MONTHLY 5 - June 2020

Treat yourself to a plethora of retro gaming goodness this June on the Collection Chamber. Play some wacky minigolf in 3D Ultra MiniGolf (1997 Sierra On-Line), uncover a corrupt police force in the Amiga RPG Captive II: Liberation (1993 Mindscape) then solve some devious puzzles in The Island of Dr. Brain (1992 Sierra On-Line). There are more brain teasers to be found in Marble Drop (1997 Maxis) but if you want some action, try out the criminally underrated FPS Wrath of Earth (1995 Assix Software).

VERSAILLES 1685: A GAME OF INTRIGUE

While in lockdown, I've visited a number of places throughout history without leaving the slight discomfort of my cheap gaming chair. From Ancient Rome to China's Garden of Perfect Brightness, the virtual holidays are a perfect way to satisfy any unrequited wanderlust. Recently, I travelled to Versailles circa 1685 thanks to a little game by Cryo Interactive Entertainment.

STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE 9 - THE FALLEN

At on time, Star Trek games were very hit and miss. All throughout the 90s, we had a slew of great adventure games, a plethora of average platformers and some awful action games but by the beginning of the new millennium, the quality began to take a notable shift for the better. With an aim to mimic the action-adventure acrobatics of Tomb Raider, Star Trek: Deep Space 9 - The Fallen (2000, Simon & Schuster Interactive) was one of the many highlights of those times.

MONTHLY 5 - MAY 2020

Our May Movie celebration comes to a close with a quintet of licenced games. Aid the caped crusader through the events of Batman Returns (1992 Konami) in this relatively unknown point-and-click adventure. Take to the skies and defeat alien invaders in Independence Day: The Game (1997 Fox Interactive). Sometimes, all you need is a menagerie of talking animals to save the world - and Michael Jordan. Gather a team of Looney Tunes to play basketball against some aliens in Space Jam (1996 Warner Bros). Get back down to earth in a compilation of Lethal Weapon games. Lethal Weapon Collection (1992-1993 Ocean) features 5 unique games over 6 platforms. Finally, future earth has been flooded, so do your best to survive the real-time strategy in Waterworld: The Quest for Dry Land (1997 Interplay).

Watch our video roundup below or check them out yourself after the jump.

THE ABYSS: INCIDENT AT EUROPA

Out of all of James Camerons' back catalogue of blockbusters, I've always felt The Abyss to be a bit underappreciated. Sure, the visual effects were a milestone in moviemaking but underneath all of that is a thought-provoking sci-fi that's as deep as the depths the story takes you. In 1998, a year shy of its 10th anniversary, a little known developer by the name of Sound Source Interactive took that ageing I.P. and created a somewhat forgotten first-person action-adventure.

CITY OF LOST CHILDREN

Anyone with even a passing interest in French cinema has probably heard of the directing duo Jeunet and Caro. The former made inroads into Hollywood by directing Alien Resurrection before returning to his Parisian roots in a big way with the sublime Amelie. After a directorial hiatus, the latter made the underrated sci-fi Dante 01. It's their combined efforts that have earned them their early acclaim with Delicatessen in 1991 and a little oddity from 1995 known as The City of Lost Children. This visually arresting fable even got a belated video game adaptation a few years later thanks to Psygnosis.

MONTHLY 5 - APRIL 2020

Occupy your quarantined mind with April's selection of games from the Collection Chamber. Flip some balls in a theme park in 3D Ultra Pinball: Thrillride (2000 Dynamix). Solve some science puzzles in The Castle of Dr. Brain (1991 Sierra On-Line). Enter a VR sporting tournament in Locus (1995 Zombie LLC). Cure infected minds in Plague: In the Maze of the Mind (1996 Microforum) then cure infected hard drives in Virus: The Game (1997 Kiddum Multimedia & Telstar Electronics). Head on in to check them out.