Smashing Pumpkins into Small Piles of Putrid Debris has the distinction of sharing the title for longest/weirdest game name with the game "Invasion of the Mutant Space Bats of Doom" (no relation other than name-weirdness). It is an interesting blend of action/arcade and puzzle elements, as you attempt to collect candles and, um, smash pumpkins. (No relation to Billy Corgan either heheh). Supposedly this game was written in 48hrs as a joke that started on a Usenet newsgroup (read more at the official Jumal Software webpage, or Mobygames).
This simple text mode action game has some interesting origins. Apparently the giant networking company Novell got their start with this small game, the purpose of which was originally to be "an application that could be used to test the network and demonstrate its capabilities". So as a game its an interesting oddity (that still runs surprisingly well on modern computers) but don't expect any great replay value. (For much more on the history of this game visit Text Mode Games Snipes page. Also if you're a hardcore Snipes fan and just need the "NLSNIPES" version check the bottom of the Text Mode Games page for info on how to get it.)
Despite the opportunities presented to make fun of its name ... this game really is enjoyable. You play Willy, and you must shoot spitwads at bouncing balls. Each time you hit a large one, it splits into two smaller ones. And so on. Whenever you split one, it drops a cool powerup item. The game also features bosses and other enemies that come to attack you. Not bad at t'all!
If you can remember playing QBert, and would like to experience a similar game, you may want to try SpryJinx. It's similar to that classic game in that it involves jumping from tile to tile, but here the screen scrolls upward, each tile is worth a different amount of points, and there are various powerup items available. I found the computer player quite tough, even at the "Normal" difficultly level. Also, the graphics aren't very good ... but, as I say, if you liked QBert ...
If you've ever wanted to play a strange cross between Pac-Man and Qix, this is the game for you! :) This game involves moving around the playing field in a Pac-Man like manner, but instead of collecting dots, the object is to trace around squares. The game's graphics are nothing special ... if you like squares, you'll find plenty of them here. But the game plays well and is tougher than it looks!
Stalactites is a fairly unique action game that is somewhat hard to describe. It plays like the type of game you might find on the Atari 2600, and the author describes it as "A cross between Tempest and Break-Out". Erm, not really. But anyways it's kinda neat, the object is to keep moving to prevent the "stalactites" (those are the ones that hang from the ceiling; stalaGmites come up from the Ground) from reaching the bottom of the screen while avoiding the "deadly bouncing balls". Simple old-school Atari 2600 type fun.
The object of this unusual game is to keep swatting bugs (flies) until you can swat the "Super Fly" and move on to the next level. While this is an action game, strategy is also involved, because as you swat flies, they stay on the screen and block your movement; if you're not careful (and quick) you'll get trapped! Average VGA graphics here but the game certainly is unique, and it has 20 different levels, if you can make it that far, that is .....
This game is supposedly a version of the arcade classic "Xonix" ... however, you may know this game (as I do) by the name "Qix". Whatever it's called, it's a fun game. The object is to cut off as much of the gameboard as possible while not being caught by the flying orbs. The graphics are only average, and there isn't much variety, but overall it's fun to play.
The Tomb (not to be confused with Pharaoh's Tomb ... see the screenshot if you're not sure) is a remake of, or at least highly influenced by, the Tutankhamen arcade/home video game that was originally released in 1982. This version plays quite well, although the controls are a bit iffy at times. Decent graphics and classic gameplay, especially if you've played the original arcade game.
Threat is a top-down shooting game. Although each level has its own mission, generally speaking your goal is to shoot stuff! The graphics and sounds for this game are great, although the difficultly level (even on "easy") is rather high. It would have helped a lot to be able to use the mouse to aim the gun. As it is, only download this if you're a shooting fan looking for a real challenge! (Note: Make sure to run SETUP.EXE before running the game!)
This is a pretty cool action game that reminds me a bit of the old tabletop game "Crossfire" where the object was to knock a ball into your opponent's net by firing little metal ball bearings at it. This game is quite fun. It's colorful and has good sound effects. You can play against the computer (with variable difficulty settings) or you can play a two player game against an opponent. (Note: This is a DOS game, but the install program requires Windows. :/ Sorry!)
This game is a pretty unique concept that's hard to explain. The object is to guide your worm ("UrthWurm") through the level, trying to avoid obstacles. The game is played using only one key: Your worm falls toward the ground unless you press the Spacebar to make it go up. (Like I said, it's hard to explain.) The graphics are pretty average, but it can be fun in short bursts, but it sometimes can very difficult.
Wow! This is new ... and addicting! Really an original idea. You have to use your ship to grab colored balls that are floating around and deliver them to the correct colored hand on the side of the screen. I realize that won't help you very much, but check out the screenshot, and you'll see. Nice graphics, and some SB sounds, too. Very nice ... and only a 39k zipfile! A must download.
VGA Sharks is a simplistic action game from Alive Software (now "Alivesoft"). The aim of the game is to collect various marine creatures and return them safely to your shark-proof cage while avoiding the sharks. The graphics and sounds of this game are not great, and the gameplay is not terribily exciting, but this game nevertheless became fairly well known upon its original release.
VLAK is one of the few games on this site that is not in English, but that won't prevent you from playing it. A takeoff of the old Snake/Nibbles game, the object here is to collect the various gems on each level and then make your way to the exit. Each gem you collect makes your tail grow longer. Average graphics and hardly any sounds, but it plays well enough. Anything with so many colorful EGA gems is somehow hard to resist! :)
The object of Pacman-like Wilf is to cover each of the levels/mazes with jam (dropped as you move around) and avoid the various enemies ("Glumphs"). Its CGA graphics combined with SoundBlaster sounds (a rarity at the time the game was programmed) add to the charm of this old game. I personally have fond memories of playing it many, many years ago, and seeing the text of the intro/registration screen ("trolley filled with cheesie biscuits") gave me nostalga pangs when I saw it. :) (Note: You will probably need to use DOSBox or MoSlo to play at normal speed.)
Worm Wars 3 will look somewhat familiar to anyone who played the classic QBasic game Nibbles, but it includes many improvements and features that seperate it from Nibbles. It still uses ASCII graphics, but includes multiplayer play (versus another player or the computer) as well as powerups and new maps, as well as the ability to design your own maps. It plays quite well, and fans of snake-type games will find much to enjoy here.
Apogee's only Street Fighter II style fighting game (maybe made to compete with Rise of the Robots which was released two years earlier?), this game certainly has the looks of a great game, but IMHO falls a bit short in the gameplay department. The game certainly has great graphics (especially when the SuperVGA option is turned on) and the sounds are equally fantastic, however I found the large fighting characters hard to control. A well polished fighting game though so worth checking out if you're a fan of the fisticuffs. (Well, involving aliens and monsters, that is.)
X-Fighter (or is that "xfighter"?) is a simplistic shooting game played on a large grid. The object is to shoot the other planes before they crash into your ship. The CGA graphics won't "wow" you, nor will the simple PC speaker beeps. The game does play decently, although you'd be wise to use DOSBox to slow it down to a reasonable speed if you're playing it on modern PCs.
Bounce off the wall, collect gems, try not to die. I can't make it sound exciting, but it's not a bad game. It's sort of an update of an arcade game I forget the name of. In any case, it's probably worth a try.
While Xyphr may seem, from its screenshot, to resemble such classic games as Space Harrier, Afterburner, Top Gun, or even Blue Lightning (for you Atari Lynx fans) its good looks belie its extremely limited gameplay. As your ship flies forward, various enemies appear for you to shoot. However the controls and torrid pace of the game make it seem like a rather futile exercise. Decent graphics (especially for its time) but unlikely to hold your interest for very long.
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