Games - Reviews

Reviews

Advanced Dungeons And Dragons: Second Edition

AD&D2 was a revision of the original pen-and-paper role-playing system. Many of the problems of the original were fixed, but a few new ones surfaced. Over all, the system was fairly solid and made a quality rule structure. 3rd edition fixed many problems that 2nd edition had, but at the cost of selling out to the power gamers, which is why I prefer 2nd edition. In AD&D2 you and your friends play a group of people in a fantasy world. They usually seek out, or are entangled into, a dangerous and often epic adventure like those read in the fantasy novels that the players grew up reading. Some claim the game is Satanic; it's about as Satanic as a lawn chair.

Adventure

Okay, lets face it--Adventure isn't a life-like game that will turn your world upside down, but it was still an amazing achievement for the Atari 2600. Even though Adventure is technically outdated, it still holds a unique charm. The colored castles and keys, the bridge that lets you travel through walls, the awfully annoying packbat that had a penchant for stealing the goblet and leaving you with dragons. Although the graphics were awful (you are a tiny yellow square that is trying to find a golden letter 'Y' in a land infested by ducks), the mechanics of the game kept it interesting. It's disappointing that the game can be beaten in only a few minutes, but that's only after you've taken the time to memorize the blue labyrinth, the dark maze, and the inside of the black castle.

Age of Empires

It was fairly late to the real-time strategy party, but Age of Empires was put together amazingly well. The graphics are wonderful, the music is beautiful, and the game play is very fluid. In Age of Empires you play the leader of an ancient civilization from the past who is trying to expand their empire and take over the world. You can choose many different empires like the Greek, Egyptians, Assyrians, Yamato, and many more. The game objectives are to eliminate your opponents, collect all the ruins or artifacts, or build a massive wonder and sustain it. Although the game is fairly complex with the various units and terrains, it's just complicated enough for strategy. The free online gaming really helped give the game a leg up as well.

Altered Beast

Altered Beast, a platform fighting game, was a staple arcade cabinet back in the late 80's. You play a fallen hero who is resurrected by a deity in order to save his mortal daughter who has been kidnapped by an evil wizard (a nice generic plot). Through several levels you must kill all sorts of strange monsters and collect orbs of power to make you stronger. The game is pretty bad compared to modern platformers, but it had a really cool feature. When you collect the third orb of power, you will transform into a powerful "were" beast. You can become a werewolf, weredragon, werebear, and weretiger. Because of the poor player control you would die an insane amount of times, but seeing a fireball throwing werewolf is totally worth it.

Bad Dudes

Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the president? Don't you love how when you're a kid these lame statements seem cool, but when you're older they're cool because they're so incredibly lame? Bad Dudes is a side scrolling platform fighting game made my Data East. It was originally for arcade, but later ported to many systems. As the story goes, the president is kidnapped by ninjas and you're the bad dude who must save him. Yes, I'm serious. There are 6 stages full of ninjas, the city streets, the back of a moving 18-wheeler, the sewers, the forest, a train, the caves, and the Dragon Ninja's hideout. Each stage ended with a powerful final boss. The game is fun, but not amazing.

Battletoads

They're toads, and they battle; what more could you ask for? Although insanely difficult, Battletoads was an amazingly fun platform fighting game similar to TMNT. What made the game unique was the number of detailed levels. It starts as just another fighting game, but then puts you on ropes in a deep pit, on speeder bikes, on surf boards, on huge snakes, racing rats, and all other strange devices. The game has a lot of comic humor with the animation and a great soundtrack. The only problem with the game was how difficult it became by level three (and for the rest of the game), often making it too frustrating to play.

Blaster Master

Blaster Master is a science fiction action-adventure game. You play a young boy whose pet frog mutated from jumping on a radioactive box in your backyard. You end up following him down and see a mobile tank and a power suit for you to wear. It's up to you to battle your way through several uniquely themed levels to try and get your pet frog back. With a story that bizarre, you know the game will be good! Not only did the game have great graphics and music for its day, but it is also a lot of fun to play. Half of the game is a platform shooter, the other half is a top-down shooter which keeps the game fresh. The game is great all around, but it really could have used a way to save your game because beating it in one sitting is often a daunting task.

A Boy and His Blob

Masterminded by David Crane of Pitfall! fame, A Boy and His Blob is a creative tale about a blob from a distant planet requesting help to save his people from an evil tyrant ruler. He finds a boy who just happens to have a large collection of jellybeans at his disposal that when fed to the blob, will make it turn different shapes. By mutating the blob the boy must search the underground caverns of New York for treasure so that he can buy vitamins to destroy the evil blob king's minions. It's a platform puzzle game that sounds weird because it is. The mechanics are unique, the premise is creative, and I wish I would see more games as innovative as this. I just wish the game were a little longer.

Capture the Flag

Capture the Flag simulates a game of, you guessed it, capture the flag. It's a strategy game that allows you to play against a human opponent or the AI to seek out the flag on your opponent's side of the playing field. It uses a simple GUI and primitive graphics so even those who fear computers will enjoy it. You are given several teammates under your control to play the game. There are many obstacles in the game like corn fields, orchards, rivers, forests, etc. that will hamper your vision and running speed. The game isn't published by a major publisher, so it was a little unknown, but it's still a fun game that you can enjoy at any age.

Castle of the Winds

Castle of the Winds is retro turn-based dungeon crawler for Windows that is reminiscent of Nethack or Rogue. The graphics are 16-color icons and you play the role of a simple farmer whose farm has been destroyed by monsters. With nothing to lose you make your way into the local dungeons to seek revenge upon the monsters only to uncover something far more dangerous than a destroyed farm is at stake. The dungeons, monsters, and items are randomly generated so the game is different every time you play keeping things interesting. The game was monumental during the days of Windows 3.x when all the other games were just variations of solitaire.

Castlevania

Castlevania was a delightfully macabre action platformer that put a whip in your hand and turned you into the vampire hunter Simon Belmont. You must battle your way past many evil monsters like zombies, ghosts, mummies, and even medusa. Along the way you will find powerful treasures hidden in candles like daggers, hearts, holy water, and boomerangs. In the end you must battle with Count Dracula himself. The game has requires a bit of skill and a decent amount of memorization doesn't hurt. So many games would later be added to the list of sequels, but this is the first one that most people in the States played.

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest

Castlevania 2 is a huge jump from the original. All of the exciting action of the first platformer is here, but new elements of RPG are added by increasing the inventory, adding money, and making NPC to talk to for clues. Sadly, terrible dialogue translations made the game practically impossible to play without a few hints, but once the needed information is given players found just how awesome this game really is. The day and night difference was very cool and kept you on your toes wondering when night would fall. I kind of wish the other Castlevania's kept the pseudo-RPG feel and puzzle solving attributes that this game possessed. Luckily, the GBA games came back to this formula.

Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse

Vampire hunting seems to be in your blood (pun certainly intended). Castlevania 3 takes you back a few generations to a time when Simon's great grandfather, Trevor Belmont, was whipping up vamps. This game is similar to the first game and removes the elements of RPG that are seen in the second. However, it's not quite as linear and it does allow you to takes forks in the road along the way to Dracula. The game still packs a lot of excitement by adding three new playable characters each with their own special abilities. Grant can climb walls, Syphia can cast spells, and Alucard can turn into a bat. Each character has their own unique weapons to fight with as well.

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

While Circle of the Moon uses the basic "whip the bad guys on the platform" routine, it adds so much more to the game. There is an interesting story that unfolds as the game progresses, you go up levels and defeat bosses, old areas become more increasingly difficult as the game continues, and there are several items, armors, and magical artifacts to keep the game interesting. I especially liked the equippable card system. As you kill certain enemies you receive cards that can be equipped in pairs to give you a vast amount of useful offences and defenses. The game is rather linear as far as the main sections are concerned, but it lets you go at your own pace to adjust for difficulty. There is also a huge amount of hidden items to find.

Chrono Trigger

Depending on who you ask, the candidate for the best adventure RPG for the entire SNES system will come up Chrono Trigger. The graphics were amazing for the time, the music is beautiful, and the story is very interesting. You play the part of a boy named Crono who, through an accident, is sent back in time. Bizarre things occur as you go back and forth through time from prehistoric to far into the future. With your friends to help you, you must stop a great evil being from destroying the universe. There are many dangers and clever puzzles that must be overcome in order to succeed. Although much of the game functions like a typical RPG, the combat sequences are particularly inventive. The combined character powers are a great addition.

Commander Keen IV: Secret of the Oracle

In the early 1990's Commander Keen was the platformer game for the PC because it had actual 8-way scrolling graphics on an EGA display. You play the part of Billy Blaze, an 8-year-old genius who has just learned that Shikadi (an evil alien) is threatening the galaxy with certain doom. You travel to a different planet and fight the evil aliens on their own turf. It's up to you with your 200+ IQ, your neuralizer, and a pogo stick to save the day. Despite the fact Keen only had 16 colors to work with, the graphics are amazingly detailed a big step up from the first trilogy, and the Adlib music is far better than an old PC speaker. Beware the dope fish!

Dance Dance Revolution

This game of stepping on arrows has become a sensation all over the world. In Dance Dance Revolution you choose dance songs to "dance" along with. You can select more difficult songs to increase your score, but the harder the song, the harder it is to dance along with. Arrows move across the screen to the beat of the music and you must step on the matching arrows on your platform when they reach the top. It sounds strange, and looks even stranger, but it is a whole lot of fun and a great means of exercise. The series has been updated many times, and for each update more songs are added. Several dance and pop bands have been featured in each incarnation of the game.

Deja Vu

Deja Vu was the first in a series of unique puzzle games. You awake in a bathroom stall of a dank bar and absolutely no memory of where or who you are. A little searching around and you find a dead body with three bullet wounds, how nice that you're carrying a gun with three bullet missing. You appear to be a private investigator, but everyone seems to be against you and you must gather information, process the clues, and solve the mystery. The game presents a solid challenge of trying actions against objects and people that will take multiple tries before you can figure everything out (since nearly every wrong turn results in a terrible bloody death).

Diablo

I never thought I would see another high-budget dungeon crawl after the 80's, but Diablo did it, and did it right. Diablo is an action RPG where you play a warrior, a rouge, or a sorcerer returning from a distant land to their home village. The church that you grew up with has been desecrated by foul demons, and it is up to you to rid them. Use weapons and magic to reach the bowels of the earth to confront the demon Diablo. The game was technically superior including a quality AI and lots of attention to detail. Because of the random prefix/suffix system of inventory, there are plenty of weapons, armors, and items to use. The game even unfolds a decent story with random side quests to enjoy as well.

DOOM

Doomsday... That's what the gamers of the day called it, the day DOOM came out. It was a pivotal day for 3D gamers. At last multi-angled walls, and sector lighting were possible. People were immersed in the sheer terror of the game. You play a Marine on a Mars base where experimental tests cause a rip in reality allowing the demons of Hell to come into our world. You must destroy them and get off Mars. Load up with tons of weapons (including the BFG9000) and blast the demons away. The demonic theme really helps to make the game nerve racking and also piss off the religious rite. The game also introduced something very important to the FPS market, multi-player!

DOOM II: Hell on Earth

Story-wise DOOM 2 took off where DOOM ended. After returning home to Earth from Mars the demons of Hell have followed you and have begun destroying your home world. You must fight your way through an all new batch of demons right into the very heart of Hell itself. Although fans were a little disappointed by the unchanged 3D engine, they were very much impressed with the evil new demons like the mancubuses, revenants, and the dreaded archviles. The introduction of the double-barrel shotgun also made a few rednecks giddy. The new levels were very creative and battling demons in the overrun downtown area of a futuristic suburban city is loads of fun.

Double Dragon II: The Revenge

The first Double Dragon NES port was pretty bad, but it was still a fun game. This one is much better allowing simultaneous multiplayer and plenty of platform fighting action. You play Billy or Jimmy Lee. Two twins trying to save Billy's girlfriend who was kidnapped by a huge army of thugs. As you use your cool martial arts to beat the crap out of them you will encounter many difficult fighters and battle in all sorts of places. Many of the creeps from the first game are here to help beat you to a pulp, including several new enemies. The bosses of this game are especially interesting. There are also new moves to use like the flying-knee attack. And thankfully you start with the ability to perform all of them unlike the first game.

Dungeon Master

Dungeon Master is an early pseudo-3D dungeon crawler. It became very popular because it had many new features that the earlier dungeon crawls lacked. Many which would become standards for games to follow. Dungeon Master used real-time monsters that would walk regardless of whether you did anything. It was the first game to use 3D sound. It had a graphic intense interface instead of text. You also get to choose a party of adventures from the Hall of Champions. Your objective in the dungeon is to recover some very powerful artifacts and vanquish Chaos. In order to do this you must descend your way through twelve monster and trap filled levels. The game is pretty cool although rather dated these days.

Final Fantasy VI

Released in America as Finial Fantasy III, this Adventure RPG is one of the best games for the SNES. The game is huge for its time, with loads of quality graphics, epic music, and well-oiled game-play. It has a fantastic story (albeit childish) that develops several characters in a long and winding plot. You play the characters who are trying to stop the emperor from harnessing the power of the espers to take over the world. The game really defines the word epic with average games taking near 30 hours. With plenty of hidden aspects about this game, it can keep you entertained for a long time, or if you want to just rush the game you can finish fairly quickly. You will no dobut fall in love with the game.

The Fools Errand

A very inventive and unique game that pits you up against puzzles you're familiar with, as well as many puzzles that are brand new. Sure the graphics and sound are out of date, but the game will take your mind for a ride that you will never forget. There are several unique puzzles in this game where simply trying to figure out the rules is often part of the game. While solving the puzzles you unravel more of the story which, in itself, is another puzzle complex puzzle. The game is themed as a tarot deck, but it has nothing to do with the occult. If you're a big puzzle fan you'll most likely appreciate the twists and turns of this game.

Frogger

Frogger is one of those early arcade games that worked on a unique theme to create something pretty spectacular. You control a frog on the far side of super highway who must brave several lanes of increasingly heavy traffic and a fast rushing river to get back to his home. You must avoid sports cars, semis, even bulldozers on the road; and then on the river you have alligators, sinking turtles, and rushing logs to worry about. You can receive bonus points by collecting flies and mate frogs to go for the high score. Although the game stays exciting for the first few levels in eventually begins to repeat itself becoming a little dull. Even still, it's a great time waster.

Garou: Mark of the Wolves

This is one of the most detailed arcade fighting games I've ever played. Each character has a huge assortment of well-animated special moves, the backgrounds change between rounds, there are plenty of cut scenes, audio, character endings, and all sorts of other nice additions. Although, like most fighters the AI is annoying, and requires you to memorize combos in order to survive. Most of the characters are well balanced. It has all the normal SNK mechanics with several additions like just defend, combo breaking, and the TOP system. This gives the game much more depth from a combat perspective. Overall, this is an awesome 2-D fighter.

Gauntlet

Gauntlet is a four player action adventure where you play a barbarian, wizard, elf, or valkyrie who must battle through several monster-infested dungeons to reach the exit. As you make your way through many different labyrinths you'll fight hordes of evil monsters and collect keys, potions, treasure, and food to better yourself through the game. Each of the four classes is specialized in their own way to help the group make it through each level to the exit. Many ports of this game were made, the arcade featured speech and the best graphics, the home games had better music and an actual ending that the arcade game lacked.

God of Thunder

Playing the part of Thor, is you. With Odin as your guide you must travel through three regions defeating evil Norse gods along your way in this action adventure game. You wield your mighty hammer and must kill many deadly monsters and solve mind numbing puzzles to confront the dreaded Loki, god of mischief. With a healthy dose of humor, God of Thunder creates a fantastic adventure that is difficult for even the bravest deities. The cartoony graphics, classic music, and humorous sound effects really add spice to the game. The story itself is very cute and dialogue will make you laugh out loud several times. This game feels more like a console game than a PC game. Better yet, you can now download it free!

Golden Axe

Few arcade games of the day offered the excitement and adventure that Golden Axe gave you. Golden Axe is a fighting platform game where three heroes are trying to stop the evil Death Adder from killing the King and Queen. By fighting your way through hordes of men, women, ogres, giants, and skeletons you will finally meet with your adversary. Little blue potions (that can be stolen by kicking gnomes) give you magical ability that will let you cast powerful spells with excellent animations. Both the graphics and the music were top notch at the time and have held up well. Being that it's an arcade game it is insanely difficult, but that's why there's freeplay.

The Goonies II

The second Goonies game is similar to the first, but much more in depth and complex. Like the first, it's a platform action adventure game that is loosely based off the movie 'The Goonies'. Once again, you play Mikey trying to rescue your friends from the Fratelli's who have kidnapped them as well as Annie, a mermaid (WTF?). You must explore the Fratelli's huge hideout that contains many rooms, basements, lava pits, ice caverns, etc. You can find many different items to help you succeed in your rescue mission as well as slingshots and Molotov cocktails to beat up your foes. There is also a 3D corridor section where you meet strange people. It's a little strange, but a lot of fun to play. It's pretty difficult to find certain key items, so a few hints are often necessary to beat the game.

Guardian Legend

Guardian Legend is a mix between a top-down action adventure and a scrolling shooter. This mix, though it may sound strange, actually worked out very well. The game is full of large cartoony graphics that look great. Each stage has its own theme, which works out really well. The story is that the planet Naju will soon collide with Earth destroying everyone. Normally there wouldn't be a problem changing the planet's trajectory, but Naju was taken over by evil aliens that need to be vanquished before you can change the planet's course. It's a fun game with a lot of exploration involved as well as sharp reflexes and a good memory.

Half-Life

I'm not a huge fan of first-person shooters, but Half-Life was unique. Instead of merely shooting everything in sight there were a nice amount of puzzles and tricks... and fear, I loved the fear. The AI is pretty clever at times, monsters hide behind walls and try to sneak up behind you. The game was plenty bloody with tons of gibs, the cut-scenes were very graphic, the story was a little bizarre, but interesting, the weapons were pretty solid. It has very good online play as well. It kept me entertained enough to play the entire game through, which is a good sign. Some of the ideas were a little too clich� (those head crabs don't remind me of Alien at all!), but firing a 357 into someone's face at close range makes it all worthwhile.

HeroQuest

HeroQuest is a fantasy based board game that was first published in 1989. You and your friends play the four heroes (barbarian, elf, dwarf, and wizard) who must battle their way through dungeons filled with monsters and mystery. One of the coolest things about this game is that it came with a full set of plastic miniatures including many different monsters, four heroes, and a large variety of furniture. Because the game is played on a grid board, many unique rules were created to make the game exciting. The game comes with several unique dice, spell cards, treasure cards, and various other trinkets. Players take turns moving their characters through the dungeons and the dungeon master controls the monsters. Each dungeon has a specific goal to accomplish.

King's Quest III: To Heir is Human

KQ3 really upped the bar from the previous two King's Quests. Although the graphic resolution and audio output remained the same, the quality of the drawings and increased sound use made a big improvement. The story line was much more advanced and original as well. Instead of the tired clich�s of becoming the king and saving the princess, KQ3 actually used a unique story about an evil wizard who kidnapped children to become his personal slaves. The game uses an interesting magic system of collecting reagents that takes finding items to a whole new level. The way the game uses time as a tool greatly increases the complexity of the game and helps you plan ahead for the next time you play.

King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella

In KQ4 you play King Graham's daughter, Rosella, who must try and save her father who has fallen deathly ill. With help from the magic mirror a fairy takes you to another land where a cure awaits discovery. KQ4 is technically superior to the previous three. The game uses true EGA graphics which are very nicely drawn, it has several composed songs (amazing if you have a Roland MT-32), and the interpreter actually pauses the game for you. This is also one of the first games in videogame history to put a female lead character which gives a different perspective for a change. Per usual, there are millions of ways to die, but very few ways to succeed. It's one of the better King's Quest games.

King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder

This was the first King's Quest game to be rendered in 256 colors, and what a difference it made. The graphics are hand painted and absolutely stunning. The old text parser was replaced by a multi-iconed mouse cursor, which kind of made the game easier, but made it progress smoother. The game is a typical adventure game with the same physics as all the other King's Quest games which set the standard for the genre. You play an older King Graham who's entire castle was stolen by an evil wizard. With the help of Cedric the owl you must travel to a distant land to defeat the wizard who took your castle and family. The CD version of the game features full speech. The story is a little childish, but still a lot of fun.

King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow

This is the last King's Quest to use 320x200 resolution, and probably the most realistic looking King's Quest to date. In this game you play Prince Alexander (Gwydion form KQ3), who is traveling to the Lost Isles to find a woman who he wants to make his bride. You encounter many new strange and exotic puzzles in this quality adventure game. The graphics are stunning, and the script of the CD game is done in complete digital speech. The game is a quality adventure, with plenty of mythology and excitement like the other games. This game is also a little darker with some rather deadly puzzles and monstrous beasts. Overall the game isn't too difficult, and it's certainly worth playing.

Lands of Lore

Lands of Lore is a quality RPG that uses one of the best pseudo-3D engines before the industry went true 3D. The story takes you through a magical world of danger and mystery. You play one of three heroes who must stop the evil witch Scotia from killing King Richard and destroying all that you hold dear. You will meet many helpful people on your journey and also many horrible monsters. Using logic and skill you will push your way through many terrors and finally face the vile witch herself. The CD-ROM version of the game has digital speech which really increased the feel of the game. The game is beautifully animated. Monsters have several frames of movement, and the spells and magical items have really nice effects.

Legend of Kyrandia, Book One: Fables and Fiends

The Legend of Kyrandia is a lesser-known adventure game that followed the same vein of the King's Quest games. You play a Prince Brandon who is trying to defeat a evil jester Malcolm who has turned on the kingdom and assonated the king and queen. The game is mouse driven with multiple cursor icons to use. You walk around the land picking stuff up, using the items, and solving puzzles. The CD version has full digital speech, but the sound effects and music are great in every version. The graphics are also very beautiful even to this day. The game is a quality adventure, however it's a little on the easy side. Sierra fans shouldn't have any trouble making it through the pitfalls and snares of the game.

The Legend of Zelda

The first in the epic line of Zelda games is a masterpiece which, at the time, had great graphics and music. It's a top-down action RPG where you play Link, the elfin hero from Hyrule who must rescue the princess Zelda from the evil sorcerer Gannon. You must make your way through eight deadly underworlds to find the pieces of the shattered Triforce of Wisdom to enter Death Mountain. You will also find many hidden treasures along the way like rubies, magical boomerangs, bombs, keys, and silver arrows. The game contains more adventure than people thought could exist in an 8-bit system. As and added plus, your saved games could be saved on the first battery system for the NES, and the game's cartridge was metallic gold.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

This is my favorite Zelda game because it combines all the allure and exploration of the first Zelda with more recent graphics and wonderful music. Throw in the extra game play, the new items, and a plethora of new features, and you've got a great game with so much mystery and adventure that you will be finding new stuff every time you play it. Once again you play Link who is trying to save the princess Zelda. To do this you must enter dark dungeons of Hyrule and face many evil monsters until your final battle with the greatest Nintendo villain, Gannon. A very neat feature about this game is the ability to warp between the light and dark worlds to see the changes that avarice have brought upon the land.

Lemmings

Lemmings is an original puzzle game where you must act as the brains for a herd of lemmings destined to hurl themselves off a cliff. Because they are so stupid, they simply walk forward into any danger whether it be fire, acid, or bottomless pits. You must assign lemmings to act as diggers, builders, climbers, stoppers, and various other jobs in order to get your lemmings safely to the suicide cliff at the end. The game takes quick thinking, quick fingers, and most of all patience. The levels start simple, but the later levels become much harder. Although, as they near they end, they become more annoying than mentally complex. Even still, the game is a lot of fun and blowing up lemmings will always make me happy.

Life Force

Life Force is a well put together side-scrolling shooter that takes place inside a biological world. You and a friend pilot ships that must shoot their way past many strange life forms. You can pick up energy capsules (in Gradius fashion) that will allow you to power your ship's special weapons like laser cannon, side ships, and missiles. At the end of each of the eight stages is a powerful boss that is often difficult to destroy. The graphics are pretty good, although a few stages have boring plain black backgrounds. The music is also pretty good, but nothing too exciting. Over all, Life Force is a quality shooter that will yield many hours of exciting game play before you will master it.

Magic Carpet

Magic Carpet is an amazingly creative first-person shooter game with an Arabian setting. You play a wizard who flies on a magic carpet and casts spells like fireball, lightning bolt, and meteor. You build a castle by collecting the mana of your fallen foes. With this mana you build a castle and hot-air balloons to collect more mana. As far as FPSs go, this game offers much more than merely a fragging competition, although that is still an option. There are several AI opponents who can be quite a challenge to deal with when you play alone, or you can play up to eight players in a network game. The controls take a little while to get used to, but once you become familiar with them you will fly very smoothly.

Magic Carpet 2: The Netherworlds

With the same flow as the first game, Magic Carpet 2 throws you into an Arabic world where wizards fly around on magic carpets casting spells at each other for domination. This 3D shooter has many new features like night worlds and underground caverns. You are given many new spells to cast as well, each that can be increased in level through prolonged use. Several new monsters exist like the sentinels, manticores, and the dreaded hydra. By killing monsters you get their mana which allows you to cast more devastating spells. The game shipped too soon (a typical blunder by EA) which gave the game a disappointing debut, but once patched, the game was much more solid (but it still lacks a decent ending).

Magic: The Gathering

Magic:TG first came out in 1993 and quickly became the most popular collectible card game on the market. In Magic you play a wizard dueling other wizards. The cards are spells and mana links used to cast the spells. Through the use of creatures and various offensive spells you must knock your opponent down to zero life in order to win. Each card has special rules on it, as well as beautiful artwork to enjoy. The game is very fun and has strategy not only in playing the game, but in constructing your play deck as well. Sadly, the game's creators have decided to speed up the releases of new expansions, forcing players to have to be rather rich to maintain current decks. Even still, you can always enjoy the game with older cards.

Mario Kart 64

This is one of my favorite racing games. It isn't too tied up with simulation or pure driving ability alone. It marries skill, luck, and fast-paced craziness to get an awesome racing game that works great as a single player, but even better with a group of friends. The game is themed in the Mario Brothers franchise with courses and drivers that any Nintendo fan will remember. You can pick a driver and race in several exciting themed tracks with plenty of hazards like pits, thwomps, and snowmen. You can get bonus items like koopa shells to throw, mushrooms for speed, and bananas to slip people up. There are a few speed issues that are exploitable, but for most players you will just enjoy the fun of a fair battle to the finish.

Master of Magic

Master of Magic is a very well put together turn-based strategy game where you play a wizard battling against other wizards for control over the world. You can set up villages and upgrade them into cities to get resources to cast powerful magic spells. You can enlist heroes and military units to help you battle the other wizards. Add this to a devious AI and you've got one awesome strategy game. There are several different types of magic like nature, sorcery, necromancy, etc. Each has its own unique spells to help you achieve your goal. As you explore the lands you will find not only rival wizard armies, but also ruins and small towns to assimilate into your ranks. If you are able to destroy all the opposing wizards you win.

Mega Man II

The Mega Man saga has an uncountable number of sequels and spin-offs, but when it comes to all around fun, none of the games impressed me as much as Mega Man 2. Mega Man 2 has very nice graphics, wonderful game play, and unlike some of the other Mega Man's, it's not extremely difficult, yet still presents a nice challenge. Also, Mega Man 2 is often hailed as the best videogame music for the NES. You play Rock, a house robot of the future who is turned into a battle machine in order to stop the evil Dr. Wily who is trying to take over the world. Using typical platformer mechanics you blast through eight main boss levels. Once you defeat a boss you get their special ability to use against other bosses and enemies. The ability to adjust the difficulty is nice as well.

Megamania

This is a classic space shooter by Steve Cartwright. Sure, Space Invaders has the cult following, but Megamania has the fun. Like many early space shooters you control a ship that is fixed to the bottom of the screen. By shooting up at the enemy ships you destroy them, and after each wave they become more and more difficult to fend off. However, unlike the monotony of Space Invaders, Megamania's enemies move a different pattern each time you see them. The enemy ships are strange indeed; hamburgers, cookies, bugs, radial tires, diamonds, steam irons, bow ties, and space dice. The game has a clever system of reusing the enemies, while still making them unique. The second wave of ships is harder than the first and the third wave was even harder still.

Metroid

The original Metroid was a very impressive for its time. Not only did it included an enormous game world with many unique aliens and power ups, but it also was one of the first games to use a password system for replay. The graphics are decent and the music is great for the time. The game world was a dangerous place full of hazardous landscapes and deadly creatures. As you make your way through Brinstar you will find power-ups to help you like the morph ball, missiles, the icebeam, high jump, bombs, and the varia suit. The dreaded Mother Brain has made an army of dangerous Metroids which you must destroy. Another rarity for the game is the main character. The anti-hero is a bounty hunter who is female!

Metroid Fusion

Metroid Fusion did something that hadn't happened since Super Metroid. It scared me! Not the "jump from something startling", although that did occur, but the "dread opening the next door because I don't want to see what's behind it" kind of fear. The mechanics are typical of the 2D Metroid series. There are several guns, items, and suits to collect. The game is much more linear than the others and you're forced to go through the sections in a particular order. However, the story is so strong and mysterious that it more than makes up for this. It seems that you have been cloned by the X parasite. There is a huge fully-upgraded evil Samaus running around trying to kill you! You must avoid it and try and stop the X parasite in order to get off the star base alive.

Metroid: Zero Mission

I've always said it would be cool to replay older games with the power-ups from the sequels. Metroid: Zero Mission allows you to do just that by remaking the first game as a retelling from Samus' view. It plays like the others as a 2-D action adventure platformer. Fans of the original Metroid will enjoy the similarities of the first game, now with updated graphics and music. The old enemies are there, the labyrinthine corridors are very familiar, but certain things are slightly different. Even after you succeed in destroying Mother Brain, there is a whole new area to explore. This is certainly an exciting game, and it pays proper homage to the series as a whole. Very impressive.

Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra

The RPG series Might and Magic has quite a history to it. The third installment came with a major technical upgrade. The game went to 256 colors and had digital audio and speech. Using a pseudo-3D view, you must explore towns, dungeons, and wilderness in search of the ultimate power orbs that are scattered throughout the land. In order to find the villian Sheltem you must give the orbs to one of the kings. Although the placement of the map and the monsters are fixed, the items are created using a random prefix and suffix technique that was later used in Diablo allowing for an enormous amount of possibilities. The game has a huge map to explore and many dungeons to clear out. There are also several quests to complete through the course of the game.

Might and Magic IV: Clouds of Xeen

Clouds of Xeen was superior to it's predecessors with better artwork, animation, and music. The RPG still uses a psuedo-3D view that is slightly more advanced, and several major bugs from game 3 were fixed. The CD version contained full speech which really added to the game. Much like the previous games the items used prefixes and suffixes to create a huge assortment of game objects. In game 4 you must build up your own castle, clear out the dungeons, destroy the elemental towers, and defeat Xeen for the first time, banishing him to the other land you will explore in game 5. There are many other side quests and puzzles to make the game exciting.

Monopoly

Monopoly was created a long time ago, but has withstood the test of time by being just as complex and horribly annoying as it ever was. In monopoly each player is a real-estate tycoon trying to buy up the property on a city block. By adding buildings to the locations you can increase the land value and also increasing the price people have to pay to stay there. The objective of the game is to monopolize everything and eliminate the other players by forcing them to go in debt. Lots of trades and wheeling and dealing takes place during the game. Like any good game it teaches you that by being a morally corrupt greedy scoundrel will let you win at everything. Just remember to be the racecar if you want to win!

Mortal Kombat 3 - Ultimate

The Mortal Kombat game became a famous 2D fighting series for their over-the-top gore scenes and actual character deaths. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 was the last 16-bit 2D fighter of the series. It featured every character from the previous games like Scorpion, Liu Kang, and Sonja, but it also introduced a few new characters like Rain, Sektor, and Noob Saibot. Each character has common moves like punch, sweep, and uppercut, but they all have their individual power moves as well. Ultimate MK3 is basically a conglomeration of every single character in the series. While there are certainly better fighting games (SNK and Capcom had the best), the life-like art and copious amounts of blood still makes Mortal Kombat unique.

Pitfall!

Pitfall! gave the Atari 2600 something that it had seriously been lacking; a decent platform adventure game. You play the part of Pitfall Harry who must gather treasure in the Jungle all the while avoiding dangerous obstacles like snakes, alligators, rolling logs, and scorpions. There is vine swinging action when you swoop over pools of water and swamps. The graphics and sound are out of date, but the interesting game play makes up for it. Sure, you won't be entertained forever, but you'll get a few hours of pure joy from it, and that is more than you could say for most Atari games. Since the game doesn't end you'll have to be content with getting the highest score possible.

Pool

There are several ways to play pool, the most common is eight-ball. I've always like the concept of pool, not only because of the geometry involved, but because it's very simple to learn to play, but it takes a lifetime to master. In pool you use a cue stick to hit the white cue ball into the colored balls to try and knock them into one of the six pockets on the table. Pool becomes rather complicated as you get better because you start learning about things like spin and english and also learn how to make harder shots like cutting and banking. Because it's usually played in bars it's rare for younger kids to appreciate pool as much as videogames, but usually when kids grow up they gain an affection for it.

Prince of Persia

Prince of Persia amazed the gaming community with it's fluid like character animation, but it didn't stop merely at that--the game itself is a lot of fun. It's a platform action game that focuses on combat as well as puzzles. The setting is ancient Persian. The evil Jaffar is trying to force the princess into marrying him. You try to stop him, but you are thrown into the dungeons under the palace. You have only one hour to make your way back up to the palace and stop him in order to save the princess. Using the ability to jump, run, climb, and sword fight you must make your way over pits, across spikes, and through the dungeon guards until you can confront Jaffar.

Prince of Persia 2: The Shadow and the Flame

Prince of Persia 2 is a platform action game with heavy aspects of adventure and puzzles mixed in. It takes place in an ancient Persian setting where you play the soon to be Prince of Persia, but the kaniving visor Jaffer frames you for murder. You are forced to run away from your home and wedding as a fugitive and wind up on the shores of a distant island. You must find a way to prove your innocence and return to your home by fighting your way through several fantastic lands filled with ravanous monsters and deadly traps. Prince of Persia 2 builds on the successful mechanics of the first game but adds much more flair and mystique with it's improved graphics and sound, varied locales, and even more interesting puzzles.

Punch-Out!!

Punch-Out is a boxing game that has little to do with actual boxing, but is still a great game none-the-less. You play Little Mac, a small but determined boxer, who is trying to become a heavy weight world champion. With assistance from your trainer Doc, you must fight such boxers as Glass Joe, Piston Honda, and Bald Bull. The game is challenging even to the best players, especially when faced with Mr. Dream (or Mike Tyson) who can knock you down with only one punch. The graphics and the music are cartoony, which help make the game very fun. One very interesting thing about this game is the diversity of the boxers. Several different ethnicities are represented, and they're all horribly stereotyped!

Quest For Glory VGA

Many people don't like when a game is remade with new technology. I have never had any problems with it, and I think the VGA remake of Quest For Glory is a perfect example of how good a remake can be. You play a hero (warrior, thief, or mage) looking to make a name for himself. By exploring the world around you, you will meet many strange and humourous encounters that can be handled in various ways. Depending on how you handle each situation you will get a different score. The game is an adventure like many other Sierra games, but it also lends itself to an RPG since you have stats that go up as the game progresses. The updated graphics and sound really make the game a lot more appealing than its old EGA counter-part.

Raptor: Call of the Shadows

Raptor is an amazing scrolling shooter. You are the pilot a powerful jet who is also a bounty hunter for hire. Your latest targets are the competitors of MegaCorp. As you blast away the enemy planes, boats, and tanks you increase you get more and more money. This money enables you to buy new devastating weapons and powerful defenses so that you'll be prepared for the increasingly dangerous missions. As you blast your way through the Bravo and Tango sectors you will eventually find yourself in the Outer Regions where battle takes place in space. Raptor has great graphics and sound, and the game flows nicely. It quickly became one of my favorite scrolling shooters, I just wish it had a multi-player option.

River City Ransom

This game successfully marries RPG elements with a fighting game. The result is an awesome beat-em-up that lasts for many hours. It seems the gangs of River City High have banded together to kidnap your girlfriend. You play either Ryan or Alex in an attempt to rescue her. River City Ransom kept the same cartoony graphics as many other Technos games, but added several weapons, hundreds of items to buy, powerful special moves to learn, and thousands of gang members to beat up. Add in simultaneous multi-player and you've got one heck of an epic gang battle. As you bash the brains in of the enemy gangs you can take their money to buy power-ups for yourself. The game uses a very long password system so you don't have to beat the game in one sitting.

Scorched Earth

Similar games have been on the market for years, but this is one of the best of the tank shooter games. You control a tank and must enter an angle and power to fire your weapon at opposing tanks. As you destroy more opposing tanks you get more money to buy better equipment. Most tank war games have only one or perhaps a few weapons, but Scorched Earth has a vast assortment of weapons, shields, and various tools to choose from. It also has a unique economics system that adjusts itself as items are purchased. Not only that, but Scorced Earth has various different maps, textured mountains, caves, and even outdoor natural effects like lightning. The game also supports several screen resolutions, mouse/keyboard, and various other hardware benifits.

Seiklus

Every once in awhile, an amateur game comes out that is golden; Seiklus is one of those games. Seiklus is a platform adventure game where you play a little pale guy trying to get back to his girlfriend. The graphics scheme is flat and untextured, but ends up looking amazing regardless. The puzzles are fairly challenging and new ones are uncovered as the game goes on. The music is wonderful, and the best part about the game is the amount of exploration that you must go through in order to beat it. Every section has a unique feel to it. The only thing bad about Seiklus is how quickly it's over. Most of the enjoyment of the game comes from the fact that you have no idea what things do or how they work and you have to figure it all out yourself.

Shadowgate

Of the three adventure puzzle games released in this fashion, Shadowgate is my favorite. You play a knight who must infiltrate the dreaded castle of the Warlock Lord who is attempting to summon the Behemoth to take over the world. As you venture through the various rooms of the castle you'll encounter many items that will help you. However, most of these items are difficult to obtain and require a little mental skill in order to obtain them. You use actions like "take" and "examine" in order figure out the puzzles. The game is rather unforgiving when you make mistakes; you'll die countless times. Although a little frustrating, the game proves to be a fun experience with decent graphics, eerie music, and challenging puzzles.

Silpheed

Silpheed is an early Japanese scrolling space shooter that was ported to the PC in 1988 by Sierra Online. Although the PC's hardware was still very weak at the time, the game uses shaded 3D polygon graphics which was amazing at the time. The music was top notch as well, supporting the Roland MT-32, although the game's speech was forced through the PC speaker. The game has all of the elements that you would expect from a scrolling shooter like various weapon, energy capsule power-ups, a slew of various enemies, and some hefty bosses at the end of each stage. The levels are varied as well taking place in outer space, above planets, and even inside space stations. The series is a lot more popular in Japan.

SIM City

If someone told you that city planning would be a great foundation for a videogame you would probably think they were crazy. As it seems, SIM City, a game where you try to plan and build a teeming metropolis, became a marvel to behold. As the mayor of your new city, it is up to you to make important decisions in order to allow your city grow and prosper. Although SIM City is more of a toy than a game, it became and instant success, and nerds began to play god to their simple city folk. The game was ported to a great number of systems, but I like the SNES version the most because it has wonderful graphics and music, and an overall theme.

SIM City 2000

It's a rare occurrence that a sequel to a great game surpasses its predecessor. Such was the case with SIM City 2000. With better graphics, music, sound effects, and more buildings, disasters, and scenarios, SIM City 2000 delivered. New features include the isometric perspective, which allows you to rotate your city, mountainous terrain, a complex water management system, and the ability to make zones any size you like. The game also takes into account the timeline of world history so as the year moves along, so does the advancement of engineering with more efficent powerplants, highways, rail systems, etc. Even will all the additions, the game's pace is still nice and slow, and you only need to worry about the disasters if you want to.

SkyRoads

SkyRoads is a semi-professional puzzle racing game that puts you in the cockpit of a jumping space craft. You have to pilot through very hazardous 'roads' in space to reach the goal. While racing you must also monitor your fuel and oxygen level, both of which are needed to survive to the end. Certain types of roads effect your ship in different ways. Light green speeds you up, dark green slows you down, red kills you, blue refuels you, and gray prevents you from turning. There are many roads to complete and the game keeps track of how many times you've beat each road. This is a quality game, despite the fact that it was rather unknown.

Squarez Deluxe

Another one of Adept Softwares great games for DOS is Squarez Deluxe. It's a fast paced block game with many twists. You have complete control of blocks and you can rotate and move them around to try and form 9x9 squares. When a square is made the blocks are removed. If you run out of space, you lose. To keep things interesting there are many special blocks like bombs, missiles, acid, bonus blocks, and many many more. With two players fighting against each other you can battle for the the playing field and shink your opponent's area. It's simple to learn, but very hard to master, and incredibly addictive.

Stellar 7

Think battlezone on steroids and you've got a pretty good start. Stellar 7 offers 3D cockpit-view tank combat with much more than you saw before. All the 3D objects are solid, there are nice backgrounds, and you have an arsenal of unique weaponry at your disposal, and there is an actual story line. You must save the galaxy from a multitude of different enemy crafts like speedy tanks, laser turrets, land sleds, flying bird machines, and colossal evil robot commandos. Between each level you watch a cut scene from the evil villain's perspective as he grows more and more furious with your continued efforts.

Street Fighter 2: Turbo - Hyper Fighting

Street Fighter 2: Turbo was the third out of several SF2 games. The SF2 series was one of the first really popular fighting games of the arcade, and this version is my favorite. It features bright cartoony characters, spectacular music, and decent backgrounds. Annoyingly, the AI was able to pull off special moves without charge them (e.g. Guile's flash kick). This version gives most of the characters new moves and also lets you play the bosses. The plot of the game is that you are a fighter competing to be the best street fighter in the world. Against another player it's a blast, against a computer it's a pain.

Super C

The Red Falcon is at it again and this time it is taking over the minds of the world's soldiers and using them against us. Little can be done to stop the deadly attacks. Two players can simultaneously play the part of Mad Dog and Scorpion as you blast your way through eight new stages of havoc. This is a great action platformer game with awesome guns like the machine gun, spread, and flame thrower. The basses are very creative and wonderfully drawn in the low-res NES graphics. The 3D stages of Contra have been replaced with bird's-eye view stages which was an improvement, but still kind of annoying. Destroy the alien threat and finally confront the Red Falcon in order to save the world once again.

Super Mario 64

At first I didn't like the how Nintendo ported one of my favorite franchises into a 3D game. I had to learn a new controller on a new systems and become familiar with a third-person 3D game made all at once. Maneuvering was complicated, the camera always made me stare at a wall, walking in a straight line was a chore. However, once I got familiar with the new layout I eventually grew fond of the game. The 3D atmosphere adds an element of excitement and danger to the game, the shaded graphics keep the game cartoony and surreal, and the music is beautifully scored. Super Mario 64 is worthy of it's namesake. Collect all the stars of Princess Toadstool's castle to fight Bowser and save Peach one more time.

Super Mario All Stars

This was a beautiful recreation of the first three Super Mario games, and the Japanese version of Super Mario 2. All the music has been recreated in stereo, all the graphics have been updated to better colors and resolution. A great many things were fixed and cleaned. This is one of the best recreations ever made for the SNES. Only a few things were actually different, like the ability to save the game, but even that was pretty cool. Thankfully, they kept the game true to its roots which is always a danger with remakes.

Super Mario Brothers

How could you not love this game? Not only was it the first game most people played on Nintendo, it was brilliantly designed. It was challenging and full of mystery and adventure. You play the part of Mario, a plumber who is stuck in the magic world of Toadstool Land. The princess has been kidnapped by the giant reptile Bowser. To save her you must jump on turtles and beetles, eat mushrooms and flowers, and collect gold coins, as you jump through pipes and get shot at. Wow, what fun!

Super Mario Brothers 2

The American version of Super Mario Brothers 2 was totally different from the Japanese version. It was actually just a game called Doki Doki Panic with different graphics. Regardless, it was a very fun and challenging platformer. You are able to play one of four heroes from the Mario world, Mario, Lugi, Peach, or Toad, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The story is that you are in Mario's dream, and you must stop the evil leader Wart. There are many new creatures in this game that make it very interesting.

Super Mario Brothers 3

In the third installment of Super Mario Brothers, Mario is back in a game that pushes 8-bit hardware to the max. Amazing game play, lots of colorful graphics, and great music floods this game. All new power-ups "suits" were featured like raccoon Mario, Tanookie Mario, and frog Mario. Each suit gave different powers. This game also featured Bowser's seven children and a whole plethora of new monsters. Each stage had its own theme like pipe world and giant world. This game sold the more copies than any video game ever.

Super Mario World

Mario goes 16-bit in the amazing SNES game. The game is technologically superior to the first three in every way with better graphics, sound, and game size. But the most important thing is that the game is very fun to play. It follows the tradition of the previous SMBs giving you Mario, Luigi, and poor Princess Toadstool captured by Bowser. This time you explore Dinosaur Land with help from your dino friend Yoshi and his bottomless stomach. New power-ups exist in this world like the feather that lets you fly forever.

Super Metroid

The third game in the Metroid dynasty and often considered the best is Super Metroid. Like the first two, it's an action adventure platformer with a huge alien world to explore. You play Samus, a skilled bounty hunter who knows her weapons and armor very well. By using acrobatic skills as well as a great deal of firepower you must destroy the alien pirates who have stolen the last Metroid and plan to clone it. Once again, Mother Brain is trying to take over the world with these deadly aliens.

Tecmo Bowl

Tecmo Bowl was one of the first football games to really be exciting. It was also one of the more realistic football simulators of the time. Without an NFL license they couldn't use any of the team names or logos, but they still had the colors and player names right. The side view interface is the best interface for this type of game. The game also had a few features that don't exist in real life like calling plays and 120 yard passes. Regardless, it is one of the most exciting football games made. Good music too.

Tecmo Super Bowl

I've never really been a big fan of sports games, but there is always room for Tecmo Super Bowl. It was one of the first games to have all the NFL teams, players, and uniforms. But that isn't the reason why I like it so much. The game is challenging, but fair, in the way it handles everything. The AI leaves much to be desired, but when you play a crappy team you'll find it hard to win. The graphics were pretty bad, but the controls were great. Also, the fact that the game kept all the stats of every game was awesome.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

This game was an arcade smash due to the exceptional popularity of the turtles at the time. Aside from being popular by association, the game was solid and fun in its own right. Four players can play at once and be one of the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trying to stop Shredder from kidnapping April O'Neil. You must fight your way through the Footclan army to finally meet up with Shredder in his Tecnodrome. Like many arcade games, it's very easy to learn, but very difficult to beat.

Tetris

One of the most acclaimed strategy video games ever is Tetris. The concept is very basic, make lines with the seven different shapes and get points. As you get further into the game it speeds up becoming more and more difficult to continue. This premise was the foundation for a game that is timeless. No matter how much technology increases, the simplicity of Tetris remains exciting. Tetris has been released for practically every gaming platform known to man, and has been cloned probably more than any other game.

Ultima Online

When it first came out, the game contained a few things that the die hard fans didn't like. It has sense gone even further and further away from its original roots to become something very different. Regardless, the game is an amazing MMORPG with tons of things to do. The isometric graphics are beautifully rendered and the music has the same quality as many of the previous Ultimas. Instead of playing the Avatar, you are a simple resident of Britannia who must make a living for yourself in the online community of the world.

Vanguard

Vanguard was an early scrolling shooter for the arcade, and later ported to the Atari 2600. Unlike many scrolling shooters, even to this day, it changes scrolling direction for each level. This allowed the creators to make special enemies that were best matched the screen layout. You pilot a ship that can shoot in four directions and maneuver faster while not firing. You then shoot at the enemy ships and avoid their fire while trying to pick up energy packs that will make you invincible for a short while. Gets very difficult in the later stages.

Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness

Warcraft 2 was the first really big real-time strategy game. You played the orcs or the humans in a grand battle for world supremacy. By mining for gold, chopping down timber, and drilling for oil you would gain the raw materials for building your massive army with which to destroy the opposing team. Warcraft 2 could also be played multiplayer with a modem or network allowing up to eight players to battle at once. This game set many standards for the genre that are still used today.

Wing Commander 5: Prophecy

One of the longest dynasties of space flight simulators, Wing Commander Prophecy is the fifth and most technically advanced of the family. You play a new role in this game. Instead of Blair, you play a new cadet 2nd Lt. Casey. Kilra fell in the last game, but a new breed of terror is flying in space this time. They are insect-like and have highly advanced ships. Strap on your flight suit fly-boy, you're in for the ride of your life! The full motion video cut-scenes feature several familiar characters including Mark Hamill and Thomas Wilson.

Wolfenstein 3D

One of the first ray-casted texture-mapped games made is also one of the best. In Wolfenstein 3D you play B.J. Blazkowicz, a WWII POW. You are on the bottom floor of an underground prison camp. You are able to kill the guard, but now you have eight levels of pure hell to get out of. After the first mission, you have five others to go through. Wolfenstein 3D had many moments that would literally make you jump, like turning a corner and seeing a Gestapo with his machine gun pointed right at you. Lots of blood, and killing Nazis, what fun!

ZZT

ZZT, named so it would be the last game in every list, was an unbelievable creation. Not a single graphic is ever displayed in this rouge-like text adventure. Mostly an adventure game, with a few action sequences, ZZT allowed you to explore a very creative world where all you need are quick fingers and a functioning brain. One of the most impressive things about ZZT was its built in editor and programming language that would allow you to create your own worlds. This made the game very exciting for amateur game makers.