Icom Simulations 1991
Genre: Puzzle, Adventure
Rating: 3/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

The game is afoot... Sherlock Holmes is back on the screen of your computer and he looks more realistic than ever.... because he was filmed. This is not only one of the first games to be released on CD at all, but also one of the first to actually use this medium (i.e. it isn't just a disk game copied on a CD). Quite a jump for Icom, who were known for text-based games (Deja Vu, Uninvited, Shadowgate and Deja Vu 2) before.

Maxis / Infogrames 1991
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

A game which needs no introduction, because every single person on this planet has already played it or at least one of the hundreds of sequels and offshoots it spawned. This is the original game which started the 'Sim' craze. Ironically, it actually isn't a simulation game, but virtually the epitome of the non-war strategy genre, but its influence can be seen even today when people call pure strategy games 'simulations'.

Legend Entertainment 1991
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Earnie Eaglebeak, the first game's geeky hero, is back at Sorcerer University for his second year. His goal this time: studying very hard. Just kidding - he wants to join a fraternity and to be accepted, he has to go through a number of initiation rituals. In addition, SU president Tickingclock asks him to solve the riddles the Sorcerer's Appliance (a mystic piece of machinery which played a vital part in the predecessor) holds.

Tokyo Shoseki / Nintendo 1991
Genre: Sport
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: SNES

One thing before: I am, presumably like 99, 997% of humanity, not a tennis fan. Actually I detest tennis. Now the reader asks: "Why the hell does this guy write a review of a tennis game?" I am an employee at a public service und therefore working in several offices from time to time. There you have - you can easily imagine - a lot of time to fritter away. What are you doing then? That's right! Gaming! But what? Everyone who has ever spent eight hours playing Minesweeper or Solitaire knows that there are more refreshing games. Other games like Counterstrike that enforce themselves in huge network (2000 computers) are unsuitable either, if you don't want to surprise your boss with sudden "Yeah!!! Head shot!!!" interjections...

Ocean 1991
Genre: Action
Rating: 3/6
Language: English, Deutsch, Francais
Licence: Commercial
System: Game Boy

Talking about games that deal with films or series, sooner or later the phrase "licence crap" will come up. Many more or less common titles, for example almost every Simpsons game, do give reasons for this: The brand name itself is selling most of the copies, so why spend money on a complex production? Quickly design some sprites, that remind of the original characters and warm up some old games idea and the way into the shelves is paved.

Tiger Media 1991
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

It's been many years since you've last heard from your old war buddy Bronson Barnard. You two had been flying together over France in 1917, you even saved his life there once. After the war, your lives drifted apart. He became a successful industrialist, you joined the police first, and became a private detective later.

Electronic Arts 1991
Genre: Adventure, RPG
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Inside the dungeon below the ruins of an ancient city your old master, Mordamir the immortal, is imprisoned and seeking help. Traps and denizens of the underground will be on your way. Only your skills and spells will be on your side as you venture to the deepest cave.

White Wolf Productions 1991
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

The early 90s made the previously hardcore genre of hex-based wargames accessable to a much broader audience. The rules got simpler, the controls easier and the graphics less cryptic. The prime example of this trend is of course Battle Isle by Blue Byte. To a lesser extent, The Perfect General contributed there, too.

Lucasfilm Games 1991
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 6/6
Language: English, Deutsch, Francais
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

My name is Guybrush Threepwood. I want to be a pirate. What, you don't know what I'm talking about? Where have you been since 1990? The only excuse I will accept is this: searching treasure on a cut-off island with vegetarian cannibals, a hermit waiting to be rescued even though he has already built a boat and a giant monkey head!

Legend Entertainment 1991
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 6/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Time certainly flies by... when I first started this site in the last millenium, Legend's Adventure games were pretty common on sites like this one. Not as common as the ones by Sierra, of course, but they could easily be found. These days (2006), you'll probably find a few of the later point & click style ones (Death Gate, Shannara,...) and if you're very persistent, you might stumble across the odd site which mentions the Spellcasting games. I blame this lack on the lack of actual collectors among the webmasters. If the only source you have for games to put on your own site are other websites, it's an automatic downward spiral concerning diversity.