Based on a Steve Jackson board game called Car Wars, Autoduel is an early attempt by Origin Systems to create a Mad Max-type post apocalyptic, car-based RPG that borrows elements from Origin‘s own Ultima series, as well as from other games such as FTL‘s SunDog. It was first released in 1985.
Tag Archives: Cult Hit
The Sentinel, PC
Geoff Crammond‘s classic weird puzzle game, The Sentinel (also known as The Sentry in North America), was released by Firebird Software for PC MS-DOS in 1989.
Flashback, PC
Also known as “The Quest for Identity“, Flashback is a classic platform action game from Delphine Software International, set some time in the future, where you’re trying to piece together your memory after a recent trauma. The MS-DOS version was first published by US Gold in 1993.
Destruction Derby, PC
Destruction Derby is a ‘smash ’em up’ car racing game developed by Reflections and published by Psygnosis in 1995. In it you can drive three different cars and choose from four different play modes (Destruction Derby, Wreckin’ Racing, Stock Car Racing, and Time Trial).
Q*bert, ColecoVision
The 1983 Parker Bros. release of Gottleib‘s Q*bert was a reasonable success on the ColecoVision.
Miner 2049er, ColecoVision
The ColecoVision port of Bill Hogue‘s pioneering and influential Atari 8-Bit platform game, Miner 2049er, was programmed by Mike Livesay and published by Micro Fun in 1983. It is an excellent game, but it is arguably way too difficult for its own good.
Donkey Kong Jr., ColecoVision
The famous sequel to Nintendo‘s classic Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. sees the roles reversed in this cute platform game, in that this time it’s Mario (aka Jumpman, as he was known back then) who is the protagonist, and Donkey Kong who has been kidnapped and must be rescued. This time, by his son, Donkey Kong Junior.
Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax, Commodore 64
The sequel to 1987’s cult hit Barbarian, Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax is a similar fighting game, but with more variety than the first game, and the possibility of exploring the actual world by moving from screen to screen (“wow! What a technological advancement!“). Barbarian II was first released in 1988 by Palace Software. The game was later licensed by Epyx for distribution in North America under the title of “Axe of Rage“.
Continue reading Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax, Commodore 64
Barbarian, Commodore 64
Palace Software‘s Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior is a fondly-remembered and controversial one-on-one fighting game from 1987, where two gladiatorial combatants slug it out to the death in a variety of different locations. Actually, there are two different versions of this game, each with different backgrounds. The first version has a throne room and then a pit. The second version has a meadow and a clearing in a forest. I’m not sure why there are two versions of this game, but that definitely seems to be the case.
Midnight Resistance, ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum conversion of Data East‘s Midnight Resistance was created by Jim Bagley and Keith Tinman and was published by Ocean Software in 1990. It wouldn’t be unfair to say that it is probably the best run-and-gun shooter on the humble Speccy, and punches well above the machine’s weight.
The King of Grabs 