My favorite old games.

My dad was a computer programmer, and as a result, I was one of the few kids I knew that had a computer in their home. Now they are everywhere. Because I had a computer so early, I was able to play a lot of interesting and unique games on the computer. It amuses me that some people are just now finding these games and creating fan sites for them. This is a list of some of my favorite old PC based games.

My number #1 favorite series is Commander Keen. This is an adventure game that follows the story of 8 year old (I think) Billy who is a genius that builds rockets out of parts in his home, and saves the planet. If you have seen the show Jimmy Neutron on Nickelodeon, I think they ripped off Commander Keen. The best of all the games (6 and a special dream episode) is the fourth. The graphics are still really nice to look at, and the game is just the right length. It takes more than one sitting to finish the game, but it isn't something that will absorb several weeks. There are plenty of "easter eggs" and it's a game all in itself to find them all. The best part about the fourth one in the series is the Dopefish. For those who have played Doom, there is a dead Dopefish somewhere in the game. And for those who haven't played Commander Keen, you really need to play it to understand the allure of the Dopefish. Any explanation would be lost.

One game I got from a friend was Heaven & Earth. It's bizarre. This game is easier to find now than it was when it first came out. H&E is a puzzle type game. There are four parts, all of which can sort of be played separately from each other. One part is a pendulum, where the object is to move the pendulum to the center of the screen. Another is a card game, and once you learn the rules, it is fascinating and challenging. The third part is a group of various brain puzzlers. There are quite a few different types. The fourth part is a "pilgrimage" where you use what you have learned in the other three parts. This game is truly unique.

Colors of War is one of the newer games on this list, but is is definitely worth a mention. It is a risk type game, but it is NOT a Risk clone. There are different landscapes and different type weapons that can be used against your opponents in order to take over their area.

Finally, no list of old games would be complete without mentioning the games made by Bullfrog. My favorite two are Theme Hospital and Theme Park. Bullfrog's graphics are great, and the games are very fun to play. Both TH and TP are sim type games where you run the business mentioned. TH is fun because you layout a hospital and hire staff. There are various diseases that the people suffer from, and I still find myself using the terms in everyday conversations. For example, if someone has a very high opinion of themselves, I will say that they are suffering from "bloaty head". Or if one of my kids has diarrhea, and I want my husband to pick up some medicine, I will tell him they have the "squits". lol With TP, you get to design a theme park and staff it. You can build, and even ride your roller coaster creations, and if they are too tall or the turns are too sharp, it will make the sims sick, or even throw them from the coaster. Obviously that affects your score.

There are far too many games to mention, and I am sure I will be updating this soon with another list of favorites. They are all nice, benign games that you can play with the family.