Thursday, May 31, 2012

Abandonia Treasures #14...A Nightmare On Elm Street.


It's very possible that as a kid I was more scared of Freddy Kruger than of any other movie monster of that era.  It could be because he was burned beyond recognition, it could be the knife glove, or perhaps it was that he killed kids in their sleep.  Whatever the reason I was terrified of that guy.  I was very excited to see that there was a 1989 game made of the Elm Street series, but it falls kinda short in just about every way imaginable as a computer game.  I know I call this entry Abandonia "Treasures", and then I don't always like the game I'm talking about, but one man/woman's trash is another's treasure, so I'll stick to my guns on the title.  Besides, Abandonia as a site is a treasure in itself, so it goes to figure that anything they have available in their database is a treasure by default.  But why split hairs?  Let's get back to the game.  Graphics are kinda cool but not amazing, well short of this splash screen.  I found game play to be boring because it's just a maze game with a little combat, but not enough to make it worth playing for very long.  Sound in the DOS version is PC speaker, so it's lame, I'm sure the C64 version (I didn't play it) has better sound.  All in all this is a novelty game for fans of the horror genre, or the Elm Street saga.  Try it out, if you like it and find something I didn't in it, good on you, if you feel the same as I do about it, good on you too, it's not a competition people.

Nightmare on Elm Stret at Abandonia 

Game-a-day #30...The Secret of Bastow Manor.


I'm back to my old standby and favorite in many respects, yes, it's the old text adventure, now known as interactive fiction.  It's kind of like how Cape Canaveral became Cape Kennedy... Text adventure turned into interactive fiction, or Leningrad to Stalingrad, or Peking to Beijing... You get the picture.  Yes, back to the fact that I'm back on a text adventure kick, and it's because no matter how simple they are, I usually find them at least more fun than the last Game-a-day "Snoopy".  I shouldn't pick on Snoop, but I just couldn't get as in to it as I did this very simple game with graphics that will NOT impress anyone ever, unless they were punch card carrying programmers back in 1960.  I know the graphics aren't that bad, but I'm being dramatic for the blog.  To be honest the graphics are quite impressive because they are ASCII graphics, that means that only text is used to render all the pictures in this game.  Whoever went to the trouble of making this put some effort into that $%^& is all I'm saying.  As you can see from the picture above I died last time I played, and it's not because I wasn't cheating because I was.  And you can cheat too, because below is the walkthrough that will take you all the way to the end provided you do not decide you should strike out on your own and try to go it alone.  Bad idea kid, I did that and you see where it got me...Dead, with flowers to boot. Seeing as I didn't yet do the entire walkthrough (I don't have time to solve the game on my own), I still don't actually know what the story behind the manor or the Bastow is or what that secret is.  Seems like the secret is what the game is about.  Whatever, it's still cool to play, and you'll find out if you go with the walkthrough as I've recommended.  The parser is primitive, it's like trying to communicate with a box of hammers, but you'll get the hang of the limited vocabulary, and there's that walkthrough I keep talking about.   Play it for fun, for the ASCII graphics, for the mystery whatever it is, but do give it a shot, it's better than "Snoopy".

The Secret of Bastow Manor on Gamebase64

The walkthrough (you probably need it)

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Abandonia Treasures #13...Batman-The Caped Crusader.


A cool game with good graphics that's kinda low commitment.  That is the sentence I choose to describe "Batman".  It's fun, it's easy to figure out, it's Batman.  How can you not like a Batman game, he's the best that DC Comics has.  I mean Marvel has all the coolest super heroes for sure, and now that "The Avengers" has rocked the charts it's going to be hard for DC to compete in the popular culture wars but for one thing... They have Batman, and for some reason no matter what Batman is awesome.  This game, it wouldn't be anywhere near as cool if I was some other hero. So, You play Batman and you can choose from two missions or quests or whatever you want to call them.  I call them missions because quest is like for gnomes and hobbits and stuff. The two missions involve the two most famous villains in the Batman mythos,  Joker and Penguin. There's no reason for me to go into too much detail about the game because you can get it and all it's documentation on Abandonia.  It's a side scroller, it's got items to find and use, you have to stop the villains, it's Batman.  It's a fun game once you get into it, at first I didn't like the comic book style of presenting locations or rooms, but after a few minutes of play I actually got to like it.  For a game from 88 on a PC, it's got good graphics, they're vibrant and look good, and I especially like the way they drew the skulls and skeletons and stuff like that.  They made a C64 and Amiga versions of this game, but I didn't try them yet.  I'm sure they are just as cool if not cooler than the PC DOS version.  Something to remember is that this game was made before the iconic Tim Burton Batman movie defined Batman for a new generation of super hero fans, so in the game he's a little more old school grey and blue Batman, but this game still has a dark quality to it that kind of takes the "camp" out of the character.  If you even like Batman a little bit you should give this game a look.  Enjoy!

Batman - The Caped Crusader on Abandonia

Game-a-day #31...Snoopy.


I know I already did a Snoopy game on the Abandonia Treasures a week or so ago, but this game deserves a mention.  I'm not writing about this game because it's a good game, in fact it's kind of bad.  This had to be one of the slowest side scroll games I have ever played.  It's slow, but for a slow game it sure ends up being hard, and not a LOT of fun, although fun is a relative term and I hate to assume that my idea of fun is the same as another person's.  We're all individuals, and if "Snoopy" is the game for you, more power to to you bro, or sister, if you're a girl.  Look, different strokes for different folks, and some folks love them a slow ass side scroll that stars a popular beagle from the newspaper comics.  You know, now that I'm thinking about it, this game could be called anything, and star any character because it's just a progression of side scroll puzzles (that suck) and you just happen to have an "Avatar" (stupid but well done movie), that looks like Snoopy.  Don't feel bad if you like this game either, there's an entire population of people who think the Twilight saga is outstanding.  Like I said, it takes different strokes man.

P.S. One last note.  I love SID tunes, but this game plays "The Entertainer" over and over, till you just want it to end.  Good stuff.  Still try it though.

Snoopy on Gamebase64

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Abandonia Treasures #12...Magic Candle.


Dude!  Abandonia has once again proved that they ROCK, by turning me on to a game that looks to be as good as any in the Ultima series.  I know, bold words, but when you start playing a game and get that feeling, you know the feeling you get like you're there in the game, you know you have something awesome.  "Magic Candle" is that awesome type of game.  So it's a rip off of the Ultima games yeah, but they ripped off the best parts so who cares.  It's like if you took four of the best looking women in the world and combined the best parts of them to create a super woman.  "Magic Candle" is a super RPG game.  It was made at the end of the era of wonderful computer RPG and demonstrates the peak of the pure computer RPG.  Yes, they have made way more advanced games since, but for a purist, for the people out there like me who love the story, legend, and the feel of that other world that can't be generated by great graphics, this is a real treasure.  As the hero in the game you have to find a way to preserve the magic candle, because if it melts a demon named Dreax will be released and I'm going to say that's probably a bad thing.  There's a much more detailed review of the game itself on the Abandonia page.  I'm so excited to have discovered this gem, but I'm a little sad that my schedule won't allow me to actually sit down and play it for the countless hours I would like to spend on it.  If you have the time please play if for me.


Magic Candle at Abandonia

Game-a-day #32...One on One.


Finally I'm doing a sports game.  Okay, I did do "Skate or Die", and pro skating is a legitimate sport, but I'm doing one with balls this time...well, one ball.  I remember playing one on one or half court basketball for real especially in grade school. I was never any good as I'm not too much of a sportsman, but it was always a good time.  "One on One" let's you play a half court one on one game, but wait there's more... What if I told you that you get to pick either Larry Bird or Dr. J in this one on one game?  And then what if I told you the two of them are pitted against each other in mortal basketball combat?  Awesome right? And it is, but the game play is a touch on the boring side especially when you consider you're playing two basketball legends, I mean Dr. J invented above the rim ball. I still like playing this game regardless because it's all about my childhood and basketball and winning and all the good stuff.  The most hilarious part of this game is the fact that Larry Bird is like white white, he's the color of snow.  He was a pale guy, and there were only 16 colors available, so I guess it would be between pink, a kinda sick yellow or snow white.  I guess the regular white is better.  So they made a second version of this game that ousted Dr. J for a young vibrant star who had just come on the scene... Jordan.  That's the one I remember a little better, they called it "Jordan vs. Bird".  Today I kinda like to play Dr. J, just because it's even more retro-fantastic.  Sports fans, especially of the basketball variety should give this game a play for the nostalgia, but also for the many game options such as looser or winner's ball, timed or specific score wins the game, and computer vs man, or man vs. man, or even computer vs. computer (if you're the type who just likes to watch).  Get it play it... Just do it.

One on One on Gamebase64

Monday, May 28, 2012

Abandonia Treasures #11...Dracula in London.


"Dracula in London" is a multiplayer game.  Not on a network, not between computers, it's a board game without a board.  I'm sure it's a pretty good game if you don't play it by yourself like I did.  Some sort of manual would help a guy like me, because I tend to need some sort of explanation to understand the workings of games that aren't obvious.  This game seems to have a lot of cool stuff at your disposal like weapons and other stuff.  I like the simple DOS tunes that play now and again they remind me of that computerized board game Dark Tower .  The more I think about Dark Tower, the more I think this game might be inspired by that concept of a computer being melded with a board game.  Either way, I wish I knew someone who could show me how to play this game, because it's just not all that intuitive.  It follows the Dracula story well, keeping with the Bram Stoker novel characters and settings.  I'm talking the book now, not the 90's film that stars Winona Ryder.  I like vampire stories, well most of them, I hate that Twilight crap, but Dracula is THE original vampire.  Seems to me that the point of this game it to kill Dracula.  That was the point of the book, so there you go it's all about Bram.  I'd love to know if anyone gets a game of  "Dracula in London" going.  If you do post a comment about it, or better yet take pictures and send them to me.  I laugh a little when I think of like six people huddled around the CRT monitor playing "Dracula in London", a few gasses of wine, some beer... a DJ.

Dracula in London on Abandonia

Game-a-day #33...He-Man, The Ilearth Stone.


It's not a very "good" game, but it has it moments.  The real reason for including it in the Game-a-day is that it's another double 80's thing.  An 8-bit 80's game about a super 80's icon.  Like Thundercats, and all other cool cartoons of the 80's, He-Man was created to sell toys.  Actually, he started as a toy and the cartoon was made to sell more of him and his weird friends, like the skeleton with a six pack... No, wait, Skeletor was his enemy. For whatever reason, to sell toys, or whatever, He-Man became an icon of the 80's.  The toys and cartoon were called "He-Man, and the Masters of the Universe".  I don't know who the Masters were (They never explained that), but again 80's icon, so it doesn't matter.  I guess the people who made "The Ilearth Stone" also felt He-Man was so good even if the game sucked people would buy it.  It's not a good game as I said before. Clunky (my overused adjective to describe games that play...clunky), doesn't even get close to describing how bad the control of He-Man is.  It's ugly how joyless the the joystick can be in this game.  They might have made it a touch easier to control a super hero, or whatever He-Man is.  A couple of things I do like about the game are the authentic He-Man score playing in the background, and the graphics, that while not amazing are still cool looking.  That doesn't make up for the game play blunders however, and I can't see myself putting too much time into this game in the future.  It's more of a nostalgic novelty game to play when you just want to feel some 80's goodness in your veins, and you don't want to listen to Rio again.

He-Man, The Ilearth Stone on Gamebase64

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Abandonia Treasures #10...Space Rogue.


Dude, this game if for real man.  Another gem from the heyday of Origin Systems who brought us Ultima and Autoduel.  I had never heard about this game until I found it on Abandonia, so I haven't played it in an extensive, obsessive way...YET.  I can tell by my limited experience with this game that it's vast, open ended, and super awesome.  I also made a point to read what others have said about it, and I think the best endorsement is the review on Abandonia (link below), that gives it 5.0 out of 5.0... I mean that's like and A+ in scholastic terms, or a Bo Derek in the 70's.  Anyway, It's a space RPG with 3Dish combat.  It doesn't get a whole lot better in my book.  It's like they took the *SPOILER ALERT* space combat from the end of Ultima I (Yeah, it had some cool vintage space combat), beefed it up, and gave us the top down Ultima experience we all love as well.  The minute I have some time to play this game you can bet I'm going to explore it further.  You  be a pirate, a trader, a bounty hunter, and there's still a main quest to complete.  You got outfitting to do to your ship, supplies to buy... It's all you ever wanted in a space RPG, at least it's all I ever wanted... Well not all I ever wanted, but close.

Oh, and the walkthrough and all the other stuff you need to get going on your space adventures are on Abandonia, so go there.

Space Rogue at Abandonia.

Game-a-day #34...C'est La Vie.


In the beginning computer games were simple, and nobody laughed at them no matter how goofy they were because they were like magic.  It was amazing to be able to hook a device up to your TV and play games on it no matter how strange the games might be.  This was an age of discovery and creativity for the video/computer game.  Systems with more RAM, colors and processing power opened the imagination doors for programmers.  "C'est La Vie" is one of the early and creative attempts to do new and interesting things with games on the computer.  You play a regular Joe who goes around (like Pac-Man) collecting money.  You need to avoid thugs and a tax collector who take your money.  You take your money to the band and buy stocks at the various buildings in the game.  If you hit the walls you get hurt and need to go to the hospital, and that costs money.  So the object of the game is to make as much money as you can (greed is good).  An apt subject especially for the 80's, 1983 to be exact.  This game is smooth, kinda fun, and funny as hell. I think my favorite part about "C'est La Vie" is that it's like adult Pac-Man and has a level of sophistication... Well it's more complicated than Pac-Man anyhow.  I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I like Pac-Man a bit more, but all in all "C'est La Vie" is good and worth a play for a laugh, or as the kids say "The Lulz".  Well... Such is life.


Saturday, May 26, 2012

Abandonia Treasures #9...Mixed-Up Mother Goose.


This is a kids game, but I like it because let's face it, I'm just a large kid with a little grey in my beard.  So, "Mixed-Up Mother Goose", it's a romp through the land of rhymes, and the rhymes are missing stuff they need.  You must find out what the people are missing, find it and bring it to them.  It's a simple game, I mean it's for kids.  The thing I like best about this game is that I get to wander around the rhyme world and interact with the characters.  The controls are super fantastically simple.  No key to pick stuff up, just arrow keys to move about and the game will just auto pick up whatever you pass over. This game might be less sophisticated than the games kids play now, but if you have a cool kid it might work out to let them try this out.  I dunno, they might hate you for it... I wouldn't if I was your kid, but I was born in the 70's.

Game-a-day #35...Samantha Fox, Strip Poker.


This is as racy as the Game-a-day is probably ever going to get, and to be very honest with you it's not all that racy.  When you consider the sheer volume and variety of pornography available online today the C64 strip poker games are like Micky Mouse movies for three year old's.  For a twelve year old in 1986 strip poker games were pretty hot.  As a lad I remember the more ambitious kids (with faster computers) would get on the BBS circuit (and run up their parent's phone bills doing it), to download all the pirate software.  Then for a price, or just the price of a floppy, they would make you a copy of whatever they got that week.  Well Strip Poker was a desirable title for us tween boys in the 80's because it allowed us to explore the female form (granted it was a pixeleated  form) without having a magazine to hide under the mattress. Remember, it was the dark ages we didn't have smart phones, or laptops, or even the internet, so porn was about whoever had an older brother who stole Playboy.  We had to get the strip poker games from pirate sources because it's not like we could go to the places they sold them, and our parents sure wouldn't be willing to purchase a title like "Samantha Fox" for us.  I had this very game as a tween, and for all it's naked hype, it was still a good poker game.  I credit it with teaching me how to play poker... So I guess it was all kinds of sinful because it's gambling and nakedness all in one.  Samantha Fox was an English celebrity who started her career as a boob model, and then became a singer.  There is an American adult film star with the same name, this is not her.  Enjoy, but play late at night so your parents don't catch you, or today so your kids don't catch you.


Friday, May 25, 2012

Abandonia Treasures #8...Total Eclipse.


Last Sunday here in Los Angeles we had a partial eclipse.  86% of the sun was covered by the moon.  I saw it using two pieces of printer paper, one with a hole, one to project the image on.  That was a partial eclipse, this game is "Total Eclipse".  The eclipse part of the game involves the world ending if the eclipse happens and you haven't destroyed the temple of RA... I don't make up the stories, the game writer does.  So you have to destroy the temple and it's not easy at all.  You have a gun, some water, a watch and compass, everything you need for a good temple destroying.  The temple is a maze, and you have to find treasure and solve little puzzles that involve what to shoot your gun at (it's not a combat game) to open doors and find stuff.  The game plays like a first person shooter without the frantic pace, although the tension is high as a result of always hearing your heart beating, and being on a time limit.  The heart beating part involves you not wanting to die of heart failure (in the game), and so trying to keep your heart rate low.  Falling and running into mummies seems to make your heart rate go up, I guess to give the impression that you can die of fear.  The graphics are like a low tech version of the Dire Straights video (You know the one), and the DOS version via Dosbox plays quite well.  Looking at some reviews of the C64 version it seems the feeling about the game on that platform it that it's way slow.  I only tired the DOS version, and it's not slow.  I would read all the stuff about the game on abandonia.com and download the manual there as well before you start to play, cause it's not an easy game.  They also have links to the C64, and Amiga versions, so you can pick your poison.

Total Eclipse at Abandonia

Game-a-day #36...School Daze.


It's the plethora of original games like "School Daze" that make the C64 a retro-discovery zone even today.  The creativity in games of this type is just fantastic.  It's a little sad that computer games today, while amazing, often do not reach the levels of originality and innovation (short of graphics and sound) that made so many of the older games so wonderful.  "School Daze" is a good one.  It could be called a sim game I guess, it's got aspects of more modern sim type games, but it's classified as an Arcade game, I suppose because it's game play is arcade style.  "School Daze" is actually much more complicated than it looks and rather than re-invent the wheel, I'll just direct you to the wikipedia article I found about it so if you're interested you can investigate the game in more detail.  To summarize, you're a bad kid who needs to steal his report card.  You need to avoid getting in trouble and interact with various teachers and other students while you play.  If you read about it on wikipedia, you will find that it was created by and actual teacher.  Anyhow, check it out, read about it, and there were some sequels to it if you want to go further into the realm of school sim games.

School Daze on Gamebase64 
School Daze on Wikipedia

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Abandonia Treasures #7... Charlie Chaplin


I'm a huge silent film fan, I mean I actually watch silent films quite a bit, and Charlie Chaplin was the king of the silent era.  So, when I was puttering around on Abandonia.com and found a vintage game called "Charlie Chaplin"  I got excited.  It' is a cool game, at least it's super original.  I don't think I'v played anything quite like it, and I've played a LOT of weird and wonderful games over the years.  Anyhow, "Charlie Chaplin" is a game about making your own Chaplin movies and trying to make them good enough to make money off of them.  It's an early film studio simulator I guess.  You look over the scenes in the script, sign the contract, shoot the scenes (you control Charlie), edit (VERY limited, you choose the speed of the scene), then it's on to screen the movie and see if the audience likes it.  I did one entire movie and the audience hated it, so I made no money.  I'm not sure what to do to make a good movie.  When you shoot you have control of Charlie and there are a couple of other characters that you can knock down or they will knock you down.  I'm yet to understand that part of the game, I'm sure there is a formula.  Then in the edit you just pick a speed for the scene... Again, not sure how this helps or hurts.  You have to watch the entire film after to see how it's received, and that's a tad on the slow side, but all in all the game seems to be fun.  It's in B&W graphics so it goes with the era, and the graphics are acceptable and even humorous.  I think fans of the silent film will like this game just cause it's about Chaplin, but  you other potential players out there should give it a shot just because it's weird.

Charlie Chaplin on Abandonia

Arcade Compare #1...Altered Beast.


Kids have it so good these days in the video game department and they don't even know how good they have it.  When I was a kid the best games were in the arcade.  Unless you were a millionaire or the child of an arcade owner, you either had to spend all your money at the arcade, or hope that a version of your favorite game in the arcade would come out for your computer or console system.  So, six times out of ten if you had a current piece of game technology they would have your game, however, it was never the same as the arcade version.  For this reason I am starting  the "Arcade Compare" entry in the blog, where once a week I will compare an arcade game to it's computer or console version.  This week it's gonna be one of my very favorites "Altered Beast".  The left image is the arcade version and the right is the C64 version.  Graphic wise there's really no comparison.  "Altered Beast" is a late 80's arcade game built on 16 bit hardware, so it's clear that the 8 bit C64 can't compete.  So game play is better on the C64, right?  Wrong, game play on the C64 is clunky as hell.  The C64 joystick's lack of more than one button kinda kills the feel since the arcade version has multiple buttons for kick, jump and punch.  However, for a port of such an advanced game I have to hand it to the C64, she does a good job with what she got.  As a kid in the 80's I didn't balk at the low grade ports of arcade games like "Altered Beast", I was just happy I could play it at home and would overlook the short comings.  It's just how it was back then, you never expected to get a game that was as good as the arcade, that's why you went to the arcade.  The exception to that rule began with N.E.S. and when Sega Genesis came out, the tides began to turn.  But I still remember a day when I would play the ported versions of games on my C64, Atari 2600, or Colecovision, and be grateful for it .  And I would walk to school in the snow uphill both ways and eat dirt for lunch too.  You kids have is so good.

Game-a-day #37...Tales of the Arabian Nights.


I haven't featured enough action / arcade games.  I get hung up on the RPG and Adventure types because they're my favorite, but I neglect the most popular genre... action.  "Tales of the Arabian Nights" is all action, it's very challenging yet fun to play.  The thing I like about it most is that it follows a story line (Arabian Nights), and is presented in 8 levels, each one different, hard and cool.  Between levels you get a little more of the story told to you... Yes, they TELL the story via speech synth, so of course I'm all impressed.  Even the credits when the game starts are speech synth.  You can't understand them all that well, but this is a game from 1984 so any speech is awesome.  I like the game play, although like many early C64 action games it's a little clunky. For example on the first level (night), you have to get the jugs or urns or whatever they are in order to spell ARABIAN, but the jumping and ladder climing are a little slow and picky leading to a lot of you dying.  It's not all that bad, and you will get the hang of it after a while so it's well worth the few minutes it will take to get your sea legs.  The graphics are nothing to write home about, but they do the job.  So get in on the adventure of Arabian Nights.  It's a retro treat you don't want to pass up.

Tales of the Arabian Nights on Gamebase64   

Monday, May 21, 2012

Abandonia Treasures #6...Wasteland


Long before the very popular post nuclear holocaust game Fallout was a twinkle in it's creators eye, there was a post nuclear holocaust RPG game called "Wasteland".  RPG is hands down my favorite game genre.  I think my love of RPG stems from the fact that most of them, even if they lack fancy graphics, sound, and music, have detailed story lines, items, and sophisticated puzzle solving.  "Wasteland" has all this and unlike so many other RPG games takes place on Earth after an atomic war has destroyed most of it.  Did I mention I love post-apocalypse stuff?  Cause I do.  "Wasteland" plays like any good classic RPG, but it's just so cool that it takes place after the bomb.  It's like getting to play a long Twilight Zone episode or something. I wish I could just take a month off and play this game, but I have work to do... If you have time to play it you should, then go on to the amazing games in the Fallout series, but never forget games like this that started it all.  This game was also available for the Commodore, but NOT the C64, you could only get it on the 128, I  remember, because I was super bummed out that I couldn't run it on my system as a kid.  Anyhow, if you check out the Abandonia page they have both versions and the manual... Sweet.

Wasteland on Abandonia

Game-a-day #38...Imagination.


I know, I know, another text adventure with graphics, but I swear this one is the weirdest yet.  "Imagination" is a spoof / tribute to the computer adventue game genre in general.  This game is particularly disjointed, I mean I'm all for variety, but this verges on chaos.  I guess it would be cool if it made a little more sense, or was tied together a little better, but then it wouldn't be the original adventure odyssey that makes it as charming as it is.   "Imagination" may be off beat, but It has good puzzles to solve, and game play feels smooth.  Interaction with the game is pretty advanced, and even humorous. One thing I particularly like is that the graphics frequently change to match what's going on.  I guess I would call "Imagination" an ART game for lack of a better term.  I'm not sure the game's creator said to himself  "I'm gonna make an avant-guard game that will live in infamy forever!", but it does manage to give me the feeling of being at a conceptual art exhibit. Ok that's a little over the top as far as a description, maybe it's more like an indy film.  You can choose what type of art you think it resembles for yourself if you go ahead and play it.


Thursday, May 17, 2012

Abandonia Treasures #5...Snoopy and Peanuts.


I'm a huge fan of Peanuts by Schultz. I mean who doesn't love Snoopy and the gang?  If you answered "Me", then whats wrong with you man, a bunch of cute kids and a dog and a tiny bird are nothing you should hate on, you might need therapy...  Anyhow, "Snoopy and Peanuts" is playable Peanuts, so it's good just because it's that, but in addition the graphics are awesome, and game play is good too.  The one thing about this game that can get a touch on the nerves is the speed that Snoopy (who you play) moves, but in the end I got over it, and got very into the puzzle solving involved.  You need to find objects and give them to the correct kids, and there's a bunch of cool stuff to pick up and check out in the process.  Again, it's good to have Dosbox if you want to play this one (Abandonia.com has all the info), and make sure to play it in full color (because that's how it looks the best).  So go on, join the Peanuts gang for a little while, impress the little red head girl, spend some time with Linus, say hi to Lucy... You're a good gamer Charlie Brown.

Game-a-day #39...Barbie.


I'm going to guess the idea of this goofy game was to get little girls interested in computer games.  Of course in the 80's the only way the corporate establishment figured this would work would be to make a girly game. Barbie is what all the girly girls likes, so that's what they made. "Barbie" is more than a touch sexist, and just well... goofy.  You get a call from Ken asking if you would like to go on a date and to the game's credit you hear real synth speech, and that's always cool.  Ken asks you on different dates... dinner, the pool, tennis... The prom I think, then you drive down the very small street, dress and accessorize yourself.  Want blue hair?  They got that.  Want to wear heels and a bikini?  You can.  It's weird and not something I'd want a female kid of mine playing if for no other reason than it's just an exorcise in consumerism.  Ah well, it's a novelty piece at best misogynistic at worst, but still deserves a place in our electronic heritage, and it's Barbie, a toy legend.  So look it over if you want a laugh... She looks ok for an 8-bit chick eh?


Abandonia Treasures #4... Questprobe Featuring The Hulk



I saw "The Avengers" last weekend and it was a cool movie that featured The Hulk, so when I found this game in the archives of abandonia.com you can imagine how excited I was to find our ever popular Hulk in CGA splendor.  The Questprobe game series from Load N Go were quite good... yes they were simple, but a lot of cool graphics and sweet story lines along with classic Marvel super heroes is win win in my book.  There were three games in the Questprobe series... Hulk, Spider-Man, and Human Tourch / The Thing.  Like I said, you can't go wrong with Marvel heroes and considering Hulk was made in 84, it's hard to find too much fault with this game.  It's text adventure with graphics, and I'm always a sucker for that.  The CGA graphics on the DOS version are not as vibrant as the C64 version (Yes, they made a C64 version too!), but I don't care either way because the story and play are so good.  I'm not going to lie, this game is a little on the hard side, but don't fret my friends at abandonia.com  have you covered with a walkthrough on the same page as the game (they'er good like that).  So if you just saw "The Avengers" and you just can't get enough Hulk, You love Marvel Comics, or you just like a good text adventure with graphics, it's not hard to see that "Questprobe Hulk" is for you.  Smash!!!

Questprobe, Featuring The Hulk at Abandonia (here you will find the walkthrough)

Questprobe, Featuring The Hulk (C64) at Gamebase64

Game-a-day #40...Smurfen.


As a hardcore child of the 80's I'm a Smurf fan.  No, not the new movie that made no sense and set the Smurfs in New York (why God, why?).  I'm talking the real La la la, la la la, Peyo Smurfs.  Smurfs were popular in the 80's, so they spawned several video/computer games over the years.  "Smurfen" is a rip off of the earliest Smurf game "Smurf: Rescue in Gargamel's Castle".  I had that official title for Colecovision (my first computer was an ADAM), so when I came across "Smurfen", I was already familiar with how to play.  It's a side scroll adventure that's not all that incredible, but it's the Smurfs so you play it for that. "Smurfen" does have one VERY redeeming difference from the official game, and that's the Michael Jackson's Billie Jean SID (Chiptune) soundtrack.  The music makes this game.  It makes it an 80's classic X2, and that's classic.  Play if for the Smurfs, play if for the music, just play it.

Smurfen on Gamebase64

Abandonia Treasures #3....Manhunter - New York


I'm so excited, thanks to Abandonia.com I found a game I always wanted to play when I was a kid but never got the chance to due to not having the latest computer in 1988.  I remember seeing a demo of "Manhunter - New York" at Software Etc.  in the Santa Monica Mall in 88, and thinking that I hadn't seen graphics that good ever.  The demo also displayed some gore (eyes popping out of a corpse), that my 14 year old self thought was so cool.  Anyhow, I still had a C64, and no prospect of getting anything newer, so all I could do was check out the demo and wish I was rich and could afford a new computer.  Manhunter was made by Sierra, who were on the cutting edge of graphics and game play at the time.   Twenty four years later (today), I'm again browsing Abandonia, and see a familiar image from my childhood.  Until today I had been trying to remember what that game I saw in the Software Etc. demo had been, but I couldn't remember.  It was Manhunter, and I have finally played it.  The game takes place in the future (2002), weird aliens that look like eyeballs have taken over, and you're a lucky human who has been picked to hunt humans for the weird aliens.  It's an adventure puzzle game with a little action.  There's a lot more to it, so if you're interested (and you should be)... go on down to Abandonia.com  where they have the game and all the info you need to play it.

Manhunter - New York at Abandonia

Game-a-day #41...Down the Chimney.


Christmas in May!  Christmas all year round!  "Down The Chimney" puts you in the Santa seat for like 30 seconds.  This is perhaps the shortest game of all time, when you complete it, that's it it's over.  There are two skill levels fast and slow, all you can do is play fast after slow or slow after fast.  You are Santa, and you have to navigate down a sort of twisty chimney without hitting the sides.  Yes, that is all, and yes, only two levels of play.  So, no, it's not a crazy good or even a good game, but it has a lot of heart, and it is Christmas (in the game).  I find this game hilarious on so many levels that I played it like forty times already.  My very favorite parts are the short intro where Santa jumps into the chimney, and the end (if you finish) where a totally tiny Santa exits the fireplace and goes over to the awesome 8 bit tree.  If you play this game make sure to play both levels, "Slow" is painfully slow, and "Fast" is painfully slow.  According to the Gambase 64 this game was created by The Compucats. No further explanation is offered about this enigmatic group The Compucats, so I'm left to wonder and imagine who they might have been... Are they still around?  Will they make a new Chimney game?  Let me know if you know, and play this game because it's funny.

Down the Chimney on Gamebase64 

Abandonia Treasures #2...The Alpine Encounter.


It's not the most advanced game, it's CGA graphics are less than stunning, the game play is clunky and even awkward.  I still like "The Alpine Encounter".  It's so very retro-fabulous that you just want to play it to feel the vintage goodness in your veins (at least I do).  It's a text adventure with graphics that may not be all that fantastic, but for sure get the job done.  As many of you may already know from my past postings, I love me some text adventure with graphics and "The Alpine Encounter" is that on a cracker.  Okay, so the command list available to you is VERY limited, and the unforgiving nature of this game ends in your death (in the game, not real life) over and over, but that's what I want in a game from 1985.  I know I mentioned the graphics aren't amazing, but the image you see above is what hooked me as I perused the adventure titles on abandonia.com.
You need Dosbox to play it because it's so freaking old, not as old as me, but for a computer game it's on the old side.  Try it, love it, feel the vintage love.

The Alpine Encounter on Abandonia

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Game-a-day #42...Archon.


Do you like chess?  Do you like simple 8 bit combat?  Did you always want to combine the two?  If you said yes to any of my questions or better yet all three you're going to like "Archon".  "Archon" is an old game from the dawn of the C64 (1983) but it holds up just fine.  It's a chess like strategy game with a twist.  When you capture / kill your opponents piece, you have to do real time arcade style combat.  The thing is some pieces are better to fight with than others so if you go up against your foe with a weak piece he can easily turn the tide by killing your piece.  I talked about "Archon" on one of our Yorecast podcasts, and said then that if I found it I would add it to the Game-a-day, so here it is in all it's glory. I must say it's a great deal more advanced than I remember, and the animation of the pieces is awesome especially for 1983.  It's easy to just jump into this game and start playing, so go on...What are you waiting for?

Archon on Abandonia.com

Archon on Gamebase64.com

Abandonia Treasures #1...A.C.E.


"Deeds Of Yore" has a new partnership with Abandonia.com, a fantastic place to get games you can't find anyplace else because, well they have been abandoned.  I really believe in the mission of this website that has been around since 1999, and preserves and protects our electronic heritage for FREE.  Anyhow, I started looking over the collection of games that they have, and it's no surprise that I found some of my very favorites.  A.C.E is one of these.  I already mentioned A.C.E in my Game-a-day countdown, but I think the old DOS version deserves a mention and play as well.  It's super fun to get to play the same game on different platforms, because as a kid I only had one computer at a time.  Today I can have every 80's computer in one (emulated that is).  This is a dream come true for me, and I'm sure a few others out there.  The DOS version of A.C.E. doesn't enjoy the vibrant color of the C64 (most games of that era on DOS don't), however game play is very nice, and graphics are sharp if a little limited.  For this game and others like it you will probably need a DOS emulator like Dosbox, unless you have a DOS system sitting around, but our friends at Abandonia make all that stuff a breeze with extensive help via their FAQ.  So check out A.C.E. for DOS and take your retro game experience to new places... or old places.

A.C.E. on Abandonia.com 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Game-a-day #43...ThunderCats.


Oh yeah... All of you kids my age (Late 30's) remember the ThunderCats!  If you don't, where were you in the 80's?  Okay, so if you don't know the Thundercats were a group of cat people from a doomed planet who go to another planet to start over and only a few of them make it.  The series, like all good cartoons of the 80's was designed to sell toys...and a video game.  The C64 game is a side scroll type with fair graphics and it's hard as hell.  You play Lion-O, and you have a sword and need to run and kill and jump.  Because the C64 joystick has only one button, you push up for jump, and that works just fine in most games, but it falls a little short in this one because of the hyper pace of game play.  I like the Thundercats as a franchise, but I'm not sold on this game as games go.  I can't tell you that I don't like it because I didn't get too far in it, and I think I would have to devote a lot of time to getting good at it.  If you like hard action games I say go for this one.  If you like the Thundercats, go ahead and watch a couple episodes (You can get them on DVD),  Then try this game and have a total Thundercat experience.  Thundercats Ho!

ThunderCats on Gamebase64

Monday, May 14, 2012

Game-a-day #44...Raffles.



I just discovered this very strange but also interesting obscure C64 game "Raffles"...  Why it's called "Raffles" I have no clue.  I'v been to the Raffles hotel in Singapore, but this has nothing to do with that, so I'm stumped.  Anyhow, this game is a treasure hunt meets Isle of Dr. Moreau.  So you get a job from a rich lady, Lady Crutchfield III to be exact to find her blue diamond collection hidden throughout Critchfield Manor by her crazy genetic scientist husband Montaque.  So throughout the house are a bunch of weird animals that try to kill you while you look for diamonds.  Game play is fair, not the best, but it's playable.  You can move in the cardinal directions via isometric graphics, jump, and push and pull objects around.  The idea is to explore and stack chairs and other stuff to get to the places you need to get to get the diamonds...whew.  It's not on my top five list but it's kind of cool.  I'm an easy sell with anything isometric and the graphics in "Raffles" don't disappoint.   So if you have a spare minute think about trying it out, I did and I don't regret anything... Well, I do regret some stuff, but not this game.

Raffles on Gamebase 64

Game-a-day #45...Skate or Die.



Dude!  Let me start out with the fun fact that I actually have the C64 floppy of this game framed and on my bedroom wall, no joke.  I'm a Southern California native, and learned to skateboard in Venice.  I was in no way any good, but like all self respecting beach kids, I had to at least have and be able to ride without falling off.  Skateboarding was (and still is) a way of life out here.  Now for a poser like I was at age 11, "Skate or Die" was a dream come true.  It' merged the two most awesome things available in 1987, computer games, and skating.  "Skate or Die" was probably the best skating game at the time.  It has a variety of skate events, including my favorite the half pipe (although they call it "ramp").  You can practice or compete, and the interface  and game play can only be described as sublime.  This may be one of the best produced computer games of it's time.  The graphics are fantastic, and the attention to detail is award worthy.  So if you like skating, and great video games go play "Skate or Die" now!

Skate or Die on Gamebase64

Game-a-day #46...Super Cycle.


I love motorcycle race games, and "Super Cycle" is a good one.  Like most games published by Epyx (it was published by Epyx), "Super Cycle" is easy to get into and start playing with no muss or fuss.  It's a straightforward race to the finish in the tradition of old Atari "Pole Position".  My favorite part of this game is the ability to select the color of your bike and the color and style of your leathers.  Yeah, in the race games of today you can select all kinds of custom crap, but we're talking 1986, and a few options wen't a long way for kids like me who's expectations were only one rung up from Atari 2600.  So yeah, I still like playing this game, it makes me feel fast.  If you want to feel fast too you should try it out.

Super Cycle on Gamebast64

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Game-a-day #47...Knight Games.


It's the middle ages again and you get to be a knight!  Or a Robin Hood (Little John) character, or crossbow dude.  So "Knight Games" isn't just for knights, but it is for anyone who loves some one on one combat action. You get to choose from 8 combat games... Two sword fights, quarterstaff, pikestaff, archery, crossbow, ball and chain, or axeman.  Game play is simple and fun, graphics are awesome, and you can play the computer or a human friend.  I played this game quite a bit as a kid, and I still love it today, it's simple and fun, and gets that cool days of old feel.  So grab a staff, and sharpen your sword, it's time for "Knight Games".

Knight Games on Gamebase64

Game-a-day #48...Into the Eagle's Nest.


WW II has always been a popular subject of computer games and this was especially true in the 80's.  "Into the Eagles Nest" is one of the best C64 games in the WW II game library.  It's a top down maze Nazi shoot with the goal of saving three of your comrades, and collecting as many stolen treasures as possible.  The graphics are fantastic, nice big bright sprites, highlights and shadows.  Game play is awesome, it's a lot like the first person shooters of today (less detail), but with a top down view.  It is amazing how exciting this game can get.  You get to kill Nazis, rescue friends from Nazis, and steal treasure from Nazis. How much more fun can you have in a computer game?  Give it a play!

Into the Eagles's Nest on Gamebase64

Game-a-day #49...A.C.E.


A.C.E. is hands down my very favorite air combat simulator I have played on any system.  Yes it's super simple and not realistic at all, but that's why I like it so much.  You don't have to be an actual pilot to play it, combat is exciting, challenging and fun, and the graphics are as good as they need to be.  If you look at the included picture you will get the idea.  I love A.C.E. because you can just start playing it.  It's like an arcade game that way.  If you like flight combat games, but you don't want to learn how to fly a plane to play them, A.C.E. is your game.  I also love the fact that A.C.E. stands for Air Combat Emulator.  I guess that's just what A.C.E. is.

A.C.E. on Gamebase64

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Game-a-day #50...Alice.



Do not confuse "Alice" with the way better Dale Dishroon masterpiece "Alice in Wonderland".  "Alice" is a very simple adventure game that seems to be based on Alice in Wonderland.  "Alice" is not an amazing game by any stretch, but it's not charmless and it is at least interesting to play.  I guess it was a game found in the Ahoy! Commodore magazine.  I can't tell you if it was a type in (you type the program in yourself), or if the magazine came with a disk.  In either case it's at least a novelty to be able to pay it today. I guess it's sort of the vintage game version of an independent film.  Bob Spirko is credited with it's creation, so hats off to Bob for being in that early 80's wave of computer programmers that pushed us into the information age.  Back to the game, it's simple and from my experience unforgiving.  I haven't played it enough to know what the point is (and I don't have the issue of Ahoy! that probably explains it).  I know you try to get gold, and you go around from room to room looking for stuff that I imagine helps you finish the game, like a treasure hunt.  I met a cat who gave me hints, and then I went into a room and was killed by a laser thing.  So try it out for yourself, let me know if you find out the point, or better yet finish the game.

Alice on Gamebase64

Game-a-day #51...Pedro.


Here's a super simple game from the dawn of the C64 published way back in 84.  "Pedro"... It's about a farmer named Pedro who has a problem with giant ants, I mean I guess they're ants... Anyway, the game is simple, use bricks to block the ants entrances, as the ants destroy the plants plant more plants.  It's not incredible or anything but it's totally retrotacular.  It's got super simple isometric graphics, and it's just kind of cool.  Can't say I play it much, but it's nice to know it's there.

Pedro on Gamebase64

Game-a-day #52...Invaders of the Lost Tomb (aka. Scarabæus)


"Invaders of the Lost Tomb" is wonderfully creative.  A mix of Ancient Egypt and space men (you are the space man) give this game an almost "Twilight Zone" quality, if you catch my drift.  The graphics are amazing and again very creative.  The interface is like nothing else, very alien.  The game play is a mix of action and hardcore puzzle solving.  I could go into detail about game play but the link I included below to the C64-wiki has a very detailed article on how to play and finish the game.  The first person experience in "Invaders" is ultra simple yet amazing for it's day.  I remember getting this game off the sale rack at some software store, getting it home, and not understanding how to play ( I never would read any documentation), but being amazed at the fact that I could walk around the halls of this tomb or whatever it is, and it felt like I was moving around in 3 dimensions.  It was a profound experience for me as a lad, because even original "Doom" was about six or seven years away.  I think all retro fans should check this game out if for no other reason than to check out some sweet 80's first person action.

Invaders of the Lost Tomb on Gamebase64

Scarabæus on the C64-wiki

Game-a-day #53...Aliens.



"Aliens" the C64 computer game is an 80's attempt to create a playable version of what I consider one of the best Sci-Fi movies of all time.  Let's face it, in 1986 it was hard to do justice to the movie that scared me so much as a kid I had nightmares for a week.  I don't remember how, but my friends and I managed to get into a showing although we must have been 9 or 10 years old.  Anyhow, back to the game, it's a good attempt and ambitious.  Game play is exciting but it's not an easy game at all, there are  mini-games interspersed between 8 bit cinema sequences, they include... Landing the drop ship, finding a way through the air duct, finding a way through the complex, fighting off Aliens, and finally fighting the Queen Alien with the exoskeleton forklift that may well have been the best part of the film.  "Aliens" for the C64 is good, difficult, and has fantastic graphics.  If you are a fan of the move (and I can't see why you wouldn't be), you should give this one a shot.  "Get away from her you b---h!"

Game-a-day #54 Nebulus.


It's time for some action games! "Nebulus" is full of action.  It's a fast paced tower climb, that is as hard as it is fun.  The graphics are simple but incredible at the same time.  The goal of the game is to get to the top of each of the 8 towers in order to destroy them. Between towers you control a submarine and try to shoot fish.  You play Pogo, a little creature who can run jump and shoot power pellets or something.  This game, in my opinion, is super hard.  Game play is extremely innovative, it's not a run of the mill action platformer.  If any of you ever finish this game (without the cheats), let me know, I'll buy you a beer to celebrate how awesome you are.


Neulus on Gamebase64

Game-a-day #55...Autoduel.


Richard Garriott (Lord British), is a LEGEND in the computer game community,  He is probably best known for his Ultima series of games, that led to Ultima Online.  Now he's so rich he's into space tourism.  Lord British and Origin Systems (his company) created some of the best RPG computer games of the 80's and "Autoduel" is one of them.  "Autoduel" is based on the popular combat simulation (physical game) "Car Wars".  "Autoduel" is a post-apocalyptic RPG where civilization has devolved into a "Mad Max" type of world with people in cars combating each other, and plays like a combination of "Ultima" and "Spy Hunter".  It's a great game, and the post-apocalyptic theme is one of my very favorite things about it (I get tired of dragons and hobbits).  One sad thing is that Steve Jackson Games has asked that the game be removed from all Abandonware sites because it's still under copyright, but you can't buy it because they don't sell it anymore.  I just think this kind of logic is flawed.  It's a fantastic masterpiece of a game, they can't sell it, but they don't want you to play it if you didn't buy it when they did sell it.  You would think Steve could use the publicity of letting people play it for free to promote some other project, or at least sell it, but don't just stick the game in limbo.  Anyhow, whatever, it's a fantastic game.

Autoduel on Gamebase64