Seeing as ther is no Game Giveaway this weekend, i've dug out some excellent games for you for today and tomorrow (watch out for Sundays games later today (I'm not going to force myself to get up early to post them, so will post them later today). Today we have a great little pixilated side scrolling platform game involving dinosaurs in Prehistorik 2, then an excellent strategy game with UFO: Ememy Unknown (it's placed 78 in the the EDGE Online's list of games 100 games you should have on your computer; I'll have another one from the list tomorrow, (I think I may have already posted this sometime in the past, but it's well worth posting for a second time as i'm sure many will have missed it. I've also included a couple of games for the kids with the two EcoQuest titles, (though they are not just for the kids)and the final game for today is an earlier version of speedball, which was released at the end of the last century (lol).
Most of the games play via XP, if one doesn't, try DOSBox. (I haven't had time to test any of the games in DOSBox yet)
Prehistorik 2 (1.02Mb)
The game runs fine in XP. Once unpacked you’ll have to manually place the games folder whever you wish to place it then create a desktop shortcut.
"Eat and beat your way through 150 screens of awesome, nourishing fun and relive the Prehistorik epic in this incredible platform game. Armed with your Diner Club Anticus, proven to be the ancestor of the baseball bat, you start in pursuit of the Hilarious Maxidocus and take on armies of hairy spiders. Explore the virgin icefields of Antarctica, lush tropic jungles, and the dark and mysterious caverns of the shady continent. Don't worry about beatin' and meatin', it's for the good of the T-bone tribe. The hunt for lunch is on; come and get it!" -- Ad Blurb. Prehistorik is a solid conversion of Titus' Amiga platform hit. The game's highlights are the zany humor, inventive levels, and humorous antics of both your caveman and the enemies. What I like in particular about the game is the many creative weapons you can find and use, as well as secret paths that lead to bonus items. The music is also quite catchy, and better than most games of its type (unfortunately, the PC music, as usual, can't compare to the rocking tune of Amiga version). The sequel Prehistorik 2 boasts even better graphics, as well as all-new levels and monsters. It also removes a semi-annoying requirement in Prehist orik that you must collect a certain amount of food before proceeding to the next level. This makes the game more fun, as you no longer need to roam around levels over and over, looking for that one last food. Overall, both games are fun, "feel-good" platformers that provide just the right level of challenge for the dexterity challenged (like me), with fun levels that are difficult, but not too difficult to frustrate you. Both are highly recommended!
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDvfGNkA94k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpm8-e58kcA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4IQ26Y2Zhs
Download:
http://takegame.com/action/htm/prehistorik2.htm
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UFO Enemy Unknown aka X-COM: UFO defense (3.38Mb)
UFO: Enemy Unknow was developed by Microprose back in the early 90’s. There are two executables: try "ufo defense.exe" first, as it seems to work better. If you experience any video card problems or lockups, "ufo.exe" should work okay.
You're the chairman of a worldwide organization with the purpose of combating alien invasions on Earth that become more frequent and violent by the minute, as well as researching on alien technology you come across. Your funds come from the trust the rich countries of the world put on you: if you manage to keep aliens away from civils and have an overall good reputation, the countries will gradually decide to grant you more money to keep working. If not, they might decrease the level of investment, and could even ally with the aliens! The basic difference is that in Enemy unknown the action happens on land (ie. cities or the countryside of just any continent) and Terror from the deep takes place pretty much only underwater, using subs and very special survival material.This beginning of the X-COM series (the two first games) is *very* challenging, almost too much. But it's rewarding. It offers a unique management game, where you have to deal with scientists, research, production of equipment, purchases/sales, headquarters, air ships, strike teams... as well as one of the best tactical strategy games ever developed. Once your strike team reach an UFO crash, land or wreckage site, or intervene on an alien invasion on some big city, the game turns into a thrilling tactical hunt through a number of different landscapes, from urban to countryside, from jungle to desert, and the underwater landscapes in Terror from the deep. And here you can ruin everything all in one wrong turn. The humans are dangerously vulnerable to the alien weaponry, while some of the UFOs bring beings that resemble war machines all too well.
There aren't many commands, but you'll have to get used to rules of safety in the field and management of the base, and that's why the game is so challenging. Even experienced players may need luck sometimes. I can't think of a flaw, the game works fine, it is just perfect, all you'll have a hard time doing is adjusting to the challenge of it. Terror from the deep plays slightly better than its predecessor, but both games are nearly flawless.
Overall, the fun factor of these games is undeniable. I don't know a boy of my generation who hasn't played at least one of them, and if you didn't, believe me: fix it before it's too late.
Reference http://abandoneer.com/games.php?gameid=24
[quote]Base building, turn-based strategy, RPG like squad development, resource management – UFO enemy Unknown could have been sprawing, but smartly interlocks it all into singularity. Building the base that houses the squad that’s equioed to attack the alien base to capture the cmmander to research him to advance the story – UFO puts you in charge of everything.
Such involvement lends missions great consequence and enthralling tension, with every soldier both vital and mortally vunerable
Reference “The hundred best games to play today” http://www.edge-online.com/features/the-100-best-games-to-play-today?page=0%2C2 (see entry 78)
Download:
http://abandoneer.com/games.php?gameid=24
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EcoQuest - The Search for Cetus
Installation:
There is no installer included with the download package. you have to manually install both EcoQuest games and then create your own desktop shortcuts. Although both games are supposed to work within windows I had problems getting them to work. with thhis game it ran fine in windows apart from the audio which wouldn't initialize, whereas the second game I couldn't get to work at all. you'll find help files within the games folders that give tips on how to play the game.
Don't let DOSBox put you off setting this up for the children. It's a decent educational game with gorgeous images.
In EcoQuest: The Search for Cetus, you play a little boy named Adam who is the son of an ecologist and was brought up to value preserving the Earth. The game starts with Adam moving to a new location, with no friends. What’s a new kid to do? Well, if you answered "Make friends with a talking dolphin and begin an undersea adventure to save the ocean," you’d be correct! What begins as a simple friendship with the talking dolphin, Delphinius, soon explodes when he requests aid from you to help his undersea city. Leaving the surface world behind, Adam begins an adventure involving the discovery of his role in a prophecy of a human boy removing the human waste in the ocean, defeating the flesh-eater, and freeing Cetus, the city's protector. In the end you save the city while learning many important life lessons.
The gameplay is similar to any other Sierra game of the time, with a basic point-and-click interface. The graphics are on par with King’s Quest 5 and make for a great game. This game also introduces the recycling icon, whereby Adam can collect trash in his recycling bag! Not only do you learn important ecological principles, but these principles aren’t force-fed to you. This game was originally designed for teaching young kids the importance of preserving the Earth, yet is fun for all ages. The only reason this game got a 4 rather than a 5 is its length. After logging a decent hour - maybe two hours - of game play I discovered I was already three quarters of the way done. Due to such short game play and the somewhat linear plot, this game only scores a 4 with me. Also the puzzles are fairly straightforward with usually very little trouble involved in solving them.
In the end, this game is a decent adventure game for all ages. It may be short, but during that short period it’s a lot of fun. A quick note; the code for the door in the beginning is 9721. Sorry to give it away but if you can discover this number without using a guide, be my guest. So sit back, grab your recycling container, turn off all your unnecessary light sources and get ready for some light ecological fun!
[i]Works in XP or DOSBox
Forum comments:
http://www.abandonia.com/en/forum?url=showthread.php?t=614
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Download
http://www.abandonia.com/en/games/182/EcoQuest+-+The+Search+for+Cetus.html
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EcoQuest 2 - Lost Secret of the Rainforest (6.42Mb)
I had difficulty getting this game to work in windows though there are supposed to be windows install files within the games folder. It works perfectly well via DOSBox though.
After releasing EcoQuest: The Search for Cetus in 1991, Sierra followed up with this bright, fun sequel.
In EcoQuest 2: Lost Secret of the Rainforest, you play young Adam Greene who, with his father Noah, an ecologist, arrives in a third-world country to study the rainforest. After becoming separated from his father Adam ventures alone into the rainforest, to discover the secret of the mysterious Forest Heart, find the lost City of Gold and attempt to help the endangered Grove People.
The game is targeted mostly at the younger end of the market, but adults would also enjoy the lush graphics and the interesting information about ecology and rainforests revealed by your e-corder. The game seemed a little tedious at first, with a little too much help popping up, but when Adam reaches the rainforest and climbs the giant tree smothered in exotic flowers, birds and creatures, it becomes rather fun... like a tropical version of the Faraway Tree series by Enid Blyton.
If you like wandering around lush forests and interacting with wee beasties, and performing heroic deeds while being presented with educational tit-bits along the way, as I do, then you'll enjoy this game. However, if you prefer your action to come fast and furious, then this gentle, thoughtful game might not appeal. But you do get to play around with an e-corder.
Using Windows 98 and DOSBox, I received a 'Your Hardware Has Not Been Initialised' error message at the start of the game. I tried opening the game in pure DOS but received the same message. I went back to using DOSBox, but this time when the error screen appeared, I clicked 'Esc' and the screen closed and the game introduction started. By the way, the music and sound effects proceeded to work fine. However, a warning to those using Windows XP: I found this message on another abandonware games site: A slowdown utility *must* be used to run the game -- otherwise you will get a faulty "888.pal not found" error.
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Download:
http://www.abandonia.com/en/games/215/EcoQuest+2+-+Lost+Secret+of+the+Rainforest.html
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Speedball 2 (<1Mb)
Way back in the year 2095 the Speedball-league was unregulated and ungoverned due to corruption and violence. Five years later in an attempt to regain public interest the sport was reorganised: Speedball 2 was born. Another five years pass till a new team emerges. The name of this team is Brutal Deluxe.
Speedball is some kind of a rugby-soccer-handball-mix plus NO penalties for fouls. In fact one of the things you do most of the time is to beat the crap out of the other team. While doing so you try to hit the opponents goal (after you tried to get rid the keeper), collecting coins for extra money, beamers or speed-ups and hitting the extra-point-goals at the sides of the court. The metal-ball you play with is held in the hand and you can pass it to your team mates if you are oppressed too much. Each game has two halfs of 90 seconds. Before a game starts you can upgrade your players by buying power ups and training units.
The gameplay itself is very fast and that is marvelous! You really get into it.
The only two bad things are that you never know the name of your current character which would be fine to know when buy the upgrades and the second is that it‘s quite confusing which player will be yours when your current player disappears from the screen. The computer switches to the player that is nearest to the ball. But sometimes you run in the wrong direction for a time.
There are different game modes that can be played in single player mode: Tournament, League and Manager Mode. When playing the latter you just buy and sell players and get them upgraded and equipped. The computer makes the hard work and controls all of your players during the match.
Maybe the best thing in this game is the multiplayer mode. It is great to play against your friends.
If you decide to play the Tournament be sure to do some practising rounds first. Well at the beginning your team Brutal Deluxe is nothing more than a bunch of losers and you have to fight quite hard to earn your money. But by the time it gets more and more brutal. I bet you‘ll love it!
The graphics are not superb but very nice for a sports game. Everything is done is the typical Bitmap Brothers metal-look. The sounds could have been better but it‘s OK because the gameplay compensates everything. If sounds and graphics are more important to you, you probably should try the Amiga version or get the PlayStation version Speedball 2100 which was released autumn 2000.
The game is most fun when you play fullscreen and with a joystick - that really beams you back to the late 80s/early 90s.
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4s2IimFn-c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVdk2u51ufc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwG2JEtV41U
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Download
http://www.abandonia.com/games/592/
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