Retro games, abandonware, freeware and classic games for PC and Mac
Author: GN Team - Published: 12 December 2019, 9:01 pm
Super Skidmarks is a racing game created by Acid Software for the Amiga, released in 1995. Codemasters also released a Genesis / Mega Drive version.
The game is the sequel to Skidmarks (in fact, it's also called Skidmarks 2), and like the predecessor, was developed in Blitz Basic by Chris Blackbourn. The gameplay and graphics are similar: birds-eye view, small isometric cars (resembling matchstick boxes), and plenty of drift.
Skidmarks 2's new features include hi-res graphics (handy because you see a more significant portion of the track), 3-players split-screen (yes, 3, not just 2), or eight players simultaneous play with null-modem cables connected Amigas. You can also choose to race with a wheeled cow (yes, cow) or with a caravan attached to your car (sounds stupid, but extremely fun). But Skidmarks 2 best feature is its playability, which is simply perfect. Super Skidmarks is the typical game that is brilliant to play and extremely fun to watch. Just be sure to call your friends.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 11 December 2019, 8:26 pm
Golden Axe II is a fantasy side-scrolling beat 'em up created by SEGA in 1991 as a sequel to one of the most famous arcades of all time.
While the original Golden Axe was first released as a coin-op and then ported to several home computers and consoles, Golden Axe II was created for the SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive and was never ported to other home consoles or computers. Golden Axe 2 was a Genesis exclusive.
The reception was not so positive, many criticized the lack of originality. Golden Axe II is more of an enhanced version rather than a sequel. But "enhanced version" means there are improvements, right? In fact, there are quite a few of them: you can now decide the amount of mana you want to use for your magic; the spells are different (the dwarf has a kind of earthquake, which is much more appropriate); the back attack is now more powerful; enemy AI is a bit better (not exceptional), and you can decide where to throw the enemies. The gameplay is also faster, and the controls are more responsive.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 8 December 2019, 10:47 pm
Lode Runner is a puzzle platformer created by Douglas E. Smith and released initially for the Apple II, Commodore 64, Vic-20, and Atari 8-bit in 1983. It's one of the most popular video games ever created.
Douglas Smith started working on the concept when he was still a student. The first version was called Kong; it was programmed in FORTRAN and ran on ASCII terminals (the hero was a dollar sign "$"). Trying to convince some publishers, he rewrote the game in 6502 Assembler for the Apple II+, changing the name to Miner. But it was still black & white, with rough animations (despite stealing the frames of the running men from Dan Gorlin's Choplifter!), so not good enough to publish commercially. He accepted the offer from Brøderbund, taking $10,000 to finish the game, adding proper animations, sound effects, and 150 levels.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 8 December 2019, 2:32 am
Roadkill is a violent racing sim with a top-down view created by Vision and released by Acid Software in 1994 for the Amiga CD32 and Amiga 1200.
The game, written in blitz basic, allows you to choose between six cars and drive against eight computer-controlled opponents. As you can imagine, it's not just pure racing because you will win money and bonuses by killing as many opponents as possible. Of course, eliminating your adversaries is not just about money; it's also a lot of fun.
As in Super Mario Kart, you will have to collect the power-ups, such as extra armor and missiles, that you will find spread on the tracks. Rockets are not the only way to kill the other cars; you can also try to push them against spikes and walls or force them to the Kill zone.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 6 December 2019, 8:52 pm
Llamatron: 2112 (or simply LLamatron) is a shoot 'em-up created by Jeff Minter and released as shareware in 1991 for Amiga and Atari ST. Later it was also ported to MS-DOS.
It is, as you can expect, a clone of Robotron: 2084, except that the player controls a Llama and he has to save other animals from strange alien enemies. You can play with a friend, or you can ask the computer-controlled droid to help you. Fire is automatic, but if you hold the button, you will continue firing in the same direction while you can move with your llama. Plenty of powerups, such as love potions, new weapons, and bombs, will help you in your quest.
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Author: GN Team - Published: 6 December 2019, 2:20 am
Disney's Tarzan (also known as Tarzan Action Game) is a platformer created by Eurocom Developments and published by Disney in 1999. Released for PlayStation and Windows, later, it was also ported to Nintendo 64.
Following the tradition of Disney's Aladdin, The Lion King, and (partially) Disney's Hercules, the studio converted the popular animation film, released the same year, into a side-scrolling platformer. In this case, the novelty is that the graphics are in 3D, with filled polygons. But the 3D is purely aesthetic because the movement happens only in one direction (horizontal). Technically speaking, it is known as 2.5D graphics. If, on one side, the third dimension doesn't help the gameplay, it is helpful to create a more realistic environment and beautiful parallax scrolling.
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