July, 2010 | The Obscuritory

Monthly Archives: July 2010

The Journeyman Project

July 31, 2010 Phil Salvador

Too many games look at the post-apocalyptic future. What comes after that? The Journeyman Project terrifically answers those bleak predictions with an upbeat one, where goodwill and a shared sense of purpose build past our darkest qualities.

Debuting earlier in the same year as first-person adventure trendsetter Myst, The Journeyman Project offers a more narrative take on the genre. Though it might emphasize inventive puzzles less than its contemporaries, the hopeful thematic strength of its setting helps its delicious sci-fi pulpiness grow into something whole and sublime. » Read more about The Journeyman Project

9 comments 1993, 1994, 90s, Bandai, CD-ROM, favorites, first-person, futuristic, live action, Macromedia Director, Presto Studios, Quadra Interactive, Sanctuary Woods, The Journeyman Project, time travel, video, Windows, Windows 3.1

Span-It!

July 27, 2010 Phil Salvador

Rarely does a game’s title explain its entire premise. In Span-It!, there is a board. And you must span it.

Even with the hilariously simple premise, Span-It! contains enough options and tweaks to stretch out its worth and replay value. But they also reveal a few major strategic shortcomings that makes the single-player mode wear thin quickly. » Read more about Span-It!

Leave a comment 1993, 90s, hot seat multiplayer, independent developer, local multiplayer, Mark T. Chapman, multiplayer, shareware, turn-based, Windows, Windows 3.1

Wrath of the Gods

July 26, 2010 Phil Salvador

The Muses in Greek mythology glorified the spirit of the arts and history through poetry and song. None would have predicted that several thousand years later, a grainy adventure game with stilted, public-access-quality live-action production would take up their mantle.

In Wrath of the Gods, developed Joel Skidmore and the small team at Luminaria compellingly attempt to cram the entirety of the Greek myths into a digestible, entertaining, and educational format. In terms of raw effort, it’s hard to top. » Read more about Wrath of the Gods

2 comments 1994, 90s, CD-ROM, exploration, historical, Joel Skidmore, live action, Luminaria, Macintosh, Maxis Software, mythology, still sold, third-person, video, Windows, Windows 3.1

Tubes

July 25, 2010 Phil Salvador

In the age of Tetris clones, 1989’s Klax stood out with its unique tile-dropping combo gameplay. Like all successful games, copies were inevitable. Enter Tubes.

Despite the upgraded aesthetics, Tubes plays nearly identically to its inspiration. The game of course provides a few tweaks – science theming and special game pieces being the most significant – but little else shakes it from feeling like a knockoff. » Read more about Tubes

One comment 1993, 1994, 90s, Absolute Magic, clone, DOS, falling blocks, Gold Medallion Software, Impulse Software, science, shareware, Software Creations, VGA, video

Robomaze II

July 24, 2010 Phil Salvador

Effectively, Robomaze II was the first Robomaze game. It takes place in a massive building called the Tower. Robomaze I was set in the basement, and it never saw release outside a bundle collection. That doesn’t matter too much because this one jumps right in.

In Robomaze II, the player controls a robot under the command of freedom fighters from the Resistance taking down a repressive dictator by battling through his tower, one floor at a time. The setup is ripe for potential for interesting level designs. Each floor is on a single screen, which lends itself to rapid-fire progression as you scale up the Tower, climbing over office furniture as you lay waste to the dictator’s army of killer robots.

This is a very particular game though, and that doesn’t always lend itself well to the high-rise platforming in Robomaze II. » Read more about Robomaze II

One comment 1991, 90s, CGA, DOS, EGA, glitchy, MVP Software, Robomaze, sequel, shareware, side-scroller, video, Wetware