Publisher: Legend
Developer: Legend
Year: 1990
Platform: DOS
When Infocom disbanded, Steve Meretzky was hired by up-and-coming Legend Entertainment to continue text adventures and compete with Sierra in the adventure game industry. While Legend’s first offering wasn’t entirely polished, and did not have very good sound support, Meretzky certainly did his job to jump start the company and this series.
Continue reading Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers Get All The Girls
Publisher: Sierra
Developer: Dynamix
Year: 1993
Platform: DOS
The two guys from Andromeda split up before this game, leaving Mark Crowe as primary designer while Scott Murphy pursued other interests. Whether or not this development led to a much improved sequel is debatable, as besting Roger Wilco and the Time Rippers did not come with a high bar. Nevertheless, Space Quest V is a playable, albeit short, adventure back in the spirit of the first three games.
Publisher: Sierra
Developer: Sierra
Year: 1989
Platform: DOS; Mac; Amiga
Near everyone lauds Space Quest 3 as not only the best adventure of the series, but one of the best adventures of the 80’s. I just don’t see it.
Publisher: Got Game Entertainment
Developer: Nucleosys
Year: 2006
Platform: Windows
Horror is my favorite fictional medium, and I think there’s a simple reason why. I have virtually nothing in my wonderful life to fear, and thus it is an emotion I rarely feel. Additionally, it is an adrenaline-inducing intense feeling with the security of fiction laced around it, making it very attractive. And when I mention horror, I refer to the suspense of the unknown, not hack’n’slash gore. True horror allows the imagination to create feelings of terror. Bad horror has a cat jump out of the cupboard, coupled with disproportionately loud noises, jarring the senses.
Continue reading ScratchesPublisher: ASC Games
Developer: Dreamforge Intertainment
Year: 1998
Platform: Windows
If you’ve ever crushed hard on somebody and then saw those sparks disappear almost as fast as they developed, then you’ll know what it’s like to play Sanitarium.
Publisher: The Adventure Company
Developer: Kheops Studio
Year: 2006
Platform: Windows; Wii; DS
A non-sequel to the original Safecracker (though somewhat similar in style), this puzzlefest has a pretty simple premise: you’ve been hired by a wealthy family to break through all of the safes in the eccentric patriarch’s mansion and get to his last will and testament.
Publisher: Take-Two Interactive
Developer: Take-Two Interactive
Year: 1996
Platform: DOS; Mac
Take 2 Interactive’s first FMV adventure was highly touted and had a high-profile cast as one of its selling points. Scott Cohen stars in this cyberpunk thriller as Jake Quinlan, a reporter for a virtual tabloid in 2040 New York City. A mastermind has been committing gruesome murders in the vein of Jack the Ripper, and has been anonymously contacting you in order to get himself some attention in the papers. Your girlfriend and fellow reporter has become the fourth victim. Luckily, she managed to survive the attack and is resting in a coma. Now the case has become personal. You must seek out the Ripper in order to help to save your girlfriend and prevent more pointless murders.
Publisher: Sanctuary Woods
Developer: Sanctuary Woods
Year: 1995
Platform: DOS; Mac
A rare adventure game by Sanctuary Woods, The Riddle Of Master Lu does a decent job of capturing atmosphere and flavor while sadly being mediocre in many game elements. You play as Robert Ripley, the real-life entrepreneur and collector of oddities. Chinese terrorists are on your heels to stop you from discovering the secrets of Master Lu (and also use those secrets to take over the world, naturally). You’ll travel to many exotic locales, including Peiping, Easter Island, and Sikkim trying to unravel the mystery, save the world, and save your neck. All the while, of course, collecting rare artifacts to help profits for your Odditorium back in New York.
Continue reading Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!: The Riddle Of Master Lu
Publisher: Freeware
Developer: Legend
Year: 1998
Platform: DOS
I’m stretching this by calling it an adventure game, as it is more of an edutainment title. But it was developed by Legend Entertainment and written by Bob Bates, so I’m going with it. This game is actually an ethics training program designed by the U.S. Government and used as an ethical training tool for its employees. As it was fully funded by the government, the game is freeware, and worth a play by anyone who is interested in ethics.
Continue reading QuandariesPublisher: Sierra
Developer: Sierra
Year: 1995
Platform: DOS; Windows; Mac
With his sophomore attempt, Gates succeeds at creating an effective simulation that takes one facet of police work and mimics it very well.
Death By Troggles 
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