Back in the Eighties, Sword Of Destiny was one of the first computer games I played. After putting the cassette into the slightly damaged drive, you had to push down the play button and the cap all the time to avoid a crash during the process of loading. The longer the screen glimmered like a rainbow gone mad, the more the excitement grew. Finally it began: Down into the catacombs!
This is basically my favourite game of all times. It's easy to get fooled by the simplicity, but the simplicity is the ultimate sophistication is it not?
You control one of the contenders to become a local daimyo and later a shogun of Japan. That's the basic gist, but the amount of methods to achieve these goals are simply staggering. Well not really staggering, but there is A LOT of variation to a couple of game sequences you constantly engage in.
The future. Several syndicates control different regions of the world, and there's a war between them. You must take the role of one of the organizations and perform a variety of tasks to "capture" the regions one by one until you control them all.
A small retrospective: In Syndicate, a multitude of competing syndicates battles for world domination. The normal population doesn't know anything about this war, because they are influenced by a mind control chip implanted into each of them. The citizens are nothing more than obedient workers and the control chip shows them an ideal world. The main objective in Syndicate was to destroy the other syndicates and by this achieving world domination.
In the future everybody knows how cyberpunk works, and that's the reason the TriOptimum megacorporation makes that shady deal with a nameless hacker, offering him top-rate wetware just for removing the moral limitations from one of the biggest AIs in existence, SHODAN. What could go wrong?
Expectations: low, because the title makes obvious references to some of the uncoolest movies ever made; these wannabe funny 'gangster comedies' which just try too hard to be oh-so-cool – achieving exactly the opposite of the desired effect. In this one, you take over the role of a desperate small-time criminal planning to rob, of all places, an all night Taco place. Which, of course, turns out to be full of lazy policemen. But he stumbles into a much bigger adventure instead which might pay off nevertheless – financially and otherwise.
I just happened to run into an old review of mine:
[quote]Taipan - the legend is brought to the Windows operating system. This is a fanmade remake of the original game for the Apple II - and it features great gameplay in the environment of a true classic. The story is quickly told - you start off in the Hong Kong of the 1860s. You are the captain of a small ship and of course strive hard to become rich - a respected Taipan. You either begin with a little money you have lent from the local money lender who will charge you 10% a month, but would not normally lend someone without money anything (he will always lend you up to two times the amount you already have) or you start with 5 cannons on your ship but without any money (which also means no chance to lend anything). The last option might be the better one as in case you encounter some pirates you are not only able to defend yourself, but if you defeat them you will also get some thousand bucks.
Tales of the Unknown: The Bard's Tale, as this game was originally called, is one of the most important games in the history of computer gaming. In addition to bringing role-playing to the masses with its flashy graphics, simplified character development and relatively good story, never before and never again did a game development team include so many great talents. In fact, this game has launched the careers of several biggest names in the gaming industry, including Lawrence Holland, Joe Ybarra and Brian Fargo.
A very simple game for quick fun. Its attractiveness is caused by its original theme: As a waiter you have to serve the rushing-in customers.
But they are very impatient. Aparantely they are alcoholics. Their appearance points to that: unkempt beards and hair hidden under (probably) greasy hats. But also their behaviour lets you become suspicious about their addiction. They can't even wait for their beer (the game does not know other drinks) for some seconds. No, they need it immediately! And if you do not serve them at once, they will pull you over the bar.
Task Force 1942 is a great naval combat simulation that is staged (as the name suggests) in WW II in the Pacific. It concentrates on the battle for Guadalcanal and features all the ships that took part in this campaign. Great graphics, controls and the ability to build own scenarios make this game a true classic.
