Core Design 1994
Genre: Action
Rating: 5/6
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Banshee is a very late arrival in the genre of shooters. In 1994, the gaming industry started moving everything towards 'three-dimensional' games, and classic concepts like this one slowly died out. Thankfully, this genre (at least the subgenre of 'vertical shooters') got one final hit with this game.

Revolution Software / Virgin 1994
Genre: Adventure
Rating: 5/6
Licence: Freeware
System: Amiga

If at first you don't succeed.... Lure of the Temptress wasn't a very good game, but it did receive quite positive reviews - let's just say there are and were games which are even more overrated. After that, Revolution Software took their time to develop a successor - and they succeeded in a brilliant way!

Art Department 1993
Genre: Adventure, Action
Rating: 3/6
Licence: Freeware
System: Amiga

The 'production secret' of 'Bi-Fi Roll' (greasy 'meatbar' imported from BSE-infected countries, hidden in a bread container), a single sheet of paper, has disappeared. Instead of taking the usual route of calling the lawyers to sue everybody in sight, Bifi can depend on volunteers who scout their cities for free, because they're aware that without constant supply of their drug, they won't survive for long.

Rauser / BWMi 1993
Genre: Strategy
Rating: 2/6
Licence: Freeware
System: Amiga

Just a little more than ten years ago (in 1993), there was no 'Internet' of today's proportions. Computer magazines coming with CDs full of stuff were still uncommon, too. To be exact, the first 'one-shot issues' of this kind appeared in early 1994 in Germany. So, 1993 was still a year of game demos being spread on floppy disks, and those were available on quite a few magazine covers.

Silmarils 1991
Genre: Action, Puzzle
Rating: 4/6
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

As everybody knows, technology is evil. Some day, it machines will take over control and make humans their slaves. Comparing the amount of fictional coverage this theory gets to visions of less grim futures, it seems impossible it'll not come true. This game is yet another version of this well-known story. This time, mankinds only hope is a cyborg, the Metal Mutant of the title.

Maelstrom / Rainbird 1990
Genre: Action, Strategy
Rating: 6/6
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

There are only very few games out there which actually deserve the over-used label 'epic'. Usually, games called 'epic' just go for broadness, i.e. they offer lots of stuff of the same kind. For example, such a game would have lots of levels, but all those levels require the same few activities and strategies.

Imagitec / Gametek 1993
Genre: Strategy, Puzzle
Rating: 4/6
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

This review is part of The Review Roundup - Round 1: Games Related to the End of the World

Norse mythology has its very specific version of how the world is going to end. The world will fall into a deadly winter, and all kinds of natural catastrophes will occur. Monsters will rise from the depth in which they hid. The monsters will ally with the giants, facing the gods and heroes. In this final battle between good and evil, everybody will perish - including the chief god Odin.

Graftgold 1993
Genre: Action
Rating: 5/6
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

When Uridium first came out, it was breathtaking: great looking, lovingly animated and incredibly fast at the same time. As the years went by, such qualities gradually lost some of their effect, of course. Still good, still (relatively) impressive, but not a sensation anymore.

Millenium 1991
Genre: Action
Rating: 4/6
Licence: Commercial
System: Amiga

Druid in its third round. War rages again in Belorn - how original. Lone magician (this time not called 'druid', but 'warlock') battles his way through and ends the threat.

After the relatively fresh and original Enlightenment, Warlock is a complete turn towards the original again. No more complicated spell management and also no non-linear levels anymore. In fact, the best description is this: New levels for the original Druid.