Retro games, abandonware, freeware and classic games for PC and Mac
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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Author: GN Team - Published: 13 March 2020, 10:53 pm
Wolfchild is a platformer created by Core Design and released in 1992 for the Amiga and Atari ST. Later it was ported to Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Master System, and other platforms.
Artist and game designer Simon Phipps, also known for Rick Dangerous and Switchblade, created the graphics and the game design of this fantastic title, often compared to Strider and Altered Beast. It's visible that Core Design wanted to create a full "arcade" experience on the Amiga, and they totally did it. Technically speaking, the game is perfect. The visuals (reminiscent of H. R. Giger's works) are superb, music and sound effects excellent. Controls and collision detection are programmed perfectly; the 8-direction scrolling is fluid and fast. It's tough to find problems in this game.
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Author: Adam - Published: 12 March 2020, 9:31 pm
F/A-18 Interceptor is a 3D combat flight simulator developed by Intellisoft and published by Electronic Arts for the Amiga systems in 1988.
The game that allows the player to man a F/A-18 Hornet, in addition to the F-16 Fighting Falcon, was programmed and designed by Bob Dinnerman.
For many of us, this was our first time encountering a 3D simulation, and it was what set the standards for this new genre. At that time, the Amiga was still relatively new (the Amiga 500 was released less than 1 year before). Commodore 64 and other 8-bit systems were still the most popular platforms. Seeing a 16-bit 3D flight simulator was a shock for many users.
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