# Very old computer games from the ole aol floppy disk days **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 22, 2015, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591 "2015-01-22T16:48:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/1 "2015-01-22T16:48:26Z")
When I got my first computer (before the internet but after all the real geeks got theirs) there were these freeware or maybe donationware games that you’d get on floppies for no reason. I think they may have been made by Solo (try searching for that on Google) or something close to that. I remember the mouse on hay bails, a castle with countless rooms, a balloon rescue thingy. . … There was also a secret agent game I got from a friend on a floppy. The graphics were better than the mouse-on-bails game. You played a secret agent who went from room to room getting keys and such. The game may very well have been called Secret agent (try searching for _that_ on Google). Is this ringing a bell with any of you old timers? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/2 "2015-01-22T16:53:52Z")
Elevator Action? ---
**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:** [January 22, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/3 "2015-01-22T17:48:19Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > There was also a secret agent game I got from a friend on a floppy. The graphics were better than the mouse-on-bails game. You played a secret agent who went from room to room getting keys and such. Do you remember what system this was on? ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/4 "2015-01-22T17:58:26Z")
Spy vs. Spy? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/5 "2015-01-22T18:12:26Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Do you remember what system this was on? These were all DOS games. For PCs. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/6 "2015-01-22T19:33:42Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > When I got my first computer (before the internet but after all the real geeks got theirs) there were these freeware or maybe donationware games that you’d get on floppies for no reason. I think they may have been made by Solo (try searching for that on Google) or something close to that. I remember the mouse on hay bails, a castle with countless rooms, a balloon rescue thingy. . … > There was also a secret agent game I got from a friend on a floppy. The graphics were better than the mouse-on-bails game. You played a secret agent who went from room to room getting keys and such. The game may very well have been called Secret agent (try searching for _that_ on Google). > > Is this ringing a bell with any of you old timers? Sounds familiar to me–I played this, or something like it, on the Apple IIc. It looked like it was set in a hotel, and there was lots of perfect-arc slow jumps over bad guys. I don’t remember if there was any shooting you could do in the game, mostly it was just a jump around and time movements kind of game. With elevators, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t elevator action. Each screen represented a separate room, I think: not a side-scroller, since it didn’t scroll. Is that what you’re talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/7 "2015-01-22T19:36:07Z")
Lock and chase? ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/8 "2015-01-22T20:04:38Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Sounds familiar to me–I played this, or something like it, on the Apple IIc. It looked like it was set in a hotel, and there was lots of perfect-arc slow jumps over bad guys. I don’t remember if there was any shooting you could do in the game, mostly it was just a jump around and time movements kind of game. With elevators, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t elevator action. Each screen represented a separate room, I think: not a side-scroller, since it didn’t scroll. Is that what you’re talking about? That’s got to be _[Impossible Mission](http://www.mobygames.com/game/impossible-mission)_. “Stay a while, stay forever.” ---
**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:** [January 22, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/9 "2015-01-22T20:28:31Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > These were all DOS games. For PCs. Your OP rang a bell about a spy finding keys but that game was never released for the IBM/clone market. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/10 "2015-01-23T05:55:02Z")
> [@Telperion](#): > > That’s got to be _[Impossible Mission](http://www.mobygames.com/game/impossible-mission)_. “Stay a while, stay forever.” That’s what I was thinking as well. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/11 "2015-01-23T06:12:01Z")
[Archive.org](http://Archive.org) recently put [a crapload of old DOS games](https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos_games/v2) up on their site _with_ in-browser emulation. They don’t have _Impossible Mission_ as best I can tell, but they do have _[Impossible Mission II](https://archive.org/details/msdos_Impossible_Mission_II_1988)_. Check it out! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/12 "2015-01-23T06:14:01Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > [Archive.org](http://Archive.org) recently put [a crapload of old DOS games](https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos_games/v2) up on their site _with_ in-browser emulation. They don’t have _Impossible Mission_ as best I can tell, but they do have _[Impossible Mission II](https://archive.org/details/msdos_Impossible_Mission_II_1988)_. Check it out! But, if you value your ears, turn off the sound. Javascript is still horribly inconsistent with generated sound. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/13 "2015-01-23T11:15:18Z")
I was thinking the spy game might be Covert Action, from 1990. > **[Covert action](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covert_Action)** > > Covert action may refer to: ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/14 "2015-01-23T15:43:57Z")
Two days of googling Castle games DOS and Balloon Game DOS, [Balloon Challenge](http://www.classicdosgames.com/game/Balloon_Challenge.html) turned up. Soleau Software is the company I was thinking of. The other game isn’t Impossible Mission. [It was actually called Secret agent.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Agent_(video_game)) The lesson we should take away from this is: Change up your google search terms by adding more and more specific identifiers. This thread has shown me that only I remember these games. How 'bout the next generation of these games? Secret agent lead me directly to Hocus Pocus. Does anyone remember that game? P.S., the capital ‘a’ does not work on my keyboard allavasudden. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![argomo67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@argomo67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/argomo67)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2015, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/15 "2015-04-12T03:09:17Z")
I think your secret agent may have been Liesure Suit Larry. It was an R (today would be PG) rated game and I wasted a lot of time laughing at his ridiculous predicaments. Now one I’ve been looking for. When AOL had Slingo, there was another game that was a Match something or other. It was matching words and trivia like synomyms in vocabulary or people with something in common - great trivia game and I’d love to play it again. Does that ring any bells with anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2015, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/16 "2015-04-12T03:20:16Z")
The “secret agent” might also have been [Hostages](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostages_%28video_game%29). ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2015, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/17 "2015-04-12T08:02:20Z")
It would help if we knew exactly which year you started. The earliest “castle with countless rooms” that I remember was “Castle Adventure”. ASCII characters were used for enemies, items, and walls. I’d think that if she were talking about Leisure Suit Larry then the description would be… a bit… more descriptive! I don’t remember keys per se unless you mean items. And wouldn’t be PG - don’t remember many kids movies using condoms or blow up dolls. ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/18 "2015-04-12T17:44:53Z")
How about “Shamus”? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cxiYLRc47Zk/hqdefault.jpg "ATARI XE/XL GAME : SHAMUS") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxiYLRc47Zk) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-old-computer-games-from-the-ole-aol-floppy-disk-days/710591/19 "2015-04-12T18:10:33Z")
Post #14, guys, for the secret agent game. It was called “Secret Agent.”