Dommelsch 1999
Genre: Sport, Action
Rating: 3/6
Language: English
Licence: Freeware
System: PC

Pinball games were the big hype for some time some years ago. It was all started by 21st Century Entertainment with their Pinball Dreams . In the following years, every company produced similar games in masses, most of them without any innovation as usual. But they were all commercial, sold for the 'normal' price of 50$ for one game including between merely one to up to four tables. The question how such a ridiculously high price can be justified was already valid back then.

Tengen / Domark 1990
Genre: Sport, Action
Rating: 2/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Atari ST

You've all gone through this: You see this amazing game, a technological marvel, a sensational experience. You buy the game, and then it turns out your own computer doesn't really seem to be up to it. These days, you'd just go out and buy a new video card or a faster processor, but in 1990, that just wasn't possible - because all hardware on the consumer market wouldn't have cut it in some cases. Cue S.T.U.N. Runner.

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.

Dataeast 1993
Genre: RPG, Action
Rating: 5/6
Language: English / German
Licence: Commercial
System: SNES

He wakes up in the mortuary. He doesn't know where he is. He doesn't know who he is. The only clue is a small, torn piece of paper in his pockets, telling him the address of a bar...
Well, that's the interesting beginning of an uncommon game. Shadowrun is one of the few adventures which are really unique concerning their feeling. During the game, you are drawn into the atmosphere of this gloomy piece of fiction. A world of powerful companies and powerless countries. You are right in the middle of it. Without identity. Everywhere you are threatened by violent mercenaries, but you don't know why they chase you.

Broderbund 1989
Genre: Sport, Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

This is definitely one of the strangest games I've ever played! Not much action, not much thinking, not much change. But nevertheless not a bad game!
The point is merely to play a kind of airhockey in a pub. This 'sport' is a bit difficult to explain to those who've never seen it. But I'll try:

Tecmo 1988
Genre: Action
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Silkworm represents a pretty popular genre on the Amiga. There were tons of similar games in which you were either flying, driving, walking or whatever and simply shot everything that came into sight. And this is almost everything that needs to be said about this particular game! The enemies are well done.

Microsphere 1985
Genre: Action, Adventure
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: ZX Spectrum

Eric is a normal schoolboy, and this game simulates his normal daily life. Unsurprisingly to those who haven't played it, but probably surprising to those who have, Skool Daze does have a goal. Eric's report card has gotten long. So long, in fact, that he's bound to get thrown out soon. Now there's only one thing to do: Eric has to get the card from the school safe located in the headmaster's office.

Bluemoon Software 1993
Genre: Sport, Action
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Freeware
System: PC

One of the most addictive games I have ever played, Skyroads is a unique blend of puzzle, action and racing. The game was written in 1993 by the Estonian company Bluemoon Software (currently Bluemoon Interactive), and enjoyed a moderate success as a shareware title. Bluemoon has built up a sizable distribution network with this game, and so the game was worth more than the money it earned: it opened the doors for later Bluemoon games and applications to be sold.

Epyx / US Gold 1990
Genre: Action, Simulation
Rating: 3/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: Atari ST

This is one I spent a lot of time with back in the days. At first glance, it's a simple aerial shooter, but there's more to it than that. Even though it's far from being a realistic simulation, there's a certain feel to the controls and general gameplay that draws you in, and before you know it, you really ARE crack pilot Butch Slayer, codename Fifi.

Krisalis 1993
Genre: Action, Sport
Rating: 4/6
Language: English, Deutsch, Francais, Italiano
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

It's 1994, the year of the world cup! All the teams of course want to win it. But there's also another creature who wants to own the cup: The evil alien 'Scab'! He's searching the galaxy for trophies to add to his collection. So he steals this one. But when he tries to beam it up to his ship, it collides with a rock and is smashed into five pieces which all fall back to earth but land on completely different continents! It would be a sad final without the ultimate trophy, so 'Soccer Kid' (What kind of name is that? His parents must have been high or something!) decides to find the missing pieces.