Retro games, abandonware, freeware and classic games for PC and Mac
Author: Tasha - Published: 5 June 2017, 12:15 am
Leander (a.k.a. Galahad) is a fantasy platform game developed by Traveller’s Tales and published by Psygnosis in 1991. It was released for the Amiga and Atari ST (1992 for Genesis). This was the first game for Traveller’s Tales but was similar to an earlier Psygnosis title, Shadow of the Beast.
You take the role of Leander, a name straight out of Greek mythology that fits the game's premise. I’m not sure the developers considered this when they made it; I’m just into mythology. Playing as Leander, a brave knight, you must rescue the princess from the evil Thanatos. Traveling across three worlds, Leander can jump from platform to platform and use his sword to thwart his enemies. He can also collect money and other items from them to purchase weapons and upgrade his armor. Try not to collect the skull icons, as these will summon a form of Thanatos that can only be killed using Rune Bombs. Leander must find a particular item in each level to activate the portal to move on to the next one. He combats a multitude of different enemies, including dragons, soldiers, wolves, and much more.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 4 June 2017, 1:52 am
Virus (known as Zarch when initially created for the Acorn Archimedes) is a 3d shooter designed by David Braben. It is one of the first real 3D games ever made.
Initially programmed by Braben as a demo called Lander, to show the capabilities of the Acorn computer, it later became a complete game, released in 1987 under the name of Zarch. One year later, the game was renamed Virus and ported to Amiga, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST, and DOS.
With enemies, trees, and buildings, drawn as polygons in real-time, shadows and lights, particle effects, and a complete 3d environment, Virus was definitely ahead of its time. Despite the difficulty level, the reviews were highly positive. Amiga Power voted Virus the 5th best game of all time in 1991. Many clones and sequels were released in the following years, the best one is probably V2000, created 10 years later by Frontier Developments for Windows and Playstation.
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Author: Tasha - Published: 1 June 2017, 9:38 pm
Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds (or simply Ultima Underworld 2) is the sequel to Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss. It was developed by Looking Glass Technologies and published by Origin Systems in 1993.
Like the predecessor, Ultima Underworld 2 is set in Richard Garriott's Ultima universe. The game uses an improved version of the first game’s engine, but is larger in size and scope. The world is much more interactive than the original, while keeping the first-person perspective and nonlinear emergent gameplay.
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Author: Tasha - Published: 31 May 2017, 8:02 pm
Rodland (aka Rod-Land or Rod Land) is a platformer developed and published by Jaleco in 1990 initially in arcades only. In the following years, it was ported to multiple other platforms, including Amiga, Atari ST, NES, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum by The Sales Curve. It has a sequel called Soldam, which is more of a puzzle game than Rod Land.
In this anime-style ladder climber, you take control of two sibling fairies who are on a quest to rescue their mother. Taking its own name quite literally, you use a magic wand, or rod if you will, and use it to defeat your enemies. You don’t necessarily whack the enemies with the rod directly, you grab them with magic and slam them on the ground until death. Brutality has never looked so adorable. The rod is not the only tool for enemy slaying as some enemies drop other weapons, such as bombs, once they die. Your wand can also be used to manifest ladders to climb around the levels with.
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Author: Tasha - Published: 31 May 2017, 12:45 am
Star Wars: Rebel Assault is a flight shooter based in the Star Wars universe and was developed and published by LucasArts in 1993 for Mac and DOS.
The game renders actual footage and uses music from the movies. This is one of the oldest PC games to make use of full speech and FMV. Taking control of Rookie One (male or female) you play your way through a version of the original Star Wars trilogy, including levels like The Battle of Hoth (The Empire Strikes Back) or The Death Star Battle (New Hope). You will engage in these battles, but not before completing your basic training. You get the chance to fly four of the Star Wars flight craft: A-Wings, X-Wings, Snowspeeders, and Skyhoppers. Missions in the game vary from precision flying through asteroid fields and caverns to flight and foot battles with the enemy. Flying vehicles is done from three different angles, First Person, Third Person, and Bird’s-Eye view. First Person sequences are more about shooting accuracy than the other types. Foot battles takes place from a fixed location with your character able to strafe side to side to avoid enemy fire.
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Author: Tasha - Published: 29 May 2017, 12:43 am
Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax (a.k.a. Axe of Rage in the U.S.) is the sequel to Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior. It was developed and published by Palace Software in 1988 originally for MSX, ZX Spectrum, and Commodore 64.
The following year it was released for many other platforms, including the Amiga. This sequel adds a few enhancements and new enemy challenges, but Barbarian II is solo-play only, unlike the original.
Choosing either the Princess or the Barbarian, you pick the story from where the first one left off. You are after the Wizard Drax, whom you had thought you vanquished in the first game. It would be best to travel deep into his dungeon to find his lair. In this action fantasy game, you will encounter various enemies you must battle using different combat moves. Each enemy will require a different strategy to take down. There are also plenty of environmental hazards to watch out for.
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