Classic Games
Some people call them abandonware, others have been remastered, but new generations almost forgot them. Luckily Archive.org has saved most of them, and we can enjoy them once again. Here I present my particular list of what I consider indispensable games.
Prince of Persia (1990)
«Prince of Persia is a 2D platformer that is commonly regarded as a progenitor of the cinematic platform genre. Rather than following the more common jump-and-run mechanics, it focuses on careful advancement through fairly complex levels, emphasizing the protagonist's vulnerability and survival aspect. Rotoscoping technique is used to give more realism to the animation of the characters' movements...»
SimCity (1989)
«SimCity sets you as the mayor of a new municipality, with the responsibility of building and maintaining a place where citizens can move to and work and be happy. The first task is to place essentials such as housing, transport links, schools, factories and shops. There are 50 types of these, allowing for homes of all standards and different types of businesses....»
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
If you like the movie, this game is a must. «The Graphic Adventure uses the same SCUMM gameplay system as the previous Maniac Mansion. Most of the screen is used for a visual rendition of the current scene. At the bottom of the screen are words, which can be clicked on using the mouse to activate their functions. For example, objects can be picked up, used, pushed or pulled, and turned on and off. Most locations are from the movie, but some further scenes are added...»
Maniac Mansion (1987)
Nowadays you can find this game inside the remastered Day of Tentacle;
It was my first SCUMM game. Amazing, and really challenging. «Players start by choosing two students to accompany Dave to the Edison mansion, and can then switch between these three characters at will. Most actions are carried out by selecting verbs on the screen and applying them to an object (such as "OPEN Door"). Each character maintains a separate personality and may have a different way to solve a problem from his classmates. Thus many of the puzzles can be overcome in different ways depending on the character being used. If any one of the kids are captured by the Edisons...»
Loom (1990)
Unique in its kind, and amazing. I remember that I was stuck when I was a child trying to exit the island, until I discovered that spells played in reverse reversed their effects. «Loom is an adventure game that sets itself apart from other titles in the genre through its unique gameplay system: the player character does not carry items around, but rather manipulates objects through the use of spells (called "drafts" in the game). The drafts themselves are woven by playing magical notes on a special instrument called "distaff". All the puzzles in the game are solved by learning and correctly applying these drafts...»
The Secret of Monkey Island (1990)
This game have been remastered in the special edition;
A must. «Deep in the Caribbean lies Melee Island, ruled by the governor Elaine Marley. The cruel pirate LeChuck is deeply in love with her - so deeply that he refuses to accept his own death. As a ghost, he dwells with his undead crew somewhere near the mysterious Monkey Island. Meanwhile, a young fellow named Guybrush Threepwood is determined to become a real pirate. At the Scumm Bar he meets three pirates...»
Dune (1992)
Unfortunately this is only a demo. I do not know where to find the original game. But its use of colors, sound, music, and strategy and gameplay was unique.
«Dune is an absorbing interactive adventure game with breathtaking graphics and atmospheric sound based on the other world science-fiction classic written by Frank Herbert...»
Dune 2 (1992)
The origin of Warcraft and all games of this kind. «Dune II is often considered the first mainstream modern real-time strategy game and established many conventions of the genre. Even though set in Frank Herbert's famous Dune universe, the game is only loosely connected to the plot of any of the books or the films based from them. Controlling either of the three Houses, the player must fight a number of battles against the other Houses. In the early levels, the goal is simply to earn a certain number of credits, while in the later missions, all enemies must be destroyed...»
Carrier Command (1988)
I spent a huge number of hours playing this 3D game. Those 3D graphics in that era were amazing. «Carrier Command was one of the first real-time strategy games. You control an advanced cybernetic aircraft carrier complete with fighters, amphibious assault vehicles, laser defenses and a fleet of decoy drones. Your mission is to build a series of resource, factory, and defensive bases spanning an island chain. The only problem? At the other end of the chain is an even more advanced carrier under control of a terrorist organization with the same mission...»
Many more...
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