MONTHLY 5 - NOVEMBER 2023

December is nearly upon us, but before we commence our countdown to the festive season, let's gander at an eclectic quintet of PC gaming perfection* from the past.

First up for November is Beyond Time (1997 DreamCatcher Interactive, Inc), a time-travelling ancient Egypt-set first-person adventure that dabbles in everyone's favourite* presentation style; FMV. For more trips throughout history, why not try Excalibur 2555 A.D. (1997 Telstar Electronic Studios), that sees Merlin's granddaughter travel to the future to do some exciting* actioning along with that adventuring. If you want some full-on guns-blasting action, take a look at Machine Hunter (1997 Eurocom Developments), a fantastically* frenetic top-down shooter that rises up to become my pick of the month. If all the bloodshed is not to your liking, try the ever-tranquil* SimSafari: Step into the African Savannah! (1996 Maxis, Inc), that takes the tried and true SimNoun template into a safari park. Lastly, navigate a cute little tank across vast landscapes in Wild Metal Country (1999 DMA Design / Rockstar Games), an overlooked gem* from the folks behind Grand Theft Auto. Despite my tongue-in-cheek asterisks, all of them are worth a try so check out my reviews to find out more.

Sadly, no updates I'm afraid, but I did catch up on some of the missing written reviews from the last couple of months. Check out my thoughts on Weird and SimIsle and let me know yours in the comments. I'm currently neck deep in preparing for the annual Christmas Countdown that will commence 14th December - that's 12 days straight of gaming goodness just for you lovely folk! On that note, I must crack on with it. Until then, head on after the jump and enjoy!

* Your definition of what's considered this may vary drastically...

MONTHLY 5 - SEPTEMBER 2023

So, it appears my Facebook (Meta?) has been hacked so if you are used to visiting my humble corner of the internet from there, that's why I haven't posted an update. So far, it looks like they've changed nothing beyond my admin status, username and password but it's probably wise not to trust links from there for a while until I claw back control from some arsehole in Dehli, India. I should probably take this as a sign to keep on top of my other social media accounts like Twitter (X?) and Instagram (Instagram?) which I've very much neglected over the years.

By technical troubles coming from Dehli, India haven't stopped me from putting forth five newly added games to the chamber (although, as is unfortunately becomming the norm, some of the reviews aren't up yet). Pick of the month is the sequel to Magic & Mayhem called The Art of Magic (2001 Virgin Interactive Entertainment). It continues the same strategy/RPG gameplay as the first but instead of the charming claymation graphics were introduced to some new-fangled 3D polygons. Dark Angael (1997 Vicarious Visions) is a cool Metroidvania-style platformer which has the same under-used mouse and keyboard controls as Abuse. L'Affaire Morlov (1995-1996 CPIO Multimedia & Titus) is a French-produced, English-language FMV detective adventure. SimIsle: Missions in the Rainforest (1996 Maxis Inc) is yet another SimNoun title, this time asking you to balance commerse and conservation on a series of island rainforests. Lastly, guest reviewer Austin tackles a surprisingly emotional freeware adventure called Mourir en Mer (2002 Digital Mind Studios).

As for updates, the big one is that of a compilation featuring Sierra's Hi-Res Adventures. ScummVM has been updated so it would accept a larger variety of Apple II disk images allowing all 7 games in the series to run via that program. Cranston Manor is now playable this way instead of using the more cumbersome AppleWin emulator. I've also tweaked the DxWnd configuration in Space Hulk 2: Vengeance of the Blood Angels which would hopefully help with random crashes.

That's it!

MONTHLY 5 - JULY 2023

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny may have come out at the end of last month, but I didn't see it until the beginning of this one. I like it fine enough. It was generally level in quality making me prefer it to the mess that was Kingdom of the Crystal Skull but I must say that Spielberg's misfire is the more memorable movie. The highs are much higher there but its the depths of its lows that make me like this new one a little more. I'll hand over my full thoughts at the end-of-year movie rundown, but until then I've collated a bunch of Indiana Jones games no-one seems to remember anymore. It took me a hell of a long while to do, so I'll have to give Indiana Jones: The Action Games (1982-1994 Various) my pick of the month, even if most of its content is more fascinating than fantastic. It include the original Atari 2600 game based on the original movie, the Temple of Doom arcade game and its many ports, almost all platform iterations of The Last Crusade and the action side of The Fate of Atlantis. Including ports, variations and a number of other oddities, that's nearly 40 games!

My real pick would probably be Magic & Mayhem (1998 Virgin Interactive Ent & Mythos Games Ltd), a fantasy-set strategy game from the folks behind the original X-COM trilogy. Ark of Time (1997 International Computer Entertainment Ltd) is a decent point-and-click adventure that sees a journalist stumbles upon an Atlantean conspiracy. CyberBykes: Shadow Racer VR (1995 Artificial Software, LLC) is an early attempt at consumer VR, but more interesting than that is Charlie Brooker's (of Black Mirror fame) bizarre PC Zone review. To cap off the month, I've returned to the world of the Sims with SimTown: The Town You Build Yourself (1995 Maxis Inc). It's a more kid friendly version of SimCity that must've been installed on school PCs the world over.

I only have two updates this month, and both are revisions of games from last month. A lot of people have been having issues with Clue: Murder at Boddy Mansion. I suspect their systems are missing one of the Microsoft Visual C++ packages (link in the FAQ) which I recommend every retro PC gamer install. Version 2 of the game's installer now launches using the offical .exe instead of one modified with the NoCD patch. It will also use Image Drive Portable to automatically manage virtual CD mounting. I've also put a limit on the framerate for The Reap which makes the game much more playable.

That's it for this month! Until next time...

MONTHLY 5 - May 2023

A lot has happened in blighty this past month. Not only have we regained our rightful place as almost last in Eurovision, but we've only gone and crowned ourselves a new King! To commemorate this fact, I've been playing a game where one such monarch pillages his kingdom and sends his subjects to their deaths by fighting each other. That game is King's Bounty, and I've collated most of its ports and revisions in a compilation I call the King's Bounty Classic Collection (1990-1994 New World Computing).

That being said, my personal pick of the month is a blatant yet highly enjoyable Myst clone called Alida: The Enigmatic Giant (2004 Dejavu Worlds). Also available is one of the earliest stabs at a 3D platformer in the unfairly forgotten Bug! for PC (1996 SEGA). For the more adventurous among you, the hack-n-slash RPG NightStone (2001 New Horizons Studios) is worth a play and to cap out the month, we enter an educational fantasy land with beautiful art in Woodspell: The Enchanted Forest of Learning and Fun (1996 Mediola SRL).

As for the updates, we have three. Disney's Hercules: Hades Challenge and Chewy: ESC from F5 have been given the ScummVM treatment while Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace has had some tweaks for those with AMD cards. Head on over to their game pages for full details.

For this month's games, head on over past the jump. Enjoy!

MONTHLY 5 - April 2023

If you saw one film in cinemas this past month, chances are it was Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. I saw it with most of my D&D group and had an awesome time - perhaps the most fun I've had in a theatre post-pandemic. So, I thought I'd dig out some old D&D games of yesterear and give them a whirl. Of the three chosen for this month's monthly five, classic computer RPG Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor (2001 UbiSoft Entertainment) is my fantasy pick of the month, but with its mix of wargame strategy and first-person role-playing, Birthright: The Gorgon's Alliance (1996 Sierra On-Line) is also pretty good. Less so is Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft (1996-1997 TSR & Acclaim Entertainment). This one-on-one fighter featuring well-known D&D characters, classes and races is pretty pants and I tried both the DOS and PlayStation versions in a vain attempt to find something good. For kusoge gamers only.

Beyond the giant lizards and underground chambers, I've kept the variety up with a much-requested mech action game called G-NOME (1997 7th Level Inc). For adventure-gamers there's the obscure Amiga point-and-clicker called Sixth Sense Investigations (1998 CineTECH); a respectable indie game that's heavily inspired by LucasArts' Day of the Tentacle. It's pretty good too if you can forgive its terrible Leicester-accented voice acting.

For this month's updates, we begin with Obsidian which now takes advantage of its induction to ScummVM's list of supported games. The Amazing Spider-Man Collection has also been updated and tweeked which fixes errors, adds manuals and updates emulators. See the Game Updates section or head on over to their review pages for full update info.

That's it for this month! I'll see you at the end of May for more classic gaming goodness. Until then, head on after the jump to read my thoughts on April's ragtag group of aging code.

MONTHLY 5 - July 2022

After nearly 2 years of missing it, my luck finally ran out and I caught Covid this month. On the hottest day ever recorded no less. I think a trip to London Film & Comic Con did it to me and you know what? It was worth it. The promised gaming section was a bit of a disappointment (the highlight being a Lady Dimitrescu cosplayer) but everything else was pretty damn cool. Met a few talented artists, got a Gremlins comic signed by Zach Galligan and spent way too much money on memorabilia.

Despite all of this going on, and my usual real-world distractions, I still managed to get some content up for this site (though making time for the YouTube side of things is unfortunately still an issue). For the month of July we have Backpacker: The Lost Florence Gold Mine (1997 Animagination) a long forgotten point-and-click adventure, Get Medieval (1998 Microïds & Monolith Productions Inc) a humurous Gauntlet clone, Jewels II: The Ultimate Challenge (1998 Hoffmann + Associates Inc) a highly atmospheric puzzle adventure, One Must Fall 2097 (1994 Epic MegaGames) which is still one of the best PC-exclusive fighters and Sanity: Aiken's Artifact (2000 Monolith Productions Inc) an interesting action RPG with unique mechanics. Check them out by clicking the links after the jump.

I've also updated Blazing Dragons to run on ScummVM. You can now play this PlayStation adventure game with a mouse making for a much better user experience.

MONTHLY 5 - February 2022

Look what we have this February! The month of love ends by meeting the one true Archangel (2002 Metropolis Software House), a fantasy action-adventure with role-playing elements originally published by JoWood. If that doesn't take your fancy, join the cult in Black Sect (1990-1993 Lankhor) a series of dark adventures fan-translated from the language of love (French) into English. Once you're done there, head down into some dungeons with Hexx: Heresy of the Wizard (1994 Psygnosis) where a lot of role-playing is going on. Perhaps the sex-craved antics of the sweet Transvestites from Transexual Transylvania is more up your alley in Richard O'Brien's adventurous Rocky Interactive Horror Show (1999 On-Line Entertainment & Druidcrest Ltd). What better way to end the month than by shooting your load in the vibrant first-person-shooter Shadow Master (1998 Psygnosis).

Not only this, but there are a few updates to announce too! Virtua Cop 2 and Rebel Moon Rising have been updated for better compatibility. Enjoy!

THE CHRISTMAS CATCHUP - DAY 12

On this eve of Christmas, it's finally time to tune up a game that's long been gestating in the depths of the Collection Chamber. Wheel of Time (1999 Legend Entertainment & GT Interactive) is an excellent action game with a sprinkling of strategy that topped my Top 10 FPS Hidden Gems of the 90s video a while back. I wasn't happy enough with its performance back then to release it from the Chamber, but that all changes now! If you've enjoyed the slightly clunkly, but no less compelling Amazon Prime show based on Robert Jordan's original novels, you're in for something special.

Enjoy!

THE CHRISTMAS CATCHUP - DAY 9

If yesterday's Christmas Catch-up floated your boat, then today's entry will be right up your alley. Worlds of Legend: Son of the Empire (1993 Anthony Taglione & Peter James) takes off right where the last game ended, seeing you travel the Far East and the homelands of your party's Assassin. It's part 2.5 in the Trazere trilogy so it's as much a stand-alone add-on as it is a sequel. There's not much different, but with more of an emphasis on puzzles, this one is still well worth a play.

THE CHRISTMAS CATCHUP - DAY 8

We're over halfway in our Christmas Catchup and today's game is Legend (1992 Anthony Taglione & Peter James). The two creatives behind the game were responsible for a series of computer role-playing games in the lates 80's and early 90's that have garnered a small cult following. The first of what has since become known as the Trazere Trilogy is Bloodwych, which you can buy on GOG or Steam.

This is the second, monikered The Four Crystals of Trazer in some markets and published by Mindscape. It's a fun isometric RPG with one of the most compelling spell systems in any game I've ever played. That alone makes it a must-play in my opinion.

MONTHLY 5 - JUNE 2021

I'm getting June's post up just in time, though the video will take a little longer I'm afraid. Still, there are some doozies in this quintet of interactive gems. First up is an educational title set in the Medieval times; Crusader: A Conspiracy in the Kingdom of Jerusalem (1997 Index+). Anyone who ever had a Windows PC in the 90s played Full Tilt Pinball (1995, Maxis) or at least the Space Cadet demo the operating systems came with.  Next up is Galapagos: Mendel's Escape (1997 Anark Game Studios), a unique puzzle game that uses artificial intelligence in a disopian 3D world.  We also continue our adventures with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002 Electronic Arts) - more of the same, but better; just how I like it! The last game is an adventure set in the ruins of an ancient necropilis in Qin: Tomb of the Middle Kingdom (1995 Learn Technologies Interactive). Enjoy, and I'll see you soon for the predictably late video rundown...

MONTHLY 5 - MAY 2021

With all the jobs, jabs and other japes happening now that lockdown is easing up, I've unfortunately let the Collection Chamber slip behind these last few months. I will try my best to keep to a schedule, but like a herd of horny re-animated dinosaurs, life tends to find ways to ruin plans. Still, I've prepared five gems for May's montly five. First up is a forgotten cinematic platformer called Bermuda Syndrome (1995 BMG Interactive Entertainment) that deserves more love. It has dinosaurs in it for Hammond's sake! Defcon 5 (1995 Millennium Interactive) will give you some sci-fi shooting in an underappreciated first-person shooter. Then there's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001 Electronic Arts), not either of those slightly naff movie adaptations on consoles, but the far superior Windows action adventure. You can test your noggin by destroying aliens in the rather fun puzzle game S.C.OUT (1992 Atreid Concept - Kalisto). To save the best for last, Star Trek: Bridge Commander (2002 Activision & Paramount Pictures) puts you in the decison-making shoes of a rookie Starfleet Captain. It's almost a precursor to the recent VR game Star Trek: Bridge Crew.

Anyway, I hope that makes up for tha lack of content this past month. Watch the video below to see all of them in action, including those that were supposed to be in last month's video. Enjoy!

WATCH THE VIDEO

5 GAMES FOR SEPTEMBER

There are actually 12 games in September's monthly 5 if you include ports and compilations so it'll keep you busy as Autumn officially rolls in. First up is the 4th 3D Ultra Pinball game; the stock car themed 3D Ultra NASCAR Pinball. Next is the cyberpunk stylings of B.A.T. II: The Koshan Conspiracy, the bigger-budgeted sequel to last months adventure/RPG hybrid. The legendary developers at ORIGIN added some fantasy to their cyberpunk in the ahead-of-its-time FPS CyberMage: Darklight Awakening. Then travel back in time to a compilation of early Sierra graphical text adventures under the Hi-Res Adventures banner, including the official tie-in to The Dark Crystal film (damn, that Netflix prequel show was good!). Then, tend to a farm in another entry into Maxis' Sim series in the aptly titled SimFarm.