The Classic PC Gaming Era (1977-1989) - Enjoying Third-Person Arcade Action Games Today
Want to play some 1980s PC arcade action games? I've built a list of all of the notables as well as those you definitely ought to consider once you've played the ones I've already mentioned.
While the action arcade category included far more games and subgenres than any other during the 1980s, I have been fairly selective about the games I’ve included here because so few titles from this era have really held up in a manner that makes me comfortable recommending them to modern players. Most were built to be played on keyboards that might lack arrow keys or on ancient two-button joysticks and required as much patience then as they do today. My criteria have been focused on four attributes:
Novelty: Does the game do something really interesting that makes it a worthwhile recommendation today?
Graphics: Does the game have good enough graphics that a modern player could enjoy it as a retro title?
Controls: Are the controls good enough that the game can be played today without significant frustration?
Accessibility: Is the game something that modern gamers can pick up and play with minimal use of a game manual to explain what’s supposed to be happening onscreen?
Unsurprisingly, these criteria knocked many games off my list and helped me to avoid allowing my choices to be seen through a nostalgic lens rather than with a modern eye. But it also gave me a lot of confidence that those I’m recommending here are really worth the trouble to track down and play.
The games we’re not going to cover (because they have been so extensively covered by gaming media) are the following notable or essential titles:
Apple Panic (1981) – An unauthorized clone of Space Panic from Brøderbund that became far more popular thanks to its availability on the Apple II (as well as other platforms later on).
Sneakers (1981) – A simple but fun Space Invaders-style game with varied enemies and smooth gameplay.
Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein (1981 and 1984) – Silas Warner’s original overhead stealth action games where you escape a castle and shoot Nazis. It was a landmark title for its time and the inspiration behind id Software’s 1992 classic Wolfenstein 3D series and several reboots that have followed since.
A.E. (1982) – Another Space Invaders-style game where the backgrounds provide a 3D view of the playfield, allowing the units to feel like they’re coming from behind buildings or around planets or asteroids.
Aztec (1982) – An action-adventure game clearly modeled after the Indiana Jones movies and which seems like an ancient ancestor of Spelunky or La-Mulana. You venture into the Tomb of Quetzalcoatl in search of an idol. Your character has a surprising number of actions he can utilize, including crawling, climbing, fighting with a machete or wielding a gun. The Apple II original is commendable for a game from the early 1980s because it features large, detailed character sprites, randomly designed levels and destructible walls and floors. While it was a groundbreaking game for its time, it’s sadly not much fun to play today.
Choplifter! (1982) – Dan Gorlin’s first great game for the Apple II was so good, Sega remade it as an arcade game in 1985. The game revolved around the seemingly simple idea of flying into a militarized zone and rescuing prisoners with a helicopter, but the fun was in being able to rotate your copter to adjust your attacks and increase your chances of survival.
Miner 2049er (1982) – Bill Hogue provided early 80s PC gamers with their own answer to Nintendo’s Donkey Kong, and the result was a great game that managed to stand on its own so well, it was ported to home consoles. It received a sequel in 1985, and it was also the inspiration for the Miner Willy series that included Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy.
Atic Atac (1983) – Tim and Chris Stamper’s popular action-adventure game were you try to escape an evil castle by searching for the pieces of a key that will allow you out. The vector-style graphics add some three-dimensionality to the game, and the overhead perspective is reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda.
BC’s Quest for Tires (1983) – A really nice-looking game based on Johnny Hart’s B.C. daily comic strip with gameplay similar to Moon Patrol and Wonder Boy. You play as the caveman Thor riding a stone tire and avoiding obstacles as he attempts to rescue Cute Chick, who’s been captured by a hungry dinosaur. The 1984 sequel B.C. II: Grog's Revenge is also worthwhile, but plays a bit differently and provides a more existential purpose of uncovering the meaning of life. (The answer is considerably less serious than you might expect, and no, it’s not Jesus.)
Beach-Head and Beach-Head II: The Dictator Strikes Back (1983 and 1985) – Access Software’s military-themed arcade action games. The original Beach-Head is an action-packed collection of war-themed minigames held together by a sparse plot about assaulting the fortress of Kuhn-Lin during World War II. Many of the levels involve shooting military cannons at ships, tanks or aircraft. The second game is even more interesting as you can play as the Allies or the Dictator (or head-to-head), culminating in a throwing knife duel in the final stage. The series eventually inspired an actual arcade game, Beach Head 2000, which utilized a helmet for a pseudo-VR experience.
Dandy (1983) – John Howard Palevich’s Atari 8-bit 4-player classic that inspired Atari’s 1985 arcade hit Gauntlet. It’s not nearly as polished as the game that overshadowed it, but it’s a very fun and playable title in its own right.
Jetpac and Lunar Jetman (1983) – Tim and Chris Stamper’s action platformer series starring Jetman, who can fly around and blast bad guys as he attempts to locate the pieces to his rocket and rebuild it so he can escape the hostile world he’s crashed upon. The sequel makes things interesting by limiting Jetman’s rocket fuel but giving him a lunar rover to drive and bombs to locate. Both are amazingly fun. (The 1990 NES game Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warpship is a sequel to these two.)
Jumpman (1983) – Another Donkey Kong-style game, this time from Epyx. The titular Jumpman (not to be confused with Nintendo’s early name for Mario) is a bomb disposal expert who has to clear 30 booby-trapped levels. The sequel from the same year, strangely named Jumpman Junior (because, of course, the second Donkey Kong game was called Donkey Kong Jr.), is more like a standalone expansion pack with some new levels and features, but more of the same basic gameplay.
Lode Runner (1983) – While it bears some similarities to the obscure 1980 arcade game Space Panic and that game’s knock-off Apple Panic, Douglas E. Smith’s Lode Runner popularized the concept of a trap maze and was a monster hit for its time due to its huge number of included levels and its included level editor. It was popular all over the world, but especially revered in Japan, where it received several exclusive sequels and arcade editions.
Miner Willy series (Manic Miner, Jet Set Willy, Jet Set Willy II: The Final Frontier) (1983-1985) – Matthew Smith created an entire series of action platformer games about Miner Willy, who first has to find fame and fortune by retrieving treasures from a dangerous mine (Manic Miner) and then gets so rich, he buys a mansion that falls into such a story state after a massive party he throws, he’s got to clean it up (Jet Set Willy and the expanded sort-of-sequel Jet Set Willy II: The Final Frontier). While it’s a tough and slightly dated series, the games hold up surprisingly well and are brimming with humor.
Spelunker (1983) – Micrographic Image’s Spelunker was an impressive game for its time, but it hasn’t aged particularly well. While the formula of descending into a massive mine to collect treasure, avoid hazards and outrun ghosts is a nice change from the Donkey Kong-style mechanics that were popular in the early 1980s, the gameplay is clunky and the fixed levels get kind of dull. Even so, the core of a great game was there, and it was not only an influential title in Japan, but also an obvious source of inspiration for Derek Yu’s excellent 2008 game Spelunky.
Boulder Dash (1984) – First Star Software’s popular digging game where you navigate mazes and remove dirt to retrieve diamonds. Just be careful not to remove the dirt under a boulder until you’re ready to direct it into a pathway – the game’s called Boulder Dash for a reason. Surprisingly, this series is still going strong today with a large number of sequels, remakes and reboots spanning well over three decades.
Bruce Lee (1984) – An exciting action platformer from Datasoft where you play as Bruce Lee and battle a sword-wielding ninja and a bigger, tougher Sumo warrior called Green Yamo as you work your way through the 20-screen maze of a fortress to battle an evil wizard. Even if you defeat them, these opponents will respawn onscreen and continue to pursue you. The game involves a lot of climbing and jumping and can be quite challenging, but it’s a rewarding and fast-moving platformer if you can take the time to master it.
Impossible Mission and Impossible Mission II (1984 and 1988) – A series of action platform puzzlers where you break into a mechanized fortress and hack computers as you avoid or do a jumping somersault over robot guards. It’s sort of like Elevator Action meets Spy vs. Spy with a dash of Hacker. Notable for its synthesized speech on the Commodore 64, which was truly amazing at the time. The sequel is also excellent and includes additional depth and challenge.
Montezuma’s Revenge (1984) – An action-adventure platformer like Datamost’s Aztec but a little more playable. You play as adventurer Panama Joe trying to locate an ancient Aztec treasure in a maze of catacombs populated by all sorts of nasty creatures. Much of the game involves hunting down keys that you use to open doors so you can proceed, and the world feels cohesive since you can often see places you can’t reach and may need to backtrack to reach them.
Sabreman series (Sabre Wulf, Underwurlde, Knight Lore, Pendragon) (1984-1986) – Tim and Chris Stamper’s quadrilogy of action-adventure games that got better and better as they went on. Each game is a bit different, but Knight Lore is the standout title thanks to its pseudo-3D isometric perspective and its addictive platforming puzzler gameplay.
Ghostbusters (1985) – Activision’s adaptation of the feature film was quite memorable on the Commodore 64 for its great gameplay and digitized speech. The game offered a little bit of everything, from overhead driving to light strategy to action sequences. It was ported to many PC platforms and also showed up on consoles with a fairly poor translation on the NES and a more faithful one on the Sega Master System.
Karateka (1985) – Jordan Mechner’s side-scrolling karate game, which introduced a wonderful cinematic story and the execution of a simple but wonderful concept for an action title – run to the right, beat up a foe, and repeat with increasing toughness until you reach the final boss. Just watch out for that hawk!
Batman (1986) – An isometric action game from UK developers Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond where Batman has to find the parts to reassemble the Batmobile so he can rescue Robin. It’s a cute and interesting take on the Caped Crusader that’s considered one of the ZX Spectrum’s best games.
Defender of the Crown (1986) – Part strategy game, part swashbuckler, part medieval minigame collection, but entirely incredible. This was the first title with the “Cinemaware” moniker and it was so impressive it stayed relevant well into the 16-bit era. Even today, it’s a blast to go back and play.
Dark Castle (1986) – A visually striking black and white action platformer and puzzler that was a hit on the Macintosh but which was less impressive on other platforms due to poor controls and challenging gameplay.
Zombi (1986) – A survival horror game that was the first release from French publisher Ubisoft and which is quite reminiscent of the film Dawn of the Dead (which was called Zombi when it was released in Italy). The original was quite good when it was released on the Amstrad CPC. Several enhanced remakes followed in 1990 for multiple platforms. The game was remade again in 2012 for the WiiU with an entirely new design and a slightly different title: ZombiU.
The Great Giana Sisters (1987) – The Commodore 64’s answer to Super Mario Bros. feels like a close copy of it. While there’s a prevalent urban myth that Nintendo quickly sued the game out of existence, creator Armin Gessert has said otherwise. Whatever the case may be, the game disappeared off shelves not long after release and became a popular pirated cult classic title before getting an official remake in 2009 as a Nintendo DS exclusive.
Head Over Heels (1987) – Quite possibly the greatest of the pseudo-3D isometric platform games popularized by Knight Lore, but this time from Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond (who also wrote Ocean’s excellent isometric Batman game). Using two cute-looking characters with different abilities, you must find your way around the planet Blacktooth and several other worlds under its control to retrieve several crowns so you can defeat the evil Emperor. While it was widely ported to other platforms, the ZX Spectrum version is the definitive classic.
The Last Ninja (1987) – An isometric action-adventure game from developer System 3 Software set in medieval Japan where you play as the ninja Armakuni on a quest to defeat the evil shogun Kunitoki. On your way, you’ll avoid taps and battle guards and samurai with a large assortment of ninja weapons and magic. The graphics and sound are excellent on most platforms, and the interface is very smart and makes the gameplay easy to understand. Sadly, the controls are odd and take some getting used to. The game was so popular it received two sequels in 1988 and 1991.
Metal Gear (1987) – Hideo Kojima’s famous overhead sneaking game got its start on the MSX, but the NES version (which is significantly different, especially in North America) is the version most gamers would know. Drop in, procure whatever you can find onsite, infiltrate Outer Heaven and rescue hostages under the direction of Big Boss. (Anyone who’s played the later games knows where this one’s going…)
Platoon (1987) – A squad-based shooter based on the Oliver Stone film of the same name. You control a platoon of five soldiers and work your way through key moments of the film during the Vietnam War. Like the Beach-Head games, each level introduces a different style of play. The first level is a sidescroller with intersecting maps. In the second level, you enter tunnels and the game becomes a primitive first person shooter. An amazing game for its era, and stunning even on the Commodore 64.
The Adventures of Captain Comic (1988) – Michael A. Denio’s shareware adventure that provided one of the first great action platformers for the DOS PC. As Captain Comic, you venture to the right through a series of scrolling screens, eventually acquiring new skills through items and retrieving three stolen treasures. Then, you turn around and head back to where you started. It’s simple, but it’s fun, and it’s notable for being a harbinger of the vast influence shareware would one day have on PC action gaming when the 1990s rolled around.
Rocket Ranger (1988) – Cinemaware’s wonderful take on movie serials takes place in an alternate history where the Axis wins World War II and the Nazis discover an element on the moon that allows them to enslave mankind on Earth by dropping lunarium bombs from zeppelins. Only the jetpack-wearing Rocket Ranger can stop them. The great graphics and B-movie retro-futurism storyline make Rocket Ranger a fantastic action adventure with a lot of style (which Disney’s 1991 film The Rocketeer totally ripped off).
Batman the Movie (1989) – Ocean Software’s arcade action game features sidescrolling platforming that’s similar to Capcom’s Bionic Commando of all things and pseudo 3D chase cam segments involving the Batmobile and Batwing. It’s an impressive game for its time, particularly on the Amiga and Atari ST, where the 16-bit graphics and sound really shine. The Commodore 64 version trades the 3D sequences in for some isometric Batmobiling and somehow manages to still be pretty fun.
Prince of Persia (1989) – Jordan Mechner’s exceptional action adventure where you work your way out of a dungeon to rescue a princess taken captive by the evil Jaffar. Not only a great (and still highly playable!) game in its own right, but also the basis of a series, a reboot series, a second reboot, a film and even a Lego theme. (And once again, Disney’s 1992 animated classic film Aladdin bears a striking resemblance to some aspects of this influential game!)
Shadow of the Beast (1989) – Reflections Interactive and Psygnosis’s 16-bit sidescroller showcase has often been accused of looking like a far better game than it actually is, but you really can’t fault people for loving it; it’s a gorgeous game with a stellar soundtrack. It’s a tough and very linear experience with a forgettable story, but it truly does make up for its faults with its excellent presentation and atmosphere. Modern gamers might prefer the 2016 remake for the PlayStation 4.
If you haven’t played these games and you don’t mind archaic controls and trial and error gameplay, you really ought to give them a try, as they are considered classics for a reason.
Games I’ll Feature in the Book
I’ve spotlighted quite a few arcade action titles already, but a few titles I’ll additionally feature in the book edition of The Greatest Games You’ve (Probably) Never Played Vol. 1 include:
A few other titles that I opted not to feature in detail, but which are worth checking out, include:
Evolution (1982) - A fun collection of arcade-style minigames from Sydney Development Corp on the Apple II based on six stages of different life forms.
Picnic Paranoia (1982) - A fun Atari 8-Bit picnic-themed game where you swat ants trying to make off with your provisions. It’s simple, but a good time, and relatively non-violent.
Ant Attack (1983) - A striking Commodore 64 rescue game from Sandy White and Quicksilva with isometric graphics themed after the artwork of MC Escher.
Space Taxi (1984) - A unique physics-style taxi game from John F. Kutcher and Silas Warner and Muse Software for the Commodore 64 in the vein of Lunar Lander combined with a platformer.
Ghettoblaster (also known as Street Beat) (1985) - A goofy Commodore 64 music game about promoting music by getting people dancing. Just watch out for enemies like the Psycho Killer, the Gangsters of Groove or even Jumping Jack Flash!
Get Dexter! (a.k.a. Crafton & Xunk) and Get Dexter 2 (a.k.a. L'Ange de Cristal) (1986) - An unusual isometric action adventure game series from ERE Informatique and Personal Software Services that’s filled with humor and exceptional art design. Both games feature a duo of adventurers and quite distinct stories and settings. It’s best-known on the Amstrad CPC and Atari ST.
Games You Might Want To Try
The action arcade genre was quite popular in the 1980s, and in addition to the titles above, there were many excellent games released throughout the decade that are worth checking out if you’re interested:
Antarctic Adventure (a.k.a. Kekkyoku Nankyoku Daibōken) and Penguin Adventure (a.k.a. Yume-tairiku Adventure) (1983 and 1986) – A cute pseudo-3D MSX action platformer from Konami where you race a penguin along the ice, leaping over holes and avoiding creatures. The sequel takes your penguin, Penta, around the world for even wilder adventure as you seek a golden apple that can cure Princess Penguette. Though not well-known in North America, the series was one of Konami’s early hits, and Penta and his son Pentarou even served as the company’s mascots in Japan. A talented young game developer named Hideo Kojima (perhaps you’ve heard of him?) even worked on the second game as the assistant designer.
Chuckie Egg (1983) – A&F Software’s Donkey Kong-style game about rescuing eggs, a dozen at a time, from evil ducklings and their mother. It’s a fun and well-made game that offers eight screens that repeat over three cycles. Sadly, the 1985 sequel is something of a turkey.
Mountain King (1983) – A side-scrolling treasure collecting game from CBS Electronics that debuted on the Atari 8-bit PC and was then ported to other home PCs and consoles. It’s sort of like Lode Runner combined with the subterranean adventure of Pitfall II: The Lost Caverns. While definitely ahead of its time, it doesn’t hold up super well today.
Mr. Robot and His Robot Factory (1983) – An excellent Donkey Kong-style game with very similar mechanics, but a countdown timer that will cause you to lose if you dawdle and run out of energy.
Avalon (1984) – A ZX Spectrum action-adventure game where you guide an astral projection of Maroc the Mage through a three-dimensional wireframe castle. It’s like a cross between Atic Atac and Knight Lore.
Conan: Hall of Volta (1984) – Datasoft’s follow-up to Bruce Lee utilizes the same basic mechanics, but instead of being pursued by the same enemies over and over, you instead face monsters who occupy the game’s seven screens. The game doesn’t feel very authentic to its source material (you have boomerang swords and never get to fight a human opponent aside from the boss), but it does have some neat ideas that make for a decent platformer adventure.
Kokotoni Wilf (1984) – A strange combination of Jet Set Willy and Joust where you play as a winged angel and travel through six different time periods and recover pieces of the Dragon Amulet. Notable for including a level set in the Age of Dinosaurs with some impressive character sprites.
Monty Mole series (Wanted: Monty Mole, Monty on the Run and Auf Wiedersehen, Monty) (1984-1987) – Gremlin Graphics’s tough trilogy of action adventure games was built around a mole named Monty who steals some coal in his first outing (Wanted: Monty Mole), has to try to escape the UK in his second game (Monty on the Run) and then has to work his way across Europe so he can buy a private island in Greece and retire in style (Auf Wiedersehen, Monty). Each game uses a flick-screen approach and has a number of puzzles to solve, and each is also known for being both humorous and cruelly unfair. While the first game is all right, Monty gets a distinctive somersault jump in the second game that really stands out. There’s also a side story called Monty is Innocent that stars Sam Stoat and details Monty’s escape from prison, but it plays differently and is not nearly as good of a game and thus is often ignored by fans.
The Pendragon series (The Staff of Karnath, Entombed, Blackwyche and Dragon Skulle) (1984-1986) – A series by Bob and Dave Thomas starring Sir Arthur Pendragon and published by Ultimate Play the Game. The levels have a 2.5D design where you can move up and down as well as left and right, similar to a Sierra adventure game, but the gameplay is action-oriented. Though the titles are all quite similar in how they play, each game features a different setting: The Staff of Karnath is set inside a medieval castle, Entombed is set in an Egyptian tomb, Blackwyche is set on a ghost ship and Dragon Skulle takes place on a creepy island.
Pyjamarama (1984) – Mikro-Gen’s surreal action game that stars the developer’s everyman mascot Wally Week (who appeared in several other games). Wally is asleep and works his way through dreams and nightmares as he tries to find the missing key to his alarm clock so he can wake up. It’s one of the ZX Spectrum’s best games, and the simple color palette and dark background really suit the game’s odd atmosphere.
Realm of Impossibility (1984) – An upgraded version of Mike Edwards’s 1983 Atari 8-bit action-adventure game Zombies. Features a pseudo-3D isometric perspective along with monsters to fight and puzzles to solve. It hasn’t aged well, but there’s still a good game underneath the archaic design.
Rescue Raiders (1984) – An Apple II exclusive from Sir-tech that plays like an advanced take on Choplifter! by adding in extra weapons and enemies as well as a strange plot involving time travelers who are trying to help the Axis win World War II. It’s often credited as being one of the first action games with real-time strategy elements. It was remade in the early 1990s as Armor Alley for DOS and the Macintosh.
Quango (1984) – A maze game for the Commodore 64 that feels like Boulder Dash with a touch of Bomberman. Basically, you maneuver a droid through a dangerous underground cave, collecting rare mushrooms and avoiding dangerous plants, boulders and enemies. Laying bombs allows you to escape your pursuers, but watch out – those bombs can take you down too.
Action Biker (1985) – An isometric action-adventure game where you roam around a large map on a motorcycle and gather items and bike parts. It’s reminiscent of Atari’s Paperboy (particularly that game’s end of the day obstacle course segment) but offers much greater freedom to go where you want.
The Castle (a.k.a. The Castle and Princess) (1985) – An action platformer from ASCII Corporation that debuted on the Sharp X1 but which was widely ported to many other Japanese PCs and the SG-1000. The game is sort of like a cross between Lode Runner and the dungeons from The Legend of Zelda, requiring you to drop items on enemies and then retrieve items and multi-colored keys to progress on your quest to save the princess.
Floyd the Droid and The Big Deal (1985, 1986) – Two games from Dutch developer Radarsoft which offer distinctive graphics and both star a robot named Floyd. In the first game, you program Floyd to move around sewers in major cities and clear up infestations of critters including rats, crocodiles, bats and even a convict who’s hiding from the law. The second game takes place in a fast food restaurant where you have to program Floyd to cook for increasingly impatient customers. While both games are repetitive, they are fun, and the programming aspect gives them some depth.
The Goonies (1985) – There are actually two flavors of this video game adaptation of the popular film – one by Konami that was released for the Famicom as well as Japanese PCs like the MSX in 1986 and another developed for European and North American PCs by Datasoft in 1985. The latter is quite an interesting game because it involves utilizing two Goonies at a time to clear eight screens themed around the big moments in the film, often by solving minor puzzles.
The Magic Knight series (Finders Keepers, Spellbound, Knight Thyme and Stormbringer) (1985-1987) – David Jones’s action-adventure platformer game Finders Keepers starred the mascot character Magic Knight and had a lot of charm. Its sequels kept the vibe but replaced the gameplay with an adventure game inspired control scheme called Windimation. The entire series is fun and very humorous.
Repton, Repton 2 and Repton 3 (1985-1986) - A series from Superior Software that starts off as a BBC Micro and Electron clone of Boulder Dash but then becomes so much more in its sequels. The second game eschews levels in favor of one gigantic map, and the third returns to the level structure and introduces far more sophisticated puzzles that even extends into the fourth dimension. Repton 3 also includes a level editor and offered several official expansion packs in the years that followed.
Thing on a Spring (1985) – A fun little action platformer from Jason Perkins where you play as a bouncing anthropomorphic spring who can leap all over the screen. It’s a charming little game, but often frustrating due to the need for precision jumping.
Army Moves (1986) – A run and gun title from Dinamic Software where you either drive a jeep, fly a helicopter or run through the jungle on foot. It’s best on the Commodore 64. It was followed by two sequels: Navy Moves in 1988 and the vastly improved Arctic Moves in 1995.
Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future (1986) – There are actually three games based around this British comic book license, and while each is different, they’re all created by the developer Gang of Five. The Amstrad CPC version is a straightforward platformer and probably the least interesting of the bunch. The ZX Spectrum version is perhaps the best of the three (despite having the weakest graphics) and provides an action adventure where you have to retrieve five items and plug them into a control room console. The Commodore 64 version has excellent graphics and plays far more like a graphical adventure game with some light action elements.
Dante's Inferno (1986) – An action adventure from Denton Designs for the Commodore 64 with some light RPG elements where you descend into Hell and fight through demonic hordes on your way to battle the Devil himself.
The Great Escape (1986) – An unlicensed isometric action-adventure game by Denton Designs based upon the themes of the famous film about prisoners attempting to escape a German POW camp in World War II. It’s an engaging and interesting title where you search for one of several ways out before morale runs out.
Into the Eagle’s Nest (1986) – A Gauntlet-style game from a little-known developer called Pandora set in World War II with eight levels and tons of action. It’s sort of the halfway point in terms of visceral action between what Castle Wolfenstein and Wolfenstein 3D have to offer.
Mission Elevator (1986) – An Impossible Mission-style action-adventure game from Eurogold that also has some heavy influence from Taito’s Elevator Action arcade game. You have to track down eight pieces of a code and use them to defuse a bomb.
Nexus (1986) – An interesting action-adventure game in the style of Impossible Mission but also featuring agents who can help you with special skills and enemies you can actually fight.
Spindizzy (1986) – Imagine someone made Marble Madness with an enormous world comprised of 385 screens and replaced the marble with a spinning top and you’ve got the basic idea of Paul Shirley’s fascinating isometric exploration game where you must race against a declining timer and collect energy crystals to keep the adventure going. It’s a great game on its own, but it was followed by a 16-bit sequel in 1990 called Spindizzy Worlds that’s somehow even better.
Cobra (1987) – A run-and-gun game based on the Sylvester Stallone film of the same name. It plays a lot like Konami’s Rush‘n Attack (also known as Green Beret) and isn’t too bad for a ZX Spectrum exclusive. (The Commodore 64 game of the same name is different and isn’t recommended.)
Dizzy: The Ultimate Cartoon Adventure, Treasure Island Dizzy and Fantasy World Dizzy (1987-1989) – Codemasters’s budgetware mascot series features an anthropomorphic egg who platforms his way through some surprisingly fun action-adventure games where you solve puzzles with items. The spin-off 1989 game Fast Food also stars Dizzy but plays more like Pac-Man with some influence from Boulder Dash. The Dizzy series continued well on into the 1990s, so if you enjoy these games, there are plenty more.
Exolon (1987) – Raffaele Cecco’s flick-screen shooting game that gives you a gun, some rocket-propelled grenades and a super-soldier who slowly walks forward and blasts everything in his path. It’s a bit plodding for my tastes, but it’s an interesting action game with nice graphics. If you don’t like the original, a 2005 version called Exolon DX offers an enhanced remake.
Firepower (1987) – An overhead tank game for with a single player mode and an excellent splitscreen 2-player mode with capture the flag mechanics. It has destructible environments, large maps, mines to lay and hostages to rescue, but the real thrill comes from running over infantry with your tank and hearing them squish. An early standard for the Amiga, but ported well to the Commodore 64, Apple IIGS and MS-DOS platforms.
Shockway Rider (1987) – A strange multilane combat racer from the UK where you battle other pedestrians along moving walkways. It’s simple, but fun, and the soundtrack is great.
Thundercats (1987) – A Ghosts ‘n Goblins-style action platformer by Gargoyle Games based on the popular cartoon show. While it was a mediocre title even by the standards of the day and is brutally difficult now, it’s fun enough if you enjoy the theme and includes some nice variety amongst its 14 levels.
Wings of Fury (1987) – A side-scrolling airplane game from Brøderbund Software similar in style to Choplifter! where you fly an F6F Hellcat plane during World War II and bomb Japanese targets across the Pacific. The Apple II original and the Amiga port are probably the best-remembered. Oddly, it was also re-released as a Gameboy Color game in 2000.
Goody (1988) – An action platformer from Spanish developer Opera Soft in which you play as a thief attempting to rob a bank. It’s a fun little game in the style of Jet Set Willy that features some humorous enemies like paper airplanes, gorillas and street sweepers.
Samurai Warrior: The Battles of.... Usagi Yojimbo (1988) – A side-scrolling action game from Beam Software based on Stan Sakai’s epic comic book series. While the focus is on action, it’s surprisingly thoughtful in simulating aspects of a ronin’s life; you can give money to the peasants in exchange for health and karma and there is a relationship system devoted to honor and status that rewards you for bowing at the appropriate times. The sprites are also quite detailed for a game from 1988.
Die Hard (1989) – A great-looking, but clunky, third person action-adventure game by Dynamix with digitized characters and full 3D environments that bears some strong similarity to 1992’s Wolfenstein 3D. It’s fun to watch but so difficult to play that it’s hard to recommend as more than a curiosity.
Myth: History in the Making (also known as Conan: The Mysteries of Time on the NES) (1989) – An action platformer game from System 3 Software where you travel between the mythological realms of the Greeks, Roman, Egyptians and Vikings and try to destroy the dark angel Dameron in a battle throughout time. It’s a great-looking game that starts out tough and gets even tougher, but it’s still worth playing through.
Project Firestart (1989) –A pseudo-3D isometric survival horror game from Dynamix that’s set on a space station infested with aliens and which feels like an ancient ancestor of Dead Space. The game’s atmosphere, gory visuals and chilling music help to up the ante on the tension, and the process of discovering what happened and rescuing a sleeping damsel in distress keeps you engaged.
Rainbow Warrior (1989) – An environmentally-conscious game from MicroProse centered around Greenpeace and featuring seven eco-friendly minigames.
Rick Dangerous (1989) – An Indiana Jones-style action platformer game from Core Design that’s beloved for its cartoonish sense of humor but also known for its high level of difficulty. It’s often credited as one of the inspirations for Derek Yu’s 2008 classic Spelunky, which is a better game in every way.
Switchblade (1989) – An action platformer from Simon Phipps of Core Design where you play as Hiro, a Bladeknight in a cyberpunk world who is trying to repair a sword called the Fireblade to defeat a powerful nightmare named Havok. It suffers from repetitive environments and drab graphics, but the explorable world makes Switchblade an intriguing adventure, and the 1991 sequel by Gremlin Graphics ups the ante in every way.
Super Solvers: Midnight Rescue! (1989) – The first in an excellent series of Super Solvers games from The Learning Company. This game is an action adventure that involves tracking down robots who are going to paint Shady Glen School with invisible ink unless you can track them and their Master of Mischief down. A great game for players of any age.
As Our Series Continues…
In the coming weeks, we’ll talk about shoot ‘em ups, 3D games, flight simulators, sports games, gameroom games, puzzle games and so much more.
And while you’ll definitely see some titles from prominent North American publishers like Sierra On-Line, Infocom, Activision, Electronic Arts, Brøderbund, SSI, MicroProse, Lucasfilm Games, Epyx and Sir-Tech in the mix, you’ll also see references to games from the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Spain and Japan.
If you’ve missed the earlier entries in the series, which cover ASCII games, adventure games, wargames, strategy games and role-playing games, you can find the entire archive at https://greatestgames.substack.com.
Anything I don’t share here will be in my upcoming book, tentatively titled The Greatest Games You (Probably) Never Played Vol. 1. Subscribe to this newsletter so you won’t miss it!