Retro games, abandonware, freeware and classic games for PC and Mac
Author: GN Team - Published: 1 May 2021, 6:11 pm
Sword of Sodan is a fantasy beat-em-up created by Discovery originally for the Amiga and released in 1988. Later the game was ported to Mega Drive/Genesis and Macintosh.
The game programmed by Søren Grønbech surprised the players with the biggest sprites ever seen on an Amiga game before (and after, most probably). In terms of gameplay, you could find better titles, but in 1988 the release of Sword of Sodan demonstrated the real difference between an 8-bit platform like the Commodore 64 and the Amiga. Excellent graphics - clearly better than the Genesis version, especially in terms of color palette - great atmosphere, digitized sound and speech, sword-slashing, weird animals, two heroes to choose from, and plenty of ways to die. Did I already mention the huge sprites?
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Author: GN Team - Published: 28 April 2021, 6:30 pm
Iron Lord is a strategy-action-adventure game created by Ubi Soft, initially for the Atari ST. Later it was ported to Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Amiga, Acorn 32-bit, and other platforms.
The title, designed by Orou Mama and Ivan Jacot, is clearly inspired by the popular Defender of the Crown. Still, it can differentiate itself thanks to several mini-games. The plot is basically the story of Robin Hood. You are back from the Crusades, and your uncle removed your Father (the King) from the throne. So your goal is to take the throne back. The game map is big, and you have to cross the lands, test your skills in terms of sword fighting, archery and wrestling. Visiting the villages will be useful because you can buy additional resources or advice.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 16 April 2021, 9:29 pm
Dragon Quest, known as Dragon Warrior in the US, is a Japanese-style role-playing game created by Chunsoft for the NES and released in 1986.
It's the first game of the famous Dragon Quest/Dragon Warrior series that reached chapter 11 in 2017, not counting the spin-offs.
The game represents a real milestone in the history of console RPGs. Before that, the genre acquired popularity thanks to the home computers, with the Ultima and Wizardry series, which clearly inspired Chunsoft. Dragon Quest is probably the founding father of the so-called JRPG genre.
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Author: Tasha - Published: 10 April 2021, 2:27 pm
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a side-scrolling beat-em-up created by Konami for the Nintendo NES and released in 1989 in the US. It was released in Europe one year later, together with ports on different home computers, including Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, and XZ Spectrum.
TMNT plays like a side-scrolling platformer, but there are parts where you can be in the city from a top-down view and still kill enemies that roam the streets. You also get to use your inherent turtle abilities to swim underwater. The game has familiar faces such as April O'Neil, Rocksteady, Bebop, and others. You start with Leonardo, but you can switch to Michaelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael at any time. Of course, each one has his own favorite weapon, as all people passionate about this series know very well.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 3 April 2021, 1:54 pm
Captain Blood is a space adventure created by ERE Informatique initially for the Atari ST, released in 1988. It was later ported to Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple IIgs, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, and many other platforms.
This original title, designed by Philippe Ulrich and Didier Bouchon, tells the story of a game designer that ends up being transported into his own sci-fi game. Due to an accident during the hyperspace jump, he cloned himself thirty times, spreading the clones to different planets of the galaxy. The problem is each clone has a part of the protagonist's life essence, and unless he can eliminate all of them, he will die soon. At the beginning of the game, only 5 clones are remaining, but you will have to explore the galaxy, visit different planets (there are 32768 of them), speak with the aliens, and collect clues to find them. Communication is the core element of Captain Blood because each alien species speaks its own language, and there is no Star Trek-like universal translator. You will have to use an interface called UPCOM that is based on icons. Combining the 150 different symbols, you will be able to communicate with the aliens, but it won't be easy (unless you download a tutorial, of course).
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Author: GN Team - Published: 2 April 2021, 8:37 pm
The Humans is a strategy/puzzler created by Imagitec Design and published by GameTek in 1992. It was released for the Amiga, Atari ST, MS-DOS, and many other platforms, including Mega Drive/Genesis and Game Boy.
It is often described simply as a Lemmings variant, but The Humans (also known as "Evolution: Dino Dudes") is much more than this since it has elements that will remind you of another masterpiece such as The Lost Vikings. You must instruct your characters (prehistoric people) to complete the level's goal. The exciting part is that a plot connects all the levels: you will go through the history of civilization, with the invention of the wheel, fire, weapons, etc. Several cut scenes will make your experience more enjoyable, with good graphics and a sense of humor.
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