Retro games, abandonware, freeware and classic games for PC and Mac
Author: Gustavo - Published: 21 March 2020, 6:09 pm
Ecco the Dolphin (or, simply, Ecco) is an action-adventure game developed by Ed Annunziata and the Hungarian company Novotrade. It was released in 1992 as a Sega Genesis (aka Mega Drive) exclusive, but it was ported to other platforms over time.
Annunziata got inspiration from the book Sounding, by Hank Searls, in which, like his creation, echolocation takes a fundamental role. The premise is quite simple: the protagonist must rescue his fellow mammals from an unknown threat after they have been lost in a storm.
The video game has its limitations, such as the small variety of scenarios, but nothing that compromises the overall experience. On the other hand, it differs from its contemporaries thanks to the unique gameplay, well-designed enemies, the creative way it presents its dialogues through images, or the inclusion of sci-fi elements such as time travel. Likewise, one of the highest points is the music. With a base reminiscent of Pink Floyd immersed in an atmosphere with aspects of the chillwave genre, it generates a simultaneously uncomfortable sensation and is full of peace.
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Author: Gustavo - Published: 20 March 2020, 4:30 pm
Silent Service is a warfare submarine simulator designed by legendary Canadian video game creator Sid Meier. MicroProse, the company co-founded by Sid Meier - known for the acclaimed Sid Meier's Civilization - published the game in 1985.
The first releases were for the Apple II, Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit, and MS-DOS. Silas Warner, the founder of Muse Software and creator of Castle Wolfenstein, was one of the programmers behind the Amiga version, released a few years later.
Silent Service, whose development took over eight months, allows the player to sail an American Gato-class submarine.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 20 March 2020, 12:41 am
Batman: The Video Game is a platformer created by Sunsoft for the NES in 1989, right after the Batman movie by Tim Burton.
It should not be confused with the Batman videogame created by Ocean (aka Batman: The Movie), that was released the same years but for different platforms such as Amiga and Commodore 64. Instead, Sunsoft would port its game to the Genesis too, but only in 1991.
Batman: The Video Game is one of the best super-hero videogames released for the NES. Even if it does not follow the plot of the film strictly, it's able to transport the players in a very Gothamesque atmosphere. The title is full of cutscenes that will show you Batman, the beautiful Vicky Vale, the Joker (Jack Nicholson in that movie), the unmistakable Tim Burton's Batmobile, and much more. The graphics of the cutscenes are really top-notch.
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Author: Adam - Published: 18 March 2020, 10:06 pm
Supremacy (called Overlord in the US) is a real-time strategy game developed by Probe Software and released for the Amiga and Atari ST in 1990. In 1991 it was ported to MS-DOS and Commodore 64.
In this game, the player is needed to colonize a planetary network and then protect them from extraterrestrial invaders, all of this is done against a computer opponent that is hell-bent on taking over what you created.
When I first booted up the game, it came as a surprise to me when the difficulty of the game does not depend on the opponent's skill but rather upon the planets that the player has to colonize and control. The first level contains eight worlds and essential equipment to manage. In contrast, the second level has a total of sixteen planets and slightly better gear as a compromise. The difficulty levels increase progressively. This is a neat system as the game's challenge is adapted through the player's skill level and not through the AI opponent as compared to other games.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 18 March 2020, 12:09 am
Sinbad and the Throne of the Falcon is an action-adventure published by Cinemaware initially in 1987 for the Amiga.
The game was entirely created by Bill Williams, also known for the excellent Mind Walker, released one year before.
We are talking about the early games for the Commodore 16-bit platform, often created with a limited budget and by one or two developers only. This is precisely the case of Sinbad.
Bill Williams was the first to be not happy with the game. He satisfied all the requests of Cinemaware, and he felt that this ruined his initial idea.
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Author: Adam - Published: 16 March 2020, 3:03 pm
007: Licence to Kill is an arcade shooter developed by Quixel and published by Domark limited in December 1989.
The game is based on the hit James Bond movie of the same name and follows through with the movie plot. The game was designed by Quixel and John Kavanagh, and it was released for Amiga. Commodore 64, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, MSX, and, later, MS-DOS.
007: Licence to Kill has the usual James Bond feeling, with the possibility of something going haywire at any point in the game. The game is comprised of six parts that are divided into three main sections. James will pursue his nemesis Sanchez who is a South American drug baron. He will pursue his target through various environments pushing the player into countless scenarios that will make you go, ''how did I end up here." While playing, I was pleased to note how the game was pieced together through well-animated cut scenes at the end of each stage, giving it the feel of a complete game rather than it being a set of little ones jammed together.
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