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Classic games of the past

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poopinmymouth polycounter lvl 19
Ok as some of you know, I got into games very late. I never had a console till I got a 32x sega console two years after it came out, and I only bought a couple games for it. My first FPS was Tresspasser (which I liked)

I've never played quake, doom, quake 2, doom 2, fallout 1 or 2, or any other "classics"

I want to go back and play some of them, what would you say would be your list of classic must play PC games?

One quick note, if the art has dated too badly, I don't think I can stomach it. When Tomb Raider 4 came out, I wanted to play the first 3 in preparation, and I couldn't play 1 or 2 because the art was just too dated for me. So if the art style hasn't stood the test of time, I'd probably have to pass.

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  • ElysiumGX
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    ElysiumGX polycounter lvl 18
  • KeyserSoze
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    KeyserSoze polycounter lvl 18
    I think the appeal of playing classic games is the nostalgia of it, which wouldn't really apply to someone who never played the games in the first place. There are a few that are still entertaining today, but I can't think of any that I'd recommend (I'm not hardcore enough).
  • CheapAlert
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    CheapAlert polycounter lvl 18
    You MUST play Doom and Doom2 (ignore the Final Doom and other addons), as well as Quake. Those are solid timeless PC classics, period.

    Also, nothing is like playing classics on the real vintage computers themselves - and I have plenty of 'em wink.gif
  • eXpendabLe
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    eXpendabLe polycounter lvl 18
    Here's a few to try:

    Crusader: No Remorse or No Regret
    Commandos series
    Syndicate
    Cannon Fodder
    X-wing vs. Tie Fighter
    Grim Fandango
    Privateer (not wing commander series)
    Diablo
  • CheapAlert
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    CheapAlert polycounter lvl 18
    Also, a bunch of other recommendations, most of the games mentioned are of the 1991-1995 era, and ALL of these (except battlezone) use a standard VGA graphics mode as default, so if 256 or 16 colors is not your thing, then ignore this list entirely:

    Out of this World (Another World for you ZED sayers)
    Nethack
    4D Boxing
    The Incredible Machine
    Lemmings (The original UNCUT dos version from 1991, no cd or Windows rereleases)
    Star Control II
    Jagged Alliance (and Deadly Games if you got other nostalgia-filled friends around)
    Day of the Tentacle
    Sam & Max
    Scorched Earth
    Jazz Jackrabbit (great game, if you can stomach the furry content and the phallic gun you carry)
    Betrayal At Krondor
    Duke3d
    Castles (beats Firefly's Stronghold by far)
    Blake Stone (oops, this is an fps, but it's a "smarter" Wolf3D, if you can't take wolf's basicness)
    Amulets & Armor (extremely obscure doom engine based RPG)
    Alone in the Dark
    Tempest 2000
    Tyrian (v1.1, because 2.0 and 2000 bastardize the Arcade mode's gameplay a bit)
    One Must Fall 2097
    X-COM
    Battlezone (1998)
    Rise of the Triad

    Note that Win2k/XP can barely run DOS classics, you'll either have to use DOSbox or set up a Win98se rig with a Sound Blaster AWE64 (any cpu/mobo is ok, though some games ONLY work with the 486 and Pentium/586 processors (i.e. Crusader, Blackthorne) as well as booting into pure DOS.)
  • Thermidor
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    Thermidor polycounter lvl 18
    heh , i loved Trespasser too , very under rated. You ever see the monolith ?

    if you can get the build engine working, Blood.

    UFO/xcom apocolipse were all good fun (like cheap says)

    Im playing through a really old clascic called Dungeon master at the moment (well a java conversion)

    You might be able to get away with running a dos bootdisk for some old stuff, i think theres a sound emulation thing available for xp called vdm sound, its alot like dos box and emulates sb16 cards and there Irq/Dma settings.

    http://www.deathmask.net/buildxp/ for some info on getting blood and Duke3d working
  • Mongrelman
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    Mongrelman polycounter lvl 18
    Cannon Fodder (everyone loves Jools and Jops)
    The Monkey Island games
    The Indiana Jones games
    Syndicate (as stated above) and Syndicate Wars
    Strike Commander
    System Shock 2 (you can even download a patch to update the graphics). You have to play SS2, it is a brilliant game.

    Grim Fandango
    Mechwarrior 3
    Minesweeper
    Freespace 1&2.
    Max Payne
    Half-Life
  • AstroZombie
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    AstroZombie polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    I think the appeal of playing classic games is the nostalgia of it, which wouldn't really apply to someone who never played the games in the first place.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    I agree. I tried to play Starcraft for the first time a few months ago, and while a great game, I could not get past the graphics.

    On the other hand, I did play through and enjoy Quake 2 for the first time just a couple of years ago.
  • thnom
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    thnom polycounter lvl 18
    I'd avoid "classic" games that have similar stuff to today, like that of Quake, Q2, and HL, just because they just feel poor, and not classic.

    I enjoy games past that, such as Super Mario or Grim Fandango (no new real adventure games).
  • oXYnary
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    oXYnary polycounter lvl 18
    If you play Quake YOU MUST I repeat YOU MUST play it with the Trent Reznor soundtrack (and make sure you upgrade to glquake). Its just not as fun without it.

    classic must play PC games:
    Grim Fandango
    Quake
    Deus Ex
    Diablo II (classic by this point in my book)
    Re-Volt
    Worms World Party
    Baulders Gate

    Ancient DOS:
    Mechwarrior.
    The Art of War.
    The Oregon Trail.
    Leisure Suit Larry
    Heros Quest.
    D&D Pool of Radiance.
  • Slayerjerman
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    Slayerjerman polycounter lvl 18
    All very great games, although I doubt he'll stomach playing Diablo1 at the shitty rez of 320x240 smile.gif

    Xcom1/UFO Defence rocks my nuts off even to this day.
    If you need the "fixed" EXE for xcom to run on winXP/2k let me know.

    I insist that YOU MUST play atleast Fallout 2 and/or Fallout Tactics.
  • CheapAlert
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    CheapAlert polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    All very great games, although I doubt he'll stomach playing Diablo1 at the shitty rez of 320x240 smile.gif


    [/ QUOTE ]

    Diablo was a 640x480 game, I remember how much it "pageflipped" on my brother's 486 dx2 66mhz smile.gif like 3fps or so.
  • Slayerjerman
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    Slayerjerman polycounter lvl 18
    LOL - ok well perhaps has been that long ago that i dont even remember what 640x480 was like smile.gif
  • JBoskma
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    JBoskma polycounter lvl 18
    Prince of Persia
    Commander Keen: 1,2,3,4,5,6.....
    Heretic
    Duke Nukem 1,2
  • Creamy_Goodness
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    Creamy_Goodness polycounter lvl 18

    > Here's a short list of some of my favorite classics...

    Quake 2
    Tetris 2
    Super Mario Bros. 3
    Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
    Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
    Zombies Ate My Neighbors
    King's Quest 7
    Secret of Mana
    Gradius 3
    Ultimate Wizard
  • Hooker with a Penis
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    Hooker with a Penis polycounter lvl 18
    Strife
    Fallout Series
    Doom 1 and 2, naturally
    Quake (Feel free to skip Quake 2, it's not old enough yet)
    Hexen
    Heretic
    Duke Nukem 3D
    Blakestone (Nobody will remember this)
    Wolfenstein (Doesn't hold up too well, but eh)
    Ultima 4 and Ultima 7 (Only those two, the rest aren't that awe-inspiringingly fun)
    Daggerfall
    Arena
    System Shock 1 & 2 apparently, although I've never played them (well, I have SShock 2, just never played it before now, and I'm a pansy, so it's hard)
    I have to be completely honest and say I wouldn't recommend Monkey Island. It does not hold up at all these days as far as I'm concerned. You would pretty much find it extremely tedious and boring.
  • danr
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    danr interpolator
    if you're after a real classic that hasn't dated at all, try The Curse of Monkey Island - that could have been released yesterday, you'd never know. It's just a bit short, which is a shame.
  • Gmanx
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    Gmanx polycounter lvl 19
    Anything by Looking Glass.

    Another vote for System Shock 1+2 (Play 2 with the rebirth update).

    Terranova was squad based play years before swat/rainbow six etc and had fmv cut scenes which actually told a decent story.
  • Sean McBride
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    Sean McBride polycounter lvl 18
    Hooker i remember blakestone. I've still got a cd of the collection when it was released. wink.gif You listed a ton of my favorites. Any of the kings quest and police quest games are fun. The hugo games are pretty good too. Dagger of Amanra is great.

    Notice a pattern yet. wink.gif
  • EmAr
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    EmAr polycounter lvl 18
    My list goes:
    Discworld 2
    Red Alert
    Theme Hospital
    Z
    Warcraft*
    Legend of Kyrandia*
    Final Fantasy 7(PSX graphics but cool game anyway)
    If you don't like adventure/strategy/RPG at all:
    Raptor*
    Abuse*
    MDK 2
    The marked ones are rather old games and they are for DOS.
  • arshlevon
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    arshlevon polycounter lvl 18
    you would really be suprized at some of the awesome games you can download FOR FREE.. some classics are now abandonware.. check this site for details and downloads

    http://www.abandonia.com/index2.php

    some dont work because they were dos.. but i got blood to work.. god i love that game...

    some of the cool titles you will find on that site..

    decent
    blackthorn
    flashback
    the orginal GTA
    MDK
    prince of persia 1 and 2
    beneath a steel sky
    day of the tentacle
    kings quest 1 through 6
    leasure suit larry 1 through 6
    little big adventure(this game was sooooo fun)
    and lots more.. check it fool!!
  • arshlevon
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    arshlevon polycounter lvl 18
    crap.. looks like the esa got to the site since the last time i went there.. a lot of the games have been taken down .... assholes!!!
  • danr
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    danr interpolator
    i have to say, i never understood the appeal of Little Big Adventure. One of the most clunky, unfriendly, deeply anti-player games i ever played. Autosaving is a fine art, this had no idea.

    btw, i believe Beneath a Steel Sky is freeware now. Cracking game, and though it hasn't aged well, it comes off better than something like Deus Ex imo ...
  • lkraan
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    lkraan polycounter lvl 18
    The old LucasArts adventures...Day of the Tentacle, Sam & Max, the Money Island series. I also loved Dark Forces (first Star Wars FPS).
  • John Warner
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    John Warner polycounter lvl 18
    that's a lot of varried opinions...

    personaly i think that a game has to have qualities to make it timeless to warent being a clasic. doom, although ground breaking, has none of these what so ever. in fact, one of THE REASONS that people didn't like doom 3 was that it had too many stupid simple nonsense oldschool throwbacks, like monsters in closets. that happens ALL the time in doom 1. if you were to make doom 1 with an updated graphics engine, people would say it's shit.

    the true clasics have something going for them. starcraft plays like no other RTS i've tried. to that end i don't give a damn about the graphics.

    system shock 2 is the best story i've ever seen in an FPS, possibly on PC. probably the best ambiance that i've ever seen period.

    i'd suggest getting a hold of an SNES emulator and playing crono trigger, final fantasy 3, and a few of the old square games, if you're prone to story driven stuff.

    BY THE WAY! a few people might be quite happy to learn that System Shock 2 is up for download at the under dog's website. ( www.the-underdogs.org ) is it??? i dunno. it's not even that old, it still looks nice in my opinion. it's a shame nobody ever played it. my vote says it was ahead of it's time.
  • oXYnary
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    oXYnary polycounter lvl 18
    Forgot to add Thief 1 and 2
  • swampbug
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    swampbug polycounter lvl 18
    System shock 2, hands down.

    And Omikron: Nomad Soul.
  • Showster
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    Showster polycounter lvl 18
    O.N.E M.U.S.T F.A.L.L 2097!!!! prolly the first beat em up I played,, well pc beat em up anyhow...

    Rise of the Triad !!!

    Blood

    Shadow Warrior

    ...

    most the other stuff I played been mentioned...
  • cholden
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    cholden polycounter lvl 18
    quick list off the top of my head

    arcade/atari/etc
    pacman
    asteroids
    combat
    donkey kong
    pole position

    NES
    super mario bros 1, 2 and 3
    Double Dragon
    Legend of Zelda
    metroid
    Dragon Warrior
    Bionic Commando
    Castlevania 2
    Gradius
    Megaman 2
    Mike Tyson's Punch Out

    SNES
    Legend of Zelda Link to the Past
    super metroid
    Final Fantasy 2
    Final Fantasy 3
    crono triger
    secret of mana
    street fighter 2 turbo
    out of this world
    Super Mario World

    GB
    tetris
    Legend of Zelda Links Awakening
    Mario vs Donkey Kong
    pokemon red and blue
  • monster
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    monster polycounter
    I was a big fan of David Perry designed games, until he started Shiney. They always had amazing animation.

    Alladin on the Sega Genisis
    Earthworm Jim
    Wild 9

    Oh, and anything by Treasure.

    http://www.mobygames.com/browse/games/treasure-co-ltd/developed-by/offset,0/so,1a/list-games/
  • Joshua Stubbles
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    Joshua Stubbles polycounter lvl 19
    in no order:

    - Populous
    - Power Monger
    - Magic Carpet
    - Syndicate Wars
    - Cobra Triangle
    - Xevious
    - 1942
    - Metal Slug
    - Doom 1&2
    - Wolfenstein 3D
    - Lemmings
    - Dig Dug
    - Rampart
    - Rampage
    - Mortal Kombat II

    Damn, I've got more, can't remember them =\
  • Scott Ruggels
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    Scott Ruggels polycounter lvl 18
    Recommendations:

    -Quake2 (The art only improves with tons of custom player models from Polycount, and a good bot addon).
    - Doom and Doom 2, but only on something like a cel phone so you get the full effect of a good game on crappy tech.
    - WingCommander2
    - Duke Nukem (You of all people will enjoy the one liners. Though art waise the game has dated.)
    - Air Warrior (if it's still "alive")
    - Sands of Fire (excellent Tank Sim)
    - Harpoon (Rts with ships where the graphics really didn't matter because the graphics were plots on a war board and ship stats.)
    - Colony Wars 1 and 2 (Babylon 5 for your play Station)
    - Armymen I, II, III: Toys in Space. IV: World War. (goofy low brain power RTS games for the PC. World war also had cut scenes animated by the team without approval by nmanagement so we got away with murder, often alomostliteraly on screen)
    - Karateka (done by the guy who did all the Prince of Persia series)
    - Some ssubmarine game with decent grahics that I forget.

    Scott

    Scott
  • CheapAlert
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    CheapAlert polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    - Some ssubmarine game with decent grahics that I forget.


    [/ QUOTE ]
    688 Attack Sub, Aces of the Deep, Seawolf, Jane's 688i, Silent Hunter 2. They're great (then again what sub sim isn't?)
  • NuclearTes
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    NuclearTes polycounter lvl 18
    These are some of my favourite classic games:
    <ul type="square">[*]Monkey Island 1, 2, 3 (there is also a fourth game, but I haven't played that one yet)
    [*]Simon the Sorcerer 1 and 2
    [*]Lemmings
    [*]Gobliiins 1, Gobliins 2 and Goblins 3
    [*]Woodruff and The Schnibble of Azimuth
    [*]Jazz Jackrabbit
    [/list]You can run most dos games with Dosbox. ScummVM can be used to run all Lucas Arts' games that use the Scumm engine. You can also run several other games with ScummVM, but most of the time you will only need Dosbox.
  • MoP
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    MoP polycounter lvl 18
    Jazz Jackrabbit ruled!
  • arshlevon
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    arshlevon polycounter lvl 18
    yeah that was fun.. you can download the sequel for freee!!
    http://www.abandonia.com/games/294/JazzJackrabbit2.htm
  • CheapAlert
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    CheapAlert polycounter lvl 18
    Too bad the sequels drowns all the "badass" parts of Jazz and puts goofy crap in it's place

    oh and this q3a mod to be standalone game is porting jazz2's multi to 3d (and not working well imo)

    oh and finally, Outlaws is a classic spaghetti western fps, I recommend getting the actual CDs because the excellent soundtrack makes up it's atmosphere definitely, as well as the great cutscenes that drive the story. laugh.gif
  • Ninjas
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    Ninjas polycounter lvl 18
    I have tried to play the Monkey Island games a bunch of times, but for an adult - nostalgia, they never 'grabbed' me. Sam and Max (same genre) I played just last year and is really great.
    The games I have gone back and played that were still good:
    For PC-

    Master of Orion
    Civ

    Console-

    Super Metroid
    Phantasy Star 4
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