CodyJarrett's Amazing Top 20 Amiga Games

[Walker]

#2

[CodyJarrett]

Number 16 - Hunter (Activision)

Hunter was a bugged game. Sometimes on walking up to a grenade you would be told you could not enter it. Other times sharks and submarines would travel through the land as if it was water.

But the makers of Hunter had a vision where your character could travel round a landscape, using weapons and collecting objects - and in 3D. It would be pretty boring if you had to walk everywhere, so you can jump into numerous vehicles, including cars, boats, bicycles, helicopters and hovercraft.

You won't get lost because of the small size of the map, but even so there is a loneliness about the world in which your little man inhabits. There are problems with Hunter, but it all came together to create another unique game.

[Drake1009]

Never got to play Hunter much. But the lack of massive amounts of people did give it a sort of atmosphere which was actually a good thing.

Actually many of the early 3D games had a sort of atmosphere like this. I remember the feel of Sentinel when I tried it on an A500. Not that I could figure out how to move right, but still. It was a cold strange eerie feeling.

[Peanutuk]

Game wise, I think Hunter not much cop. the time I spent playing it consisted of wondering around and finding people and vehicles, and that was the reason to play - just to become involved in the world.

I think that is why its favoured so much. As a game - where you have to do thinks to make other things happen - I couldnt give a monkeys. But as an experience it's great, even if it is akin to morid drinking or beating yourself up, especially when yoru reduced to walking miles to find a car.


Actually, its all faintly reminiscent of a music festival......?!?!?

[Codetapper]

Originally posted by CodyJarrett
Hunter was a bugged game. Sometimes on walking up to a grenade you would be told you could not enter it. Other times sharks and submarines would travel through the land as if it was water.

Those bugs were caused by 24 bit memory addressing and self modifying code which doesn't cause a problem on a real A500. I haven't seen any of those bugs in the WHDLoad version and my brother and I have heavily played this game (completed all missions, Action and the other one and made a save game just prior to going back into HQ to complete the whole game!

There is real excitement and tension trying to work out whether you have enough energy to get to something on the map which may be an crapped out old track low on gas or a high speed chopper! The time limits are very good too, not so easy that they are pointless but not so tight as to be impossible.

I think this game is brilliant, top 10 stuff myself

BTW, in the title pic there is a plane. Has anybody seen it? The hovercraft is rare but does exist but I have never been able to find the damn plane! Anyone else found it and if so, knows where on the map to get it?

Also you mention submarines, I have never seen one! Enemy boats and sharks - yes, subs - no... Anybody know if they exist?

[CodyJarrett]

This title is from an earlier magazine version which was leaked to pirates, so maybe we shouldn't take it as an indication of what is in the game.

I've never seen the plane either, so I don't think it exists. You can sometimes see the periscope of a submarine in the water (and across the land - I don't think there are any checks for this sort of thing). However, you can't pilot the submarines.'

Something like Midwinter 2 allowed you to jump into submarines and descend into water, but it was much clumsier than Hunter.

Here's the Amiga Power review of Hunter:

http://www.cartwright33.freeserve.co.uk/ap/huntrev.htm

[Walker]

Hunter in action:

[Walker]

OK, let's see what this baby can do....

[Peanutuk]

Ill think Ill play it now.

[Amiga1992]

Looks like a VERY interesting game!!!
Cody: will you finish this list before xmas? :P

[CodyJarrett]

Don't worry, I'll finish before Xmas!

Number 15 - King's Bounty (New World Computing)

King's Bounty can be tracked back to Chaos. This was a wargame played on a grid with wizards and monsters and two phases - moving and fighting. This is how the battles in King's Bounty work.

It is also an early version of New World Computing's later PC games, Heroes Of Might And Magic, which are essentially more sophisticated versions.

Your character roams around a land, collecting treasure, hiring armies and fighting battles in his quest. There are lots of monsters which you can hire and varied scenery, as well as quests to kill certain criminals, each more dangerous.

All pretty simple really, but engrossing.

[Peanutuk]

~~~~~Personally, I wouldn't dream of including this in a top 100 nevermind a top 20 but I guess its down to personal choice.

when was this released? 1980's?

King's Bounty was cool. I played it after Heroes III and found many similarities between them. Actually the gameplay was nearly the same but heroes games are just greatly improved versions of King's Bounty. However I insist settlers deserves a better place

[Walker]

Like Cody said; it's a very simple game, but I find it a lot more entertaining than most of the newer ones.

Let's look at some screens, shall we?

First, we have a battle field:

[Walker]

Every army needs an ogre, don't you think?

[Drake1009]

Arr now I'm thinking of some other game which was also a lot like that but with better graphics. Never got to play it much as it forced my poor TV to play in NTSC so I couldn't play it on the real thing. And the emultion just doesn't feel right.

[CodyJarrett]

King's Bounty was 1991.

Yeah, The Settlers should probably be above it, but the difference between a game at number 18 and number 15 is nothing.

[Peanutuk]

Dont say that!

[Tim Janssen]

Cody,
I have checked your list and have to admit I’ve never played any of the Amiga games you mention (except for Settlers which stayed only a few days on my discs).
Back in the days when I was an avid Amiga user I always neglected polygon and strategy games on Amiga. I found them either too slow or too complex.

Here is my motivation for your list of games. Note: I copied all my games on a monthly copyparty. With only a few limited discs in my posession I had to make choices.
- Exile: Never found this game on the copyparty *snif*;
- Zeewolf: I think this game was released towards the end of 1994. In these days all my Amiga-sources were turning to PC and the copyparty was no more. -Never had the experience to enjoy the game ;
- Paradroid ‘90: Skipped it because I didn’t like the C64 original;
- Hunter: Despite rave-reviews I skipped the game because it featured polygon-graphics;
- King’s Bounty: This game already looked outdated when it was released during Summer 1991. During this time many great shmups and platformers were released and I preferred these above Kings Bountyon my discs which cost al my pocketmoney.

[Drake1009]

Ahh now I found the name of the game I was thinking of. Celtic legends also had a bit of the same elements over it as Heroes of Might and Magic and their less known predecessor Hammer of the gods had.

As I said I hadn't played it much but there are things which at a glance can easily be compared. Do anyone have a version of this game which will run PAL output?