Aui wrote on 2023-11-06, 03:48:

You will also need a mouse to win this game, but it is played with the keyboard.

Is this a pun? Yes you typically need "the" mouse to win the game, but I'm not sure why you'd say that about the input device? IMO the game plays natural on the keyboard alright and certainly is enough to let you beat the game.

wbahnassi wrote on 2023-11-06, 07:50:

Is this a pun? [..

It is a pun for an actual mouse in the game 🤣

LINKS – The Challenge of Golf

Usually, I am not a big fan of Sport Games but there are a few exceptions. Links is one of them and it is another true classic. I think one could build an entire collection just for this one game as there are numerous expansions (especially if including the equally awesome Links 386). Most of them are based on real existing locations. The biggest problem would probably be to find all the individual courses for a complete set. The presentation of the games is awesome, and the design language is quite different in comparison with contemporary games (I wonder if there is a special leather-bound edition somewhere out there). Expansions often include lots of additional information including material from the real courses.

Is the game still worth playing? More than ever! One of the reasons that makes this game so special is the ambience (something I would usually rather consider for a CRPG or an adventure – but it is true, nevertheless). Playing these games feels like being somewhere outdoors in some really nice nature and also a bit like in a movie from the 50ties. What’s even better is the multiplayer option. These games have some of the most relaxed hotseat gameplay that exists. You can play with friends or a partner and just chat and play along without any stress. I assume in that respect it creates a similar atmosphere like a real game of golf (not that I have ever played a real game of golf in my life nor visited any of these locations). One of my favorites that I keep playing to this day.

(PS – Please join in and share your thoughts and – if you have - some of your own Big-Box treasures. Anybody here who collects especially for this series or maybe even played all the courses?)

Such a lovely thread, but it's past midnight in my timezone, and I have to go out of town tomorrow morning for a business trip, so I couldn't possibly photograph them all. Suffice to say I love big boxed games with all the goodies and manuals.

Thanks for joining in! No need to photograph them all - quite the contrary. There are already several treads showcasing entire collections. Here I would rather discuss individual games / series in more detail - specifically why you like them and why we should not forget about them and if its worth playing today. For example, The Kilrathi Saga - can you give some details as Im not familiar with the game / the box or its content. What is it about (Of course I know the original Wing commander Series). Im aware that all information already exists on the internet, but I would like to discuss specific games from todays perspective. Also - what is Dragon force ? It looks a bit like a Fantasy run and gun shooter (now for this one I cant find any info - just a 1996 Sega RPG ?)

To me it will always be "Commander Keen 4 - Goodbye Galaxy".

Getting the purchasable full versions of Commander Keen in the early 90s was difficult for me and other kids living in Germany, as these titles could be ordered only in the USA with a credit card or cash cheque.
Sending money to an unknown company in the USA fell on deaf ears when addressing this request to my parents 😁
(Additional customs and delivery charges would also add up quite significantly to the total price back in the days.)

So I got stuck with the free shareware episode "Goodbye Galaxy" which was published in a small booklet together with other shareware titles and a 5,25'' floppy disc.
Almost every school mate of mine was playing Commander Keen back then (even some girls!)

Nowadays, I'm considering myself lucky to have the full versions of episodes 4(+5) and 6 in their respective big boxes.
Some time ago I did a full write-up about the influence Commander Keen had on me.

There's also a nice (German) podcast episode about the Keen series in general: https://www.stayforever.de/2014/05/folge-35-commander-keen/

Is the game still worth playing?
Playing a literal part of PC games history is probably an enyjoyable thing to do (hint: adaptive tile refresh) !
You can even play it on your mobile phone with a Gravis gamepad (if you have the right equiment) 😁

I was playing quite a few shareware titles in the early 90ties, however for some reason I never had Commander Keen. Later I heard a lot about it and read a lot about it and watched about it and still never played it. UNTIL NOW:

AT (Clone) - Motherboard Formfactor

While, I doubt that I will ever get this game in a box, I may as well play it properly. This Box is very cool though. Im not really sure but it seems to be something like Douglas Adams meets Calvin & Hobbes

1541 wrote on 2023-11-13, 12:41:

To me it will always be "Commander Keen 4 - Goodbye Galaxy".

Goodbye Galaxy is Keen 5 man. Keen 4 is the oracle stuff.

One can be confused since Keen 4 and 5 is included in the very same big box.
There is no box titled "secret of the oracle", hence the commitment.

Keen 4 = Secret of the Oeacle
Keen 5 = The Armageddon Machine

Keen 4+ 5 = "Goodbye Galaxy"

With Keen you always learn something new everyday 😜

I have finally found that Dragon Force game at Moby (the trick is to write it D.R.A.G.O.N).
https://www.mobygames.com/game/57852/dragon-force/
The reviews are not thrilling but that does not have to mean much.
If anyone has played that games please let us know if its worth a try.
I have not managed to get in running in DOSBox yet as it always terminates with an error message.
Anyway the cover is great so I repost it here:

Xenon2 Megablast
A great shoot 'em up by the Bitmap Brothers which means the game is polished and not just a generic clone. You are navigating your ship through a vertical scrolling alien world that has a strange “R-type feel” to it although – judging from the enemies it is probably rather playing on the Paleozoic ocean floor and not in space as you are attacked among others by trilobites and seashells. Upgrades can be found throughout the course but also purchased at the classic “Bitmap Brothers Shop”. Reaching one of these checkpoints is a treat (and a relief) and it always takes some consideration whether to fix up your vessel or directly mount the next (much bigger) gun to your ship. The only upgrade that the DOS variant of this spaceship is missing is the Gettoblaster – and that’s a real shame. Long ago, I played this game on an Acorn Archimedes and even that version had good sound. Under DOS, you only get a cacophony that needs to be switched off immediately.

Xenon 2 + adlib ?

But there is no denying that this game is from the peak era of the Amiga and the real soundtrack is a legend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFlCTJPWpcw

Otherwise, it is still very playable under DOS so if you haven’t, please give it a try!

While the Amiga release is the definitive version, the greatest Box Art goes to the PC98. The box almost seem to glow like some deep marine bioluminescent plankton and the image on the cover is a reference to the first boss battle…

I don't have many big box PC games, as I got the physical collecting bug pretty late, after most new releases went either to DVD keep case or full digital, and completed big boxes have gotten expensive on the second-hand market.
I survey most of those I have on my website, but I feel they are not very interesting, unless one is a fan of the same games I am a fan of. They are also limited to the CD/DVD era - I never got anything on floppies.

To keep posts reasonably short, I will mention just the key points of those big boxes that I found the most special. Let's start with the Russian Prince of Persia 4-in-1 Collector's Edition.

Russian title: Принц Персии - Коллекционное Издание 4 в 1
Games: The Sands of Time Trilogy (The Sands of Time, Warrior Within, The Two Throne) + Prince of Persia (2008) - official full localizations of all games by Akella

Why it's special to me?

• Prince of Persia is my second favorite gaming franchise of all time, and I loved all the games included.
• I speak Russian and enjoyed the unique experience of replaying the games in this language.

The good

• Translations are of very high quality
• Save-compatible with the English etc. versions
• Includes a copy of the somewhat rare "The Art of Prince of Persia" artbook

The bad

• StarForce protection on all games
  • The trilogy is StarForce 3, meaning it will not play on anything beyond XP
  • I think the English version cracks may be compatible, but am not sure
  • Fortunately, PoP 2008 at least is StarForce 5 (should work on everything up to Win11)
• No physical manuals are included
• The included poster is too huge (16 times the size of a DVD case) and is not very presentable with all the excess folding

Blog entry for more reading and pictures.

Very nice release. I always count posters as a plus! And the "Art book" is also very nice. According to your blog, part 2 (shadow and flame) is your favourite. I aggree that it may be the overall best part of the series (despite the difficulty). The atmosphere and eerie loneliness and silence in the abandoned palace always felt like falling into an Arabian nights fairytale...

Most of my Big Box games are Amiga games; I only have a handful of Big Box DOS/Windows games left unfortunately.

Every year I do bring out one specific Amiga game as a part of my Christmas decoration at my office - the 1993 Christmas Lemmings:

What a nice tradition! I appreciate Amiga big box games just as well - they are part of the story. Speaking of Christmas traditions - I hope there will be a new LGR Christmas edition out soon. I wonder what the XMas clone is up to this year (I think lemmings already featured several times in his christmas episodes)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RrIO-taAUH4

Aui wrote on 2023-11-27, 09:07:

According to your blog, part 2 (shadow and flame) is your favourite. I aggree that it may be the overall best part of the series (despite the difficulty).

I think what made it special for me is that I was playing it at the same time that I was learning to play games in general. I learned POP1 from my cousin who has mastered it, but for POP2 I was really figuring most of the things out on my own - from fighting skills to puzzles. It felt like an impressive achievement for the boy I was at a time.

CrazyCatman wrote on 2023-11-27, 11:03:

Every year I do bring out one specific Amiga game as a part of my Christmas decoration at my office - the 1993 Christmas Lemmings:

It does look very special and festive. The manual is quite big too, does it include tutorials?

dr_st wrote on 2023-11-27, 12:01:

CrazyCatman wrote on 2023-11-27, 11:03:

Every year I do bring out one specific Amiga game as a part of my Christmas decoration at my office - the 1993 Christmas Lemmings:

It does look very special and festive. The manual is quite big too, does it include tutorials?

It's 28 numbered pages (last two are blank, and the cover sheet is not included in the numbering); Page 1 is a Content page, and page 2-7 is English, then similar layout for French, German and Italian.
The closest to a tutorial is the "Main Screens" section which is text based from page 4-6 in the English part. Before this basically an "Installation" section including the MS-DOS version, Macintosh version and Amiga version. The paper quality is nice and thick, which also may make it appear bigger. Format is A5.

Sadly I don't have my Amigas home at the moment, because it have been a while since I last played it!

Here's most of my collection. I'll pick a few when I have time to post individual titles.