Best Old Games

Aliens Versus Predator 2: Gold Edition

The base game of Aliens Versus Predator 2 is notable for its unique gameplay, allowing players to experience the story from three distinct perspectives: a Colonial Marine, a Predator, and an Alien. Each character type offers a vastly different play style and abilities, providing varied and immersive gameplay experiences. The Marine campaign focuses on survival horror, with tense and atmospheric gunplay. The Predator campaign offers a more strategic approach, utilizing advanced technology and stealth. The Alien campaign provides a visceral melee experience, emphasizing agility and close-quarters combat.

"Primal Hunt," the expansion included in the Gold Edition, adds new storylines and missions that precede the events of the main game. It introduces additional elements and weapons to the three factions, further diversifying the gameplay. The expansion also features new environments and challenges, enriching the narrative and lore of the Alien and Predator universe.

Graphically, Aliens Versus Predator 2: Gold Edition was praised for its detailed and atmospheric environments, which effectively captured the dark and foreboding essence of the film series. The game’s use of lighting and shadows added to the suspense, especially in the Marine campaign, where players must navigate through dimly lit corridors teeming with alien threats.

Aliens Versus Predator 2: Gold Edition is a definitive collection that combines thrilling first-person shooter gameplay with the rich lore of two iconic sci-fi franchises. Its diverse campaigns, immersive environments, and engaging multiplayer mode make it a standout title, offering a comprehensive and thrilling experience for fans of the series and the first-person shooter genre.

Major Stryker

In Major Stryker, players take on the role of the titular character, Major Stryker, a pilot tasked with saving the Earth from an alien invasion. The game's narrative, while straightforward, provides a suitable backdrop for the intense space battles that unfold. Players navigate their spacecraft through a series of levels, each filled with a barrage of enemy ships, projectiles, and obstacles.

One of the game's defining features is its level design. Major Stryker includes three different worlds, each divided into several levels with distinct themes and challenges. The environments range from space stations to alien landscapes, offering a variety of backdrops and enemy types. This variety keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging, as players must adapt their strategies to the changing conditions of each level.

The gameplay of Major Stryker is typical of shoot 'em ups of the time. The player's spacecraft can be upgraded with various weapons and power-ups, which are essential for tackling the increasingly difficult waves of enemies. The game requires quick reflexes and precise shooting to navigate through the dense onslaught of enemies and their projectiles.

Major Stryker is a classic example of the early '90s shoot 'em up genre. Its fast-paced gameplay, variety in level design, and vibrant graphics make it a memorable title for fans of arcade-style shooters. 

Hopkins FBI

Hopkins FBI is a game that centers around Agent Hopkins, who is tasked with tracking down a notorious and elusive criminal named Bernie Berkson. The storyline is filled with twists and turns, presenting players with a classic cat-and-mouse game as they pursue the criminal mastermind. The plot, while at times over-the-top, is engaging and keeps players invested in the unfolding events.

Gameplay in Hopkins FBI is characteristic of traditional point-and-click adventures. Players interact with their environment, collecting items, solving puzzles, and talking to various characters to gather clues. The puzzles range from logical to inventory-based challenges, requiring players to think critically and pay attention to detail.

One of the distinctive features of Hopkins FBI is its graphic style. The game employs hand-drawn visuals, which give it a unique comic book-like aesthetic. This artistic choice adds to the game's charm and sets it apart from other adventure games of its time. The character animations and backgrounds are detailed, contributing to the immersive experience.

The game is also notable for its incorporation of more mature and graphic content, including violence and dark themes. This aspect was somewhat unusual for adventure games of the era and gave Hopkins FBI a more edgy and adult-oriented appeal.

The game offers an engaging and challenging experience for fans of the genre, especially those who appreciate a more adult-oriented storyline and aesthetic.

Primal Rage

Set in a world ravaged by a meteor strike, the game's story revolves around seven ancient gods who have awakened in the form of colossal, prehistoric creatures. These beasts are worshipped by the remnants of humanity, and they battle each other to gain control of the post-apocalyptic world, known as "Urth." The game's lore and setting provided a rich backdrop to the intense combat, adding depth to the overall experience.

Primal Rage's gameplay is typical of fighting games, with players selecting a character and battling against opponents in one-on-one matches. Each character has a unique set of moves, including special attacks and combo possibilities. The game was notable for its use of stop-motion animation to create the characters, giving them a distinctive and realistic appearance, especially in comparison to the sprite-based graphics typical of the era.

The combat mechanics in Primal Rage were unique for their incorporation of creature-like movements and attacks. The characters could bite, claw, and use their natural abilities in battle, differentiating the game from other fighters that primarily featured human characters. This aspect, combined with the gory and visceral combat, made the game stand out among its contemporaries.

Primal Rage faced some controversy upon its release due to its graphic violence and certain special moves that were considered provocative. This led to varied reactions from the gaming community and censors, but also contributed to the game's notoriety and appeal among players looking for a more mature fighting game experience.

Game's blend of traditional fighting gameplay with a distinctive prehistoric twist has earned it a place as a cult classic among fans of the genre.

Need for Speed: High Stakes

Need for Speed: High Stakes is a highly regarded installment in the iconic Need for Speed series. One of the most notable additions in High Stakes is the career mode, a feature that added depth and progression to the game. In this mode, players could participate in a series of races, earning money to buy new cars and upgrade existing ones. This added a strategic element to the game, as players had to manage their resources carefully and make decisions about how to develop their car collection.

Another groundbreaking feature was the introduction of damage models to the vehicles. For the first time in the series, cars would show realistic damage when involved in collisions. This not only added a visual element of realism but also impacted gameplay, as damage could affect a car's performance. Players had to balance the need for speed with the risk of damaging their car, adding a new layer of strategy to the races.

The game's AI was another point of improvement, offering a more challenging and realistic racing experience. Opponents in High Stakes behaved more strategically and could adapt to the player's actions, making each race unpredictable and competitive.

However, High Stakes was not without its criticisms. Some players found the career mode progression to be slow, requiring a considerable investment of time to unlock new cars and tracks. Additionally, while the damage model added realism, it also made the game more challenging, which could be a source of frustration for some players.

The game remains a fan favorite, remembered for pushing the boundaries of what was possible in racing games at the time and laying the groundwork for future advancements in the series.

Lemmings Revolution

In Lemmings Revolution, players once again lead a group of the endearing, green-haired lemmings to safety, guiding them through a series of increasingly complex levels. The game introduced a cylindrical, 3D environment, a significant departure from the 2D landscapes of previous titles. This new setting added an extra dimension to the puzzle-solving, as players had to navigate the lemmings around and along the cylindrical structures, adding a layer of depth and complexity to the gameplay.

The objective remains consistent with the series' tradition: to guide a certain number of lemmings to an exit point safely. Players assign various roles and skills to individual lemmings, such as digging, blocking, or building, to create a path through the obstacles and dangers in each level. The introduction of the 3D environment means that these tasks now require more spatial awareness and strategic planning.

Graphically, Lemmings Revolution was a significant upgrade from its predecessors, featuring more detailed and textured environments and character models. The transition to 3D brought the lemmings and their world to life in a new way, offering a fresh visual experience while retaining the charm and simplicity of the original 2D designs.

The game's level design is a highlight, with a variety of creative and challenging puzzles. Each level presents unique obstacles and hazards, requiring players to think critically and creatively to find safe passage for their lemmings. The difficulty curve is well-calibrated, with early levels introducing the basic mechanics and later levels presenting complex challenges that test the player's skills and ingenuity.

However, Lemmings Revolution's shift to 3D also brought some challenges. Navigating the 3D space could be tricky at times, with camera angles and depth perception occasionally making it difficult to precisely place and direct lemmings. This added a degree of frustration to some of the more intricate levels.

Pitfall: The Lost Expedition

This game follows the adventures of the protagonist, Pitfall Harry, as he navigates through a dangerous South American jungle in search of a lost expedition and a hidden treasure. The narrative adds depth to the gameplay with its engaging storyline, which is both humorous and thrilling, capturing the essence of classic adventure tales. One of the key features of Pitfall: The Lost Expedition is its expansive world. The game presents a richly detailed and diverse jungle environment filled with hidden paths, ancient ruins, and treacherous obstacles. This setting is not only visually appealing but also offers a wide range of exploration opportunities. Players can discover secret areas, collect artifacts, and solve environmental puzzles, which add to the game's depth and replayability.

The gameplay mechanics in Pitfall: The Lost Expedition are a mix of platforming, puzzle-solving, and combat. Players need to skillfully navigate through the jungle, jumping, swinging, and climbing to overcome physical obstacles. The puzzles in the game are well-integrated into the environment, requiring players to think creatively and use their surroundings to advance.

The game was well-received for its time, with detailed character models and a vibrant jungle environment that brought the world of Pitfall Harry to life. The game's visual style maintained a balance between realism and a cartoonish charm, fitting the adventurous and light-hearted tone of the game. However, the game did face some criticism, particularly regarding its control scheme and camera angles. Some players found the controls to be less responsive than desired, and the camera angles occasionally made navigation and platforming more challenging.

Pitfall: The Lost Expedition is a a revival of the Pitfall franchise, successfully translating the classic 2D platformer into a 3D action-adventure game.

Ragnarok (Valhalla)

In Ragnarok (aka Valhalla), players embark on a quest to prevent the world's end by seeking out and defeating the Norse gods who are destined to bring about Ragnarok. The game is characterized by its open-world design, allowing players to explore various environments including forests, mountains, and dungeons, each filled with unique challenges and mythical creatures.

One of the game's distinguishing features is its extensive use of Norse mythology. The creatures, items, and gods encountered are all drawn from the rich tapestry of Norse legends, providing an educational aspect alongside the entertainment. This not only lends the game a unique flavor but also immerses players in a mythological world full of lore and legend..

The character customization in Ragnarok is one of the game's best featuret. Players can choose from various classes and races, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. This variety allows for different playstyles and strategies, adding to the game's replayability. As players progress, they gain experience and new abilities, further enhancing their character's capabilities.

In summary, Ragnarok is a unique and engaging roguelike game that stands out for its incorporation of Norse mythology, complex gameplay, and high replay value. It appeals to fans of the roguelike genre and those interested in mythological adventures, offering a challenging and immersive experience that is both rewarding and educational.

Alien Cabal

Set against a backdrop of an alien invasion, players take on the role of a lone hero tasked with stopping the extraterrestrial threat. The game's storyline, while not deeply developed, serves as a backdrop for the action-packed gameplay. Players navigate through various levels, each designed with a mix of indoor and outdoor environments, battling an array of alien creatures and uncovering the mystery behind the invasion.

Game has straightforward shooting mechanics. The game sticks to the basics of the genre, with players collecting different weapons and ammo while facing off against enemies. The weaponry in the game is a mix of conventional firearms and futuristic alien technology, giving players a variety of combat options.

Alien Cabal was somewhat behind the curve in graphic department, especially when compared to other first-person shooters of its time. The graphics are relatively simple, with a limited color palette and basic textures. However, the game still manages to create a suitably ominous and suspenseful atmosphere, fitting for its alien invasion theme.

The level design in Alien Cabal is a mix of straightforward corridor shooting and more open areas. While the levels can at times feel repetitive, they are interspersed with enough enemy variety and weapon pickups to keep the gameplay engaging. The game also includes a variety of alien enemies, each with its own attack patterns and behaviors, adding to the challenge.

Pitfall II: Lost Caverns

The game's objective is simple and very well known to all Pitfall players - to navigate through a sprawling, labyrinthine underground environment, filled with treacherous traps, dangerous animals, and precious treasures. The setting of the caverns is beautifully rendered for its time, with a variety of obstacles and challenges that require skillful navigation.

One of the most innovative aspects of Pitfall II is its non-linear gameplay. Unlike many games of its era, which typically followed a single, straightforward path, Lost Caverns offers players a more open and exploratory experience. Players have the freedom to traverse the game's world in multiple directions, uncovering its secrets and hazards at their own pace. This design was quite advanced for its time and contributed to the game's lasting appeal.

Graphically, Pitfall II: Lost Caverns was a step up from its predecessor, with more detailed and varied sprites and environments. The game's visual design effectively conveyed the sense of adventure and danger inherent in exploring mysterious caverns. Additionally, the game featured a continuous, multi-channel background music score, which was relatively rare for games at the time and added to the immersive experience.

Version for download in here is the freeware remake from 2007 for Windows.