| Animal Quest Alive Software, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A turn-based game where you pick an animal to play and move about a grid, trying to catch prey and avoid predators. Plants and animals are assigned positions in the food chain, and each animal eats different kinds of food. Animals you're trying to eat may eat some of the plants and animals that you consider food before you do. There are options to click on each creature to get a description of them, or see where they stand in the food chain, as far as what creatures are their predators and their prey. You gain points for eating other creatures and lose points for being caught by predators. Eating animals adds more points to your score than eating plants. When you get a score of 49, you gain the ability to move diagonally, which makes it much easier to hunt and avoid predators. The ability is lost if your score drops below 49. There are 4 episodes in this game, with only Forest Animals being playable in the shareware version. Forest Animals
Alivesoft still sells the registered version of this game for $20 on floppy disk or CD-ROM, or $10 as a registered download.
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| Brix Epic MegaGames, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A nearly identical clone of Puzznic, right down to the appearance of the pieces and brick backgrounds. Brix is a challenging and entertaining puzzle game in which you push blocks around the levels and to try get them beside identical blocks to eliminate them. Two or more of the same block will eliminate each other, and all must be eliminated to finish each level. Pushing the pieces will require you to think about how to make a path for them, how to eliminate them in the right order, and how to use gravity and elevators to your advantage while avoiding obstacles like lasers. Author Michael Riedel distributed v1.0, with 112 levels, under the developer name "Radiesel", and the documentation declares the game public domain. Version 2.0 was developed by Radiesel and published as shareware by Epic MegaGames, adding a soundtrack, backgrounds, animation, and other bells and whistles. Registering the game gives you Brix 2 Deluxe, which adds 112 new levels and a level editor.
The registered version of this game is still sold with Brix 2 Deluxe through www.epicclassics.com for $14 on floppy disk only.
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| Chinese Checkers ImagiSOFT, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (former shareware) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As you might expect, this is a game of Chinese checkers for two to six human or computer players. EGA graphics get the job done. The music plays for a few seconds every once in a while, which can be annoying, so you'll probably want to turn the music off. Otherwise, the game is excellent. The computer's difficulty level can't be adjusted, which is unfortunate, but you can set all of the players to be computers in order to watch and learn. The full version is now freeware, but it can't be distributed without permission, so you'll need to go to ImagiSOFT's website to download it.
ImagiSOFT has generously released this game as freeware, which can be download from their website.
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| Commander Keen: Aliens Ate My Babysitter id Software, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In the final episode of the Keen series, Commander Keen must rescue his babysitter from aliens using nothing but a gun and a pogo stick. As in Goodbye Galaxy, you start with the pogo stick, which is really helpful. Excellent level design and imaginative enemies make this a fitting finale to a beloved series that is known for simple graphics and gameplay, but excellent replayability and fun factor. There are 17 levels in this game, with only the first few playable in the shareware version. Episode 6: Aliens Ate My Babysitter Commander Keen: Aliens Ate My Babysitter Special Demo Version v1.0 (334k) I have found no ordering information for this game. It is the only Commander Keen game on id Software's website that doesn't have a "Buy It" link.
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| Commander Keen: Goodbye Galaxy Apogee Software, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: 7.3 | DOS Shareware (partial game) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The sequel to Commander Keen: Invasion of the Vorticons, with a new engine and much improved graphics and sound. Once again, you must save the world armed with a gun and a pogo stick, against new aliens and through new worlds. This time you don't have to find the pogo stick, but you can find scuba gear to help you swim. Episode numbers in Commander Keen: Goodbye Galaxy continue from the original trilogy, making the two games a series. A CGA version was also released. There are 2 episodes in this game, with only the first episode playable in the shareware version. Episode 4: Secret of the Oracle Complete version history:Commander Keen: Goodbye Galaxy v1.4 Shareware Episode (712k)Commander Keen: Goodbye Galaxy v1.2 Shareware Episode (567k) Commander Keen: Goodbye Galaxy v1.1 Shareware Episode (582k) Commander Keen: Goodbye Galaxy v1.0 Shareware Episode (614k) Commander Keen: Goodbye Galaxy CGA v1.4 Shareware Episode (493k) Commander Keen: Goodbye Galaxy CGA v1.1 Shareware Episode (491k) Commander Keen: Goodbye Galaxy CGA v1.0 Shareware Episode (474k) Apogee still sells the registered version of this game for $10 as a registered download, or with Commander Keen: Invasion of the Vorticons for $20 on CD-ROM. id Software still sells the registered version of this game with Commander Keen: Invasion of the Vorticons for $15 as a registered download only.
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| Corncob 3D MVP Software, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Corncob 3D is possibly the only shareware flight simulator for DOS. The premise is a bit strange, though. Adolf Hitler's demise at a young age prevented World War II, but aliens invaded in 1938 and colonized the planet at will until 1949. The world has finally coordinated a plan to attack the invaders on all fronts, and you must fly missions or all will be lost. Your airplane is equipped with guns, missiles and bombs, and you can get out of your plane and navigate on foot with just a pistol. EGA graphics mean that the graphics aren't very realistic, but a lot of people enjoyed this game. The full version has missions on other worlds in other solar systems. Corncob 3D v3.42 Shareware Episode (350k) I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed on MVP's website.
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| Crates Summit Software, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Crates is a Sokoban-type game with original levels. Each level is full of boxes which your character must push in four directions, one square at a time, onto designated squares to complete the level. Boxes can never be pulled, meaning they can get stuck against walls, and only one box can be pushed at a time. Starting play is really that simple, but the solutions are extremely challenging. This popularity of this type of game has endured for good reason. The registered version comes with 50 extra levels. Crates Shareware (36k) I have found no ordering information for this game.
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| Crusher Soleau Software, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Crusher is an adventure game that takes place in a cavern of 25 rooms arranged in a 5×5 grid. Each room is randomly generated at the beginning of each game, so the game is different every time. Each room is full of boxes, unmovable tiles, diamonds, and three monsters. The monsters come in four colors, indicating their speed, but all will be the same within each room. Some rooms contain oxygen tanks, which you need to live, and bombs, which can be used to destroy the boxes and unmovable tiles. Oxygen is depleted with every step you take. Touching a monster will cost you a life, but running out of oxygen will instantly end the game. The boxes can be pushed if there is nothing behind them, which allows you to create a protective barrier between yourself and the monsters, or to trap them. You can crush a monster by trapping it with boxes so that it can't move. Crushed monsters disappear, and an oxygen tank will appear somewhere in the level. Bonus points are awarded for killing more than one monster in the same room. Every time you re-enter a room, all of the monsters will return. After scoring 10,000 points, you can begin to work on your objectives, which include finding Mr. X, finding a map, rescuing Eve, finding Ted, finding the combination to the safe, and finding the safe. As you achieve each objective, one of the rooms will change to contain the next objective, so the entire cavern has to be searched for each one, although you'll learn to identify the room that Mr. X will eventually be in when you see it. This game is very difficult, and success depends upon conserving bombs and, most importantly, conserving oxygen by moving as efficiently as possible. Shareware versions 3.0 and earlier only allow you to play until you find Eve, and require registration to complete the later objectives. Version 3.1 and later allow the entire game to be completed. The registered version allows you to save a game in progress.
Soleau Software still sells the registered version of this game for $12 by download only.
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| Crystal Caves Apogee Software, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: 4 | DOS Shareware (partial game) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A very simple EGA platformer. You play Mylo Steamwitz, a miner who dreams of owning his own twibble farm. You go from planet to planet finding jewels in the mines to make your dream come true. A map screen allows you to play the levels in almost any order. Ammunition is limited, and some levels have reverse gravity, so you have to use your head a bit more in this game than most. The graphics and sound are ugly even by EGA standards, but the game itself is a good diversion. Version 1.0 may cause your system clock to lose 100 years if run from Windows XP. There are 3 episodes in this game, with only the first episode playable in the shareware version. Episode 1 - Trouble with Twibbles Complete version history:
Apogee still sells the registered version of this game for $10 on floppy disk or registered download.
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| Dark Ages Apogee Software, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dark Ages is an extremely primitive-looking platformer in which you play a prince who was kidnapped by an evil wizard and raised by a peasant who turned out to be a hero. Trained to use magic, you must save your kingdom from the dark ages by defeating the evil wizard, Garth, who has given the kingdom to undead creatures and rules with an iron fist. There are 3 volumes in this game, with only the first volume playable in the shareware version. Volume 1: Prince of Destiny Complete version history:
NOTE: Apogee no longer takes orders for the full version of this game, and it is not in their downloads section. It couldn't hurt to politely ask them if they could make the game available for sale again, or make the registered version freeware.
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| Drum Blaster Epic MegaGames, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (former shareware) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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I had to decide if this is actually a game or if it's music software. I've decided that it's a game, because it's fun to play. Drum Blaster is a music and noise maker with quite a few options, as well as different animated musicians. Although there are no goals or challenges to overcome, this could be entertaining for younger players. Epic became the publisher for Drum Blaster version 3.0. The registered version has 4 add-on packs. Pack 1 - Cool Drums
Author Larry Tipton generously released this game as freeware under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license on 7 October 2007.
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| Duel 2000 Damon Hastings, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (always) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A neat little star battle game from the days when you could write a game in computer class and have it distributed by BBS and shareware compilation CD-ROMs. The premise is simple: two space ships try to destroy each other by firing bullets. A planet in the center of the screen has gravity which attracts both of the ships and their bullets. Many options can be configured, such as bouncing off of the planet instead of being destroyed if you crash into it, and changing the walls from wraparound to bouncy. Using the planet's gravity to arc a bullet towards your enemy on the other side, or getting bullets into orbit are interesting applications of the game's physics. Using thrusters and fire shots cause the engine to heat up, and it will become useless if it overheats. Three random power-ups can appear: the Cool Box cools your engine, the Hot Box heats up your opponent's engine, and The Happy Reaper sends Death to destroy your opponent. Play against a friend or the computer.
This game was originally released under a freeware license.
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| Duke Nukem Apogee Software, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: 8 | DOS Shareware (partial game) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The game that started it all. Duke Nukem is a sidescrolling game robots, aliens, and lots of weapons. Your goal is to defeat Dr. Proton who is trying to take over the world. There are 3 episodes in this game, with only the first episode playable in the shareware version. Episode 1 - Shrapnel City Complete version history:
Apogee still sells the registered version of this game for $10 on floppy disk or registered download.
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| Football TSoft, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (full version) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In this very simple football game for Windows, you're the coach (or quarterback) of a football team, calling the plays and watching what happens. There are no graphics for the players, but it's not really necessary because the game tells you what happened. You can choose from a number of running and passing plays, and you can stop the clock with a Timeout when you need one. There are 28 NFL teams to choose from, which are listed only by nickname, not city, for trademark reasons. The league is called the CFL, which probably stands for Computer Football League, not the Canadian Football League. The game only takes a few minutes to play, and you get detailed statistics at the end of the game. You can play against a human opponent or the computer. Football v1.1 Shareware (115k) I have found no ordering information for this game.
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| Gobliiins Sierra On-Line, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In the first game in the legendary Goblins series, someone is using a voodoo doll to drive the king crazy, and you must seek out a wizard to save him. Gobliiins is a point-and-click adventure in which you control three goblins, named Dwayne, Bobo and Hooter. Only one character can be controlled at a time, and each goblin has different abilities. Bobo is a warrior and can punch things. Hooter is a magician and can cast spells on things. Dwayne is a technician, and is the only character who can pick up and use objects, but he can only hold one object at a time. Sometimes making a mistake will cause one of your goblins to be injured in a humorous way, which reduces their collective life bar. Some actions will even kill them instantly! When all of the goals on the screen have been achieved, the game indicates that you can move to the next screen and gives you a save code. A CD-ROM version of the game, called "Gobliiins Gold" featured voice acting in several languages during the interlude between screens, which helped develop the story. There are 20 levels in this game, with only the first 3 playable in the shareware version. Gobliiins Shareware Demo (761k) I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed on Sierra's website.
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| Googol Review Paul T. Dawson, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Googol Review is a straightforward math problem game where you simply enter the correct answer to addition, subtraction, multiplication or division questions and word problems. Has the same positive encouragement and bells and whistles as the other games by Paul T. Dawson. Googol Review v3.6 Shareware (166k) I have been unable to locate the author online, but there is still a mailing address for registration. The games indicate that you can register for $10, or "super register" and get all 8 of Paul T. Dawson's educational games for $35.
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| Hugo II, Whodunit? Gray Design Associates, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In the sequel to Hugo's House of Horrors, Hugo and Penelope take a vacation in France, but Hugo disappears, and his great uncle Horace is murdered! This time you play as Penelope, trying to rescue Hugo and solve the murder. The graphics and gameplay are similar to the first Hugo game, but the game is much longer than the original. You'll need to make a map to complete one stage, but mapping is part of the fun. Some areas may be too difficult for children, such as the venus flytraps and crossing the bridge without getting the matches wet. Some commands have to be phrased very specifically, often in a more verbose way than necessary, so you can have the right idea, and phrase a sensible and obvious command, but fail and think that you're on the wrong track. Challenge and frustration aside, the game is appropriate for gamers of all ages. Complete version history:
Gray Design Associates still sells the DOS and Windows versions of the Hugo Trilogy collectively for $10 by download only.
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| Isle Wars Soleau Software, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Isle Wars is a game of global domination, like Risk. Based on Battle for Atlantis, Isle Wars is played with a mouse, reduces the number of difficulty levels to four, and uses cards to add a new element to the gameplay. Battle takes place among 46 countries divided between 9 continents of varying size. Occupying an entire continent gives you bonus armies based on the size of the continent. Random flooding, seismic activity and revolution can destroy armies, and distribution centers, which are randomly distributed across the map, occasionally double the number of troops residing in them. After every turn in which at least one country has been conquered, the invading army receives a card. Unlike Risk, there are a great variety of different bonuses awarded by the cards, and there is no guarantee of having a set of three after receiving 5 cards. If cards can't be played, or if the player elects not to use them, he must discard a card of his choosing before collecting another card once he has 5. Cards can be used to add 5, 8, 15, or double the number of armies that can be assigned at the beginning of the turn, bomb a city, protect the player from being bombed, or airlift armies to a non-adjacent country. The shareware version pits you against 3 computer opponents, and allows customization of difficulty level and the number of armies at the beginning of the game. The registered version allows up to four humans to play.
Soleau Software still sells the registered version of this game for $12 by download only.
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| Jumpman Lives! Apogee Software, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Public domain | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A remake of the original Jumpman. Explosives have been scattered throughout a laboratory on Saturn, and you play an elite anti-terrorist agent trying to prevent the destruction of the planet. You must climb ladders and jump around with special high jump boots, collecting all of the little orbs that represent bombs on each level, while avoiding enemies and trying not to fall too far. It's a bit like Jetpack, without the jetpack, or Moraff's Escapade without the ability to move blocks. The commercial version has 45 levels. Jumpman Lives! Registered Version (142k) NOTE: Apogee does not distribute, sell, register, or retain copyright on this game. This is officially abandonware.
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| Kentris Ken Silverman, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (always) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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If Tetris has gotten too easy for you, try Kentris. The playing fields move around the screen during gameplay and you can add garbage to the bottom of your opponent's screen as you compete. The background constantly changes colors and there are voices and sound effects. This can be a lot of fun if you like a challenge. Kentris v4.3 Freeware and source code in Microsoft C 6.00A (144k) Author Ken Silverman has generously released this game as freeware.
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| Lemmings DMA Design, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The game that started it all! Lemmings are little guys with green hair who walk in a straight line until they bump into something or die, usually by falling off a cliff. Lemmings can be assigned tasks to perform from one of eight modes: climber, floater, blocker, builder, basher, miner, digger, and exploder. Players must use these modes to guide a required percentage of their lemmings to the exit, overcoming barriers, falls, and traps, all within a time limit. Lemmings splatter if they fall too far, get crushed, juiced, or decapitated by traps, and can blow themselves to bits, individually or en masse, in hilariously gruesome detail, which is a favorite feature of many players, and lessens the frustration of failure. Advanced problem solving and reflexes are necessary to save the lemmings. The shareware version includes one level from each difficulty level. There are 80 levels in this game, with only 4 playable in the shareware version. Lemmings Shareware (230k) I have found no ordering information for this game.
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| Mah Jongg -8514- Ron Balewski, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (always) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Think about Mah Jongg -V-G-A-. Now think about it running at 1024×768 with 256 colors, featuring tiles with intricate, shaded pictograms and calligraphy that cast shadows across their tiles. This hidden gem is Mah Jongg -V-G-A- rewritten for the 8514 graphics standard (created by IBM to replace VGA), and it looks absolutely amazing. Sadly, there were no further versions because the standard never became widely adopted. To play it you'll need a genuine 8514/a graphics card, an 8514-compatible graphics card such as the ATI Mach 8 and Mach 32, and the IIT AGX, or a SVGA graphics card with at least 1MB of video RAM and an 8514 emulator. This game can be played in DOSBox by using the Multiple SVGA Chipset plugin to emulate a Tseng Labs ET4000 graphics card, and RIXAI8 to emulate the 8514. Version 0.6 was a public beta, and Ron Balewski confirmed that it may be considered freeware. Complete version history:
Author Ron Balewski has generously released this game as freeware.
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| Mather MoraffWare, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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One of the better math games I've seen. The questions become more difficult as you answer correctly, to the degree that it remains difficult even for me. Some of the multiplication and division questions reach four digits when an adult plays, forcing you to solve the problem first to the thousands place, then the hundreds, etc. The learner quickly realizes that large numbers are no more difficult to work with than small numbers, it just takes more steps. The concept of understanding the relationship between powers to understand the numbers themselves and, in so doing, understand the nature of math, is a good one. The game keeps track of your skill level for each of the four operands. Good for people of any age who need to brush up on their math skills, with prizes for answering correctly and within the time limit. Version 2.0 adds graphics and problems with three numbers, but removes the option to play with mixed (all four) operands. It also internally includes Moraff's Super Entrap. The documentation indicates that the game can be referred to as "Mathtrap".
I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed on Moraff's website.
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| Moraff's Blast I MoraffWare, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A ball and paddle game with three gameplay modes: Brick Walls, Falling Walls, and The Blast Adventure. All three modes can be played by one player, two players, one human and the computer, or just the computer. In two player mode, each player's paddle can move within just over half of the screen. The player with the lower score goes on top of the other paddle in the overlap at the center. The paddles can be controlled by keyboard, mouse, or joystick. Brick Walls is basically the classic Breakout game, where every block must be destroyed to clear the screen. Single colored blocks take one hit, while striped blocks take two. Blocks at the top of the screen increase the ball's speed, while lower blocks slow the ball down. When the screen is cleared, a new set of blocks appear, and the game cycles forever. Falling walls is essentially the same, except that blocks descend every few hits, adding new rows that are one or two blocks thick, with gaps of one or two blocks between them. If they get too low they disappear, but the lower the blocks are to the ground, the less reaction time you have. The real story is The Blast Adventure. Instead of scoring points, your goal is to complete each level by hitting the tunnel to the next level. There are blocks that allow you to catch the ball or lose that ability, make the paddle larger or smaller, speed the ball up or slow it down, split the ball into four balls, 1-Ups, vertically striped blocks that take two hits, and horizontally striped balls that take many hits. There are 21 screens in the adventure. Registered users received Moraff's Blast II, which has 140 new screens. Moraff's Blast I v1.5 Shareware (100k) I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed on Moraff's website.
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| Moraff's Escapade MoraffWare, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A maze platformer with platforms that are can be reached by ladders or climbing across ropes, Escapade is a lot like Jumpman, except that the levels generally have to be solved by trapping the enemies by picking up and dropping bricks. Your goal is to collect all of the diamonds in each level. Your character can fall from any height without dying, and can even walk on the heads of some enemies! Escapade claimed to be the only 1024×768 arcade game at the time but, like many MoraffWare games, it hardly looks like it takes advantage of that resolution. In the MCGA version (320×200 and 256 simultaneous colors from a palette 262,144), the hero is drawn with only two colors: red and green. The Tseng Super VGA mode, which is 1024×768, features a very detailed background, but there hero is still composed of only three colors: red, blue, and green. There are 10 difficulty levels with 5 levels in each. The registered version contains more levels. Moraff's Escapade Shareware (138k) I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed on Moraff's website.
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| Moraff's Flygame MoraffWare, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (always) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A map with landscape features of various altitudes, such as mountains and valleys, is randomly generated. You can fly only up and down on the screen, at a fixed rate of speed, and you play until you crash into a mountain. I'll be honest, this game isn't likely to hold anyone's attention for more than a few minutes, but it is a classic piece of MoraffWare software and is interesting as a history curiosity. This game was mentioned in the ordering information of most other Moraff games, but there was never a registered version. Moraff's Flygame was always freely distributable. Moraff's Flygame Freeware (10k)
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| Moraff's Stones MoraffWare, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Based on a number of traditional card games, Stones is a fun game where you attempt to make the best possible hand from the stones that you and your opponents are dealt. Difficulty increases the longer you survive.
Moraff still sells the registered version of this game through Software Diversions as part of Moraff's Dungeon Pack for $19 by download
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| Moraff's Super Blast I MoraffWare, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A ball and paddle game with three gameplay modes: Brick Walls, Falling Walls, and Super Blast. All three modes can be played by one player, two players, one human and the computer, or just the computer. The paddles can be controlled by keyboard, mouse, or joystick. Brick Walls and Falling Walls are the same as in Moraff's Blast. The real story is Super Blast. Instead of scoring points, your goal is to complete each level by hitting the tunnel to the next level. In addition to the blocks from Blast (catch, stop catch, bigger paddle, shrink paddle, speed ball, slow ball, split into four balls, one up, vertically striped blocks that take two hits, horizontally striped balls that take many hits), there are now one way blocks that the ball can only pass through while going up or down, blocks that create new blocks, blocks that move when hit, blocks that split the ball into eight balls, and 2-Ups. The game is broken into difficulty levels. The shareware version has Easy Super Blast and Medium Super Blast, which have 17 screens each. Registered users originally received Moraff's Super Blast II, which has 200 new screens, and later received Moraff's Super Blast III, which has 350 new screens. Moraff's Super Blast I v1.7 Shareware (64k) I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed on Moraff's website.
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| Moraff's World MoraffWare, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The sequel to Moraff's Revenge, with enhanced graphics, more character types, spells and monsters. The map fills out as you explore. This "Beginner's Version" will only allow you to explore the first few levels of the dungeon before you have to register and receive the "Advanced Version" to continue. Moraff's World v7.0 Shareware (236k) Moraff still sells the registered version of this game through Software Diversions for $10 by download, or as part of Moraff's Dungeon Pack for $19 by download.
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| Paganitzu Apogee Software, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: 7 | DOS Shareware (partial game) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A puzzle adventure where you play Alabama Smith, an archaeologist on a quest to discover the secrets of an ancient pyramid. Extremely dated graphics and sound and a single difficulty level can make this game a bit frustrating. Objects must often be moved to protect yourself from enemies, much like God of Thunder, without all the fighting. There are 3 episodes in this game, with only the first episode playable in the shareware version. Episode 1 - Romancing the Rose Complete version history:
Apogee still sells the registered version of this game for $10 on floppy disk or registered download.
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| Rescue Rover Softdisk Publishing, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: 6 | DOS Shareware (partial game) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Robots have kidnapped your dog, Rover. Yes, really. In this simple puzzle game, you must guide Roger though levels that are full of robots, rescue your dog, and return to the exit. Roger can push, but not pull, items that he finds in the levels. Crates can block lasers or form a bridge across water. Mirror blocks can deflect lasers and destroy the robots. Star pearls are like crates except that they don't float and they don't stop until they hit something. Anti-grav carts are like star pearls, except that they can pass over water. At the beginning of each level, Rover is captured again, and Roger must rescue him again. There are 30 levels in this game, with only the first 10 playable in the shareware version. Rescue Rover v2.0 Shareware Episode (170k) I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed on Softdisk's website.
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| Scorched Earth Wendell Hicken, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Mother of All Games! That's how the author describes this game, and when I was in high school, it was true. In this turn-based simulation, up to 10 humans or computers can use tanks to blow each other up with anything from small missiles to thermonuclear weapons. Shields and parachutes allow players to withstand the destruction from weapons, environmental damage and the occasional tank falling on top of you. Use guidance to seek and destroy your friends and enemies, or unleash multiple projectile weapons on everyone on the screen. Weapons and armor must be purchased, and money is awarded based on kills. Despite extremely simple concept and gameplay, you can customize settings for everything from the effect of the walls around the screen to gravity, wind and economics. One of the most addictive multiplayer games of all time. The registered version enables the triple-turreted tanks for users, and adds 25 new scanned mountains. Complete version history:
NOTE: Wendell Hicken is not currently accepting registrations without special arrangements. Registration is $20, or $40 for a scholastic site license.
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| Sherlock Everett Kaser Software, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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If you like Sudoku, but find it too easy, Sherlock is the game for you. The game is played on a 6×6 grid, and each row has a different set of six pictures that have to be arranged within the row. You get two sets of hints that tell you what relationship the pictures have to each other: one for to their vertical relationship and one for their horizontal relationship. There are two kinds of vertical hints and five kinds of horizontal hints. For column hints, you might be told that the H and the 6 are in the same column, or that red house and the banana are not in the same column. For row hints, you might be told that the strawberry is an adjacent column to the baby, the L is not in an adjacent column to the orange, the stop sign is in a column between the apple and the pear, there is one space between the old man and the hospital sign that does not contain the speed limit sign, or the 4 is one or more rows to the left of the 2. Through the process of deduction, you eliminate possibilities until you know what's in each square. Every puzzle can be solved with the hints that are given, but if you ask for a hint, the game will explain to you in plain English how one of the hints helped you to eliminate one of the possibilities. Getting a hint will cost you 30 seconds on your clock. When you no longer need one of the clues, you can send it to a holding bin, where you can still see it if you change your mind. You will always be told what a few of the squares are, but you can make the game easier by increasing the handicap level to get more free squares. Originally all of the puzzles were playable in the shareware version, but it was reduced to 200 in v2.0 and to 100 by v2.07. There are 65 536 puzzles in this game, with only the first 100 playable in the shareware version. Complete version history:
Everett Kaser Software still sells the registered version of this game for $15 by download or CD-ROM.
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| SkiFree Microsoft, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Freeware (always) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In 1991, Chris Pirih made a little skiing game for Windows and distributed it as freeware, thus the name SkiFree. His employer, Microsoft, liked it so much that they acquired the copyright and added it to the Microsoft Entertainment Pack. Chris Pirih retained the right to create and publish new versions and, one way or another, a copy of this simple little game made its way onto computers around the world. There are three modes of play: Slalom, Free-style, and Tree Slalom, or you can just ski wherever you want. Slalom is a 540m race to the finish line, and you have to ski around the flags. Tree Slalom is 1040m version of Slalom, but with lots of trees to avoid. Free-style is an untimed 1040m course that requires you to get style points for hitting jumps and doing aerial tricks. The skier can be controlled with the keyboard or mouse, and can spin horizontally with the left and right arrow keys, or head over heels with the up and down arrow keys or the left mouse button. Style points are lost for crashing. The game is remembered for its many Easter eggs and extras, such as dogs, snowboarders and other skiers on the hill, walking trees, and an Abominable Snow Monster. SkiFree v1.0 Freeware (30k) SkiFree v1.04, a Win32 port of the game, is available as a free download at the Official SkiFree Home Page.
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| Tribolo Soleau Software, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A new twist on Reversi, Tribolo is played with three players on a 16×11 grid, and there are unplayable squares scattered across the board which block capturing and create additional opportunities for groups of pieces to become uncapturable. As in Reversi, players take turns placing a piece on the board, which must sandwich opponent's pieces between another of their own pieces, causing all of the pieces in between to switch to the capturing player's color. Players earn one point for each piece they have on the board. When capturing in Tribolo, all of the pieces in the middle must belong to a single opponent. That means that blue must sandwich pieces belonging to red or green, but not both. There 7 board setups in this game, with only 1 available in the shareware version. Complete version history:
I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed on Soleau Software's website.
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| VGATetris Jared Tarbell, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (always) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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There have been thousands of Tetris games for DOS, but this is one of the better ones. The VGA palette allows for some nice colors for the pieces and backgrounds. There are also some cheats and Easter eggs in the game. There's not much in the way of sound, but the visuals are nice enough to keep the game interesting.
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| World Empire Viable Software Alternatives, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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World Empire is a game of global domination, like Risk, except that there are no cards to award bonus armies. The key difference is the introduction of "ideologies". Each player chooses an ideology to support: Populist, Militarist, Socialist or Realist. The world is divided into 71 nations, each of which supports one of the players' ideologies. When you conquer a nation that supports your ideology, they greet you as liberators and require only 1 army to hold them, whereas nations that support rival ideologies need additional armies to remain in order to prevent a revolution. When a nation revolts, the player whose ideology they support receives 5 armies in that country. Otherwise combat is similar to other games in the genre, with invisible dice being thrown to determine the outcome of each battle. Ties go to the defender but, starting in v1.50, ties go to the attacker if the defending nation supports the attacker's ideology. Armies are awarded at the beginning of each turn based on the number of nations held, plus bonus armies for holding an entire continent. The overall progress can be viewed on the world map, while combat takes place on detailed continent maps that also show each nation's ideology. The shareware version can be played by one to four players, with the computer serving as the opponent in a one player game. The registered version can be played against up to six computer opponents.
Viable Software Alternatives still sells World Empire V Deluxe, a Win32 version of the game, for $18 by download or CD-ROM.
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| Xmas Lemmings DMA Design, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (always) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In 1991, DMA Design released the first in a series of "Xmas Lemmings" games in which the lemmings are dressed like Santa Claus, and Christmas music plays in the background. Lemmings are little guys with green hair who walk in a straight line until they bump into something or die, usually by falling off a cliff. Lemmings can be assigned tasks to perform from one of eight modes: climber, floater, blocker, builder, basher, miner, digger, and exploder. Players must use these modes to guide a required percentage of their lemmings to the exit, overcoming barriers, falls, and traps, all within a time limit. Lemmings splatter if they fall too far, get crushed, juiced, or decapitated by traps, and can blow themselves to bits, individually or en masse, in hilariously gruesome detail, which is a favorite feature of many players, and lessens the frustration of failure. Advanced problem solving and reflexes are necessary to save the lemmings. The 1991 edition features four levels: two original levels and two levels from Oh No! More Lemmings. Xmas Lemmings Freeware (223k) DMA Design originally released this game under a freeware license.
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| ZZT Epic MegaGames, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: 10 | DOS Freeware (former shareware) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tim Sweeney's famous first game, published by Potomac Computer Systems until v3.2, when it was renamed Epic MegaGames. ZZT is an ASCII adventure along the lines of the famous Kroz series. The hero can move from screen to screen, fighting monsters and collecting treasures as he goes. Torches are necessary to see in dark rooms such as caves, and keys are needed to open passages to some areas. ZZT is known for clever level design and use of the 16 color palette, and also uses the PC speaker to create music more effectively than most games of this era. The game also came with a level editor, inspiring thousands of user-created levels. There is still a fan following for this game even today. Epic released the full version of this game as freeware on their website in 1997, but Epic Classics is still selling it on their website. I am asking the author whether or not it is still legal to distribute the full version. There are 4 volumes in this game, with only the first volume playable in the shareware version. Volume 1: Town of ZZT ZZT v3.2 Registered Version (176k) Epic MegaGames generously released this game as freeware under the ZZT Freeware License. It is also still sold through www.epicclassics.com for $12 on floppy disk only.
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