The Golden Age of Shareware

[Norah]

So much of my childhood was spent playing the shareware first episodes of different games, mostly by Apogee Software.

Some of my favorites were Commander Keen, Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure, Arctic Adventure, and the original side scrolling Duke Nukem.

Anyone else share these memories?

https://www.dosgamesarchive.com/profile ... -software/

[Norah]

I remember before getting the Internet at home I'd go to the library with a stack of re-formatted AOL sign up floppy discs and load them up with all sorts of shareware games.

[BurtReynolds]

I remember having a lot of random shareware games. Can't remember which ones specifically though. Half of them didn't work on my computer I think.

[washing machine]

You accidentally

[Sgt. Crackpot]

I'm glad you're embracing the subforum, chud.

[tragabigzanda]

1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)
2. Mario Kart (Wii)
3. Half-Life 2 (PC)
4. Twisted Metal 2 (PS1)
5. NHL 95 (Sega Genesis)
6. The Oregon Trail (graphical version, 1985, Apple II)
7. Metroid: Zero Mission (GBA)
8. Missile Command (Arcade)
9. Rocket League (PS4)
10. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father (PC)

[Norah]

Remember, this was also the distribution model for games like Wolfenstein 3D and Doom.

[tragabigzanda]

1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)
2. Mario Kart (Wii)
3. Half-Life 2 (PC)
4. Twisted Metal 2 (PS1)
5. NHL 95 (Sega Genesis)
6. The Oregon Trail (graphical version, 1985, Apple II)
7. Metroid: Zero Mission (GBA)
8. Missile Command (Arcade)
9. Rocket League (PS4)
10. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father (PC)

[Sgt. Crackpot]

I'm pretty sure 90% of the PC games I played in the late 80s and 90s were from shareware.

I have a fond memory of buying 2 x floppy disks for the shareware version of Wolfenstein. It was at a big computer show that was in the city.

I paid a whopping $4 and it was the first entire episode of the game, which was somewhere around 10 levels, I think. Awesome value.

I played that game to death until Doom came out.

[Ello Sailor]

Great thread! This brings back some memories. I played the shit out of:

Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure
Raptor: Call of the Shadows
Secret Agent
Blake Stone
Rise of the Triad
Wacky Wheels
Hocus Pocus
Paganitzu
Bio Menace

[Ello Sailor]

Also, I've been trying to remember the name of Monuments of Mars for years and years, and could never put my finger on it. Thanks chud.

[Norah]

oh man that one takes me back

[Norah]

Monuments of Mars, Arctic Adventure, and Pharaoh's Tomb are all pretty much the same game.

[guestT]

I played a ton of Commander Keen and Duke Nukem. Pharaoh's Tomb sounds familiar, too. We had a football game where you just picked a play and the Xs and Os would simulate it. I don't think I ever made it through a full game. And Oral Hershiser's Strike Zone...but I don't think that was Shareware.

[CopperTom]

These are the games that fucked up my family computer. I was not allowed to use the PC for games after that.

[Ello Sailor]

These are the games that fucked up my family computer. I was not allowed to use the PC for games after that.