Retro games, abandonware, freeware and classic games for PC and Mac
Author: GN Team - Published: 14 May 2017, 2:36 pm
Karateka is a martial arts fighting game and the first title created by the famous designer Jordan Mechner, author of Prince of Persia.
Karateka was developed by Mechner for the Apple II and published in 1984 by Brøderbund. It was later ported to several platforms, including the Commodore 64 version that we are presenting, released in 1985. Unlike other martial arts games, Karateka is not based on tournaments, it's more a story-driven game, where fighting is just the way you advance with the plot. Mechner was passionate about both karate and animation techniques and you can see this from the fluid animations. He applied the rotoscoping technique that will be used later on Prince of Persia.
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Author: Tasha - Published: 12 May 2017, 5:00 pm
Alien Breed 3D is the fourth game in the Alien Breed series and was developed by Team17. It was published by Team17 and Ocean in 1995 for the Amiga, both ECS and AGA models, including the Amiga CD32.
This entry into the series was the first to be done in 3D and was capable of supporting different level areas with lifts, atmospheric lighting, environmental shading, water, and much more. Though looked at as a Doom clone, the game’s engine was capable of things the Doom engine was not at that time. The game was created by an amazing programmer named Andrew Clitheroe, that managed also the game design and most of the graphics.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 10 May 2017, 10:54 pm
Last Ninja 2: Back with a Vengeance is the sequel to the popular action adventure The Last Ninja. Released initially for the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC in 1988, it was ported to Amiga, Atari ST, and other platforms in 1990.
The game was a huge success; it sold more than 5.5 million copies on the Commodore 64 only, which was definitely the main target platform (The Last Ninja is considered one of the best games created for the Commodore 64. Reviews from the magazines were incredibly good, with ratings over 90%.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 10 May 2017, 4:19 pm
Quest for Glory II Remake is (as you might expect) a remake of Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire. Quest for Glory 2 is the second chapter of Sierra's adventure RPG series, which started with Quest for Glory I: So You Want To Be A Hero.
Designed by Lori Ann and Corey Cole, Quest for Glory perfectly combines adventure and RPG. Exploration and puzzles are like adventure games, while the combat system and the character's growth are the ones you typically find in role-playing games.
AGD Interactive started this excellent remake in 2003; the final version (2.0) was released in 2011. It features hand-drawn backgrounds, digitized character portraits, improved animations, and a few enhancements to the original game. You can download it for free. I guess it's what Sierra would have done if they decided to redo the game with VGA graphics, probably even better. You can see from the screenshots that the game is stunning. You simply cannot miss it.
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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 expanded Richard Garriott's Ultima universe into a first-person 3D setting. It was directed by Richard Garriott himself, but it was designed by Paul Neurath. It was produced by Warren Spector (System Shock, Wing Commander, Deus Ex, and more).
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 a fair amount of environmental variety (bridges, slopes, etc.).
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