By Langlier
I think people need to relive their gaming roots every so often. Sure with games like Quake 3 the old classics just don't add up anymore. Who wants to go drop 15 bucks on an old p.o.s. game anyway?
Well recently a friend of mine dropped me an abandonware site and I've been addicted to the classics for the last few weeks. For those of you who don't know abandonware is software that is more then five years old and the copywrite hasn't been renewed on it. There are zillions of titles but mostly you'll find old apps and games on sites. (If you want sites that are decent email me at my Langlier@gamesurge account as I haven't emailed these people for use of their site names in my article)
Specific games that I've been having a blast with include: System Shock, Gauntlet, Day of the Tentacle, and a semi-hit/sleeper with great innovation Abuse. Most of you that are reading this should recognize each games name if nothing else (except maybe abuse) and should bring back some memories. Also if any of you know a site that's released the Sierra game Hunter Hunted I'd be much obliged.
System Shock as most of you know from the acclaimed sequel is a first person shooter/rpg. This game got some hype after it was released but not much when it was. A classic game in all respects and a lot of fun to play still. (for a similar game try Strife. It was a good game but got pushed out of the way by Duke Nukem and was overlooked)
Most neo-gamers may have heard of Gauntlet but when I say the name it means nothing to a majority. The old gamers remember hours of fingerache and having sucked a months worth of pay converted to quarters into a machine. Worth a look for those of you who want to relive or see what all the talk is about.
Day of the Tentacle. The name is funny the game is hilarious. The definition of humor in an adventure game. While I've never been a fan of linear adventures this one is worth a look. Seeeeeeeequal please? (Sam and Max for a similar experience) Lucasarts and Sierra made the best RPGs and Adventure games of yesteryear and you could spend hours playing each one so I won't even try to list them all but you will want to check at least one out.
Abuse is a decent side scrolling game that had one thing I like to see in games that isn't there much anymore... innovation. Sure the concept itself wasn't anything new. Kill kill kill while getting better weapons and moving a lot. But moving with the keyboard and shooting with the mouse... in a sidescrolling game... let me say it paved the way for the mouselook feature in your favorite FPS games.
All these games have a well deserved cult following and can be found on abandonware sites around. Also realize that Warez sites and Abandonware sites are not the same thing. You will pour through hours of porno and links to make people money before finding the .1k/sec download of the new hottest game on a warez site. (pronounced w air z not war ez) Might I ask anyway how certain warez sites can offer a complete full version download of diablo 2 when there are no betas too be found and the game has not been released yet? Heheh it took me to an interesting porn site where the links didn't work either. (I'm not a pervert I'm just big-boned) (chuckles) Honestly people don't buy into the free full download thing. Most of them only get you to a zillion porn links and make the warez site owner a few bucks.
One other game I checked out recently that a friend recommended was Illusia (www.Illusia.com). Illusia is a poor mans Everquest. But they do something that I've never seen done in a game before. They have an actual human who meets you when you spawn and guides you through the basics and checks on you so often. WOW! It helped a lot even though most of the commands are simple and it would be nice to have a reference sheet still. Check it out it's definately worth a look.
While this is my first article for gamesurge in a while I will have more out soon (depending on how things are going). Hopefully I'll see you gamers out and about. I do Bristlebain on EQ as Langlier so gimme a tell.
Langlier