Retro games, abandonware, freeware and classic games for PC and Mac
Author: GN Team - Published: 1 June 2025, 12:41 pm
Shadowfire, released in 1985 for the Commodore 64 and other 8-bit platforms, is a unique blend of tactical strategy and sci-fi adventure. It stood out sharply from the crowd in its era. Developed by Denton Designs and published by Beyond Software, the game was designed by Steven Cain, whose innovative vision helped push the boundaries of interface and gameplay design during the early home computer era.
At its core, Shadowfire is a mission-based tactical strategy game where the player controls a team of six elite operatives known as the Enigma Team. Each character has specific skills, stats, and equipment, and it’s up to the player to plan their infiltration into the enemy’s base, free a captured diplomat, and escape — all within a real-time countdown of 100 minutes. Every decision counts, from who carries which items, to how team members are split up or grouped together for specific tasks.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 31 May 2025, 4:28 pm
Cybercon III is a first-person sci-fi adventure game released in 1991 for the Atari ST and Amiga and later ported to MS-DOS in 1993. Designed by Ricardo Pinto, it stands as a remarkable example of complex, atmospheric gameplay that pushed the limits of 16-bit computers in the early '90s.
Ricardo Pinto was no stranger to the gaming world. Before creating Cybercon III, he had already demonstrated his technical and design skills, contributing to titles such as Carrier Command, which helped define the genre of strategic vehicle simulation. Pinto's work on Cybercon III reflects a similar ambition: fusing action, exploration, and problem-solving into an immersive, large-scale environment. You will see similarities with other games such as Driller and Damocles: Mercenary II.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 30 May 2025, 2:30 pm
Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis, released in 2001 for the Game Boy Advance, is a deep and richly layered tactical RPG. It was developed by Quest Corporation, the same studio behind the original Tactics Ogre and Ogre Battle. The game was directed by Yuichi Murasawa, who will also work on Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. The music was composed by Masaharu Iwata and Hitoshi Sakimoto, two names synonymous with strategy RPG excellence.
Tactics Ogre is the fourth game in the Ogre Battle series. Ogre Battle is set in the same overarching world created by Quest Corporation. Still, The Knight of Lodis and Ogre Battle differ significantly in gameplay, structure, and tone, reflecting the evolution of tactical RPGs during the 1990s.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 29 May 2025, 1:31 pm
Legend of Faerghail is a classic fantasy role-playing game released in 1990 for the Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS platforms. Developed by Electronic Design Hannover and published by reLINE Software, the game tries to blend the dungeon crawling mechanics of The Bard’s Tale with the open-world design of Ultima, offering a rich setting filled with towns, dungeons, and wilderness to explore.
The story begins with your party sent to investigate a growing threat from orcs in the lands of Thyn. Unlike many RPGs of the era, the game features a fully developed backstory, complete with different races and factions vying for power. You can import characters from other games, or create a new party using a detailed creation system with numerous classes and races.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 24 May 2025, 10:28 pm
Black Dawn is a sci-fi dungeon crawler developed by Andrew Campbell and released as public domain software for the Amiga in 1994. Written entirely in AMOS, it marked the beginning of a series that would include several sequels, such as Black Dawn II and Legions of Dawn.
The game draws clear inspiration from classics like Dungeon Master, but shifts the action to a dark and claustrophobic space setting, evoking the atmosphere of titles like Alien Breed. The player explores three levels of an abandoned starship overrun by hostile alien creatures, engaging in real-time combat and managing scarce resources like ammunition and med-kits. New weapons and supplies can be purchased through vending machines—assuming you have enough credits.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 22 May 2025, 12:32 am
Disney's The Little Mermaid for the NES is a side-scrolling action game loosely based on the 1989 animated film. It was developed by Capcom and released in 1990.
At the time, Capcom, after the success of Mega Man, had already earned a reputation for delivering high-quality licensed games for the NES, including titles based on other Disney properties like Disney's DuckTales and Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. This game followed in those footsteps, albeit with a lighter tone and easier difficulty aimed at younger audiences.
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