One of the Amiga's many Arkanoid clones, Crystal Hammer is perhaps best remembered by its intro tune, which has been remixed and covered by many.
The game is all about reflecting a ball against a wall of bricks. Behind the wall of bricks live some worm-like creatures that will come out to disturb you when you've opened a hole in the wall. Prolonged contact with the creatures will kill your bat. Destroying bricks will often cause a coloured brick to come spinning down slowly. These spinning bricks are power-ups, altering your ball or bat according to their colour. You can have a sticky bat (green), a wide bat (blue), a slower ball (yellow), multiple balls (cyan), and the decidedly Arkanoid-inspired shooting bat (red). Whatever you do, don't pick up the grey brick, or you will be destroyed.
Title: Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade
Date: 1989
Description:
It is 1938 and adventurer Indiana Jones is joined by his father on this quest, preventing Adolf Hitler from capturing the Holy Grail. He will have to deal with Nazi guards, the Luftwaffe and enemy spies as he tries to stop the tyrannical Nazi leader.
The Graphic Adventure uses the same SCUMM gameplay system as the previous Maniac Mansion. Most of the screen is used for a visual rendition of the current scene. At the bottom of the screen are words, which can be clicked on using the mouse to activate their functions. For example, objects can be picked up, used, pushed or pulled, and turned on and off. Most locations are from the movie, but some further scenes are added.
In keeping with Indiana's action-man persona, the game also features pure action scenes. Unlike most Lucasfilm adventures, you can die.
Two PC versions of the game were released, one with 16 color EGA graphics, and one with 256 color VGA graphics.
Credits:
**Design:**
Noah Falstein, David Fox, Ron Gilbert
**Interpreter / Development System:**
Ron Gilbert, Aric Wilmunder
**Graphics / Artwork:**
Martin Cameron, James Alexander Dollar, Mike Ebert, James McLeod, Steve Purcell
**Original Score:**
John T. Williams
**Lead Playtesters:**
Kirk Roulston, Judith Lucero
**Additional Playtesting:**
Tim August, Bret Barrett, Chris Bollini, Jessica Fox, Seth Friedman, Jon Gubman, Tony Hsieh
**Amiga Programming by:**
Aric Wilmunder, Daniel Filner
**Amiga Sounds and Music by:**
David Warhol, David Hayes, Daniel Filner
**Reference card design by:**
Mark Shepard
Title: Black Viper
Date: 1996
Description:
Black Viper takes inspiration from games such as Fire and Forget and Chase H.Q., replacing the fast car with an armed motorcycle. As usual, this game takes place after a terrible nuclear war, with you playing as the son of a lost freedom fighter.
The freedom fighters try to recapture the remaining cities from the mercenaries acting on behalf of the underground people who instigated the war in the first place. To do this, you must travel from city to city on the open roads, arriving within a given time frame. This is difficult due to the crowded roads, but luckily you can blow up most other vehicles with your gun. As the game progresses, enemy vehicles become harder, requiring more shots to be taken out. Luckily, your bike may be upgraded in the shop between levels.
Black Viper has a certain arcade-ish look to its graphics, a jukebox for choosing soundtracks, and comes in both OCS and AGA versions.
Credits:
**Code:**
Emanuele Viola
**Intro Code:**
Stefano Aquino
**GFX:**
Marco Genovesi
**3D Sequences:**
Alberto Gelpi
**Music:**
Nicola Tomljanovich
**SFX:**
Nicola Tomljanovich
**Production Managers:**
Massimiliano Calamai, Francesco Iorio
**Supervision:**
Marco Biondi
**Storyboard:**
Roby
**Texts:**
Emanuele Scichilone, Omar Buono
**Voice:**
Marcus Cotterell
**Manual:**
Emanuele Scichilone
**Testing:**
Walter Viel, Filippo Calamai, Maurizio Biondi
**Cover artwork:**
Marco Genovesi
**Special greetings and thanks to:**
Gianluca Cavalieri, Matteo Tesser, all the LIGHT SHOCK software staff
Title: First Samurai
Date: 1991
Description:
"The Demon King descends from his mountain domain to you, the First Samurai and your master. Defenceless against the Demon's magic, you succumb to his powers, leaving your Master to fight the Demon King alone. Your master falls in combat, dying. But, with his last breath, he summons the Wizard Mage. The Demon King fearing defeat, escapes to the future. Tormented, the young samurai seeks the teachings of the Wizard Mage in the ways of magic. Boiled with revenge and armed with a magical sword, the young samurai follows the Demon King into the future and the unknown..."
The First Samurai is a platform action game very much similar to other platform games, but with a medieval oriental touch to it in addition to various unique features.
Arriving in the new unknown land, you are defenceless hence your fists and kicks. But as you journey forth, you'll find your trusty magical sword as well as throwing weapons such as knives and axes. With your martial art skills, your enemy best beware with those sudden moves that may prove fatal!
The First Samurai offers a wide array of weapons, special items and other objects. Combat is usually melee, either relying on your punch or kicks or using the magical sword to slash some pretty skillful blows in whatever direction possible.
Monsters are forever regenerating but food for health is plentiful. It actually takes an effort to be killed...
Credits:
**Programmed by:**
Raffaele Cecco
**Game Design by:**
Vivid Image, Raffaele Cecco
**Graphics by:**
Teoman Irmak
**Sound by:**
Nicholas A. Jones
Title: Harlequin
Date: 1992
Description:
Harlequin grew up living in Chimerica - paradise for any inquisitive child with its vast acres of surprise. When he left it to find a more challenging and mature world, it gradually withered away, and its many inhabiting creatures turned nasty. Harlequin must return to neutralise them.
He does this by firing hearts of love at them, as contact with any of them is fatal. The gameplay is platform-based, with lots of vertical ascents to be made, and features lots of bonuses and hidden sections.
Credits:
**Program:**
Andy Findlay
**Graphics:**
Ed Campbell
**Sound:**
Imagitec
**Producer:**
Peter J. Cook
Title: Aladdin (Disney's Aladdin)
Date: 1994
Description:
The game from Virgin based on the 1992 animated Disney film is a side-scrolling platformer.
The player controls Aladdin, who must make his way through several levels based on locations from the movie: from the streets and rooftops of Agrabah, the Cave of Wonders and the Sultan's dungeon to the final confrontation in Grand Vizier Jafar's palace. The Sultan's guards and also animals of the desert want to hinder Aladdin in his way. He can defend himself with his sword or by throwing apples. Next to apples, Aladdin can also collect gems which can be traded for lives and continues with a traveling trader. Finding Genie or Abu icons enables bonus rounds. The Genie bonus round is a game of luck played for apples, gems or extra lives. In Abu's bonus round, the player controls the little monkey who has to catch bonus items that fall from the sky, but without touching any of the unwanted objects like rocks and pots.
The game's humorous animations were created by Walt Disney Feature Animation.
Credits:
**Jaguar Software**
**Amiga Conversion:**
John Twiddy
**Additional Graphics:**
Hugh Riley, Teoman Irmak
**Music Arrangement:**
Andrew Barnabas, DENS Design
**Sound FX:**
Andrew Barnabas, DENS Design
**Virgin Interactive Entertainment**
**Producer:**
Sacha Tait
**Tester:**
Anthony Hinds
**Music:**
Tommy Tallarico Studios, Tommy Tallarico
Title: Cool Spot
Date: 1993
Description:
Cool Spot is a colorful 2D platform game featuring the 7-Up mascot as the main protagonist. The game objective is fairly simple and straightforward. The player character has to collect enough number of cool points throughout each level in order to find and rescue his captured uncool Spot buddies and complete the game.
Credits:
**Programmed By:**
John Twiddy
**Graphics By:**
Teoman Irmak
**Music By:**
Andrew Barnabas
**Produced By:**
John Roberts
**Testing By:**
James Dillon
**Original Game By:**
David Perry
**Original Music By:**
Tommy Tallarico
Title: Fire & Ice
Date: 1992
Description:
The background story of Fire & Ice is quick to tell: A coyote (you) runs, throwing ice cubes, through various worlds. In the levels you must jump on platforms and kill your enemies. The enemies (for example, birds and penguins) can be shot with your ice cubes; they become frozen, so you smash them. Sometimes they leave part of a key behind after they're destroyed. The complete key, assembled from all the pieces, opens the door to the next world.
In this "jump & run" you can also get some power-ups. You can find some coyote puppies; these puppies follow you, are invulnerable, and also shoot enemies. In higher regions you find some snow-flakes; enough of these and you get a great snowball for freezing more enemies on the screen.
Credits:
**Game Design By:**
Andrew Braybrook, Phil Williams
**Programmed By:**
Andrew Braybrook
**Graphics By:**
Phil Williams
**Additional Graphics By:**
John W. Lilley, Andrew Braybrook
**Sound By:**
Jason Page
**Music By:**
Jason Page
**Extra Tools Programmed By:**
Gary J. Foreman, Steve Turner
**Produced by:**
Graftgold Ltd.
**Published by:**
Renegade
**Technical Advice from:**
Holger Schmidt
**Save High Scores To Disk For:**
Julian Eggebrecht
**Monster Amiga B2000 Loaned By:**
SJR Computer Services Ltd.
Title: Crazy Cars III
Date: 1992
Description:
Starting out with just a basic Lamborghini and $6000, your aim is to rise to the top of the 4 divisions of racing through success on 60 race tracks across The United States. In each division there are 20 rival racers, up to 3 of which compete in each race at a time.
The races also feature lots of local drivers (who can take crucial positions away from you and the other championship drivers), Sunday drivers going at normal speed, and police. Before each race you will be told of the quality of the locals and the likelihood of police presence.
When police are in the area, speeding beyond 110 km/h could see you branded as an offender, at which point the police will try to ram you off the road, Chase H.Q.-style. You can attempt to reach the end of the race despite this damage (which eventually hampers your speed) or simply pull over and accept a fine and the loss of race points. If the police subsequently stop you, the fine is heavier.
Each race costs money to enter and your earnings can be boosted by betting on the results with the other championship drivers. If one of you wins, each driver gives you either the amount they bet or the amount you bet, whichever is lower. If a local wins you get your stake back.
Lots of power-ups can be bought along the way, including tires, radar jammers, engine improvements and nitro boosts. To move up a division you must take the Divisional Challenge, a one-off trek through a tough section within the time limit. You buy a set of 3 passes for this, each allowing one attempt.
Credits:
**Game Design:**
Richard Hooper, Florent Moreau, Eric Caen
**Coding:**
Richard Hooper, Jean‑Michel Masson
**Graphics:**
Francis Fournier, Didier Carrère, Lyes Belaidouni, Florent Moreau
**Packaging Graphics:**
Patrick Lopez
**Music & Sound Effects:**
Richard Hooper
**Manual:**
Gabriel Guary
**Special Thanks:**
Albert Boutboul, Eric Ramarosson
Title: Future Wars
Date: 1989
Description:
In the year 1989, a simple window cleaner is working outside of a skyscraper. Intending to play a prank on his angry boss, the unlikely hero discovers a secret passage leading to a time machine along with mysterious alien documents. Operating the device transports the protagonist to the year 1304, where he is given a seemingly ordinary task of rescuing a lady in danger. However, he soon finds out about a much more serious threat of a global alien invasion. The hero has to travel to the remote future of the 44th century and eventually to the even more remote past of the Cretaceous period to foil their plans.
Future Wars is a graphic adventure game, and the first to use Delphine's proprietary Cinematique point-and-click interface. A right click brings up the verb menu. After choosing one of the six commands, the player points the mouse over the desired target and executes the action with a left click. Small objects are depicted by enlarged drawings once they have been discovered; however, many of them are well-hidden and often require precise positioning on the part of the player character to discover. The game has a linear story advancement, and it is possible to die or become irrevocably stuck by failing to locate a crucial item in one of the previous locations.
Credits:
**Design:**
Paul Cuisset
**Program:**
Paul Cuisset
**Graphics:**
Éric Chahi
**Music:**
Jean Baudlot
**Sound effects:**
Antoine O'Heix
**Delphine Studio Midi:**
Marc Minier
**Technical help:**
Philippe Chastel, Jésus Martinez
**Digitized sounds sampling:**
Philippe Chastel, Paul Cuisset, Antoine O'Heix, Jésus Martinez
**Cinematique interpreter:**
Paul Cuisset
**Many thanks to:**
Philippe Delamarre, Emmanuel Lecoz, Michael Sportouch, Peter Stone, Matthew Tims, Patricia Vermander