Mach 3 (1987), a classic shooter released by Loriciel Electronics, was very popular during its time and is known for its fast-paced gameplay. Slay all the enemies, avoid the mines, and travel between distinct worlds to kill the evil mastermind. The action is very smooth, and overall it's a very polished CGA game that manages to overcome many hardware limitations. Mach3 remains a nostalgic favorite among retro gaming enthusiasts.
Prince of Persia (1990) is a famous and influential cinematic 2D platformer. The plot revolves around said Prince, who has been imprisoned by the evil Grand Vizier Jaffar. He has one hour to escape the dungeon and rescue the Sultan's daughter who has been placed under a curse by Jaffar and given a choice to marry him or die. The felicitous character animations, considered cutting edge at the time, were based on videos of the game designer's brother performing stunts as well as action sequences from classic films. Jordan Mechner used a technique called “rotoscoping” to get life-like ultra-fluid animations for the prince. You can learn more about the process from this Forbes article.
Xenon 2: Megablast (1990) is a SHMUP (Shoot 'm up) masterpiece. Piloting the "Megablaster" ship, your mission is to survive five levels, blasting hundreds of aliens in the process. Xenon 2 introduces significant innovations to the genre; the graphics are superb throughout. Definitely one of the best-looking and most fun SHMUP in PC gaming history, and a must-have for every shooter fan. For invulnerability press F7 in the graphics selection and "I" during game :)
Gorillas (1991), also known under the source code's file name GORILLA.BAS, came free with the first version of Microsoft's QBASIC program. With allusions to King Kong, it consists of two gorillas above a city skyline, throwing explosive bananas at each other. Players can adjust the angle and velocity of each throw as well as the gravitational pull of the planet. "Gorillas" is a good example of a small, but well-coded BASIC game with which you can spend more minutes than you realize. Simple gameplay and primitive graphics probably won't make the game addictive for anyone, but it's certainly a lot of fun while it lasts.
Tank Wars 3.0 (1992) is the mother of all turn-based artillery games, where you control tanks and engage in battles against other players or computer-controlled opponents. The game is set on a 2D grid, and players take turns adjusting the angle and power of their tank's shot to try and hit the enemy. The terrain is destructible, and the goal is to eliminate opponents by accurately targeting and firing projectiles. Highly addictive!
Jazz Jackrabbit (1994) is a high-speed 2D action platformer and PC world's answer to Sonic the Hedgehog. Jazz, the hero of the rabbit planet Carrotus, must rescue the beloved rabbit princess Eva Earlong and defeat Devan Shell, leader of the turtle terrorists. The game is characterized by its fast, action-packed gameplay and its colorful, cartoon-like graphics. Here is also a link to Archive's PC Collection (Redump) with 21 different ZIPs, including Jazz Jackrabbit 2!
Hocus Pocus (1994) is a charming 2D platformer, featuring 360 degree scrolling and parallaxing backgrounds. In the game, the player controls Hocus, a young wizard apprentice, sent on a quest by Terexin, leader of the Council of Wizards to prove his worthiness to join this council. To do this, Hocus has to beat 36 levels spread over four episodes (9 per episode), filled with over 30 different kinds of monsters, includings imps, ghosts, dragons, and a boss at the end of each episode.
Earthworm Jim (1994) is a funny, action packed 2D platformer, that became popular for its humorous and offbeat style, quirky characters, and imaginative level design. It follows the adventures of a simple earthworm who gains superpowers after a high-tech space suit falls from the skies, granting him increased strength and intelligence. Earthworm Jim remains fondly remembered by fans as a classic and unique video game.
Mach 3 (1987), a classic shooter released by Loriciel Electronics, was very popular during its time and is known for its fast-paced gameplay. Slay all the enemies, avoid the mines, and travel between distinct worlds to kill the evil mastermind. The action is very smooth, and overall it's a very polished CGA game that manages to overcome many hardware limitations. Mach3 remains a nostalgic favorite among retro gaming enthusiasts.
Prince of Persia (1990) is a famous and influential cinematic 2D platformer. The plot revolves around said Prince, who has been imprisoned by the evil Grand Vizier Jaffar. He has one hour to escape the dungeon and rescue the Sultan's daughter who has been placed under a curse by Jaffar and given a choice to marry him or die. The felicitous character animations, considered cutting edge at the time, were based on videos of the game designer's brother performing stunts as well as action sequences from classic films. Jordan Mechner used a technique called “rotoscoping” to get life-like ultra-fluid animations for the prince. You can learn more about the process from this Forbes article.
Xenon 2: Megablast (1990) is a SHMUP (Shoot 'm up) masterpiece. Piloting the "Megablaster" ship, your mission is to survive five levels, blasting hundreds of aliens in the process. Xenon 2 introduces significant innovations to the genre; the graphics are superb throughout. Definitely one of the best-looking and most fun SHMUP in PC gaming history, and a must-have for every shooter fan. For invulnerability press F7 in the graphics selection and "I" during game :)
Gorillas (1991), also known under the source code's file name GORILLA.BAS, came free with the first version of Microsoft's QBASIC program. With allusions to King Kong, it consists of two gorillas above a city skyline, throwing explosive bananas at each other. Players can adjust the angle and velocity of each throw as well as the gravitational pull of the planet. "Gorillas" is a good example of a small, but well-coded BASIC game with which you can spend more minutes than you realize. Simple gameplay and primitive graphics probably won't make the game addictive for anyone, but it's certainly a lot of fun while it lasts.
Tank Wars 3.0 (1992) is the mother of all turn-based artillery games, where you control tanks and engage in battles against other players or computer-controlled opponents. The game is set on a 2D grid, and players take turns adjusting the angle and power of their tank's shot to try and hit the enemy. The terrain is destructible, and the goal is to eliminate opponents by accurately targeting and firing projectiles. Highly addictive!
Jazz Jackrabbit (1994) is a high-speed 2D action platformer and PC world's answer to Sonic the Hedgehog. Jazz, the hero of the rabbit planet Carrotus, must rescue the beloved rabbit princess Eva Earlong and defeat Devan Shell, leader of the turtle terrorists. The game is characterized by its fast, action-packed gameplay and its colorful, cartoon-like graphics. Here is also a link to Archive's PC Collection (Redump) with 21 different ZIPs, including Jazz Jackrabbit 2!
Hocus Pocus (1994) is a charming 2D platformer, featuring 360 degree scrolling and parallaxing backgrounds. In the game, the player controls Hocus, a young wizard apprentice, sent on a quest by Terexin, leader of the Council of Wizards to prove his worthiness to join this council. To do this, Hocus has to beat 36 levels spread over four episodes (9 per episode), filled with over 30 different kinds of monsters, includings imps, ghosts, dragons, and a boss at the end of each episode.
Earthworm Jim (1994) is a funny, action packed 2D platformer, that became popular for its humorous and offbeat style, quirky characters, and imaginative level design. It follows the adventures of a simple earthworm who gains superpowers after a high-tech space suit falls from the skies, granting him increased strength and intelligence. Earthworm Jim remains fondly remembered by fans as a classic and unique video game.