Popular games for platform Apple IIGS

31.12.1989

The Duel: Test Drive II is a cross-platform racing game developed by Distinctive Software and published by Accolade in 1989. It is the second entry in the Test Drive series of video games.

15.12.1987

Dungeon Master established several new standards for role playing and computer games in general. Dungeon Master was a realtime game instead of the traditional turn-based approach that was prevalent until then. Instead of using text-based commands to interact with the environment, players directly manipulated objects and the environment by clicking the mouse in the enlarged first-person view. Abstract Dungeons and Dragons style experience points and levels were eschewed in favor of a system where the characters' skills were improved directly via using them. It also introduced some novel control methods including the spell casting system, which involved learning sequences of runes which represented the form and function of a spell's effect. For example, a fireball spell was created by mixing the fire symbol with the wing symbol. This kind of attention to detail and focus on the user interface was typical of the game and helped create an often captivating sense of craft and ingenuity. Other factors in immersiveness were the then-revolutionary use of sound effects to indicate when a creature was nearby, and (primitive) dynamic lighting.

31.12.1985

Tales of the Unknown: Volume I, better known as "The Bard's Tale", is an RPG developed by Interplay Productions in 1985 originally for the Apple II. It was quickly ported to numerous other platforms and became widely successful. This was partly because it incorporated unprecedented 3D graphic design, featuring partly animated character portraits and engaging gameplay. It also helped that the game was available on the Commodore 64-the most successful game console at the time, whereas the main competitor-the Ultima series, was not.

01.11.1991

Another World chronicles the story of a man hurtled through space and time by a nuclear experiment gone wrong. You assume the role of Lester Knight Chaykin, a young physicist. You’ll need to dodge, outwit, and overcome a host of alien monsters and deadly earthquakes that plague the alien landscape you now call home. Only a perfect blend of logic and skill will get you past the deadly obstacles that lie in waiting.

30.07.1987

Thrust into the role of "The Seed of Prophecy," players travel deep into the living castle, in hopes of defeating the evil that dwells within – the dreaded Warlock Lord.

01.07.1986

Arkanoid is an arcade game developed by Taito in 1986. It expanded upon Atari's Breakout games of the 1970s by adding power-ups, different types of bricks, and a variety of level layouts. The title refers to a doomed "mothership" from which the player's ship, the Vaus, escapes.

21.06.1987

The hero of Ys is an adventurous young swordsman named Adol Christin. As the story begins, he has just arrived at the Town of Minea, in the land of Esteria. He is called upon by Sara, a fortuneteller, who tells him of a great evil that is sweeping the land. Adol is informed that he must seek out the six Books of Ys. These books contain the history of the ancient land of Ys, and will give him the knowledge he needs to defeat the evil forces. Sara gives Adol a crystal for identification and instructs him to find her aunt in Zepik Village, who holds the key to retrieving one of the Books. With that, his quest begins.

31.12.1989

J.R.R. Tolkien's War in Middle Earth is the 16-bit game with additional adventuring features compared to the 8-bit version, loosely depicting the events of the One Ring from the Shire to Mt. Doom. The game starts with the three hobbits: Frodo, Sam, and Pippin surrounded by nine individual units of Nazgul near the Shire. Although the first task is to travel to Rivendell, the player is free to decide how heroes and armies progress, despite the in-game conventional storyline.

01.09.1985

Déjà Vu is a point-and-click adventure game that draws inspiration from "noir" detective novels that were popular in the 1940s.

01.10.1989

Blockout is a puzzle videogame, created in 1989 by Polish developer - California Dreams, designed by Aleksander Ustaszewski and Mirosław Zabłocki. The game is the logical extension of Tetris into the third dimension. In Tetris, the player manipulates a set of tetrominoes which fall into a two-dimensional pit (seen from the side). The aim is to solve a real-time packing problem by forming complete rows, which then disappear and score points. Poor play leads to incomplete rows, caused by inefficient arrangements of tiles; these rows do not disappear, giving the player progressively less space and less time to play subsequent pieces. Similarly, in Blockout, the player manipulates a set of polycubes which fall into a three-dimensional pit (seen from above; the pieces appear in the foreground and fall away). The pieces can be rotated around all three axes, and moved horizontally and vertically. The aim is to form complete layers.

31.12.1988

It has been over 2 years since the agressive Orbs attacked the Earth. Now you work as a Manhunter, the highest post which can a human achieve in the Orb Aliance. Your job is to hunt down all humans who, in some way, have wronged the Aliance. Once you capture them, the Aliance will correct them.

01.10.1986

He's out to clean up the universe... ...But he doesn't do windows. Strap into your computer station and prepare for blast-off. If the thrilling graphics don't blow you off your chair, the laughs will have you rolling on the floor. If you can help Roger Wilco he could use it. Hey, wake up! Roger Wilco's the chief sanitation engineer (a.k.a. Janitor) on the starship Arcada. His mission: to scrub dirty decks... to replace burned-out lightbulbs... to boldly go where no man has swept the floor! But while he was napping in the broom closet, his starship was hijacked by the Sarien Stormtroopers. Now the top-secret Star Generator's been stolen. And if Roger doesn't get it back, the universe as we know it is toast! Kaboom! The Two Guys from Andromeda often travel the cosmos under the aliases of Scott Murphy and Mark Crowe. They're best known for their award-winning Space Quest series and their frequent sightings with Elvis.

31.12.1990

When nightmares come to life... You discover you're not immortal! You're a mighty wizard in search of your lost master, Mordamir. Venture into the dungeon and slove the mysteries of each level. Unravel the secrets of The Immortal! The Immortal is an isometric action-adventure game. Your old mentor Mordamir has disappeared. Probably kidnapped. You're not too sure where he might be, but a dungeon is always a good place to look, so you seek out the nearest one and plunge into its depths. Beware: 8 levels of isometric death await. The Immortal is the prototype of a trial-and-error game. Progress is made by encountering a hazard, dying, solving the problem, encountering the next hazard. To solve a level, you have to know its traps and their patterns by heart. As frustrating as this may sound (it is), The Immortal quite cleverly balances annoyance with curiosity and graphical rewards.

31.12.1986

When the going gets even tougher... Another wolf! Your magic sword cleaves him mid snarl, and he drops in a fur pile at your feet. There's a slime ball conjurer just out of reach who'll keep summoning these slobbering missiles until your sword arm drops off. Unless you can figure out a way to get at him. When you put Mangar out to pasture, all you really wanted was a bottomless mug and an ace up your sleeve. So what are you doing out here in the gnarly wilderness, knee deep in wolf meat, itching to put an arrow through the Adam's apple of some spell caster? It must be your destiny. Between the six cities lies an immense wilderness. It's a mapping challenge never before seen in a fantasy game, and a whole new way to get lost. A new class of magic user, the Archmage has 8 powerful spells like Heal All, Fanskar's Night Lance, and the legendary Mangar's Mallet. There are 25 different full-color scrolling mazes like Fanskar's Castle.

04.06.1987

A middle-aged male virgin named Larry Laffer desperately tries to "get lucky" in the fictional American city of Lost Wages. Your goal in Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards is to find and seduce the girl of your dreams. This goal won't come easy, because you only have one night, and unfortunately, you are stuck with Larry's looks. Other problems, such as lack of money, lack of opportunity, and bad breath can complicate things significantly. Your interaction with the game controls the outcome of each situation. For example, having your character sign on with a major league baseball team or start a successful men's magazine could be beneficial to your ultimate goal. On the other hand, catching a fatal disease or losing all your cash can only impede your progress. A combination of common sense, logical thinking, and downright sheer luck is needed to achieve your goal.

23.04.1985

Woldwide crime wave! Acme Detective Agency hot on the trail of master thief Carmen Sandiego and her henchmen. Wanted: Detective to locate and capture Carmen and her gang. Must be hard working, independent, fun seeking individual willing to travel the world. No experience necessary. - Digitised graphics - Hundreds of cases - More animated sequinces - Play in 5 languages Don't forget your World Almanac. It is a gumshoe's best friend.

08.05.1987

You'll criss-cross your way along the 17th century Spanish Main in search of all-new adventures. You'll lead a crew of hot-blooded buccaneers into rollicking harbour towns. And risk your booty and your life plundering enemy ships! Hunt for magnificent treasures! Unravel the mysteries and clues of your adventure! Even battle your way through enemy waters on grueling rescue missions! Will you win your rightful place in history? Or will you end up shipwrecked on a distant island? The answer can only be found in the swashbuckling Pirates! Gold.

14.11.1987

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into space, He's Back! And he wants revenge! Sludge Vohaul, the demented evil scientist (whose sinister plan you unknowingly foiled in our last episode), is seething over his Sarien slip-up. Madder than a drenched Astrochicken, (and still determined to rule the galaxy) Vohaul has devised a new plan. A nasty plan. A plan so evil that only one as wickedly sadistic as he could imagine it. Yes, the worst nightmare ever is about to come knocking on your door- and it won't take No for an answer! It's The Invasion of the Insurance Salesmen! Hordes and hordes of pushy, obnoxious (genetically engineered) salesmen will soon be dumped upon your home planet- unless somebody dumps on Vohaul first. And who knows more about getting dumped on than you? Roger Wilco to the rescue! Once again, you, Roger Wilco, sanitation engineer and involuntary hero, must don your sanitary space mittens and prepare for the onslaught of evil that Vohaul has prepared. A chore not for queasy or fainthearted. And if you can stomach that…Get ready for the Granddaddy of Gross. The Emperor of Evil. The first name is Nastiness, Sludge Vohaul himself! With nothing to protect you but your wits and your wet mop, you haven't got a chance! (But that's what makes the game so much fun!) Have fun staying out of trouble! Beat the odds. Conquer insurmountable obstacles. Defy gravity. Cry for help. Misfortune awaits you at every turn… Boggle your way through the humid stenchlands of the jungle planet Labion. Blunder your way onto the asteroid fortress of the slime-sucking Vohaul. Flounder your way through more perilous escapades than you can wiggle a space worm at. Guaranteed to make you laugh! Packed with comedy, tragedy, suspense, horror, and many other nouns, Space Quest II will tickle your funny bone and relieve that heavy feeling in your wallet.

01.10.1986

With over 50,000 units sold in it's first six weeks of release (on just one computer), King's Quest III was the best received software sequel of the year. As the game moves to other computers, it is quickly becoming the best-selling 3-D animated adventure game in history. Like it's predecessors, King's Quest III breaks new ground in the development of adventure games as an art form. "Questbusters- The Adventurers' Journal" praises the "several exceptional innovations introduced in King's Quest III" including the addition of pull-down menus, special self-mapping features and an advanced parser. King's Quest III also breaks new ground in the area of puzzles and plot. The complexity of the storyline, and the intricate game puzzles, make for a game that will challenge even the most experienced adventurer. Subplots include an escape from slavery, piracy on the high seas, and the mastery of powerful magic. King's Quest III is a graphics extravaganza with plenty of color, animation and quick screen changes. The locations and characters of King's Quest III are the most lifelike and interactive to date. The soundtrack, which includes well-choreographed music and funny sound effects, adds new dimensions to the viewer's enjoyment. In fact King's Quest III was nominated for "Best Music in Computer Software" by the Software Publisher's Association. The most fun you can have playing computer adventure games! In 1983 Roberta Williams and her team of programming artists designed the original King's Quest playing system. Four years later, King's Quest games are still the most enjoyable adventure games available. Roberta Williams is designer of the King's Quest series. Over the last half decade, Roberta has worked closely with The Walt Disney Company and Jim Henson in the development of computer software. Her games have sold more copies than any other woman in computer software history.

01.10.1988

Battle Chess was developed by Interplay as their first project after severing ties with Electronic Arts. They designed it for the Amiga in 1988, and it was released on the majority of the other systems in the late 1980s and early 1990s as well. It was widely successful, and resulted in two follow-ups, many copy-cat games, and a remake for Steam on PC. The only significant criticism the game received was the weak chess AI, as it was not until the mid 1990s that chess ai began to consistently win against strong opponents.

01.10.1983

In Space Ace you play the heroic Ace who must stop the evil Commander Borf from taking over the Earth! Borf plans to reduce all of humankind to infants and take over the planet.

15.10.1985

The players, up to four at once in the arcade version, select among four playable fantasy-based characters; Thor the Warrior, Merlin the Wizard, Thyra the Valkyrie, or Questor the Elf. Each character has his or her own unique strength and weaknesses. For example, the Warrior is strongest in hand-to-hand combat, the Wizard has the most powerful magic, the Valkyrie has the best armour and the Elf is the fastest in movement. Upon selecting a playable character, the gameplay is set within a series of top-down, third-person perspective mazes where the object is to find and touch the designated exit in every level. An assortment of special items can be located in each level that increase player's character's health, unlock doors, gain more points and magical potions that can destroy all of the enemies on screen. The enemies are an assortment of fantasy-based monsters, including ghosts, grunts, demons, lobbers, sorcerers and thieves. Each enters the level through specific generators, which can be destroyed. While there are no bosses in the game, the most dangerous enemy is "Death", who can not only drain a character's health, but is difficult to destroy. As the game progresses, higher levels of skill are needed to reach the exit, with success often depending on the willingness of the players to cooperate by sharing food and luring monsters into places where they can be engaged and slaughtered more conveniently. While contact with enemies reduces the player's health, it also slowly drains on its own, thus creating a time limit. When a character's health reaches zero, that character dies. The character can be revived in place with full health by spending a game credit (i.e. inserting a coin) within a certain short time window after it died. This allows even the least proficient players to keep playing indefinitely, if they are willing to keep inserting coins.

31.12.1988

Zany Golf, also known as Will Harvey's Zany Golf, is a video game with a fantasy take on miniature golf, developed by Sandcastle Productions and published by Electronic Arts. The game was originally developed in 1988 for the Apple IIGS and became the first Apple IIGS game to attract the mainstream gaming market and be ported to other platforms. It was subsequently ported to the Amiga, Atari ST and DOS machines. In 1990 it was ported to a video game console, the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. The game is played in a 3D isometric viewpoint and allows up to 4 players. The game was developed by Will Harvey, Ian Gooding, Jim Nitchals, and Douglas Fulton. This game was developed while Harvey was pursuing his advanced degrees at Stanford University. Zany Golf is a version of mini golf with some features that are impossible in real, physical mini golf. Zany Golf only consists of half a golf course, i.e. 9 holes, although there is a bonus hole.

01.04.1985

Thexder is a robot capable of transforming into a jet whose job is to destroy the central computer to save the planet.15 stages are waiting you for in this shooting game.