Will Wright / Broderbund 1984
Genre: Action
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: C64

It may seem unbelievable in these days, now that every computer game seems to be about war, spurting blood and severed limbs, but in the 80s, it was pretty much agreed on in the gaming press (here in Germany at least) that 'realistic' war themes are morally questionable and detract from the enjoyment of a game. So, the more otherworldly the story and the freakier the setting of a game about some sort of fighting, the better the ratings.

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

Most people already know this classic. Because it was a huge success. And it deserved it! Inspired by Sim City, Sid Meier wanted to do a real-time building game. This was the product.

The most significant thing about the game is, that there's no real goal. Just like in Sim City you just build and build. You can't really win the game, only climb the highscore list. You just try to build up a huge railroad company.

Dynamix 1990
Genre: Simulation
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Red Baron is kind of a predecessor of Dynamix' Aces series. This time it's about World War I and featuring its respective planes. All known features can be found in this game: single missions, a career mode and the possibility to record your most glorious deeds.

Microprose 1992
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Rex Nebular, cosmic adventurer, delivers the valuable vase he was sent to retrieve to his employer Col. Stone. Walking into the office, he demands his payment. Gruffly, Stone asks how the mission has gone. Rex begins to tell his story...

Rainbow Arts 1989
Genre: Puzzle, Action
Rating: 5/6
Language: Deutsch
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Time to clean up your mouse again, because a small speck of dust is lethal in Rock'n Roll. Without any try at a backstory or an explanation about the situation, you have to control a little ball trapped in a maze. Your only goal is to escape and by that reach the next level where everything starts again.

Durell Software 1986
Genre: Action
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: ZX Spectrum

Of all Spectrum games, Saboteur was one of the most unique and entertaining ones. Unlike most Spectrum games, it was neither pure action, nor a text adventure, and not even an arcade. The game was a blend of action and puzzle; quick thinking was more important than quick fingers, and keeping your cool was they key to success. Good memory or at least decent mapping skills were not useless, either.

Lucas Arts 1994
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 5/6
Language: English, Deutsch, Français, Italiano, Castellano
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Which character appeared most in Lucas Arts' Adventure games? Chuck the Plant, I guess. Just counting the mammal characters, though, it's Sam & Max. Their creator, Steve Purcell had been drawing backgrounds for many of the games, and Sam, the dog, and Max, the rabbit, had small guest appearances (e.g. as an idol in front of the giant monkey head, as a costume on Booty Island and as a portrait in the Edison's motel). And then, it was time for their own game.

Origin 1990
Genre: RPG
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

On earth, an experiment with the moonstone the Avatar got on his last adventure goes awry and carries him, along a professor and a reporter, to the lost Valley of Eodon, where dinosaurs and humans live together.

Square 1994
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: SNES

When I started playing this game, I got hooked immediately. It just has...something that makes it addictive. What that is, I can't say.
For its time, it has very good graphics, almost as good as its successor, but it doesn't have great music to go along with it (except for a few major exceptions). The sound effects, however, are good, the combat system is great (Real-Time, with special attacks, throws with the glove weapon, numbers that indicate damage which are bigger if the hit is more severe, critical hits (i.e. Rabite gets whacked) while the enemies can also make criticals, you can move and swing/thrust/hit in all directions, and opponents actually fly back and fall to the ground because of the force of your hits. Plus, it just looks good ;)

Lucasfilm Games 1991
Genre: Simulation
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

This game is one of the first real flight sims I played on the PC and despite its age it's a game I still play nowadays because it just has everything you can expect from a serious flight simulation game. But on to the details...