Retro confessions... what non-Sierra games did you play?

[Spikey]

So, the 7th Guest thread in development got me to wonder.... aside from the obvious LucasArts deviations, what other games were you into - bar consoles? You know, back when graphics on your PC or Mac were still so limited and they had to actually make an interesting game to catch your attention? Like, with brutal difficulty that would keep you going for hours, hours and hours in the dark?

Some that stick out for me;

- Heroes of Might & Magic III
Never once touched much of the others in this series, but hell... was I addicted. This game was hard. But I really needed to finish.

- Metal Mutant
Some French side scrolling platformer that I mostly played because it had a "SUPER VGA" option. I loved being able to select that option. Game was hard as hell though, don't believe I ever finished.

- Prince of Persia II
After having played the original, the second game just blew me away. Haven't touched it in recent years though, I wonder what I actually saw in it.

- Dangerous Dave
Corny platformer, but with such interesting design that it kept me going for HOURS on end. Okay.

- The 11th Hour
This game got so much hate, it is insane. The 7th Guest changed the industry so fast, that the tiny company Trilobyte couldn't even keep up with it. Anyways, I just really like anagrams, so mix that up with 7th Guest like puzzling and I'm sold.

[notbobsmith]

I have a soft spot for Starflight I and II. They were a bit over my head at the time and I ended up needing hint book for them, but I'm still impressed with how much stuff (stars systems, planets, aliens) the developers were able to cram into two 5.25" floppies. They are practically begging for a sequel/remake with what games like No Man's Sky have been able to achieve.

[BBP]

The original Prince of Persia, Jill of the Jungle, Xargon, and a nice cartoon maker, Clyde's Adventures, Paganitzu, Redhook's Revenge, Dangerous Dave... plus I spent my teenage-hood on Fort Boyard and Minesweeper.
My favourite around the mid-90s was AlleyCat though!

Further back inthe days of our Atari 800XL we had a threepack of Lode Runner, Super Mario Bros and Donkey Kong.

Before that we primarily had home-programmed games, you know, from magazines you could buy? One I recall well was Submission, since it was written in machine code it was a pain in the neck to start up (as in: restart the computer holding Start + Select while playing the cassette vs just typing Cload and Run). Dad had typed it in - it being machine code this was weeks of typing numbers - and then put the cassette on the TV.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm in Nostalgia Mode and off to watch these!

[Tawmis]

Oh geez... this list would be too long...

So, the company that is "second" to Sierra for me, is the now, defunct Sir-Tech...

Creators of the Wizardry series...
So... Wizardry 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Wizardry 7 was brutal (the final fight and the teleporting, traps tower, was crazy), but Wizardry 8 is my favorite, because my wife played it also, so we used to talk about the game.

Realms of Arkania 1, 2, and 3. Probably my all time favorite RPG series. A lot of my D&D games that I run (and create the worlds) have such a heavy influence from the Realms of Arkania series.

Kyrandia 1, 2, 3. I think we all know those games.

Les Manly 1 and 2. I... liked these games. (Or I remember liking them; I'd like to go back and replay them like I did Kyrandia and see if they hold up).

A lot of the Test Drive games (way back when), California Games, Ancient Art of War, Ancient Art of War at Sea, Rogue (and all the Rogue-like games), and ... (so, so, so, so many games in the 80s)...

And if we delve into console, there's a ton there too... but special mention to Toejam & Earl (one of my all time favorites).

[Spikey]

You mentioning Wizardry suddenly reminds me of Eye of the Beholder III. Man despite the hours put into it I don't think I ever got that far.

[Tawmis]

You mentioning Wizardry suddenly reminds me of Eye of the Beholder III. Man despite the hours put into it I don't think I ever got that far.

Oh gods! Yes! All those SSI Games... Eye of the Beholder... Pool of Radiance...

[Rath Darkblade]

So many of these games ring a bell. The SSI games (Eye of the Beholder, Pool of Radiance). Alley Cat. Lode Runner, Dangerous Dave, Jill of the Jungle, Xargon, the original Prince of Persia (which - alas - I never finished!)

To these I could add Commander Keen, Crystal Caves, the original Duke Nukem, and Gods. (Yes, I certainly liked platformers way back in the DOS days).

Other than platformers...? Hmm. Does Loom ring a bell? Monkey Island 1 (the EGA version) - "Ask me about 'Loom'"? Sam and Max Hit the Road? Maniac Mansion (the EGA version)? And, oh yes... Double Dragon, Double Dragon II, Golden Axe etc. Silly fun like that.

And before the DOS days, back in the Commodore 64 and tape-deck days... hmm. I remember a rather primitive tennis game (whose name escapes me), a soccer game, a basketball game (Dr J vs Larry Bird, IIRC), and others. I can't remember them all. Fun times when you're under 10.

[Tawmis]

Hah - that made me think of another game I had played Dragon World, and there was my first computer game I remember (anyway) playing at my friend Chuck's house - Raaka Tu. (Which would begin my own path into BASIC computer games... and, with playing Colonel's Bequest many years later, led to me making Final Soul, my own text adventure game)!

[MusicallyInspired]

Besides LA games, I have fond memories of the id Software and Apogee immortal libraries and these titles:

-Altered Destiny
-The Myst series
-Search for the King (even though I never got anywhere)
-Descent 1/2
-Relentless
-The Journeyman Project
-Jill of the Jungle
-Billy The Kid
-Blackthorne
-Warcraft 2
-Prince of Persia
-System Shock
-Monty Python's Complete Waste of Time (not really a game, but a hilarious package for Win 3.1)
-Scorched Earth
-Star Trek 25th/JR
-Lemmings
-Return of the Phantom
-Arthur's Birthday
-Brix
-Nyet III
-Zone 66
-FX Fighter
-Alone in the Dark 3
-Unreal
-Star Trek Klingon Honor Guard
-Star Trek Elit Force
-Half-Life
-Battle Chess
-Monopoly for Windows (this game had hilarious animation videos for each property)
-Age of Empires I/II
-Star Trek Armada 1/2

That's all I can really think of right now that stand out.

[Spikey]

Commander Keen, Crystal Caves, the original Duke Nukem

These games were so weird and addictive at the same time, my brain almost couldn't handle them. Should replay them soon.

[Rath Darkblade]

Besides LA games, I have fond memories of the id Software and Apogee immortal libraries and these titles:

-Altered Destiny
-Jill of the Jungle
-Warcraft 2
-Prince of Persia
-Lemmings
-Battle Chess
-Monopoly for Windows (this game had hilarious animation videos for each property)
-Age of Empires I/II

That's all I can really think of right now that stand out.

I remember these. I still play Monopoly for Windows and AOE2 HD from time to time. Silly, but good times.

Of course, there are the silly-but-hilarious sound effects for AOE1. "Rogan? Rogan! Wololo, wololo, wololo..."