GameHippo.art : ADVENTURE

Before we start: the download link leads to the CD version, in a package appositely made for the ScummVM interpreter (version 0.6.0 or higher), with which you can play the game under Windows without problems. A ScummVM package of the floppy version - obviously of a much smaller size, if the other is a problem for you - is available too: you can get it, along with the program, at http://www.scummvm.org. And, obviously, the original PC floppy, PC CD and Amiga versions of the game will work with ScummVM as well. Flight of the Amazon Queen is freeware since the first months of 2004, thanks to the authors. It was originally published for DOS and Amiga in 1995, in a time the most nostalgic players consider the "golden age" of adventure games (its last years, to be precise), when Lucasarts and Sierra still produced them. It hasn't been exactly the most famous of its genre, but with this chance to rediscover it playing the CD version, I found a game that comes close to the best Lucas productions in terms of quality. The game takes place in Brasil in the late 1940s. You are Joe King, adventurous pilot for hire, with your sidekick Rusty. Your new job is to transport a famous actress, Faye, across the Amazon Jungle with your plane, the Amazon Queen. But there are some problems, in the form of your arch-rival Anderson and his goons. And they are nothing compared to what lies beyond after you get out of the initial mess: you will soon be pulled in something much bigger, between amazons, dinosaurs, mad scientists and... Gorillas (in the Amazon Jungle? --> hint, hint). Sounds stereotypical, cliched, banal? Sure it is, and it's not a flaw. The entire game looks like some of those ingenuous old adventure comics, with a major difference: it never takes itself seriously - think of it as an Indiana Jones parody. [By the way, it reminds me of an old TV series too, but I don't recall the title.] The baddies are quite idiotic, with the scientist and its cliched evil laugh, and Joe himself isn't the brightest hero around. So, you won't be surprised to find out that the supposedly savage, virgin jungle looks more lively and populated than Rio de Janeiro, given the many bizarre characters you will meet exploring its depths. Let's give a look to the interface. The bottom quarter of the screen is taken by a row of icons; on the left, we have the eight verb icons (open, use, pick up...), while the inventory is on the right. Four items at a time are shown, but you obviously can scroll between them with the arrow icons. Even with the verbs represented by icons, it looks remarkably similar to the classic SCUMM interface, only with the verbs "push" and "pull" merged into a single one, "move". To save, load and quit the game you can use the journal in you inventory, or simply press F1 to access it. The graphics were already a bit dated in 1995: they look like the game had to be published at least three years earlier. It doesn't mean they are bad, absolutely: most of the locations are full of details and some are really suggestive, especially the view of the jungle from the pinnacle, which acts like a map. Some cutscenes have a comic book flavour. The final result is very good even if not all the animations are convincing (some are slow and/or jerky). As for the dubbing, it isn't objectively the best, and the voices are quite overacted and caricatural - but, given the general funny atmosphere, I liked them! Could have been all intentional from the authors. If it was a serious game they would have been much less acceptable, but in this case they pass the exam with a good grade. Flight of the Amazon Queen is not the longest adventure, but it turned out to be longer than I originally expected: when I thought I was near the end, a completely new section to explore was opened. Such part of the game has less humour (since you won't meet many people there) and is more adventurous: reminds me a lot of Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, even in some screens, which can be put between the most suggestive and graphically impressive of the game - at the same level of the aforementioned Lucasarts classic in my opinion. The puzzles and objects throughout the game are many, and I consider the overall difficulty average, or something a little above: some parts can be passed smoothly, other puzzles are definitely more challenging and will take some time for you to figure out. However, I rarely came to the desperate "try everything with everything" approach, which is extremely positive. In any case, the game will take his good hours to be completed, and in the meantime you will also enjoy the brilliance of dialogues and situations. Flight of the Amazon Queen is definitely not to be missed by any adventurer, but recommended to any other gamer - except little children, due to some sexual innuendos here and there (but nothing big, don't worry - this is not Leisure Suit Larry). Let's hope more developers will follow the example of this game and Beneath a Steel Sky, releasing their old adventure games to the public.

REVIEWED BY Gendo Ikari
STAFF RATING 9/10
USER RATING 8.4/10

FILE SIZE 35.6 MB
FILE DATE Mar 16, 2004
UPLOADED Nov 07, 2004
DEV TOOL unknown

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The Breakdown

The full name of this game is THE BREAKDOWN: A SNACK-SIZED ADVENTURE GAME, and as the name suggest, this game is pretty short. But don't let that turn you off, The Breakdown is easily one of the best freeware adventure game I've ever seen. This game is very similar to LucasArts adventure games(partly because this game was developed with AGAST). Your task is to examine everything that you can find around the area which will help you solve your problem. However, this is no easy feat, especially when some items are hidden in areas where you will least expect them to appear. But don't fret, because completing this game is extremely rewarding and chances are you will enjoy the challenge of this game. The graphics and presentation is pure 2d goodness. In fact, they can even be compard with commercial ones like the Freddy Fish series! The introduction was also fantastic, it sort of feels like a cartoon show if you ask me. I wished there was some speech in this game, however the music and sound in this game should suffice. I really liked the opening theme, which is kind of 'rockish'. Finally, i would just like to mention that the official website has a walkthrough there in case you get stuck. However, I recommend that you do without it first if you want to fully enjoy the fun of solving this game by yourself, After all thats what adventure games are all about! :)

PC REQUIREMENTS: Pentium II 350MHz CPU, 48MB RAM, DirectX 7.0

GAME AUTHOR Jouni Utriainen
REVIEWED BY HyperRussell
STAFF RATING 9/10
USER RATING 8.5/10

FILE SIZE 13.6 MB
FILE DATE Apr 21, 2003
UPLOADED May 24, 2003
DEV TOOL AGAST

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AfterShocked!

The day is June 5th, 2003 (just go with it, okay?). World peace has just been declared. But wait - there seems to be some evil afoot in the middle east! Yes, it seems as if an evil dictator named "Hatler" has just launched nuclear missiles around the world, rendering all but two cities utterly destroyed. And one of the two cities - Scabsboro - was close enough to one of the missiles that anybody who happened to be outside during the explosion is now skinless (aka zombies or skin-impaired). So now, it's up to Jimmy - a normal resident of Scabsboro - to stop Hatler from firing another missile at Scabsboro and Utopiaville. AfterShocked! is a real gem. It takes serious and sensitive issues, such as racism, homosexuality, prejudices, nuclear holocausts, abusive dictators, death, homelessness, and substance abuse - and makes fun of them all. If you're a fan of the satirical show "South Park," you'll likely appreciate the humor in AS; on the other hand, if you're one of those people who are apalled by South Park (and I'm talking about the humor; not the sex references or swearing) and are concerned with politcal correctness, you'll probably dislike the humor in AS. But even if you do dislike that sort of humor, and especially if you're a fan of point-and-click adventures, AfterShocked! may still be worth playing. The first thing you'll notice when playing AS for the first time is the unique, hand-drawn backgrounds. At first, I was turned off by them, but once you realize how ridiculous the story and puzzles are, you'll understand why the graphics fit perfectly. Unfortunately, the animation doesn't flow quite as smoothly as one might hope. The legs just seem to alternate rapidly as the character walks. The music is annoying, and there are no effects or voice-overs, but who needs sound, anyway? AfterShocked! is a point-and-click adventure, so the gameplay consists of completing puzzles, communicating with the various townspeople, and progressing through the story. Along the way, you'll see cutscenes of Hatler and his servant, Igor, conversing. There's really nothing very innovative about AS's approach to the proven point-and-click adventure formula. The Bottom Line: If you've got broadband (the file is over 46 MB), AfterShocked! is worth the download and will leave you laughing for nearly the entire game. Warning (Taken from the readme): "Despite its cartoony look, AfterShocked! isn't a children's game, so you might want to think twice before letting little Billy get his hands on it. If you're under 13, stay away, or be scarred for life."

GAME AUTHOR Matt Dabrowski
REVIEWED BY Da_Goat
STAFF RATING 8/10
USER RATING 7.5/10

FILE SIZE 46.4 MB
FILE DATE Aug 28, 2002
UPLOADED Oct 28, 2003
DEV TOOL AGAST

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The Spirit Engine

The Spirit Engine is a very unique RPG game. Instead of the top down angle most people are accustomed to, the game plays like a side-scroller. There are many features which make this game special, including the great customization options. Graphics and sounds in The Spirit Engine are wonderful, if not spectacular. Sadly, the game is not perfect, and has a few major failings. Graphics in the game are amazing. The game is fully decked out with some of the most colorful backgrounds and sprites I have seen. The battles are nicely animated, and the effects are awesome. This is a prime example of what 2D can really do. Sounds are also fantastic, from the background music to the individual noises. You really canï¿½t find a flaw in this area of the game. Controls are simple, and a lot of the game is automated. Everything is mouse controlled, although you can use your keyboard to move about the levels. The Spirit Engine is a pick up and play game ï¿½ thereï¿½s practically no learning curve. The interface is nice, and allows you quick access to what you need. Just note that the ESC key is used to exit and go back the main menu. Documentation is quite in-depth, with a Spiritual Compendium which explains many aspects of the game. The Spirit Engine includes many creative features. You have total control on your party. First, you start by selecting three characters you would like your party to be. You can customize their names, and how they attack, defend, and recover. These ï¿½chainsï¿½ allow you to sit back and watch your party battle the enemies they face. Character skills can be customized also, similar to Diablo style games. Youï¿½re probably wondering what could be wrong in this game. An exclusive idea, but the game-play is where it fails. I got bored very fast playing The Spirit Engine. Game-play only consisted of walking, battling, and then walking some more again. Walking across the levels takes forever, and the levels are quite big. The only thing I felt I had to do in the battles was rotate my party whenever the frontline man got hurt. My tip: disable slow battles in the options. Save points are scarce, and it seems impractical having to walk back a few levels just to save. The story is quite nice, but moves a little slow for me. Presentation: 10/10 ï¿½ An excellent and creative menu system. It really does the job well. Documentation is excellent, and everything is explained either in-game, or you can refer to it in the Compendium. Graphics: 10/10 ï¿½ The Spirit Engine features some of the most beautiful graphics I have seen. Sounds: 10/10 ï¿½ Music and sounds flow nicely with the game, and are excellent. Game-play: 7/10 ï¿½ There are a few major flaws. If you enjoy playing games at an extremely slow pace, this is the game for you. Lasting Appeal: 6/10 ï¿½ This ties in with the game-play. If you arenï¿½t too patient, this game will be off your hard drive in a short time. The Rating: 8/10 ï¿½ Nice graphics, excellent presentation, great concept, but the game-play saps the life out of everything else.

PC REQUIREMENTS: 800 MHz CPU, 128 MB RAM

GAME AUTHOR Natomic Studios
REVIEWED BY Dragonfly
STAFF RATING 8/10
USER RATING 8.5/10

FILE SIZE 40.5 MB
FILE DATE Nov 07, 2003
UPLOADED Nov 27, 2003
DEV TOOL Multimedia Fusion

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Warrior Dragon

Bent on the total annihilation of your race, the great Dragon Slayer has kidnapped all the young dragons. You are the only one who can defeat the Dragon Slayer, rescue the children, and restore peace to the land. Like your father, you are destined to be a Warrior Dragon. Are you up for the challenge? Although the graphics could definitely be better, this RPG is still a lot of fun! There are lots of characters to interact with, enemies to kill, and treasure to find. Whenever you conquer an enemy, you earn experience points (XP) and gold. When you have enough XP, you advance to the next level with increased strength. The gold is used to buy weapons, armor, magic potions, etc. Stop by the inn to recover your health (or drink a potion). Warrior Dragon includes a save/continue feature that allows a game to be saved where you stopped it. If using a gamepad/joystick: button 1 is for actions, such as talking to characters, searching for items, accessing the main menu, and selecting menu options. Button 2 is for canceling menus. If using the keyboard: the arrow keys are for direction and changing menu selections, Control is used as button 1, and Shift is used as button 2. For more info, including tips, see the README.TXT file.

PC REQUIREMENTS: DirectX6

GAME AUTHOR Lumental
REVIEWED BY tEkJuNkiE
STAFF RATING 8/10
USER RATING 7.0/10

FILE SIZE 1 MB
FILE DATE Apr 01, 2000
UPLOADED May 12, 2000
DEV TOOL unknown

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