Magnetic Scrolls 1986
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Europe's answer to Infocom wasn't in fact all that similar to its american counterpart. Apart from the obvious facts of being founded a lot later and surviving longer, Magnetic Scrolls developed their games for a completely different market. While Infocom was still stuck with the inferior 'typewriters' ruling the US market (to this day), Magnetic Scrolls wrote their games for 'home computers' - with the European market in mind, where these machines were immensely popular. The Pawn, their first game, was developed for the Sinclair QL, a then brand new computer which turned out to be a very bad flop. The game was ported to the other new 16 bit machines: the Atari ST and the Amiga. These versions first showed how fresh Magnetic Scrolls' approach to the genre was: they featured a set of graphics showing the settings in stunning quality! The later ports to the ever-popular 8 bit platforms (C64, Sinclair Spectrum) had to live without these graphics again.

White Wolf Productions 1991
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

The early 90s made the previously hardcore genre of hex-based wargames accessable to a much broader audience. The rules got simpler, the controls easier and the graphics less cryptic. The prime example of this trend is of course Battle Isle by Blue Byte. To a lesser extent, The Perfect General contributed there, too.

Softdisk 1985
Genre: Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Before there was idSoft, there was Ideas from the Deep. And before there were 3D shooters, there were Pyramids of Egypt. True to idSoft's later games, this game is an arcade that requires quick thinking and some tactical-level decision-making.

Lucasfilm Games 1991
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 6/6
Language: English, Deutsch, Francais
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

My name is Guybrush Threepwood. I want to be a pirate. What, you don't know what I'm talking about? Where have you been since 1990? The only excuse I will accept is this: searching treasure on a cut-off island with vegetarian cannibals, a hermit waiting to be rescued even though he has already built a boat and a giant monkey head!

Black Blade Design / Titan Computer 1998
Genre: Simulation, Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: Italiano, English, Deutsch
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Mobygames isn't omniscient. There. I've said it. Heresy? Then show me where they cover this game (ok, ok, I'm aware this might change, I'm refering to the time of writing, of course). Yet, it obviously exists.

Domark 1989
Genre: Action
Rating: 3/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

My name is Bond - James Bond! This game is based on the movie starring Roger Moore. I suppose everyone has seen at least one James Bond movie, so I won't explain what that is...

Domark took the action parts of it and put them into levels which are only loosely connected with short text-based explanations about the story. Most levels are basically the same. You see your vehicle from top and have to reach the level's exit without being killed. These vehicles are either a Lotus Esprit (driving on the road or diving under water!) or a small motor boat. From time to time an enemy appears and you have to shoot him. If you don't have any missiles left, it doesn't matter too much - just let him drive in front of you and avoid his shots! Sometimes a big truck labelled 'Q' appears in front of you. Don't try to destroy or overtake it (like I did when I first played the game 10 years ago ;) - It's your friend 'Q' who 'sells' you equipment for the 'Q'-coins you've selected before!

Melbourne House 1985
Genre: Sport, Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: C64

After the success of Karate Champ, it was only a question of time until the first imitations would arrive. The Way of the Exploding Fist is one of these. Whatever your personal verdict about the game's quality (and imitations in general) is: It's certainly one of the games with the most creative names ever! Exploding Fist? Hard not to like it!

Bullfrog 1994
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 5/6
Language: English, Deutsch, Francais
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Your rich aunt has just died and you are her heir! Overpowered by joy, you go out to tell off your boss. But then you notice a silly sidenote in the testament: You are only allowed to spend the money on building Theme Parks, and the profits can only be spent on additional parks. So you give in to your fate (you can't go back to your old job anyway after what you've done to your former boss) and start planning!

Ariolasoft 1986
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 5/6
Language: Deutsch, English
Licence: Commercial
System: C64

Money = good. Long and hard work = bad. Quick illegal money = perfect solution! These equations sum up your motivation. But stealing a few wallets won't do any good. You want the real thing: become a criminal mastermind!

Legend Entertainment 1991
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 6/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Time certainly flies by... when I first started this site in the last millenium, Legend's Adventure games were pretty common on sites like this one. Not as common as the ones by Sierra, of course, but they could easily be found. These days (2006), you'll probably find a few of the later point & click style ones (Death Gate, Shannara,...) and if you're very persistent, you might stumble across the odd site which mentions the Spellcasting games. I blame this lack on the lack of actual collectors among the webmasters. If the only source you have for games to put on your own site are other websites, it's an automatic downward spiral concerning diversity.