Currently hosting 47 Win16 games!
| The Adventures of MicroMan 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: 10 | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Platform | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Brian L. Goble | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Brian L. Goble | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alien Force 1990 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Freeware (always) | Shooter | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Robert Epps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Robert Epps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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)
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ballistic 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (full version) | Paddle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Glenn Nissen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Glenn Nissen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bang! Bang! 1990 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (full version) | Simulation | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by David B. Lutton II | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by David B. Lutton II | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
A very simple ballistics game that was one of the first popular games for Windows 3.0. Playing against a human opponent or the computer, two cannons take turns selecting an angle and velocity and firing a cannonball at each other. The flags indicate which way the wind is blowing, and the wind speed is listed at the bottom of the screen. The wind and terrain are selected at random each round. The impact from cannonballs alters the terrain. Despite the game being so small and so simple, it appeared on so many shareware disks and CD-ROMs that almost everyone has played it, so it simply has to be considered a classic. Mentioned as a possibility in the documentation of v1.00, Lutton developed Bang! Bang! 2.0 which had a modem-to-modem multiplayer capability and gave it to a friend to post on BBSes, but he believes that it was never uploaded. Bang! Bang! v1.00 Shareware (35k) David B. Lutton II still accepts shareware registration of this game.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Castle of the Winds 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: 10 | Win16 Freeware (former shareware) | RPG | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by SaadaSoft | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Epic MegaGames | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Castle of the Winds is a cult classic RPG for Windows. At the beginning of the game, you have ability points that you can distribute between three characteristics, and you can choose your hero's gender. The storyline is linear and the gameplay and inventory system are cunningly simple. In contrast to the cities, the dungeons are almost monochrome, and the graphics throughout the game are minimalist. It may not look like much, but something about it makes it surprisingly fun. There are two volumes in this game, with only the first volume playable in the shareware version. Part 1: A Question of Vengeance Castle of the Winds v1.1A Registered Version (679k) Author Rick Saada has generously released this game as freeware.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cheezi 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Freeware (always) | Traditional | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Paul T. Dawson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Paul T. Dawson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Cheezi is based on the ancient game of Pachisi, but it's basically played on a Parchisi board using the simplified rules of Trouble. The game is played on the familiar 72 square cross-shaped board from Parchisi, but without the 12 safe squares, and only one die is used. Each player has four pawns that begin in the "nest", and can only be entered onto the board if the player rolls a 6. The player can elect to move a piece that is already on the board or enter a new pawn, and then rolls again. Players can choose to pass on any roll if playing the roll might leave their pawn in a vulnerable position. Only one pawn can occupy each square. If a pawn lands on an enemy pawn, the captured pawn returns to the nest. The object of the game is get all four pawns around the board and into the safety zone, at which point they can bear off with an exact roll only. Options include allowing pawns to enter the board on any roll, and playing until all players finish or only until one player wins. The computer players can be customized by choosing how they evaluate nine situations, such as how high a priority they place on chasing or evading enemy pawns, and how willing they are to move in front of enemy pawns.
This game was originally released under a freeware license.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cipher for Windows 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Puzzle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Arcanum Computing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Arcanum Computing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Cipher for Windows is a cryptogram game. A quotation is encrypted by switching all instances of each letter to another letter. These look hard, but I have learned to really enjoy them. The most frequent letter in any phrase is often the letter E, and single letter words must be A or I. Two letter words often end with T, and by looking for three letter words that start with the same letter that could be "the", and four letter words that begin and end with the same letter that could be "that", you slowly fill the other words with letters until you can guess what the words might be. Cipher fills in every instance of a letter when you guess what it is, can show you every other instance of that letter in the phrase, and can offer hints like giving a list of letter frequency, remove your incorrect guesses, or tell you the correct answer for whatever letter you want to know. Scoring is based on things like completion time and incorrect guesses. There are 200 quotes in this game, with only the first 32 playable in the shareware version. Complete version history:
Arcanum Computing still sells the registered version of this game for $15 on floppy disk only.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Combine 'Em 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (full version) | Puzzle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Ron Balewski | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Ron Balewski | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Combine 'Em is a puzzle game where the object is to reduce a group of blocks to a single block by pushing them into each other, or destroying them with bombs. The blocks are called Combiners, and each one has a letter value between A and L. Combiners of the same letter can be combined. Each combiner also has a number value which indicates how many blocks are inside of the combiner. The rules are different in each level, and determine how far a piece slides when pushed, and how many blocks each Combiner can hold. If an A2 is combined with an A2, it will turn into an A4 if the limit is high enough, otherwise it will upgrade into a B1. Completely filled Bs become Cs, Cs become Ds, and so on. This is important because only combiners of the same letter can be combined. While moving Combiners and bombs, one must avoid or destroy Stoppers, of which there are two varieties. Regular Stoppers prevent pieces from being pushed, but can be destroyed by bombs, while Bomb-Proof Stoppers are indestructible. The level grid can be up to 50×50 in size, and custom levels can be designed. The game has very nice music. The game is fully unlocked, but a newer version, v2.0, is available only as a registered version. It adds new types of squares and bombs, teleporters, direction changers, one way gates, bomb-proof Combiners, and a built-in puzzle designer.
Ron Balewski still sells the registered version of this game for $20 on floppy disk or download.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dare to Dream 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | RPG | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Epic MegaGames | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Epic MegaGames | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dare to Dream is a point-and-click adventure that takes place inside the mind of a troubled ten year-old boy. Tyler Norris lost his father eight months ago, and his dreams have been haunted by someone named Christian. His concerned mother has taken him to a psychiatrist, and that's where the story begins. You must explore the world inside Tyler's mind, examining objects and solving puzzles to rescue Tyler from his own dreams. Dare to Dream features imaginative characters and locations, and the experience is enhanced by very nice musical scores throughout the game. There are 3 parts in this game, with only the first part playable in the shareware version. Part 1: In a Darkened Room Dare to Dream Shareware Episode (743k) I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed at www.epicclassics.com.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Descartes Enigma 1998 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Puzzle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Descartes Enigma is a nonogram or "paint by numbers" game, familiar to gamers as Picross (picture crossword). The game is named after René Descartes, who developed the Cartesian coordinate system, which the graphs in nonograms somewhat resemble. For each row and column you're told how many squares in a row should be colored in, in the order that the groups appear. A row that has the hint "4 5 2" indicates that there is a group of 4, followed by a group of 5, followed by a group of 2, though it doesn't tell you where the groups are. Using the information from both the columns and rows, you can gradually deduce where the colored blocks would have to be, or not be, and you fill in the picture by left-clicking to color a square in, or right cicking to indicate the square is blank. There are 200 pictures and over 49 000 computer-generated puzzles in this game, with only 35 pictures and 10 computer-generated puzzles in the shareware version. Complete version history:
Everett Kaser Software still sells v2.0, a Win32 version of this game, for $19.95 by download or CD-ROM.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dinner With Moriarty 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Puzzle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Also known as Sherlock II: Dinner With Moriarty, this game is the sequel to the popular game of deduction inspired by Sherlock Holmes. This time a group of people are sitting around a table, and one of them has had their food poisoned. To complete the puzzle you must determine who is seated at each chair, what color their plate is, what they're having to drink, and what food they are eating, based on a set of clues provided to the right of the table. At the most basic level, the game is very easy – much easier than Sherlock. However, the game concept scales very well. At higher difficulty levels, more people sit at the table, things can be set at the corners of the table, and you can have to figure out what hat everyone is wearing and what (presumably) their favorite number is. It's extremely easy to jump right into playing the game because hovering the mouse over the hints triggers a pop-up explanation of what the hint is telling you. The hints can tell you that two things are at the same place, between two other things, directly across from something, or above/below or to the left/right of something. 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. Version 2.0 converted the game to Win32-only. There are 65 536 puzzles in each of the six difficulty levels of this game, with only the first 25 from each difficultly level playable in the shareware version.
Everett Kaser Software still sells v2.0, a Win32 version of this game, for $19.95 by download or CD-ROM.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Floyd's Bumpershoot 1999 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Puzzle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Floyd's Bumpershoot is a puzzle game where the goal is to deduce where bumpers are on a pool table. You hit a ball across the table vertically or horizontally and see where the ball comes out. The ball may hit three kinds of barriers. Flippers deflect the ball at a 90 degree angle, and flip so that the deflect the ball in the opposite direction each time. Deflectors bounce the ball straight back, and holes swallow the ball completely. Seeing where the ball comes after shooting multiple times from different directions eventually allows the player to deduce where the barriers are. It's really quite a clever concept, but starts at a difficulty level which should be playable for most people. There are 65 536 puzzles for each of three table sizes, plus custom sizes, with only the first 12 puzzles for each table type playable in the shareware version. Complete version history
Everett Kaser Software still sells v2.0, a Win32 version of this game, for $19.95 by download or CD-ROM.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Football 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (full version) | Sports | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by TSoft | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by TSoft | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Googolpede for Windows 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (full version) | Educational | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Paul T. Dawson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Paul T. Dawson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Honeycomb Hotel 1999 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Puzzle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
At first glance, Honeycomb Hotel is the third game in the Sherlock series. Instead of a square, Honeycomb Hotel uses a hexagonal playing area composed of hexagons, and the player must use the provided clues to deduce what season, flower, fort, vegetable, animal, letter or insect goes in each space. The twist is that the bee has walked across each hexagon in the honeycomb, and you also have to figure out the path it took. Hints will tell you where a picture is relative to other pictures – with or without telling you if there is a path or a wall between them – or what path passes through that space. Since each space must have an entry point and an exit point, you can draw four walls around each space to indicate what path the bee didn't take, and this can be used to deduce what path it did take. The dual challenges don't necessarily make the game more difficult, since knowing the path can also help you deduce what goes in each space, but it does seem to make the game more fun. Another ingenious new feature is the "what if" mode, which allows you to try out what would happen if you made an assumption the contents of a space or the path taken through the honeycomb, which can then be discarded without making any changes to the board, for those who need some help visualizing the outcome of an assumption in their head. The board can look a bit intimidating to a first time player, but reduce the board to the smallest size and the game is incredibly easy, and you can quickly work your way up to the largest size. There are 65 536 puzzles in each of three of board sizes in this game, with only 24 from each size playable in the shareware version. Complete version history:
Everett Kaser Software still sells v2.0, a Win32 version of this game, for $19.95 by download or CD-ROM.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hugo's Horrific Adventure 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: 7 | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Adventure | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Gray Design Associates | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Gray Design Associates | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Hugo Trilogy was re-released as for Windows 3.1 under slightly different names. The graphics are identical, but there are new sounds effects, and the music is much nicer. You still have the option of controlling Hugo by using the arrow keys and typing commands, but you can also use the mouse to click on where you want Hugo to go, and you can left-click to look at objects or right-click to take or use them. The "infinite score" bug from Hugo's House of Horrors is fixed in the Windows remake. Overall, the game retains all of the charm of the original, but makes it a bit easier to navigate, and the music and sound are a bit easier on the ears. There are three episodes in this game, with only the first episode playable in the shareware version. Hugo's Horrific Adventure Hugo's Horrific Adventure v1.5 Shareware (683k) Gray Design Associates still sells the DOS and Windows versions of the Hugo Trilogy collectively for $10 by download only.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana Jones and his Desktop Adventures 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Adventure | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by LucasArts Entertainment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by LucasArts Entertainment | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
A cute little Indiana Jones adventure game for Windows 3.1. Set in mid-1930s Middle America, Indy is exploring a temple complex known as Site R when Nazis show up to steal the precious artifacts for some nefarious purpose. Indy can move around in real time, exploring from one connected map screen to the next, and collecting items to help him solve puzzles. He can use weapons to fight people and vicious animals, and he can push or pull objects to reveal hidden items or get across barriers. The game is designed to be beaten in 30 to 60 minutes and is different every time. The one constant is that Marcus Brody explains your mission at the beginning of each game and gives you the first item you need to get started. Replay value is high, and the combat difficulty can be adjusted to make the game fun for children and experienced gamers alike. The preview demo isn't limited in any way, except that the game can only be played one way, out of billions of possibilities. Indiana Jones and his Desktop Adventures Preview Version (1072k) LucasArts no longer sells this game. It can be ordered from Amazon: Indiana Jones and his Desktop Adventures.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jigsaws Galore 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Puzzle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Gray Design Associates | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Gray Design Associates | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This puzzle game is literally a puzzle game. The game allows you to put together a jigsaw puzzle, and you can select the difficulty level which determines how many pieces the puzzle is broken into. You can have the computer sort the pieces for you, and you can place pieces in a separate tray so that you can work on different parts of the puzzle separately. Version 1.0 was an internal release only. Version 3.0 converted the game to Win32 and increased the color depth from 256 color to true color. There are 10 jigsaw puzzles in this game, with 130 more on the Gold Edition CD-ROM. Complete version history:
Gray Design Associates still sells Version 6, a Win32 version of this game, for $25 by download or $39 on CD-ROM.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Knarly Works 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Puzzle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Knarly Works is a plumbing game where your goal is to create a closed circuit of pipes. There is only one solution to each puzzle, and you must fill in the grid by placing the hints for each row and column into the correct place. Knowing that the pipes must create a closed circuit, you can eliminate possibilities and deduce where each pipe must go. When there isn't enough information to reduce the options to only one, you can figure out what each option has in common and what segments of the grid must or must not have pipe. At smaller sizes, the puzzles can usually be solved quickly. At least for me, at larger sizes, the need to monotonously go through cell in the grid and figure out what each option has in common becomes so burdensome that the game stops being fun. Fortunately there are thousands of puzzles in each size, so there should be enough puzzles to last a lifetime for even a novice player. There are 65 536 puzzles in each of 5 sizes in this game, with only 10 puzzles in each size playabe in the shareware version. Complete version history:
Everett Kaser Software still sells v2.0, a Win32 version of this game, for $19.95 by download or CD-ROM.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kye 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Freeware (former shareware) | Puzzle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Colin Garbutt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Colin Garbutt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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:
Author Colin Garbutt generously released this game as freeware on 18 February 2008. He still asks that a donation be made to a childrens' charity.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Lost Mind of Dr. Brain 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Educational | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Sierra On-Line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Sierra On-Line | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The third in the popular Dr. Brain series of educational games from Sierra. While performing an experiment to give his intelligence to a lab rat, Dr. Brain transfers his mind to the rat and leaves himself a vegetable! The player must reconstruct Dr. Brain's mind by completing puzzles in nine regions of the brain, and getting 100% in each puzzle. There are three difficulty levels in each puzzle, which are worth 5, 10 and 15%, respectively. File sorting is a memory game in which Dr. Brain asks you to place items in filing cabinets and remember where they are, even after the cabinets are re-arranged in the harder difficulty levels. The Music Region requires you to reconstruct a piece of classical music from a group of bars which are in the wrong order, and may also be vertically or horizontally flipped. Motor Programming is a simple programming language like Logo, which requires you to break a problem into smaller tasks and write subroutines to collect pieces of Dr. Brain's mind. The game is filled with beautiful animation, voice, and humor. There are 9 regions of Dr. Brain's mind, with only 3 playable in the shareware version. The Lost Mind of Dr. Brain Shareware Demo (48 750k) Sierra no longer sells this game. It can be ordered from Amazon: The Lost Mind of Dr. Brain.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mah Jongg for Windows 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (full version) | Traditional | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Ron Balewski | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Ron Balewski | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
A Windows port of Mah Jongg -V-G-A-. Very little is different from the DOS version, except that the sounds seem a bit nicer, and the menu on the right side of the screen has been replaced with a Windows menu bar. The game is fully unlocked, but a newer version, v3.1, is available only as a registered version. It suppports a new 1024×768 resolution with 256/true color tile format and includes both of the tilesets from Mah Jongg -8514-, adds WAV sound effects, and can magnify old 640×480 tilesets to 1024×768.
Ron Balewski still sells the registered version of this game for $20 on floppy disk or download.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MESH: Falling Hero 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Puzzle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The third game in the MESH series, Falling Hero changes everything. The levels have gravity, which creates a need for a lot of new objects like springs. There are a bunch of new enemies, and the enemies introduce new gameplay elements, like climbing the web left by a spider. The hero can't jump for the first 10 levels because of shackles on his feet. Once removed, the hero can jump (another new twist) unless he traps himself in shackles again during the course of the level. The game is still turn-based rather than real time, so it's not a platform game in the arcade/action sense. Some levels are extremely hard, and most require hundreds of moves to complete. There are 102 levels in this game, with only 15 playable in the shareware version.
Everett Kaser Software still sells v3.0, a Win32 version of this game, for $19.95 by download or CD-ROM.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MESH: Hero Defiant 1998 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Puzzle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The sequel to MESH: Hero's Heart, Hero Defiant adds a number of block types and a challenging new set of levels. Hero Defiant is a pure puzzle game that looks a bit like an adventure game. The hero must collect all of the hearts in a level by solving the puzzle. The game is turn-based rather than real time, which means that when you move and cause an action, you can't move again until the reaction is finished. You can move the hero with the keyboard, or by clicking on where you want him to go with your mouse. There are over 100 levels in this game, with only the first 10 playable in the shareware version.
Everett Kaser Software still sells v3.0, a Win32 version of this game, for $19.95 by download or CD-ROM.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MESH: Hero's Hearts 1998 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Puzzle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Windows version of Hero's Heart increases the color depth from 16 to 256, you can now play as either a male or female hero (thus the name change to "Hero's Hearts"), and there are hint notes to teach you how to play. Hero's Hearts is a pure puzzle game that looks a bit like an adventure game. The hero must collect all of the hearts in a level by solving the puzzle. The game is turn-based rather than real time, which means that when you move and cause an action, you can't move again until the reaction is finished. If you cause a boulder to fall or an arrow to fire, you can't move out of the way to avoid it! You can cause boulders to fall, balloons to rise, and arrows to fire in any direction. There are hazards such as fire and water, Worms that head directly towards you with each step you take, and Creepers that simply move in circles around any barriers they find. Some hearts can't be collected until they have been changed from blue to red by a Creeper. Some puzzles involve figuring out how to use a raft or push a ball, you can use earth to fill up some water or put out a fire, or you can use a fire extinguisher. You can move the hero with the keyboard, or by clicking on where you want him to go with your mouse. Walking or pushing something over ice will slide it all the way to the other side in one turn. There are over 1000 levels in this game, with only the first 15 playable in the shareware version.
Everett Kaser Software still sells v3.0, a Win32 version of this game, for $19.95 by download or CD-ROM.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MicroMan 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: 10 | Win16 Freeware (always) | Platform | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Brian L. Goble | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Brian L. Goble | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moraff's Morejongg for Windows 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by MoraffWare | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MoraffWare | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Moraff's Morejongg ported to Windows 3.1, using a traditional tileset instead of being based on monsters from Moraff's World. Pairs of pieces can be removed if they are "free" along the edge of a layer, and no piece is even partially on top of them. The registered version features more layouts, voices, and 16 million color tilesets.
I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed on Moraff's website.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moraff's Radiation 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Puzzle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by MoraffWare | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MoraffWare | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Moraff's Radiation is a highly customizable version of Minesweeper. The game can be played with a number of grid sizes and bomb densities, and features a lot of sound effects and backgrounds. There are two differences in gameplay from Minesweeper: time bonuses are located randomly throughout the minefield which put a few seconds back on your clock, and hitting a mine doesn't end your game. The high score is the one with the fewest explosions, or the fastest completion without setting off any bombs. The registered version features more difficulty levels, voices, and 16 million color backgrounds.
MoraffWare still sells v3.51, a Win32 version of this game, for $10 by download only.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moraff's Spherejongg 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by MoraffWare | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MoraffWare | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
A traditional Mahjongg Tiles game, using spheres instead of tiles. Pairs of marbles can be removed if they are "free" along the edge of a layer, and no marble is even partially on top of them. Only the medium difficulty level is avaiable in the shareware version. The registered version features more difficulty levels, voices, and 16 million color backgrounds, rings and spheres.
I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed on Moraff's website.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moraff's Ultra Blast 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Paddle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by MoraffWare | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MoraffWare | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
A ball and paddle game with three gameplay modes: Traditional, Falling Walls, and Special Effects. All three modes can be played by one player or two players. The paddles can be controlled by keyboard or mouse. Traditional and Falling Walls are the same as in Moraff's Blast and Super Blast. The real story is Special Effects. Instead of scoring points, your goal is to complete each level by destroying all of the non-permanent bricks. There are bricks that split the ball into four balls, destroy balls, bricks that the ball can only pass through while going up or down, bricks that create new bricks, bricks that move when hit, among others. The graphics are significantly different from the other Blast games, some of which seem ugly. The major new addition to the game is that the paddle can now move anywhere on the screen, making it much easier to keep the ball inside hard to reach areas. There are five versions of Special Effects which seem to have some relationship to their difficulty. Registered users receive Moraff's Ultra Blast II, which has at least 100 new screens. Moraff's Ultra Blast v3.0 Shareware (538k) I have found no ordering information for this game, and it is not listed on Moraff's website.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP Backgammon 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Cane Garden Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MVP Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
MVP Backgammon is a Windows version of the classic board game. Players take turns rolling the dice and moving their pieces around the board in a race to the finish. Pieces can't be hit when there are two or more on one point, and must roll their back onto the board when hit. Backgammon is a game of deep strategy and tactics. A good player must decide whether to immediately advance his back pieces, known as runners, or whether to try to trap his opponent's runners. If a player believes he is going to win, but by no more than a gammon, he can offer to double the stakes of the game, and the opponent loses instantly if he refuses. The graphics and gameplay are quite nice, though it would be nice if the points were numbered to make the math a bit easier when analyzing moves. There are three difficulty levels in the registered version.
MVP Software still sells v2.0.4, a Win32 version of the game, for $29.99 by CD-ROM or download.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP Bridge for Windows 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Cascoly Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MVP Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Windows version of MVP Bridge. Play with a computer partner and opponents, or play with other humans over a network or the internet. Each player gets 13 cards and plays one card per hand. In the bidding stage, players take turns declaring how many tricks they can win if the trump suit were, for instance, hearts, or without a trump suit. The next player can outbid a bid of the same number of tricks by choosing a more valuable trump suit. The trump suits, in order of value, are clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, and no trump. That means that a bid of "2 hearts" can be outbid by a bid of "2 spades". When no player is willing to outbid the highest bid, that forms the contract and the partnership tries to win the number of tricks in the contract, while their opponents try to prevent them.
MVP Software still sells v3.7, a Win32 version of the game, for $39.95 by CD-ROM or download.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP Cribbage 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Craig W. Kellogg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MVP Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
MVP Cribbage is a Windows version of the classic card game. Pick a computer opponent, or play with other humans over a network or the internet. Each player gets 6 cards and must discard 2 into the dealer's crib. A cut of the deck selects a "starter" card, and the dealer gets 2 points if it's a Jack. Players then take turns playing cards, and they score points for causing the total to reach 15 or 31, or for playing a pair or set of 3 or 4, or for creating a run of 3 or more, even if it's not in order (i.e. 3, 5, 4 is a non-sequential run of 3). Once the value of the hand reaches 31, or neither player can play, the count returns to 0 and a new hand starts and play continues until all cards have been played. After play ends, both players score points by combining their hand with the starter for every combination of 15, pairs or sets of 3 or 4, runs, or flushes. The dealer also gets to combine the crib with the starter to score a second set of points, so the non-dealer has to be careful what he puts in the dealer's crib. The non-dealer becomes the dealer, and play continues this way until one player reaches a score of 121. The players keep track of the score by moving pegs around a board. Version 2.2 comes with a Win32 installer on MVP's website now, but the game is still Win16 once installed. There are 3 beginner and 3 intermediate computer players to play with or against, with 3 experts added to the Deluxe version.
MVP Software still sells the registered version of this game for $9.95 by CD-ROM or download.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP Euchre 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Craig W. Kellogg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MVP Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
MVP Euchre is a Windows version of the classic card game. Pick a computer partner and computer opponents, or play with other humans over a network or the internet. Only the cards from Ace down to 9 (or 8 or 7, depending on the rules chosen) are used. Each player gets 5 cards and plays one card per hand. There is no bidding in this version of Euchre; your goal is always to win at least 3 of the 5 tricks. In every round the players must choose a trump suit, at which point the Jack of that suit, followed by the the other Jack of the same color, become the high cards of the trump suit. After the first card is played in each hand, all other players must play a card from the same suit if they can. The highest card of the suit being played, or the highest trump card, wins the trick. If you have a good hand, you can elect to play alone, and your partner sits out. You get 1 point if you and your partner win 3 or 4 tricks, and 2 points if you get a "march" of 5 tricks. A march is worth 4 points if you play alone. If the dealer and his partner win 3 or more tricks, you have been "euchred" and they score 2 points. Version 1.3 comes with a Win32 installer on MVP's website now, but the game is still Win16 once installed. There are 3 beginner and 3 intermediate computer players to play with or against, with 3 experts added to the Deluxe version.
MVP Software still sells the registered version of this game for $9.95 by CD-ROM or download.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP Hearts 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Craig W. Kellogg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MVP Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
MVP Hearts is a Windows version of the classic card game. Pick three computer opponents, or play with other humans over a network or the internet. Each player gets 13 cards and plays one card per hand. The goal is to not win hearts or the Queen of Spades. After the first card is played in each hand, all other players must play a card from the same suit if they can. No one can lead with a heart until hearts have been "broken", meaning that a heart or the queen of spades was played by a player who had no cards of the suit being played. The highest card of the suit being played wins the trick, and a player gets 1 point for each heart, and 13 points for the Queen of Spades, that he wins with the trick. If a player wins all of the hearts and the Queen of Spades, he "shoots the moon" and 26 points are awarded to all of his opponents. The player with the lowest score when someone has over 100 points at the end of a round is the winner. Version 2.2 comes with a Win32 installer, but the game is still Win16 once installed. There are 3 beginner and 3 intermediate computer players to play with or against, with three 3 experts added to the Deluxe version.
MVP Software still sells the registered version of this game for $9.95 by CD-ROM or download.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP Spades 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Craig W. Kellogg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MVP Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
MVP Spades is a Windows version of the classic card game. Pick a computer partner and computer opponents, or play with other humans over a network or the internet. Each player gets 13 cards and plays one card per hand. At the beginning of each round, players bid how many tricks they intend to win during the game, which is added to their partner's bid and forms the contract for that round. After the first card is played in each hand, all other players must play a card from the same suit if they can. Like Hearts, no one can lead with a spade until spades have been "broken", meaning that a spade was played by a player who had no cards of the suit being played. In this game, spades are trump cards. The highest card of the suit being played, or the highest trump card, wins the trick. If the partnership meets or exceeds the number of tricks in the contract, they get 10 points for each trick, but only 1 point for each trick higher than the contract, so bidding too low can be costly. If you bid too high and don't fulfill the contract, you lose points, so the ability to predict how many tricks you can win is the key to bidding. The Spades equivalent of "shooting the moon" is bidding 0, in which case both partners swap three cards, unless the partner also wishes to bid 0. Successfully winning 0 tricks is worth 100 points (or 200 points if both partners are successful), and players incur a penalty of 100 if unsuccessful. Version 1.5 comes with a Win32 installer on MVP's website now, but the game is still Win16 once installed. There are 3 beginner and 3 intermediate computer players to play with or against, with 3 experts added to the Deluxe version.
MVP Software still sells the registered version of this game for $9.95 by CD-ROM or download.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP Word Search for Windows 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Puzzle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Craig W. Kellogg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MVP Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
MVP Word Search is a word search with some pretty challenging puzzles. Circling words is as easy as selecting the first letter and dragging a circle to the end of the word. The built-in MIDI music could be better, but you can choose your own music in the registered Deluxe version. MVP's website claims that the latest version requires Windows 98, but the game is still a Win16 application and comes with a Win16 installer. Originally there were 100 word lists in the registered version, but this was doubled by v2.1. There are 200 word lists in this game, with only the first 10 playable in the shareware version.
MVP Software still sells the registered version of this game for $4.95 by download only.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rings of the Magi for Windows 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Puzzle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by David Bollinger (Cytherean Adventures) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by MVP Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Following v1.1 for DOS, Rings of the Magi for Windows v1.2 was released. Rings of the Magi is a puzzle game in which colored rings are placed on a board and can be moved with arrows. You have to move them such that rings match up and eliminate each other, completely clearing the board. Levels are broken into four difficulty levels and can be very challenging. It is one of the most popular shareware games of all time. Unlike his other games, the copyright is attributed to David Bollinger instead of his company, Cytherean Adventures, and there is no splash screen for Cytherean. There are 100 levels in this game, with only 12 playable in the shareware version.
MVP Software still sells v2.0b, a Win32 version of this game with six levels of difficulty and 300 levels, for $19.95 on CD-ROM.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salad Scribble 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Freeware (always) | Educational | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Paul T. Dawson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Paul T. Dawson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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.
This game was originally released under a freeware license.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sherlock for Windows 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Puzzle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Windows version of Sherlock increased the color depth from 16 to 256, and hovering the mouse over the hints triggers a pop-up explanation, which was replaced with a less intrusive dedicated explanation area in v4.0. Sherlock is a game of logic 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. 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. In the first 65 536 puzzles, you will always be told what a few of the squares are, while the second 65 536 will never complete any of the squares for you unless you increase the handicap. There are 131 072 puzzles in this game, with only 100 playable in the shareware version.
Everett Kaser Software still sells v5.0, a Win32 version of this game, for $19.95 by download or CD-ROM.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SinkSub 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Shooter | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Anders Wihlborg (Wihlborg Entertainment) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Anders Wihlborg (Wihlborg Entertainment) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
SinkSub is a very simple game where you take control of a Swedish naval vessel and try to hit submarines with sinkbombs, while they try to hit you with floatbombs. It's just that simple! Originally distributed independently by Anders Wihlborg, it remained a part of their catalog after Wihlborg Entertainment came along. Only the first 8 levels are playable in the shareware version. SinkSub v1.1 Shareware (341k) Wihlborg Entertainment still sells SinkSub Pro v2.03, a Win32 version of this game, for $19.95 by download only.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SkiFree 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Freeware (always) | Sports | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Chris Pirih | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Chris Pirih, Microsoft | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slam! 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: 10 | Win16 Freeware (former shareware) | Simulation | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Robert Epps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Robert Epps | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Solitile for Windows 1997 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Everett Kaser Software | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Everett Kaser's mahjongg tiles game updated for Windows 3.1. The default layout isn't the one most people will be familiar with, and the default tileset uses English letters and numbers instead of Chinese symbols. The color depth increased to 256 colors at resolutions up to 1024×768. There are 131 072 puzzles for each of over 400 layouts in this game, with only 10 puzzles for each of 4 layouts playable in the shareware version.
Everett Kaser Software still sells v5.1, a Win32 version of this game, for $19.95 by download or CD-ROM.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Empire II Deluxe 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Strategy | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Viable Software Alternatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Viable Software Alternatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The World Empire series moved to Windows in the second game of the series. It's a game of global domination, like Risk, except that there are no cards to award bonus armies. Each player represents an ideology – Populist, Militarist, Socialist or Realist. The world is divided into 139 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. Armies are awarded at the beginning of each turn based on the number of nations held, plus bonus armies for holding an entire continent. World Empire II adds an "all nations conquered" option, in addition to the "all nations neutral" starting position of the original. Populations and national capitals are now listed for each country. Starting with v1.5, the game became "Deluxe" because it adds a real world simulation mode to the registered version, in which population and development are taken into account. Version 1.5 also adds an option to have all sides start with 30 armies instead of 56, and to check the status of all countries on the continent. The shareware version can be played by one to four players, with up to two computer players (one in v1.0). The registered version can be played against up to seven computer opponents, and adds three new ideologies.
Viable Software Alternatives still sells World Empire V Deluxe, a Win32 version of the game, for $18 by download or CD-ROM.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Empire III 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Strategy | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Viable Software Alternatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Viable Software Alternatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The third game in the popular world domination series, World Empire III improves on World Empire II by adding a lot of new images and graphics, more attractive maps, and MIDI music, some of which is pretty catchy. It's also possible to see how many armies are in each nation on the map screen during gameplay, instead of having to check the Status screen. Otherwise the game is the same, except that you can no longer play against two computer opponents in the shareware version, and the "expert" option that starts players with 30 armies instead of 56 is now reserved for the registered version. The world is still divided into 139 nations, each of which supports one of the players' ideologies. Version numbers continue from where they left off in World Empire II, starting with v2.0 in World Empire III. 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 seven computer opponents, and adds four new ideologies.
Viable Software Alternatives still sells World Empire V Deluxe, a Win32 version of the game, for $18 by download or CD-ROM.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Empire IV 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| User rating: No rating | Win16 Shareware (partial game) | Strategy | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Developed by Viable Software Alternatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by Viable Software Alternatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screenshot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The fourth game in the popular world domination series, World Empire IV improves on World Empire III by adding online play. It's also possible to see how many armies are in each nation by hovering the mouse pointer over a nation, and there are buttons for both regular and blitz (continuous) attacks instead of having to toggle between attack modes. Player images have been replaced with photographs. The world is still divided into 139 nations, each of which supports one of the players' ideologies. Version numbers continue from where they left off in World Empire III, starting with v3.01 in World Empire IV. 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 seven computer opponents, and adds four new ideologies.
Viable Software Alternatives still sells World Empire V Deluxe, a Win32 version of the game, for $18 by download or CD-ROM.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
