Growing up with a computer that ran Windows 3.1, it was difficult playing games without the use of a controller like the consoles had, but I slowly got used to it getting older and as computer software evolved. Here I'll be taking a look at some of my most remembered PC games from my '90s childhood, as I'll call this....
Chip's Challenge (1989)
My first ever computer game dates all the way back to 1991 with Chip's Challenge, a puzzle game that starts off easy, but continues to ramp up in challenge the farther you go. Pushing blocks, getting pushed by arrow pads, and finding the right key to a door is what you'll need to overcome this impressive puzzler.
SkiFree (1991)
Who hasn't played this game? SkiFree has you simply take control from a downward slope as you Ski and make jumps, avoid bumps, go through flag markers and.... avoid getting eaten by an abominable snowman? For its time, the game had a neat aesthetic and its charm in gameplay still makes it memorable to this very day.
Gizmos and Gadgets! (1993)
Although it is considered "edutainment", it still had platforming aspects in it that gave it that game-like feel, aside from using a mouse to solve its puzzles. The game was a success in schools, offering a couple of sequels featuring the mysterious blue trenchcoat wearing character you play as in the game.
Timon and Pumbaa's Jungle Games (1995)
Featuring a collection of five games hosted by everyone's two favorite animal characters from Lion King, Hippo Hop, Jungle Pinball, Slingshooter, Burper and Bug Drop made for a lot of lost weekends given its replay value. It also received a watered down SNES version, though in that version Timon and Pumbaa don't interact with you with their chatting.
Battle Beast (1995)
From the same developers of Timon and Pumbaa's Jungle Games, Battle Beast has you playing as a small critter that can transform into a machine, pitted up against another that can do the same, as you fight your way to the nefarious Evil Toadman, who plans to conquer the world with his toad creatures. The controls, weren't all that great. Pressing a specific direction had your character moving one slow step at a time and there's a bit of delay in the jumping, but the animated characters and scenes made up for it.
Sonic & Knuckles Collection (1996)
Way before video game compilations blew up in the market for PC, the Sonic & Knuckles collection was the only official way to play Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3 & Knuckles and the Blue Sphere game on your own computer. While the collection did let you save your game for Sonic 3 and Sonic 3 & Knuckles, the music had been replaced with generic DOS midi audio. Some music tracks stayed the same, while a couple others were changed, possibly due to the whole Michael Jackson music involvement during the game's original development.
Garfield: Caught in the Act (1995)
Aside from Sonic getting the PC treatment, Garfield's Sega Genesis platformer also saw a PC release, offering the same great graphics and gameplay, but with a few added features, the first being a change in level placement (for some reason Count Slobula's castle became the first level), a CD quality soundtrack sounding similar to the Genesis tracks, and a new space level.
Hoyle Classic Board Games (1997)
Playing board games by computer was unheard of when my mom had bought this. Of course there were already the standard card games that were on the computer like Hearts and Solitaire, but this was a good change of pace when I wanted to take a break from the usual games I had. Chutes and Ladders, Parcheesi, Battleship and even Yahtzee were on there, though the names of these games were changed possibly to avoid a lawsuit. Probably the best thing about it was that it was one of the first computer games I played that had online (yes, online!) play, and it was neat being able to play with others who had the game.
Lego Creator (1998)
Building Lego monuments and landscapes by hand were a hobby of my younger childhood, but to make models in interactive software made it even more fun, though I'd been starting to get to that age where I was getting too old for Legos in general. With this game, not only could you take simple pieces and craft them together, but you could also build a copter or a car then go into a first person view from the seat and pilot them for fun! Even if the landscape didn't have much to offer, this one particular activity had me coming back to it.
What PC games did you love from the 90s? Are there any on my list that are familiar? Leave a comment and as always, see you next article!
