Retro games, abandonware, freeware and classic games for PC and Mac
Author: Tasha - Published: 9 May 2017, 9:35 pm
Space Quest 6: Roger Wilco in the Spinal Frontier is the last entry into the Space Quest series and was developed and published by Sierra in 1995. It was released for DOS and Windows. It made its way onto the Mac the following year.
This entry was the first exclusively on CD-ROM and featured a verb interface similar to the LucasArts SCUMM engine. Although SQVI leaves off with a cliffhanger ending, a seventh installment was not meant to be.
After saving the galaxy from disease in the previous chapter, Roger is of course court-martialed for his efforts. No good deed goes unpunished, as they say. Demoted all the way back to his original job as a janitor doesn’t stop him for having to save the galaxy all over again. In true Space Quest style, SQVI is steeped in humor and sci-fi parodies. Parodying everything from Blade Runner, Wing Commander, Star Trek, and more. Though reviews were mixed on this one, it being hilarious was one thing they could agree upon. There was a bit of strife during development of this title and some of the puzzles suffered for it. However, Space Quest 6 was not a bad way for a great series to end. SQ fans will definitely want to play this final chapter, newcomers should start at the beginning.
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Author: Tasha - Published: 9 May 2017, 10:39 am
Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss is a fantasy action RPG developed by Blue Sky Productions (Looking Glass Studios). It was published by Origin Systems in 1992 for DOS. It was later ported to FM Towns, Playstation, and other platforms.
The game was directed by the creator of the Ultima universe, Richard Garriott, produced by Warren Spector (System Shock, Wing Commander, Deus Ex, and more) and designed by Paul Neurath.
This was one of the first RPG games to feature a truly 3D environment where your character can look up and down, swim, and jump, among other things. Unlike most similar games, this was the first to break away from entirely square areas, allowing for quite a bit of environmental variety (bridges, slopes, etc.).
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Author: Tasha - Published: 7 May 2017, 4:43 am
Leisure Suit Larry 6: Shape Up or Slip Out is, strangely enough, the fifth entry into the Leisure Suit Larry series created by Al Lowe. It was published by Sierra On-Line in 1993 for DOS.
Shape Up or Slip Out counts as the fifth game due to the unreleased 4th chapter that never was. LSL6 was remade a year after its initial release making it the first of the series to have SVGA graphics, and voice acting.
The game starts Larry out with a clean slate and no connection to Leisure Suit Larry 5. Larry is single and ready to mingle as he lands an all-expenses-paid trip to La Costa Lotta as a consolation prize from a TV show. Larry soon finds out that his luxurious vacation is anything but when he is stuffed into the lamest room in the resort, making him a social pariah. Playing as Larry, your goal is to bag those babes by any means necessary. There is no linear storyline, so you are free to explore the spa and seduce the locals at your own pace.
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Author: Tasha - Published: 7 May 2017, 12:04 am
System Shock is a first person action shooter developed by Looking Glass Technologies and published by Origin Systems in 1994 for DOS.
There was only one sequel to the game, System Shock 2, but a remake of the original title is slated for 2018. System Shock allows for highly customizable gameplay in that you can adjust settings for combat, puzzles, etc. separately from one another.
Taking place in the distant future, a cocky hacker gets caught trying to crack the sensitive files of a corporation and is taken to their space station. The corporation offers to spare him if he performs a complicated hack job of space the station AI for them. After removing the AI’s ethical constraints and getting his implant reward, the hacker wakes up to a hostile and dangerous space station. All the staff is missing and there are robots, cyborgs, and mutants to contend with. The feeling of isolation is almost absolute as you will speak to absolutely no NPCs in person whatsoever. You will only speak to a single person via radio who is there to guide you toward survival and to destroy the space station. The events before you awoke unfold through a series of documents and recordings that can be acquired throughout the station. You will explore a ten-level space station, solve puzzles, and fight the AI’s abominations. There are also multiple weapons to use, items to find, and upgrades to discover. The hacker can also go into cyberspace to complete tasks otherwise blocked to him. The game was very highly praised in its day and won multiple awards. The game will be strongly appealing to those who enjoyed Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss, but the control scheme will take a little effort to get the hang of.
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Author: Tasha - Published: 7 May 2017, 12:00 am
Pinball Prelude is an arcade pinball game developed and published by Effigy Software in 1995 for the Amiga. The following year it was released for DOS and Amiga CD32.
It came on the scene around the same time as Pinball Mania, though this title introduced some unusual gameplay conventions. This game is all about time and each of the three tables is themed accordingly. The tables are set as Past, Present, and Future. The first table features a prehistoric theme, the second has a kind of pop culture feel, and the third looks like a city you might see in Blade Runner. The game uses a rubber ball rather than a metal one and that offers some interesting gameplay with a lot more bounce. The play screen can also scroll up and down, as well as left and right. It also features multi-ball gameplay similar to that seen in Pinball Illusions. Receiving a few dings for lack of multiplayer, it got mostly positive reviews. A real fan of the pinball genre will definitely want to check this one out.
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Author: Tasha - Published: 4 May 2017, 10:35 pm
The Oath is a science fiction action game developed and published by Guido Henkel’s company Attic Entertainment Software in 1991 for the Amiga.
In this side-scrolling shooter, you control a lone female character who must prove herself to join an exclusive mercenary group. Traveling in a ship, she must defeat a series of aliens to show her skills. The ship itself is not particularly strong and can be quickly felled by enemies if they manage to hit you. The ship can also be damaged by crashing into the terrain. Many power-ups can be collected to give you extra lives, upgrade the ship’s weapons, boost your speed, and much more.
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