# In which we discuss classic computer games **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 18, 2002, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403 "2002-04-18T22:02:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/1 "2002-04-18T22:02:10Z")
When it was new, I played the 1990 edition of **Balance of Power** at work when there wasn’t anything better to do. Yeah, I ended up playing that game quite a bit until they finally decided they didn’t need my services any longer. I still remember the best game I ever played, I can’t remember what the score was anymore but I did so well even _China_ decided that Democracy isn’t so bad after all! Reminder: please don’t post links to sites that have copyrighted games available for download, our Mods don’t like the potential for copyright violations. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/2 "2002-04-18T22:19:04Z")
I remember back when _Blake Stone_ came out, soon after the original _Wolfenstein 3D_. We thought that game was the bee’s knees, what with all the laser guns and funkalicious stuff. In fact, looking back, there was still something intriguing and interesting about it… maybe because I never got past the first episode (I only had the shareware version). ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/3 "2002-04-18T22:32:21Z")
VGATrek!!! VGATrek!!! “The lacadaisical Captain Kirk is single-handedly losing the war, with 4 Starbases remaining” ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/4 "2002-04-18T22:47:46Z")
What about the black and white joy of the original Archon? Anything by Infocom-Planetfall, Enchanter, Zork Forbidden Forest- I finally beat this game on Commando difficulty level. The sounds and sights of a dying spectre remain one of my favorite things in any video game ever. _Sigh_… If only I could get my Commodore 64 to work. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/5 "2002-04-18T22:56:41Z")
I played the original Star Control a lot in my high school Pascal class. There was another game I can’t remember the name of where each player picked a caricature of a world leader (Tricky Dick, Ronnie Raygun, etc.) and tried to nuke the other countries before they nuked you. If one player “won”, it showed the leader smiling in front of a blasted landscape, but if everyone killed each other at the same time, it showed the Earth cracked into several molten pieces. As for Commodore 64 games, I liked the ones from Compute! magazine that you had to type in. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/6 "2002-04-18T23:47:29Z")
My first computer games were \Lode Runner\ and \Castle Wolfenstein\ for the schools’ Apple II. My first home computer was an Atari 800, which I played a lot of \M.U.L.E\, \Star Raiders\, and \Pinball Construction Set\. I had a ton of games for that thing and didn’t learn a damn thing about computing other than how to hook up accessories. Of course, the all time #1 PC game imo is \Civilization\. The first piece of software bought for my first IBM-compatible computer, \Civ\ has been there from the beginning of my PC days. I also played a lot of \Master of Orion\ in those days too, as well as the \Cloud of Xeen\ series. Remember dicking around with your autoexec’s and config.sys’? Before I migrated to Windows 95, I had about 40-odd different configurations for each of my games to optimize my memory. I also had batch programs written so that I could automatically overwrite my current autoexec.bat and config.sys files with whatever game I wanted to play next. God, what a pain in the ass! XMS, EMS, EMM, MSCDEX: AARRGGHH! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/7 "2002-04-18T23:48:37Z")
Oh, … Meant to hit preview on the above post. Sorry about that. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/8 "2002-04-18T23:48:48Z")
That would be [Nuclear War](http://www.flyingbuffalo.com/nucwar.htm), **sturmhauke** , released by New World Computing in 1991. You can buy it at that URL for $14.95. And **Doc** , in my sweaty little hand I have a 5.25" of Archon. I hated hated HATED playing as black, and having a puny little AI knight stab my dragon to death as I tried to flame the little bugger. As white, though, I never could manage to kill the dragon as a knight. Loved fire elementals, though … So, how are we defining classic computer games? \> 10 years old? Pre-Windows95? Anything that doesn’t require a 1Ghz Pentium IV to run? ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2002, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/9 "2002-04-18T23:56:11Z")
Bard’s Tale for the C-64… ah… ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/10 "2002-04-19T00:00:03Z")
I think anything pre-Win95 should qualify. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/11 "2002-04-19T00:02:14Z")
**Hunt the Wumpus** was the first video game I had at home. Played it on the ol TI-99. Thank god I got **Tombstone City** shortly afterwards. To play hunt the Wumpus you move around trying to find the Wumpus. An empty room means there’s no basty creatures in the first room out of any of the 4 doors. A green circle means there’s a deadly slime pit in at least one of the first rooms out one of 4 doors. A red dot means the Wumpus is within 2 rooms from your current room. When you know which room the Wumpus is is get close to the room press the space bar to arm your arrow and the press the direction of the room. If you guessed wrong he’ll eat you. The game I loved before that was **Aztec**. I played it on the computers while my dad worked in the computer lab. That and **Choplifter**. Who has played Choplifter without falling to the temptation of shooting the men you’re supposed to rescue? Or flying so low you knock their heads off? I submit that nobody has remained pure. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/12 "2002-04-19T00:03:39Z")
I meant to provide a link. [Hunt the Wumpus](http://www.cc.gatech.edu/gvu/people/Phd/Reid.Harmon/htw/) ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/13 "2002-04-19T00:10:09Z")
Come on, who remembers **Hack**? I spent many a late summer night vanquishing ASCII kobolds after Johnny Carson. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/14 "2002-04-19T01:23:21Z")
So many good times. [ul] Apple II\ [li] Robotron 2084[/li][li] Hard Hat Mack[/li][li] Moon Patrol (great, now that damn music will be in my head all night)[/li] Apple III [li] One-on-One: Bird vs. Dr. J (With the “break the glass rim and have the guy sweep it up” feature)[/li] Mac [li] Mac Playmate. 'Nuff said. (“ooh ooh ooh…oh yeah.”)[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/15 "2002-04-19T02:19:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dooku \* > \*\*Mac > [li] Mac Playmate. 'Nuff said. (“ooh ooh ooh…oh yeah.”)[/li][/list] \*\* Hey! I remember sneaking into my dad’s room to play that! It was fun for awhile. ---
**Author:** ![Bedrosian\_Bixby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecae2f/32.png) [@Bedrosian\_Bixby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bedrosian_Bixby)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/16 "2002-04-19T02:59:17Z")
I’ll second the Bard’s Tale. I loved that game. I used to cheat and create disposable characters just to take their money. I was always partial to the King’s Quest games. They were my introduction into a fantasy adventure game. There was also this really cheap game called Below the Root. I played that thing everyday. ---
**Author:** ![Merrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@Merrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merrin)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/17 "2002-04-19T03:35:33Z")
Head over Heels On all the 8bit machines Amstrad CPC 464 (Best by a mile, but I may be biased, it’s what I had), Commodore 64 and Sinclair Spectrum. 3d isometric adventure game, absolutely brilliant, got myself an emulator just to play it again. If you look around you can discover that most games, if they’re old enough have had the copyright restrictions removed by the original authors and can be played with a clear conscience Merrin ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/18 "2002-04-19T03:58:16Z")
[_Zork_ has been released to freeware.](http://www.concentric.net/~Twist/WinFrotz/download.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/19 "2002-04-19T04:08:07Z")
Apple’s _Lemonade Stand_! Doooo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doooo dooo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-dooooooo! _Captain Goodnight_, anyone? I played a lot of _Apple Cider Spider_ but was seriously hooked on _Short Circuit_, eventually getting an Apple II emulator for my PC just to finish the damn thing. It turned out to be anticlimactic. Same deal with _Evolution_. As for arcade games, I clearly remember wasting many a quarter on _Space Invaders_, and when that got boring, I moved on to _Cosmic Avenger_, _Wizard of Wor_, _Frogger_ and a whole lot of other incredibly crappy looking but-at-the-time-awesome games. By the way, _Championship Baseball_ was a fucking cheater! ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Maximino](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e95f7d/32.png) [@Mighty\_Maximino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Maximino)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2002, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403/20 "2002-04-19T04:09:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Osiris \* > \*\*I meant to provide a link. > [Hunt the Wumpus](http://www.cc.gatech.edu/gvu/people/Phd/Reid.Harmon/htw/) \*\* Ha! I played a text-only version of that on the K-PRO. Man, green monochrome sure does bring back memories. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-which-we-discuss-classic-computer-games/104403.md?page=2)