douglas Smith started working on the concept when he was still a student. The first version was called Kong; it was programmed in FORTRAN and ran on ASCII terminals (the hero was a dollar sign "$"). Trying to convince some publishers, he rewrote the game in 6502 Assembler for the Apple II+, changing the name to Miner. But it was still black & white, with rough animations (despite stealing the frames of the running men from Dan Gorlin's Choplifter!), so not good enough to publish commercially. He accepted the offer from Brøderbund, taking $10,000 to finish the game, adding proper animations, sound effects, and 150 levels.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 8 December 2019, 2:32 am
Roadkill is a violent racing sim with a top-down view created by Vision and released by Acid Software in 1994 for the Amiga CD32 and Amiga 1200.
The game, written in blitz basic, allows you to choose between six cars and drive against eight computer-controlled opponents. As you can imagine, it's not just pure racing because you will win money and bonuses by killing as many opponents as possible. Of course, eliminating your adversaries is not just about money; it's also a lot of fun.
As in Super Mario Kart, you will have to collect the power-ups, such as extra armor and missiles, that you will find spread on the tracks. Rockets are not the only way to kill the other cars; you can also try to push them against spikes and walls or force them to the Kill zone.
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