Home of Retro PC Gaming
Currently hosting 5 VESA Mode 101 games!
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Home of Retro PC Gaming Currently hosting 5 VESA Mode 101 games! |
| Dragons Bane: Mah Jongg II 1995 | |||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Traditional | |||||||
| Developed by Arcanum Computing | |||||||||
| Published by Arcanum Computing | |||||||||
| Graphics: VGA 640×480×16c SVGA 640×480×256c | |||||||||
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An enhanced version of Arcanum's original Mahjong solitaire game. The game calls itself as "Dragons Bane" everywhere except for one instance of "Dragon's Bane" on the title screen. Mah Jongg II upgrades Mah Jongg's EGA graphics to VGA and SVGA, and adds animation and sound effects when pairs of tiles are removed. You can also choose from a number of backgrounds, board layouts and tile sets. The bells and whistles can be turned off if you prefer a more meditative experience. The game also tells you when you run out of moves by default and includes a timer. The registered version includes additional tile sets and layouts.
Arcanum Computing still sells the registered version of this game for $16 on floppy disk only.
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| NHL 96 1995 | |||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Sports | |||||||
| Developed by Electronic Arts | |||||||||
| Published by Electronic Arts | |||||||||
| Graphics: SVGA 640×480×256c | |||||||||
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NHL 96 was a huge leap forward for the EA's NHL Hockey series. This was the first game to feature a moving camera, which follows the play and zooms in on the action, using what EA called Virtual Stadium Technology. The characters are still 2D sprites, but their size depends on their distance from the camera. It's really a whole different realm of realism. Only Detroit vs. New Jersey can be played in the WWW Demonstration Version, though you can't really complain about being limited to two perennial Stanley Cup favorites. Sound effects are present, but there is no voice or music in the demo. The demo requires a VESA SVGA graphics card to run, though the resolution drops to 320×200 in-game. It's not clear how many minutes the demo can be played for, though it feels a bit longer than the demo of NHL Hockey. NHL 96 Shareware Demo (2972k) Copyright holder Electronic Arts no longer sells this game. It can be ordered from Amazon: NHL 96.
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| Second Guess 1994 | |||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (full version) | Traditional | |||||||
| Developed by Arcanum Computing | |||||||||
| Published by Arcanum Computing | |||||||||
| Graphics: VGA 640×480×16c SVGA 640×480×256c | |||||||||
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An enhanced version of Tile Match, a memory concentration game. Second Guess upgrades Tile Match's EGA graphics to VGA and SVGA, and adds animation and sound effects when pairs of tiles are removed. All of the other options for number of tiles, pairs, players, and computer difficulty level remain.
Arcanum Computing still sells the registered version of this game for $16 on floppy disk only.
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| SimCity 2000 1994 | |||||||||
| User rating: No rating | DOS Shareware (partial game) | Simulation | |||||||
| Developed by Maxis | |||||||||
| Published by Maxis | |||||||||
| Graphics: SVGA 640×480×256c | |||||||||
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SimCity 2000 is a huge upgrade over SimCity. It is vastly more complex, but still very easy to play. Whereas zones in SimCity had to be 3×3, 4×4, or 6×6, zones can be created with any dimensions in SimCity 2000, and you can specify light or heavy development. The landscape has become three dimensional, allowing hills and valleys, and land can be raised or lowered. You can create connections to neighboring cities. There are a lot more types of power plant, there are highways and subways, you can build schools, universities, libraries, hospitals, prisons, military bases, bus stops and subway terminals. In addition to power, zones need water. Water pumps draw water, while water towers can hold excess water during wet months and supply water during dry months. There is an underground view that lets you create water pipes and subways. Some items don't become available until they are invented (unlike SimCity, there are no nuclear power plants in 1900). In the future, massive self-contained cities called arcologies can be added that can hold up to 65 000 people. New graphs allow you to see your city's life expectancy and education. Your city has a credit rating and you can take out loans. There are also a number of scenarios that can be played with specific goals to achieve. The game can only be played for 20 minutes in the shareware demo, and many items, including power plants, are unavailable. SimCity 2000 Shareware Demo (1055k) Play online Copyright holder Electronic Arts no longer sells this game. It can be ordered from Amazon: SimCity 2000 or SimCity 2000 Special Edition, or as part of The Kids Fun Pack or Family Mega Hits.
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| Tomb Raider 1996 | |||||||||
| User rating: 7 | DOS Shareware (partial game) | 3D Shooter | |||||||
| Developed by Core Design (Eidos Interactive) | |||||||||
| Published by Eidos Interactive | |||||||||
| Graphics: VGA 320×200×256c SVGA 640×480×256c | |||||||||
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One of the first 3D shooters to feature a female hero, Tomb Raider is popular for more than just the beautiful Lara Croft. Far from being a mindless First Person Shooter, Tomb Raider requires exploration and technique. Tomb Raider has auto-aiming, sophisticated lighting, and features exceptional level design. Lara Croft can leap across a gap and grab onto a ledge, or safety drop to get to the bottom of a drop that would otherwise kill her. There was a pre-release demo version that included the first half of the City of Vilcabamba, and a post-release demo in PC Zone magazine that included the second half of the same level, making it possible to play an entire level before buying. There are 15 levels in this game, with only the two halves of the second level playable in each of the shareware versions.
Eidos Interactive still sells Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary, a Windows 2000+ version of this game.
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