COUNTDOWN

Access Software may be best known in the adventure-gaming community for their excellent Tex Murphy series of games, but right around the time of that franchise's birth, another adventure popped up. Released in 1990, Countdown didn't get the same cult status that Mean Streets or Martian Memorandum, but this conspiracy spy thriller perhaps deserves to be far more fondly remembered.

BLOWN AWAY

You may remember a very 90s action movie named Blown Away starring Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones. It's fallen by the wayside a little now, but it was nevertheless a fun if formulaic movie for the time. Even more obscure is the tie-in from Imagination Pilots. Released in 1994, this FMV puzzle adventure barely follows the plot of the movie, but it has way more bombs to make up for it.

THE X-FOOLS: THE SPOOF IS OUT THERE

The folks at Parroty Interactive are at it again with another pop-culture parody. This time it's the classic 90's supernatural procedural that falls victim to their particular brand of 'comedy'.  Having a timely release in 1997 when X-Files fever was at a high, there's a lot for The X-Fools to mock, but how does it fare for fans and non-fans alike?

MEN IN BLACK: THE GAME

A pivotal movie in my early teenage years was the Will Smith starring blockbuster Men In Black. Much like any other major movie at the time, a video game tie-in was released. Developed by Gigawatt Studios with the underrated SouthPeak Interactive (of Temüjin fame) handling publishing duties, this Resident Evil-like action adventure went somewhat under the radar back in 1997.

STAY TOONED!

by Austin Brewer

When it comes to the 90s, what game genres come to mind? Well, if you said the point-and-click adventure, you might be familiar with a little company by the name of Sierra. They were one of the big daddies when it came to point-and-click titles with the likes of King’s Quest, Space Quest and Leisure Suit Larry all being fondly remembered. With such a huge archive of classics, the odd game can get easily overlooked. And one of those games was the Funnybone Interactive developed StayTooned!

FLYING SAUCER

Alien mythology and conspiracy theories reached mainstream popularity in the 90s thanks to a certain sci-fi TV show. One of the most obscure and overlooked games from this era is this PostLinear developed simulation from 1998 that sees you piloting a Flying Saucer. And it sure does owe a lot to the phenomenon that was The X-Files.

MORE DISNEY ACTIVITY CENTRES

   

No one does edutainment like Disney, so here are three more under their Activity Centre banner. Disney's Dinosaur, 102 Dalmatians and Winnie the Pooh & the Blustery Day are featured within so head on over and check them out.

DIE HARD: NAKATOMI PLAZA

I've covered a fair number of Die Hard games so far, but if there's one game that doesn't seem to get the love that it deserves, it's Die Hard: Nakatomi Plaza. Published in 2002 by Sierra Entertainment, it was the first and only game to actually attempt to re-create the plot of the original film in video game form.