Below are some of my favourites, please feel free to suggest more (including cover disk exclusive games).
Ace Crusader
- decent Defender clone with end of stage bosses
- below average graphics but plays pretty well
Shangai
- the version by Julian Jiggins
- has the easiest to read (visually scan) tileset of any of the shangai games on the Archimedes IMO
- sadly no scoring system / high scores
BIATetris
- decent version of Tetris "within a demo"
Beanz
- decent puyo puyo clone
HexAtoms
- unique atom-splitting game that can be played against the computer
- not seen this game on any other platform
Dragon Ball
- one of the best bat 'n ball games on the Archimedes
Digger
- only played this on MSDOS, but there was a RISC OS version released (doesn't work on RISC OS3.1)
The Swarm
- Robotron clone where you control a floating spaceman
- mouse-only, would have been better on keys
Stib
- Bust a Move clone
- plays pretty well
- please let me know if you have the full version, I could only find the demo release
Tetris (by Tracy of "SICK")
- best version of Tetris on the Archimedes (unless someone else knows otherwise?)
- poor choice of shape designs
Chuckie Egg (32-bit conversion by Doug Anderson)
- near-perfect port for the BBC Micro original
- adds high score table saving
- weirdly keeps the sprite flicking from the original
Dare Devil Denis (32-bit conversion by Doug Anderson)
- near-perfect port for the BBC Micro original
- weirdly keeps the sprite flicking from the original
Centipede (by Simon Tarry, from a 1994 Archimedes World cover disk)
- lacks technical finesse but has nice sprites
Decent PD, Freeware, Shareware Games?
Re: Decent PD, Freeware, Shareware Games?
For anyone interested, the author of this game uploaded the full version here:
https://www.stardot.org.uk/forums/viewt ... 82#p409982
- Rich Talbot-Watkins
- Posts: 2054
- Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:20 pm
- Location: Palma, Mallorca
- Contact:
Re: Decent PD, Freeware, Shareware Games?
I think Chuckie Egg and Daredevil Denis were Archimedes ports from the BBC versions by Michael Foot. They were essentially the original 6502 code "compiled" into C, with an extra layer of metadata on the graphics data to provide higher bit depth graphics. That'd be why the main character still flickers - it's running exactly the same code (right down to the Chuckie Egg update rate being set to 3/100ths of a second!).
- Rich Talbot-Watkins
- Posts: 2054
- Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:20 pm
- Location: Palma, Mallorca
- Contact:
Re: Decent PD, Freeware, Shareware Games?
Also, all of Tom Cooper's games seem to be missing from that list. Can't remember anything other than Son of Gyrinus right now, but fairly sure there were more!
Re: Decent PD, Freeware, Shareware Games?
Oh, I didn't realise Tom Cooper's stuff was PD / shareware. I think I have everything of his.
Re: Decent PD, Freeware, Shareware Games?
Ah, I wouldn't have minded if they had fixed the flickering to be honest. Not a big issue though.Rich Talbot-Watkins wrote: ↑Mon Dec 04, 2023 4:30 pm I think Chuckie Egg and Daredevil Denis were Archimedes ports from the BBC versions by Michael Foot. They were essentially the original 6502 code "compiled" into C, with an extra layer of metadata on the graphics data to provide higher bit depth graphics. That'd be why the main character still flickers - it's running exactly the same code (right down to the Chuckie Egg update rate being set to 3/100ths of a second!).
- Rich Talbot-Watkins
- Posts: 2054
- Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:20 pm
- Location: Palma, Mallorca
- Contact:
Re: Decent PD, Freeware, Shareware Games?
!MineHunt by Paul LeBeau is a great minehunter version. I think it's excellent, and not bogus
Was Moonquake PD? Because that's an excellent multiplayer game - I actually prefer it to Bomberman
Was Moonquake PD? Because that's an excellent multiplayer game - I actually prefer it to Bomberman