Developed by Blizzard North and first published by Blizzard Entertainment in 1997, Diablo is a classic point-and-click action/RPG that features quests, monsters, real-time combat, magic, and dungeon-delving, in a way that is meant to appeal to those who prefer a more immediate style of gameplay, than the more ‘hardcore’, turn-based style of many RPGs. And – as a result – Diablo was a smash hit, and spawned a series that still (infamously) persists to this day.
Tag Archives: isometric
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, PC
Developed by Troika Games and published by Sierra On-Line in 2001, Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura is a rich and complex RPG with isometric 2D graphics, set in a fantasy world undergoing an industrial revolution. The game mixes magic and technology in a Victorian-styled “Steampunk” setting; is completely open-ended, and features lots of different races (humans, orcs, gnomes, elves, dwarves), with complicated – even racist – societal themes developing as you discover the world and interact with its many characters.
Continue reading Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, PC
Xanadu Next, PC
Xanadu Next was developed by Falcom and published for Windows PCs in Japan in 2005. It is a continuation of the Dragon Slayer series and a spin-off from Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II. The game remained untranslated into English until a worldwide release by XSEED Games in 2016. And I have to say: it’s a wonderful game, and is arguably the pinnacle of the long-running franchise.
The Movie Monster Game, Commodore 64
Developed and published by Epyx in 1986, The Movie Monster Game is a love letter to classic monster movies of the mid 20th Century. In it you play as a gigantic creature, laying waste to various cities around the world.
The Hobbit, Game Boy Advance
The Game Boy Advance version of The Hobbit was developed by Saffire, Inc. and first released by Sierra Entertainment in 2003. This game is based on Tolkien‘s famous book, and not the Peter Jackson films (the first Hobbit film was released in 2012, and this game actually came out the same year as The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King).
All Or Nothing, ZX Spectrum
Written by Paul W. Reynolds (the same guy who wrote the classic Krakatoa) and published by Abbex Electronics in 1984, All Or Nothing is an isometric action game where you parachute into an enemy camp on a mission to find and steal their secret plans.
Zaxxon, Atari 5200
The Atari 5200 version of Sega‘s classic arcade game, Zaxxon, was programmed by Ronald J. Fortier and first released in 1984.
Zaxxon, SG-1000
Zaxxon was arguably Sega‘s flagship game during the early 1980s so it was ported to most home computers and consoles. The Japan-only SG-1000 version first came out in 1985 and is a reasonable conversion of the classic isometric shooter.
Paperboy 2, ZX Spectrum
Developed by Probe Software and published by Mindscape in 1992, the ZX Spectrum version of Paperboy 2 is not quite as bad as the terrible Amstrad version, which was written by the same two people (David Perry and Nick Bruty). That said: it’s not that much better either…
Paperboy 2, Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC version of Paperboy 2 was written by David Perry and Nick Bruty for Probe Software, and was published by Mindscape in 1992, and it is by far the worst version of Paperboy 2 available.
The King of Grabs 