David Braben‘s Virus (aka Zarch) is a startling 3D shooter with unique landscape movement and ship controls. Jez San and Argonaut Software did the Atari ST and Amiga conversions of Virus in 1988, and they were published by Firebird.
Tag Archives: 3D graphics
Three-dimensional graphics, usually constructed of polygons. Not two-dimensional.
Dark Side, Atari ST
Dark Side is the second Freescape game from Major Developments and was published by Incentive Software (Microprose in the US).
Freescape was one of the earliest (if not THE earliest) 3D game engine and was used to make a series of significant games in the mid Eighties.
Formula One Grand Prix, Atari ST
Geoff Crammond‘s Formula One Grand Prix wowed gamers when it was first released back in 1992 – even moreso than its predecessor, Revs, did back in 1985.
Flames of Freedom, Atari ST
Flames of Freedom is the 1991 sequel to Midwinter – a sprawling, open-ended action/strategy game created by Maelstrom Games.
Starglider 2, Atari ST
Starglider 2 was met with pretty much universal acclaim when it was first released in 1988. And – as a 3D shooter – it broke new ground in a number of different areas.
Powerdrome, Atari ST
Michael Powell‘s Powerdrome is a futuristic 3D racing game that pre-dates WipEout. It was first published by Electronic Arts for the Atari ST in 1988.
Frontier: Elite II, Atari ST
While all the other space exploration and combat games on 16-bit home computers flail around in their own mucky diapers, Frontier: Elite II makes a mockery of everything else in its class by not only being a staggering piece of programming, but also a damn fine, playable game too.
Simulcra, Atari ST
Simulcra is a cool third-person 3D shooter set on a complex series of colourful courses. The game was developed by legendary coding team Graftgold and is one of their least well-known releases, but also one of their best.
Tempest, Arcade
Tempest, by Dave Theurer, is one of the first ever ‘tube shooters’. It was released by Atari in 1981.
You control a spider-like yellow craft that walks along the edge of a 3D playfield, often taking the form of a cylindrical tube. You shoot bullets down the tube at enemies that are rising upwards to get you. Thus the name ‘tube shooter’.
Battle Zone, Arcade
Atari‘s 1980 hit Battle Zone was one of the first ever video games to use 3D polygonal vector graphics to represent the playfield.
It’s a tank game, and you’re basically hunting down tanks, flying saucers, and other baddies. Shooting them before they can shoot you.
