MONTHLY 5 - August 2025

So, Summer is officially at an end, but fear not! As the last sun of August sets, five long-forgotten gems awaken from the Collection Chamber. 

Finished reading the digital pages of the Fantastic Four from last month? Well continue your Marvel kick with Silver Surfer: Interactive CD-ROM Comic Book (1996 Pixel Technologies & Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc). There's also the adventurous likes of the Mysterious Island: A Race Against Time and Hot Lava (1996 Virgin Sound and Vision) designed for young audiences, but has enough production value to please grown ups too.

For something a bit (and by bit, I mean a lot) different, try AI Wars: The Awakening (2000 Nexus Information Systems & Marketing inc.), a truly unique FPS that has run amuck a virtual representation of the Net, hacking everything you see with the aim to achieve immortality. Contains some of the trippiest visuals of the Y2K era.

But my faves are pure adventure games through and through. Hell: A Cyberpunk Thriller (1994 Take 2 Interactive Software) hasn't got the best of reputations, but I had some fun playing through this interactive movie disguised as a point-and-clicker. Pick of the month, however, is a curio solely created by two brothers; Crack the Conspiracy (1998-2001 The Pixel Shop, Inc) rides off of the 90s alien craze that began with The X-Files and makes for one entertainingly obscure adventure.

Old-game updates give us massive upgrades to Kid Klown's Crazy Collection got a complete overhaul adding a bunch of alternative releases and spiritual sequels, while Discworld and Discworld II: Missing, Presumed... ? upgraded their ScummVM package. Don't cringe too heavily on my written musings. They're some of the earliest reviews on the site when I tasked myself with writing one a day (!!!). No idea how I managed that, but head over to their review pages or the Game Updates section for more information on what's new.

MONTHLY 5 - July 2025

July has been an eventful month, not least because I caught a nasty bout of Covid halfway through. We saw Dinosaurs return to the cinema screen, Wimbledon return to London and a welcome return to form for both Marvel and DC.

Jurassic World: Rebirth was a touch better than the last two movies in the franchise, but still tread old ground by being another trek through a jungle. Perhaps playing DinoPark Tycoon (1993 MECC) is the better option. If you enjoyed Fantastic Four: First Steps as much as I did, revisit the classic comic book in digital form with Fantastic Four: Interactive CD-ROM Comic Book! (1995 Pixel Technologies & Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc). Sorry, no Superman stuff (you can find a bunch in the Batman vs Superman Collection), but it's the best blockbuster movie I've seen in quite some time. The hyperbole may be setting in, but it might just be my favourite big-screen iteration of the man of steel yet. Quite the statement considering the theatre is where I likely caught Covid.

If you're wanting for some sport, you can't get much better than Virtua Tennis (2000-2002 SEGA Corporation). The first game in the series is one of the best ways to swing a digital racquet ever. It almost makes me want to take up the sport. Almost.

But the best of the month have nothing to do with the tenuous links to popular culture or current events. They are old-school adventures through-and-through. Golden Gate (1997 Ix Entertainment & Panasonic Interactive Media Company) wows as a cozy treasure hunt set in a contemporary San Francisco that has more puzzles than people. Lastly, Missing on Lost Island (2000 Mayhem Studios & Riki computer games) captures that old-school LucasArts feel that kept me glued to it until completion. And it's not just because it has pirates in it. There's also aliens.

I've a few updates to mention too. Extreme Assault has its MP3 soundtrack added as a separate download - something I was planning to add originally but forgot. Horror Zombies from the Crypt got upgraded to version 4 which meant adding a bunch of manuals, the Atari ST version and updates to the emulators. Likewise Ghost in the Shell has also updated its emulator to make use of new graphical enhancements. I've also added the Japanese artbook and US manual as well as other improvements. Check out each game's review page or the Game Updates section for more information.

That's it for this month! I'll see you at the end of August for more, unless Covid rears its ugly head again.

MONTHLY 5 - January 2025

The first month of 2025 is at an end, and boy has it been an eventful one. To distract you from those January woes, why not try one of these five resurrected gems from the past.

In the case of B.C. Racers (1994-5 Core Design Inc), that's the distant past. Pre-history even. A mascot kart racer with some nice sprite-scaled visuals playable on DOS, SEGA CD, SEGA 32X and 3DO! Next, board the Black Pearl in the late 17th century and flip off some balls in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean Pinball (2005 Disney Interactive). 

Head over to war-torn Europe of the 1930s and beyond and platform through some of Tintin's most famous escapades in Tintin: Destination Adventure (2001 Infogrames). From World War II to Woodstock, peruse the pages of the famous weekly periodical in The Face of Life (1994 Time Inc & Creative Multimedia), a fascinating educational multimedia CD-ROM.

Finally, head on to the cyberpunk future of 2095 and take on the role of a Neo Hunter (1996 Virgin Interactive Entertainment Inc). From the imagination of Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game) and developed by ex-LucasArts employees who took the cancelled project with them, it's an epic gallery shooter with a heavy dose of adventure.

Still to come in February is my rundown on the TV shows of 2024 but more gaming goodness will arrive on the last day of the month. I'll see you then!

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN - DAY 5

Our good pal Tintin and his dog Snowy returns for a new adventure in Tintin in Prisoners of the Sun (1997 Infogrames Multimedia), another decent DOS port of a cinematic platformer. Professor Calculus has been kidnapped so it's off to the far reaches of the earth in search of the Incas to save him. Check out my review after the jump...

'Tis the season for rampant consumerism, so join me tomorrow as we chase that capitalistic ideal.

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN - DAY 1

Jumping Jellyfish! It's Christmas already! You all know what that means... the annual Collection Chamber Christmas Countdown! Kicking off this (so-far less-than) snowy season is a game based on the classic Franco-Belgian comic strip by Hergé; Tintin in Tibet (1995-96 Infogrames Multimedia). Join our quiff-haired blondie and his little dog Snowy as he climbs frozen mountains and dodges Buddhist monks on his way to discover the fabled Yeti in this smart-looking cinematic platformer for PC DOS.

If you read my last update post carefully, you might've noticed a cryptic clue hinting at this game (and perhaps some others). As for what's arching over tomorrow? Well, it's not exactly an infinity away ;).

On another note, I've recently migrated away from Twitter (for obvious reasons). It's become something like an angry X, so like many others I've moved to bluer skies with BlueSky where my social media game will likely be just as awful and erratic as it's always been. Regardless, if you want to follow me there, please do so.

Anyway, enjoy the first game of the Christmas Countdown and be check back daily for more!

MONTHLY 5 - August 2024

The month of August was the month of the Olympics, and outside of an enthusiastically happy blue man in drag, I didn't watch a single second of it. I did celebrate it in my own way by uncovering some officially licenced DOS games based on the 1996 event held in Atlanta. Atlanta 1996: Olympic Games + Olympic Soccer (1996 U.S. Gold Ltd & The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG)) bundles the first 3D game based on the event with a rather standard football game which began a yearly series that would later take on the UEFA moniker. 

If you're not much or a sporty person, I've gathered some other games to keep your limbs from moving excessively. Continuing on from last month is the final mystery at Greveholm. The Mystery at Greveholm 3: The Old Legend (2000 Young Genius) returns to the first-person adventuring roots of the first game and is all the better for it. Ring II: Twilight of the Gods (2002 The Arxel Guild) on the other hand foregoes this style that defined its janky forebear to become a tank-controlled action adventure. At least the absolute weirdness of it all is still intact.

For something a little less fantastical, try the movie tie-in for Fantastic 4 (2005 Activision Publishing Inc, Marvel & Twentieth Century Fox), a flippantly entertaining beat-'em-up for a flippantly entertaining blockbuster. And if flippant doesn't cut it, check out Rising Lands (1997 Microïds), a real-time-strategy game that surprisingly crept up to become my personal pick of the month.

Enjoy!

SOME SUPER ACTIVITY CENTRES

   

It's time to feel super with a trio of Activity Centres based on some of the most iconic heroes in pop culture. There's the requested likes of The Adventures of Batman & Robin and its Kryptonian counterpart in Superman along with the bonus game of Spider-Man 2 'cos I just saw Far From Home. Check them out after the jump...

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN COLLECTION

It's been quite an eventful year for everyone's friendly neighbourhood arachnid. First was a tearful (temporary) farewell to Tom Holland's Peter Parker in the excellent Avenger's: Infinity War. Then came the highly addictive Spider-Man game on the PlayStation 4 - one of the best games of the year. But before the biggest cinematic surprise of Spidey's cinematic outing (Into the Spider-verse) the world grieved at the deaths of his co-creators - the ever-personable Stan Lee and Steve Ditko earlier in the year. In honour of all that has come to pass, let's have an almost complete look at Spider-Man's amazing gaming past.

GOOSEBUMPS: ATTACK OF THE MUTANTS

For a series known for its kid-friendly horror, there was always one Goosebumps tale that always stood out. Attack of the Mutants, the 25th books of the long-running series doesn't feature ghouls or ghosts but superheroes and villains so it's probably no surprise that DreamWorks Interactive based their second Goosebumps game on this tale.

DC ANIMATED COMIC BOOKS

     

DC's Justice League movie is almost here so what better time than to look at some CD-ROMs of superheroes' past. In 1996 Inverse Ink released a slew of interactive animated comic books. Four were released based on Aquaman, Batman, Superman and Superboy. Read on to learn more about them.

SPIDER-MAN - THE SINISTER SIX

With Spider-Man: Homecoming in cinemas now, what better time to revisit one of the superhero's most obscure PC Game tie-ins. Spider-Man: The Sinister Six (1996,Brooklyn Multimedia) is a simple adventure aimed toward young children. It features some nice animations and a branching storyline, but can the gameplay offer much for anyone over the target age group?

THE AVENGERS IN GALACTIC STORM

Before Capcom got hold of the Marvel license and pitted them against their own characters, The Avengers had their own fighting game in 1995. Galactic Storm by Data East ushered in a lot of firsts in an over-crowded genre yet for all it's merits it's virtually unknown.

BATMAN - THE CAPED CRUSADER

The majority of licensed games - particularly those based on superheroes - tend to follow the same action-based formula. Batman, on the other hand, has often bucked the trend. He's starred in the usual beat-em-ups and platformers but his keen detective skills have occasionally landed him in some adventure titles. Case in point - Batman: The Caped Crusader.

BATMAN V SUPERMAN Vol. 1

It's been quite an eventful year so far. So much so that juggling work, life and passions have been something of a struggle. Then came Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to prove that I'm not the only one with a lot on my plate. Imagine being given hundreds of millions of dollars to create a film many comic book geeks like me have been waiting to see for decades and ending up with this confused mess of a movie! Makes finding the time to review classic games seem trivial...