Currently hosting 26 Independent games!
| Adventures of Captain Comic Michael A. Denio, 1988 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Captain Comic was one of the first DOS platformers to gain popularity. The backgrounds are unusually detailed for EGA graphics, and the game is noted for being extremely large. Playing the galactic hero, Captain Comic, your mission is to recover three treasures from the planet Omsoc, which have been stolen by stolen by an alien race known as Tambians, and taken back to their planet. Your character can have up to five shots on the screen at a time, though he has a shot meter that can be used up, and recharges when he isn't shooting. Complete version history:
I have found no ordering information for this game.
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| The Adventures of MicroMan Brian L. Goble, 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Adventures of MicroMan is a complete game built with Brian Goble's Windows Animation Package, based on an earlier playable demo called MicroMan. The hero, Bob Jones, was shrunk to micron size as part of an experiment, and is now trapped in a computer full of unfriendly robots. It features a variety of mechanical enemies, three weapon upgrades, a super jump ability and a shield, moving platforms, platforms that fade in and out of existence, transporters, a mirror room where MicroMan is mirrored vertically and horizontally, and a total of 54 rooms and three bottomless pits. Changes from the demo include the addition of springboards, invisible platforms, and new enemies. There are platforms that will only move when MicroMan is standing on them, and platforms that will only move when he isn't standing on them. Version 1.5 added background music and save points, improved the sound effects and allowed multiple sounds to play simultaneously, allowed MicroMan to have more shots on the screen at a time, made the animation even smoother, and made three rooms much easier. In 1999, version 2.0 was released for Win32. It doubled the default game speed, added joystick support, changed some of the voices and sound effects, made three rooms easier and added a save point to another. There are 2 adventures in this game, with only the first adventure playable in the shareware version. Adventure 1: Crazy Computers
I have found no ordering information for this game. Brian Goble's company, HipSoft, still sells a new Win32 game called MicroMan's Crazy Computers.
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| Alien Force Robert Epps, 1990 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Freeware (always) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Alien Force is a space shooter for Windows 3.0, and one of the first Windows games I ever played. Gameplay takes place in a 10×10 grid, and each level pits your ship against 10 alien ships. Both you and each alien ship can only have one shot on the screen at a time, so a missed shot can leave you defenseless. At first the game is slow and the aliens are dumb, and they don't even shoot in Level 1. By Level 2 some of them start shooting back, and by Level 8 some of them can take two hits. Each kill is worth 100 points, and the level bonus is 500 times the level number. Your score ticks down 10 points at a time when you take too long to complete a level. To customize the level of challenge, you can start at any level you like. Alien Force v1.0 Freeware (16k)
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| Ballistic Glenn Nissen, 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (full version) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ballistic is a ball and paddle game with the usual array of features. Some bricks take one hit, some take three hits, and some are indestructible. Colorful bricks are arranged to make patterns in 50 screens of play, and there are a number of power-ups, such as a larger paddle, extra life, the ability to catch the ball, shoot lasers, divide the ball into 3 or 8 balls, or you can shrink the paddle, which triples the value of brick destroyed. Power-ups that are less common include Mega Ball, which makes the ball really big, Blue Ball, which makes the ball temporarily blast through bricks without bouncing back, and Two Ball, which is a sort of permanent multi-ball. With Two Ball, whenever one of the balls is dropped, the other one splits in two again. One of the better ball and paddle games of its day. Ballistic v1.0b Shareware (104k) I have found no ordering information for this game.
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| Castle Adventure Kevin Bales, 1984 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Castle Adventure is an early attempt at adding ASCII graphics to the traditional text adventures of early computers. The game accepts typed instructions of two words, such as "drink water", and many of the room names, treasures and items seem inspired by Colossal Caves. It differs by eliminating the rich descriptions that are necessary in a text adventure and allows you to actually see the room. You navigate and fight using the arrow keys. Exploration is important and there is definitely some problem solving, but not on the scale of a text adventure. There are only 83 rooms and relatively few commands, making the game suitable for players of any age. I enjoy it very much, and it is worth playing to completion for the nostalgia and a DOS gaming history lesson. Castle Adventure Shareware (43k) Play online I'm not sure if the author still accepts registration for this game, but I will find out.
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| Catch, If You Can! Colin Buckley, 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This game is about as simple as it gets: you're an outfielder and you have to catch fly balls by moving left or right. Features voice and VGA graphics. There's not a lot to do in this game, but sometimes that's good when you just want to relieve your boredom for a few minutes. The registered version eliminates two delay screens.
I have found no ordering information for this game.
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| Chopper Commando Mark Currie, 1990 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: 9 | DOS Freeware (former shareware) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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An old favorite of mine. This simple chopper game has a number of missions, sarcastic dialog, and beautiful 4-color graphics. Man that takes me back. Using your helicopter's bullets, missiles, bombs and nukes, destroy other helicopters, transport planes, missiles, some weird looking tanks, and any buildings that you're not fond of. Even when you're walking around outside of your chopper you can still throw grenades. The documentation with v2.0 mentioned that for $5, the author would send you the source code for v2.5 which added new missions to a new "Very Hard" category, but was never distributed compiled and was not to be mass distributed or uploaded to BBS. He was kind enough to send me a compiled copy that includes the source code, and this may be the only site that has it. Complete version history:Chopper Commando v2.56 and source code in Borland Turbo Pascal 5 (154k)Chopper Commando v2.0 (61k) Chopper Commando v1.0 (Still searching) Author Mark Currie has generously released this game as freeware.
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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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| Googol Math Games Paul T. Dawson, 1989 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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When I was in elementary school we had a monochrome computer with this game on it. Kids used to gather around to play and watch. Sometimes the children would help each other with the answers, sometimes students would insist upon answering the questions themselves. As educational games go, this is one of the best ever. In Googol Climber you play a character who bounces along in a room with several levels and a number on each side, while balls roll through the room. You must get to the level that has the correct answer to the math question without hitting your head on the ceiling or hitting the balls, and avoid getting the wrong answer. Googolpede is the classic "snake" game except that you try to hit either "T" for true or "F" for false to answer the math problem on the screen. Googolvaders is like Space Invaders with aliens made out of math problems. Shoot them with the correct answer before they reach the ground. All games can be played with any mix of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, and have different speeds to create levels of skill. Success is rewarded with congratulations from robots and cars and other "bells and whistles". The games are still fun after all these years.
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 10 of Paul T. Dawson's educational games for $35.
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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.
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 10 of Paul T. Dawson's educational games for $35.
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| Googolpede for Windows Paul T. Dawson, 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (full version) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Googolpede is the classic "snake" game except that you try to hit either "T" for true or "F" for false to answer the math problem on the screen. Updated for Windows 3.1, Googolpede for Windows is highly configurable in everything from the math problems, speed, size of the playing field, background animation, and sound effects.
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 10 of Paul T. Dawson's educational games for $35.
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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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| Kye Colin Garbutt, 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Freeware (former shareware) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kye is a classic "collect the diamonds" game named after the author's dog. Kye must be navigated through some difficult levels, eating or pushing blocks out of his way, and figuring out obstacles and traps. There are balls that move in one direction, sticky blocks that can pull obstacles out of the way, and five kinds of monsters that pursue Kye in real-time. Besides the monsters, some levels have blocks that are constantly in motion, so reflexes and skill are required in addition to problem solving. There is no gravity and no boulders to drop, and the levels, blocks and monsters are entirely original, so this isn't just another Boulder Dash clone. You can design your own custom levels, and a number of third-party level packs exist. Version 2.0 added five extra levels, black holes, one way doors, time bombs, an on-screen level editor, and registration now required a charitable donation to Save the Children, instead of direct payment to the author. There are 15 levels in the shareware version, and originally there were 20 extra levels in the registered version. User-created levels were added over the years, with a final tally of 496 extra levels in the registered version. Complete version history:
Colin Garbutt generously released this game as freeware on 18 February 2008. He still asks that a donation be made to a childrens' charity.
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| Lugnut Math City Paul T. Dawson, 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Originally called Lugnut City, Lugnut Math City is an educational platformer where you use a robot to answer different types of questions to make your way through 10 mazes. Questions include true or false, multiple choice, adding, counting, and choosing the correct operator (add, subtract, multiply or divide). There are huge bonus points and lots of encouragement from the program. A level editor also allows you to create 10 of your own levels. Kids apparently love this game.
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 10 of Paul T. Dawson's educational games for $35.
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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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| Mah Jongg -V-G-A- Ron Balewski, 1989 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (former shareware) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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One of my all-time favorite DOS games. I had never played the ancient game of Mah Jongg before when I discovered this game, but it was so easy to use that I was able to figure it out without reading the instructions, and now it's the only DOS version I play. It looks great, it tells you when you're out of moves, and it's easy and intuitive to use. After each "official" release, a number of revisions were released with the same version number. Differences are listed in fixes.doc. Version 3.1 / Serial No. 5524 fixes a bug that existed in v3.0 and 3.1 that caused a divide by zero error on CPUs faster than 50 MHz, and also includes Mah Jongg for Windows v1.0.
Author Ron Balewski has generously released this game as freeware. Mah Jongg '97, a Win32 version, is still sold for $20 on CD-ROM or registered download.
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| Mah Jongg LapTop Ron Balewski, 1989 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (former shareware) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A monochrome version of Mah Jongg -V-G-A-, this game does an admirable job of bringing Mah Jongg to monochrome and LCD screens. The tiles for the winds, flowers, seasons and all three dragons are easily identifiable, and the game has most of the features of the VGA version. The game doesn't automatically tell you when you're out of moves, which is a complaint I have about many Mah Jongg games. There is also no timer, but the game is well worth playing if you can only display one color. Mah Jongg LapTop v1.1 Freeware (64k) Author Ron Balewski has generously released this game as freeware. Mah Jongg '97, a Win32 version, is still sold for $20 on CD-ROM or registered download.
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| MicroMan Brian L. Goble, 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Freeware (always) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MicroMan was created as a playable demo to promote Brian Goble's Windows Animation Package. It features a variety of mechanical enemies, three weapon upgrades, a super jump ability and a shield, moving platforms, platforms that fade in and out of existence, transporters, a mirror room where MicroMan is mirrored vertically and horizontally, and a total of 14 rooms and two bottomless pits. The free demo led to the creation of an entire game, The Adventures of MicroMan. Although designed to show off the abilities of WAP, the game is quite challenging and even includes a Cheat Mode to help players complete the game.
This game was originally released under a freeware license.
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| Paul's Classroom Math Paul T. Dawson, 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | No screenshot yet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A straightforward math quiz where you answer as many addition, subtraction, multiplication and division questions as you can within the time limit. Designed for the classroom, none of the bells and whistles of Paul T. Dawson's other games are present in this game. It's no frills and silent!
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 10 of Paul T. Dawson's educational games for $35.
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| Salad Scribble Paul T. Dawson, 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Freeware (always) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A straightforward paint program for Windows 3.1 that can do a few things that Paintbrush can't. Designed with fun in mind, there is a color randomizer, and lots of options for drawing shapes, typing text with any installed font, creating inverse images, and just generally messing around at an amateur level. Salad Scribble is free for non-commercial use, and can load and save BMP images.
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 10 of Paul T. Dawson's educational games for $35.
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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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| Slam! Robert Epps, 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: 10 | Win16 Freeware (former shareware) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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After all these years, Slam! is still the best air hockey game I've ever played. The puck moves smoothly, the speed is intense, and the sound effects are perfect. This game just looks, sounds and feels like air hockey. The computer's skill can be adjusted to make the game challenging for any player. Even the colors can be customized. The game is first to 11 points, which is one of the few settings that can't be adjusted. Fun for all ages. Slam! v1.0 Freeware (44k) Author Robert Epps generously released this game as freeware on 5 February 2008.
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| Telengard Daniel Lawrence, 1985 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (former commercial) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Daniel Lawrence's dungeon crawl game for mainframe computers, DND, was so popular that university students were using up all the system resources playing it. Under increasing pressure from system administrators, Lawrence bought a Commodore PET 2001 and decided to port the game for use on microcomputers. Unfortunately, the maps wouldn't fit in memory any more, so he reduced the number of dungeons from three to one, and instead of a map, he had the game generate the map algorithmically. This allowed him to create a 200×200 grid with 50 levels – that's two million "rooms" – from a small piece of code at runtime. The game was ported to many different computers and published by Avalon Hill. While DND was text-based, the PC version of Telengard featured CGA graphics. As in DND, you can pick up magical items, fight monsters, cast magic, and find treasure. Hit points and skill at casting magic increase as you gain experience points and level up. Whereas DND is turn-based, Telengard is played in real time, which means that monsters can attack you even when you're not moving. Telengard v5.04 (53k) Play online Author Daniel Lawrence has generously released this game as freeware.
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| Turbo Doug Ross, 1987 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Freeware (always) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A simple CGA racing game that takes place on a road that has only one lane per direction of traffic. Generally speaking, you should try to drive on your own side of the road, and only enter the oncoming lane to pass. There are two gears and no brakes (though you can slow down by releasing the gas or shifting down to first gear). There's not much else to it, but it has the novelty of being one of the first racing games for the PC.
I have been unable to locate the author online, but there is a mailing address in the game. The game indicates that you can send the author $5 as a sign of gratitude, and to get a free copy of a game he was working on at the time. The implication is that the game is freeware.
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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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| Wolfie's Music Games Paul T. Dawson, 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Self described as being "90% game and 10% music", Wolfie's Music Games is a collection of 10 games that teaches the notes of the scale and the relationship between sharps and flats. Sonic Googolpede, for instance, is the same snake game as regular Googolpede, except that you're given a note on either the bass or treble clef and you have to eat the correct note. Raindrops is like Googolvaders, but you have to fire the correct note to destroy the invaders. An unadvertised feature is that if you leave the game sitting on the menu screen, a fancy EGA screensaver starts up.
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 10 of Paul T. Dawson's educational games for $35.
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