Taito 1990
Genre: Puzzle
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Puzznic is one of the great games from the heyday of the puzzle-genre. The late 1980s/early 1990s brought a good number of these gems and well, here's one I really do like. The concept is fairly simple, which let's you concentrate on the problems the levels bring you. Basically you have to get matching pieces together to let them vanish. You can push them to the left and the right, but cannot lift them up. If you push them over an edge they fall down to the ground. Once all are gone you have completed the level. Simple as that, but difficult in many cases. While the first problems mainly consist of moving blocking pieces away and back again the higher levels face you with the problem of getting three pieces to vanish at once as there are uneven numbers of pieces of the same type. Also pretty soon the dreaded moving brick enters the stage - I seriously got to hate that thing! I have to admit I'm a bit weak in reacting fast, but you sort of have from time to time. You have to throw pieces on these moving things and down again. I tend to push my pieces too late... But seriously - don't think this game has any serious action-elements. It doesn't - I'm just slow. ;)

Graftgold / Hewson 1986
Genre: Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: ZX Spectrum

Paradroid had been a huge hit on the C64, so ports were the logical step. For the Spectrum, Graftgold decided a straight port wouldn't be possible, as the game very much depends on the smooth scrolling into all directions. And while they were at it, they decided to change quite a few more things on the way.

Sierra 1992
Genre: Adventure, RPG
Rating: 4/6
Language: Enlgish
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

You want to be a hero, and what is your big plan for that? Completing some quests or course, and so you go to Spielburg, having heard they need some help and being well prepared by your recently finished hero course by correspondence.

Bally Midway / Activision 1986
Genre: Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Atari ST

This is gonna be a short one, as there's not much to describe in terms of storyline and plot. Straightforward coin-op/arcade stuff here, which is a genre I usually won't rave about. Rampage has that little something that makes certain games so addictive, though.

Julian Gollop / Red Shift 1984
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: ZX Spectrum

Not many games can claim the honour of having started something really big and immensely popular for themselves. Rebelstar Raiders is one of the notable exceptions. It spawned a whole modern genre and has to be recognized as the seminal work for countless others. Games like UFO (X-Com) and Jagged Alliance wouldn't exist without RR. Talking about UFO, RR was even made by the same person, so it's even a direct descendant.

ImagiSOFT 1993
Genre: Puzzle, Strategy
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Freeware
System: PC

The most vicious pirates of the Carribean want to find out who is the biggest cutthroat, so they make a bet. They're all sailing the same route, and whoever can show the biggest amount of loot at the end of the journey wins. Master pirate Redhook plays the judge, but there aren't many rules - everything is allowed as long as it earns gold.

Core Design 1990
Genre: Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Another ordinary action game. But what makes it special to me is the fact that I spent days, weeks and month in front of my Amiga playing this particular game!
Why? Well, to be honest mainly because it was available! I simply didn't have that many games back then. But beside the emotional component, there are also objective arguments for this game!

Electronic Arts 1992
Genre: Sport, Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Road Rash - one of the few signature games of the Sega Mega Drive (apart from Sonic, of course). The Amiga and the Mega Drive had quite a few things in common hardware-wise, so porting this successful hit was only a question of time. A year after the original release, it finally appeared.

Interplay 1993
Genre: Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: SNES

I just want to mention this: This game has absolutely nothing to do with Rock 'n' Roll. Why the game is called this way I don't know - it can't be alone due to the fact that 'Born to be wild' is constantly coming out of the boxes.

Bantam 1985
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: C64

Whole generations have been entertained and thrilled by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most popular character by now. 221b Baker Street has been turned into the museum of a person which never lived there and even never existed! And only because of the random (?) choice of an author who had no idea what he had just created. In fact, the character Sherlock Holmes is so well known that many people actually believe he is a historical character!