Retro games, abandonware, freeware and classic games for PC and Mac
Author: GN Team - Published: 28 April 2025, 10:13 pm
Centauri Alliance is an RPG developed by Michael Cranford and released in 1990 for the Commodore 64 and Apple II. It is a science fiction role-playing game that carries the unmistakable influence of Cranford's earlier work on the celebrated The Bard's Tale series. However, instead of revisiting fantasy settings, Centauri Alliance boldly ventured into the realm of space exploration, offering a fresh take on party-based RPG mechanics.
Michael Cranford, who had been instrumental in designing The Bard’s Tale, applied much of the same structure to Centauri Alliance: players create a team of characters with different skills, explore labyrinthine environments, engage in turn-based combat, and gradually improve their party through experience. Yet despite these familiar foundations, Centauri Alliance distinguished itself in several important ways.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 28 April 2025, 9:56 pm
Chrono Trigger, released in 1995 for the SNES, is often regarded as one of the greatest role-playing games of all time. Developed by Square (now Square Enix), the game was the result of a dream collaboration (the "dream team") which included key figures like Yoshinori Kitase, Takashi Tokita, Hironobu Sakaguchi (creator of Final Fantasy), Yuji Horii (creator of Dragon Quest), and Akira Toriyama (famous for his work on Dragon Ball), who managed the character design. Yoshinori Kitase had previously directed Final Fantasy III, and this is very evident in the game.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 25 April 2025, 11:08 pm
NHL Hockey, also known as EA Hockey in Europe, was released in 1991 for the SEGA Mega Drive and marked the beginning of the EA NHL series. It would become one of the most iconic sports game franchises of all time. Developed and published by Electronic Arts, the game is often credited with revolutionizing the presentation of hockey in video games, blending arcade speed with simulation depth in a way that made it both accessible and addictive.
At the time of its release, hockey games on computers and consoles were generally slow, clunky, and often lacked the excitement of the real sport. Titles like Wayne Gretzky Hockey on MS-DOS offered decent strategic depth but suffered from stiff controls and limited animations. On the Amiga, games like Face-Off were no better. Titles like Ice Hockey for the NES or Hit the Ice for the SNES leaned heavily into arcade comedy and lacked realism.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 25 April 2025, 8:42 pm
Superbike 2000 is a racing sim developed by the Italian studio Milestone and published by Electronic Arts in 2000 for Windows and PlayStation. It is the second entry in the officially licensed series based on the Superbike World Championship. Following the well-received Superbike World Championship released in 1999, Milestone aimed to push realism further while maintaining accessibility and building on the advantages of the official license, which included real riders, bikes, and tracks from the 1999 season.
What sets Superbike 2000 apart is its deep commitment to simulation. Each motorcycle is modeled with unique handling and performance characteristics based on technical data from the manufacturers. The circuits are faithfully recreated, not just in layout but also in elevation changes, curbing, and visual detail. The graphics engine was significantly improved from the previous entry, delivering smoother performance and more detailed polygonal models, as well as a better lighting system for the time.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 25 April 2025, 12:23 pm
Pete Sampras Tennis, released in 1994 for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, is a tennis game developed and published by Codemasters. The game was programmed by Andrew Richards, while the graphics were made by Stephen Dietz. The title is notable for carrying the endorsement of tennis champion Pete Sampras, whose name and likeness appear in the game. It stood out not just for the celebrity branding but for offering a well-rounded and accessible tennis experience during a time when sports titles on consoles were rapidly evolving.
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Author: Adam - Published: 24 April 2025, 9:55 pm
Conquest, developed by Sean O'Connor and released for Windows in 2004, is a streamlined turn-based strategy game ispired to Risk.
Even if it draws direct inspiration from the classic board game, there are several enhancements and refinements that make it unique. Unlike many large-scale strategy titles of the 2000s, Conquest focuses on simplicity, clarity, and fast-paced gameplay, ideal for quick sessions or longer, more intense multiplayer matches.
The core objective of the game is to take control of all territories on the map by eliminating your opponents, one region at a time. At the start of a match, each player is assigned a number of territories and a pool of armies. Players then take turns reinforcing positions, launching attacks, and moving troops to strengthen their borders. Combat is resolved via dice-based mechanics, a nod to Risk, but Conquest allows for more tactical decisions such as multiple attacks per turn, and in some versions, custom reinforcement rules.
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