Dynamix 1988
Genre: Simulation
Rating: 5/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

The M-1 Abrams is by far the most advanced tank in the current battlefield. While still using manual loading, everything else in the tank is very modern, making it a most formidable opponent. Originally designed for the European theater of war, the Abrams was, ironically, first deployed in the Persian Gulf for the Desert Storm. There, it proved to be one of the decisive weapons in the US military arsenal. While always on the forefront of the action, very few vehicles were damaged, and not a single member of the tank crew was killed. The Abrams proved both in long-range and short-range combat. In the long range, the tank could find and hit Iraqi tanks that were dug into the desert sand from a distance where the Iraqis didn't even see them. In its first skirmish, the tank proved itself in short range as well, when eight US tanks took out 38 Iraqi Republican Guard tanks. In addition to all, this, the Abrams was very safe. At one instance, shot from a point blank range into the side by an Iraqi tank, none of the tank crew was killed.

Avalon Hill 1991
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Acquire was one in a series of business board games created by Sid Sackson and released by 3M in the 1960s. Later, most of these games were released by Avalon Hill in the 1970s and 80s and are now the property of Hasbro. Acquire is probably the most exciting of this lot of games. It requires good thinking, great foresight, a little bit of luck and lots of attention. The computer version of the game can last only ten minutes, but these ten minutes will require your full attention. Due to the fact it is a board game, the replay value is extremely high.

Sega 1989
Genre: Action, Simulation
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

A conversion of an immensely popular arcade game, Afterburner does everything in its power to deliver the same feeling, but fall short. A long time ago, when I still visited arcade halls, Afterburner was one of my favorite games, but also one of the hardest to play, due to the long line of people waiting for their turn. It was one of those games where you sat down into a seat, which moved with you as you turned the airplane, flew up or down. The soundtrack, a cheap copy of the Top Gun music, blasted from all sides.

Richard Garriot 1980
Genre: RPG
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Even after the evil has been vanquished, there are still many foul creatures plaguing the land. It is your task to get rid of them. This rather unusual premise is the basis for the first roleplaying game ever. Selling only eight copies, it wasn't a commercial success either, but is spawned one of the most successful computer RPG franchises ever.

Thomas Biskup 2002
Genre: RPG
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Freeware
System: PC

If there is one game that professional developers and publishers hate, it's Ancient Domains of Mystery (ADOM). The final version (1.0) released in late 2002, this freeware role-playing game that fits on a single floppy offers an unprecedented depth of character development and a length of gameplay that easily matches the longest games ever released. In fact, ADOM offers more replay value than any game released in the 21st Century, and unlike many of those games, it remains fun no matter how often you replay it.

Farrware 1993
Genre: RPG
Rating: 3/6
Language: English
Licence: Shareware
System: PC

It is very rare to find a shareware first-person roleplaying game. Ancients I: Death Watch is just that. Clearly copied from Bard's Tale with a few minor improvements and a much weaker story, Ancients is a second-tier game at best, but still interesting and entertaining enough to keep you playing for a few days. The game is designed in first person, where a group of four adventurers explores a city and various dungeons that are accessible from the houses. Featuring graphics comparable with the first Bard's Tale, mapping the city is quite difficult, and it does not get much better in the dungeons.

Farrware 1993
Genre: RPG
Rating: 2/6
Language: English
Licence: Shareware
System: PC

It is very unusual for a relatively unsuccessful game like Ancients I to have a sequel. Ancients II: Approaching Evil simply increases the scope of the original game, but offers little else.

Ancients II is a shareware first-person roleplaying game, where you take charge of a group of adventurers and travel the land, vanquishing the monsters. As is the case with the first part, I could not find a coherent story or the ultimate goal in this game. It is as if the designers were creating only a demo for a game engine and forgot to fill in a story. Or maybe the engine did not allow a quest system. Either way, the lack of the story makes the game very repetitive and boring.

Thalion 1990
Genre: Puzzle
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Known mainly as a developer of very unique and very colorful role-playing games for the Amiga, Thalion has produced several high-quality puzzle games as well. Probably the best puzzle was Atomix, a mix of timed puzzle and educational software. Over the course of ever fifty levels, the player had to combine atoms into molecules, in order to advance further.

Micromagic / Origin 1988
Genre: RPG
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

Autoduel is one of the few classic games that don't deserve as much attention as it is getting. It may sound ironic that I review a game just because I don't consider it worth a review, but it isn't so. Autoduel is a very original piece of work, which is seriously flawed by inferior graphics, awkward interface and an extremely steep learning curve. Autoduel is simply the result of applying arcade principles to a pen-and-paper roleplaying game.

Westwood / Infocom 1988
Genre: RPG, Strategy
Rating: 4/6
Language: English
Licence: Commercial
System: PC

A unique blend of role-playing, tactical strategy and adventure, Battletech: The Crescent Hawk Inception was one of Infocom's first forays into graphical gaming. For years, the company ruled the text-based gaming, and with this ambitious product, wanted to cross over to the increasingly popular graphics-based games. Developed by Westwood's finest, the game became immensely popular, despite its balancing issues and weak graphics.