Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1984), Wishbringer (1985), Hollywood Hijinx (1986) Commodore 64
When you click PLAY on the video below, you'll see why I included 3 games in one listing. Since they're all classic INFOCOM text only adventures, they make for a rather boring video. But when playing these games, they were anything but boring. Countless hours were spent, many greatly sleep deprived as I tried to get the babel fish, deliver my post and play "Misty" on the old piano.
I was in my twenties now and wanted more "adult" games. Shooters and arcade action fare were, to me, more kid's stuff. And the arcades were disappearing rapidly. Those that remained kept only the most popular games which didn't necessarily reflect my tastes.
Lords of Conquest (1986) Commodore 64
Like RISK and you probably wouldn't think it with these now-dated simplistic graphics, it was a bit more strategic (ie less luck based like RISK) Oh how the plinky 8-bit sounds the game makes brings back memories of hours playing this.
Empire: Wargame of the Century (1987) Commodore 64
One of the spiritual precursors to Civilization, featuring only military production and conquest it was endearingly simple but the AI was wickedly intelligent. Or it seemed that way. This was a lot harder than you'd think.
Legacy of the Ancients (1987) Commodore 64
I loved this RPG which seemed very "open world" for its day.
Zac McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders (1988) Commodore 64
My fascination with text-only RPGs morphed as the industry did into the text and graphics RPGs of the latter part of the decade. This one was a hoot. It was one of several (The Secret of Monkey Island, Maniac Mansion and Leisure Suit Larry come to mind) that were targeting a more adult demographic by savvy game developers who knew we were the primary ones plunking down $50 a pop for these games.
Wasteland (1988) Commodore 64
Probably the best text/graphics blend RPG of the era, Wasteland was the genesis of the Fallout series. It was to my recollection the first RPG dealing with a post-apocalyptic dystopian future.
When you click PLAY on the video below, you'll see why I included 3 games in one listing. Since they're all classic INFOCOM text only adventures, they make for a rather boring video. But when playing these games, they were anything but boring. Countless hours were spent, many greatly sleep deprived as I tried to get the babel fish, deliver my post and play "Misty" on the old piano.
I was in my twenties now and wanted more "adult" games. Shooters and arcade action fare were, to me, more kid's stuff. And the arcades were disappearing rapidly. Those that remained kept only the most popular games which didn't necessarily reflect my tastes.
Lords of Conquest (1986) Commodore 64
Like RISK and you probably wouldn't think it with these now-dated simplistic graphics, it was a bit more strategic (ie less luck based like RISK) Oh how the plinky 8-bit sounds the game makes brings back memories of hours playing this.
Empire: Wargame of the Century (1987) Commodore 64
One of the spiritual precursors to Civilization, featuring only military production and conquest it was endearingly simple but the AI was wickedly intelligent. Or it seemed that way. This was a lot harder than you'd think.
Legacy of the Ancients (1987) Commodore 64
I loved this RPG which seemed very "open world" for its day.
Zac McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders (1988) Commodore 64
My fascination with text-only RPGs morphed as the industry did into the text and graphics RPGs of the latter part of the decade. This one was a hoot. It was one of several (The Secret of Monkey Island, Maniac Mansion and Leisure Suit Larry come to mind) that were targeting a more adult demographic by savvy game developers who knew we were the primary ones plunking down $50 a pop for these games.
Wasteland (1988) Commodore 64
Probably the best text/graphics blend RPG of the era, Wasteland was the genesis of the Fallout series. It was to my recollection the first RPG dealing with a post-apocalyptic dystopian future.