Favourite classic games...

[ThatReallyHurt]

I just stumbled across my manual for the old Master of Orion 2 game. Brought back all kinds of memories - staying up all night, trying to figure out how to keep my little space colonies alive despite all of the hostile aliens... discovering the new technologies, thinking "wow, that's going to be soooo cool when I can put that on my ships", then realizing it's too big/too expensive/takes too long to build, grinding my teeth when I was attacked by the space eel, space crystal, and Antarans at the same time...

Then I started thinking about all of the other old games that I really liked and still play (or wish I knew where in the basement they were so I could play again). Heroes of Might and Magic 2, Baldur's Gate 2, Scorched Earth, the Monkey Island series (except for the last one, that was pretty weak), Grim Fandango, Dune 2... I could go on for days.

Anybody have any favourite classic (and by "classic", I mean old) games out there that you keep going back to every once in a while to kick the tires?

[ParryRiposte]

This was really old school: Beyond Dark Castle, from '87. I still play it on my ancient Macintosh SE, which I love to death. There's something about it that just beats Final Fantasy and all the other games that take pride in their amazing graphics and story lines and whatnot. It's just so incredibly simple and comfortable, like an old blanket.

If you don't know already, it's a game in which you are Prince Duncan, and you have to find your way through a castle solving various puzzles in order to fight the Black Knight at the end. Simple, yet satisfying. I'm never going to get rid of my SE's. *blissful sigh*

[pokey]

Alas. Back when I still had an emulator thingy to slow down my computer...

Star Control 2, Starflight 2, Harpoon, Ultima III. Covert Action.

Sadly, nowadays gameplay has been subsumed by the quest for pretty eyecandy graphics.

[ThatReallyHurt]

Originally Posted by ParryRiposte

This was really old school: Beyond Dark Castle, from '87. I still play it on my ancient Macintosh SE, which I love to death. There's something about it that just beats Final Fantasy and all the other games that take pride in their amazing graphics and story lines and whatnot. It's just so incredibly simple and comfortable, like an old blanket.

If you don't know already, it's a game in which you are Prince Duncan, and you have to find your way through a castle solving various puzzles in order to fight the Black Knight at the end. Simple, yet satisfying. I'm never going to get rid of my SE's. *blissful sigh*

Yeah, some of those older games... I'd take the gameplay over fancy graphics. Mind you, back then we had to, eh? (I had a Commodore 128, heh.)

[ThatReallyHurt]

Originally Posted by pokey

Alas. Back when I still had an emulator thingy to slow down my computer...

Star Control 2, Starflight 2, Harpoon, Ultima III. Covert Action.

Sadly, nowadays gameplay has been subsumed by the quest for pretty eyecandy graphics.

Star Control 2 was awesome - a buddy of mine had an Amiga. I'd never seen graphics like that before, it looked like a cartoon. And hearing those Ur-Quan dreadnoughts say "LAUNCH FIGHTERS" when you, uh, launched the fighters...

Good times.

[parrythis]

My all time favorite was Descent. I played 1, 2, and 3, but my favorite was 1. We used to set up a multiplayer game at work and play for hours.

I also discovered the old text-based Zork games available for download for free. I still have my old maps of Zork. I downloaded the games but have not replayed any of them yet.

[ThatReallyHurt]

Originally Posted by parrythis

My all time favorite was Descent. I played 1, 2, and 3, but my favorite was 1. We used to set up a multiplayer game at work and play for hours.

I also discovered the old text-based Zork games available for download for free. I still have my old maps of Zork. I downloaded the games but have not replayed any of them yet.

The Zork games were good, I played them (never finished them, mind you).

Did you ever try the Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy game by the same company (Infocom, I think)? Same deal as Zork, text game.

The text games were good because you could use them like a book. Let your mind create the imagery for you.

[ParryRiposte]

Originally Posted by parrythis

My all time favorite was Descent. I played 1, 2, and 3, but my favorite was 1. We used to set up a multiplayer game at work and play for hours.

I also discovered the old text-based Zork games available for download for free. I still have my old maps of Zork. I downloaded the games but have not replayed any of them yet.

Also awesome - Zork Zero is possible my favorite computer game in the world, although I never beat it. It's very much like a book, which made it all the more interesting.

[larkmaj]

I've recently played a number of old ultima games, I have utlima collection. I believe Lord British's first game Akalabeth was originally text based.

Fan of most of the ultima games except for 2... never quite got into that one, always had trouble with that spaceship in 1 too.

DOSBox is a good DOS emulator for playing old DOS games, it can slow the games down too, or speed them up. I use it to play colonization and it works pretty well.

[Go? Fencing?]

Originally Posted by ThatReallyHurt

Did you ever try the Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy game by the same company (Infocom, I think)? Same deal as Zork, text game.

You mean this?

[Shi no Tenshi]

Kings quest games were amusing, like most of the sierra games from that era (Robin Hood). And now you can get them in a version that works in XP....

[latenight]

King's Quest, Space Quest, and of course, Wing Commander. I also played one called SDI by Cineware (really great game on a 5" floppy LOL)

[Zilverzmurfen]

Monkey Island
Zak McKraken
Pirates!
Robin Hood
Mega-Lo-Mania
Dungeon Master
Last Ninja
SimCity
Populous
Eye of the Beholder
Edit: Ports of Call

Modern classic: Outcast

Present classic (ie. classic-to-be): World of Warcraft

[ThatReallyHurt]

Descent was a good game - pretty original when it first came out. Kind of creepy, too - like a techno-Doom-esque game.

I've never played an Ultima game, although it's something I've been told I should do. Are they still in print?

Oh, and can't forget Pirates! or Maniac Mansion.

Okay, I'm going through the basement this weekend, see if I can find some of that old stuff! Too bad my Commodore expired - I would've liked to play Defender of the Crown again...

MUST... STOP... REMINISCING...

[ThatReallyHurt]

Originally Posted by Go? Fencing?

You mean this?

Yep, that would be the one... I remembered typing "eat buffered analgesic" before I knew what a buffered analgesic was.

[larkmaj]

Originally Posted by ThatReallyHurt

I've never played an Ultima game, although it's something I've been told I should do. Are they still in print?

I think the first couple are in freeware now, so you should be able to find them online, and legally.

[Timo]

Speaking of old games I just spent $17.01 at a silent auction to buy an original gameboy along with mario land 2, tetris, yoshi, and space invaders. I told the other people I would win but they still bid it up.

[ThatReallyHurt]

Heh... I was stuck in a tent for a rainy weekend with some guy who had a Gameboy, Tetris, and a bag full of batteries. Every once in a while, I get that song stuck in my head for a two or three days.

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by ThatReallyHurt

Descent was a good game - pretty original when it first came out. Kind of creepy, too - like a techno-Doom-esque game.

Aaah, Descent! Liked that one too a lot. Along with the HalfLife/Quake games.


And I meant 'Defender of the Crown', not Robin Hood...

Gee, this list could go on forever.

Does anybody know if Populous is downloadable anywhere, like, for free..?