Retro games, abandonware, freeware and classic games for PC and Mac
Author: Adam - Published: 31 March 2025, 9:32 pm
Advance Wars is a tactical turn-based strategy game that was first released on September 10, 2001, for the Game Boy Advance. Developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo, the game was designed by Kentaro Nishimura.
It is part of the Famicom Wars series, which started with Famicom Wars for the NES in 1988 and continued with Game Boy Wars in 1991.
In Advance Wars, you take on the role of a commanding officer of a military force, controlling various units on a grid-based map to engage in battles against opposing forces. There are 18 different types of units, such as infantry, tanks, planes, and ships, each with its strengths and weaknesses, and it's up to you to deploy them strategically to achieve victory. By capturing buildings, you can obtain resources and upgrades.
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Author: Adam - Published: 31 March 2025, 7:38 pm
The Bard's Tale III: Thief of Fate is a fantasy role-playing game created by Interplay Productions in 1988. It is the third chapter of The Bard's Tale's series. The game was released initially for the Apple II and Commodore 64, then later ported to DOS and Amiga.
Thief of Fate marks the conclusion of the famous trilogy created by Michael Cranford on the Apple II. Cranford did not work on this installment, which was developed by a team that included director Brian Fargo, producers David Albert, designers Rebecca Heineman, Bruce Schlickbernd, and Michael A. Stackpole, with programming by Rebecca Heineman.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 31 March 2025, 2:31 pm
Released in 1991 by Apogee Software, Duke Nukem Episode 1 - Shrapnel City is a side-scrolling platform shooter. It introduced players to one of gaming’s most recognizable action heroes.
Duke Nukem was initially created in 1987 by Todd Replogle, but the game was supposed to be called "Heavy Metal". Scott Miller (Apogee co-founder) told Replongle they should do what they do with comic books: name the game after a lead character. Together they decided Duke Nukem. After that, George Broussard, Allen H. Blum III, and Jim Norwood created the graphics.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 31 March 2025, 1:23 pm
Dangerous Dave in the Deserted Pirate’s Hideout! is the first game in the Dangerous Dave series, created by John Romero. The game originally debuted on the Apple II as a demo. Romero developed it using an Applesoft BASIC add-on called GraBASIC. It was later rewritten in Assembly language for the Apple II and also ported to MS-DOS, bringing its arcade-style platforming experience to a wider audience. Though simple in design, Dangerous Dave became an influential title that showcased the early talents of one of the key figures behind Doom and Quake.
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Author: Adam - Published: 31 March 2025, 12:11 pm
Arnie Savage (also known as Arnie 2) was developed by Zeppelin Games as a follow-up to Arnie (1992). This overhead run-and-gun military shooter was released in 1993 for the Amiga and MS-DOS. Unlike its predecessor, which featured a mix of side-view platforming and shooting sections, Arnie 2 adopts a pseudo-isometric perspective, placing the player in larger, more open battlefields reminiscent of Commando or Cabal, though with a more tactical approach.
The game casts players as a lone commando sent on dangerous missions deep behind enemy lines. Each mission involves navigating through enemy bases, industrial complexes, and fortified outposts while engaging waves of enemy soldiers, tanks, helicopters, and turrets. The player can move in all directions while firing, creating a more strategic combat flow compared to the more linear action of its predecessor. The variety of available weapons, including machine guns, grenades, and rocket launchers, adds a level of tactical depth, as ammunition management is crucial for survival.
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Author: Adam - Published: 29 March 2025, 7:34 pm
F1 Racing Simulation by Ubi Soft was an attempt to deliver one of the most realistic and immersive Formula 1 racing experiences of its time. Released in 1997 for PC, the game was developed by Ubi Soft’s French division and sought to rival the likes of Grand Prix II by MicroProse and Formula 1 by Bizarre Creations. Featuring officially licensed 1996 season tracks (but not teams or drivers), F1 Racing Simulation was a visually stunning and technically advanced game.
F1 Racing Simulation set a new standard for realism in PC racing games. With high-resolution textures, detailed car models, and advanced lighting effects, it provided a visually rich experience that few competitors could match at the time. The game also featured impressive weather effects, with dynamic rain and wet track conditions significantly impacting handling. Unlike earlier F1 sims, which often felt sterile, this game delivered an immersive atmosphere through realistic track environments and dynamic camera angles.
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