3D Realms Anthology
And the company Apogee / 3D Realms made a lot for the gaming industry: published and developed amazing games, re-invented the principle of “shareware” in the form in which we know it now, first used as the official release date “When it's done”. In general, a landmark company. And just a couple of months ago, they redid their site and started selling their old games again, including preparing a 3D Realms Anthology collection, a collection of golden classics, so to speak. And this company and this collection will be discussed today.
[live insert] Hello! My name is Dmitry, and this is a new year! And this is another edition of the Old-Hard show. There is nothing left before the holiday, and that means time to look under the Christmas tree!
[I lift the disk from under the tree, I twist in my hands]
It's awesome! The collection of the best games from the company Apogee, it’s also Apogee, it’s also 3D Realms. Full versions of 32 games, covers of musical compositions from games - and all this on one disc. But before talking about the game, you need to say a few words about the company. [/ live insert]
')
Apogee was founded in 1987 by Scott Miller, and the first game published was the Kingdom of Kroz arcade game, which used pseudographics in text mode on the screen ... but sales, oddly enough, went well. In 1991, he was joined by George Broussard, who published a number of his old games on behalf of Apogee, and in the future was responsible for the Duke Nukem series of games.
One of the main ideas tested by Apogee is a new version of shareware-distribution of games. Prior to this, the company had already tried various distribution options: traditional, in the morning money, and in the evening chairs. And a variation on the topic of donations, when the game was distributed free of charge, and for the money technical support, tips on passing and cheats were bought.
In shareware, the player received for free the first episode of the game, containing, as a rule, approximately 10 levels, and the subsequent ones were already acquired for money.
[live inset] However, in this place someone will probably remember the toys Beyond the Titanic and Supernova. Indeed, both of these toys were developed by Scott Miller and were published by Apogee, but they were also published before the creation of the company. And the Kingdom of Kroz was the first game that was published immediately by Apogee, and not by someone else. [/ live insert]
And there were variations too, for example, initially the games could be bought in an episode, well, i.e. let's say buy only 2 or only 3rd and 4th episodes. Later this scheme was abandoned, and the game had two options: shareware with the first episode and a full version with all the episodes. This method allowed to fully get acquainted with the game before buying it, which is much better than the current situation, when usually even demo versions for games are not made, and all that remains is video clips and reviews.
In 1995, the company created the 3D Realms trademark, under whose name they planned to develop and produce three-dimensional shooters. The plan was to create several brands, each of which would publish games of its own genre. But as a result of the change in the market, they gave up on this idea, and only 3D Realms and Pinball Wizards were created, on whose behalf only one game was released - a pinball called Balls of Steel.
It should be noted that Apogee was mainly a publisher, and much less often a developer. Although games such as the Duke Nukem series were developed on their own, in most cases they were the publisher. How do you like Max Payne? Also published in Apogee! More precisely, already 3D Realms.
Moreover, Apogee was a “good” publisher: it did not require exclusive rights from developers, although it didn’t provide any special monetary support until the end of development, being limited to deductions from actual sales. In short, she was an indie games publisher even before it became fashionable. And the concept of INDI did not exist at all ...
[live insertion] Well, now that we’ve got the theoretical part, let's look at the contents of the disc. [/ live insert]
As I said, there are 32 games here, combined by a common installer and launcher. This shell is not very convenient - the pictures of games are very small, it is inconvenient to click and choose, even the tooltip does not help much, you have to peer. But through it, you can run any game or read the documentation, which is not for all games, but for most certainly. Sometimes it is a scan of 1-2 pages with banal tips and cheat codes, and sometimes a fairly detailed story about many elements of the game.
All the games, as you probably already guessed, were released under MS-DOS, so in this package, along with each game, there is already a customized DosBox emulator. And yes, everything is set up to run under Windows, for example, the owners of Linux will even have to run the installer through Wine.
In addition, there is a collection of enough high-quality remixes of tunes from some games.
There are only 9 such remixes here, and most are no longer than 2-3 minutes. As an independent collection, it is a little weak, but as a supplement to games, it will draw, I even liked several songs from games that are of no interest to me, which is already an indicator.
In addition, the music is immediately delivered in several formats MP3, WAV and FLAC, for any ears and purposes, so to speak.
[live insert] However, this edition has one small drawback - it does not exist. [/ live insert]
Yes, yes, yes, these games are sold only in digital form on the publisher's website, and you can buy both a collection and buy them one by one. Sad but true: there is no real box or disk, and, apparently, it is not expected. I made this physical version myself, on the basis of artifacts available on the Internet — first, of course, by purchasing the electronic version. Nevertheless, I would like to briefly tell you about all the games that are in this collection. And I will list them in alphabetical order, and not composing a certain top from the worst to the best. I will certainly group some of them by meaning, but there will be a minimum of such permutations.
[live insert] So - let's get started! [/ live insert]
Alien Carnage . Enough colorful platformer, in which we run on a level, destroy comically drawn aliens and save hostages. The unique moment here is that the character does not know how to jump, but it can use a jetpack! Relatively free flight level fairly well diversifies the usual platform gameplay. True, the flight spends the same amount of fuel as a flamethrower. Oh, I have not said? Yes, in this game there is a flamethrower, which is also not very often found in games of any genre in general. In addition, the level of scattered machines, in which you can buy a variety of ammunition, ammunition, weapons and lechilki for money, knocked out of enemies and found at the level. In general, quite a pretty platformer, I recommend to fans of the genre.
Artic Adventure . NDAAA. If you're an old gamer, love hardcore and four-color CGA graphics,
then this game may well you like. But I get the feeling that I am playing an Atari 2600 or something similar. You understand that I have nothing against the old graphics and old games, but such a picture, alas, is somewhere beyond my perception. Well, hardcore with death in one touch does not tempt me. And there is no music in the game. But, curiously, it has a global map that allows you to pass levels in a conditionally arbitrary order, although you may need a key found in one of the previous levels to access some doors - this feature will later be found in many games published by Apogee. Such are the cases.
Bio Menace . I have already made a separate release about this platformer, if you are interested - look at it, there are all the pros and cons of this game. Today I will be brief - this is a well balanced game in terms of complexity and interestingness on the Commander Keen - Goodbuy Galaxy engine. Dynamic, beautiful, diverse, meat. A lot of weapons, a lot of monsters, a lot of levels and good bosses. In general, I strongly recommend that you watch a separate video
and check out the game itself.
Blake Stone - Aliens of Gold . On the engine of the famous Wolfenstein 3D, quite a few shooters were made, some of them came out creepy, some were quite decent, and some were very good. This game balances somewhere between “decent enough” and “wonderful”, bringing us into a fantastic setting.
The authors of the game made a number of changes to the engine and the mechanics of the Wolf: there appeared lighting, textures on the floor and ceiling, as well as an automatic map that simplifies navigation through the maze. In addition, at the level there are vending machines in which you can buy first-aid kits. Another interesting point is that the elevator, through which you get to a new level, you can also return to the previous floor, and get unused ammunition or first aid kits. To summarize: if you like shooters with a Wolf mehannica, be sure to check out this one, which, by the way, had a sequel.
Blake Stone - Planet Strike . You can’t see much difference in the first levels - the design of the guns, monsters and levels changed a little, the weapon began to sway, but on the whole - continued as a continuation. True, I heard that the second part came out less balanced than the first, and in some places it will be very difficult to play, but I can not refute or confirm. In any case, to get acquainted with these games is in order.
And it seems that both games used the same library of sounds as the authors of X-COM.
Commander Keen in "Invasion of the Vorticons" . One of the first platformers from id Software, and those of those times when their logo was written in capital letters and which could be read as AiDi. But it is not important. It is important that there is a global map and some levels can be passed in any order. The overall positive positivity of the environment, the absurdity of drawing and the presence of such a thing as a skipping rope are important. In the sense of a “grasshopper”, a pogo stick, it allows a rather unusual move around the level, significantly changing the physics of the jumps.
But about the management, I can still say a couple of affectionate. The shot is made by simultaneously pressing the keys of the jump and the grasshopper. Brilliant, gentlemen, brilliant. There is no music in the game, the sound is only through the recording speaker, and the graphics ... the graphics are in front of you. The game is of course considered a classic, but it looks, for my taste, a bit rough and flat. One could certainly say that the level of graphics for his year is normal. But after all, just a year later, the following game came out of this collection, which has noticeably better graphics and sound:
Commander Keen in "Goodbye, Galaxy!" . Here this platformer can be considered truly timeless. Control has become normal, the shot has moved to a separate key, and all control buttons can be reconfigured for themselves. The graphics became awesomely clear and beautiful, the variety of surrounding levels is also amazing. The game has enough quality music, the sound also moved to the sound card. In general, the technical part of the platformer is at the height, and this game can be shown without fear even to modern gamers.
In terms of interestingness and setting, she also pleases: bonuses in the form of candies, funny drawn and equally alien behaves, competent level design, just fantastic! This platformer makes me happy even though the game does not have a health scale and death comes with one touch - the balance of difficulty in the game is very literate, and this feature does not make your head beat against the wall. In short: be sure to rate this game. Required.
Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure . In this platformer, you will take on the role of a poor little alien who has lost his parents on an alien planet. In the best traditions of Mario we wander through the levels, jump on the heads of comically drawn opponents and actively move forward. In addition to the jump, our cute alien uses dynamite as a weapon. Such they are, cute aliens. In addition, our hero is a relative of either a fly, or a spiderman, and is capable of sticking to the walls with the help of suckers, as well as jumping on them. The graphics here are pretty nice, albeit an amateur, but I am such an amateur, and I hope you too. I strongly recommend her to try.
Crystal Caves . I would call this the most typical platformer from Apogee. First, we wander around the global map, choose a level, and then - we pass this level, collecting keys and destroying enemies. Unless the global map, for a change, is presented not by a top view, but by a side view. Well, our hero, like the monsters' sprites, is somehow too small. As for the rest, this is a pretty platformer, nothing special.
Secret Platform belongs to the same platform. No, well, really, the same small graphics, the same sound effects coming exclusively from the speaker ... The case when I can’t say anything special about this game is not visible in the first levels of unique features. But I am very glad that the hero does not die with one touch and has a certain amount of health. This is great, because it does not make the game too hardcore.
Death Rally . Shooting races with a very, very high camera. If you have played any game on the subject of micro-machines, then everything will seem familiar to you, except that the setting is a little more serious. We ride, shoot, between missions we buy bonuses and pump over the machine. I am not a fan of this genre, but this game is widely known in certain circles, and if you like these games, be sure to try this deadly race.
Duke Nukem , aka Duke Nukum . I have already talked about this platformer in detail in one of the previous issues, which I dedicated to all platform arcades about Duke. So today I simply summarize: a platformer of average complexity with an average, by modern standards, graphics. Exceptionally famous for being the first game in the series.
Almost the same situation with Duke Nukem 2 - I also talked about it in that issue. The game is much more beautiful and diverse than the first part, besides it has awesome music. True, the complexity is now slightly above average, but it is definitely worth playing. I would even say this: there is a first part to a modern gamer, you can still skip, then the second one ... nee, the second one is definitely worth playing.
Next on the list is Duke Nukem - Manhattan Project , but like about the previous two games, I also told about this in one of the previous releases. Damn, I'm starting to repeat. Beautiful platformer with three-dimensional graphics and classic two-dimensional gameplay.
Where to find other details I have already mentioned. Unless I would like to note that this is the only game in the collection, originally developed for Windows and not using DosBox for its launch.
Next - Duke Nukem 3D . To think about this classic of the genre, I think, is simply meaningless. The same blond hero, fighting aliens, came in almost full 3D. Surprisingly realistic, adequate level design, which is fun to play with. Unusual guns, funny aliens. In general, as I said, the classics of the genre.
But what is curious. This compilation includes both the original MS-DOS, Atomic Edition version 1.5, and the source port EDuke32, with the windows version. But the original is launched from the launcher, the port can only be launched directly by going to the appropriate directory. Why I did it this way - I don’t know, but it’s definitely worth saying, after all, high resolutions and normal performance on modern computers are important.
By the way, on the Duke Nukem 3D engine there were a few more games, and one of them is included in this collection - the game Shadow Warrior . This cool definitely requires a separate review, because this is a first-person shooter with samurai and firearms! Brutal massacre of opponents, themed guns, interesting design locations and an abundance of black humor will not let any fan of the first-person shooter genre bored. For this game, there are also source-ports, I record video on ProAsm SWP. Why is the Duke port in the collection is (although not placed in the menu), and for the Shadow Warrior is not - again, I do not really understand. But in any case, the game is gorgeous so much that in 2013 a modern remake came out for it, and this definitely means something!
Hocus pocus . Platform arcade, about which I have already done a separate release, so in short: excellent, surprisingly beautiful graphics, not hardcore gameplay and simple puzzles are already waiting for you! Music is also on top. Unlike many similar platformers, here you need not only to reach the end of the level, but also to find all the special crystals. Over 4 episodes you will defeat all enemies, smash evil bosses and be able to marry your beloved! And no mortgage on the castle. Fantasy.
For the rest of the details I recommend to refer to my previous video about this game. Just note that in 2014 the translation bureau old-games.ru made a complete translation of this game, not only the game itself, but also the documentation, and even programs for adjusting the sound. So, if you have children, I highly recommend this game to show them. As an adult, it may seem somewhat rustic, but I personally enjoyed it from beginning to end. In general, I repeat: I recommend!
Major Stryker . This is a very difficult scrolling shooter in which you can die with one hit, no strip of life is provided. I ochchen not like this hardcore in games, in which you need to learn the level from beginning to end. And neither the variety of bonuses, nor the graphics with the parallax effect, nor the pretty tuneful music will be able to please me, because death occurs after one mistake. But if you are a fan of such a scrolling shooter - I wish you good luck.
Math Rescue . Educational toy for children. A cross between arcade and math exercises. Moreover, there are very few arcade games here, you can only jump on dull, linear levels and destroy monsters, and shooting is also boring: we just look towards the enemy, click on the spacebar - and that is automatically destroyed, even to aim and stand on one line with him is not necessary.The complexity of mathematical tasks can be customized: full complexity tasks formulated in English need to be solved at maximum complexity. At the minimum, you will not find a single word, purely mathematical examples. So, if you want to give your child this game, you will get a mixture of learning English and math on high difficulties. For adults it will definitely be boring to play it, as the arcade part is very primitive.
Word rescue. The toy is very similar to the previous one, and definitely made on the same engine. Only now it will be necessary to study not mathematics, but English, if specifically - words. At the bottom of the screen is written the word, but we need to find the appropriate picture and touch it. We are mistaken - a new monster appears on the screen, no violence in the animation, in general, everything is decorum-peaceful. To learn a foreign language can and go, I guess. But then again, the toy is very childish, which, however, does not hide.
Monster Bash . Just a paradoxical platformer: a little boy fights with various monsters using a slingshot. HmFormally, the game is apparently childish, and the panache is quite comical and flat, but at the same time the monsters scatter for meat so that Dangerous Dave and Bio Menace would envy. However, I do not see anything terrible in it, except that the game seemed complicated to me: despite the existence of a strip of life, there are a lot of unexpected traps and monster attacks in it. Nevertheless, it is still nicely played.
Monuments of mars. Another hardcore platformer with CGA graphics. There is no scrolling, each screen is a small arcade puzzle game that makes you think about the right route. One mistake - and you can start the level again. In this regard, the gameplay is not bad, but the graphics definitely require a lot of imagination, there is no music, and the sound is very simple. But again, the gameplay is all right here, which means that the real oldheimer will be able to find something interesting in it.
Pharaoh's tomb. The game fiercely resembles the previous one, the Monuments of Mars. Only the subject has changed: if the previous game belonged to the sci-fi setting, then this one is more reminiscent of classics like the adventures of Indiana Jones and other tomb raiders. Otherwise, it is played, it looks and sounds just like the previous one, the only difference is in sprites and some traps.
Mystic towers. Quite an interesting mix of adventure and arcade, which is worthy of a separate review. In the role of Baron Baldric, you will visit several towers built by your enemy, Baron Lazarin. In each of the towers is required to destroy a special generator, which is engaged in the production of monsters. Monsters of course have a funny design, but do not flatter yourself - they only suck up health on the road. However, they also know how to blunt from the heart, and move along wild paths. In addition to purely playable bonuses and spells, you will also have to look for fountains with water and food, for dying from hunger and thirst for nifiga is no better than from poison or enemy fireballs. In addition to all this, you can move objects, use teleportation and levitation spells, turn the lights on and off to solve puzzles ... In short, do not even think about missing this game.
Paganitzu . Again, the arcade, which requires careful thinking through the locations, but this time is not a platform arcade, but just an arcade. Something subtly reminds boulder dash, but not to the end, in this toy there are some elements of adventure, the plot is pecked, and the matter is not limited to the movement of cobblestones. The graphics are of course unpretentious, but still not 4-color, so I can recommend it not only to very hardcore oldheimers.
Realms of chaos. Undeservedly forgotten platformer - although I can imagine why it was forgotten. The graphics in it are very specific, although, for my taste, everything looks good in dynamics. But this is in dynamics - in the screenshots the game is not at all impressive, and from the screenshots in the magazine I would not want to install it. And it is in vain, since there is a zest in the gameplay: two main characters, between which you can switch during the action. The man-warrior has more health and good drawn with the sword, and the woman-magician uses a remote attack fireballs. And you will have to use both characters, for example, for example, flying opponents are easier to destroy with fireballs, although some ordinary ones are more vulnerable to them. Others are quicker to open their hooves from the impact of honed steel, and additional health is not superfluous,in general, there will be work for both heroes. In addition, along the way, as in any good arcade game you will meet useful bonuses. To summarize: this is an above-average arcade game that you should definitely try any fan of this genre.
Rise of the Triad — Dark War. Shooter, created on the engine, Wolfenstein 3D, but at the same time that engine was pumped almost to the level of Doom, and in some places even cooler. The same jumps, camera movements, weapons with unusual mechanics, digitized actors' sprites, funny bonuses, like flying or turning into a dog ... In general, I already mentioned this shooter in the issue “religion of 3D gamers”, and this is a game that deserves a separate review. By the way, for it there is a pair of source ports, WinRott and GlRott. The first uses a 256-color screen mode, and therefore is buggy on modern versions of Windows, but the second one works very well, I record the current video from it. In short, if you want to look at an interesting arcade shooter - you are welcome, but I will do a full review, as well as a comparison with the game based on, published in 2013, a little later.
Stargunner. You know, I already mentioned that I fiercely dislike scrolling shooters in which you die with one hit. And this, to my great happiness, does not apply to the like, here is a strip of life available. Around me, just an insane amount of bullets flies, but nevertheless, I cannot attribute the game to fierce hardcore, at least in the first levels. The game challenges, but does not make the head bang against the wall. Between the levels on the points knocked out in the process, you can buy new guns and bonuses, in general, a gentleman's set of features of a quality scroller. The music in the game is at the same level again, but I still have something to complain about: the style of graphics. Everything is individual, of course, but as for me, the picture is cartoonish and colorful,
and as a sprite there are probably not very well rendered 3D models.
But this is my purely subjective opinion, with respect to the rest of the parameters, everything seems to be in order with the game.
Raptor - Call of the Shadows . Scrolling shooter, about which you can say the same thing as about the previous one: an adequate level of difficulty, a good game balance, the purchase of bonuses between levels. But there are a number of differences. First, the opponents on the screen are not very many, and they are all quite strong, not dying from a single bullet. Secondly, the graphics are drawn in a more realistic style than in the previous game, and it makes me very happy. Thirdly, between the levels you will have to buy not only bonuses, but also to repair the plane: no one will restore the health bar for free, you will have to fly carefully.
In general, I really like this scrolling shooter, although I am indifferent to this genre. So I can not recommend it.
Terminal velocity. Another flying shooter, but this time - a three-dimensional and first-person. I already mentioned about him in the issue about S3 Virge, but briefly. But this was the first game released under the label 3D Realms, not Apogee. What can you say about it? Hmm Flying with a first-person view, yes, but we are flying in open space. A very, very deserted space, occasionally encountered enemies, trees and buildings do not correct the despondency of their surroundings. There are also flights through the tunnels, but these are not full-fledged labyrinths, but long monotonous guts with a minimum of branches and forks. In general, I won’t be able to share the excitement of this game with its fans, but if you are interested in it, you know where to find it.
Wacky Wheels.Racing on the cards, where the main characters are different animals. Again, this race is well known among fans of the genre, but the trouble is: I do not belong to such amateurs.
Even in the issue of Sega 32X, I told you that in racing with pseudo-three-dimensional graphics, it is very difficult for me to navigate in space, so I cannot tell a lot about it. We ride, use bonuses, rush hedgehogs and other delights of the classic racing with bonuses. Mode for two players - in stock. And by the way, at the moment a modern remake of the game is being prepared, the output is planned for 2015.
Well, the last game in the list, Wolfenstein 3D. To tell you about the wolf, in my opinion, only time to lose is one of the most famous representatives of the first-person shooter genre. Unless I say that I have already done a separate release about this game, or rather, about its Source-ports, tricky graphic modifications and games based on. So, if you want more details, go see that issue, I will not repeat here.
WowThese are the toys that have found their refuge on this disk. I hope I managed to interest you and show what wonderful games Apogee developed and published.
[live insert] And that's what I want to say. This disc has an interesting feature - it does not exist, the publisher did not create it. Nevertheless, he is now on my shelf. What am I doing all about?In the new year, I wish you that all your plans and dreams come true, but do not forget that their execution is in your hands. NDA, somehow pathetic turns, but nonetheless.
Thank you so much for your attention and see you in the new year. Until! [/ live insert]
Preface.
I was repeatedly reminded and reminded that my diction is not perfect. Well, medical fact. Attempts to do something with it while fail. Therefore, I decided to conduct an experiment: lay out the full decoding of the video. More precisely, this is the scenario in which I wrote the text. It may be slightly different from that in the video, because in some places I change phrases when recording, but nonetheless. If you suddenly realized that you can no longer listen to the story in the video - try to read it.
[live insert] Hello! My name is Dmitry, and this is a new year! And this is another edition of the Old-Hard show. There is nothing left before the holiday, and that means time to look under the Christmas tree!
[I lift the disk from under the tree, I twist in my hands]
It's awesome! The collection of the best games from the company Apogee, it’s also Apogee, it’s also 3D Realms. Full versions of 32 games, covers of musical compositions from games - and all this on one disc. But before talking about the game, you need to say a few words about the company. [/ live insert]
')
Apogee was founded in 1987 by Scott Miller, and the first game published was the Kingdom of Kroz arcade game, which used pseudographics in text mode on the screen ... but sales, oddly enough, went well. In 1991, he was joined by George Broussard, who published a number of his old games on behalf of Apogee, and in the future was responsible for the Duke Nukem series of games.
One of the main ideas tested by Apogee is a new version of shareware-distribution of games. Prior to this, the company had already tried various distribution options: traditional, in the morning money, and in the evening chairs. And a variation on the topic of donations, when the game was distributed free of charge, and for the money technical support, tips on passing and cheats were bought.
In shareware, the player received for free the first episode of the game, containing, as a rule, approximately 10 levels, and the subsequent ones were already acquired for money.
[live inset] However, in this place someone will probably remember the toys Beyond the Titanic and Supernova. Indeed, both of these toys were developed by Scott Miller and were published by Apogee, but they were also published before the creation of the company. And the Kingdom of Kroz was the first game that was published immediately by Apogee, and not by someone else. [/ live insert]
And there were variations too, for example, initially the games could be bought in an episode, well, i.e. let's say buy only 2 or only 3rd and 4th episodes. Later this scheme was abandoned, and the game had two options: shareware with the first episode and a full version with all the episodes. This method allowed to fully get acquainted with the game before buying it, which is much better than the current situation, when usually even demo versions for games are not made, and all that remains is video clips and reviews.
In 1995, the company created the 3D Realms trademark, under whose name they planned to develop and produce three-dimensional shooters. The plan was to create several brands, each of which would publish games of its own genre. But as a result of the change in the market, they gave up on this idea, and only 3D Realms and Pinball Wizards were created, on whose behalf only one game was released - a pinball called Balls of Steel.
It should be noted that Apogee was mainly a publisher, and much less often a developer. Although games such as the Duke Nukem series were developed on their own, in most cases they were the publisher. How do you like Max Payne? Also published in Apogee! More precisely, already 3D Realms.
Moreover, Apogee was a “good” publisher: it did not require exclusive rights from developers, although it didn’t provide any special monetary support until the end of development, being limited to deductions from actual sales. In short, she was an indie games publisher even before it became fashionable. And the concept of INDI did not exist at all ...
[live insertion] Well, now that we’ve got the theoretical part, let's look at the contents of the disc. [/ live insert]
As I said, there are 32 games here, combined by a common installer and launcher. This shell is not very convenient - the pictures of games are very small, it is inconvenient to click and choose, even the tooltip does not help much, you have to peer. But through it, you can run any game or read the documentation, which is not for all games, but for most certainly. Sometimes it is a scan of 1-2 pages with banal tips and cheat codes, and sometimes a fairly detailed story about many elements of the game.
All the games, as you probably already guessed, were released under MS-DOS, so in this package, along with each game, there is already a customized DosBox emulator. And yes, everything is set up to run under Windows, for example, the owners of Linux will even have to run the installer through Wine.
In addition, there is a collection of enough high-quality remixes of tunes from some games.
There are only 9 such remixes here, and most are no longer than 2-3 minutes. As an independent collection, it is a little weak, but as a supplement to games, it will draw, I even liked several songs from games that are of no interest to me, which is already an indicator.
In addition, the music is immediately delivered in several formats MP3, WAV and FLAC, for any ears and purposes, so to speak.
[live insert] However, this edition has one small drawback - it does not exist. [/ live insert]
Yes, yes, yes, these games are sold only in digital form on the publisher's website, and you can buy both a collection and buy them one by one. Sad but true: there is no real box or disk, and, apparently, it is not expected. I made this physical version myself, on the basis of artifacts available on the Internet — first, of course, by purchasing the electronic version. Nevertheless, I would like to briefly tell you about all the games that are in this collection. And I will list them in alphabetical order, and not composing a certain top from the worst to the best. I will certainly group some of them by meaning, but there will be a minimum of such permutations.
[live insert] So - let's get started! [/ live insert]
Alien Carnage . Enough colorful platformer, in which we run on a level, destroy comically drawn aliens and save hostages. The unique moment here is that the character does not know how to jump, but it can use a jetpack! Relatively free flight level fairly well diversifies the usual platform gameplay. True, the flight spends the same amount of fuel as a flamethrower. Oh, I have not said? Yes, in this game there is a flamethrower, which is also not very often found in games of any genre in general. In addition, the level of scattered machines, in which you can buy a variety of ammunition, ammunition, weapons and lechilki for money, knocked out of enemies and found at the level. In general, quite a pretty platformer, I recommend to fans of the genre.
Artic Adventure . NDAAA. If you're an old gamer, love hardcore and four-color CGA graphics,
then this game may well you like. But I get the feeling that I am playing an Atari 2600 or something similar. You understand that I have nothing against the old graphics and old games, but such a picture, alas, is somewhere beyond my perception. Well, hardcore with death in one touch does not tempt me. And there is no music in the game. But, curiously, it has a global map that allows you to pass levels in a conditionally arbitrary order, although you may need a key found in one of the previous levels to access some doors - this feature will later be found in many games published by Apogee. Such are the cases.
Bio Menace . I have already made a separate release about this platformer, if you are interested - look at it, there are all the pros and cons of this game. Today I will be brief - this is a well balanced game in terms of complexity and interestingness on the Commander Keen - Goodbuy Galaxy engine. Dynamic, beautiful, diverse, meat. A lot of weapons, a lot of monsters, a lot of levels and good bosses. In general, I strongly recommend that you watch a separate video
and check out the game itself.
Blake Stone - Aliens of Gold . On the engine of the famous Wolfenstein 3D, quite a few shooters were made, some of them came out creepy, some were quite decent, and some were very good. This game balances somewhere between “decent enough” and “wonderful”, bringing us into a fantastic setting.
The authors of the game made a number of changes to the engine and the mechanics of the Wolf: there appeared lighting, textures on the floor and ceiling, as well as an automatic map that simplifies navigation through the maze. In addition, at the level there are vending machines in which you can buy first-aid kits. Another interesting point is that the elevator, through which you get to a new level, you can also return to the previous floor, and get unused ammunition or first aid kits. To summarize: if you like shooters with a Wolf mehannica, be sure to check out this one, which, by the way, had a sequel.
Blake Stone - Planet Strike . You can’t see much difference in the first levels - the design of the guns, monsters and levels changed a little, the weapon began to sway, but on the whole - continued as a continuation. True, I heard that the second part came out less balanced than the first, and in some places it will be very difficult to play, but I can not refute or confirm. In any case, to get acquainted with these games is in order.
And it seems that both games used the same library of sounds as the authors of X-COM.
Commander Keen in "Invasion of the Vorticons" . One of the first platformers from id Software, and those of those times when their logo was written in capital letters and which could be read as AiDi. But it is not important. It is important that there is a global map and some levels can be passed in any order. The overall positive positivity of the environment, the absurdity of drawing and the presence of such a thing as a skipping rope are important. In the sense of a “grasshopper”, a pogo stick, it allows a rather unusual move around the level, significantly changing the physics of the jumps.
But about the management, I can still say a couple of affectionate. The shot is made by simultaneously pressing the keys of the jump and the grasshopper. Brilliant, gentlemen, brilliant. There is no music in the game, the sound is only through the recording speaker, and the graphics ... the graphics are in front of you. The game is of course considered a classic, but it looks, for my taste, a bit rough and flat. One could certainly say that the level of graphics for his year is normal. But after all, just a year later, the following game came out of this collection, which has noticeably better graphics and sound:
Commander Keen in "Goodbye, Galaxy!" . Here this platformer can be considered truly timeless. Control has become normal, the shot has moved to a separate key, and all control buttons can be reconfigured for themselves. The graphics became awesomely clear and beautiful, the variety of surrounding levels is also amazing. The game has enough quality music, the sound also moved to the sound card. In general, the technical part of the platformer is at the height, and this game can be shown without fear even to modern gamers.
In terms of interestingness and setting, she also pleases: bonuses in the form of candies, funny drawn and equally alien behaves, competent level design, just fantastic! This platformer makes me happy even though the game does not have a health scale and death comes with one touch - the balance of difficulty in the game is very literate, and this feature does not make your head beat against the wall. In short: be sure to rate this game. Required.
Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure . In this platformer, you will take on the role of a poor little alien who has lost his parents on an alien planet. In the best traditions of Mario we wander through the levels, jump on the heads of comically drawn opponents and actively move forward. In addition to the jump, our cute alien uses dynamite as a weapon. Such they are, cute aliens. In addition, our hero is a relative of either a fly, or a spiderman, and is capable of sticking to the walls with the help of suckers, as well as jumping on them. The graphics here are pretty nice, albeit an amateur, but I am such an amateur, and I hope you too. I strongly recommend her to try.
Crystal Caves . I would call this the most typical platformer from Apogee. First, we wander around the global map, choose a level, and then - we pass this level, collecting keys and destroying enemies. Unless the global map, for a change, is presented not by a top view, but by a side view. Well, our hero, like the monsters' sprites, is somehow too small. As for the rest, this is a pretty platformer, nothing special.
Secret Platform belongs to the same platform. No, well, really, the same small graphics, the same sound effects coming exclusively from the speaker ... The case when I can’t say anything special about this game is not visible in the first levels of unique features. But I am very glad that the hero does not die with one touch and has a certain amount of health. This is great, because it does not make the game too hardcore.
Death Rally . Shooting races with a very, very high camera. If you have played any game on the subject of micro-machines, then everything will seem familiar to you, except that the setting is a little more serious. We ride, shoot, between missions we buy bonuses and pump over the machine. I am not a fan of this genre, but this game is widely known in certain circles, and if you like these games, be sure to try this deadly race.
Duke Nukem , aka Duke Nukum . I have already talked about this platformer in detail in one of the previous issues, which I dedicated to all platform arcades about Duke. So today I simply summarize: a platformer of average complexity with an average, by modern standards, graphics. Exceptionally famous for being the first game in the series.
Almost the same situation with Duke Nukem 2 - I also talked about it in that issue. The game is much more beautiful and diverse than the first part, besides it has awesome music. True, the complexity is now slightly above average, but it is definitely worth playing. I would even say this: there is a first part to a modern gamer, you can still skip, then the second one ... nee, the second one is definitely worth playing.
Next on the list is Duke Nukem - Manhattan Project , but like about the previous two games, I also told about this in one of the previous releases. Damn, I'm starting to repeat. Beautiful platformer with three-dimensional graphics and classic two-dimensional gameplay.
Where to find other details I have already mentioned. Unless I would like to note that this is the only game in the collection, originally developed for Windows and not using DosBox for its launch.
Next - Duke Nukem 3D . To think about this classic of the genre, I think, is simply meaningless. The same blond hero, fighting aliens, came in almost full 3D. Surprisingly realistic, adequate level design, which is fun to play with. Unusual guns, funny aliens. In general, as I said, the classics of the genre.
But what is curious. This compilation includes both the original MS-DOS, Atomic Edition version 1.5, and the source port EDuke32, with the windows version. But the original is launched from the launcher, the port can only be launched directly by going to the appropriate directory. Why I did it this way - I don’t know, but it’s definitely worth saying, after all, high resolutions and normal performance on modern computers are important.
By the way, on the Duke Nukem 3D engine there were a few more games, and one of them is included in this collection - the game Shadow Warrior . This cool definitely requires a separate review, because this is a first-person shooter with samurai and firearms! Brutal massacre of opponents, themed guns, interesting design locations and an abundance of black humor will not let any fan of the first-person shooter genre bored. For this game, there are also source-ports, I record video on ProAsm SWP. Why is the Duke port in the collection is (although not placed in the menu), and for the Shadow Warrior is not - again, I do not really understand. But in any case, the game is gorgeous so much that in 2013 a modern remake came out for it, and this definitely means something!
Hocus pocus . Platform arcade, about which I have already done a separate release, so in short: excellent, surprisingly beautiful graphics, not hardcore gameplay and simple puzzles are already waiting for you! Music is also on top. Unlike many similar platformers, here you need not only to reach the end of the level, but also to find all the special crystals. Over 4 episodes you will defeat all enemies, smash evil bosses and be able to marry your beloved! And no mortgage on the castle. Fantasy.
For the rest of the details I recommend to refer to my previous video about this game. Just note that in 2014 the translation bureau old-games.ru made a complete translation of this game, not only the game itself, but also the documentation, and even programs for adjusting the sound. So, if you have children, I highly recommend this game to show them. As an adult, it may seem somewhat rustic, but I personally enjoyed it from beginning to end. In general, I repeat: I recommend!
Major Stryker . This is a very difficult scrolling shooter in which you can die with one hit, no strip of life is provided. I ochchen not like this hardcore in games, in which you need to learn the level from beginning to end. And neither the variety of bonuses, nor the graphics with the parallax effect, nor the pretty tuneful music will be able to please me, because death occurs after one mistake. But if you are a fan of such a scrolling shooter - I wish you good luck.
Math Rescue . Educational toy for children. A cross between arcade and math exercises. Moreover, there are very few arcade games here, you can only jump on dull, linear levels and destroy monsters, and shooting is also boring: we just look towards the enemy, click on the spacebar - and that is automatically destroyed, even to aim and stand on one line with him is not necessary.The complexity of mathematical tasks can be customized: full complexity tasks formulated in English need to be solved at maximum complexity. At the minimum, you will not find a single word, purely mathematical examples. So, if you want to give your child this game, you will get a mixture of learning English and math on high difficulties. For adults it will definitely be boring to play it, as the arcade part is very primitive.
Word rescue. The toy is very similar to the previous one, and definitely made on the same engine. Only now it will be necessary to study not mathematics, but English, if specifically - words. At the bottom of the screen is written the word, but we need to find the appropriate picture and touch it. We are mistaken - a new monster appears on the screen, no violence in the animation, in general, everything is decorum-peaceful. To learn a foreign language can and go, I guess. But then again, the toy is very childish, which, however, does not hide.
Monster Bash . Just a paradoxical platformer: a little boy fights with various monsters using a slingshot. HmFormally, the game is apparently childish, and the panache is quite comical and flat, but at the same time the monsters scatter for meat so that Dangerous Dave and Bio Menace would envy. However, I do not see anything terrible in it, except that the game seemed complicated to me: despite the existence of a strip of life, there are a lot of unexpected traps and monster attacks in it. Nevertheless, it is still nicely played.
Monuments of mars. Another hardcore platformer with CGA graphics. There is no scrolling, each screen is a small arcade puzzle game that makes you think about the right route. One mistake - and you can start the level again. In this regard, the gameplay is not bad, but the graphics definitely require a lot of imagination, there is no music, and the sound is very simple. But again, the gameplay is all right here, which means that the real oldheimer will be able to find something interesting in it.
Pharaoh's tomb. The game fiercely resembles the previous one, the Monuments of Mars. Only the subject has changed: if the previous game belonged to the sci-fi setting, then this one is more reminiscent of classics like the adventures of Indiana Jones and other tomb raiders. Otherwise, it is played, it looks and sounds just like the previous one, the only difference is in sprites and some traps.
Mystic towers. Quite an interesting mix of adventure and arcade, which is worthy of a separate review. In the role of Baron Baldric, you will visit several towers built by your enemy, Baron Lazarin. In each of the towers is required to destroy a special generator, which is engaged in the production of monsters. Monsters of course have a funny design, but do not flatter yourself - they only suck up health on the road. However, they also know how to blunt from the heart, and move along wild paths. In addition to purely playable bonuses and spells, you will also have to look for fountains with water and food, for dying from hunger and thirst for nifiga is no better than from poison or enemy fireballs. In addition to all this, you can move objects, use teleportation and levitation spells, turn the lights on and off to solve puzzles ... In short, do not even think about missing this game.
Paganitzu . Again, the arcade, which requires careful thinking through the locations, but this time is not a platform arcade, but just an arcade. Something subtly reminds boulder dash, but not to the end, in this toy there are some elements of adventure, the plot is pecked, and the matter is not limited to the movement of cobblestones. The graphics are of course unpretentious, but still not 4-color, so I can recommend it not only to very hardcore oldheimers.
Realms of chaos. Undeservedly forgotten platformer - although I can imagine why it was forgotten. The graphics in it are very specific, although, for my taste, everything looks good in dynamics. But this is in dynamics - in the screenshots the game is not at all impressive, and from the screenshots in the magazine I would not want to install it. And it is in vain, since there is a zest in the gameplay: two main characters, between which you can switch during the action. The man-warrior has more health and good drawn with the sword, and the woman-magician uses a remote attack fireballs. And you will have to use both characters, for example, for example, flying opponents are easier to destroy with fireballs, although some ordinary ones are more vulnerable to them. Others are quicker to open their hooves from the impact of honed steel, and additional health is not superfluous,in general, there will be work for both heroes. In addition, along the way, as in any good arcade game you will meet useful bonuses. To summarize: this is an above-average arcade game that you should definitely try any fan of this genre.
Rise of the Triad — Dark War. Shooter, created on the engine, Wolfenstein 3D, but at the same time that engine was pumped almost to the level of Doom, and in some places even cooler. The same jumps, camera movements, weapons with unusual mechanics, digitized actors' sprites, funny bonuses, like flying or turning into a dog ... In general, I already mentioned this shooter in the issue “religion of 3D gamers”, and this is a game that deserves a separate review. By the way, for it there is a pair of source ports, WinRott and GlRott. The first uses a 256-color screen mode, and therefore is buggy on modern versions of Windows, but the second one works very well, I record the current video from it. In short, if you want to look at an interesting arcade shooter - you are welcome, but I will do a full review, as well as a comparison with the game based on, published in 2013, a little later.
Stargunner. You know, I already mentioned that I fiercely dislike scrolling shooters in which you die with one hit. And this, to my great happiness, does not apply to the like, here is a strip of life available. Around me, just an insane amount of bullets flies, but nevertheless, I cannot attribute the game to fierce hardcore, at least in the first levels. The game challenges, but does not make the head bang against the wall. Between the levels on the points knocked out in the process, you can buy new guns and bonuses, in general, a gentleman's set of features of a quality scroller. The music in the game is at the same level again, but I still have something to complain about: the style of graphics. Everything is individual, of course, but as for me, the picture is cartoonish and colorful,
and as a sprite there are probably not very well rendered 3D models.
But this is my purely subjective opinion, with respect to the rest of the parameters, everything seems to be in order with the game.
Raptor - Call of the Shadows . Scrolling shooter, about which you can say the same thing as about the previous one: an adequate level of difficulty, a good game balance, the purchase of bonuses between levels. But there are a number of differences. First, the opponents on the screen are not very many, and they are all quite strong, not dying from a single bullet. Secondly, the graphics are drawn in a more realistic style than in the previous game, and it makes me very happy. Thirdly, between the levels you will have to buy not only bonuses, but also to repair the plane: no one will restore the health bar for free, you will have to fly carefully.
In general, I really like this scrolling shooter, although I am indifferent to this genre. So I can not recommend it.
Terminal velocity. Another flying shooter, but this time - a three-dimensional and first-person. I already mentioned about him in the issue about S3 Virge, but briefly. But this was the first game released under the label 3D Realms, not Apogee. What can you say about it? Hmm Flying with a first-person view, yes, but we are flying in open space. A very, very deserted space, occasionally encountered enemies, trees and buildings do not correct the despondency of their surroundings. There are also flights through the tunnels, but these are not full-fledged labyrinths, but long monotonous guts with a minimum of branches and forks. In general, I won’t be able to share the excitement of this game with its fans, but if you are interested in it, you know where to find it.
Wacky Wheels.Racing on the cards, where the main characters are different animals. Again, this race is well known among fans of the genre, but the trouble is: I do not belong to such amateurs.
Even in the issue of Sega 32X, I told you that in racing with pseudo-three-dimensional graphics, it is very difficult for me to navigate in space, so I cannot tell a lot about it. We ride, use bonuses, rush hedgehogs and other delights of the classic racing with bonuses. Mode for two players - in stock. And by the way, at the moment a modern remake of the game is being prepared, the output is planned for 2015.
Well, the last game in the list, Wolfenstein 3D. To tell you about the wolf, in my opinion, only time to lose is one of the most famous representatives of the first-person shooter genre. Unless I say that I have already done a separate release about this game, or rather, about its Source-ports, tricky graphic modifications and games based on. So, if you want more details, go see that issue, I will not repeat here.
WowThese are the toys that have found their refuge on this disk. I hope I managed to interest you and show what wonderful games Apogee developed and published.
[live insert] And that's what I want to say. This disc has an interesting feature - it does not exist, the publisher did not create it. Nevertheless, he is now on my shelf. What am I doing all about?In the new year, I wish you that all your plans and dreams come true, but do not forget that their execution is in your hands. NDA, somehow pathetic turns, but nonetheless.
Thank you so much for your attention and see you in the new year. Until! [/ live insert]
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/375063/
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