RGB Classic Games Forum

Since my CD Catalog is now browsable online and in a fully usable state (some of the heavy, early bugs are now cancelled out), I again recommend it. In this catalog of more than 1600 magazine CDs (that gets updated every few weeks with some more tens of disks) it's likely to find demos of any 90s game, if there was a demo of that very game.

http://www.kultcds.com/Catalog/

I heard someone saying he once had a shareware disk with a Doom95 demo with just MAP01 from Doom II. Anyone know anything about that?

I know there was a Mac demo version of DOOM II. IIRC it just had the first map as you mention. I don't think that demo version was official either.
Since it includes the full DOOM2.WAD file it's quite hard to come by on the internet.

Also, I notice that the Strife 1.0 demo is missing the original installer that I have on a disk.

Hmm, I'm not absolutely sure but I think the website version of at least the v1.1 of the Strife demo came as a plain files ZIP archive. Maybe they included an installer on the CD?

Then again, there's the difference between the single-archive version of the Hexen demo (v1.0, not the beta) and its split-file counterpart: the single archive contains plain files but the split version has an ICE installer. Maybe there was a similar split-file release of the Strife demo too?

Maybe so. I'm not sure if the installer is original or not. What I can say about it is that it uses DEICE DOS installer like the other Doom Engine games. The files are dated either 1996-02-23 or 1996-02-26. I can't see anything un-original about it. It says something like "Strife 1.0 Demo by Rogue Entertainment." It's also split in different files so it fits on 4 floppy disks.

Cire wrote:The files are dated either 1996-02-23 or 1996-02-26. I can't see anything un-original about it. It says something like "Strife 1.0 Demo by Rogue Entertainment." It's also split in different files so it fits on 4 floppy disks.

I didn't question the installer's authenticity. The fact that it's a split-file version makes it a clear parallel to the Hexen demo I mentioned above, which also uses an installer routine for the split-file version but not for the single file version.

Yeah, sorry, my mistake.

Here are some game demo lists from GameSpot that can be used as reference:
http://web.archive.org/web/199702061529 ... date1.html
http://web.archive.org/web/199702061637 ... date2.html
http://web.archive.org/web/199702061707 ... date3.html
http://web.archive.org/web/199708071745 ... dated.html
http://web.archive.org/web/199804232323 ... datee.html

Another website (Wayback Machine copy) that could serve as a demo reference database:
PC Game Finder

And, more specifically, their demo section:
PC Game Finder's Demoland

Litude wrote:Albion definitely has a demo version out there and there are multiple versions of it. I think I had some more on cover CDs, I'll see if I can dig them up.
Version 1.37 English
Version 1.38 English
Version 1.37 German

Looks like I got two additional versions (and you have one that I don't have). My games page also lists a German version without a version name (atleast I haven't found one when I entered it) and the old Amiga techdemo from early 1994.
http://www.kultcds.com/Games/index.php? ... me&game=78

DOSGuy wrote:Realms of the Haunting

MrFlibble wrote:Realms of the Haunting does have a playable demo, which is mentioned here.

Thanks to Hallfiry's catalogue yet again, the demo was located on these CDs.

And apparently this CD has the zipped version of the demo.

MrFlibble wrote:

DOSGuy wrote:Realms of the Haunting

MrFlibble wrote:Realms of the Haunting does have a playable demo, which is mentioned here.

Thanks to Hallfiry's catalogue yet again, the demo was located on these CDs.

And apparently this CD has the zipped version of the demo.

Awooo's Interplay beta CD has a very early demo of ROTH:
http://www.betaarchive.com/forum/viewto ... 14&t=31243

EDIT: Going through the list and checking what we got (most reconstructed from my memory)

Albion
Various version German and English and even an early amiga techdemo
Alter Ego
###have never encountered one
Battle Chess
released as freeware in 1992, I think, but CD Player 01/94 also has some demos: http://www.kultcds.com/Catalog/index.ph ... f=$2FDemos
Budokan: The Martial Spirit
###have never encountered one
Carmageddon
yes
Civilization
seems like theres a selfrunning demo for civ1, playable demo for aciv, and probably demos for civ2
Colonization
only a selfrunning slideshow, I think
Constructor
###have never encountered one
Crusader: No Remorse
yes, iirc
Darklands
###have never encountered one
Day of the Tentacle
various http://www.kultcds.com/Catalog/index.ph ... dn=&descr=
Doom II
catalog says no
Dune II
yes
Eye of the Beholder II
###never encountered one
Full Throttle
yes
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers
yes(?) http://www.kultcds.com/Catalog/index.ph ... $2FGabriel
Grand Prix 2
possibly a euro demo
Hero's Quest/Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero
yes, demos for 1,3,4 and piles for 5
Heroes of Might and Magic
yes, demos for homm 1, 2 and 3
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream
yes: http://www.kultcds.com/Catalog/index.ph ... 21987&o=da
Jagged Alliance
yes, iirc
Jane's Combat Simulations: AH-64D Longbow
only jane's f15, it seems
King's Quest (any)
yes
Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos
lol2 and 3, but seemingly not 1.
Leisure Suit Larry (any)
I'll go with a yes http://www.kultcds.com/Catalog/index.ph ... dn=&descr=
Little Big Adventure
yes, various, including early demos and big CD versions iirc
M.A.X.: Mechanized Assault & Exploration
looks like it in the catalog
Master of Orion II
yes
Master of Magic
yes, iirc
MechWarrior (any)
yes, especially MW2
Panzer General
yes
Populous
yes, for pop 2 and 3
Realms of Arkania
various for 2 and 3, not sure about 1
Realms of the Haunting
yes, including an early beta on a rare provisional sampler
Red Baron
yes, I think
Star Control II
looks like it: http://www.kultcds.com/Catalog/index.ph ... ir=&o=&dn=
Starflight
looks promising http://www.kultcds.com/Catalog/index.ph ... 58386&o=da
Stunts/4D Sports Driving
###never encountered one
Sword of the Samurai
###never encountered one
System Shock
yes
Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri
yes
The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall
various
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
###never encountered one
The Settlers II
yes http://www.kultcds.com/Catalog/index.ph ... dn=&descr=
Theme Hospital
yes
Theme Park
yes
UFO: Enemy Unknown
various, in englsh and german
Ultima (any)
Yup, various down from ultime 9, I think
Wasteland
###I'd be surprised to find a demo of a that early game
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
###never encountered one
Wing Commander (any)
Piles of demos for various versions, often also huge CD-ROM demos

Hallfiry wrote: Battle Chess
released as freeware in 1992

Was it really? I think Theodor Lauppert's site claims that, but it seems very dubious to me personally. This was a commercial game without a playable demo even (two non-interactive ones exist though) which got a re-release with updated high-res graphics.

Hallfiry wrote: Civilization
seems like theres a selfrunning demo for civ1, playable demo for aciv, and probably demos for civ2

There's only a non-playable demo for the first game (civdem.zip). I don't think there's a playable demo of Civilization II.

Advanced Civilization is a completely different game unrelated to MicroProse and Sid Meier. A playable demo can be found here.

Hallfiry wrote: Colonization
only a selfrunning slideshow, I think

coldemo.zip

Hallfiry wrote: Constructor
###have never encountered one

https://archive.org/details/CONSTRUC

Hallfiry wrote: Crusader: No Remorse
yes, iirc

The's only an exclusive CD demo. Actually there seem to be several versions of it:
http://www.kultcds.com/Catalog/index.ph ... 90400&o=da
http://www.kultcds.com/Catalog/index.ph ... 90394&o=da
http://www.kultcds.com/Catalog/index.ph ... 90326&o=da

There's a regular (Internet download) demo of No Regret:
http://www.kultcds.com/Catalog/index.ph ... 09978&o=da

Hallfiry wrote: Darklands
###have never encountered one

Non-playable demo (two parts): dark1.zip dark2.zip

Hallfiry wrote: Doom II
catalog says no

There has never been a demo of Doom II. The shareware version of Doom acts as one (kind of).

Hallfiry wrote: Dune II
yes

Non-playable: dune2.exe

Hallfiry wrote: Heroes of Might and Magic
yes, demos for homm 1, 2 and 3

It's probably worth mentioning that the DOS demo of HoMM1 is CD-exclusive.

Hallfiry wrote: Jagged Alliance
yes, iirc

MrFlibble wrote:Sirtech Software

• Jagged Alliance: jademo.zip, jaspeech.zip
• Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games: dgdemo.zip, dgspeech.zip, gtspeech.zip

Hallfiry wrote: Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos
lol2 and 3, but seemingly not 1.

loredemo.exe

All those early Westwood demo versions are non-interactive.

Hallfiry wrote: M.A.X.: Mechanized Assault & Exploration
looks like it in the catalog

https://archive.org/details/M.A.X.Mecha ... ation_1020

Hallfiry wrote: Master of Orion II
yes

Non-playable: moodemo.zip

Hallfiry wrote: Master of Magic
yes, iirc

Playable: momdemo.zip

Hallfiry wrote: Red Baron
yes, I think

Only a non-interactive demo (slideshow).

Hallfiry wrote: Star Control II
looks like it: http://www.kultcds.com/Catalog/index.ph ... ir=&o=&dn=

I found one at cd.textfiles.com but for some reason it did not work past the intro. Maybe some tinkering with DOSBox settings can get it to run normally.

Hallfiry wrote: Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri
yes

MrFlibble wrote:Looking Glass Technologies

• Terra Nova: Strike Force Cetauri: tn_sfc.exe

Hallfiry wrote: UFO: Enemy Unknown
various, in englsh and german

xcomdemo.zip

Thanks MrFlibble for fleshing my post out a bit more. I guess I'll put all the stuff on Kult Game Downloads tomorrow, so we can finally close this chapter and DOSGuy can declare the whole thing solved.

EDIT: didn't have time and muse today, so I'll upload it all on sunday (hopefully).
EDIT2: Hopefully monday...
EDIT3: It's tuesday and I'm finally starting to upload it all. (The list will slowly be completed with links):

Albion
Alter Ego
Battle Chess
Budokan: The Martial Spirit
Carmageddon
Civilization
Colonization
Constructor
Crusader: No Remorse
Darklands
Day of the Tentacle
Doom II
Dune II
Eye of the Beholder II
Full Throttle
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers
Grand Prix 2
Hero's Quest/Quest for Glory: So YOu Want to Be a Hero
Heroes of Might and Magic
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream
Jagged Alliance
Jane's Combat Simulations: AH-64D Longbow
King's Quest (any)
Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos
Leisure Suit Larry (any)
Little Big Adventure
M.A.X.: Mechanized Assault & Exploration
Master of Orion II
Master of Magic
MechWarrior (any)
Panzer General
Populous 1, 2, 3
Realms of Arkania 1, 2, 3
Realms of the Haunting
Red Baron
Star Control II
Starflight
Stunts/4D Sports Driving
Sword of the Samurai
System Shock
Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri
The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Settlers II (Currently only listing prerelease demos)
Theme Hospital
Theme Park (Currently missing the CD-ROM demo)
UFO: Enemy Unknown
Ultima (any)
Wasteland
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
Wing Commander (any)