Summer is here, and after a scorching hot June, it's time get out of the sun, stay indoors and play some ancient PC Games! Pick of the month is Synnergist (1996 Vicarious Visions), an adventure game with a history as fascinating as its neo-noir plotline. If you haven't had enough of last month's Bug!, how about it's sequel Bug Too! (1996-1997 SEGA). Both now also include the Saturn originals ready to play for you SEGA-loving entomologists out there. Next up, play the classic board game with some nifty graphics and computer-animated FMV sequences in Clue: Murder at Boddy Mansion (1998 Hasbro Interactive) or Cluedo: Murder at Blackwell Grange as its known for us Brits. For something a little more high octane, play Hi-Octane (1995 Bullfrog Productions), a futuristic racing game for PC-DOS, PlayStation and Saturn. Is it a WipEout beater? Lastly, The Reap (1997 Housemarque Games) is a great-looking early shoot-em-up from the folks who gave us Super Stardust and Returnal.
There's also a few updates to talk about. Ripley's Believe it Not: The Riddle of Master Lu has not only had its DOSBox updated and tweaked to fix a bug, but now also includes a manual and mini player's guide. Dust: A Tale of the Wired West also adds a maual while utilising the upgraded features of DOSBox-X. Finally, in addition to last month's Bug! for PC, Bug! for Saturn is now available. See their game pages or the Game Updates section for full information.
Head on past the jump and click on those links to read my full thoughts and make up your own mind by giving them a play them yourselves.
Click on the images below to head on over to the game page.
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1996-1997 SEGA
Windows '95 + Saturn
Platform-3D-Insects!
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1998 Hasbro Interactive
Windows
Puzzle-Board Game-Mystery
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1995 Bullfrog Productions
DOS + PlayStation / Saturn
Racing-Arcade-Futuristic
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1997 Housemarque Games
Windows
Arcade-Shoot em up-Science Fiction
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1996 Vicarious Visions
DOS
Adventure-Point & Click-FMV-Science Fiction-Weird
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Thanks for these, Synnergist looks really interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt is very much so in my book. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
DeleteAnother lovely collection of additions to your great site. The Reap and Synnergist are stone cold classics in my book. Cluedo: Murder at Blackwell Grange (its a Marathon not a @@@@ing Snickers) is always a fun adaptation with friends as well. Many thanks, as always, for all your hard work Biffman. Greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteGotta cater to those Starburst loving yanks :). Blackwell Grange is one of the best straight-up adaptations of Cluedo I've played. The earlier FMV version also on this site is a lot of fun too, but it's not exactly a direct translation of the board game.
Delete"its a Marathon not a @@@@ing Snickers"
DeletePfft, is it bollocks!
You're welcome!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for these. Any chance of ever doing a tutorial of how you create the custom installers? I have some old games I'd love to play without having to set up virtual drives and install old operating systems, etc.
ReplyDeleteNot all of them are created equal, so there's a lot of research and trial an error involved. For example, I might attempt to run a game natively using dgVoodoo and/or dxWnd but may find emulating it in a Windows '95 environment is the better option. Regardless, tweaking with configs, windows settings and finding fixes is usually very different for each game. For at least the last year or so, all my new installers contain a ChamberNotes text where I do my best to describe the programes I've used so that might help you understand how each works.
DeleteAlso notice that the cover art design differentiates between DOS emulation (DOSBox), Windows emulation (DOSBox Win3.1, PCEm Win95 etc), Windows native (dgVoodoo etc) and console and micro computer emulation (Retroarch, Amiga etc). Each use different methods. I have made a few templates to help me with each type and I did think of making them a Patreon perk or something but setting them up and re-writing my shorthand may take more time that I don't have especially when, as I said, they're not a one-fix solution.
Thanks for the info! One of these days I'll mess around and see if I can figure anything out.
DeleteAs an aficionado of adventure games and FMV games, I have no idea how Synnergist has passed me by all of these years. Thank you for bringing it to my attention, Biffman.
ReplyDeleteThank you Big Biff.
ReplyDeleteHello and are you planning to make Chase Ace 2 for Windows 95? Chase Ace 2 is a great game :-) Thank you
ReplyDeleteInformation game:
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/chase-ace-2/1100-2694666/
https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/05/04/chase-ace-2
For your next games, can you add Pac-Man Worlds 2 and 3, Snoopy vs the Red Baron, Pac Man World Rally, Secret Weapons over Normandy and Noir: A Shadowy Thriller?
ReplyDeleteNoir is in collection - https://collectionchamber.blogspot.com/2017/03/noir-shadowy-thriller.html#more
DeleteI was on little holiday. THANKS SO MUCH :D For games and updates.
ReplyDeleteGREG
Hello and are you planning to make My First Math Adventure 1: Counting And Sorting and My First Math Adventure 2: Adding And Subtracting? My First Math Adventure: Counting And Sorting and Adding And Subtracting is a great game :-) Thanks
ReplyDeleteHey, can you put From Dusk Till Dawn (2001) on your site? I tried to play it a few months ago, but couldn't get it to work. Love your site, doing God's work!
ReplyDeleteSome more FMV goodness would go down a treat please.
ReplyDeleteFirstly; Love the Collection Chamber and Everything you do! From the bottom of my heart I want to thank you for reuniting us with so many of the old beloved game we have all missed for so long <3 Honestly I personally look forward to every post and am grateful for them.
ReplyDeleteSo there is one amazing game I wanted to mention that hasn't gotten any love by anyone in a long time is one called "Crime Stories From the Files of Martin Mystére" PC game 2006; it was a game that I actually still have a hard copy to this day however no matter what I do it will not run on modern windows at all. It required a now defunct software to run and as far as I know no one has ever picked the game back up or re-released it.
Like you I also have the physical copy of the GMX Media release, though its called Martin Mystére: Operation Dorian Gray (same subtitle as the US, but kept the French-ness of it). Not played it since its release though so I might give it a crack sometime.
DeleteLove the Assortment, right off the bat, Chamber and All that you do! Sincerely I need to thank you for rejoining us with so many of the old adored game we have all missed for such a long time <3 Genuinely I for one anticipate each post and am appreciative for them.
ReplyDeleteSo there is one astonishing game I needed to specify that hasn't gotten any affection by anybody in quite a while is one called "Wrongdoing Stories From the Records of Martin Mystére" Computer game 2006; it was a game that I actually have a printed copy right up 'til now anyway regardless of what I do it won't run on current windows by any means. It expected a now dead programming to run and to the extent that I realize nobody has at any point picked the game back up or re-delivered it.
Are we all ready for the next batch of games tomorrow?
ReplyDeleteIt's Here!
DeleteExcellent, this made my day.
Delete