Ben Kudria » Weblog

I don’t know much about games, but I do know that I enjoy some games, and I don’t enjoy others. And another thing I’ve noticed is that the games I like to play don’t always have the flashiest graphics, the coolest sound effects, or the most modern gameplay and interfaces. Which is all to say that I like to play some older games, and even though they aren’t the flashiest, coolest, or most modern, they are still fun to play. Turns out, people 7 or 10 years ago could still write compelling stories, construct fun and clever game mechanics, and overall create great games.

Here is the list of my top 7 favorite games from Abandonia:

7. Abuse

An interesting action shooter. The story isn’t much (you are a prisoner in an experimental laboratory, and someone’s test breaks loose and infects everyone but you), but the controls and action are tight and fast-paced. Graphics are OK, and the game has an excellent dark and creepy atmosphere. Lots of fun. [Abuse on Abandonia].

6. Legend Of Kyrandia

Adventure game with excellent music and great graphics. the story is immersive and enjoyable, and the gameplay us sufficiently challenging. Some great puzzles, and a nice fairy-tale feel. Your mission is to defeat Malcolm, an evil court jester, and retrieve the valuable court artifact he stole. There are also two promising-looking sequels: Hand of Fate, and Malcolm’s Revenge. [Legend Of Kyrandia on Abandonia].

5. Albion

Gorgeous, gorgeous graphics in this sci-fi RPG. The story is top-notch, the world is beautifully depicted, the characters are interesting, and the gameplay is fun. My only complaint is the slightly clunky controls. [Albion on Abandonia].

4. Beneath A Steel Sky

A futuristic, dystopian point-and-click puzzle/adventure game. The graphics are pretty good, but the real plus in this game is the storyline and dialog. The comments your character and his robot make are hilarious. Note: there are two versions of this game - the smaller DOS version (linked on Abandonia), and the higher-quality, but larger CD version. The CD version requires ScummVM. I highly recommend the CD version. [Beneath A Steel Sky on Abandonia].

3. Jazz Jackrabbit 2

A goofy platformer. Jazz Jackrabbit 2 has large, engaging levels, bright and detailed graphics, great animation, funny monsters and characters, good control mechanics, online play, and lots and lots of secrets. Quite an amazing game. There is also an excellent companion site. [Jazz Jackrabbit 2 on Abandonia].

2. Fable

Another excellent excellent game. Fable has (here we go again) beautiful graphics, immersive gameplay…etc.
Really, this game has it all. The story is fun and funny, the graphics are amazing and detailed, and the whole thing is just highly immersive. Play the role of Quickthorpe, an amusing character chosen to…save the world. He does it with wit, exploring 2 large, scenic worlds. There are a few interface and control quirks, be sure to read the gotchas on the Abandonia page. After those, however, the game is pure fun. [Fable on Abandonia].

1. Tyrian 2000

Ooh, this game is the best. It’s a sci-fi shooter, with, get this, a story line. A really, really good one. On top of that, in this game, you’ll find:

• The most amazing, pixel-perfect graphics,
• Lots of long levels, each with:
• Scores and scores of unique enemies
• A ship customize/upgrade screen, where you can equip:
• Lots of weapons, including front guns, rear guns, and sidekick ships

All this makes for a really good shooter! [Tyrian 2000 on Abandonia].

You’ll want to use DOSBox to run the games I list here. You can find download links and instructions on their site, and Abandonia has a helpful tutorial.

There are a few sites around the web that catalog old games, but Abandonia seems to have some good reviews, nice screenshots, and anyway, I found it before any of the other ones.

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