1942

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1986

1942 is a vertically scrolling shooter for one or two players. The year is 1942, and you are a daring fighter pilot "Super Ace". You begin and end each of the numerous levels on an aircraft carrier and then fly your plane into battle against the enemy over both sea and land. After destroying certain plane formations you can collect several different power ups to increase your fire power and chances of survival.

1942

Sharp X1 - Released - 1987

1942 is a vertically scrolling shooter for one or two players. The year is 1942, and you are a daring fighter pilot "Super Ace". You begin and end each of the numerous levels on an aircraft carrier and then fly your plane into battle against the enemy over both sea and land. After destroying certain plane formations you can collect several different power ups to increase your fire power and chances of survival. You can also make your plane roll to avoid enemy attacks 3 times per life. There are 24 levels, the first being Midway and the last The Final Area.

1942

Fujitsu FM-7 - Released - 1987

1942 is a vertically scrolling shooter for one or two players. The year is 1942, and you are a daring fighter pilot "Super Ace". You begin and end each of the numerous levels on an aircraft carrier and then fly your plane into battle against the enemy over both sea and land. After destroying certain plane formations you can collect several different power ups to increase your fire power and chances of survival. You can also make your plane roll to avoid enemy attacks 3 times per life. There are 24 levels, the first being Midway and the last The Final Area.

3D Shooting Tsukuru

Sony Playstation - Released - December 20, 1996

3D Shooting Tsukuru is a game in which you can make your own 3D shooter games. There are lots of settings and graphics to tinker with to make your own game the next Star Fox. You can set your vehicle's looks, movements, weapons, special attacks and much more. The same goes for the enemies, music, sounds and the stages, where you can change a plethora of things to suit your needs. Once you're satisfied you can save the game to your memory card to play the finished product later. There are also three sample games included to show what you can do with the editor. The three games are very...

Actman

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1985

Actman is an platform game, developed by Mass Tael LTD and published by ASCII Entertainment, which was released in Japan in 1985.

Air Hockey

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1992

The MSX version of the air hockey game which is often found in an arcade center. The light gun "Plus X Terminator Laser" is necessary. If there are two light guns, two-people can play against each other.

Akatsuki no Bizantira

NEC PC-9801 - Released - 1994

The game's story is based on a fantasy novel of the same name by Hiroe Suga. In a world with two moons, humans peacefully co-exist with various species of intelligent animals, called "mebu". But something has destroyed the balance in that world, and animals have started to attack humans. A female warrior named Bizantira, accompanied by the yellow bird Diel, decides to find out the reason behind these occurrences and to discover the truth about humans and mebu. The game is a very basic Japanese-style RPG, with minimal story development and simple gameplay mechanics. The player controls...

Amnork

Fujitsu FM-7 - Released - 1986

Released for the Fujitsu FM-77 AV computer in 1986, this game was an early 3D first-person shooter. It was notable for its advanced 3D graphics engine, which processed 3D polygons at high frame rates for its time. It was the first FPS to use 3D polygons.

Arion

Sharp MZ-2500 - Released - 1986

Game follows the story of anime with the same title. In Thrace, Arion is taken from his mother Demeter by the god Hades. In the Underworld, Arion is trained to be a warrior. His training is driven by revenge: Arion was told that his mother's blindness was caused by Zeus and Zeus' death will remove the curse. Finally, Arion and Geedo (a huge ape-like creature who had become Arion's friend and companion) left the Underworld to find Zeus. Seneca, a small thief, makes off with Arion's sword and this leads Arion to his first encounter with the forces of Zeus, commanded by his daughter Athena....

Arion

Sharp X1 - Released - 1986

Game follows the story of anime with the same title. In Thrace, Arion is taken from his mother Demeter by the god Hades. In the Underworld, Arion is trained to be a warrior. His training is driven by revenge: Arion was told that his mother's blindness was caused by Zeus and Zeus' death will remove the curse. Finally, Arion and Geedo (a huge ape-like creature who had become Arion's friend and companion) left the Underworld to find Zeus. Seneca, a small thief, makes off with Arion's sword and this leads Arion to his first encounter with the forces of Zeus, commanded by his daughter Athena....

Arion

Fujitsu FM-7 - Released - 1986

Game follows the story of anime with the same title. In Thrace, Arion is taken from his mother Demeter by the god Hades. In the Underworld, Arion is trained to be a warrior. His training is driven by revenge: Arion was told that his mother's blindness was caused by Zeus and Zeus' death will remove the curse. Finally, Arion and Geedo (a huge ape-like creature who had become Arion's friend and companion) left the Underworld to find Zeus. Seneca, a small thief, makes off with Arion's sword and this leads Arion to his first encounter with the forces of Zeus, commanded by his daughter Athena....

Arion

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1986

The game follows the story of anime with the same title. In Thrace, Arion is taken from his mother Demeter by the god Hades. In the Underworld, Arion is trained to be a warrior. His training is driven by revenge: Arion was told that his mother's blindness was caused by Zeus and Zeus' death will remove the curse. Finally, Arion and Geedo (a huge ape-like creature who had become Arion's friend and companion) left the Underworld to find Zeus. Seneca, a small thief, makes off with Arion's sword and this leads Arion to his first encounter with the forces of Zeus, commanded by his daughter Athena....

Balance of Power

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1989

The year is 1986. You take on the role of the US President or the Russian General Secretary. You have the full industrial capacity, covert forces, and military might of your country at your command. Your job? To make your country the world's most powerful and prestigious over the course of your eight years in office. Sounds easy, doesn't it? It would be if the other guy didn't have his finger poised over a red button that could wipe out the world! You must use diplomacy, make treaties, issue risky, covert CIA or KGB actions, or riskier, direct military intervention to prop up third world...

Balance of Power

NEC PC-9801 - Released - 1988

The year is 1986. You take on the role of the US President or the Russian General Secretary. You have the full industrial capacity, covert forces, and military might of your country at your command. Your job? To make your country the world's most powerful and prestigious over the course of your eight years in office. Sounds easy, doesn't it? It would be if the other guy didn't have his finger poised over a red button that could wipe out the world! You must use diplomacy, make treaties, issue risky, covert CIA or KGB actions, or riskier, direct military intervention to prop up third world...

Banana

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1984

Best Nine Professional Baseball

Microsoft MSX2 - Released - 1986

The Best Play Baseball

NEC PC-9801 - Released - 1991

The Black Onyx

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1986

After having recovered the legendary Black Onyx in your previous adventure, your party of heroes took the portal in Utsuro town to a new world, where they begin the search for the powerful Fire Crystal. In order to find this mysterious artifact, they have to venture into a system of dungeons and to defeat the monsters that live in them. The sequel to Black Onyx is very similar to its predecessor, graphically as well as gameplay-wise. You build a party of up to five adventurers and take them to fight in first-person 3D dungeons. You encounter random enemies as well as fellow adventurers,...

Bokosuka Wars

Nintendo Entertainment System - Released - December 14, 1985

This game revolves around a leader who must lead an army in phalanx formation across a battlefield in real-time against overwhelming enemy forces while freeing and recruiting soldiers along the way, with each unit able to gain experience and level up through battle. The player must make sure that the leader stays alive, until the army reaches the enemy castle to defeat the leader of the opposing forces. The game was responsible for laying the foundations for the tactical role-playing game genre, or the "simulation RPG" genre as it is known in Japan, with its blend of role-playing and...

Bokosuka Wars

NEC PC-9801 - Released - 1985

King Ogreth of the Basam Empire has invaded your country and either captured or turned into rocks and trees all your soldiers. You, king Suren, are left completely alone. In a desperate attempt, you decide to walk to king Ogreth's castle and to defeat him. You hope you'll be able to find some way to bring your soldiers back to you... In this strategy game, your goal sounds simple – just walk a distance of 600 meters and defeat king Ogreth. But to do that is not simple at all. Bumping into trees and rocks, king Suren can bring his soldiers to life. Once there are some knights in his small...

Bokosuka Wars

Sharp X1 - Released - 1983

King Ogreth of the Basam Empire has invaded your country and either captured or turned into rocks and trees all your soldiers. You, king Suren, are left completely alone. In a desperate attempt, you decide to walk to king Ogreth's castle and to defeat him. You hope you'll be able to find some way to bring your soldiers back to you... In this strategy game, your goal sounds simple – just walk a distance of 600 meters and defeat king Ogreth. But to do that is not simple at all. Bumping into trees and rocks, king Suren can bring his soldiers to life. Once there are some knights in his small...

Bokosuka Wars

Fujitsu FM-7 - Released - 1985

King Ogreth of the Basam Empire has invaded your country and either captured or turned into rocks and trees all your soldiers. You, king Suren, are left completely alone. In a desperate attempt, you decide to walk to king Ogreth's castle and to defeat him. You hope you'll be able to find some way to bring your soldiers back to you... In this strategy game, your goal sounds simple – just walk a distance of 600 meters and defeat king Ogreth. But to do that is not simple at all. Bumping into trees and rocks, king Suren can bring his soldiers to life. Once there are some knights in his small...

Bokosuka Wars

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1984

King Ogreth of the Basam Empire has invaded your country and either captured or turned into rocks and trees all your soldiers. You, king Suren, are left completely alone. In a desperate attempt, you decide to walk to king Ogreth's castle and to defeat him. You hope you'll be able to find some way to bring your soldiers back to you... In this strategy game, your goal sounds simple – just walk a distance of 600 meters and defeat king Ogreth. But to do that is not simple at all. Bumping into trees and rocks, king Suren can bring his soldiers to life. Once there are some knights in his small...

Bomberman: Panic Bomber

Fujitsu FM Towns Marty - Released - 1995

Panic Bomber is a falling block puzzle game, somewhat reminiscent of Puyo Puyo games: instead of Tetris-like abstract blocks, little colored heads are falling down and must be arranged in rows of three (vertically or horizontally), by rotating them and matching them with other heads of the same color. In this case, the heads clearly belong to the titular character of the Bomberman series. The game has similar gameplay and opponents as in the handheld version; Bomberman automatically advances on a "world map", defeating opponents in falling block contests in a linear fashion. However, this...

Bomberman: Panic Bomber

NEC PC-9801 - Released - April 5, 1995

Panic Bomber is a falling block puzzle game, somewhat reminiscent of Puyo Puyo games: instead of Tetris-like abstract blocks, little colored heads are falling down and must be arranged in rows of three (vertically or horizontally), by rotating them and matching them with other heads of the same color. In this case, the heads clearly belong to the titular character of the Bomberman series. The game has similar gameplay and opponents as in the handheld version; Bomberman automatically advances on a "world map", defeating opponents in falling block contests in a linear fashion. However, this...

Boomerang

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1984

Boukenshatachi: Kenja no Yuigon

NEC PC-8801 - Released - May 23, 1986

Chinese style gag-comedy. You train in the mountains with your master. One day a mysterious stranger hands over a golden a key. And so the adventure starts...

Boukenshatachi: Kenja no Yuigon

Fujitsu FM-7 - Released - 1987

Chinese style gag-comedy. You train in the mountains with your master. One day a mysterious stranger hands over a golden a key. And so the adventure starts...

Break Out

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1983

In Breakout, there is a wall of bricks along the top of the screen and your goal is to destroy the entire wall one brick at a time! To do this, you control a paddle at the bottom of the screen which is used to reflect a bouncing ball into the bricks. When the ball hits a brick, it will destroy it. You start with five balls, and the game ends when all five fall off the bottom of the screen. Also included are several game variations, including breakthru (the ball will go straight through bricks instead of bouncing back), timed breakout (you have a time limit to gain as many points as you can),...

Candoo Ninja

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1984

Captain Cosmo

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1984

The Castle

Microsoft MSX - 1985

In the puzzle and platform game The Castle the player controls a prince that has to save the princess. To find his princess he must explore the castle, which has a hundred different rooms. Each room is a puzzle on its own as the prince must avoid enemy knights, fat Tiroler men, hazardous objects and has to use objects to get to the next door. In each room the prince has to collect keys and items, such as rings, gold bars and bottles. The bottles will give the prince an additional life. The keys may have different colors and only opens doors with the corresponding key color.

The Castle

NEC PC-9801 - Released - 1985

In the puzzle and platform game The Castle the player controls a prince that has to save the princess. To find his princess he must explore the castle, which has a hundred different rooms. Each room is a puzzle on its own as the prince must avoid enemy knights, fat Tiroler men, hazardous objects and has to use objects to get to the next door. In each room the prince has to collect keys and items, such as rings, gold bars and bottles. The bottles will give the prince an additional life. The keys may have different colors and only opens doors with the corresponding key color.

The Castle

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1985

In the puzzle and platform game The Castle the player controls a prince that has to save the princess. To find his princess he must explore the castle, which has a hundred different rooms. Each room is a puzzle on its own as the prince must avoid enemy knights, fat Tiroler men, hazardous objects and has to use objects to get to the next door. In each room the prince has to collect keys and items, such as rings, gold bars and bottles. The bottles will give the prince an additional life. The keys may have different colors and only opens doors with the corresponding key color.

The Castle

Sharp X1 - Released - 1985

In the puzzle and platform game The Castle the player controls a prince that has to save the princess. To find his princess he must explore the castle, which has a hundred different rooms. Each room is a puzzle on its own as the prince must avoid enemy knights, fat Tiroler men, hazardous objects and has to use objects to get to the next door. In each room the prince has to collect keys and items, such as rings, gold bars and bottles. The bottles will give the prince an additional life. The keys may have different colors and only opens doors with the corresponding key color.

The Castle

Fujitsu FM-7 - Released - 1985

In the puzzle and platform game The Castle the player controls a prince that has to save the princess. To find his princess he must explore the castle, which has a hundred different rooms. Each room is a puzzle on its own as the prince must avoid enemy knights, fat Tiroler men, hazardous objects and has to use objects to get to the next door. In each room the prince has to collect keys and items, such as rings, gold bars and bottles. The bottles will give the prince an additional life. The keys may have different colors and only opens doors with the corresponding key color.

Castle Excellent

Fujitsu FM-7 - Released - 1985

The puzzle and platform game Castle Excellent is a sequel to The Castle. In Castle Excellent you control a prince that has to save the princess again. To find your princess you have to explore the castle, which has 100 different rooms. Each room is a puzzle on its own as you have to avoid enemy knights, fat Tiroler men, hazardous objects and have to use objects to get to the next door. In each room you have to collect keys and items like rings and gold bars. The keys may have different colors and only opens doors with the corresponding key color. The main difference with the original The...

Castle Excellent

Sharp X1 - Released - 1985

The puzzle and platform game Castle Excellent is a sequel to The Castle. In Castle Excellent you control a prince that has to save the princess again. To find your princess you have to explore the castle, which has 100 different rooms. Each room is a puzzle on its own as you have to avoid enemy knights, fat Tiroler men, hazardous objects and have to use objects to get to the next door. In each room you have to collect keys and items like rings and gold bars. The keys may have different colors and only opens doors with the corresponding key color. The main difference with the original The...

Castle Excellent

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1985

The puzzle and platform game Castle Excellent is a sequel to The Castle. In Castle Excellent you control a prince that has to save the princess again. To find your princess you have to explore the castle, which has 100 different rooms. Each room is a puzzle on its own as you have to avoid enemy knights, fat Tiroler men, hazardous objects and have to use objects to get to the next door. In each room you have to collect keys and items like rings and gold bars. The keys may have different colors and only opens doors with the corresponding key color. The main difference with the original The...

Castle Excellent

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1986

The puzzle and platform game Castle Excellent is a sequel to The Castle. In Castle Excellent you control a prince that has to save the princess again. To find your princess you have to explore the castle, which has 100 different rooms. Each room is a puzzle on its own as you have to avoid enemy knights, fat Tiroler men, hazardous objects and have to use objects to get to the next door. In each room you have to collect keys and items like rings and gold bars. The keys may have different colors and only opens doors with the corresponding key color. The main difference with the original...

Chaos Angels

NEC PC-9801 - Released - 1989

One day, a lone traveler came from the desert to a small camp. There, he sat down, weary from his long travel, enjoying a short rest. "Have you heard of the Tower of Ouroboros"? - asked him a bearded old man who was sitting nearby. - "A legend says that if fulfills all your wishes. Many heroes tried their luck there. None has returned. Dangers lure at every corner in the tower, deadly enchantresses who will bring demise on anyone daring to set his foot there". Without answering, the young traveler left the camp, and soon he was standing at the tower gate... Chaos Angels is a semi-erotic RPG...

Chaos Angels

Microsoft MSX2 - Released - 1989

One day, a lone traveler came from the desert to a small camp. There, he sat down, weary from his long travel, enjoying a short rest. "Have you heard of the Tower of Ouroboros"? - asked him a bearded old man who was sitting nearby. - "A legend says that if fulfills all your wishes. Many heroes tried their luck there. None has returned. Dangers lure at every corner in the tower, deadly enchantresses who will bring demise on anyone daring to set his foot there". Without answering, the young traveler left the camp, and soon he was standing at the tower gate...

Chaos Angels

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1988

One day, a lone traveler came from the desert to a small camp. There, he sat down, weary from his long travel, enjoying a short rest. "Have you heard of the Tower of Ouroboros"? - asked him a bearded old man who was sitting nearby. - "A legend says that if fulfills all your wishes. Many heroes tried their luck there. None has returned. Dangers lure at every corner in the tower, deadly enchantresses who will bring demise on anyone daring to set his foot there". Without answering, the young traveler left the camp, and soon he was standing at the tower gate... Chaos Angels is a semi-erotic RPG...

Coron

Sharp X1 - Released - 1984

CORPSE-PARTY

NEC PC-9801 - Released - April 22, 1996

The game begins with Ayumi Shinozaki who is telling a scary story to her friends who have decided to stay in school after the cultural festival. Suddenly, someone knocks at the door and Satoshi Mochida, terrified, goes to open it. He is surprised when he finds his little sister who came looking for him. Following the presentations, the classmates decide to tidy up the room until they hear a strange sound. Frightened, they prepare and leave the class when a sudden earthquake catapults them into an abandoned schoolhouse. The protagonists are all in the same dimension, but they decide to form...

Cuby Panic

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1985

Daisenryaku Expert

Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Released - September 25, 1992

Daisenryaku ("Great Strategy") Expert is a military strategy game from SystemSoft and the eighth in their Daisenryaku series. As with many others in the series, the goal is to defeat the other side by taking over key strategic locations, use those locations to produce new units and overwhelm the enemy forces who are busy attempting to do the same to the player. These scenarios play out with one player moving all their units, and then allowing the opponent to take their turn. In these respects, it is not dissimilar to Intelligent Systems' Nintendo Wars series. The "Expert" subtitle was added...

Derby Stallion

Fujitsu FM Towns Marty - Released - February 18, 1994

A horse racing simulation game, which seems to be a popular genre in Japan. Indeed, the game only was released in that country. A horse breeding, training, and racing simulation, Derby Stallion surpassed 4,000,000 units sold across the Nintendo, Super Nintendo and Playstation consoles. No other horse racing game has performed in such a manner.

Derby Stallion

NEC PC-9801 - Released - May 28, 1993

A horse racing simulation game, which seems to be a popular genre in Japan. Indeed, the game only was released in that country. A horse breeding, training, and racing simulation, Derby Stallion surpassed 4,000,000 units sold across the Nintendo, Super Nintendo and Playstation consoles. No other horse racing game has performed in such a manner.

Derby Stallion II

Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Released - February 18, 1994

The sequel to 1991's Best Keiba Derby Stallion. The goal of the game is to raise a stable of racehorses and make a fortune racing and breeding them.

Derby Stallion III

Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Released - January 20, 1995

Derby Stallion III is a horse-racing management game where the player selects and breeds horses. The intent is to produce racehorse champions, through which the player will make the majority of their revenue. They can govern various aspects of the horse breeding and raising, as well as the ranch.

Dungeon Conquest

NEC PC-9801 - Released - December 13, 1993

Dungeon Master

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1986

Dungeon Master is a role-playing game where the player selects four adventurers and descend into the depths of the dungeon. The gameplay is reminiscent of the 3D dungeon crawl type of role-playing games popularized by Wizardry and The Bard's Tale. However, unlike these games, Dungeon Master features real-time combat, which requires the player to click on the opponent in order to execute an attack. Another notable aspect of the game is its growth system: instead of gathering experience points and leveling up, characters improve by repeatedly using the same action. Spellcasting involves...

Eiyuu Yamato Takeru

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1985

Exoa II: Warroid

Sharp X1 - Released - 1984

Extra Pinball

Sharp X1 - Released - 1984

F16 Fighting Falcon

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1984

In this game, you are flying the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the most advanced jet fighter in the world. In this carefully crafted simulation, your mission is to take down all enemy jets and remain airborne as possible. You are equipped with your standard gun, plus some missiles that you can use to take them down. There are ten levels. The number of missiles you have vary between each level. Furthermore, each level is difficult than the last with more enemy jet fighters that you have to take down.

F-16 Fighting Falcon 2

NEC PC-9801 - Released - 1988

The long Falcon simulation legacy of hardcore simulations of the F-16 fighter plane begins here. The plane's electronic displays and radars are simulated fully, with 4 styles of HUD. Not only can your plane barrel-roll and scissor, the enemy planes can too, with Artificial Intelligence recreating the moves of a real pilot. This was one of the earliest games to offer head-to-head play by linking two machines. It comes with a massive manual, detailing all those functions.

Flipper Slipper

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1984

It is a water-themed Breakout-like game, with the unique mechanic of having curved paddles, which can cause the ball to roll off them and bounce off at unconventional angles.

Funky Mouse

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1984

In this platform game you control a mouse that lives in a house and that collects pieces of cheese while chased by a couple of cats. On some floors you will find poison which must not be touched! To make it even more challenging not all stairs will lead to the next floor (up or down stairs). When all pieces of cheese have been collected you enter the next level.

Gang Master

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1983

Haja no Fuuin

Nintendo Entertainment System - Released - October 13, 1987

The seal of the Dark Lord Terarin has been broken and Terarin has been unleashed into the world again. She has stolen the Golden Seal and opened pandora's box, unleashing evil creatures into the world. A young hero is tasked by a king to stop Terarin. He must step into footsteps of Iason, a shepherd that once accidentally unleashed Terarin and fought to seal the Dark Lord again. The hero must enlist the aid of three companions, Guy the warrior, Medi the amazon and Treo the pirate (called Turo in the manual) and find the three keys to Terarin's lair. To face the Dark Lord, they must find the...

Hanafuda Koikoi

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1984

Koi-Koi is a traditional Japanese two-player card game. It is played with the hanafuda, which is a flower themed deck consisting of four cards in each of twelve suits corresponding to months of the year. The aim is to capture certain combinations, known as yaku, using cards played from the hand you are dealt, and picked up from the table. Each round starts with eight cards placed face up on the table, and eight dealt to each player. The first player must play a card to the table. If it matches the same suit as an existing table card, then both it and the played card are captured by that...

Harapeko Pakkun

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1984

Harapeko Pakkun is a hungry squirrel maze game for MSX, developed and published by ASCII Corporation, which was released in Japan in 1984.

Heli Tank

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1984

Helitank is fun little shooter that has a lot in common with Bezerk/Robot Wars.

Igo II

NEC PC-9801 - Released - 1988

Igo II is a computer adaptation of the Chinese game weiqi (known internationally as go). Several levels of difficulty are present, from beginner to advanced. It is also possible to undo moves or let the computer AI take over for demo gameplay and suggestions. The FM Towns version also features different types of board, including wood, stone, sky- and space-themed.

Igo II

Fujitsu FM Towns Marty - Released - 1989

Igo II is a computer adaptation of the Chinese game weiqi (known internationally as go). Several levels of difficulty are present, from beginner to advanced. It is also possible to undo moves or let the computer AI take over for demo gameplay and suggestions. The FM Towns version also features different types of board, including wood, stone, sky- and space-themed.

Igo III

NEC PC-9801 - Released

Iligks Episode I: Theseus

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1984

Theseus is a smooth scrolling platform game inspired by the maze portion of the arcade game Major Havoc. In each level, the titular character is trapped in a labyrinth, and must find a ring and a key before rescuing his girlfriend. The labyrinth is oriented vertically, and must be traversed by running and jumping. Theseus can jump any distance vertically while holding down the jump button, and can maneuver in mid-air. Obstacles within the maze include lava and invulnerable creatures whose touch reduce the players vitality. There is also a time-limit for completion of the level. Having...

Iligks Episode IV: The Maze of Illegus

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1984

Al-Mazar, a mysterious, inhospitable planet, is covered by a vast network of mazes. You have drawn the short straw and find yourself in the first maze, with no food, water or light. Somehow you have to escape from not one but 10 mazes. In full daylight the labyrinths are all coloured green and yellow. Your path through the maze is briIIiantly portrayed on screen as if you were actually standing inside one of the labyrinth corridors, the maze walls looming up on either side. Various shades of green help to give each labyrinth a three-dimensional look. Various objects, both dangerous and useful,...

Insiders: Network no Bouken: Eve ga Inai

NEC PC-9801 - Released - January 15, 1995

Ishido: The Way of Stones

Microsoft MSX2 - Released - 1990

Ishido is a solitaire board game played with tiles, similar to Shanghai. The objective is to place all of the tiles onto the board and obtain the highest possible score by following specific rules of play. There are ways to play that can dramatically increase the score, which makes the game very strategic in nature. Additionally, when desired, the player can get an oracle reading by asking a question, which is answered when the player makes a very elegant play (four-way match). There is also a "construction set" where players can create their own tiles and backgrounds. The game comes with...

Ishido: The Way of Stones

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1990

Ishido is a solitaire board game played with tiles, similar to Shanghai. The objective is to place all of the tiles onto the board and obtain the highest possible score by following specific rules of play. There are ways to play that can dramatically increase the score, which makes the game very strategic in nature. Additionally, when desired, the player can get an oracle reading by asking a question, which is answered when the player makes a very elegant play (four-way match). There is also a "construction set" where players can create their own tiles and backgrounds. The game comes with...

Ishidō: The Way of Stones

Sharp X68000 - Released - March 20, 1991

Ishido is a solitaire board game played with tiles, similar to Shanghai. The objective is to place all of the tiles onto the board and obtain the highest possible score by following specific rules of play. There are ways to play that can dramatically increase the score, which makes the game very strategic in nature. Additionally, when desired, the player can get an oracle reading by asking a question, which is answered when the player makes a very elegant play (four-way match). There is also a "construction set" where players can create their own tiles and backgrounds. The game comes with...

Ishidō: The Way of Stones

NEC PC-9801 - Released - April 13, 1990

Ishido is a solitaire board game played with tiles, similar to Shanghai. The objective is to place all of the tiles onto the board and obtain the highest possible score by following specific rules of play. There are ways to play that can dramatically increase the score, which makes the game very strategic in nature. Additionally, when desired, the player can get an oracle reading by asking a question, which is answered when the player makes a very elegant play (four-way match). There is also a "construction set" where players can create their own tiles and backgrounds. The game comes with...

Itadaki Street: Watashi no Omise ni Yottette

Nintendo Entertainment System - Released - March 21, 1991

Itadaki Street is a digital board game similar to Monopoly, from the creator of Dragon Quest, Yuji Horii. Much like its inspiration, players take turns moving around the board, which is divided into districts made up of multiple properties. Landing on a property allows you to buy it, and owning multiple properties in the same district increases their value, but landing on a property owned by another player forces you to pay them based on the property's value. A key element is the ability to invest in districts by purchasing stock, even if the player owns no property in that district, which...

J.P. Winkle

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1986

J.P. Winkle is a puzzle game where the main character, Jay, a halfling, fall in love with the human Princess Anita and decides to become a human being. According to the elder, to become human Jay must collect 13 Bibles spread around the rooms of the castle.

Kakinoki Shogi

NEC PC-9801 - Released - April 22, 1994

Kakinoki Shogi

Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Released - September 1, 1995

Kakinoki Shogi is a shogi game that was developed by and named for shogi AI programmer Yoshikazu Kakinoki. The game is designed to present shogi experts with a challenging level of AI shogi playing, with less emphasis on graphics and presentation. The game also gives players the option to customize the board's pieces for famous match recreations and handicaps. The game would later see various incrementally-improved sequels for Sony consoles, mobile devices and iOS.

Kakinoki Shougi

3DO Interactive Multiplayer - 1994

Keeper

Sharp X68000 - Released - December 25, 1993

Keeper is a cute action-puzzle game. A five-by-five grid fills up with colored blocks with different icons on them. Pikuru and Kintoto, the player characters, can move freely about the grid, climbing over the blocks, and pushing or pulling them in any direction where there is room. Line up three or more blocks of either the same color or the same symbol and they will disappear. If the entire grid fills up, the game ends. The game features a single-player mode and two-player battle and cooperative modes.

L.O.L.: Lack of Love

Sega Dreamcast - Released - November 2, 2000

Lack of Love (or L.O.L.) can be considered a genre-defying game, though it has strong elements of adventure (problem-solving based on exploration) and RPG (character growth and management). The game's unusual premise is the evolution of an alien being. In the beginning the player takes control of a tiny, newborn creature. The alien world is harsh, so the "hero" has to constantly improve, learn new things and avoid being eaten by other animals. To make the new life even harder, an alien robot race just discovered the planet and starts colonizing it. Surviving is obviously not easy... The...

Log!cal

NEC PC-9801 - Released - March 12, 1993

Log!cal is a bizarre puzzle game in which you have to arrange colored balls (green, purple, blue or yellow) to form quartets in any of several locations on the game board. These locations are, in fact, balls you can spin, then send any of the balls in them through the connection path.

Lord Over

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1984

Lords of Conquest is a Japanese strategy game that is somewhat based on the board game Risk. It was developed and published by ASCII Corporation in 1984.

Lord Over

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1982

Mahjong Ganryuujima

Sony Playstation - Released - July 7, 1995

Maidon

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1985

Makaimura

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1987

Makaimura (Ghosts 'N Goblins) is a sideways scrolling action platformer spread over six levels, each of which must be completed within three minutes (or a life is lost), taking in forest, village, mountain and cavern settings with increasing difficulty. Arthur the brave knight must rescue his beloved Princess from the Demon King Astaroth and his forces - amongst them are the various undead (ghosts, zombies), bats, ogres and goblins. Other challenges include moving platforms, ladders and water/fire hazards. The player can walk left and right, jump, and is also equipped with a lance to use...

Manes

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1984

In this platform game your goal is to reach the bottom right of the screen where the exit to the next level is located. The levels are all build different but are all maze-like and not every way will lead to the exit. To make it more complicated to reach the exit to the next level you have to avoid rolling stones, jump water passages, not get hit by ice or similar objects

Maou Halton no Wana: Insiders: Pasokon Naibu e no Tabi

NEC PC-9801 - Released - 1994

Moon: Remix RPG Adventure

Sony Playstation - Released - October 16, 1997

A little boy likes to play video games. Day and night he sits in front of his GameStation and plays a game called Moon: a typical Japanese RPG with a sword-wielding hero who kills monster after monster on his grand epic quest. Skipping through the boring, cliche story, the boy continues to play until his mother tells him to stop and go to bed. However, the TV on which he was just playing the game miraculously turns itself on, and the boy is sucked into the world of Moon, a fantasy land called Love-de-Gard. It turns out that the hero of the game that the boy was playing is a troublesome...

New Best Nine Baseball

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1985

Ninjara Hoi!

Nintendo Entertainment System - Released - August 8, 1990

Ninjara Hoi! is an RPG made in the style of the more well-known Dragon Warrior, which itself spawned a number of clones back in the '80s and '90s. It's known as a bit of a humorous game in same vein as Tengai Makyou, with much of its humor centered around on various pop and historical figures of Japanese culture. This game, along with a number of other Famicom titles by ASCII, uses an expansion plug-in for the Japanese Famicom known as a Turbo File. This Turbo File is essentially a memory card, compatible with a number of other ASCII titles at the save time to store save data from the game....

Omotesandou Adventure

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1982

Likely the first Japanese text adventure game, Omotesandō Adobenchā ("Omotesando Adventure") was published as a type-in in the 1982 edition of Nenkan AhSKI! ("Yearly Ah-SKI!"), a yearly parody issue of the Japanese magazine Monthly ASCII. The player takes control of an employee of a rival magazine, who must sneak into the offices of Monthly ASCII and sabotage their operations, all without getting caught (Omotesandō is the street where the offices of ASCII were located at the time). The entire game is in (somewhat poor) English. Unlike most adventure games, here the objects and exits present in...

Otocky

Nintendo Famicom Disk System - Released - March 27, 1987

Otocky can be described as a musical side-scrolling shoot 'em up. The player's spaceship has a ball for a weapon, which can be fired in eight directions; each direction corresponds to a different musical note. The note plays when the player presses the fire button, and is also quantized in time so that it matches the beat playing in the background. By using the weapon selectively the player can improvise music while playing. Otocky is notable for being one of the first games that include creative/procedural generative music.

Pai Panic

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1984

Penguin-Kun Wars

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1986

A penguin rolls spheres across a table attempting to knock its opponent out for points. The character with the fewest spheres on its side of the table at the end of the timed match is the winner.

Penguin-Kun Wars

Sharp MZ-2500 - Released - 1986

A penguin rolls spheres across a table attempting to knock its opponent out for points. The character with the fewest spheres on its side of the table at the end of the timed match is the winner.

Penguin-kun Wars

Nintendo Entertainment System - Released - December 25, 1985

The player controls one of five animals (they can choose between cow, rabbit, bat, rat, and penguin) and plays games against all the other animals.n each game, the participating animals find each other on opposite sides of a square table with five balls on each side. The object of the game is to roll those balls over the table. As soon as all ten balls are on one player's side, that player loses the game. Each game also has a time limit of 60 seconds; if that is reached, the player with the fewest balls on their side wins.

Penguin-Kun Wars

Microsoft MSX - Released - February 8, 1985

A penguin rolls spheres across a table attempting to knock its opponent out for points. The character with the fewest spheres on its side of the table at the end of the timed match is the winner.