Retro games, abandonware, freeware and classic games for PC and Mac
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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Author: Tasha - Published: 4 May 2017, 5:43 pm
Shadow Warrior is an action shooter game developed by 3D Realms Entertainment and published by GT Interactive Software in 1997 for DOS and Mac.
In 2013 it made its way to Windows and was also formatted for iPhone and iPad. The game has seen 4 sequels and remakes since its initial release. Shadow Warrior introduced many game conventions including ladder climbing, freely driving, room-over-room, and multiple fire modes for guns, to name a few. It was made using the Duke Nukem 3D engine and has a first person view.
The game takes place in a kind of pseudo-Japan and incorporates some off-color humor. Lo Wang (insert childish giggle) is a gun for hire working for a large corporation, but soon finds out that they are engaging in evil activities. After handing in his resignation he now has a target on his back. Lo can use a multitude of weapons to dispatch his enemies including a Katana, sticky bombs, Uzis, rocket launchers and more. Lo also has command of whatever vehicles he finds along the way. Shadow Warrior has more of a puzzle-solving element than the average first person shooter, but still keeps exploration and combat central to gameplay.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 4 May 2017, 5:03 pm
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is the sequel to the famous arcade developed by Atari in 1983. The cabinet of The Empire Strikes Back was released in 1985 as an upgrade to the first one.
The porting to home computers happened 3 years later, in 1988, more or less in parallel with the other 2 games based on the original trilogy: Star Wars and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. But if the third game follows a completely different path, The Empire Strikes Back instead uses the same engine as the first game. This means it's a first person 3D shooter with wireframe vector graphics. Of course, with different content and some new features.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 4 May 2017, 2:15 am
Menace is a side-scrolling space shooter created by DMA Design originally for the Amiga. Psygnosis published it in 1988. The game was ported and released for the Commodore 64, Atari ST, and DOS one year later.
The game was the first title by the Scottish software house, and its success made it possible for DMA Design to become the famous studio that we all know (author of Lemmings, amongst other things).
The game is strongly influenced by R-Type, but this doesn't mean it's a clone. The big aliens with an organic look are similar to the R-Type ones, but apart from this, the game is really unique. Initially called Draconia (the name of the enemy planet that your ship has to destroy), the game was renamed Menace to avoid an overlap with a game released for the C64.
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Author: Tasha - Published: 4 May 2017, 1:44 am
Sam & Max: Hit the Road is a comedic graphic adventure game developed and published by LucasArts for DOS in 1993. It was ported to Windows, Mac, and Linux in the subsequent years following its release.
Sam & Max, a dog and rabbit P.I. duo, are two characters created by Steve Purcell and started their lives in a comic book series beginning in 1987. Hit the Road is based on the 1989 Sam & Max comic entitled ‘On the Road’.
Sam & Max are on a mission to investigate the disappearance of a couple of circus freaks, but there is more to the story than what’s on the surface. The two must travel cross country, visiting various state attractions to solve this case. Primarily controlling Sam (with Max hot on your heels), look for clues, decipher puzzles, and interrogate people to advance the story. Though not directly controllable, Max is a usable ‘item’ in your inventory. There are also a plethora of mini-games to discover and play. The game uses a point-and-click interface and has open gameplay allowing the player to travel between locations at will.
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