Dynamix 1994
Genre: Simulation
Rating: 6/6
Language: English, Deutsch, Francais
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

'Aces of the Deep' is IMHO the best part of the 'Aces'-series and by far the best WW2 submarine simulation. No other game could catch the intense battle of the German subs in the Atlantic in such realistic way like 'AoD'. Actual submarine and weapon developments, changes in convoy tactics, improving air cover of the Atlantic, historical events - everything you can expect is implemented in this game.

Chris Crawford 1990
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 6/6
Language: English
Licence: Freeware
System: PC

Balance of Power is almost a simulation of the cold war. As one of the two major superpowers (USA or USSR) you try to gain influence without starting a nuclear war.
The rest of the world is serving as a playground for the enemies. Other countries are not directly conquered but you try to get the respective government on your side or to overthrow it.

Microprose 1991
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 6/6
Language: English, Deutsch, Francais
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Without any doubt, Civilization is the greatest and most addictive game that ever graced a computer screen. Designed by Sid Meier, who at that time was already a household name among gamers, the game introduced the world to a new level of empire management: from settling whole continents, through researching new technologies, to building military units, city improvements and even wonders of the world. The game has spawned several sequels and copies, out of which only a single one (Alpha Centauri) comes close in the terms of gameplay and overall fun. Civilization has never left my hard drive, and probably never will, remaining the main reason why I still keep MS-DOS on a separate partition.

Microprose 1991
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 6/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

"Civilization" is definitely one of Sid Meier's masterpieces and surely one of the most famous games of all times. The game is far too complex to be reviewed in its entirety. For further explanations look into the very extensive help files and the Civilopedia which come with the game.

Apogee 1990
Genre: Action
Rating: 6/6
Language: English
Licence: Shareware
System: PC

Billy Blaze, better known as Commander Keen, is stuck on planet Mars after the evil aliens stole vital parts from his ship. Now there is just one thing to do if he wants to save the earth from their attack and that is travelling around through their weird constructions to recover what was stolen.

Infocom 1982
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 6/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Industrialist Marshall Robner has been found dead in his library. The room had been locked from the inside, and an overdose of the anti-depressants he had been taking has been found in his blood. A clear case of suicide? The responsible inspector seems to think so. The deceased's lawyer provides you with an interesting piece of informaton: Only days earlier, Robner said he wanted to change his will. It never came to that. How does that fit into the suicide theory? You're asked to investigate once again to see if your colleague was right about what he found.

Legend Entertainment 1994
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 6/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

The Fantasy genre. Not exactly a haven for innovation. Ever since Tolkien's Lord of the Rings has been released in 1954, most authors have tried to imitate his style. Standards are set, the fans can't seem to get enough of these stereotype stories and characters.

FTL 1989
Genre: RPG
Rating: 6/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

If there ever is a list of computer games that changed the world of gaming forever, Dungeon Master would figure prominently on the top, among such classics as Civilization and Doom. Dungeon Master was not the first roleplaying game to be viewed from a first person perspective; that honor goes to Akalabeth by Richard Garriot. It wasn't the most difficult game, either. However, by combining a very unique spell casting system with real-time combat, unprecedented graphics and awesome sound, the game managed to create such an authentic atmosphere that only Ultima Underworld, many years later, was able to match it.

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

El-Fish is a fish breeding/creating and aquarium-building simulation that was released by the companies Maxis and AnimaTek in 1994 (Maxis is the creator of the successful Sim game series, while AnimaTek was a Russian company that invented the concept of El-Fish). The game was advanced for its time -- the photorealistic 3-D fish you can create look and move very realistically, and, through breeding, can be shaped into from 800 possible attributes into infinite numbers of unique fish. A fractal-based generator can also create unique decorative plants for your tank, and a rather intelligent random music generator can put together simple pieces of background music for your tank-display. Plus, just watching the fish you've made swimming in a tank you've designed is a very calming and rewarding experience.

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

In my opinion 'Gunship 2000' is one of the best heli-simulations. Replayability is high due to the many machines you can fly and the randomly generated maps, so no two missions will be the same.