Blue Byte 1993
Genre: Action
Rating: 5/6
Language: Deutsch, English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

After two mission disks and the differently themed History Line: 1914-1918, Blue Byte followed their more successful game to date up with a real sequel. The evil robot armies are back and the Drullians saw no other way than to kidnap a great strategist to lead their armies - you. Stories have never been a strong point in strategy games (that made it even more surprising that a 'novelization' of the story actually came with the game).

SSI 1990
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

You know, some time ago (about 200 years or so...), there was a great man (I avoid saying 'big' at his 1.60m height) who liked war. Maybe a bit of a pertinent introduction, but no matter if you are French of Anglo-Saxon, you are going to enjoy this.

Westwood / Infocom 1988
Genre: RPG, Strategy
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

A unique blend of role-playing, tactical strategy and adventure, Battletech: The Crescent Hawk Inception was one of Infocom's first forays into graphical gaming. For years, the company ruled the text-based gaming, and with this ambitious product, wanted to cross over to the increasingly popular graphics-based games. Developed by Westwood's finest, the game became immensely popular, despite its balancing issues and weak graphics.

Atari 1983
Genre: Action
Rating: 3/6
Language: -
Licence: Commercial
System: Atari 2600

In the not-so-distant future (1999 to be exact), the nations of the world have at last recognized the need for peace to avoid mutual destruction and ensure the survival of the human race. The plan to achieve world piece is strongly reminiscient of the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still: Automated weapons are unleashed, supposedly to exterminate anyone becoming an aggressor. Of course, technology goes awry, and the weapons are starting to exterminate all life on earth. The player jumps into a rusty old tank trying to blow up all the other thanks, fighters and flying saucers which now threaten humanity.

Ocean 1989
Genre: Sport, Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Yay, it's summer! Dig out your bathing shorts / suit, jump in the car and head for the beach. And hope you are one of these good-looking sport-types to avoid being laughed about. Or alternatively, hope there are even fatter people than you to keep the attention away from the result of your beer sessions. Hiring some people with visible mutations could also help...

Century Interactive / BMG 1996
Genre: Action, Adventure
Rating: 4/6
Language: English, Français, Deutsch
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Vinyl record sleeves and game boxes have something in common, in the sense that a particularly good design can prompt you to buy the record/game without trying it first. That's how I ended up with The Virgin Prunes' If I die, I die, which is absolutely god-awful. And Bermuda Syndrome, which is great fun.

Konami 1994
Genre: Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: SNES

Concerning its concept, "Biker Mice From Mars" straightfowardly had the successful classic "Rock'n'Roll Racing" in mind. Unlike the original, you drive motor cycles and other unorthodox vehicles around more or less well-built tracks here. Although the game produced by Konami labels itself as being "powered by Snickers", you permanently suppose that the programmers wanted to make fun of this ridiculous piece of chocolate-peanut-mush.

DOKA 1993
Genre: Sport, Action
Rating: 3/6
Language: Deutsch
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

If nothing else, this game is at least noticable for its relaxed attitude towards the German language and its grammar and spelling rules. The game is full of goofey and daft phrases which the opponents let out, and which can't really be analyzed by the common rules. The game itself is basically also not very exact with its physics and its application in the field of billiards (which, in fact, is spelt Billard in German, so another clue about the groundbreaking knowledge of the German language of the programmer - see the title).

Interplay 1994
Genre: Action
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Blackthorne - the 2-D scrolling shooter that doesn't really scroll. That simple sentence is the most complete and accurate description I can come up with today. Looking back several years I can only ask myself: why did we love this game so much? Because we didn't know any better? Probably so. But then again, nothing can change the beautiful memories and give back the countless hours we spent in front of the small, low-quality 14" monitor playing what we thought was the greatest game ever made. Does this sound unfamiliar to you? Probably, if you have never experienced it.

Image Works 1991
Genre: Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

When a game takes more than two years after the announcement to be released, it usually means something. Gamers who are waiting for the game to come out get pissed off. And the publisher almost certainly has a good reason to hold the game back. What this reason was in the case of Blade Warrior is unknown.