All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'core, Mac, Windows' on The Great Games Experiment All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'core, Mac, Windows' on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/css/logo.jpg All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'core, Mac, Windows' on The Great Games Experiment en-us Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos Developed by classic developer house Westwood Studios, Lands of Lore is a role playing game (RPG) that was originally released for the PC back in 1994! Since then it has won numerous awards and received much acclaim. At the time, it was one of the biggest and most detailed games available. It took full advantage of the new CD-ROM format with full voice digitization including voicing done by Patrick Stewart portraying King Richard.

The game interface is superbly done, by far the easiest and smoothest I have ever played. Many RPGs tend to have complicated interfaces that take hours of learning to master. But not here, simply click on the sword or magic symbol to use it. Other features include a compass, and a very nice auto-mapper which is a necessity in such a huge world.

Unlike some RPGs, Lands of Lore places more emphasis on adventure and less on the complexities of character and party selection. This allows you to be able to get into the game quickly without squabbling over the unnecessary details in some games, like the color of your pants.
]]> 08 Feb 2007 02:06:11 Cave Story - Doukutsu Monogatari Cave Story is a freeware sidescrolling action/adventure/platformer title with leanings towards Wonderboy and recent sidescrolling Castlevania titles. You control a little amnesiac who runs around helping out these rabbit-ish creatures called Mimigas while trying to find your way out of the giant cave inside the floating island which makes up the game's setting.

This is a free game made by one man:

Pixel said,
It's been five years since I first thought to myself, "Hey, why not try making a game?" I developed Cave Story at my own pace, taking my time, and while doing so I released a few other smaller games as well.
]]> 26 Nov 2006 01:38:13 Starcraft: Brood War StarCraft: Brood War is an expansion pack released in 1998 for StarCraft — an award winning real-time strategy computer game. It was co-developed by Saffire and Blizzard Entertainment.

The expansion pack introduced new campaigns and two additional units for each race, new tech advancements, new map tilesets, and new music. The campaigns continue the story from where the original StarCraft left off: the Overmind had been destroyed with the sacrifice of Tassadar, the Protoss homeworld of Aiur had been left desolate and rampaged by the Zerg, and Kerrigan was now left alone in her new Zerg form. Full details are in the Brood War introduction.

The first of the new campaigns involves the Protoss, (or rather, the Dark Templars), and mostly takes place on their homeworld of Shakuras. The second campaign features the newly arrived armies of the United Earth Directorate (UED) commanded by Admiral DuGalle, and the last campaign (Zerg) has Kerrigan as the protagonist.
]]> 08 Feb 2007 04:18:51 Star Wars: TIE Fighter Published by: LucasArts
Developed by: Totally Games
Genre: Space simulation
Number of players: 1
Release date: 1994, 1995

It is a time of chaos in the Empire. Rebel factions strike from hidden bases, pirates plunder unsuspecting civilian spacecraft, and traitors plot behind the Emperor's back. You, a rookie pilot in the Imperial Navy, must rise to action for the glory of the Empire and the good of all mankind.

The player's character is unnamed (however, in sources outside the game, name is Maarek Stele), but features such notable Star Wars characters as: Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, and even Admiral Thrawn from the books.

Star Wars: TIE Fighter is somewhat of a sequal to Star Wars: X-Wing, however this time the player is the "bad guy." With various objectives ranging from destroying pirates and Rebels to flying wingman for Darth Vader himself, TIE Fighter offers a great deal of enjoyment for those who love the Star Wars universe.

Gameplay involves managing your weapons/engine/shield (if available) systems while dogfighting enemy spacecraft or attacking larger capital spaceships. Additionally, missiles are limited (if even available), so must be used carefully. Because this is the side of the Empire, the fighters you will be flying initially are very vulnerable to damage. Two or three hits to your TIE Fighter and you're toast, and destroying shielded enemy Rebel fighters in such a craft can be challenging.

Mission objectives are crucial to completing stages of the game, and advancing the storyline. Additionally, there are optional bonus objectives, which influence the secondary advancement in the Emperor's secret order.
]]> 24 Jan 2007 07:45:12 Civilization II The design team at Microprose has managed to add a score of new play elements that help the aging strategy classic evolve - without sacrificing the game's addictive qualities.

By: MicroProse, MPS Labs
Genre: Historic Turn-Based Strategy
Release Date: Feb 29, 1996
Players: 1
]]> 05 Feb 2007 10:23:37 Sam & Max Hit the Road Sam and Max are the oddest of detectives, an anthropomorphic dog and a psychotic rabbit, featured here in a cross country adventure. The game includes a wealth of crazy puzzles, nonstop humor, and sharp satire of Americana, as the trenchcoat wearing dog and and his pal search for an escaped bigfoot.


Additional Game Features:

  • Classic "point and click" adventure packed with humor.

  • 5 mini-games are also contained within the game.

  • Backgrounds beautifully drawn in 256 colors.

  • Based upon comic book characters created by Steve Purcell, who was also the lead writer of this adventure.

  • Graphical adventure using the SCUMM engine.

  • Released simultaneously on CD-ROM and Floppy, the CD version includes complete voice performances.


Developer: LucasArts
Publisher: LucasArts
Released: 1993 (DOS), 1995 (Mac)

System Requirements
386/33 MHz CPU, 4 MB RAM, 256 color VGA, DOS 5.0
]]> 23 Dec 2006 12:43:47 Loom Loom is a strange and beautiful adventure game set in a feudal past. The hero is Bobbin Threadbare, a weaver. In the world of Loom, everyone belongs to a guild. Apart from the weavers, there are sheperds, blacksmiths, glass makers.

When Bobbin embarks on his quest, he has no inventory (very unusual in an adventure game), he will solve problems not with items, but with "drafts", spells consisting of four notes of music. These drafts can be written down in the beautiful Book of Patterns that is present even in later jewelcase editions.

Loom first came out 1989 on floppies with EGA graphics and a 30-minute audio prologue on tape. The next year it was ported to Mac and Amiga. While the black & white Macintosh version is rather interesting, the color ports are rather crude. 1991 saw a new DOS CD version with VGA graphics and CD music.
]]> 08 Feb 2007 02:11:49 Quakeworld Team Fortress Team Fortress (TF or QWTF/Quakeworld TF for this specific version) was a popular multiplayer modification for id Software's "Quake". It featured teams of players choosing from 9 different classes in matches of capture the flag, VIP escort, territorial control, and many other missions.

Team Fortress 1.0 was released July 25th, 1996 for the original Quake, and the first release for QuakeWorld (v2.0) came on December 22, 1996 taking advantage of the enhanced multiplayer functionality of the new client.

It was sufficiently successful that the developers formed TeamFortress Software to then develop "Team Fortress 2" as a commercial mod for Quake II. TF would instead be rewritten for the Half-Life engine.

Over ten years later, TF still enjoys a small community of active players, and several variations on the original TF formula have helped keep peoples interest, including CustomTF, which introduced the ability to configure your own custom class by trading frags scored as cash to purchase abilities.

[adapted and extended from Wikipedia]
]]> 05 Jun 2007 11:12:49 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic It is Four Thousand years before the Galactic Empire and hundreds of Jedi Knights have fallen in battle against the ruthless Sith. As the last hope of the Jedi, you must lead a band of freedom fighters in an epic struggle to save the galaxy. Can you master the awesome power of the Force on your quest to save the Republic? Or will you fall to the lure of the dark side?
Hero or villain, savior or conqueror...you must choose wisely as you alone will determine the destiny of the entire galaxy!
]]> 25 Nov 2006 04:18:12 Blockland The game where you build stuff.

An open-ended, non-competitive, multi-player construction game. You build online with bricks.
]]> 09 Oct 2006 01:38:19 Full Throttle Motorcycles. Mayhem. Murder.

One minute you're on the road, riding. Then some guy in a suit comes along, says he's got a deal for you and your gang. But when you come to, you've got a lump on your head, the law on your back, and a feeling that the road you're on is about to get a lot rougher...
]]> 26 Nov 2006 05:42:45 Deus Ex The year is 2052 and the world is a dangerous and chaotic place. Terrorists operate openly - killing thousands; drugs, disease and pollution kill even more. The world's economies are close to collapse and the gap between the insanely wealthy and the desperately poor grows ever wider. Worst of all, an ages old conspiracy bent on world domination has decided that the time is right to emerge from the shadows and take control. No one believes they exist. No one but you.
]]> 22 Nov 2006 09:26:12 Starcraft An excellent RTS. Control one of three races to battle and destroy the opponents. The three races have different properties and abilities, but the balance in gameplay is superb.

Made by Blizzard, creators of Warcraft.
]]> 07 Dec 2006 01:22:55 Sid Meier's Civilization Sid Meier's Civilization is a landmark turn-based strategy game. It is inspired by Avalon Hill' board game of the same name.

The game begins in 4000 BC, where the player gets a small tribe which have to be controlled and made great through the ages until modern and near-future times. The game is also known simply as Civilization, or abbreviated to Civ or Civ I.
]]> 05 Feb 2007 10:25:27 Ultima IV - Quest of the Avatar From the Moby Games entry:

The fourth game in the now well-established Ultima series featured an improved game engine, with color graphics and better character interaction (you could now have actual conversations with NPCs). But what really makes Ultima IV shine is its radical departure from any other RPG made before or since in terms of the story and goal.

Instead of building up your character by any means possible in order to face the Ultimate Evil in a big bang up showdown, in Ultima IV you were trying to become the Avatar, a role model of sorts for the people of the land. This meant upholding the "eight virtues" and basically trying to become a better person. In most RPGs you chose to be a just/nice hero because the people you'd help would usually provide you with some nice equipment for your services, but in Ultima IV you helped people not for a reward or to advance the plot but simply because it was the "right thing to do". The game actually frowns on behavior that was typical of most other RPGs, such as backstabbing fleeing monsters or picking up everything that wasn't nailed down even if it didn't belong to you. The game keeps track of all your actions, so if you went about killing and looting like in most RPGs, you'd never finish the game.

This VERY different approach to the game's ultimate goal is what makes Ultima IV famous so many years later, and became the sort of design philosophy that made all the following Ultimas so unique in their genre.

Of course, the game still has plenty of traditional RPG elements such as dungeons to explore and hostile monsters to kill, as well as a typical final "Holy Grail" type quest where you had to find the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom to complete your transformation into Avatarhood.

In 1996 Computer Gaming World named Ultima IV as #2 on its Best Games of All Time list on the PC.

The game was released for free to the public. The original MS-DOS version is available on many sites, and a game engine recreation is now available for for Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux.
]]> 05 Dec 2006 01:59:25 Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares Master of Orion II is like Civilization. Rather than take over the world, you focus on the galaxy, taking worlds instead of cities. Pick or create your own race, pursue technologies, employ strategic fleet deployments, and engage in extremely advanced diplomacy.

Various paths to victory.
]]> 02 Feb 2007 04:54:21 Quest for Glory 2: Trial by Fire Directly following from the events of the first game, the newly-proclaimed Hero of Spielburg travels by flying carpet with his friends Abdulla Doo, Shameen and Shema to the desert city of Shapeir. The city is threatened by magical elementals, while the Emir Arus al-Din of Shapier's sister city Raseir is missing and his city fallen under tyranny.

After defeating the four elementals that threaten Shapeir, the Hero travels to the city of Raseir. There, he is imprisoned by Khaveen and under hypnosis helps the evil tyrannous wizard Ad Avis to resurrect the evil genie Iblis. In the final fight, the Hero attacks the palace and battles with Ad Avis, who falls to his presumed death begging for assistance from his Dark Master. As thanks for the Hero's success in liberating Raseir and restoring its lost splendor, the Sultan of Shapeir, Harun al-Rashid, rewards the Hero by adopting him as his son.
- from Wikipedia
]]> 22 Apr 2007 07:55:46 Strife Strife is a first-person shooter computer game based on the Doom engine from id Software. Strife added some role-playing game elements and allowed players to talk to other characters in the game's world.

The world is a comprehensive environment, not divided into levels like most other 3D shooters of the time. Instead, the player travels from a cental hub-like area in the city between various levels which will stay the same as when the player left them.
]]> 24 Jan 2007 10:51:36 Chesspark Chesspark was created by chess lovers to bring chess to a wide audience of casual, club, and professional players. Our modern and easy to use interface makes use of the latest technologies for the Web as well as Instant Messaging in order to make online chess accessible to everyone, not just the elite players. However, those elite players will find features at Chesspark that are available no where else and made just for them.
]]> 07 Mar 2007 08:08:05 Football Manager 2007 Latest in a long line of Football Management simulations primarilarly designed for playing on the PC or Mac but now also available on the Xbox360 console.
]]> 29 Mar 2007 09:24:37 The Continuum The Continuum combines classic turn-based wargaming, collectibility and RPG character development into one multi-player adventure that will change the way you game. Characters, abilities and equipment combine with in-game artifacts, epic battlefields, and changing scenarios to provide an experience that is at once familiar and all-new.

Players will have a huge impact on the ultimate design, features, and direction that the game takes as the beta rolls out. Pre-registration for the beta is open at the official website for The Continuum.
]]> 17 May 2007 01:28:46 Total Annihilation A long time ago, the galaxy was ruled by a wise and benevolent central body known as the Core (named after their location, at the core of the galaxy, although some believe it is a portmanteau of "Consciousness Repository"). This organization pushed scientific progress and planetary colonization forward until the human race covered almost the entire galaxy. Ironically, it was the Core's final triumph against mortality that would prove to be its undoing, for when the Core mandated uploading all peoples' brain patterns into machines in a method known as "patterning," there was a massive rebellion from the Arm (named after their location, an arm of the spiral galaxy), an organization which banded together from the edges of the galaxy and demanded to keep their physical bodies. A war like no other began, which has since raged on for four thousand years. The Core copy their finest warriors' brains into fighting robots, and the Arm respond with cloning and powerful manned units.
]]> 25 Nov 2006 04:43:04 Baldur's Gate Baldur's Gate was the first great daptation of the classic tabletop, role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons that reinvigorated the hardcore role-playing genre for the PC.

It offers six separate races and eight core character classes, from which the player can create a completely original character. The game world is beautifully designed in the best 2d renders of its time, and players are free to explore this wonderful game environment in any way they see fit, all against the backdrop of a thoughtfully conceived and versatile plot written by the genre's finest at Bioware.

Your adventures begin as a young orphan living with your stepfather within the safe and scholarly confines of Candlekeep on the Sword Coast. It is an idyllic life until you are forced to leave the place in order to ensure the safety of everyone within. Your stepfather is killed on the night of your journey, and it becomes clear that you are intended to be next. You, as the young protagonist, then set out to discover your true identity, which your stepfather kept from you, and your ultimate destiny.

During the adventures, you recruit a number of personable allies, battle foes, delve into dungeons, trek across wilderness, solve mysteries, and complete a plethora of epic quests that are seamlessly sown into the fabric of the overall plot. The story line unfolds in response to your choices to reveal your character's true identity as well as the nature and motive of your enemies.

Baldur's Gate is the epitome of the classic role-playing experience. It won several awards in 1998 for being the Role-Playing Game of the Year, and as such, it sets itself as the standard by which all such games will be judged. Games like Planescape: Torment, Neverwinter Nights and Knights of the Old Republic all take inspiration from the masterpiece that is Baldur's Gate.
]]> 25 Jan 2007 03:49:28 The Settlers II This is the second game in the popular Settlers series. As in the first game, you start with just one main building from which you have to extend a network of roads and buildings. Resource management is important, and so planning your kingdom's infrastructure is an important part of the game.

There are more than 30 different professions your men can have, and many different building types. Of course, there are other settlers in your area, too, so war is unavoidable.
]]> 22 Dec 2006 04:07:22 Warcraft 3: Frozen Throne Following in the tradition of previous Blizzard expansion sets, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne provides gamers with a vast new chapter in the epic Warcraft saga! In the single-player campaign, players revisit the war-torn world of Azeroth. Several months have passed since Archimonde and the Burning Legion were defeated at the battle of Mount Hyjal, yet a new threat has arisen throughout the land.
]]> 15 Dec 2006 08:35:24 MindRover MindRover: The Europa Project was first released in 1999 by CogniToy.
]]> 04 Dec 2006 10:48:11 Diablo 2 Since the beginning of time, the forces of Order and Chaos have been engaged in an eternal struggle to decide the fate of all Creation. That struggle has now come to the Mortal Realm...and neither Man, Demon, nor Angel will be left unscathed...

After possessing the body of the hero who defeated him, Diablo resumes his nefarious scheme to shackle humanity into unholy slavery by joining forces with the other Prime Evils, Mephisto and Baal. Only you will be able to determine the outcome of this final encounter...

In Diablo II, return to a world of dark fantasy. As one of five distinct character types, explore the world of Diablo II -- journey across distant lands, fight new villains, discover new treasures, and uncover ancient mysteries, all in the quest to stop the Lord of Terror, once and for all...

Game Features

  • Five all-new character classes with unique attributes and abilities

  • Four different, fully populated towns complete with wilderness areas

  • Multiple dungeons, caverns, and crypts in every town for players to explore

  • Expanded world, filled with all-new quests, weapons, spells, armor, monsters, and non-player characters

  • Advanced combat system, incorporating class-specific fighting techniques and spells

  • Full Multiplayer support, including Internet play over Battle.net®

  • Optional 3Dfx and Direct3D support
    • ]]>     07 Dec 2006 12:38:51     Civilization 4 Uber sweet addition to the Civilizations series. Adds religion, a new combat system, new wonders, new tech, and old fashion "just one more turn" fun.
    ]]>     27 Nov 2006 09:15:53     Valendera: Epoch of Shadows RPG based on the world of Valendera.
    ]]>     21 Dec 2006 08:44:37     Doom The mother of all FPSes...

    Doom. Run around, blast demons, get weapons. Uncompromisingly intense, with no shortage of challenge, Doom ushered in a new era - the age of the FPS.
    ]]>     26 Nov 2006 06:16:16     Unreal Tournament Upon its release in early November 1999, Unreal Tournament surprised the gaming community with its rock-solid network code, challenging single-player bot play, unique gameplay modes, and polished presentation. The critics were equally impressed and UT was awarded with Game of The Year honors by a variety of publications, including GameSpy.com and Computer Gaming World. UT was later ported to the PS2, Dreamcast, Linux, and Mac.
    Years later, people are still making great modifications and add-ons for UT. One successful community spawned mod, Tactical Ops, was even recently released as an entire stand-alone commercial product.
    ]]>     16 Dec 2006 11:57:09     Max Payne
    PC Gamer said,
    Story is the bedrock of Max Payne. Yeah, it's chock full of mind-blowing gunplay, but at every turn, a new and clever piece of noir storytelling will motivate you forward and illuminate the action.

    Max Payne is a man with nothing to lose in the violent, cold urban night. In the gritty bowels of New York during the century's worst blizzard Max is a fugitive undercover cop framed for murder, and now hunted by cops and the mob, Max is a man with his back against the wall, fighting a battle he cannot hope to win. Prepare for a new breed of deep action game. Prepare for the pain...

    The game immerses us in a dark world, aptly propelled forward by a graphic novel complete with narration in the classic style of detective film noir.


    Additional Game Features:

    • The first PC game with photo-digitized textures, radiosity lighting and hardwaret T&L combined.

    • Another first in gaming is a unique utilization of "bullet-time gameplay" in which the player can briefly enter a slow motion world of quickened reflexes to get an edge in the fierce shootouts.

    • Auto-adjusting gameplay means the action will be challenging and intense without becoming unfair and frustrating.

    • Easiest-to-use game editor ever released, with WYSIWYG-style editing (PC version only). Even recreate your house or workplace!

    • Painstaking attention to detail. Bullets even modeled accurately resulting in realistic and cinematic gameplay. Everything is destructible and comes apart realistically.

    • MAX-FX engine is built from the ground up to take full advantage of 3D acceleration. There is no software renderer in the game. MAX-FX is fully optimized for PIII's SSE instruction set.

    • Single Player only. Game completion unlocks special modes.

    Developed by Remedy Entertainment & Produced by 3DRealms, with Neo developing the Xbox version, Rockstar Canada developing the PS2 version, Rockstar Leeds for the GBA and MacSoft for the Mac.
    Publishers: Gathering of Developers for the PC, Rockstar Games for the console titles, and Take2 for European distribution, and MacSoft and Feral for the Mac editions.
    Released: July 25, 2001 for the PC


    Minimum System Requirements
    450 MHz Intel/AMD Processor, 96 MB RAM, 16 MB Direct3D Compatible Graphics Card

    Remedy Entertainment, a Finnish game development company, was founded in August, 1995. From the very start, the company's goal has been to create die-hard action games that are great fun to play.
    ]]>     31 Dec 2006 11:47:59     World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Several years have passed since the Burning Legions defeat at Mount Hyjal and the races of Azeroth have continued to rebuild their once shattered lives. With renewed strength, the heroes of the Horde and Alliance have begun to explore new lands and broken through the Dark Portal to investigate the realms beyond the known world. Will these heroes find friends or foes? What dangers and rewards lie in wait beyond the Dark Portal? And what will they do when they discover that the demons they thought vanquished have returned to renew their terrible Burning Crusade? World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade is the exciting new expansion to Blizzards award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game. It expands the game by tremendous bounds, adding new races, lands, battlegrounds, professions, items and more.
    ]]>     03 Feb 2007 06:53:20     Saucelifter Tell us about your game here
    ]]>     14 Dec 2006 07:21:45     You Don't Know Jack

    You Don't Know Jack: the show where high culture and pop culture collide!


    You Don't Know Jack is a series of quiz show-inspired computer games which combine trivia and comedy. The games are known for their humor and challenge, as well as simple presentation. The games rarely use graphics, relying heavily on voice acting and text.

    The games have recently been revived at the YDKJ official website, where new episodes are released every weekday. These are developed in Flash and are available to play for free within your web browser.

    Category: Quiz

    Release Date: Varied

    Developer: Jellyvision
    ]]>     26 Mar 2007 11:13:20     Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
    Legendary designer Sid Meier presents the next evolution in strategy games, with the most addictive, compelling gameplay yet. Explore the alien planet that is your new home and uncover its myriad mysteries. Discover over 75 extraordinary technologies. Build over 60 base upgrades and large-scale secret projects for your empire. Conquer your enemies with a war machine that you design from over 32,000 possible unit types.

    War and natural disaster have finally destroyed the Earth, and a UN starship bound for the earthlike planet "Chiron" remains as the last hope to further humanity. The ship is thought to be carrying the "best and brightest" of our race, but even before arriving at Alpha Centauri rival factions form, and the challenge to preserve civilization begins again.

    A landmark in turn-based strategy gaming, Alpha Centauri subtly introduces the player to a wealth of real historical, scientific and cultural information while engaging them in the challenging, and sometimes daunting, task of creating and maintaining a new civilization.

    Developed by Firaxis Games, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri was published for Windows in 1999 by Electronic Arts, and for Mac in 2000 by Aspyr. A Linux version was published by Loki in 2001.

    System requirements: Pentium 133 MHz CPU, 16MB RAM, 60 MB Hard drive

    A recommended expansion pack, "Sid Meier's Alien Crossfire" is also available.

    Gamespot's 1999 "Turn-Based Game of the Year" is just one of dozens of awards won by Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri!
    ]]>     14 Dec 2006 05:18:14     Syndicate Controversial at its time of release ('93), Syndicate is a violent, real-time tactical game with cyborg agents performing missions all over the world ranging from political assassinations to abductions and rescues.
    ]]>     01 Dec 2006 02:15:43     Unreal Tournament 2k4
    ]]>     20 Sep 2007 10:48:21     Oregon Trail II This version of the game includes far more detail than the original. For instance, rafting down the Columbia River is a much greater challenge than it was in the original Oregon Trail. Whenever an accident happens, the game ceases and the player must decide what to do in response. Players are also able to talk with other settlers along the way and ask their advice when needed.

    This version also allows the player to choose between 20 years of travel (rather than 1 in the original) from 1840 to 1860. Travel is much easier in later years, as there are more towns and trading posts along the way to resupply your party.

    OCCUPATIONS: In the Oregon Trail II, you can also select a number of different occupations, many with different skills that can assist you in your journey across the west. Such occupations include banker, doctor, merchant, pharmacist, wainwright, gunsmith, mason, blacksmith, wheelwright, cappenter, saddlemaker, brickmaker, prospector, trapper, surveyor, shoemaker, journalist, printer, butcher, baker, tailor, farmer, pastor, artist, and teacher. (Occupations listed in descending order in terms of cash on hand in the beginning of the game.) Despite some occupations having more money than others, the low income occupations get a greater final bonus, which proves crucial in getting a decent score in the end of the game. For example, a teacher may begin the game with only $500, but receives a 5.0x score bonus. A banker starts off with $2000, but receives a 1x bonus (no bonus). If the banker uses his abundance of funds, he can buy most everything essential for the journey right away and would need to resupply very few times over the course of the trip. Let's say the banker makes it to his destination with a score of around 4,000. If the teacher does well over the course of their journey headed to the same destination and utilizes trading well because of limited money, they will most likely get nearly five times the score of the banker.

    LEVELS: Along with selecting an occupation for your character, you must also choose if you wish to remain a Greenhorn (a regular member of the wagon party, having no authority), an adventurer (Wagon train captain, elected to lead and choose different trails) and the trail guide (Navigator, paid well and allowed to choose paths at trail forks, but can be kicked off the wagon train if morale falls too low).

    STARTING TOWNS: There is a decent selection of starting points, including the classic Independence, MO, and newer towns like St. Joseph, MO, Kanesville/Council Bluffs, IA, and Nauvoo, IL.

    TRAILS AND LANDMARKS: The historical accuracy of the trails and landmarks is astounding. Famous trails other than the Oregon trail are also a part of the game, including the California Trail, Applegate Trail, and Mormon Trail.

    DESTINATIONS: Also, there are four possible destinations. However, some destinations are available in different years: Oregon City (Earlier year the Willamette Valley), Sacramento (Earlier year the Sacramento Valley), Jacksonville, OR, (Earlier year the Rogue River Valley), or Salt Lake City.

    HUNTING: Inside the game is the classic hunting sub-game. In Oregon Trail II, you can choose between three firearms for hunting: the Pistol, the Shotgun, and the Rifle. The Pistol is the most basic hunting tool and is only really effective against rodents large and small, killing larger animals such as deer and bear take multiple shots. The Shotgun is effective against birds and other animals at close range, but doesn't have the range or power to take down buffalo, etc. Overall, the Rifle is the best firearm in the game. Usually killing an animal close and far with one kill, it is the "most for your money" firearm in the game.

    SUPPLIES: Especially in large towns, the selection of supplies is astounding. Dozens of medicines, clothing items, food items and other miscellaneous essentials (and not so essentials) are available for purchasing. During the beginning of the game, package deals are available up to six months of provisions. Keep in mind, however that the many perils in the game will cause many provisions to be lost or used for trade. It is still prudent to purchase the largest package deal offered.

    ANIMALS: Some various animal types are available during the game to bring along in your trek across the western territories, such as Oxen, Horses, Mules, Chickens, and Milk Cows. Different animals provide different uses, such as Oxen being effective in pulling your wagon to your destination and chickens laying eggs for consumption. In the end of the game, the more draft animals you have, the better your score in that category.

    OTHER: Some other unique aspects of the game include the California Gold Rush after 1848 and your ability to prospect for gold (If your occupation is prospector, you'll typically find more gold than anyone else). At the destination screen in the end of the game, you can also read a fun "What Lies Ahead" section which describes what happens to your character after they settle. Also, you are able to save your diary, which the computer keeps for you so you can reflect on the events of your journey.

    (Quoted from Wikipedia)
    ]]>     10 Jun 2007 01:08:07     StarCraft 2 StarCraft II continues the epic saga of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg. These three distinct and powerful races will clash once again in the fast-paced real-time strategy sequel to the legendary original, StarCraft. Legions of veteran, upgraded, and brand-new unit types will do battle across the galaxy, as each faction struggles for survival.

    Featuring a unique single-player campaign that picks up where StarCraft: Brood War left off, StarCraft II will present a cast of new heroes and familiar faces in an edgy sci-fi story filled with adventure and intrigue. In addition, Blizzard will again offer unparalleled online play through Battle.net, the company's world-renowned gaming service, with several enhancements and new features to make StarCraft II the ultimate competitive real-time strategy game.
    ]]>     19 May 2007 03:51:27     Slouching Towards Bedlam Enter a steampunk adventure set in a London that might have been. The year is 1885. Bedlam Hospital still stands in Moorsfield, a decaying shell used to house the poor and the hopeless. Steam-driven mechanical wonders roam the streets. Gear-wheeled analytical engines spin out reams of thought onto punched paper tapes.

    And in the darkness - in the alleys and the side shops - hide secrets.
    ]]>     11 Feb 2007 12:49:30     Deluxe PocMon Deluxe PocMon is Edgar M Vigdals Deluxe Pacman remake for the PC and MAC. Deluxe Pacman was a very popular Amiga shareware game that garnered many many addicted fans. Now, on both the PC and MAC, it includes all the old bonuses like glue, extra time, guns and gems, but now it is bigger and better than ever. There are many new modes of play and skill levels. Over 100 levels including bonus rounds and even some secret levels too. There are also even more bonus pickups of course, and the graphics and eye-candy have had a nice boost. Profiles make the game even more addictive and we hope to add even more very very soon. This is a much more recent release from us and so is still in active development but it is already at a fully playable, stable and bugfree stage. I played a much larger part in this games development, doing the usual testing and QC, but i also recorded the entire voice set, created all the levels and many of the tilesets are my own. Of course being a part of this one from the start also made it easier to implement many of my own ideas for the game of which many are in :) One of the great bits is in duel mode where you can come back as a ghost and chase round your rivals for some revenge... Great fun. A must try, so grab the demo now !!
    ]]>     03 Feb 2007 02:23:23     Polar Kubes Eddie the Eskimo is hungry and so are his friends. It's time to go fishing for your supper, but all the ponds are frozen over.

    You must draw a line with your fishing rod on the ice and every ice kube you touch will then be flipped over, hopefully creating whole horizontal lines of the same colour ice. It is not as easy as it sounds, as you can only flip the ice once before supper time, and your line cannot cross over itself. Can you unfreeze the seventy ice pools and feed everyone, or are you all going to bed without your supper?
    ]]>     21 Feb 2007 06:34:48     Duke Nukem 3D Duke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter developed by 3D Realms and released on January 29, 1996 by Apogee Software, featuring the adventures of Duke Nukem, based on a character that had appeared in earlier platform games by the company: Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II.
    ]]>     12 Dec 2006 04:31:12     Galcon Galcon is an awesome high-paced multi-player galactic action-strategy game. You send swarms of ships from planet to planet to take over the galaxy. It's arcade action risk with planets! Anyone can play - only takes 30 seconds to learn. Multi-player network game for up to 12 players with teams. 15 different single player missions against 7 different computer players. Attack planets with thousands of swarming ships! Short battles, epic warfare - only 5 minutes per round. Net ranking of all net players. Good times guaranteed!
    ]]>     23 Jan 2007 06:58:24     Star Wars: Dark Forces Developed By: LucasArts
    Genre: Sci-Fi First-Person Shooter
    Release Date: Feb 28, 1995
    Players: 1
    ]]>     12 Jan 2007 02:52:15     Nethack After the Creation, the cruel god Moloch rebelled
    against the authority of Marduk the Creator.
    Moloch stole from Marduk the most powerful of all
    the artifacts of the gods, the Amulet of Yendor,
    and he hid it in the dark cavities of Gehennom, the
    Under World, where he now lurks, and bides his time.
    ]]>     26 Nov 2006 12:00:10     Broken Sword 2 Intrepid adventurers George and Nico are embroiled in yet another mysterious escapade of brutality, calamity and immortality in this, the sequel to the highly successful Broken Sword. Evil spells and brutal reprisals haunt them as they face their most sinister challenge to date.

    As the threatening darkness of the eclipse smothers all, the discovery of a sinister "Drugs" ring by chance reveals an arcane power of an ancient civilisation. Torment and terror, sacrificial rituals and bloody massacre is unearthed beneath a veil of Mayan mystery.

    Kidnap, stolen treasure, astronomy and deadly drug barons are the least of the daredevil duo's worries, as divine forces threaten to annihilate mankind! Nerve, cunning and guile are essentials in order to conquer this compelling adventure, guaranteed to leave you with an aching brain and a beating heart.
    ]]>     26 Jan 2007 10:13:37     Wipeout XL Published by: Psygnosis Limited
    Developed by: Psygnosis Limited
    Released: Sep 30, 1996
    Genre: Action, Racing / Driving
    Perspective: 1st-Person, 3rd-Person
    ]]>     06 Feb 2007 10:42:48     The Last Express Paris, 1914. The world is on the brink of war and your life is about to change forever.

    You are Robert Cath, a young American who is urgently summoned by his friend Tyler Whitney to join him on the train departing the Gare de l'Est, Paris, 24 July for Constantinople.

    Arriving late, you are overcome with the heavy feeling of danger. Something has gone terribly wrong. Before you can grab hold of your senses, the adventure overtakes you, and you are plunged into a world of suspense, romance, international intrigue, and murder.

    The Last Express allows you to move freely through the rich and detailed 3D environment of the world's most luxurious train, circa 1914, during its final European crossing prior to the outbreak of WWI.

    Gameplay involves interacting with characters, exploring objects, engaging in action sequences and uncovering multiple story threads--with your perspective shifting from 1st person to 3rd person for maximum dramatic effect.

    The fluid, constantly-changing way the other characters react to you--and the fact that the train moves relentlessly onward--creates a sense of real-time suspense and unpredictability beyond that of a traditional adventure game.

    Information gained is used to piece together a series of interrelated puzzles which advance you through the story. If you are clever enough, you ultimately discover the shocking secrets of The Last Express... before it's too late!
    ]]>     10 Feb 2007 05:40:35