5 GAMES FOR DECEMBER - STAR WARS!

So, I finally got round to seeing Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite the naysayers, it remains a cinematic tour de force so what better way to celebrate than a trove of classic Star Wars games. The short-lived sub-division of Lucas Learning gave us some obscure titles. Learn about physics and momentum in the Star Wars: Anakin's Speedway (1999). Then learn the same thing but with robots in the far superior action-puzzler Star Wars: DroidWorks (1998). Test your biology skills in the Sim-Life a-like strategy game Star Wars: Episode I - The Gungan Frontier (1999). Want a little less learning? Why not try the official tie-in to Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)? Lastly, travel back to a time before the special editions and get your very first look at them in Star Wars: Making Magic (1996)!

Enjoy! And I'll see you in the new year!

MUPPETS INSIDE: THE MUPPET CD-ROM

"It's time to put the disc in. It's time to turn stuff on. It's time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet CD-ROM!" Jim Henson's Muppets are back in Muppets Inside: The Muppet CD-ROM, developed by Starwave Corporation and published by Jim Henson Interactive in 1996. It's a well-put-together collection of mini-games and classic clips that's impossible to do anything but cheer you up.

MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND

If you're anything like me, Christmas isn't Christmas without the Muppets. They've disappeared from public life of late, thanks to an ill-conceived Office-inspired television show that killed any goodwill the modern cinematic outings may have earned. In the mid-90s, however, Jim Henson's loveable creations could do no wrong, and that included the 1996 re-telling of the Robert Lewis Stevenson's quintessential pirate tale. And 'cos we're the Collection Chamber, Muppet Treasure Island (1996, Activision) inevitably saw a computer game tie-in!

5 GAMES FOR NOVEMBER

Stave off those winter blues this November, 'cos the monthly 5 is here! Control four robots to bust out of prison in the sci-fi RPG Captive (1990-1992 Mindscape) then travel to places unknown by way of a fire breathing dragon in the fantasy platformer in Unreal (1990-1991 Ubi Soft). Want your fantasy a little more bloody, then tackle the FPS sequel Witchaven II: Blood Vengeance (1996 Intracorp). Challenge multiple opponents in the first-person arena shooter XS: Shield Up, Fight Back (1996 SCi) and when you're done with that, build a business from scratch in the management sim Zapitalism! Deluxe (1995-1997 LavaMind).

ANGEL DEVOID: FACE OF THE ENEMY

The line between cinema and games blurred during the FMV craze of the mid-90s and many developers embraced the new technology wholeheartedly to varying effect. One such developer was Electric Dreams, a short-lived company who, with Mindscape on publishing duties, gave us the interactive sci-fi thriller Angel Devoid: Face of the Enemy in 1996.

CLAW

Back in 1997, Claw from Monolith Productions (Blood, F.E.A.R., Shadow of Mordor) was something of a rarity; a PC exclusive platformer. And a good one at that. This tough-as-nails 2D side scroller proved that home computers could play host to such a game without playing second fiddle to the genre's prolific nature on consoles.

SYMBIOCOM (aka SYN-FACTOR)

 

After helming one of the best interstellar Mary Celeste adventures in Majestic: Part 1 - Alien Encounter, the one-man design team of Istvan Pely got to work on some thematic sequels. Released 1998, the same year as Zero Critical (a future Chamber escapee I'm sure), Symbiocom shares a lot with his previous game in that you are searching a deserted space vessel seemingly abandoned in the deep recesses of space.