...ead.
THE VC LIST OF EXCEPTIONAL COMPUTER GAMES (in no particular order).
UPDATED ALMOST DAILY.
[size=20pt]1. Sentinel Returns[/size]
Sentinel Returns is a 3D first-person puzzle game with a trippy LSD-powered atmosphere and visuals (such as needles being poked into alien fetuses whenever you start a level). The game is a paradox in that there's only about three controls you need to know and a Competent Gamer(tm) could figure it all out in a few minutes, but even though it's simple, it's practically impossible to explain the game mechanics to one who hasn't played it. Once you get it, though, you can't let go. It's incredibly addictive, levels are short but there are SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY of them, and I know I'm in love with it because I'm somewhere past 200, and counting...
[img]http://www.lauppert.ws/screen1/sent inel_returns.jpg[/img]
[size=20pt]2. The Colonel's Bequest[/size]
York Peppermint Patties somehow made this great game a completely unforgettable experience for me and encouraged me to play through all five-ish hours of it nonstop with that sweet minty taste in my mouth. Therefore, prior to beginning play, buy an assload of Yorks, disconnect the Internet cable (you can't have anything interrupt your minty retro gaming reverie), and hang a threatening DO NOT DISTURB sign on your doorknob (I would tell you to prick a finger and write it in blood, but nobody wants a bloody keyboard.)
Anyway, onto the game. In The Colonel's Bequest, you play a naive college girl (who's yearning to be a detective) who is invited to her friend's family reunion in an imposing mansion smack dab in the middle of an isolated swamp. It would be a largely uneventful night if the head of the household, the Colonel, wasn't going to announce his Last Will and Testament. Of course, greed and murder then begin wreaking hell on the large cast of characters and you must discover the killer.
The game takes place over eight Acts (represented as hours) with four time shifts in each. Essentially, in order to progress you need to be in certain areas and witness certain events. That's it. Just wander around like a clueless bimbo and you will eventually complete the game. HOWEVER, you will find that playing the game this way ISN'T FUN. To properly enjoy the mystery, you need to be sleuthy. There are secrets hidden in every room, some of which drastically change the way you snoop around (for example, listening in on people's conversations then relaying the info to other characters).
In any Sierra adventure game there are scores of ways to die (often humourously), and Bequest is no exception. Don't step directly under the chandelier. Don't try to enter the hidden chute. Don't take a long walk off the short pier. And even though you get a view of her sweet pixelly ass, don't take a shower (unless you're a Psycho / Alfred Hitchcock fan). So, as always, save often!
At the end of the game you'll find out who the killer is (which is QUITE a surprise unless you're an idiot and shoot the Colonel :]), you receive one of multiple endings, and you get rated on how well your detective skills were applied. You then get to open the mysterious notebook you carry along with you throughout the game (but never can interact with) and see a complete checklist of what you discovered and what you missed, then a "Thank You for Playing" message and an option to get hints or start a new game. So yeah, good stuff. Play it.
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped ia/en/7/72/Colonels-bequest-title.png[/i mg]
[size=20pt]3. Tyrian 2000[/size]
TGIF: Thank God it's (now) Freeware. Tyrian 2000 may be the greatest space shooter (think Galaga or Silpheed) ever made, thanks to sharp 2D graphics, riffin' synth music, tons of unique levels, ship customization (in the Full Game as opposed to the Arcade Mode), and the ability to do it all with a buddy. The gameplay will be no surprise to anyone (besides how intensely fun it is), but it's a classic genre executed perfectly. Also, there's a port of it for any electronic device with buttons and a screen thanks to its popularity and freeware status.
[img]http://www.cricalix.net/wp-content/
uploads/2006/11/file0001_036.png[/img]
[size=20pt]4. Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards[/size]
LSL 1 is one of the classics that skyrocketed Sierra from a Ma-and-Pa (Roberta and Ken Williams) business venture into a *MAJOR* player in the PC gaming world, especially in the adventure genre. LSL was hands-down the funniest game at the time and absolutely one of the most hilarious (and ADULT) games ever made. It's so raunchy, it comes with a quiz that you must take before playing (it can be bypassed with Alt-X, but don't be a spoilsport) designed to make sure you're an adult - and yes, the questions can be quite silly.
The plot of the game is simple - you're a sleazy loser in a leisure suit who has come to the city of Los Wages to score with hotties and make some bank at the casino. The graphics are (very) primitive but the gameplay is sublime. I'll never forget the part when you buy a condom from the convenience store (HEY, GUESS WHAT EVERYBODY! THIS GUY JUST BOUGHT A LUBRICATED, PLAID, APPLE-FLAVORED LUBBER! the clerk screams) near the disco. Also, despite lo-res 16-color graphics, the ladies look HOT in close-up view.
One last note, it's interesting how the title animation shows Larry chasing a flyaway blow-up doll BEFORE the adult-verification-quiz starts. Poor little children :D
[img]http://www.adventureclassicgaming.c om/images/galleries/264/264_1_medium.gif [/img]
[size=20pt]5. Quarantine[/size]
Quarantine is what Crazy Taxi would be like if Duke Nukem were a cabbie and the town was a perpetually-midnight psychotic hellhole. In other words, it's awesome.
Your main weapons are machine guns mounted on the sides of your cab that enable you to blow up the traffic, and, of course, don't forget to mow down a few pedestrians and watch the blood slide off your windshield. Ammo is limited, so save it for when YOU'RE being attacked, and don't kill potential customers of course.
The passengers you pick up are a wide variety of freaks (fat bozos, transvestites, and serial killers galore) and they're all (guess what) EXTREMELY impatient. Get them from Point A to Point B before they bail and they'll pay out the nose. The money you gain from fares can be spent at various shops around the city for new weapons (or reloading), repairs, armor, engine upgrades & more. Don't forget to save often, because unlike Crazy Taxi your cab isn't immortal :P
I recommend reading the readme/manual before playing and memorize the controls (and driving tips). Oh, and there is a JUMP button for when you get stuck on the mine tracks.
[img]http://abandonia.com/files/games/14 6/Quarantine_4.png[/img]
[size=20pt]6. Laser Light[/size]
Laser Light is a brilliant puzzle game about lasers and mirrors. In each level there are colored lasers and similarly colored targets that are fixed in position, and you have to place mirrors to guide the laser beams to the right targets. You can only fire the lasers ten times per level, so you need to be PIXEL PRECISE (tracing the probable paths of the beams with your finger may help).
There are 100 levels divided into 5 difficulties, and some of the later levels require a LOT of thought (like most puzzle games). More parts are added as you go, such as splitters, bricks (that slow down the lasers), and added obstacles on the board. In summary, Laser Light is a clever, unique puzzle game.
Screenshot that pretty much explains it:
[img]http://abandonia.com/files/games/78 2/Laser%20Light_4.png[/img]
