Retro games, abandonware, freeware and classic games for PC and Mac
Author: GN Team - Published: 2 May 2025, 12:23 am
Warrior of Rome II is a real-time strategy game developed by Micronet and released in 1992 for the SEGA Genesis. It is the direct sequel to Warrior of Rome, released a year earlier, and while it keeps the same strategic foundation, it brings notable improvements in graphics, controls, and complexity.
The game is set during the Roman Empire's era of expansion, with the player taking on the role of Julius Caesar, leading military campaigns across regions such as Egypt, Gaul, and Mesopotamia. Compared to its predecessor, Warrior of Rome II features a much larger world map, greater troop variety, and more detailed management of logistics and strategy.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 1 May 2025, 9:54 pm
Castles II: Siege and Conquest is a strategy game designed and developed by Quicksilver Software for the Macintosh, Amiga, and DOS. The game was released for MS-DOS and later ported to platforms such as Amiga CD32, FM Towns, NEC PC-9801, and Macintosh.
The development team included Vincent DeNardo, William C. Fisher, and Byon Garrabrant, who were responsible for game design. Byon Garrabrant also served as the lead programmer. Interplay, known for titles like Wasteland and Battle Chess, supported the publication and distribution. Brian Fargo in fact was the executive producer.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 1 May 2025, 7:50 pm
Tecmo Super Bowl, released for the NES in 1991, is widely regarded as one of the greatest American football video games ever made for an 8-bit console. Developed by Tecmo, the same Japanese company behind hits like Ninja Gaiden and Mighty Bomb Jack, the game represented a massive leap forward in the design and ambition of sports games at the time.
Tecmo had already made an impression with the original Tecmo Bowl, but Tecmo Super Bowl elevated the concept dramatically. It was the first football video game to secure both the official NFL license and the NFLPA license, allowing it to feature real teams and real players from the 1991 season. This level of authenticity was groundbreaking and significantly increased the immersion for fans of the sport.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 30 April 2025, 4:19 pm
Magic Carpet 2: The Netherworlds, developed by Bullfrog Productions, is the direct sequel to the groundbreaking Magic Carpet. The game was published by Electronic Arts in 1996, two years after the predecessor. Designed by a team led by Peter Molyneux, the game uses an enhanced version of the proprietary 3D engine that had already impressed players with the first game, offering significantly better visuals and technical complexity.
Compared to its predecessor, Magic Carpet 2 introduces a number of important changes. While the original game had a relatively open structure with sandbox-style missions, the sequel features a more structured campaign divided into progressive levels with clear objectives and a stronger narrative. This shift was intended to provide more focus to players, addressing some of the complaints about the lack of direction in the first game.
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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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