Retro games, abandonware, freeware and classic games for PC and Mac
Author: Tasha - Published: 25 January 2017, 10:32 pm
Powermonger is a real-time strategy game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts in 1990. First released on the Amiga and Atari ST, it eventually made its way to DOS in 1992. It takes the concept of Bullfrog’s Populous and adds a war element. Designed and programmed by Peter Molyneux, Powermonger has many similarities to his more recent title, Black & White.
Derived from the Populous game engine, Powermonger sets itself apart using a 3-dimensional game map. This allows for more freedom when manipulating camera views than its predecessor. While you cannot form the land like in Populous, your actions will still have an effect on the environment. This game also has an advanced “artificial life” engine, with villagers performing their jobs without player input. However, it would help if you kept a close eye on their moods, as losing their favor leaves you ripe for defeat. This AI engine also eliminates the need to micromanage your troops’ equipment, as they will optimize themselves. Take over maps by conquering all (or most) of the towns in the area by force or diplomacy. With more than 500 worlds to explore and conquer, it can satisfy even the most ravenous powermongers.
Read More
Author: Tasha - Published: 25 January 2017, 7:27 pm
Descent is a 3D sci-fi first-person shooter notable for the "six-axis" movement, developed by Parallax Software and released by Interplay in 1995. Initially released to MS-DOS, the game was ported to Mac OS and Playstation.
The game is set out in the Solar System. You play a mercenary called the "Material Defender," who has been hired to destroy mining robots who have been infected with a virus. The "Material Defender" works for the Post-Terran Mining Corporation. It's your job to rescue captives and destroy the infected mines. The game is notable for giving you 720 degrees of movement in which to do so. To finish each level, you must destroy the mine's reactor. After you've done so, you have only 45 seconds to find the escape hatch and leave the mine before it explodes – with you in it.
Read More
Author: Tasha - Published: 25 January 2017, 1:27 am
Populous is regarded by many as the first 'god' game, developed by Bullfrog and published by Electronic Arts in 1989. The game was designed by Peter Molyneux, with Bullfrog creating a gameplay prototype by making a board game out of Lego pieces. Initially released for the Amiga, it made its way onto many other platforms in the years following its release.
Populous is set on a 'tabletop' and seen from an isometric perspective. In the game, you play as a deity who competes with his fellow gods to show who is the best. The object is to lead your followers in conquest to destroy the followers of your fellow gods. You can use your divine powers to influence your followers and lead them to victory. You can move the ground up and down to allow your followers to trek across the land to reach new goals or make space to build upon. You can also cause natural disasters and endow specific followers with powerful upgrades. Your godly powers are not without their limits and are at the mercy of your mana level. To build up mana, you need to have your followers build dwellings to increase the population, thus increasing your mana. Once you have made your village leader strong enough, they will engage the enemy's followers in violent holy combat until they are victorious or dead. Your villagers don't get to have all the fun, though; you can use your godly powers to drown enemies by moving the land or burn them by making a volcano appear in the center of town. Featuring 500 levels to conquer, you can show those other gods who's boss!
Read More
Author: Tasha - Published: 23 January 2017, 6:27 pm
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure was released in 1989 at the same time as the film. It was developed and published by Lucasfilm games (now LucasArts). It's a point and click adventure game designed by Ron Gilbert, Noah Falstein, and David Fox. It was released on Amiga, Atari ST, DOS, Macintosh and FM Towns.
Last Crusade is the 3rd game to run on the SCUMM engine. The gameplay is point and click adventure, that included a point system called IQ or “Indy Quotient”. To reach the maximum of 800 IQ, the player would have to find alternate solutions to puzzles. This gave the game additional replay value.
Read More
Author: Tasha - Published: 22 January 2017, 7:26 pm
Doom II is Id Software's follow-up to their award winning Doom. Published by GT Interactive, it was released for DOS in 1994, just one year after its predecessor. Unlike most sequels, this one is actually good.
Playing as the same sole surviving space marine, you have escaped the horrors of mars and arrived back on Earth. Unfortunately, hell has beaten you back home and destroyed the majority of it. Good thing you saved some bullets. You’ll square off against some familiar baddies on your home turf, but this time they brought friends. These new hellspawn have more advanced attacks than their Mars brethren and will possess the bodies of human survivors. Which makes reaching your goal more difficult, but never fear, the super shotgun is here! So reload, saddle up, and save the remnants of humanity.
Read More
Author: GN Team - Published: 21 January 2017, 5:37 am
Mortal Kombat is a side-scrolling fighting game created in 1992 by the four person company Midway Games and released initially as an arcade. Thanks to its huge success, the game was ported to many other home platforms, computers and consoles.
The game is famous for its use of digitized actors instead of bitmap graphics like Street Fighter II, and also for the violence and copious amounts of blood. It was originally planned to feature a digitized version of martial arts star Jean-Claude Van Damme. When that plan fell through, the developers decided to add Johnny Cage, a parody on Van Damme.
Read More