Games from 1996

Some would call it Impossible Pinball. Not that it is difficult to play, rather that you could never build a pinball machine that could do the type of things that this game does. But it seems as though that's the point. As like any pinball game, there is an underlying plot in which you must achieve certain goals on each of the three pinball tables (you can warp between them). This takes you off into the fantasy pinball world, where anything can happen. Tanks can attack your ball, comets can fly in and create a crater in the middle of the board. Who knows what will happen next.

Pinball with a strong horror motif. In the 3-D Ultra Pinball tradition, many of the effects achieved on these tables could not be reproduced on traditional machines. There are even cutaways to mini-video games where you can rack up bonus points. Tables can be played individually, or all at once in a campaign to beat them.

You play a pilot of one of the most famous fight planes of all time- the A:10 Warhog a.k.a. the Tank Killer. Guerrilla forces have stormed Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and it is your job to defeat them.

An enjoyable pinball game with decent graphics and enjoyable tables. There is no real plot trying to make it interesting to all audiences, just four pinball tables that prove to be great fun to anyone who enjoys killing some free time and playing some pinball.

A side-scroller with a twist -- you control the game with both the mouse and the keyboard. The mouse is used to aim and shoot and the keyboard is used to move. A level editor is included with the game.

Admiral: Sea Battles is a naval warfare turn-based strategy game but with the emphasis on action rather than accuracy. Instead of using rules to model real warfare conditions, or simulate historically accurate battles, Admiral uses a simple rule system and among the 11 types of ships you can command you can have both galleons and steam frigates at the same time for example! The game is composed of 3 campaigns with 6 battles each. Each battle has specific objectives involving naval battles, invasions, strategic placement of forts and ports, etc. You view the game from a top-down squared tactical-map perspective from where you issue orders to your fleet. Among the added features is the ability to board and capture ships, build forts and ports (to repair ships) and both single player and hot-seat multiplayer modes.

The sequel to USNF, ATF was the first game made by Jane's Combat Simulations (part of EA). The game used the same engine as USNF, with updated aircraft shapes and terrain. Though it was still unrealistic like USNF, ATF was very fun because of its customizability and multiplayer gameplay options. Replay value was high, with 2 campaigns, lots of single missions, an in-game mission creator, and a quick mission creator. Replay value was further increased by Duosoft's toolkit, which allowed players to easily and greatly modify the game with custom addon libraries. The game focused on futuristic aircraft and campaigns, with many of the flyable aircraft still in development. Every aircraft from USNF was kept, with lots of new planes and some new weapons. One of the new features was a comprehensive Jane's research suite on all the game's aircraft, weapons, vehicles, ships, etc. ATF's addon, NATO Fighters, added new aircraft and a new campaign.

The Age of Sail that the title refers to is a period during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries when tall sailing ships dominated the world's navies. AoS is a real time combat game. You control a tall ship and engage in cannon battles with enemy fleets. Gameplay centers around tactical decisions like selection of ordinance for the cannons, using the wind and maneuvering into position to fire at the enemy. In the campaign mode you start as an Ensign for one of four countries - Britain, Spain, France or the United States - and work your way up through the ranks. There are also about one hundred historical scenarios you can play, most of them taking place during the Napoleonic wars and the War of 1812. Scenarios give you control of multiple ships per battle.

Several factions are at war. The only true means to do face to face combat in this world is in the air. Choose one of seven aircraft (each having it's own faults and flight) and go to it. Gain control of an area and choose which is best suited to attack next. With three computer opponents, this game gets quite tough fast. They can easily gang up on you or perhaps a treaty to help another faction is in order? Good luck!

In Albion it is the year 2227, and you take the role of Tom Driscoll, space pilot for the powerful DDT Corporation. DDT has sent a factory ship called the Toronto to harvest minerals and resources from Albion, a newly discovered desert world barren of life but rich in resources. Tom is sent to take some atmospheric readings on the planet, but crash lands after an apparently accidental systems failure of his shuttle. Upon reviving from the accident he is shocked to discover Albion is in fact a rich, life-filled world inhabited by many alien life-forms. It then becomes his task to explore the strange new world and locate the Toronto. His quest becomes even more urgent when it becomes apparent that the AI guiding Toronto is determined to destroy this life-filled world in the name of big business. There are actually two modes in the RPG, 2D and 3D. The 2D mode takes place in the overworld and inside buildings, and is a top-down perspective similar to Ultima 7. Navigation is through the mouse which you can use to move around, and click on things to interact with them. There's also a 3D mode for the villages and dungeons. Combat is turned-based and planned on a 2D 6x6 square grid, and the actual animation occurs in 3D.

Alien Trilogy is a first-person shooter based on the first three Alien movies. You control Lt. Ripley in three sections, each based on one film: The colony complex on LV426 (from Aliens), the prison planet (from Alien³) and the derelict spaceship (from Alien). Each section consists of about 10 missions. In every mission, certain goals must be accomplished to continue. These include killing a certain number of enemies, finding items or activating switches. Enemies include everything the Alien life cycle provides: facehuggers, chestbursters, warrior aliens, dog aliens (from Alien³) and Alien queens, one of which waits in the final mission of every section. In addition to the Aliens, you also have to fight employees of the Company, who have either been infected by the Aliens and are beyond saving or who actively want to obstruct your mission. Weapons to be used include pistol, shotgun, pulse rifle, flame thrower and smart gun. Ammunition, health upgrades and other useful items are scattered throughout the levels. Hidden areas may be uncovered by using explosives like grenades and seismic charges. An auto mapping system helps in not getting lost, night goggles and shoulder lamps (running on battery power) allow you to see in the dark and the motion tracker tells you where your enemies are - but only if they are moving.

Amok is set in a future in which giant corporations have been at war for nearly 50 years, but an unsteady peace is formed. Unsteady enough to be destroyed by a mercenary company aided by a capable pilot in a battle walker. That peace-wrecker is you. The object of the game is basically to blow up things like military bases, power generators, etc. Powerups are scattered throughout the levels and your Starbird has 2 unlimited-firing laser guns in case you run out of missiles and other weapons.

This is a crazy platform game. You have to ride through America and help Joey. More than 60 levels will keep you playing for a while. The toon graphics are nice animated, also the speech is okay.

Reworking of the classic SNES game. Atomic Bomberman pits you against 9 opponents, human or computer, in the ultimate frag-fest. For the uninitiated, you control a cute little guy who carries an endless supply of bombs. The idea is to kill your opponents with these bombs - dropping bombs near them, throwing bombs at them, kicking bombs towards them. Very intense gameplay which requires complete awareness and lightning reactions.

First installment of Microsoft's Close Combat serial that bases its power more on a strategy, then on real-time battling. You're placed as the battlefield commander as you command your troops in Normandy. Choose either to play as Axis or an Allies.

You're a renegade Silencer out to settle a score with the powerful World Economic Consortium. Only your instincts, agility and firepower can get you through in one piece in the ultimate confrontation with your greatest enemy.

It's an action-rpg. At the beginning, you choose your character, warrior, sorceror or rogue. These characters can use different weapons, spells and equipment. The game starts in a town, where you can buy new stuff for your hero / heroine. You also get certain quests from the inhabitants there. Now you continue your way down to one of the 16 randomly created dungeon levels. There are loads of monsters to kill, after you have gained a certain number of experience points you can upgrade your skills. You find money which you can use to buy new weapons or scrolls or book etc. in town. The game features a great range of monsters, from simple skeletons to Diablo himself.

Die Hard Trilogy is split into three games, each game representing one of the movies. Die Hard 1 is a third person shooter in a style similar to Tomb Raider. You are John McClane and must fight through twenty floors of terrorists in the Nakatomi Plaza. The game has an invisible wall effect which allows you to see John even in small hallways. Die Hard 2 is a first person rail shooter in the vein of Virtua Cop or Mad Dog McCree. Once again you take the role of John McClane firing upon terrorists who happen to be ransacking the Washington/Dulles Airport in search of a South American dictator and druglord. Die Hard 3 is a fast-paced taxi racer through the city. John must this time speed through New York City defusing bombs and ramming evil-doers off the road behind the wheel of a cab.