Microstyle 1989
Genre: Sport
Rating: 3/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: C64

To be sincere, I was planning something else for this review. I was convinced I had the geOS disks in my C64 ROMs collection, but I couldn't find it (it gets harder and harder with a 2000+ disk collection).

Nintendo 1989
Genre: Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Game Boy

Besides Tetris, Super Mario Land likely belonged to the basic repertoire of most Game Boy players. The main character is the trade mark of the Nintendo corporation, distinctively the "plumber" Mario, who is on a quest for the kidnapped princess Daisy in order to free her. Obviously, the designers rather concentrated on tradition than on innovation when they constructed this background story.

Capcom 1989
Genre: RPG, Adventure
Rating: 4/6
Language: Japanese, English (unofficial)
Licence: Commercial
System: NES

Mamiya Ichirou created a series of frescos that attracted many people to her abandoned and lost in the middle of the forest house. A place that obviously is damned and owned by her victim searching ghost.

SSI 1989
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Sword of Aragon is one of the most underrated games ever. This game has the full right to be listed among the top ten games of all times, yet I have never seen it listed at all. At a time when games offer flashy graphics and very simplistic and inadequate gameplay, Sword of Aragon shines as an immortal gem. This game does not require the same level of graphics and sound to be interesting: it combines complex economy, diplomacy and tactical combat in one neat package, reinforced by a very simple interface. It offers very complex and lengthy gameplay, yet the learning curve is very low. Overall, the game, is the pure essence of excellent design end execution.

Nintendo 1989
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Game Boy

Now you may wonder what is Tetris doing in the GameBoy category. The reason is simple: Tetris, while popular on arcades, needed a platform to propagate among the general population, and GameBoy proved to be the perfect platform. When GameBoy was first released, it sold with the Tetris cartridge included, a move that not only boosted the GameBoy sales but also made Tetris a household name. In fact, many speculated (and I think they have a point) that GameBoy was designed with Tetris in mind; such is the integration of these two.

Eldritch Games 1989
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Alone in the Dark, Shadow of the Comet, Prisoner of Ice - games based on or inspired by works by H.P. Lovecraft. None of these can claim to be the best or first game of this theme though, because there is another one which is both older and still beats them all easily: The Hound of Shadow!

Domark 1989
Genre: Action
Rating: 3/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

My name is Bond - James Bond! This game is based on the movie starring Roger Moore. I suppose everyone has seen at least one James Bond movie, so I won't explain what that is...

Domark took the action parts of it and put them into levels which are only loosely connected with short text-based explanations about the story. Most levels are basically the same. You see your vehicle from top and have to reach the level's exit without being killed. These vehicles are either a Lotus Esprit (driving on the road or diving under water!) or a small motor boat. From time to time an enemy appears and you have to shoot him. If you don't have any missiles left, it doesn't matter too much - just let him drive in front of you and avoid his shots! Sometimes a big truck labelled 'Q' appears in front of you. Don't try to destroy or overtake it (like I did when I first played the game 10 years ago ;) - It's your friend 'Q' who 'sells' you equipment for the 'Q'-coins you've selected before!

Titus 1989
Genre: Action
Rating: 3/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

What a mediocre game! Walking from left to right and beating up evil guys. There's also some kind of 'story' behind it, but I have to confess I don't know it exactly. When playing it again for the review, I couldn't find the intro, no matter how hard I tried!