Games

The games industy is vast, spreading over PC, browser, and mobile platforms with various ways to download or play them. This section covers news from the top gaming developers and publishers, as well as some tips on how to install and configure them.

Wii Sports Fitness Training

We all made our jokes when Nintendo's new system Wii emerged about how the fat video gaming kids would lose weight while playing video games. Well, someone decided to give it a try and use see if a daily Wii workout would reduce his weight and body fat. He called it the Wii Sports Experiment and had some astonishing results.

Bang Howdy Free Strategic Multiplayer Game

I seldom come upon a great freeware game with stunning graphics, gameplayer and multiplayer action. Bang Howdy has all of that and much more featuring fast based turn based action with a twist. The excellent tutorial covers all basic game elements and describes the various game modes that are available when playing online. All players choose a number of units before the game starts who all have advantages and disadvantages against certain types of units for example.

Game for the Weekeend Rumble Box

Rumble Box is a great freeware beat em up game which uses characters made of cubes and balls. Controls are pretty easy to figure out. Use the arrow keys to move your character, double tab forward for a dash, press the spacebar to hit and use Control to grab. The enemies enter the level through doors that appear in the walls that limit the box that you are fighting in. Defeated enemies stay in the level dispelled in the objects that they were composed off.

The Blob game - paint the city

I think I found a reference to the blob game in the donation coder blog. The task of the freeware game sounds simple. Collect colors and use them to colorize the city that you are in. You, the blob, roll around in the city and absorb the colors of non player characters that roam the streets. Colors get mixed if you absorb more than one of them and run out after a certain time of rolling around and coloring objects.

portable sudoku

Sudoku Portable

Sudoku is a addictive puzzle game which became popular in Europe just a few years ago. The goal is to fill the nine 3x3 grids with the numbers of 1 to 9 each and exclusively for the whole row and column. The concept itself is pretty simple but there are various difficulty levels that make it quite a challenge.

Game for the Weekend Alien Arena

Code Red Alien Arena reminds me a lot of the first Unreal Tournament and Quake 3 Arena games that came out. I think I was addicted to Unreal Tournament in 1999 playing in a high skilled CTF clan for more than a year. It was tremendous fun and we were all pretty disappointed when the successor brought shiny graphics and shitty gameplay to the community. Alien Arena has nice enough graphics for a freeware game but the most important aspect is of course the gameplay. What can I say, it is fun.

Curator Defense

It seems that everyday a new tower defense kind of game appears on the internet and gets linked pretty quickly. I found areference to the game Curator Defense in the donation coders blog and can absolutely recommend it. You have to download the 50+ megabytes freeware game but the download is well worth it. Pieces of art invade the museum and you have to stop them to prevent them from replacing the master pieces in your museum.

Game for the Weekend Ahriman's Prophecy

This game for the weekend will keep you busy for a long time. Ahriman's Prophecy is a 2D roleplaying game that reminds me a lot of the old Zelda 2D games. The looks of the game are nice and the developers did their best to create a believable world. You start as a young lady named Talia in the small village of Elden who is supposed to become a herbalist but finds out a little bit later that actually magic is her destination.

ADVERTISEMENT

Games for the Weekend 5 Base Invaders

The objective in the highly additive freeware game Base Invaders is simple: Defend your central tower. Hordes of aliens, among them the feared drillers, ninjas and bombers try to overcome the obstacles that the player creates to lay siege to the central tower. Every structure in the game can be planted by the player, reminds me a bit of the famous Dungeon Keeper games by Bullfrog.

Game for the Weekend 4 Battle for Wesnoth

You know it must be Friday when I'm introducing a new game for the weekend. This time it is a strategy game called Battle for Wesnoth. Maybe some of you know the classic games Shining Force by Sega, Final Fantasy Tactics by Square and Fire Emblem by Nintendo. All are turn based strategy games - so is Battle for Wesnoth which can be downloaded for free for Windows, Mac and Linux.

Some Games for the evening

I found some great (online) games today that I would like to pass on. The first is connected to Star Wars. I know you like Star Wars. I always thought why the Imperium was that stupid to construct the Death Star the way they did. A defense shield that was guarded by nothing at all, just some silly stormtroopers. A planet shattering canon and a tiny hole that made the whole thing vulnerable.

Game for the Weekend 3 iSketch

I know that this is the second online game of the weekend in a row but this is just to much fun, and that's what games should be all about fun. iSketch is an online multiplayer game. One person sketches a word and the others have to guess what it is. The first one to guess right gets the most points and the others have 20 seconds to guess it as well before time runs up. If they guess it as well they are awarded lesser points than the first person.

Games for the Weekend Zelda Ocarina of Time 2D

I write about a new game that could make your weekend every Friday. This time it is a remake of a classic game: Zelda Ocarina of Time. The developer created a 2D version of this classic game which can be downloaded from his website. If you remember the original Zelda games on the like the legend of zelda for the nes or a link to the past for the snes you might be in for a suprise. The game looks and feels a lot like those classic Zelda games.

Ultrastar - Singstar like game for your PC

Have you ever played Singstar on the Playstation 2 ? It is a Karaoke like game that is great fun if you play it with some friends. Ultrastar looks clearly like it was inspired by Singstar. The big advantage ? It is completely free and offers many texts for songs on various websites on the internet. You need to download the Ultrastar main program from Sourceforge at the beginning, it is only 500k which means it should be a fast download even for slow connections.

Nintendo Wii Launch Games

The Nintendo Wii will come out in the United States November 19th, 2006, in Japan on December 2nd, 2006 and in Europe on December 8th, 2006. The Nintendo Wii features a unique method of controlling the action on screen which could revolutionize the way games are played on video game systems. It concentrates on this aspect instead of pure horsepower like the ps3 and xbox 360.

Playstation 3 Launch Titles

I thought it would be a nice idea to take a quick look at all of the Playstation 3 launch titles. As you all know the PS3 was released yesterday in Japan and will be released in the United States on November 17th. Europe, Australia and the rest of Asia will have to wait another 4+ months before the PS3 makes its official debut. Please note that everything that follows is my impression of the launch titles, it does not necessarily mean that the games I do not like are bad, it simply means that I would never buy those games.

A Free Game for the Weekend: True Combat Elite

True Combat Elite is a total conversion of Enemy Territory. Both games are free which means you can just visit the developers website and download them to your computer and start playing the games. Versions for PC, MAC and Linux exist. The installation itself can be a bit tricky at first, let me guide you through that process later on in this article. True Combat is a modern warfare game similar to Counterstrike Source, you play either on the Terrorist or the Anti-Terror side.

How to disable game intro movies

I hate game intro movies with a passion. Some games force the user to view about half a dozen of intros without giving him the change to escape them because the normal keys that cancel the playback are disabled. If you are unlucky you have to watch the producers logo, the developments team logo, nvidia, another team that worked on the game (multiplayer part for instance), the normal intro, an EA logo..

Play Counterstrike in 2D

Most computer users do know Counterstrike even though they probably never played it. You side either with the anti-terror unit or the terrorist and try to beat the other team by completing an objective or elimination all other players. Counterstrike 2D is a freeware conversion of this popular game. The interface looks and feels like the real thing, you may configure your keys and choose to play against bots or on the internet against human players.

team fortress 2

The Ultimate Free Games List

Inspired by Gnome's Oh no more hand-picked free games I decided to create the motherload of free games. A List that contains every single free game that is worth playing. I'am absolutely sure that my initial list will miss many games but it will grow over time - with your help. I know that you have an ace up your sleeve and will help me create the list.

nes games nintendo

Play Hundreds of NES Games in your browser

Kornie send me a a link to a great webpage that hosts hundreds of NES games that are playable in your browser. All you need is a java plugin and you are ready to go. They currently host 250 English games, 80 Japanese games, 10 prototype games, 25 unlicensed and 25 miscellaneous games.

Top 10 Free Retro Games for your PC

I started my gaming "career" on an Atari 2600 system with stunning games like River Raid and Pitfall, bought a C-64 later, then an Amiga and finally a PC. If your history looks similar you've come across many unforgetable moments and games - that is why I'am going to post this retro game article. Every game mentioned is free to download and play. I know that a top 10 is probably not enough because there are many great remakes out there but I had to limit my post somehow, therefor, it is only a top 10.

New Nintendo Wii Launch Details

Nintendo already held two of the three press conferences about the upcoming Wii launch in Japan, America and Europe. The press conferences in Japan and the United States revealed many information that should also be valid for the European launch, that is, if it is not delayed like the launch of the Playstation 3. The Nintendo Wii will launch on November 19. in the United States and sell for 250$ including a wireless Wiimote, a Nunchuck, and the game Wii Sports which includes tennis, baseball, golf, boxing and bowling.

Free Geometry Wars Clones

It all began with Asteroids, navigating a small spaceship through space, avoiding and destryoing asteroids that flew by on its way. A game of passion using a minimalistic design to create maximum pleasure for the gamer. Geometry Wars, a highly successful game for the xbox 360, is an Asteroid clone. You have a spaceship, you can move it on the screen, you don't have asteroids but geometrical figures that you have to shoot. It's faster, more colorful and meaner than Asteroids.

PS3 delayed in Europe

I suppose you already heard the news that Sonys new Ubermachine Playstation 3 will not have a worldwide launch because of production problems. Sony once again decided to smack every European who wanted to buy the system right into the face without caring much that Europe is indeed one of the biggest markets for Sony with more than 38 million Playstation 2 systems sold compared to 42 million in the United States and 23 million in Japan.

Three Great Freeware Games

I do stumble upon great fanmade games from time to time and write down a note about those games to remember it and write an article like this one you are currently reading. I discovered three nice freeware games that are worth taking a closer look, their names are: Turrican 4 Funeral, Wings of Fury and Warzone 2100 Resurrection.

Fear Combat for free

Fear Combat is the multiplayer part of the game Fear which is an egoshooter game with horror elements. Fear which stands for First Encounter Assault Recon was developed my Monolith who created great games like No one lives forever and Condemned. The game recieved numerous awards including Best First Person Shooter from IGN, Best Action Game from PC Gamer and Top 10 PC Game of the Year from Pc Informer.

Old adventures never die. They only get remade.

Back in the days before DOOM became the pop phenomenon it still is, the adventure game genre reined supreme. Adventures were cutting edge, they were. Names like Kinq’s Quest, Larry Laffer, Zak McKraken or Maniac Mansion were common household items and easily quite a bit more popular than your average garden gnome.

boardgames

Free Computer Versions of Board and Card Games

I love playing boardgames with friends, it´s always funny and exciting and I enjoy those evenings very much. It is unfortunatly happening that I would like to play boardgames when none of my friends are available. I could play by myself but this is rather boring. One alternative would be to look for online versions of those games and play against computers or other human players over the internet.

winuae

How to emulate an Amiga on your PC

I´am not sure if most of you will like this article or not. My second computer was an Amiga 500 which I used almost 100% for gaming. I loved many of the games that came out for that incredible machine and still yearn for some of them. I always wanted to play those games again but did not want to buy an Amiga because of several reasons. I don´t want to get into to much detail but it´s mainly a storage problem and a problem of availabilty. Sure, you can buy some cheap amigas on ebay and probably buy some games there as well, but most of the games are hard to come by this days.

kings quest iii

King's Quest III Remake Released

I love remakes, especially when they are fan made and not a companys effort to make easy money with a well known franchise. I never played the original Kings Quest series (was more into Leisure Suit Larry at that time) but enjoyed the remakes that have been released so far. If you did not know, there are also remakes of Kings Quest 1 and Kings Quest 2 availabe at the website of ADG Interactive. (free of course)

Free Survival Game like Resident Evil

Yesterday we witnessed the release of Nexuiz, an incredible freeware online shooter. Today it´s a free survival game that looks and plays a lot like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Penumbra sets you on a quest to find out more about your father who bequeathed you a mysterious book. Graphics and gameplay is great for a freeware game, make sure you grab your copy from the developers homepage.

Nexuiz Free Online Shooter

Nexuiz is a free online shooter developed by Alientrap. A new version of the shooter has been released today and is available as a download (around 200 megabytes) from the developers homepage. The game Nexuiz is a classic Deathmatch Shooter like Quake 2 and Unreal Tournament. Chose to play different maps, select different weapons to frag your opponents. Graphics are great for a free game.

bust a move

Play Bust a Move online

Bust a Move or Puzzle Bobble is a nice little game that has made it´s way to almost every console system that has been released in the last ten years. You task is to clear a stage that consists of colored bubbles on the top of every screen and two little dragons at the bottom who shot colored bubbles at the ceiling. If three or more bubbles of the same color come into contact they disappear. The screen gets smaller from time to time means you will have to hurry to get rid of all the bubbles before the screen reaches your little dragons at the bottom.

Games for Linux

Linux has a bad image when it comes to gaming. Most games are developed for windows, sometimes a linux version will be released as well but most of the time this is not the case. The site games for linux lists many games that are available for free for a linux operating system. Every game has a screenshot and some basic information like size and website of the maker included. Every game is rated by its users which should give you a first impression of the quality of the game. Unfortunatly no hint is given on how many users have voted for the game. Nevertheless it´s great as a first indicator for the game.

List of free MMORPG and MMO games

So, you are sick of World of Warcraft, of Battlefield 2 and Counterstrike Source ? You want to experience something new ? You´ve come to the right place my friend. I found a site that contains an extensive, and I mean extensive, list of many, and I mean many (hrhr) games that are free to play and concentrate on multiplayer experience. I don´t think it´s possible to test them all but you might just test all games that look interesting and fit the category of games that you like most.

play c-64 games online

Play Commodore 64 games Online

The c-64 was my first computer. I had an atari 2600 before and it seemed like a quantum leep at that time. The C-64 had many classic games that I enjoyed playing: Archon, Boulder Dash and Pirates for instance. You know have the chance to play some of the alltime classics of that era in your browser. The website c64s.com is the Eldorado for everyone who wants to play that classic games again or take a look at games of a time long forgotten.

5 Best Freeware Games of 2005

There have been lots of great freeware games in 2005 and I decided to present you the five best ones. The games include strategy games, action games, ego shooters and adventures. Should be something for every taste. The freeware scene has developed in the last years producing bigger and better looking games that can sometimes even be compared to commercial products that have been released this year.

Great Freeware Game Mono

It´s been a time that I reviewed a game at ghacks. Mono is a freeware game that deserves to be mentioned here. It has a nice gameplay, great music and the most important part, it is fun to play.

It can be described as a arcade shooter. Your goal is to change the color of the background from white to black / black to white by shooting at colored circles that leave traces of their color on the background and part into two smaller circles of the same color.

online arcade games

Tons of Classic Arcade Games

I still remember my first arcade video game, it was xevious, a vertical scrolling shoot em up game with great graphics and playability. I spend most of my money on that game and had some trouble with my parents because of this.


SPREAD THE WORD

GHACKS NEWSLETTER SIGN UP

Please click on the following link to open the newsletter signup page: Ghacks Newsletter Sign up