Bug-Byte Software 1983
Genre: Action
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: ZX Spectrum

Manic Miner is probably the best known Spectrum game ever created. Not only it offered an unprecedented length of gameplay, it offered a reward for the first person to complete the game, lush graphics and the never before heard of in-game music.

Electronic Arts 1984
Genre: Action, Puzzle
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Marble Madness was one of the first games on the new and fresh Amiga system. And what a way to get a system started! Although the game was also released for pretty much every other system out there at the time, it was the Amiga version which outshone them all. Closest to the original arcade machine (and even with the two player feature), it showed off the new computer's technical capabilities perfectly. A killer application, especially considering the direct competitor, the Atari ST, only had a greatly inferior port.

Origin 1991
Genre: RPG
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

In the Victorian age many celebrities that range from Marie Curie to Lenin have ended stranded on Mars. Now a second expedition, with a few more celebrities along the Avatar and professor Spector, is sent in a rescue mission.

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

Master of Magic is the sequel to Master of Orion. If you had read my review about that (I know you didn't...), you'd know MOO is my favourite game ever. Of course I had huge expectations. But the game didn't fulfill them all.

Microprose 1993
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 6/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Master of Orion - just a poor copy of Civilization or an independent game? The opinions differ extremely. There is hardly anyone who thinks it is mediocre. Either you hate it or you love it. As everbody can assume, I belong to the second group (else it would be in a different category). I'll explain why.

Access Software 1990
Genre: Adventure, Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Einstein was wrong: the people living after World War 3 (which happened in 1998) aren't fighting with pointed sticks and stones. It's still guns. The whole world is in fact still very much the same as we know it. If it weren't for a few details: Half of the population has mutated because of the high radiation and people are using flying 'speeders' instead of cars.

Sensible Software 1991
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Imagine a mixture between Populous, Powermonger, The Settlers and Civilization. What you get is Mega Lo Mania. This is of course not overly correct. Some of the games are older than the game we're talking about here (Populous, Powermonger) and can therefore be classed as role models. Civilization was developed at the same time and The Settlers was released significantly later, so it was inspired by Mega Lo Mania and not the other way round.

Mindscape 1994
Genre: Strategy, Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: English, Deutsch
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Windows 3.1 has never been a gaming platform. It was simply too slow and instable. There were of course exceptions. Most of them were turn-based games requiring much thinking. And there was Win-Doom as an action game. But that's it. Almost. One game which showed one possible way to work with Windows is almost always forgotten: Metal Marines!

Silmarils 1991
Genre: Action, Puzzle
Rating: 4/6
Language: Francais, English, Deutsch
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

As everybody knows, technology is evil. Some day, it machines will take over control and make humans their slaves. Comparing the amount of fictional coverage this theory gets to visions of less grim futures, it seems impossible it'll not come true. This game is yet another version of this well-known story. This time, mankinds only hope is a cyborg, the Metal Mutant of the title.

Microsoft 1992
Genre: Puzzle
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Microsoft Entertainment Package is a pack of 29 games, which were originally released for Windows 3.1. Over the time, some games disappeared, others are still to be found. Few of the games are original. Yet, they compose a fairly entertaining mix no office computer should be without. And home computers will bennefit from this package as well - some of the games are fun and addictive. Let us take a closer look what this package offers: