DOS Shooter / Platformer
Mach 3 (1987) is a classic arcade shooter released by Loriciel Electronics. The game 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.
StarGlider (1987) is a legendary wireframe 3D action shooter developed by Argonaut Software and Realtime Games. One of the first of its kind ever. Your goal on each level is to find Starglider one, a golden bird with animated wings, then destroy it. With revolutionary spaceflight dynamics and a long list of innovative features, StarGlider ranks as one of the most underrated space sims of all time.
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 :)
Scorched Earth (1991) 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. You can choose from a variety of weapons, each with its own characteristics, such as missiles, napalm and even a nuke. Highly addictive!
Gorillas (1991), also known under the source code's file name GORILLA.BAS, is a turn-based artillery game that 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.
Wolfenstein 3D (1992) is the popular DOS classic that started the FPS (First-Person Shooter) genre! This smoothly playable game is set during World War II in a 3D maze-like layout. Allied spy William "B.J." Blazkowicz tries to escape from the german prison Castle Wolfenstein and to carry out a series of crucial missions. He kills enemies with a knife and a variety of guns, collects ammo and treasures, and advances from humble beginnings to the final level, where he encounters the mighty Führer-bot. Here are manual and cheat codes!
DOOM (1993) was all the craze in the mid 90s. In this ultra-famous 3D FPS, you assume the role of a tough Space Marine on the Mars moon Phobos, fighting his way through hordes of invading demons from hell. Cheatcodes can be typed in during gameplay and the most useful ones are as follows: IDDQD sets health to 100% and makes player invincible (god mode), and IDKFA grants full armor (200%), all weapons, full ammo, and all the keys. Start the game in DOSBox with the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. You don't really need a manual for DOOM, but for the sake of nostalgia, here it is.
DOOM II (1994) is the really good sequel to the popular FPS DOOM, and this time the nightmare haunts the earth. Gameplay is similar to its predecessor, but it introduces several new enemies, such as the Revenant and the Arch-vile, as well as new weapons like the double-barreled shotgun and the super shotgun. It also includes a new set of levels designed to be more expansive and challenging. DOOM II is basically the first game on steroids. Just like with the original DOOM download, you start the game in DOSBox with the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Here is the manual.
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.
The Ultimate Doom (1995) is a full copy of the original DOOM with an additional fourth episode titled Thy Flesh Consumed, which offers nine more levels of demon-slaying, secrets and demanding challenges.
Star Wars: Dark Forces (1995) is a great FPS set in the Star Wars universe, following the character Kyle Katarn, a mercenary working for the Rebel Alliance. The story revolves around Katarn's mission to infiltrate and disrupt the Galactic Empire's operations, in particular to find out and stop the Empire’s "Dark Trooper Project". Notable for being one of the first Star Wars games to feature fluid, highly detailed first-person action, akin to popular titles of the time like DOOM, it is regarded as another true classic FPS. Here are manual and walkthrough!
Descent (1995) is an impressive FPS game known for its pioneering 360° fluid 3D motion, which allows you to move freely in any direction, including rotating and moving upside down. You control a spacecraft called the Pyro-GX, tasked with navigating through 30 levels of maze-like mines while battling enemy robots and drones. The download is very slow, use Free Download Manager to speed things up. Here you have the manual!
Descent II (1996) is the even greater sequel to Descent. Gameplay remains the same: you navigate a spaceship through vast underground mines, engaging in clashes with hostile robots and drones, while the six-axis-of-freedom scheme allows you to move and rotate in any 3D-space and -direction. As the download is a torrent, you have to employ qBittorrent. Here is the manual!
Alien Trilogy (1996) is a fast 3D FPS inspired by the Alien movies franchise. Play as Lt. Ripley and work your way through intricately designed sections based on each of the original Alien films, find weapons (including the iconic pulse rifle), collect useful items, activate doors, and shoot all adversaries you encounter. The game captures the feel of the movies very well. Dark, claustrophobic environments, dripping with suspense and the constant threat of Xenomorphs lurking around the corner. If you're a fan of the Alien universe and want a suspenseful atmosphere, it can be a thrilling and immersive experience. The 7Z-download is a ready-to-play DOSBox-X-installation to unpack with 7-Zip to a folder of your choice, no further fiddling required. For enhanced display quality and control, however, you may change "fullscreen" in the dosbox-x.conf file to false. Here are manual and the cheats!
FINAL DOOM's (1996) gameplay and cheats are similar to the original DOOM, but with new levels of challenging design and complex layout. Players battle hordes of demons and other monsters in two separate 32-level episodes titled "TNT: Evilution" and "The Plutonia Experiment." The download features a comfortable installer, so no further actions are required. A must for fans!
Duke Nukem 3D (1996): Murderous aliens have landed in futuristic Los Angeles, and humanity suddenly finds itself atop the endangered species list. The critically acclaimed followup to the hit Duke Nukem II raised the bar for FPS interactivity to new heights. Run, jump, crawl, swim, jetpack and shoot your way from Los Angeles to the moon and back in over 40 levels ranging from movie theaters, skyscrapers, space stations, to alien lairs and more. Duke Nukem 3D stands as a landmark in the genre, offering a thrilling experience for retro gamers. The installer contains a preconfigured DOSBox, you simply start it with a *.bat file. Here are the cheats!
Quake (1996) is an influential 3D open-world FPS, following in the footsteps of id Software's groundbreaking titles DOOM and Wolfenstein 3D. You take on the role of a lone marine tasked with defeating an array of monstrous creatures unleashed by an ancient entity known as Shub-Niggurath. Go through 26 levels (with the possibility of discovering 4 more hidden ones) and shoot at everything in sight. In each of these worlds, several secrets encourage the player not to rush his way out of the scenario, but to explore each sector to get several bonuses. And here are the cheats!